Apple TV+ for Android / Tom Brady Roast hits Nielsen charts / Showrunner AI app / "Pachinko" returns in August

Plus the weekend calendar, Bears on HBO's "Hard Knocks," Amazon greenlights "Kevin," NBCU Peacock deal, Pennywise returns, and more

Inside Streaming For May 31, 2024

Thanks for opening today's Inside Streaming brief! We appreciate it. Look, it's VERY challenging to launch a startup and build your own business from the ground up. I like supporting entrepreneurs and new ideas, really, I do. It gives me no pleasure to say this. But the "Showrunner" AI app that this SF startup Fable Studios is promoting is, just to be honest, kind of pathetic. "Fake News," I'm tempted to say. It's hard for me to believe real journalists are writing about this product and not noting the fact that it can't possibly deliver on its promise. Even from the screenshots that appear alongside the news item, it's clear that this app churns out low-quality, glitchy, brief animated clips -- all of them based on a pre-selected aesthetic and style -- with stitled repetitive dialogue, over which the user has very limited prompt control. In no way is this the equivalent of writing, producing, and creating your own original episode of television. That's not just a stretch, that's a cross-country flight. Lon p/lon-harris

1 There are some early indications that Apple may be designing an Android version of its Apple TV+ app. In a new job posting, Apple seeks an Android Software Engineer, specifically for a TV+ related project. More: The job listing -- posted for the San Diego, California area -- suggests that Apple needs an Android developer to design an app for "watch[ing] and discover[ing] television and sports." Apple TV+ is available on a number of non-Apple devices, including Google Chromecast, Roku, PlayStation and XBox consoles, and certain smart TVs, but not Android phones or tablets. Some of Apple's marketing have centered on the idea that users need Apple devices in order to watch high-profile Apple TV+ content, such as the popular series "Ted Lasso" and the Oscar-winning film "CODA." Apple Music is also available for Android devices, though most Apple products are not.

2 Despite streaming at the very end of the week, Netflix's "Roast of Tom Brady" live comedy special hit #10 on Nielsen's Top 10 list of streaming originals for April 29 - May 5. The three-hour special streamed on May 5 and was viewed for around 279 million minutes as it premiered. More: The Brady Roast remains available to stream on demand, suggesting it will likely appear on the Nielsen list for at least one additional week. "Bluey" on Disney+ was the #1 most-streamed show from April 29-May 5, its fourth time topping the list so far this year. ABC's medical drama "Grey's Anatomy," which streams on both Hulu and Netflix, came in second place with 1.1 billion minutes viewed; it's unclear why the show, which is between fresh seasons, had a sudden viewership surge in the spring. Amazon's "Fallout" fell to third place, but was still viewed for more than 1 billion minutes; it's already been renewed for Season 2.

3 WEEKEND CALENDAR FRIDAY, MAY 31 JIM HENSON: IDEA MAN: 2024 documentary profile of puppeteer and filmmaker Jim Henson, looking back at his creation of The Muppets, "Sesame Street," "The Dark Crystal" and other projects, along with his creative and personal partnership with wife Jane Henson. The film features new interviews with family members and notable collaborators, including Frank Oz. Ron Howard directs. [Disney+] THE FIRST OMEN: 2024 supernatural horror film, serving as a direct prequel to the original 1976 "The Omen." Nell Tiger Free stars as an American novitiate in the 1970s who's sent on assignment to a Roman orphanage, where she uncovers a sinister Satanic plot. Ralph Ineson, Sônia Braga, Tawfeek Barhorn, Bill Nighy, and Charles Dance co-star; Arkasha Stevenson ("Channel Zero") co-wrote and directed. [Hulu] T.I.M. 2023 sci-fi thriller from the UK, starring Georgina Campbell as a prosthetics engineer working on an AI-enabled android (Eamon Farren) that develops a dangerous fixation with her. Spencer Brown co-wrote and directed in his feature debut. [Hulu] SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL: 2023 indie psychological thriller from director Yuval Adler, starring Joel Kinnaman as a regular guy from Vegas who's taken prisoner by a mysterious stranger (Nicolas Cage) and forced into a deadly game of cat-and-mouse. [Hulu] THE OUTLAWS: The British crime comedy series, a co-production of Amazon and the BBC, returns this week for a third season, which creator Stephen Merchant suggests could be its last. Merchant also co-stars as part of a group of misfits who discover a bag of money while doing community service together, leading to all manner of trouble; Gamba Cole, Clare Perkins, Eleanor Tomlinson, and Jessica Gunning round out the main cast. [Prime Video] COUPLES THERAPY: The Showtime reality series features real couples working through their relationship issues with help from psychoanalyst Dr. Orna Guralnik. It's back this weekend for a fourth season; new episodes air Sundays on cable and stream for Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers starting on Fridays. [Paramount+] THE GREAT LILLIAN HALL: 2024 scripted drama feature from HBO, starring Jessica Lange as a Broadway icon who's diagnosed with dementia as she's preparing for a major new role. Lily Rabe, Kathy Bates, Jesse Williams, and Pierce Brosnan co-star; Michael Cristofer ("Gia") directs. [Max] GOLD RUSH: PARKER'S TRAIL: Discovery Channel reality series, spun off from the original "Gold Rush," in which Parker Schnabel travels the world scanning for lucrative, still-untapped gold deposits. Season 7, which sends Schnabel to South America, premieres this week on Max and cable. [Max] CELEBRITY FAMILY FOOD BATTLE: Debut cooking competition series in which celebrities and reality stars face off, with help from teams made up of their family members, to win money for charity and the Golden Fork Award. Manolo Gonzalez Vergara hosts. [Roku] FROG AND TOAD: The animated series -- based on the iconic children's books by Arnold Lobel -- returns this week for a second season. Nat Faxon and Kevin Michael Richardson co-star as the titular best friends; the voice cast also includes Ron Funches, Fortune Feimster, Cole Escola, Yvette Nicole Brown, John Hodgman, and Aparna Nancherla. [Apple TV+] SCAVENGERS REIGN: Animated sci-fi series for adults, which originally streamed on Max last year. Following the destruction of their interstellar cargo ship, a group of survivors must fend for themselves on an uncharted, hostile planet. Season 1 hits Netflix today in its entirety; depending on how it does, the streamer may renew it for additional seasons. [Netflix] A PART OF YOU (EN DEL AV DIG): 2024 coming-of-age drama feature from Sweden, starring Felicia Maxime as a 17-year-old whose struggles to find herself and come into her own take a backseat after her family experiences a sudden tragedy. Edvin Ryding, Zara Larsson, and Ida Engvoll co-star; Sigge Eklund directs in his feature debut. [Netflix] HOW TO RUIN LOVE: THE PROPOSAL: The romantic comedy series is the latest installment in Netflix's "How to Ruin..." franchise from South Africa. After Zoleka's (Sivenathi Mabuya) jealousy ruins a surprise marriage proposal, she's determined to win back her boyfriend's affections. Bohang Moeko co-stars; franchise vet Rethabile Ramaphakela created. [Netflix] CHABUCA: 2024 Spanish-language biographical drama feature from Peru, starring Sergio Armasgo as gay actor Ernesto Pimentel, whose drag character "Chabuca" became a TV staple in the '90s and '00s. Jorge Carmona ("Blue Frontier") directs. [Netflix] RAISING VOICES (NI UNA MÁS): Debut YA drama series from Spain starring Nicole Wallace as a teen who puts up a banner on her high school campus, calling attention to the fact that she was sexually assaulted and prompting a formal investigation. Clara Galle, Gabriel Guevara, Ivan Massagué, and Eloy Azorín co-star. [Netflix] TÒKUNBÒ: English-language thriller from Nigeria about a former car smuggler (Gideon Okeke) who's forced back into crime after his family is kidnapped. Ramsey Nouah ("Ahanna: The Rattlesnake Story") directed. [Netflix] SATURDAY, JUNE 1 TRIXIE MOTEL: DRAG ME HOME: Debut four-episode HGTV reality series, spun off from Discovery+'s "Trixie Motel," in which drag superstar Trixie Mattel and her partner David Silver remodel their dream home in Los Angeles. [Max] COLD COPY: 2024 thriller from first-time writer/director Roxine Helberg, starring Bel Powley as a student who becomes the protégé of a powerful and ruthless reporter (Tracee Ellis Ross) who encourages her to start crossing some of her ethical boundaries. Jacob Tremblay and Nesta Cooper oc-star. [Netflix] HEARTLAND: The family series, now the longest-running hour-long scripted drama in Canadian TV history, is based on the books by Lauren Brooke, and centers on daily life on an Alberta family ranch. Season 16 debuted in 2023 on the CBC and comes to Netflix today. [Netflix] LUMBERJACK THE MONSTER: 2023 revenge thriller from iconic Japanese cult filmmaker Takashi Miike, based on a novel by Mayusuke Kurai. Kazuya Kamenashi stars as a lawyer who takes justice into his own hands after surviving a brutal attack by a serial killer. Nanao, Riho Yoshioka, and Keisuke Horibe co-star. [Netflix] SIMÓN: 2023 drama feature from writer/director Diego Vicentini, starring Christian McGaffney as a young activist who flees Venezuela for Miami after being arrested and tortured for protesting. Offered asylum only if he promises never return to his home country, he must make a life-changing decision. The film was produced in a mix of English and Spanish. [Netflix] PILECKI'S REPORT (RAPORT PILECKIEGO): 2023 biographical war drama from Poland, starring Przemysław Wyszyński as decorated WWII soldier, resistance leader, and intelligence officer Captain Witold Pilecki. Among other heroic feats, Pilecki infiltrated the Auschwitz concentration camp and organized a resistance movement among inmates. [Netflix] SUNDAY, JUNE 2 MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN: The crime drama, starring Jeremy Renner as a professional fixer in a Michigan town dominated by private prisons, returns this weekend for its third season. Hugh Dillon co-stars and co-created the series along with "Yellowstone" vet Taylor Sheridan. Dianne Wiest, Tobi Bamtefa, Taylor Handley, and Emma Laird co-star. [Paramount+] REN FAIRE: Three-part docuseries from HBO, taking a behind-the-scenes look at the power struggle for control of the Texas Renaissance Festival, which claims to be "the nation's largest Renaissance theme park." Lance Oppenheim ("Some Kind of Heaven") co-created and directed the series, and executive produced along with filmmakers Benny and Josh Safdie. [Max] FIXER UPPER: THE LAKEHOUSE: Debut home renovation series from Magnolia Network in which Chip and Joanna Gaines revive a lakehouse estate outside Waco, Texas, with an outdated 1960s design. The series commemorates the 10th anniversary of "Fixer Upper." [Max] CRAIG OF THE CREEK: The animated Cartoon Network series is set in an untamed wilderness where young people from Herkleton, Maryland, hang out and go on adventures. The first batch of Season 6 episodes make their Max debut this weekend. [Max] TOTAL DRAMA ISLAND: The sixth season of the Canadian animated series "Total Drama" debuted in 2023, following a nine-year hiatus. Each season of the series, which parodies reality shows like "Survivor," features a new line-up of teens facing off in an elimination-style competition. [Max] THE CHOSEN: The Biblical drama series from Angel Studios ("Sound of Freedom") relates the life story of Jesus (Jonathan Roumie), and tracks his travels with his disciplies. It returns this weekend for its fourth season, exclusively on the show's dedicated app. (Previous seasons have also aired on TV's The CW, but so far there's no update on Season 4). [Chosen App]

4 San Francisco startup Fable Studio debuted Showrunner, an AI app for generating "original TV episodes." Showrunner provides basic concepts for shows; users are then encouraged to write, voice, and animate episodes of their own via the app, which allows them to manipulate dialogue, characters, shot types, and more. More: Fable previously released an AI-generated episode of "South Park" on social media that went viral, but was also widely criticized. Fable CEO Edward Saatchi said the company's goal is to become the "Netflix of AI." Currently, the product is in beta, and users can join a waitlist to try out a free version, which will likely be available through the end of the year. Fable apparently has plans to launch 10 animated franchises in various styles; these include Silicon Valley satire "Exit Valley," a dark horror anime called "Ikiru Shinu," and the anthology drama "Sim Francisco."

5 The international period drama series "Pachinko" -- based on the novel by Min Jin Lee -- returns to Apple TV+ for a second season on August 23. The first season debuted way back in March of 2022, and received critical acclaim and various international awards, including a Peabody and honors from the American Film Institute. More: Soo Hugh created the series and writes the adaptation. Apple announced the Season 2 renewal at the close of Season 1. Related in a combination of Korean, Japanese, and English, the series tracks the lives of four generations of a Korean family, from 1915 through 1989. Anna Sawai, who also had a breakout role in FX's "Shōgun," co-stars along with Lee Minho, Minha Kim, Yuh-jung Youn, Jin Ha, and Eunchae Jung.

6 The next season of HBO's behind-the-scenes NFL training camp docuseries "Hard Knocks" will feature the Chicago Bears. This will mark the first time the Bears have appeared on the series, which has aired since 2001. More: According to ESPN, HBO and the NFL were eager to spotlight rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, the #1 pick in this year's NFL draft. The Bears are the first team with a #1-drafted rookie quarterback to feature on "Hard Knocks" since the Cleveland Browns and Baker Mayfield in 2018. The Bears report for training camp in late July; they'll face off against the Houston Texans in a Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, on August 1. "Hard Knocks" debuts the following week, August 6, on both HBO and Max.

7 Amazon ordered a first season for the adult animated comedy series "Kevin." The show centers on a house cat who decides to stop living with people and embark on a new life of his own. More: Writer/producer Joe Wengert and Aubrey Plaza are both on board the series as executive producers; they previosuly collaborated on the sitcom "Parks & Recreation" and Season 2 of HBO's "The White Lotus." The show is semi-autobiographical for Wengert, taking inspiration from a real break-up and the cat who was caught in the middle; he'll serve as showrunner on the series. Titmouse, which animates Netflix's "Big Mouth" (on which Wengert is also a collaborator), will produce.

8 QUICK HITS NBCUniversal is now offering a year of Peacock for $19.99, a $40 discount over the typical annual subscription rate. Actor Bill Skarsgård will reprise his role from the "IT" horror films, as the evil clown Pennywise, for Max's upcoming prequel series, "Welcome to Derry." Paramount+ scrapped plans for a live-action series based on the tabletop fantasy role-playing game "Dungeons & Dragons"; Hasbro Entertainment's eOne will rework the project before taking it out to other networks and streamers. The inspirational Disney biopic "Young Woman and the Sea" was originally headed direct to streaming, but it's now the studio's first limited theatrical release in over a decade, following pressure from producer Jerry Bruckheimer. The Starz limited drama series "Three Women," based on the nonfiction book by Lisa Taddeo, premieres on September 13; Shailene Woodley stars as a grieving writer who crosses paths with three more women -- each with dramatic stories to share -- during a life-changing road trip. According to a report in The Athletic, Netflix is considering a deal with the SEC for a behind-the-scenes college football docuseries, similar to the streamer's "Drive to Survive" Formula 1 franchise. Netflix ordered a first season for the adult animated comedy series "The Undervale," from "Rick and Morty" and "Krapopolis" vets Matt Roller and Dan Harmon; the story centers on a single mom who runs a haunted hotel with the help of her brother, a ghost. FX, the cable network that produces "The Bear" specifically for Hulu, will run a marathon of the show's first season next week, ahead of the comedy-drama's Season 3 streaming debut on June 27. Netflix renewed the absurdist semi-autobiographical comedy series "The Vince Staples Show" for a second season. Netflix announced the main cast for BET, a live-action series based on the Japanese manga thriller "Kakegurui," set an an elite boarding school that revolves around underground gambling; "Warrior Nun" vet Simon Barry developed. According to Deadline, actor Jason George will likely return to the cast of "Grey's Anatomy" following the end of its spinoff, "Station 19." Actor Nazanin Boniadi, who portrayed original village healer character Bronwyn on Season 1 of Amazon's Tolkien adaptation "The Rings of Power," will not return for Season 2; she has stepped away from her acting career to work as an activist on behalf of women's rights in Iran. Netflix entered development on "They'll Never Catch Us," a series based on the thriller novel by Jessica Goodman; Blumhouse TV will produce. "Everything Must Go," the first comedy special from "Hacks" co-star Hannah Einbinder, hits Max on June 13; Einbinder is the daughter of original "Saturday Night Live" cast member Laraine Newman. Daryl McCormack, a veteran of indie comedy feature "Good Luck to You, Leo Grande" and Apple TV+'s series "Bad Sisters," is the latest actor to join the cast of the third "Knives Out" film, "Wake Up Dead Man." A new ad campaign for Tubi highlights the platform's 75 million monthly viewers, noting that this is more than the number of French citizens and global pickleball players, among other impressive stats. A Japanese rom-com series based on the 2011 French film "Romantics Anonymous" has been greeenlit at Netflix, and will feature talent from both Japan and Korea; the story tracks a romance between two strangers with anxiety disorders who share a love of chocolate.

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Lon Harris Writer Lon Harris is the writer and editor of Inside Streaming and was the very first person to ever write an Inside newsletter. He lives in Los Angeles, California, and also writes about TV and film for Fandom, Screen Junkies, Rotten Tomatoes, Gamma Ray and others. Plus he has a Game of Thrones podcast called "Casterly Talk" and competes on The Movie Trivia Schmoedown as "The Professor." This newsletter was edited by Lon Harris

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