After months of rumors about the supposed changes, Paramount+ and Showtime are officially merging in a new rebrand. The latter cable channel has enjoyed a resurgence of popularity in recent years thanks to the likes of the psychological thriller series Yellowjackets and the return of iconic serial killer dark comedy Dexter with the miniseries continuation, New Blood. Despite this popularity, Paramount's drive to boost up their streaming numbers with their recently launched Paramount+ has led some to believe that Showtime may get rolled into a different platform than cable, which looks to be coming true.
The Hollywood Reporter has brought word that Paramount+ and Showtime are merging in a new rebrand. The news was announced to studio employees in a memo from Paramount CEO Bob Bakish, who not only confirmed that the rumors of the potential merger from the past few months were true, but also explaining that the Showtime linear pay-TV channel and the premium tier of Paramount+ will be rebranded as Paramount+ with Showtime. Bakish wrote about the merger in the memo:
While we are confident this is the right move for our company, our consumers, and our partners, we know this change brings uncertainty for the teams working on these brands and businesses. We are committed to being as transparent and thoughtful as possible throughout this process, and we expect to share additional details in the coming weeks.
Showtime Series Already Cut By Merger
Despite only just having announced the merger, multiple Showtime series have already found themselves cut as Paramount+ takes over the studio. The Demián Bichir-led adaptation of the vampire drama Let The Right One In, which scored mixed-to-positive reviews upon its October premiere, and the Jon Bernthal-starring American Gigolo have both found themselves cancelled after just one season on Showtime. Additionally, Showtime has elected not to air the Shailene Woodley-starring Three Women series, despite the high expectation from within the studio and large bidding war to acquire the rights to the Lisa Taddeo novel.
While Let The Right One In and American Gigolo are at their ends, however, Three Women looks to still have some life as the producers behind the series are currently shopping it around to other potential homes. Considering Taddeo herself is attached as writer and producer on the show and the cast features a wealth of other major talents, including Jurassic World Dominion's DeWanda Wise and Emmy-nominated GLOW star Betty Gilpin, in the cast, it seems likely the show will ultimately find a new outlet to continue. However, with such streamers as Netflix and HBO Max drawing criticism for reversing show renewals, it may not be too much of a surprise if Three Women finds itself shelved permanently.
Paramount+ With Showtime Explained
In addition to the major studio rebranding, the Paramount+ and Showtime leaderships will see a minor change-up as Chris McCarthy will continue to lead Showtime's linear studio and channel, but will be working with Tom Ryan, who will be overseeing the streaming Paramount+ With Showtime model. Though no details have been given on when this rebranding will kick off, McCarthy has confirmed that shows accounting for "less than 10 percent of our views" will find themselves cut, as was the case with Let The Right One In and American Gigolo, the latter of which also scored negative reviews with its lackluster ratings. While the merger appears to have been in the works for some time, it still appears to be in early enough stages to leave many questions lingering for the time being.
Source: THR