Chris Maccarthy: Last News

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent LILLE, France — Paramount+ will be bowing “Drag Race Italia” Season 3 on the streaming service in Italy, followed by the U.S. and Latin America later this year.  The Italian Season 3 follows on the recent announcement of three new “Drag Race” editions in Brazil, Germany and Mexico and a “Global Drag Race All Stars,” which will air on Paramount+ in their respective territories this year, Paramount+ announced Wednesday. “As we expand Paramount+’s global footprint, it was important to recapture ‘Drag Race’ in key international markets and also build an interconnected competition series with a new ‘Global Drag Race All Stars’ – it’s like a global Super Bowl for Drag,” said Chris McCarthy, president-CEO, Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios & Paramount Media Networks.

Italy has become the latest territory to jump on the RuPaul’s Drag Race hype.

Showtime has been going through downsizing and recalibration since the November ouster of longtime CEO David Nevins and the premium network’s inclusion in Paramount Media Networks President Chris McCarthy’s portfolio. There have been layoffs, series cancellations and an executive restructuring as McCarthy articulated the plans for the network, which will soon be rebranded as Paramount+ with Showtime. They include multiple TV universes built around some of Showtime’s biggest series, including multiple Dexter and Billions offshoots.

“Screw you guys, we’re going to sue,” a Cartman paraphrasing Warner Bros Discovery essentially said to Paramount Global and the series creators today in a scathing lawsuit over South Park streaming rights.

The Paramount Global operation under Chris McCarthy continues to shift finished series to Showtime, which was added to his portfolio in November. The Waco sequel, Waco: The Aftermath, which had been produced for Paramount+, will now be carried by Showtime –debuting on streaming and on demand Friday, April 14, and on-air Sunday, April 16, at 10 PM.

Monday started with a shock and awe campaign at Showtime as the exits of a slew of top executives were announced in short succession. By the end of the day, about 120 people in total had lost their jobs in the layoffs, sources confirm to Deadline. That represents more than 10% of the company’s workforce.

The full extent of the changes at Showtime have started to emerge as the premium cable network has set its new leadership team under Nina L. Diaz with more executives leaving following the corporate restructure.

The changes at Showtime continue, with Co-Presidents of Entertainment Gary Levine, and Jana Winograde stepping down from their posts. The announcement was made this morning by Paramount Global’s Chris McCarthy, who took oversight of the pay cable network in the November restructuring that saw longtime Showtime CEO David Nevins leave the company.

EXCLUSIVE: Uncoupled, has been saved. I hear Showtime is picking up Season 2 (and potentially beyond) of the comedy series, from Emily in Paris creator Darren Star and Modern Family veteran Jeffrey Richman, a couple weeks after the MTV Entertainment Studios-produced show was canceled by Netflix. At the premium network, soon to be renamed Paramount+ with Showtime, Uncoupled is designed to fit into one the three main content lanes recently outlined by new Showtime boss Chris McCarthy, “Metro Cultures”, which spans “culturally diverse takes” like The L Word and The Chi.

George Clooney is set to direct and produce a political espionage thriller series for Showtime under the working title The Department.According to Deadline, the network ordered the series as an adaptation of the French drama The Bureau (Le Bureau des Legendes), which aired for five seasons from 2015 to 2020. Based on actual accounts by former spies and inspired by contemporary events, the series focused on intelligence officer Guillaume 'Malotru' Debailly, who returns to the French capital after six years undercover in Damascus. The Bureau centered on the daily lives of French agents within the nation's leading external security service - their equivalent of the CIA - who trained and led long-term missions in areas with French interests. Living under false identities for years, these agents aim to identify and recruit good intelligence sources. This comes after Clooney as seen filming Wolves in New York City.  He's on board: George Clooney, 61, is set to team up with Showtime to direct and produce a political espionage thriller series under the working title The Department Coming to the small screen: Showtime ordered the series as an adaptation of the French drama The Bureau (Le Bureau des Legendes), which aired for five seasons from 2015-2020 He has to face the challenge of reconnecting with his daughter, ex-wife, colleagues, and even his old self. In 2019, the New York Times lauded The Bureau as one of the Best International TV Shows of the Decade.In June 2020, NPR also praised the show saying, 'It may well be the best TV show in the world right now.' Chris McCarthy, President/CEO at Showtime and Paramount media, said, 'Just as Homeland elevated global espionage to new heights, The Department will take viewers even

Showtime has given a straight-to-series order to The Department (w/t) based on the acclaimed French espionage political thriller The Bureau, from George Clooney and Grant Heslov’s Smokehouse Pictures, MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios. Clooney will direct the series and also executive produce with Heslov through their Smokehouse Pictures. Production is slated to begin later this year.

Chris McCarthy has been speaking about a franchise strategy for Showtime since he took over the network a couple of months ago. That strategy will include expanding successful series with multiple spinoffs in the mold of the Yellowstone universe as the premium cable network starts its integration with Paramount+ and getting a new moniker, Paramount+ with Showtime.

THREE big budget dramas have been axed after a popular TV channel merged with a streamer in a major shake-up. TV fans have been hit by a barrage of cancellations across the various streaming services, such as Netflix.

Erin Calhoun, EVP, Communications, Showtime Networks & Paramount Television Studios, has been appointed to a new role as EVP, Communications, Paramount Streaming and Cross-Company Publicity.

The purge of some of Showtime’s less popular series from the network’s streaming service has gotten underway. According to sources, the majority of of the shows impacted lasted one season. As Deadline revealed exclusively earlier today, that includes Let The Right One In and American Gigolo, which have been canceled. Additionally, in the process of being taken off are American Rust, Wakefield, and On Becoming a God In Central Florida, which also ran for one season each, as well as the Jim Carrey starrer Kidding, which produced two seasons, sources said.

Showtime will no longer be a standalone brand.

EXCLUSIVE: Paramount Global just announced that Showtime will be integrated into Paramount+ across both streaming and linear later this year. In preparation for the move, the premium network had been reevaluating its programming slate over the past several weeks under its new top executive Chris McCarthy.

Showtime has revealed a first look at Elijah Wood's new character Walter in the second season of Yellowjackets.The 41-year-old actor was announced to join the cast of Yellowjackets Season 2 back in August, whose character Walter was described as, 'a dedicated Citizen Detective who will challenge Misty in ways she won't see coming.'The image, revealed by Showtime's Instagram, offers a glimpse of Walter with Christina Ricci's Misty, which comes just weeks after it was revealed star Melanie Lynskey's husband Jason Ritter is also joining the cast for Season 2.  First look: Showtime has revealed a first look at Elijah Wood's new character Walter in the second season of YellowjacketsWhile little is known about how Walter will fit into the series, the caption of Showtime's seems to hint at a potential romance between Walter and Misty.'Is it too early to ship?' the caption read, along with the hashtag #Yellowjackets.

Taylor Sheridan’s latest installment in the Yellowstone universe, headlined by Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford, has set a new benchmark for the prolific creator — and for Paramount+.

The acclaimed television series Yellowjackets got a major vote of confidence from Showtime when the premium cable network renewed it for a third season — all before its second season had even premiered.Showtime is looking to capitalize on the show's success by fast-tracking a third season three months ahead of season two's premiere date, Deadline reported on Thursday.According to the publication, the network also had a tight deadline for a renewal, as the deadline for picking up the cast contract options was coming up in mid-December.The series, which includes stars Christina Ricci and Melanie Lynskey, follows the team members of a high school soccer team who are forced to try to survive for 19 months in the Canadian wilderness after their plane crashes on the way to a tournament. That was fast! Showtime renewed its hit survival thriller Yellowjackets for a third season three months before season two even premiered, Deadline reported on Thursday; Christina Ricci seen in the seriesIn addition to looking back at their struggle to live, the surviving members of the team are shown as they struggle to fit into their adult lives years later.The series was a hit for the network, garnering over 5 million weekly viewers, and it went on to receive seven Emmy nominations, though it didn't win any of the awards.  Chris McCarthy, the president and CEO of both Showtime and Paramount Media Networks, told Deadline that the renewal was an attempt build on the impressive 'momentum' of Yellowjackets' first season.'With Yellowjackets’ runaway success in Season one and the pent-up anticipation for Season two, we wanted to maximize the momentum by fast-tracking Season three now,' said McCarthy.

EXCLUSIVE: A year ago, Yellowjackets got an early Season 2 renewal five episodes into its freshman run. The Showtime series delivered on the vote of confidence with seven Emmy nominations and over 5 million weekly viewers, and now it’s getting an ever earlier Season 3 renewal. More than three months ahead of Yellowjackets’ March 26 Season 2 premiere, the network has picked up a new installment of the show from creators/executive producers/co-showrunners Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, exec producer/co-showrunner Jonathan Lisco, eOne and Drew Comins’ studio-based Creative Engine.