Paramount Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) today announced that Head of Entertainment & Factual Programming, Stephen Tate, will depart the business.
For over two decades, Stephen has enjoyed one of the longest continuous tenures of any commercial Network Executive in Australia.
Stephen will depart Paramount ANZ this Friday, September 1.
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Bargain. Streaming Exclusively On Paramount+ Thursday, 5 October.
Paramount+ today debuted the official trailer and key art for the upcoming festival-award-winning South Korean dystopian thriller series Bargain. All six episodes will premiere exclusively Paramount+ Thursday, 5 October.
In Bargain, men are lured to a remote hotel under the guise of sexual encounters only to be caught in a trafficking ring where their organs are auctioned off to the highest bidder. After a catastrophic earthquake, the victims, traffickers and buyers all are trapped inside the crumbling building. Cut off from the outside world, they must fight to survive the aftermath at any cost.
Bargain stars actors Jin Sun-kyu (Extreme Job), Jun Jong-seo (Money Heist: Korea) and Chang Ryul (My Name) and is an adaptation of director Lee Chung-hyun’s award-winning short film of the same name that was released in 2015. Director and writer Jeon Woo-sung, who was part of the production team of the original short film, picked up the story and developed it into a six-part series. The series is co-written by Choi Byeong-yun and Kwak Jae-min and executive produced by showrunner and creator Byun Seungmin and Bang Jin Ho.
Bargain was awarded the Critics’ Choice Award at Seriencamp Festival in Cologne in June and won Best Screenplay at Canneseries Festival earlier this year. BARGAIN also is an official 2023 Toronto International Film Festival selection. Bargain was developed by Paramount+ and TVING through a partnership between Paramount and the Korean entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM.
Probably because it makes so little Australian FTA content.
All the UK “sister” channels have so many premier programs of their own (BBC 3 and 4, ITV 2 AND 3, E4, Sky etc.), that FTA still has a LOT to choose from.
Created by Emmy Award winner Mike McMahan (Rick and Morty, Solar Opposites), in season four of Star Trek: Lower Decks, an unknown force is destroying starships and threatening galactic peace. Luckily, the crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos isn’t important enough for stuff like that! Instead, Ensigns Mariner, Boimler, Tendi, Rutherford and Provisional Ensign T’Lyn are keeping up with their Starfleet duties, avoiding malevolent computers and getting stuck in a couple caves, all while encountering new and classic aliens along the way.
The Starfleet crew residing in the lower decks of the U.S.S. Cerritos includes Ensign Beckett Mariner, voiced by Tawny Newsome; Ensign Brad Boimler, voiced by Jack Quaid; Ensign Tendi, voiced by Noël Wells; and Ensign Rutherford, voiced by Eugene Cordero. The Starfleet characters that comprise the U.S.S. Cerritos’ bridge crew include Captain Carol Freeman, voiced by Dawnn Lewis; Commander Jack Ransom, voiced by Jerry O’Connell; Lieutenant Shaxs, voiced by Fred Tatasciore; and Doctor T’Ana, voiced by Gillian Vigman.
Season four of Star Trek: Lower Decks is produced by CBS’ Eye Animation Productions, CBS Studios’ animation arm; Secret Hideout; and Roddenberry Entertainment. Secret Hideout’s Alex Kurtzman, Roddenberry Entertainment’s Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth and Katie Krentz (219 Productions) serve as executive producers alongside creator and showrunner Mike McMahan. Aaron Baiers (Secret Hideout), who brought McMahan to the project, also serves as an executive producer. Titmouse (Big Mouth), the Emmy Award-winning independent animation production company, serves as the animation studio for the series.
Watching the first ep of One Night and it’s… a bit meh so far. Hopefully it picks up cause I was looking forward to this.
I googled some reviews and this one from The Guardian wasn’t great.
Last night (August 31), we celebrated the launch of Paramount+ Original One Night in the idyllic Illawarra at Headlands Hotel and Anita’s Theatre. It was only appropriate to have the launch event on the South Coast, as it formed such an atmospheric and important backdrop for the story.
One Night stars Nicole da Silva and Yael Stone were joined by media, actors, and influencers, such as Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, Nina Oyama, Charlotte Chimes and Sabrina Treffiletti.
Created and written by the award-winning Emily Ballou (The Slap, Taboo) and directed by Catherine Millar (The Twelve, The Secrets She Keeps) and Lisa Matthews (Doctor Doctor, The PM’s Daughter), One Night is the story of three women (Jodie Whittaker, Nicole da Silva and Yael Stone) whose bond was all but destroyed by the traumatic events of one night 20 years ago.
One Night is created and written by the award-winning Emily Ballou (The Slap, Taboo) and directed by Catherine Millar (The Twelve, The Secrets She Keeps) and Lisa Matthews (Doctor Doctor, The PM’s Daughter).
Major production investment from Screen Australia in association with Paramount+. Fifth Season is handling international sales.
Gallery
10 will show episode one as a FTA preview on the same night at 8:30pm
Mayor Of Kingstown. Exclusive To Paramount+.
Paramount+ today announced that the acclaimed drama series Mayor Of Kingstown, starring Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner, is returning for a third season. From Oscar nominee Taylor Sheridan, and Hugh Dillon, the original series is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios exclusively for Paramount+.
Mayor Of Kingstown is one of the top performing original dramas on the service overall and, while in season, was third only to Sheridan’s other hit series, 1923 and Tulsa King.
Mayor Of Kingstown follows the McLusky family, power brokers in Kingstown, Michigan, where the business of incarceration is the only thriving industry. Tackling themes of systemic racism, corruption and inequality, the series provides a stark look at their attempt to bring order and justice to a town that has neither.
The series is executive produced by Sheridan, Dillon, Renner, Antoine Fuqua, David C. Glasser, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, Michael Friedman, Dave Erickson and Regina Corrado.
Mayor Of Kingstown is part of Sheridan’s growing slate on Paramount+, which includes Special Ops: Lioness, 1923, 1883, Tulsa King and the upcoming series Lawmen: Bass Reeves and Land Man.
Lawmen: Bass Reeves. Streaming Exclusively On Paramount+ Sunday, 5 November.
Paramount+ today debuted the teaser trailer for the highly anticipated original series Lawmen: Bass Reeves, which will premiere exclusively on the service with two episodes on Sunday, 5 November. The anthology series stars executive producer and Emmy Award nominee David Oyelowo, Lauren E. Banks, Demi Singleton, Forrest Goodluck, Barry Pepper, Honorary Oscar recipient Donald Sutherland and Emmy Award nominee Dennis Quaid.
Revealing the untold story of the most legendary lawman in the Old West, Lawmen: Bass Reeves follows the journey of Reeves (Oyelowo) and his rise from enslavement to law enforcement as the first Black U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi. Despite arresting over 3,000 outlaws during the course of his career, the weight of the badge was heavy, and he wrestled with its moral and spiritual cost to his beloved family. Lawmen: Bass Reeves is an all-new, standalone anthology series and future iterations will follow other iconic lawmen and outlaws who have impacted history.
The cast includes Shea Whigham and Garrett Hedlund as guest stars, and, in recurring roles, Joaquina Kalukango, Lonnie Chavis, Grantham Coleman, Tosin Morohunfola, Dale Dickey, Rob Morgan, Ryan O’Nan, Margot Bingham, Mo Brings Plenty, Justin Hurtt-Dunkley and Bill Dawes.
Created for television by executive producer and showrunner Chad Feehan, Lawmen: Bass Reeves also is executive produced by Oscar nominee Taylor Sheridan, David Oyelowo, David C. Glasser, Jessica Oyelowo, David Permut, Christina Alexandra Voros, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari and David Hutkin. The series is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, 101 Studios, Sheridan’s Bosque Ranch Productions and Oyelowo’s Yoruba Saxon and is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution outside of Paramount+ international markets.
Lawmen: Bass Reeves is the latest addition to Sheridan’s growing slate on Paramount+, which includes 1923, 1883, Mayor Of Kingstown, Tulsa King, Special Ops: Lioness and the upcoming series Land Man.
Surprised P+ UK Original No Escape didn’t get a bigger push here in Australia.
I’m watching it now and there’s a number of ties to Australia, a few Aussies appear in the main cast and scenes filmed in Townsville QLD.
Most recognisable is Susie Porter, who played Marie Winter in Wentworth.
Just binged all of “One Night”. Don’t agree with The Guardian reviewer at all, I think it’s a really good show.
What did they say about it? I’ve only heard good reviews about this. I’m yet to watch it though.
Scroll up a few more posts, or google it.
New P+ drama being announced today for 2024, Fake starring Asher Keddie and David Wenham.
Coming to Paramount+ in 2024.
Paramount+ Australia and Screen Australia today announced the commission of Paramount+ Original drama series, Fake, a startling new story of love in a world of liars, cheats, fantasists and phonies.
Inspired by the book Fake by Stephanie Wood, the eight- part series is produced by Kindling Pictures’ Imogen Banks (Safe Home, Offspring) and Emelyne Palmer (Safe Home, RFDS), and co-produced by Gold Logie Award-winning, Asher Keddie (Offspring, Party Tricks, Love My Way) who will also play the lead role.
Created for television by AWGIE award-winning screenwriter, Anya Beyersdorf with AACTA and Australian Director’s Guild award-winner director, Emma Freeman (Secret City, Glitch, The Newsreader) setting the series up, Fake is a gripping emotional thriller that explores truth, love, lies and the stories we tell ourselves.
Starring alongside Asher Keddie is Australian Film Institute Award winning actor, David Wenham (SeaChange, Elvis, Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers & The Return of the King).
Fake follows Birdie Bell (Keddie), a beautiful, smart and brilliant magazine features writer who thinks she has found “the one” when she meets successful grazier Joe Burt (Wenham) on a dating app.
Convinced by her well-meaning friends and family that this could be her very own happily ever after, Birdie begins to believe that it is finally her chance to live the fairy-tale. As cracks start to form in Joe’s stories, Birdie soon discovers her boyfriend isn’t all he has led her to believe.
Sophia Mogford, Executive Producer, Drama and Comedy, Paramount ANZ said: “The concept of “it would never happen to me” is a familiar one to us all, and Fake which centres around this, is a nuanced and fascinating story, and there really is no one better than Imogen Banks to bring all this to life. It’s certain to be addictive viewing for our audience.”
Grainne Brunsdon, Head of Content, Screen Australia said: “Fake promises to be a captivating addition to the Australian television landscape and a project that Screen Australia is thrilled to support. Imogen Banks, Anya Beyersdorf, and the entire creative team have expertly woven a narrative that intricately explores the facets of love, trust, and the complexities of authenticity in our contemporary world – in what promises to be a truly binge-worthy series. The series’ thought- provoking storyline and well-crafted characters are poised to resonate broadly, making it an essential watch when it arrives on Paramount+ in 2024."
Imogen Banks, founder of Kindling Pictures said: “Fake sees Asher Keddie and David Wenham partner on screen for the first time, and Anya Beyersdorf has written them dynamite roles.
“Inspired by Stephanie Wood’s book of the same name, Fake throws us inside the confusing and deluding experience of a relationship built on lies. Kindling Pictures is thrilled to be working with Paramount+ Australia to bring it all to life.”
Production Credits: A Kindling Pictures production. Major production investment from Paramount ANZ and Screen Australia, in association with VicScreen. Entertainment One (eOne) will handle international sales.
Milli Vanilli. Streaming Exclusively on Paramount+ From Wednesday, 25 October.
Paramount+ today announced that the new feature-length documentary Milli Vanilli, which made its world premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Festival, will premiere exclusively on the service Wednesday, 25 October.
Produced by MRC and Keep on Running Pictures, Milli Vanilli tells the story of Robert ‘Rob’ Pilatus and Fabrice ‘Fab’ Morvan, who became fast friends during their youth in Germany. With Rob coming from a broken home and Fab having left an abusive household, they shared a similar upbringing and future goal: to become famous superstars. In a few short years, their dreams came true.
In 1989 their first album went platinum six times in the U.S., and the hit song Girl You Know It’s True sold more than 30 million singles worldwide. Rob and Fab, better known as Milli Vanilli, became the world’s most popular pop duo in 1990 and won the GRAMMY for Best New Artist. However, their ascension to success came with a devastating price that ultimately led to their infamous undoing.
Milli Vanilli is directed and produced by Luke Korem, and produced by Bradley Jackson, MRC and Keep On Running Pictures in partnership with MTV Entertainment Studios. Hanif Abdurraqib and Kim Marlowe serve as executive producers.
someone ran out of money…
Frasier. Streaming Exclusively on Paramount+ From Friday, 13 October.
The official trailer for the upcoming new Paramount+ original series Frasier was revealed today. Starring Kelsey Grammer, who reprises his EmmyⓇ Award-winning role as Frasier Crane, the 10-episode first season will premiere exclusively on Paramount+ Friday, 13 October. New episodes will then drop weekly on Fridays.
Frasier was filmed in front of a live studio audience at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles. The new series follows Frasier Crane (Grammer) in the next chapter of his life as he returns to Boston with new challenges to face, new relationships to forge and an old dream or two to finally fulfill. Frasier has re-entered the building!
In addition to Grammer, the new series stars Jack Cutmore-Scott as Frasier’s son Freddy; Nicholas Lyndhurst as Frasier’s old college buddy turned university professor Alan; Toks Olagundoye as Olivia, Alan’s colleague and head of the university’s psychology department; Jess Salgueiro as Freddy’s roommate Eve; and Anders Keith as Frasier’s nephew David.
Frasier comes from writers Chris Harris (How I Met Your Mother) and Joe Cristalli (Life in Pieces), who executive produce with Kelsey Grammer, Tom Russo and Jordan McMahon. The series is produced by CBS Studios, in association with Grammer’s Grammnet NH Productions. The first two episodes of the new series are directed by legendary director and television creator James Burrows, who is best known for his work as co-creator, executive producer and director of the critically acclaimed series Cheers, as well as the original series Frasier , Will & Grace and Dear John.
This fall marks 30 years since the original Frasier first premiered on television, which still holds the record for most Emmy wins for a comedy series with 37 wins and 107 nominations. The original series is available to stream on Paramount+ and Pluto TV.
