Small Screen: Disney And NBCU Dispute Stake In Hulu, ‘A Different World’ Sequel In Development
Lynnette Ramirez - Imeh Akpanudosen / Stringer
Broadcast: NBC and Universal TV have announced the development of the drama series Keats from Bassett Vance Productions. The series focuses on Alex Keats, a police officer who returns to Philadelphia after leaving the force to bury her mother, who was also a police officer who allegedly died by suicide. Alex finds her way back into the police force as she investigates her mother's death. The series is executive produced by Angela Bassett, Courtney B. Vance, Pilar Golden, and Lynnette Ramirez.
CBS's upcoming sitcom Poppa's House has added Wendy Raquel Robinson (The Game) to the cast. Robinson joins Tetona Jackson (Boomerang), Damon Wayans (Lethal Weapon), and Damon Wayans Jr (Players) as Poppa's recurring ex-wife and Junior's mother. The series focuses on a talk radio host (Wayans) facing challenges both at work with the introduction of a new female co-host (Essence Atkins) and parenting his adult son Junior (Wayans Jr.), who is facing the responsibilities of fatherhood and marriage.
Tru Valentino (FreakAngels) will not return to ABC's The Rookie after his time in the fourth, fifth, and sixth seasons. Valentino played the son of a famous rapper who turned his life around by joining the police academy. The show's seventh season, featuring two new rookies, is set to premiere midseason. Valentino commented on his departure on his Instagram story.
“I will always cherish my time on The Rookie but couldn't be more excited for what the future has in store. I adore the friends and relationships made while being there,” said Valentino. “...You never know who may pop back up in the Mid-Wilshire precinct. Until then, 7 Adam 19, this is Officer Thorsen, over and out!”
Felicia Pride - Emma McIntyre
Streaming: Netflix has confirmed the development of an A Different World sequel written and executived produced by Felicia Pride (Bel-Air). The series follows the daughter of Dwayne and Whitley at Hillman College. The series also has Debbie Allen, Tom Werner, Mandy Summers, Reggie Bythewood, and Gina Prince-Bythewood. They have all worked on the original six-season NBC series. Casting has not yet been announced, but talk with the original cast has been positive.
Hulu's latest legal drama All's Fair has added Niecy Nash (Claws) and Teyana Taylor (A Thousand and One) to the cast. Aside from active casting roles, the two will join Kim Kardashian (Keeping Up With the Kardashians), Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story), Glenn Close (Hillbilly Elegy), and Sarah Paulson (Ratched) as executive producers. The series follows an all-female law firm, described as a “sexy adult procedural.” Nash and Taylor's character roles and story plot have not yet been announced.
Patti Yasutake - JC Olivera / Stringer
Industry: On August 5th, television actress Patti Yasutake passed away at 70 years old in Santa Monica. Yasutake series regular Fumi Nakai on Beef and portrayed Nurse Alyssa Ogawa in Star Trek: The Next Generation. At the start of her career, she worked with Mako at East West Players Theatre Company, Westwood Playhouse, and Los Angeles Theatre Center. She also made TV guest appearances on Grey's Anatomy, Bones, and films such as Drop Dead Gorgeous, and The Road to Galveston. A memorial service will be held in Los Angeles for friends, fans, and colleagues.
In the Stirring It Up podcast, actress Adjoa Andoh (Bridgerton) criticized Bridgerton's handling of lighting for Black actors, stating that “nothing's changed.” Andoh, who portrays Lady Danbury, expressed the frustration she often feels to address inadequate lighting on set, despite her reluctance to “make a fuss.” She emphasized her desire to perform without the added burden of such concerns.
“When people say we're chippy or we're being militant or we're all that stuff, what I want to say is, 'I'm just a human being and I just want to do the gift that I'm blessed with. I want to do it in a free way like I see many other people doing,” said Andoh.
Disney and NBCUniversal (NBCU) are in talks over how much Disney must pay to acquire NBCU's 33% stake in Hulu. Disney initially paid $8.6 billion, based on a guaranteed floor value, but NBCU claims an additional $5 billion is owed, arguing that Hulu's equity fair value is higher. Disney disputes NBCU’s appraisal, and the matter has been handed to a third-party arbitrator for a final decision. The outcome, expected in fiscal 2025, could leave Disney paying anywhere between nothing and $5 billion. Disney states that "[t]he outcome of the arbitration is uncertain" and will wait for the final appraisal to determine any additional payment.
Disney will raise the prices of most of its streaming plans starting October 17th. Disney+ with ads will go up to $9.99 from $7.99 per month, while the ad-free version will increase to $15.99 from $13.99, Hulu with ads will rise to $9.99, and without ads to $18.99, and ESPN+ with ads will also increase to $11.99 from $10.99. To ease the impact, Disney+ will introduce playlists, including ABC News Live and preschool content, available to all subscribers. Four additional curated playlists will be added later this fall, offering content based on seasonal themes and popular genres. Disney+ President Alisa Bowen stated that these playlists are designed to provide a better experience to their customers.
“Playlists are the latest example of how we’re providing the best value and experience for our subscribers every time they open Disney+,” said Bowen. “...[T]here will be something for everyone in a lean-back viewing experience based on seasonality and interest.”
Disney Entertainment Television (DET) recently consolidated casting responsibilities under key executives following last year's layoffs. Disney TV Studios' 20th Television and ABC Signature have speculated a possible merger, but no plans to combine their studios have materialized. Sharon Klein, DET's Head of Casting, has restructured her department to reduce direct reports while expanding roles for several team members. 20th Television's Head of Casting, Stephanie Levinson, will now also oversee casting for ABC Signature, with Dylann Gunning reporting to her. Felicia Joseph, who leads casting for ABC Entertainment, will take on additional oversight for Hulu and Onyx. Hulu's former Head of Casting, Barbara Fiorentino, is shifting to focus on international casting, while Lindsey Kasabian will assume Hulu's domestic casting duties.
Disney reported reaching streaming profitability earlier than expected in their June quarter report. They reported $47 million in operating income from direct-to-consumer (DTC) services, compared to a $512 million loss the previous year. While Disney+ and Hulu posted a $19 million loss, ESPN+ offset the loss. Inside Out 2, now the top-grossing animated film with $1.56 billion in worldwide box office, significantly boosted Disney's earnings, tripling entertainment segment profits to $1.2 billion. Disney's overall revenue rose 4% to $23.1 billion, with operating income up 19% to $4.2 billion. However, domestic theme parks faced challenges due to inflation, causing a profit dip. CEO Bob Iger expressed confidence in Disney's continued earnings growth.
“This was a strong quarter for Disney, driven by excellent results in our entertainment segment, both at the box office and DTC, as we achieved profitability across our combined streaming for the first time, and ahead of our previous guidance,” said Iger. “We are confident in our ability to continue driving earnings growth through our collection of unique and powerful assets.”
IMDbPro and ReFrame awarded the ReFrame Stamp for gender-balanced hiring to 77 of the most popular TV and streaming series of 2023–2024. Series such as Abbott Elementary and The Bear received the stamp to highlight progress in gender equity. The recipients are 38.5% of the most popular scripted series, an 8.5% decrease from 2022-2023. The ReFrame Report on Gender and Hiring in TV revealed a 13% decline in women and nonbinary lead roles and noted that pilot writing and directing roles remain predominantly filled by men. Most major distributors, except Amazon MGM Studios, showed a decrease in gender-balanced series compared to 2020–2021.
Paramount Global plans to lay off 15% of its U.S. workforce, impacting around 2,000 employees. This event comes ahead of their merger with Skydance Media. The company expects a $300-$400 million restructuring charge in Q3 due to these layoffs, which affect marketing, communications, and some corporate functions. This move is part of a broader strategy to cut $500 million in annual costs, which contributes to a larger goal of $2 billion in cost synergies for the combined company. These cuts follow a significant $5.98 billion write-down in Paramount’s cable TV networks. The Skydance merger is expected to be finalized by September 2025.
“We know that linear [TV] is challenged and declining… [We’ve] got to run these businesses in a different way as they decline,” said Jeff Shell, the upcoming president of Skydance.
On August 8th, Warner Bros. Discovery removed all content from cartoonnetwork.com, redirecting visitors to its subscription streaming service, Max. Fans are now encouraged to sign up to watch their favorite Cartoon Network shows by a pop-up on the site. This move follows WBD's recent decision to end the Boomerang classic cartoon streamer, consolidating content on Max as part of a cost-cutting strategy.
“We are focusing on the Cartoon Network shows and social media where we find consumers are the most engaged and there is a meaningful potential for growth,” a Cartoon Network spokesperson explained.
