TAGGED AS: Comedy, Drama, news, streaming, television, TV
Netflix has dropped the official trailer for The Crown season 5, teasing the new cast and new scandals. The streamer also reported a surprise subscriber increase in its Q3 report to shareholders. Pete Davidson’s Bupkis added a collection of noteworthy guest stars, including Charlie Day and Ray Romano, to its roster. CBS placed full season orders for freshman series Fire Country, East New York, and So Help Me Todd. Plus, trailers for Hulu’s Welcome to Chippendales and Prime Video’s Tulsa King, and more of the week’s biggest news in TV and streaming.
TOP STORY
The highly-anticipated fifth season of The Crown, which premieres on Netflix on November 9, finally has a full official trailer. And by the looks of things, the upcoming episodes are going to be rife with scandal and conflict as the royal family’s role in ’90s Britain becomes highly-scrutinized.
The trailer highlights the series’ new cast: Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II, Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret, Dominic West as Prince Charles, Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana, Claudia Harrison as Princess Anne, Olivia Williams as Camilla Parker Bowles, Jonny Lee Miller as John Major, Salim Daw as Mohamed Al Fayed, and Khalid Abdalla as Dodi Fayed. The fictional dramatization of Queen Elizabeth II’s personal and political challenges was created by Peter Morgan and first premiered on Netflix in 2016.
Approaching the 40th anniversary of her accession in the new season, Queen Elizabeth II finds herself reflecting on the past and a reign that has encompassed nine prime ministers, the advent of mass television, and the twilight of the British Empire. But with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the transfer of sovereignty in Hong Kong, changes to international relations present her with both obstacles and opportunities.
On the personal front, though, her family has become tabloid fodder. Prince Charles wants to divorce Diana, which would disrupt the fabric of the monarchy. Rumors increase as the public sees the duo living separate lives. Diana goes rogue and publishes a book telling her side of the story, breaking with family protocol and exposing further cracks in the House of Windsor’s foundation.
Adding further kindling to the fire is the arrival of Mohamed Al Fayed. Driven by his desire to acquire a seat at the royal table for himself and his son Dodi, the self-made businessman adds another layer of conflict to an already unstable royal family.
The Crown season 5 premieres on Wednesday, November 9 to Netflix.
(Photo by Netflix)
Netflix has added 2.4 million subscribers, globally, reversing the streamer’s lower expectations for third quarter revenue, operating income and membership. In a letter to shareholders, the platform gives a nod to “some of our most watches series and films,” including titles like Stranger Things season 4, Korean law drama Extraordinary Attorney Woo, the action thriller The Gray Man, romantic drama Purple Hearts, and Ryan Murphy’s Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, for the surprise success.
“Our competitors are investing heavily to drive subscribers and engagement,” the letter stated, “but building a large, successful streaming business is hard.”
According to Netflix, the other competitors in streaming are all losing money, with a combined loss well over $10 billion. Compare that to Netflix’s annual $5 billion to $6 billion in profit, the streamer is promoting and sticking to the long game.
Regarding the viewership numbers, the majority of the net growth the streamer has reported here came from the Asia Pacific region, which racked up a total of 1.43 million subscribers. On the lowest end was the US–Canada region, which clocked in roughly 100,000 new subscribers.
Netflix points out their higher engagement numbers, in relation to their competitors, and by the looks of things, there is still room for growth:
• In the UK, Netflix accounts for 8.2% of video viewing, 2.3x Amazon and 2.7x Disney+.
• In the US, Netflix accounts for 7.6% of TV time, 2.6x Amazon and 1.4x Disney + Hulu +
Hulu Live.
In the letter, the streamer also teased its lower-priced ad-supported plan, which is set to go live in 12 countries in November. “Very optimistic” is how the streamer described their perspective of the new advertising element to its programming; however, they do not expect any monetary shift in its fourth quarter results, expecting membership to grow gradually.
“After a challenging first half, we believe we’re on a path to reaccelerate growth,” the company added. “The key is pleasing members. It’s why we’ve always focused on winning the competition for viewing every day. When our series and movies excite our members, they tell their friends, and then more people watch, join and stay with us.”
We’ve never seen Kumail Nanjiani like this, before. In the full trailer for Hulu’s latest true-crime entry, Welcome to Chippendales, the Silicon Valley alum takes on the role of Somen “Steve” Banerjee, the adult entertainment mogul and founder of the iconic all-male erotic revue, Chippendales.
And yes we said true-crime because, hold onto your hats, Welcome to Chippendales is based on actual events. The series will follow the journey of Banerjee, an Indian immigrant who went from mild-mannered gas station manager to the shady founder of the world’s greatest male-stripping empire.
Starring alongside Nanjiani in the limited series is Nicola Peltz Beckham as Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratton, who was murdered by her husband Paul Snider (played by Dan Stevens), with Murray Bartlett disrupting things as Emmy-winning choreographer Nick De Noia. Rounding out the cast is Philip Shahbaz, Annaleigh Ashford, Robin de Jesús, and Juliette Lewis.
Welcome to Chippendales premieres November 22 on Hulu.
More trailers and teasers released this week:
• Titans takes a dark turn in part 1 of season 4, as the heroes come face-to-face with a supernatural cult unlike anything they’ve faced before. Premieres November 3. (HBO Max)
• Mammals is a UK dramedy that finds James Corden back in front of the camera, and away from the late-night talk-show realm, starring opposite Sally Hawkins. Season 1 premieres November 11. (Prime Video)
• Echo 3 brings high-stakes drama and military intrigue as Bambi (Luke Evans) and Prince (Michiel Huisman) go behind enemy lines of a secret war to pull off a dangerous rescue. Premieres November 23. (AppleTV+)
• The Suspect, based on the Michael Robotham novel of the same name, is a five-part police procedural starring Aidan Turner (Poldark) that is sure to keep you on your toes till the very end. Premieres November 3. (Sundance Now)
• Three Pines is a Canadian mystery series that based on the Chief Inspector Gamache novels by Louise Penny. Alfred Molina stars as the Chief Inspector, and by the looks of things, the new series will be filled with plenty of twists and turns. Premieres December 2022. (Prime Video)
• The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself follows the illegitimate son of a witch who’s just trying to find his place in the world. Unfortunately, two warring witch factions make his journey of self-discovery extremely challenging. Premieres October 28. (Netflix)
• Tulsa King stars Sylvester Stallone as crime boss Dwight “The General” Manfredi (Stallone). After being released from prison, Manfredi relocates to Tulsa with plans for a fresh start. But this fresh start involves him doing more mob stuff. In an effort to watch his back against his mob family’s potentially nefarious plans for him, Dwight puts together a rag-tag gang to establish a new criminal empire in the most unlikeliest of places: Oklahoma. Premieres November 13. (Paramount+)
• Slow Horses returns with a new season and, by the looks of things Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) and his Slough House team have another big terrorist threat to tackle. All in a day’s work. Premieres December 2. (Apple TV+)
• Save Our Squad with David Beckham finds the soccer legend returning home to East London to mentor the Westward Boys, a group of young soccer players in this four-part docuseries. Premieres November 9. (Disney+)
• In the first teaser for A Christmas Story Christmas, Peter Billingsley is seen reprising his iconic role of Ralphie. Now, almost 40 years later, this sequel to 1983’s A Christmas Story will find adult Ralphie returning home. Premieres November 17 (HBO Max)
• Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches’ newest trailer features n intuitive young neurosurgeon (Alexandra Daddario) who discovers that she is the unlikely heir to a family of witches. As she grapples with her newfound powers, she must contend with a sinister presence that has haunted her family for generations. Coming to AMC & AMC+ on January 8th
For all the latest TV and streaming trailers subscribe to the Rotten Tomatoes TV YouTube channel.
(Photo by Peacock)
Pete Davidson’s upcoming Peacock comedy Bupkis has added a collection of big name guest stars to the cast.
Charlie Day (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Emmy Award-winner Brad Garrett (Everybody Loves Raymond, Fargo), Simon Rex (Red Rocket, P Island), Emmy Award-winner Ray Romano (Get Shorty, Made for Love), Emmy Award-winner and former SNL castmate Kenan Thompson and Chase Sui Wonders (Bodies, Bodies, Bodies, City on Fire) will appear as guest stars in the program, which is written, starring and executive produced by Davidson.
The freshly announced talent (details behind who they will play is under wraps, currently) will join series regulars Edie Falco, who plays Pete’s mom, and Joe Pesci, who is his grandfather. Bupkis is described as a fictional, yet heightened, take on Davidson’s life. It will incorporate grounded storytelling elements mixed in with absurd segments all filtered through the former SNL cast member’s unique worldview.
More Casting News:
Jesse Williams is making his return to Grey’s Anatomy in its upcoming 19th season, reprising his role as Dr. Jackson Avery. He’ll also return as director, making this as the fourth time he’s helmed an episode of the long-running medical drama. (Deadline)
Simu Liu is set to star in Seven Wonders, a series adaptation of the novel by Ben Mezrich, currently in the works at Amazon. Justin Lin is attached to direct and executive produce the project. (Variety)
The Book of Boba Fett‘s Temuera Morrison will play King Kahekili, the King of Maui, in Jason Momoa’s upcoming Hawaiian war epic Chief of War for Apple TV+. (Hollywood Reporter)
Paul Calderón has joined the cast of the Marvel’s Ironheart series for Disney+ in an undisclosed role. Previously announced talent are Anthony Ramos, Shakira Barrera, Manny Montana, Alden Ehrenreich, Regan Aliyah, Rashida “Sheedz” Olayiwola, Shea Couleé, and Zoe Terakes. (Deadline)
Julianne Moore is attached to star as Countess of Buckingham, Mary Villiers in Mary & George, the 17th-century period drama from Sky and AMC explores the true rags-to-riches story of the infamous royal mother-and-son. (Deadline)
Tony Danza has been added to the season 2 cast of Sex and the City sequel series, And Just Like That. He will, fittingly, be playing Tony Danza. (Deadline)
M. Son of the Century has found its Benito Mussolini in actor Luca Marinelli. The upcoming biopic series for Sky, which will explore the dictator’s rise to power during World War II, will be directed by The Darkest Hour’s Joe Wright. (Variety)
Professional wrestler Chris Jericho extended his contract with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) through to December 2025. Aside from his wrestling duties, Jericho will now serve as a producer and creative director and will continue to mentor new performers. (Variety)
Robin Thede’s Emmy-winning A Black Lady Sketch Show has added DaMya Gurley, Tamara Jade and Angel Laketa Moore to the cast. Season 4 is now in production. (Variety)
Uzo Aduba will star as Ellice Littlejohn, an up-and-coming Black female lawyer who gets caught in controversy, in Showtime’s All Her Little Secrets, a limited drama series adapted from Wanda M. Morris’ bestselling novel. Aduba will also executive produce. (Deadline)
Stephen Soderbergh’s Full Circle has added William Sadler, Happy Anderson and newcomer Adia to the cast. They join Zazie Beetz, Claire Danes, Timothy Olyphant, Dennis Quaid, Jharrel Jerome, Sheyi Cole, and CCH Pounder in the HBO Max limited series. Soderbergh is set to direct all six episodes. (Deadline)
(Photo by CBS)
CBS has extended the series orders for three freshmen series, Fire Country, East New York and So Help Me Todd. The trio are the most watched new network series of the season.
Fire Country, which is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, brought in 8.26 million viewers over seven days for its series debut. East New York is running an average of 7.37 million for its first two episodes. It is the No. 1 new program among Black audiences, and No. 2 overall, coming in behind The Equalizer. So Help Me Todd comes in third with 6.48 million viewers for its first two episodes. The comedy is the No. 3 new series on any network and is in the top spot on Thursday nights. All three shows are receiving healthy viewership numbers on Paramount+, as well, according to CBS.
• Fire Country, which airs new episodes Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT, stars Max Thieriot, Billy Burke, Kevin Alejandro, Diane Farr, Stephanie Arcila, Jordan Calloway and Jules Latimer.
• East New York airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT and stars Amanda Warren, Jimmy Smits, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Kevin Rankin, Richard Kind, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Olivia Luccardi and Lavel Schley.
• So Help Me Todd drops new episodes Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT and stars Marcia Gay Harden, Skylar Astin, Madeline Wise, Tristen J. Winger, Inga Schlingmann and Rosa Evangelina Arredondo.
“CBS is off to a tremendous start this season,” said Kelly Kahl, president of CBS Entertainment, in a statement to press. “We are thrilled to have the three most-watched new series, each with their own unique settings, characters and storylines. These dramas are elevating our already successful lineup, resonating with diverse audiences both on-air and on streaming, and continuing to grow each week.”
More Production & Development News:
The Handmaid’s Tale EP Matthew Hastings has the Spanish Civil War in mind for his next project. Villa Paz, which he will also direct, follows a team of idealistic medics in 1937 Spain who convert a royal palace into a field hospital. (Deadline)
Gaming network G4 TV has shut its doors again, just two years after Comcast re-launched the channel, resulting in 45 layoffs. The network originally went off the air in 2013. (Variety)
With the exit of The Daily Show host Trevor Noah looming, Comedy Central is considering revamping the nightly comedy news show with a rotating cast of hosts. (Variety)
The NFL’s Thanksgiving weekend will get longer in 2023. Taking advantage of holiday viewership, an extra football game will be added on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, that will stream solely on Amazon’s Prime Video streaming service. (Hollywood Reporter)
Director Gerard McMurray (The First Purge) is set to adapt Vault Comics’ post-apocalyptic comic book Resonant as part of his overall development deal with BET Studios. McMurray teams with CBS Studios and Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions on the project, which he will executive produce, write and direct for BET+. (Hollywood Reporter)
Campside Media, the production company who delivers the popular Chameleon podcast, is developing The Michigan Plot, a new television series based on the botched kidnapping attempt of Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer. (Deadline)
A series adaptation of Thomas Perry’s The Bomb Maker is in the works at Fox. The story follows Dick Stahl, a former LAPD commander, who is called in after the majority of the Bomb Squad is killed. It quickly becomes clear they’re dealing with a criminal mastermind, and his target is them. Carol Mendelsohn, the former showrunner of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is behind the project. (Deadline)
Fox has renewed animated comedy series Grimsburg, which stars John Hamm as brooding detective Marvin Flute, ahead of the series premiere. As of now, the program has no official premiere date. (Variety)
Heartbreak High, the reboot of the classic Australian comedy, has been renewed for a second season at Netflix. (Deadline)
