TMC
06-27-2018, 09:08 PM
https://www.theringer.com/tv/2018/6/27/17509266/prestige-network-paramount-hulu-viceland
When the Paramount Network made its debut earlier this year, the fledgling channel appeared to be cribbing from a very familiar playbook. The rebranded Spike TV, a property of Viacom’s entertainment megalith, announced itself in January with Waco, a high-profile, superbly cast miniseries drawn from real-life events. Waco was but the opening salvo in a barrage of projects perfectly suited to grab headlines: an adaptation of the pitch-black ’80s teen comedy Heathers; Yellowstone, the first foray into television by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Taylor Sheridan; a First Wives Club update by the cowriter of Girls Trip. With Viacom’s considerable weight and a legacy name behind it, Paramount is attempting to muscle its way into TV’s more highbrow echelons.
More than five months later, the Paramount Network’s admittedly lofty dreams have yet to become reality. Waco was a ratings success, averaging over a million viewers an episode, but after mixed reviews, it never acquired the intangible patina of word-of-mouth buzz. After the Parkland shooting, the premiere of Heathers’ 10-episode season (already shot, edited, and released to critics in advance) was delayed due to a midseason episode centered on gun violence; the show was scrapped entirely earlier this month. (Viacom will shop the show to other networks, but Heathers will not air on Paramount.) American Woman, a comedy based on the childhood of Real Housewife Kyle Richards originally developed for TV Land, is more forgettable summer comedy (http://www.metacritic.com/tv/american-woman) than reliable brand-builder.
When the Paramount Network made its debut earlier this year, the fledgling channel appeared to be cribbing from a very familiar playbook. The rebranded Spike TV, a property of Viacom’s entertainment megalith, announced itself in January with Waco, a high-profile, superbly cast miniseries drawn from real-life events. Waco was but the opening salvo in a barrage of projects perfectly suited to grab headlines: an adaptation of the pitch-black ’80s teen comedy Heathers; Yellowstone, the first foray into television by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Taylor Sheridan; a First Wives Club update by the cowriter of Girls Trip. With Viacom’s considerable weight and a legacy name behind it, Paramount is attempting to muscle its way into TV’s more highbrow echelons.
More than five months later, the Paramount Network’s admittedly lofty dreams have yet to become reality. Waco was a ratings success, averaging over a million viewers an episode, but after mixed reviews, it never acquired the intangible patina of word-of-mouth buzz. After the Parkland shooting, the premiere of Heathers’ 10-episode season (already shot, edited, and released to critics in advance) was delayed due to a midseason episode centered on gun violence; the show was scrapped entirely earlier this month. (Viacom will shop the show to other networks, but Heathers will not air on Paramount.) American Woman, a comedy based on the childhood of Real Housewife Kyle Richards originally developed for TV Land, is more forgettable summer comedy (http://www.metacritic.com/tv/american-woman) than reliable brand-builder.