I wrote about Disney’s strategy to win kid viewers away from YouTube, Off Campus’ coming showrunner shift, DC’s TV trouble as Lanterns premieres on HBO and Cindy Holland’s streaming strategy at Paramount.
Happy Emmy voting home stretch to those of you who have been bingeing, paneling and partying through FYC season. A big thanks to the HBO Max team for having me out for the fantastic Hacks live event last Friday, what a treat to see Deborah and Ava come back to life one last time after the series finale.
Today, I’ve got breaking news about a big hire for Peacock’s highly anticipated Dungeon Crawler Carl adaptation from exec producer Seth MacFarlane. I also look at how AMC and Netflix are heading into uncharted territory, deepening a relationship that is already a successful under-the-radar collab, and examine how Peter Friedlander has created a place for Netflix execs to turn. And as a bonus, I’ve got a look at the latest streaming #pricehikes, to borrow a term from The Wakeup’s Sean McNulty, including the strategic timing around Peacock’s increase.
But first: Congratulations to Heated Rivalry — a Canada-produced series that isn’t eligible for the Emmys — for earning the Program of the Year award from the Television Critics Association (of which I remain a paying member). And hats off to Widow’s Bay for its achievement in comedy win. Because of its place in the awards calendar, the TCA is often the first awards body to recognize new programs, and that’s certainly the case here.
And second: Taylor Sheridan bucked 6666 off his back this week when he told the Rodeo Time podcast that the Yellowstone spinoff set on the famed ranch (which he purchased in 2020 along with a group of investors) is not going to happen. “I’m very protective of the Sixes, and it’s a big responsibility to be the person who has to protect that ranch, so I have to be very, very careful with it,” he said. Paramount announced plans for 6666 in February 2021, weeks after Sheridan inked a nine-figure deal with the company. The scrapped spinoff marks a blow for Paramount, which will lose the prolific creator to NBCUniversal come 2029. This week, Paramount+ head of originals Jane Wiseman suggested the company has more originals coming from Sheridan, whose shows, per a ratings source, continue to grow even after the flagship Yellowstone concluded.
OK, now let’s get into it!
Scoop! Dungeon Crawler Carl Sets Showrunners
It’s official: Peacock’s highly anticipated adaptation of author Matt Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl has named its showrunners. Eric Heisserer has closed a deal to serve as co-showrunner alongside Chris Yost. Yost, whose writing credits include The Mandalorian and contributions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has been attached to DCC since the drama landed at Peacock in April.
Heisserer most recently adapted Leigh Bardugo’s fantasy novels into Netflix’s Shadow and Bone, which ran for two seasons in 2021 and 2023. He also penned the script for Sandra Bullock feature film Bird Box, which ranks as Netflix’s sixth most-watched movie ever after its 2018 bow, and earned a best adapted screenplay Oscar nomination for 2016’s Arrival.
The futuristic DCC has become the talk of the town. As I reported last week, executive producer Seth MacFarlane and his Universal-based Fuzzy Door banner have received a whopping 750 submissions from writers hoping for one of only a handful of slots in the room for the live-action adaptation based on the litRPG in which aliens take over Earth and survivors fight for their lives on a sadistic intergalactic game show.
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