25th Annual TV Preview: Streaming Services

streaming services

25th Annual TV Preview: Streaming Services

Please note the schedule for the 2020-21 TV season is ever-changing due to the pandemic. The information provided below is as of 8/17/20.

 

AD-SUPPORTED STREAMING SERVICES: CBS ALL ACCESS, HULU & PEACOCK

streaming services with ads

 

CBS ALL ACCESS | Brendan Murtha, Senior Media Strategist

 

STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS | WATCH TRAILER

This is an animated adult comedy Star Trek spin-off which CBS All Access released on August 6th. The series, developed by Emmy Award-winner Mike McMahan (Rick and Morty), follows the crew who serves on one of Starfleet’s least important ships. The characters are voiced by Jack Quaid (The Boys) and Tawny Newsome (Space Force), along with others.

THE STAND

Stephen King’s The Stand is being recreated again, this time as a 10-episode series for this streaming platform. Based off the 1978 novel, this post-apocalyptic story centers on a group of survivors during the aftermath of a deadly pandemic. The series will star James Marsden (Westworld), Alexander Skarsgard (Big Little Lies), Amber Heard (Aquaman) and Whoopi Goldberg (The View). CBS All Access stated that King “will write the last chapter of the series, providing a new coda that won’t be found in the book.” The series is expected to release before the end of 2020.

 

HULU | Mallory Terrence, Associate Media Director

 

While Comcast/NBCUniversal, Fox, Time Warner and Disney were early Hulu investors, as of May 2019, Hulu is now completely controlled by Disney. Disney included Hulu as part of their upfront presentation this year.

The Handmaid’s Tale will not be returning for a fourth season until 2021. Additionally, the premieres of Nine Perfect Strangers and The Dropout (two new shows that we wrote about in the 2019-20 Hulu Preview) are being held for an early 2021 release.

EATER’S GUIDE TO THE WORLD

An unscripted docuseries will travel the globe to explore restaurants and the food industry, set to deliver adventurous and delicious meals. Hulu has called the series ‘a love song to food.’

LOVE, BETH

Amy Schumer is bringing Hulu their newest comedy about an unsatisfied woman living in NYC who vows to change her life and its path after coming across her teenage diary. Schumer will write, executive-produce and direct the series, however it is unclear if she will star in the project as well.

MONSTERLAND

This program is based on short stories from Nathan Ballingrud’s North American Lake Monsters. This anthology series dives into realms outside the norm, focusing on mystical creatures like mermaids, fallen angels and vampires.

WOKE | WATCH TRAILER

Lamorne Morris (New Girl) stars as Keef, a cartoonist living in San Francisco. Once an unexpected run-in with police changes everything, including his mindset, he’s now in a constant state of ‘woke’. Written and produced by Keith Knight, the series is based on his personal experiences with racial profiling and how his culture influenced his art.

 

PEACOCK | Jamie Rudenstein, Associate Vice President

 

Peacock, a streaming app from NBCUniversal, officially launched across the US on July 15th, with thousands of hours of free programming, as well as additional shows, movies, and originals for those willing to pay for a subscription.

Peacock was available to Comcast customers for a “sneak peek” starting April 15th, but the nationwide launch in July was inclusive of the platform’s first original shows and movies. Peacock has a catalog of more than 20,000 hours of shows, movies, news, sports, curated channels, trending highlights and exclusive original programming. Consumers can access Peacock in three ways:

1)  FREE: About two-thirds of their catalog is available to watch for free after registering, includes ads

2)  $4.99/mo: Access to their full catalog, includes ads

3)  $9.99/mo: Access to their full catalog, ad-free viewing

Peacock’s library of content includes hit NBC TV shows like Parks and Recreation and 30 Rock, with the highly anticipated marquee series of The Office becoming available in January ’21. Well-known movies like The Matrix trilogy, the Bourne movies, Jurassic Park and more are available, with many of them coming from Comcast’s Universal and Dreamworks AnimaSon studios.

Peacock is also bringing original programming to the table, including a revival of Battlestar Galactica. Options available at launch include the series adaptation of Brave New World and the David Schwimmer-headlined workplace comedy Intelligence. There are four additional originals scheduled to debut through mid-September, and Peacock seems optimistic that its original Punky Brewster and Saved by the Bell reboots will be available this year. Due to impacts on production from COVID-19, much of its original programming will not be available for viewing unSl later than intended. Not until 2021 will Peacock “arguably really be hitting its stride,” according to Matt Strauss, the executive in charge of Peacock.

At the time of writing, Peacock had carrier deals with Apple and Google devices, Xbox One consoles, Sony PlayStation, and Vizio and LG Smart TVs. There is currently no deal to carry Peacock on Amazon Fire TV or Roku devices, two of the most popular means to stream TV content in the United States.

As of the end of July, Peacock had reached 10 million account sign-ups. That is inclusive of those who registered when it rolled out to Comcast pay-TV customers in April as well as new customers who have signed up since the national launch.

 

NON-AD-SUPPORTED STREAMING SERVICES: DISNEY+, HBO MAX, PRIME VIDEO & NETFLIX

 

streaming services without ads

DISNEY+ | Mallory Terrence, Associate Media Director

 

In addition to control over Hulu, Disney launched their own streaming service, Disney+, in November 2019. As of May 2020, Disney+ had 54.5 million subscribers, just six months after its launch. On July 3rd, Disney released the Hamilton movie (which it paid $75 million to acquire and moved it up from a 2021 theatrical release) and subsequently had a 74% jump in subscriptions.

Below are some of Disney’s upcoming program releases. In addition, if you’re a fan of The Mandalorian, you’ll be excited to know that there will be a new season coming soon.

THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER | WATCH TRAILER

The Marvel Universe is planning its TV series debut on with this much-awaited storyline which is set to pick up where Avengers: Endgame ended. Unfortunately, fans will have to wait a bit longer for this series that was originally planned for this summer. WandaVision and Loki were two other projects set to run in 2020; all three will likely make their debut in early 2021.

THE MAGIC OF DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM

This reality series provides a behind-the-scenes look at the animals living at Walt Disney World in Florida. Cameras follow animal care experts, veterinarians, and biologists as they care for and oversee the well-being of the creatures in Animal Kingdom and Epcot’s SeaBase aquarium.

OBI-WAN KENOBI

After Disney+ saw strong success with The Mandalorian, it was no surprise that additional spin-off series would be developed. Ewan McGregor will reprise his role as the infamous Obi-Wan. Originally set to be a feature film with Disney, it was transitioned into a TV series for the streaming service.

THE RIGHT STUFF | WATCH TRAILER

This show is set in 1958, the height of the Cold War and the early days of NASA. This historical drama will focus on the seven men who were selected to become the Original Seven/Mercury Seven – America’s first astronauts.

 

HBO MAX | Brendan Murtha, Senior Media Strategist

 

LOVECRAFT COUNTRY | WATCH TRAILER

Lovecraft Country premiered in mid-August and is based on the novel by Matt Ruff. The series follows the story of Atticus Black (played by Jonathan Majors) as he searches for his father with the help of his friend and his uncle. The story takes place during the 1950s during the era of Jim Crow laws. The trio must face the dangers of both racism and the supernatural as they conduct their search during a road trip.

THE THIRD DAY | WATCH TRAILER

The Third Day is a six-part limited series starring Jude Law (The New Pope) and Naomie Harris (Moonlight). The show, which will be divided into two parts, will tell the stories of a man and a woman who both visit a mysterious island off the British coast. The series will be released in the fall of 2020.

THE UNDOING | WATCH TRAILER

The Undoing is a six-part limited series starring Nicole Kidman (Big Little Lies), Hugh Grant (A Very English Scandal), and Donald Sutherland (Crossing Lines), based on the novel You Should Have Known. The series focuses on a therapist (Kidman) and her family as her seemingly perfect life begins to spiral out of control. The series will be released in the fall of 2020.

 

PRIME VIDEO | Brad Youtz, Media Director

 

CORTÉS

Cortés is a four-hour miniseries that follows the legendary conquistador Hernán Cortés to King Montezuma’s Aztec Empire. Stephen Speilberg’s Amblin Television is producing this Spanish language epic for Amazon. Steven Zaillian (Schindler’s List) will direct the series and Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men) will play the protagonist. Cortés’s exploits brought about the fall of the Spanish colonization of the Americas.

SMALL AXE | WATCH TRAILER

Small Axe is a five-part anthology series depicting racial injustice in 1960s London. An ensemble cast of Letitia Wright (Black Mirror), John Boyega (Star Wars), Malachi Kirby (Roots) and Shaun Parkes (Lost in Space) deal with an often-hostile environment. Oscar winner for 12 Years a Slave, Sir Steven McQueen will direct this series that will start its season with a two-hour premiere later this year.

TRUTH SEEKERS | WATCH TRAILER

Truth Seekers is a series about part-time paranormal investigators that use household items to track the supernatural. This comedy-horror’s cast includes cheeky humorists Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead) and Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz) along with Emma D’Arcy (Hanna). Frost & Pegg also created Truth Seekers. The first season will have eight episodes.

 

NETFLIX | Brad Youtz, Media Director

 

EMILY IN PARIS

The show follows a twenty-something American woman to employment at a French marketing firm. This comedy-drama shows the challenges of juggling work and personal life in a foreign city. Emily is played by Lily Collins (Tolkein). Other stars include Ashley Pary (Tales of the City), Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu (Call My Agent!) and Camille Razat (The Disappearance). This series will premiere later this year.

JUPITER’S LEGACY

Premiering in 2021, Jupiter’s Legacy follows the story of the world’s first superheroes. Josh Duhamel (Las Vegas) stars as Sheldon Sampson who received his superpowers in the 1930s. In the present day, his superpowered children struggle to live up to the feats of their parents. Leslie Bibb (American Housewife) stars as Sheldon’s wife. The two children are played by Elena Kampouris (Sacred Lies) as Chloe Sampson and Ben Daniels (The Crown) as Walter Sampson.

LA RÉVOLUTION | WATCH TRAILER

Premiering in October, this series is a French period drama set in the late 18th century. Joseph Guillotin – the doctor for whom the invention of the guillotine was named – uncovers an unknown virus that ravages the French aristocracy, driving them to do unspeakable things. The production comes from Netflix’s French bureau. Netflix has provided no information on the cast or the production team; they only provided a small synopsis in French that translates to “During the 18th century, a new disease makes the aristocracy’s blood turn blue.”

RATCHED | WATCH TRAILER

Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story) stars as as the wicked Nurse Ratched from the book-converted-to-film One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, originally authored by Ken Kesey. The story follows how Nurse Ratched evolves from a young nurse in a mental health hospital to a murderous tyrant. Supporting Paulson in the production are veteran actors Jon Jon Briones (Proud American) and Cynthia Nixon (Sex and the City). Ryan Murphy (Glee) and Michael Douglas (yes, that one!) will be executive producers of this series. The show will premiere in late 2020.

TINY PRETTY THINGS

Set in the world of an elite ballet academy, and based on the book of the same name by Michael MacLennan, the story follows the lives of young women trying to fulfill their dreams. Anna Maiche (The French Teacher) is the narrator and the star student at the Archer School of Dance. The cast includes Lauren Holly (NCIS), Casimere Jolleqe (This is Us) and professional dancers. The show will premiere in late 2020.