Showtime, Bleecker Street Strike Exclusive Three-Year Output Deal

Patrick Stewart checks back in for season 2 of the Paramount+ series, which kicks off its new episodes Thursday, and only ET exclusively debuts stunning new photos of the cast — including  vet Whoopi Goldberg — back in action. And they're not just posing on any old set.

Naman Ramachandran BBC Studios and Sky Deutschland have agreed an output deal for factual content in Germany.The long-term partnership agreement will see Sky Deutschland as the pay TV home for BBC Studios premium factual content in Germany, which will include 150 hours of factual titles from the BBC Studios catalogue. The factual output from BBC Studios can be seen on Sky Deutschland’s Sky Nature and Sky Documentaries channels.BBC Studios titles acquired under the deal include “Greta Thunberg A Year to Change the World,” “Louis Theroux: Shooting Joe Exotic,” “David Attenborough: The Sound of Nature” and “Primates.” In 2019, BBC Studios signed a partnership with Germany’s ZDF to produce factual shows, which includes the upcoming “Green Planet” presented by David Attenborough, alongside co-developing scripted TV series.

fans are eagerly anticipating the fifth season of the show, and with production starting back up in May, ET spoke with the series' stars at the 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards to see what they could tease about the future of the Dutton family. Kevin Costner, who plays patriarch John Dutton in the series, played coy about what fans can expect, telling ET that spoilers «take the fun away.»«I got a new horse. How's that?» Costner quipped.Even Luke Grimes, who portrays Costner's son, Kayce Dutton, didn't have any info to share, noting that the cast «gets the scripts as they come in and as we shoot.»«I never know.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer“Celebrity Book Club” podcast host and Apple’s “The Problem With Jon Stewart” head writer Chelsea Devantez has signed a multi-year overall deal at Disney’s 20th Television.Under the pact, Devantez will write and produce her own comedy projects for the studio, as well as supervise others.Devantez began her TV writing career on Stewart’s writing staff on his never-released and untitled HBO show. Her other TV credits include Tina Fey and Meredith Scardino’s Peacock comedy “Girls5Eva” and Liz Meriwether and Lake Bell’s ABC comedy “Bless This Mess.” Last year, Devantez sold her pilot, “This Is Our Year,” to 20th Television and CBS.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterAn “Outlander” prequel series is in development at Starz, Variety has learned exclusively.According to sources, “Outlander” executive producer and showrunner Matthew B. Roberts is attached to write and executive produce the prequel. A writers’ room is currently being assembled with an eye to begin work in the coming weeks.Exact plot details for what the prequel would focus on are being kept under wraps.

The BBC has struck a six-year deal for the MasterChef franchise and is moving production from London to Birmingham.

This Morning fans have been in for a treat this week on the show as they have got to enjoy five full days of Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary carrying out hosting duties. The duo have been standing in for usual hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield whilst they enjoy their half-term break from the show.

Vanity Fair’s annual Hollywood Issue, reacted to the news by saying, “That’s so funny. I wonder where.” It’s not that Stewart is actively avoiding royal gossip because of a sense of moral superiority. She says, “I’m no better than anyone! Of course, I want to know.”Still, the actor says she couldn’t even bring herself to watch Prince Harry and ’s with in full when it aired in March 2021.

Alison Hammond sported yet another incredible outfit on Thursday's This Morning as she sat beside co-host Dermot O'Leary. This comes as no surprise, as the 47-year-old has been ticking all of the style boxes this week while she and Dermot have been standing in for usual presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield. Whilst the Dancing On Ice duo enjoy their half term break from the show, viewers have loved seeing Alison and Dermot step up to the plate.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer“Yellowstone” prequel “1883” has been renewed for Season 2 at Paramount Plus, and the ViacomCBS-owned streaming service has ordered another Taylor Sheridan-created origin-story show following the Dutton Family called “1932.” Yes, you guessed it — the show will follow a new generation of Duttons “during the time of western expansion, Prohibition and the Great Depression.”“1883″ stars Sam Elliott, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Billy Bob Thornton, Isabel May, LaMonica Garrett, Marc Rissmann, Audie Rick, Eric Nelsen and James Landry Hébert.The show follows the Dutton family as they embark on a journey west through the Great Plains toward the last bastion of untamed America. It is a stark retelling of western expansion and an intense study of one family fleeing poverty to seek a better future in America’s promised land — Montana.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterMelissa Joan Hart will star in multiple new “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime” holiday movies, as well as the made-for-TV hoarder film “Dirty Little Secret” at Lifetime, as part of a new multi-year deal with the cable channel, Variety has learned exclusively.Under her new pact, Hart will star in, direct and executive produce several movies for Lifetime. For the “Ripped From The Headlines” movie “Dirty Little Secret” (working title), which is set to debut this summer, Hart stars as a mother hiding her extreme hoarding tendencies that are destroying her family.Additionally, Hart will star in and executive produce new movies for Lifetime’s 2022 and 2023 Christmas slates, having previously starred in six holiday films for the cabler, including “Mistletoe in Montana,” “Dear Christmas” and “A Very Merry Toy Store.” Hart has previously executive produced eight Lifetime films with her production company Hartbreak Films, including the recent “Christmas in Tune” starring Reba McEntire.

Amazon Prime Video has signed an expanded multi-year licensing deal for Germany and Austria with Leonine Studios.

Showtime Networks Inc. and Bleecker Street have entered into a new and exclusive three-year output agreement, effective in March.

Angelique Jackson Bleecker Street has secured North American rights to Catherine Hardwicke’s new action-comedy, “Mafia Mamma,” starring Toni Collette, Monica Bellucci and Rob Huebel.Collette stars in the film as a suburban American woman, who inherits her grandfather’s mafia empire and must learn navigate her new role as the head of the family business, defying everyone’s expectations.Based on an original idea by acclaimed French novelist, screenwriter and filmmaker Amanda Sthers, Hardwicke directs from a screenplay written by Debbie Jhoon and Michael J. Feldman (Peacock’s “AP Bio,” Hulu’s”Deadbeat”).

Bleecker Street has acquired North American rights to Catherine Hardwicke’s action-comedy Mafia Mamma, starring Toni Collette (The Staircase, Nightmare Alley), Monica Bellucci (The Matrix franchise, The Man Who Sold His Skin) and Rob Huebel (The Descendants, The Goldbergs), which is heading into production in Italy in May.

Bleecker Street has acquired domestic rights to Catherine Hardwicke’s new action comedy “Mafia Mamma” starring Toni Collette, the company announced on Wednesday.The film also stars Monica Bellucci and Rob Huebel. The film is set to go into production this May in Italy.“Mafia Mamma” centers on a suburban American woman who inherits her grandfather’s Mafia empire, and guided by the Firm’s trusted consigliere defies everyone’s expectations, including her own, as the new head of the family business.“Mafia Mamma” is a Vocab Films, IDEA(L) and New Sparta Production based on an original idea by French novelist, screenwriter and filmmaker Amanda Sthers.

Selome Hailu Maggie Mull, co-creator of the upcoming Hulu comedy series “Maggie,” has signed a multi-year overall deal at 20th Television. At the studio, she will continue working on “Maggie” while also creating new series and supervising other live-action and animated comedies for all platforms.“Maggie,” which Mull co-created with Justin Adler, was originally developed for ABC before moving to Hulu in January.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefAustralian streaming service Stan has renewed its exclusive content partnership with Hollywood studio MGM. The deal covers series and film titles.