Showtime Releases Development Following Regime & Programming Strategy Change

Joshua Alston Thirty years after the deadly standoff between federal law enforcement and the Branch Davidian sect in Waco, Texas, even the most fundamental facts of the tragedy remain contested. Both sides insist the other initiated the initial volley of gunfire that killed four agents and six sectarians. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms insists David Koresh and his followers later set fire to their compound, killing another 48 adults and 28 children in an act of mass suicide. The surviving Branch Davidians maintain that the FBI was the aggressor, and the deadly fire resulted from the ATF’s decision to deploy stun grenades and tear gas. The decades since have created only tighter knots of recrimination. But you might not get that impression from watching “Waco,” the 2018 Paramount Network miniseries about the nearly eight-week standoff and that fatal inferno. In the hands of brothers John Erick Dowdle and Drew Dowdle, who wrote and directed much of the series, the Branch Davidians are a misunderstood and largely peaceful sect led by Koresh (Taylor Kitsch), a complicated man, but one genuinely driven by conviction rather than megalomania. With Kitsch at the outer reaches of his charisma and the Dowdles’ flirting with hagiography, “Waco” is held back from greatness by its obsession with humanizing a narcissistic cult leader.

EXCLUSIVE: Rachel Nichols is looking to provide some “quiet time” for both basketball stars and viewers with her new Showtime series, Headliners.

Doja Cat is switching things up musically.

BreAnna Bell A series of changes have taken place at Showtime. Variety has confirmed the network has canceled “Ziwe” after just two seasons and has picked up Mandy Patinkin’s “Seasoned” to series, delivering a six-episode order. Hosted and executive produced by comedian Ziwe Fumudoh, the talk show focused on presenting trending hot topics concerning race, politics and other cultural issues as well as musical numbers, interviews, guest stars and comedic sketches. Guests on Season 2 included Drew Barrymore, Rowan Blanchard, Blake Griffin, Emily Ratajkowski and Mia Khalifa, among others. The series first debuted in 2021. With the loss, that leaves Showtime without a current late night talk show following the cancellation of “Desus & Mero” (which Ziwe also served as a writer on before moving to her own show). The changes come as part of Showtime’s reevaluation of the programming slate after MTV Entertainment Group president and CEO Chris McCarthy stepped in to oversee the cabler once former CEO David Nevins left in October.

Desus & Mero” ended last year, it was the last remaining late-night series on the cabler. It was also one of the few talk shows hosted by a woman after Comedy Central pulled the plug on “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee” in July 2022 after seven seasons.

EXCLUSIVE: Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance’s film Heist 88, which had been earmarked for Paramount+, will be moving to Showtime, Deadline has learned. Additionally, I hear the network has made decisions on two of its three comedy pilots, handing a six-episode series order to Seasoned, starring Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody, and passing on The Wood, based on the 1999 feature film. Showtime also has opted not to renew Ziwe, hosted and executive produced by comedian Ziwe Fumudoh, for a third season.

There are some major changes coming to Showtime!

BreAnna Bell Showtime has announced its forthcoming spy drama, “Ghosts of Beirut,” will make its debut on Friday, May 19, on Showtime’s streaming site and will air on linear on May 21 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The four-part limited series tells the origin story of 21-year old Mughniyeh (who is also referred to as “The Ghost”), an elusive Lebanese terrorist who evaded capture from the CIA and Mossad for two decades. He was responsible for more American deaths than any other individual prior to 9/11. “Told from the American, Israeli and Lebanese perspectives, the series traces Mughniyeh’s origins from the Shiite slums of South Beirut to his masterminding of the concept of suicide bombers, a deadly tactic that led to his swift rise as the world’s most dangerous terrorist. Based on extensive research of still-classified events, the drama spans decades and weaves in first-hand, real-life interviews with prominent officials from the CIA and Mossad, connecting the turmoil of 1980s Beirut with the spy games of the modern Middle East,” reads Showtime’s official description.

EXCLUSIVE: Showtime has set Ghosts Of Beirut, a four-part spy drama based on the real-life espionage story of the manhunt for Imad Mughniyeh, the elusive Lebanese terrorist who outwitted his adversaries in the CIA and Mossad for over two decades. The limited series, from Fauda creators Avi Issacharoff and Lior Raz, features an international cast led by Dina Shihabi (Jack Ryan), Dermot Mulroney (My Best Friend’s Wedding), Garret Dillahunt (12 Years a Slave), Iddo Goldberg (Snowpiercer), Hisham Suleiman (Fauda), Amir Khoury (Image of Victory) and Rafi Gavron (A Star is Born).

EXCLUSIVE: The L Word: Generation Q is no longer available on Showtime’s streaming service and the Showtime Anytime app. The removal comes on the heels of the series’ cancellation by the network after three seasons.

found a new home at Starz, and “Ripley,” which landed at Netflix.Charles Babalola stars as the titular Zulu king in the series, which was originally ordered in 2021, alongside additional cast members Thapelo Mokoenaas, Warren Masemola, Aïssa Maïga, Thando DIomo, Charmaine Bingwa and Nkeki Obi-Melekwe.Originally titled “Shaka: King of the Zulu Nation,” the series, billed as an “epic drama centered around one man’s personal journey from stigmatized childhood to warrior king,” centers on “the story of the Zulu Empire chief Shaka and his unlikely rise to power, uniting multiple tribes across vast stretches of Africa in the early 19th century to transform his power into legend, on par with history’s most seminal figures,” per Showtime. Hailing from CBS Studios, Propagate and Fuqua Films, “King Shaka” is executive produced by Antoine Fuqua, Odebunmi, Awosika, Ben Silverman, Howard T.

EXCLUSIVE: Showtime has axed King Shaka, its upcoming epic drama series, executive produced by Antoine Fuqua, which tells the sweeping story of the Zulu Empire founder.

EXCLUSIVE: Showtime is keeping its Yellowjackets team intact.

feel like it belongs to her.The latest song to get the Clarkson treatment during the Kellyoke segment of her daytime talk show was the TikTok viral track “abcdefu” by GAYLE. However, didn't just belt out a better version than the original (don't take it personally, GAYLE, it's just ), she also changed a very significant lyric—and the switch appears to be directed towards her ex-husband .Here's the original lyric: “A-B-C-D-E, F-U and your mom and your sister and your job and your broke-ass car and that shit you call art.”Here's what Clarkson sang: “A-B-C-D-E, forget you and your dad and the fact that you got half.

Jonathan Majors’ lawyer is working hard to prove the actor’s innocence.

Most stereotypes of the American South have their genesis in a Tennessee Williams’ play. Blanche DuBois, from Streetcar Named Desire, is the quintessential debutante, hopelessly relying on the kindness of strangers, whose overwrought naivety has served as a template for many characters since. Meanwhile, in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, there’s Big Daddy.

Selome Hailu Bruce Miller has stepped down from his post as showrunner of the “The Handmaid’s Tale,” passing his duties on the sixth and final season to Eric Tuchman and Yahlin Chang, who already served as writers and executive producers. Miller has showrun the Hulu drama since its premiere in 2017. He will remain on staff as a writer and executive producer on Season 6 while moving on to focus on developing a screen adaptation “The Testaments,” the “Handmaid’s Tale” sequel that original author Margaret Atwood wrote in 2019. Tuchman has extended his preexisting overall deal with MGM, which serves as the studio on the series. Along with “The Handmaid’s Tale,” he is best known for writing for the 1997 animated “Anastasia” movie and serving as showrunner on “Kyle XY,” with other credits including Freeform’s “Stitchers,” the CW’s “Beauty and the Beast,” Syfy’s “Alphas” and “Eureka” and CBS’ “Early Edition” and “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.”

EXCLUSIVE: More changes at Paramount+: Tanya Giles, the streaming platform’s chief programming officer, is leaving after a combined 28 years at Paramount Global and its various iterations. A rep for Paramount+ confirmed Giles’ departure to Deadline, declining further comment. There is no immediate replacement, and Giles’ decision to step down is not part of a restructuring, sources said.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Tanya Giles is stepping down as chief programming officer for streaming at Paramount Global. Giles was promoted in June 2021 to help oversee all streaming content programming efforts for the media conglomerate that has invested heavily in its Paramount+ streaming platform. News of Giles’ departure was first reported by Deadline. The move comes as Paramount Global has been taking steps to further streamline its content, production and network operations under an increasingly smaller number of leaders. In late January, the company unveiled the plan to consolidate its stalwart pay TV cabler Showtime with the Paramount+ platform.

Following the season 2 premiere of Showtime’s “Yellowjackets” on March 26, the Emmy-nominated hit series broke records across the network’s platforms.