ViacomCBS announced in mid-September plans to rebrand the CBS All Access streaming service to Paramount+. Now more information has surfaced about one of the upcoming projects. A revival of The Game is in the works at CBS Television Studios and Grammnet Productions.
According to Shadow and Act, very few details are known about the upcoming revival. Specifically, the original series’ creator, Mara Brock Akil, may or may not be involved. Akil just signed an overall deal with Netflix. Finally, no details are available about whether this revival of The Game is the same version as the one Akil and American Soul writer Devon Greggory developed for the CW in 2019.
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A spinoff of Girlfriends, The Game focused on a group of women who had relationships with professional football players. The show originally ran from 2006-2009 on the CW. A revival then ran from 2011-2015 on BET. A second planned revival was set for the CW, which would turn The Game into an hour-long comedy. The original series was a multi-cam sitcom while the first revival was a single-camera, half-hour dramedy.
The original series featured Tia Mowry, Pooch Hall, Hosea Chanchez, Coby Bell, Brittany Daniel and Wendy Raquel Robinson in starring roles. Brandy, Lauren London and Jay Ellis joined the cast during the first revival on BET. Mowry and Hall left the series after the first two seasons of the revival.
With a focus on professional football, The Game included guest appearances from several high-profile figures. The list of stars included former defensive end Jared Allen, wide receiver Chad Ochocinco, cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and former basketball player Jalen Rose among others. Additionally, rappers Too Short, Chamillionaire and Lil Kim all made guest appearances.
In addition to The Game, Paramount+ will feature multiple other original projects. Taylor Sheridan — creator of Paramount Network’s wildly successful drama Yellowstone — is creating the CIA-based terrorism drama, Lioness. Additionally, Paramount+ will also deliver a 10-episode limited scripted-series based around the making of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather.
“Paramount is an iconic and storied brand beloved by consumers all over the world, and it is synonymous with quality, integrity and world-class storytelling, “ViacomCBS Bob Bakish said. “With Paramount+, we’re excited to establish one global streaming brand in the broad-pay segment that will draw on the sheer breadth and depth of the ViacomCBS portfolio to offer an extraordinary collection of content for everyone to enjoy.”
The Paramount+ streaming service will launch in early 2021. It will feature ViacomCBS’ content from networks like MTV, BET, Comedy Central, CBS, Nickelodeon, and Smithsonian Channel. The service will also feature movies from Paramount Pictures.
