Showtime Purges Original Shows Starring Jim Carrey, Kirsten Dunst and More Big Names
Following news that Paramount Global and Showtime will soon be merging, the linear premium cable network is offloading titles. Multiple outlets, including The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline, reported Monday that a number of series starring big names including Jim Carrey, Kirsten Dunst, and more are being pulled from Showtime amid the integration. The impacted titles were considered to be under-performing shows, with the majority having only lasted a single season.
Disappearing from Showtime's content catalog is American Gigolo and Let the Right One In, two series that were confirmed to be canceled earlier Monday. Also on the list of series to be purged is Kidding, a comedy-drama television series created by Dave Holstein that starred Carey Jeff Piccirillo, a beloved children's television presenter known as Mr. Pickles. The Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Uma Thurman-starring series Super Pumped, the Kirsten Dunst-starring series On Becoming a God in Central Florida, and American Rust, a crime drama created by Dan Futterman based on the novel of the same name by Philipp Meyer starring Jeff Daniels, Maura Tierney, and David Alvarez. The End and Wakefield, which were acquired content, are also leaving, with more titles set to join the list.
A source told Deadline that "the majority of the shows impacted lasted one season," with The Hollywood Reporter noting that many of these titles under-performed. While these shows are getting the boot from the Showtime library, all hope isn't lost. It is believed that Showtime will allow the rights holders for the impacted programs to shop the series, meaning they could live on via a different streaming service or network. However, it remains to be seen if that is the case.
The purge of titles comes as Showtime prepares to integrate into Paramount+. Paramount Global announced Monday plans to rebrand the premium cable network as "Paramount+ with Showtime" as part of a massive change that will bring the two brands together in the streaming world. Chris McCarthy will lead the Showtime studio and oversee linear channel operations, and the premium cable network is expected to focus on originals with "franchise potential" as he looks to cut costs at the cabler. Tom Ryan will oversee Paramount+ with Showtime's streaming business. In a statement, McCarthy explained, "We will divert investment away from areas that are underperforming and that account for less than 10% of our views." McCarthy added that conversations were already underway with "production partners about what content makes sense moving forward and which shows have franchise potential."