Paramount+ Charts Course for Populist Series With Multi-Season Potential, Says Paramount

 Posted on January 29, 2024  |  4 minutes  |  817 words  |  Jenniffer Sheldon

Home to the Taylor Sheridan stable and to the “Star Trek” franchise, Paramount+ is looking for “populist” dramas that hold a wider sway and can span several seasons, said Paramount Television Studios and Paramount+ Original scripted series president Nicole Clemens at her keynote at MIA Market in Rome on Tuesday.

“We’re not looking for shows that just play to New York and Los Angeles,” Clemens explained. “That doesn’t mean they’re not edgy, that doesn’t mean [they can’t be] dark. But we want to have a broader, propulsive appeal. Something like populist literature would be a good [description.]”

Pointing toward the recent “Frasier” reboot (which is produced by CBS Studios), Clemens described Paramount+’s half-hour remit as “big, loud, funny, hard comedy,” and if that comes with recognizable star or brand name I.P. – or both, as luck would have it for the Kelsey Grammer-led reboot – then all the better. 

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More importantly, the shows would have room to grow over several years. 

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“Because we’re a newer service, we really want to do ongoing returning series,” Clemens continued, detailing Paramount TV Studio’s growing interest in supplying the platform with scalable titles in lieu of one-offs. “We’re not looking for limited series in the U.S. … We are really looking for contemporary ongoing [titles].”

Of course, Paramount Television Studios will continue developing and producing scripted fare – including limited series – for other streamers, with third-party sales accounting for 70% of the studio’s business, per Clemens. Paramount+ will also to continue air limited series from other Paramount Global studios.

While talking up the new seasons of “Jack Reacher” and “Jack Ryan,” as well as the upcoming James Patterson adaptation “Alex Cross” – all delivered for Amazon Prime – Clemens also teased an as of yet unannounced project for Apple.

The exec was more forthcoming about two other Apple projects, promoting the Taika Waititi directed “Time Bandits” remake as part of a sizzle reel that played ahead of her talk, and promising that the psychological and supernatural thriller “Before” would offer lead actor Billy Crystal “a role that I don’t think we’ve ever seen him in before.”

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