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Future of Paramount+ among merger talks

While I’m hardly in the ‘Kurtzman suxx!’ crowd, I feel like CBS’s recent move to prematurely end their most popular Trek show, possibly by the end of 2026, which is when Kurtzman’s contract ends, is telling evidence that they don’t have an interest in renewing it. And while SFA was renewed for a second season, that is not remotely set in stone. Just my $0.02.
 
The current Paramount heads are making cancellations decisions to adjust the books/reducing expenses in preparation for the merger. Once that's settled the new bosses will have completely different factors to consider. I think we could even see some reversals.

I also know that Ellison is on record as wanting to make Trek TV back when Beyond was in production.
 
While I’m hardly in the ‘Kurtzman suxx!’ crowd, I feel like CBS’s recent move to prematurely end their most popular Trek show, possibly by the end of 2026, which is when Kurtzman’s contract ends, is telling evidence that they don’t have an interest in renewing it. And while SFA was renewed for a second season, that is not remotely set in stone. Just my $0.02.

I follow, yeah. There's a decent chance indeed that the "clean slate; we'll either have something lined up to replace this phase in a couple of years, or we'll cool it entirely for a while" is the approach they'll be taking.

The current Paramount heads are making cancellations decisions to adjust the books/reducing expenses in preparation for the merger. Once that's settled the new bosses will have completely different factors to consider. I think we could even see some reversals.

I wlso know that Ellison is on record as wanting to make Trek TV back when Beyond was in production.

Just the same, this is also compelling. How long ago did Ellison say all that, though? This is a business where things shift all the time (as I'm sure we all know). Regardless, the state of affairs for Paramount may, indeed, be brighter fairly soon. I've read that Ellison has a big interest in the sports side; he sees that as a golden beacon. Which is probably true. Doesn't mean he'll pull back entirely on stuff like Star Trek; I just think it's a data point to consider.
 
While I’m hardly in the ‘Kurtzman suxx!’ crowd, I feel like CBS’s recent move to prematurely end their most popular Trek show, possibly by the end of 2026, which is when Kurtzman’s contract ends, is telling evidence that they don’t have an interest in renewing it. And while SFA was renewed for a second season, that is not remotely set in stone. Just my $0.02.

While we could probably get SNW Season 4 by 2026, I'm not sure how we'd get Season 5 by then. I suppose one could have production wrapped up by the end of 2026, however, with Season 5 airing some time in 2027.

Starfleet Academy, provided it's one and done (which doesn't seem to be the plan right now) - sure, that could be closed down.
 
While we could probably get SNW Season 4 by 2026, I'm not sure how we'd get Season 5 by then. I suppose one could have production wrapped up by the end of 2026, however, with Season 5 airing some time in 2027.

Unless they just continue production of S5 once production for S4 wraps, as I've speculated before, and then showing S4 and 5 back to back at the end of 2026. So basically it would be:

2025: SNW S3 - showing now
2026: SFA S1 early 2026, SNW S4 & 5 late 2026

And that's all she wrote for Kurtzman Trek, unless CBS renews his contract in 2026. We'll see how things go in the next six months.
 
Unless they just continue production of S5 once production for S4 wraps, as I've speculated before, and then showing S4 and 5 back to back at the end of 2026. So basically it would be:

2025: SNW S3 - showing now
2026: SFA S1 early 2026, SNW S4 & 5 late 2026

And that's all she wrote for Kurtzman Trek, unless CBS renews his contract in 2026. We'll see how things go in the next six months.

Looking online, Kurtzman's contract expires in August, 2026. So there's no reason to run out the clock by trying to get SNW's fifth season shooting immediately after Season 4 wraps up this August. You want a few months for post-production, scripts, casting, etc.

I mean, I'm not sure exactly how it works, but I presume having something in the can/finished by the end of next August is good enough, even if it doesn't air for a few months (or takes until early 2027). I'm sure he gets some residuals after shows/the main contract ends regardless, so he just wouldn't be paid to do any additional Trek work.
 
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Looking online, Kurtzman's contract expires in August, 2026. So there's no reason to run out the clock by trying to get SNW's fifth season shooting immediately after Season 4 wraps up this August. You want a few months for post-production, writing, scripts, casting, etc.

That would depend on what the agreement was. CBS might have said, 'Alex, instead of just canceling the show after season 4, we're going to give you six more episodes for season 5. The catch is that you only have a smaller amount of time to produce them before your contract expires.' Of course, this is entirely speculation on my part. I'd be happy for SNW to continue after 2026 and not have a rushed production schedule.
 
I didn't know this until I read a story on Colbert, is that Larry and David Ellison, the owners behind Skydance, contribute heavily to right wing and MAGA causes and David is courting right wing influencers to join CBS News and shift the news department towards a FOX model.
More and more, I'm thinking this merger shouldn't have been allowed to happen.
 
I didn't know this until I read a story on Colbert, is that Larry and David Ellison, the owners behind Skydance, contribute heavily to right wing and MAGA causes and David is courting right wing influencers to join CBS News and shift the news department towards a FOX model.
More and more, I'm thinking this merger shouldn't have been allowed to happen.

Larry Ellison is a huge Republican, but his his son David is not. He donated big money to Kamala Harris, and cut tons of checks to state Democratic parties. I don't think he's ever donated to a Republican.
 
David is courting right wing influencers to join CBS News and shift the news department towards a FOX model.

links please, the only thing I've seen is from the FCC filing which said "Skydance’s commitment to unbiased journalism and its embrace of diverse viewpoints, principles that will ensure CBS’s editorial decision-making reflects the varied ideological perspectives of American viewers.”

That's totally doable in good faith. Just because Fox has poisoned the phrase "fair and balanced" doesn't mean its not a thing.
 
links please, the only thing I've seen is from the FCC filing which said "Skydance’s commitment to unbiased journalism and its embrace of diverse viewpoints, principles that will ensure CBS’s editorial decision-making reflects the varied ideological perspectives of American viewers.”

That's totally doable in good faith. Just because Fox has poisoned the phrase "fair and balanced" doesn't mean its not a thing.

I'm at work, but check the CNN Business website.
The headline reads 'CBS new owner (David Ellison) in talks with (Right Wing Blogger)
Bari Weiss to buy The Free Press.
 
I'm at work, but check the CNN Business website.
The headline reads 'CBS new owner (David Ellison) in talks with (Right Wing Blogger)
Bari Weiss to buy The Free Press.
Bari Weiss might have an overinflated sense of her own importance and is certainly to the right of MSNBC, but she and her site are certainly not NEWSMAX or Breitbart or anything remotely similar (unless things have changed dramatically recently).
 
While I’m hardly in the ‘Kurtzman suxx!’ crowd, I feel like CBS’s recent move to prematurely end their most popular Trek show, possibly by the end of 2026, which is when Kurtzman’s contract ends, is telling evidence that they don’t have an interest in renewing it.

P+ has been cancelling ALL their Trek shows after five seasons (Disco, Lower Decks ... all gone after five seasons).

Paramount/CBS have just cancelled Yellowstone and The Equalizer after five seasons. The days of shows lingering indefinitely (barring NCIS) are over.

I wouldn't read too much into the SNW cancellation. Five-and-done appears to be Paramount's company policy regardless of a show's ratings.
 
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P+ has been cancelling ALL their Trek shows after five seasons (Disco, Lower Decks ... all gone after five seasons).

Paramount/CBS have just cancelled Yellowstone and The Equalizer after five seasons. The days of shows lingering indefinitely (barring NCIS) are over.

I wouldn't read too much into the SNW cancellation. Five-and-done appears to be Paramount's company policy regardless of a show's ratinfs.
Indeed.

5 and done seems to be the standard now. Probably because some costs go up after 5 years.
 

This needs to end:

"Paramount International Networks & Streaming launched its “No Diversity, No Commission” content policy across the company’s international properties"

Gwjqe1WWsAAk_mO



https://www.paramount.com/inclusion-impact/inclusion/our-content
 
I don't know what's going to happen, but I think a lot factors make Newsome's comedy seem very unlikely with each passing day.

What Star Trek will look like after the merger is anyone's guess.
 
I wonder which other company would do this? Having witnessed how the right-wing government has taken over local media in Türkiye, I hope the same thing doesn't happen to the American media. Because what Erdoğan did 20 years ago, Trump is doing in America right now. I hope this decision from skaydance doesn't affect their casting choices for their films and TV series.
 
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