Streaming Roundup (5/5/21), Including ‘Home Before Dark’ and ‘On Call’
“Home Before Dark” debuts its 10-episode second season on Apple TV+ on June 11. Inspired by the true story of kid journalist Hilde Lysiak, it stars Brooklynn Prince as the youthful reporter and Jim Sturgess as her supportive father. One new episode appears every Friday. In season two, a mysterious explosion hits a local farm and Hilde begins an investigation that ends in a fight with a powerful corporation.
Here’s a look at other deals and upcoming projects:
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discovery+ is expanding its content library with a scripted series, based on the book “Girls With Bright Futures,” which was published in February. It’s a notable change, as it usually streams reality shows and existing content from its various channels, such as HGTV, TLC, Discovery Channel and Food Network. To date, discovery+ claims 13 million streaming subscribers.
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“On Call” and “High School” have been ordered by IMDb TV. “On Call,” a new half-hour drama from producer Dick Wolf (“Law & Order”), follows Long Beach, California, police officers responding to new radio calls each day. “High School,” executive produced by Clea DuVall (“Happiest Season”), based on Tegan and Sara Quin’s bestselling memoir, is a coming-of-age story about twins. IMDb also has five more scripted projects in development and OK’d three unscripted series: “Luke Bryan: My Dirt Road Diary,” a five-parter about the country-music star, “Bug Out,” a true-crime docu-series about the theft of live insects from the Philadelphia Insectarium, and a show from interior designer Jeff Lewis.
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The animated series “Arcane” will premiere this fall on Netflix, based on Riot Game’s “League of Legends,” which has a global following. “The story follows the origins of two iconic League champions — and the power that will tear them apart,” according to the streamer. Netflix is adapting other games, including “Resident Evil” and “Sonic the Hedgehog,” into series.
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Toni Collette will co-star with Colin Firth in HBO Max’s series “The Staircase.” She plays Kathleen Peterson, the wife of novelist Michael Peterson, convicted in 2003 of murdering his wife. The limited series is from Antonio Campos and Maggie Cohn. They adapted the original docuseries, directed by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, which was first released in 2004 and then updated in 2018 as a Netflix doc.
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Tig Notaro is set for an HBO/HBO Max comedy special this summer. The catch? It’s a fully animated hour of stand-up. Ellen DeGeneres is executive producing the special. The two worked together on the Netflix specials “Tig Notaro Happy to Be Here” and “Ellen DeGeneres: Relatable,” which Notaro co-directed. Notaro starred in “Star Trek: Discovery” and wrote-starred in the series “One Mississippi” on Amazon Prime Video.
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Amazon announced in-show integrations and seasonal sponsorships (Pride, Hispanic Heritage Month) for its OTT platforms, including IMDb TV and Amazon’s News app. Advertisers only pay for impressions that reach their audiences. Jeff Bezos, founder-CEO of Amazon, stated in a press release that of the 200 million Amazon Prime households, “over 175 million have streamed shows and movies in the past year, and streaming hours are up more than 70% year-over-year.”
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Ax murderer Candy Montgomery is the focus of two upcoming series. Elizabeth Olsen (“Full House”) will play Montgomery in HBO Max’s “Love and Death,” written by David E. Kelley and directed by Leslie Linka Glatter. In the 1980s, a woman with a husband and two kids in the Dallas suburbs killed her friend. On Hulu, Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) is playing Candy in a series from Robin Veith with Nick Antosca, the duo responsible for the streamer’s “The Act.”
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Crackle Plus, will launch a free, ad-supported streaming network this fall named for its parent company’s core brand, Chicken Soup for the Soul. The network will comprise a VOD platform and a free, ad-supported streaming TV channel. The company added 200+ hours of original and exclusive programming in the past year. It also acquired the film and television assets of Sonar Entertainment: 700 movies and 1800 TV episodes. Vizio will be Crackle Plus’ exclusive promotional partner for the app.
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“Friday Night Lights” will stream on Tubi as part of the series’ 15th anniversary. The show, about a high-school football coach who teaches more than the game to the East Dillon Lions players, enjoyed almost a cult following.