Hulu Signs First-Ever Streaming Deal For 'Will & Grace'


TV fans rejoice! For the first-time ever, all 194 episodes of the Emmy Award-winning, pop-culture phenomenon “Will & Grace” will be available to stream and on-demand.  The iconic series will be available on the NBC app, Hulu and on-demand through satellite, cable and telco pay TV providers, beginning Thursday, September 21, one week ahead of the return of “Will & Grace” on NBC. 

Hulu will be the exclusive SVOD partner for the original eight seasons, which will also be available on the NBC App and pay TV providers with authentication.

The original eight seasons ran from 1998 to 2006, and in addition to quickly earning its place as a critic and fan favorite, “Will & Grace” was nominated for 83 Emmy Awards, winning 16 of them including Outstanding Comedy Series.  This digital distribution deal, which will get 194 episodes of Will & Grace into nearly 100 million homes across platforms nationwide, marks an opportunity to introduce a new generation of audiences to original episodes of the show that have been largely unavailable for the past 11 years.  The deal will go into effect one week before “Will & Grace” rejoins the NBC lineup with all new episodes Thursday, Sept. 28 at 9 p.m.; each week, following their broadcast airing, new episodes will also be available to stream across the aforementioned digital platforms.

“As we gear up for the launch of the upcoming season premiere, I can’t think of a better way to reintroduce ‘Will & Grace’ to the cultural zeitgeist than by giving audiences the opportunity to watch this historic and hilarious series wherever and whenever they want,” said NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt.  “With its witty comebacks, pop-culture references and social commentary, ‘Will & Grace’ is one of the most binge-able comedies in television history, and I am certain fans both old and new will jump on this opportunity to devour it.”

“There’s no question that ’Will & Grace’ has resonated with audiences since the series made its broadcast premiere. To be able to bring such an iconic show into the streaming universe for the first time ever is an opportunity we couldn’t pass up,” said Joel Stillerman, Chief Content Officer, Hulu. “This landmark deal will allow fans to re-watch their favorite moments ahead of the series premiere, as well as bring ‘Will & Grace’ and its cast of characters to a whole new audience.”

The new season of “Will & Grace” will begin its 16-episode run on September 28, 2017 and has already been picked up for a second season with 13 additional episodes.  Both the original and new episodes of “Will & Grace” are written and executive produced by Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, and directed and executive produced by James Burrows. 

SOURCE: Hulu

 

 

Netflix Picks Up Season Three Of 'Last Chance U'


Netflix announced today that "Last Chance U" is coming back for a third season. The award-winning documentary series will expand the universe of junior college football, heading from the heart of the south to the heartland -- Independence Community College in Kansas.

The series will continue to follow the lives of elite athletes who deal with personal dramas, past mistakes and future goals as they hopefully realize their dreams of competing at the next level. The Independence Pirates are coming off their first winning season in ten years under first year Head Coach Jason Brown.

"While we now have the opportunity to head to Kansas, we hope to revisit the people we've grown to love over the past two seasons of Last Chance U," noted director Greg Whiteley. "We are forever grateful to the talented team at East Mississippi Community College who dedicated months of their lives in Scooba and trusted us to tell their incredible stories."

"Last Chance U" is a Netflix production in association with Condé Nast Entertainment, Endgame Entertainment and One Potato Productions. The series was originally inspired by a feature article in GQ magazine; and is executive produced by Greg Whiteley, Joe LaBracio, Dawn Ostroff, Lucas Smith, James Stern, Ben Cotner, Adam Del Deo and Lisa Nishimura.

SOURCE: Netflix


Netflix Reveals Original Documentary Feature On Orson Welles


Netflix announced today that filmmaker Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom, Best of Enemies) will direct an original feature documentary contextualizing the final fifteen years of maverick auteur Orson Welles’ life. Produced by Tremolo Productions, and executive produced by Frank Marshall and Filip Jan Rymzsa, Neville will explore Welles’ complex relationship with Hollywood, both artistically and commercially. The company’s previously-announced acquisition of Welles’ final feature The Other Side of the Wind, will have a significant presence throughout the new documentary, providing a framework into the legendarily volatile dynamics between Welles and the industry. The two films will launch in tandem in 2018. 

"The Other Side of the Wind has long been a ghostly legend in cinema history, but the story behind it is equally fascinating,” said Neville. “I’m excited to be able to tell the incredible story behind this film and to explore what made Welles such an enduring figure."

Netflix recently announced that it acquired global rights, and will finance the completion and restoration of, The Other Side of the Wind. The film, which has remained unfinished for decades, was shot by Welles beginning in 1970, features a screenplay by Welles and Oja Kodar, and stars John Huston, Peter Bogdanovich, Oja Kodar, Robert Random, Lilli Palmer, Edmond O’Brien, Cameron Mitchell, Mercedes McCambridge, Susan Strasberg, Norman Foster, Paul Stewart and Dennis Hopper.  The film is a Royal Road Entertainment production and was originally produced by Welles and Les Films de L’Astrophore.

SOURCE: Netflix

 

Sling TV Offers First-Ever Pay-Per-View Event With UFC 214


This weekend, Sling TV will offer its first-ever pay-per-view event through the live stream of UFC® 214: CORMIER vs. JONES 2 on Saturday, July 29 from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. UFC 214 pre-orders are now available for purchase for $59.99 to new and existing customers of Sling TV’s subscription services.

“Since we launched in 2015, we have focused on putting customers first, while pushing boundaries no other live OTT service has gone near,” said Roger Lynch, CEO of Sling TV. “Integrating UFC 214 directly into the Sling TV experience is the next step in Sling TV becoming a true cable replacement.”

As UFC’s most highly anticipated card of the year, UFC 214’s main card features three title fights with four current or former UFC champions competing inside the world-famous Octagon®. UFC 214 is highlighted by its main event, with light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier facing former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones in the second installment of their highly publicized rivalry. In the co-main event, UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley will face top-ranked welterweight contender Demian Maia with the title on the line. In the third title fight of the night, former Strikeforce and Invicta featherweight champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino will meet former Invicta bantamweight champion Tonya Evinger with the winner becoming the global brand’s UFC women’s featherweight champion.

Starting today, new and existing Sling TV subscribers may purchase the event by logging in to “My Account” on Sling.com and clicking on the UFC 214 fight banner. Once purchased, a new channel will appear in the user’s guide and content will air as soon as event coverage begins on July 29. For additional information on how to purchase and watch this pay-per-view event, visit help.sling.com/ppv.

SOURCE: Sling TV



Netflix Congratulates Filmmakers Of 'The White Helmets'

A statement from Netflix congratulating our first Academy Award winners - the filmmakers behind "The White Helmets."

Netflix congratulates Joanna Natasegera and Orlando Von Einsiedel for a well deserved Oscar win for The White Helmets, an incredibly timely documentary focusing on the bravery of Syrian humanitarians. A first for Netflix, we are privileged to have been on this journey with these inspirational storytellers since their nomination for Virunga, and continue to be in awe of their efforts to shine a light on the work of real heroes.