View From the Peak - Everything Coming to Paramount+ in January 2024

 

We’re counting down to 2024, and our top resolution for the new year is to bring you the world’s best collection of shows and films to stream. Things are looking both sexy and scary on the service in January with the premieres of two highly anticipated Original series: crime drama Sexy Beast and psychological thriller The Woman in the Wall. Next month, the second season of SkyMed will come in for a landing on the service and music fans will get an in-depth look at the life and work of legendary singer and songwriter June Carter Cash in the brand-new Original docuseries JUNE. And as football fans eagerly count down to Super Bowl LVIII, they can kick back and enjoy CBS Sports' coverage of three AFC Playoff games, including the AFC Championship which airs on January 28. For a closer look at all the entertainment coming to Paramount+ in January, check out the latest edition of View From the Peak.

PEAK CONTENT

David Oyelowo in Lawmen: Bass Reeves The New Year’s bells are about to ring, but before we sip some bubbly and toast the new content coming to the service, let’s reflect on some of the wonderful things that happened in 2023. With a broad, popular offering for every member of the household, Paramount+ remained the fastest-growing streaming service in the United States.    This year, Paramount+ became the streaming home to SHOWTIME, and provided premium subscribers access to its entire library of critically acclaimed content, including award-winning series Yellowjackets, Billions, The Chi and Dexter: New Blood.    With record-breaking  premieres across genres, Paramount+ welcomed a wealth of content that won over audiences all year long. Top drivers this year included Lawmen: Bass Reeves, Special Ops: Lioness, Frasier and Fellow Travelers. The unscripted space was underscored by top series including Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court, Couples Therapy and Milli Vanilli.   Paramount+ also saw the premieres and post-theatrical streaming debuts of huge films on the service that drove massive engagement, including Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Scream VI and PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie as well as Original films Good Burger 2, Pet Sematary: Bloodlines and Love in Taipei.   And we were the talk of the town with this year’s awards nominations with Golden Globe nominations for 1923, The Curse, Fellow Travelers, Lawmen: Bass Reeves and Yellowjackets. We also received five Film Independent Spirit Award nominations and 12 Critics Choice Television Award nominations.    CBS Sports’ presentation of its marquee live sports continues to differentiate Paramount+ in the marketplace. The platform streamed some of the year's biggest sporting events, including NFL on CBS, AFC Playoffs, UEFA Champions League and its final, The Masters, PGA Championship, March Madness, Big Ten on CBS, SEC on CBS, a full season of the National Women's Soccer League, the launch of the free 24/7 soccer channel CBS Sports Golazo Network and more than 2,500 soccer matches.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Emun Elliott and James McArdle in Sexy Beast Next month, viewers can check out the premiere of Sexy Beast, which serves as a prequel to the critically acclaimed crime film of the same name. The series explores the relationship between Gal and Don, petty thieves in London’s East End who are looking for a major score. The pair is portrayed by James McArdle and Emun Elliott, respectively, and we sat down with the actors to learn more about how they played the younger versions of these characters. Can you tell us a bit about where Don and Gal are at the start of the series? Emun: Don is working at his sister’s arcade. He does odd jobs and menial tasks and is very much tied to his sister and serving her. At the same time, Don is working with Gal, and they’re involved in petty crime, like theft, robberies and muggings. But Don has huge ambition to hit the big time and sees this phase as a stepping stone for him to reach ultimate glory in the gangster world. He’s looking for a sense of identity, and he finds that in his relationship with Gal and the criminal underworld. James: When the series begins, Gal doesn’t realize he’s got a problem. He’s unaware that he’s blindly treading a path that’s been laid out before him. There’s something in him that longs for more, but there hasn’t been a catalyst that sort of says to him, “You can go out and get that.” He’s happy plodding along and dreaming. The world turns up for him when this woman enters his life, and he realizes, “If I’m going to go out for what I want, then the world around me is going to have to burn.” The question is: Will he do that, or accept the status quo?   These are characters to whom fans feel connected; are you excited to bring them to life in this new world? Emun: The fantastic thing about the movie is that Don is on the screen for one hour; he makes a massive impact, and then he disappears. But you never find out why Don is who he is. In our version, you get to explore why a character ended up like him. You get to delve into his vulnerabilities and his relationship with the few people who mean anything to him. It’s a rounded look at this character from both sides, in terms of his violence but also his vulnerability. James: This is a completely different Gal from the one we recognize in the film, so that gives me a lot of scope to play with, and that’s been fun as I get to imagine what he was like when he didn’t have the world on his shoulders. He's a bit more carefree at the beginning. He has compartmentalized his life so that he can enjoy different parts, and then he bites off more than he can chew.   The series follows Gal and Don’s descent into the criminal underworld. Can you tease how this creates conflict for both of them? Emun: Gal and Don have very different attitudes when it comes to executing a task. Gal leads with his head; Don leads from his gut and with his fists. They’re a team that works really well. Sometimes when they have to make decisions in the moment, Don makes mistakes and is far too much on the front foot, and Gal is constantly having to pull him back. There are occasions when Gal isn’t there to pull him back, and Don puts his foot in it, which leads to turbulence between the two of them. And it’s interesting to see that and see how their relationship – as all relationships do – winds in and out of each other. I think Gal and Don’s relationship is the most interesting when there is that separation and conflict between the two of them. James: They clearly adore each other. As we explore their pasts, you realize why Gal is so patient with Don. He’s a father figure and a brother figure to him. Gal thinks he is in control of that, but as Don grows, we see that Gal realizes he can’t contain the monster that is evolving. Crime pays when Sexy Beast premieres on January 25.

BEHIND THE STREAMS

Ruth Wilson and Daryl McCormack in The Woman in the Wall Premiering next month, the psychological drama series The Woman in the Wall stars Ruth Wilson as Lorna, a fictional survivor of the infamous Magdalene Laundries that incarcerated “fallen women” in Ireland against their will. In the series, Lorna, who suffers extreme bouts of sleepwalking due to the trauma she experienced, makes a terrifying discovery in her home. Extensive research was required to set this mystery against the backdrop of a true and painful period in Irish history. “We had a brilliant researcher, and we worked with a consultant at Justice for Magdalenes Research who helped us speak to a number of survivors,” said Joe Murtagh, series executive producer, writer and creator. “I really admire them for sharing their stories when you consider that one of the main objectives of these institutions was to shame and silence the women in their care.” For Murtagh, the show is a chance to raise awareness for this largely untold history. “Our town and our characters are fictional, in part, to protect real identities and communities. This allowed us to draw on as many real-life experiences as possible and combine them in one place.” Unravel the mystery when The Woman in the Wall premieres on Paramount+ with SHOWTIME* on January 19.

WATCH THE TRAILER

DID  YOU KNOW?

Praneet Akilla, Mercedes Morris, Morgan Holmstrom, Natasha Calis, Thomas Elms, Kheon Clarke and Aason Nadjiwon in Skymed Sometimes you just can’t wait another week to watch that next episode. Your wish is granted with an entire season of SkyMed streamable on day one. The show follows the high-flying adventures of daring nurses and pilots stationed in the wilds of Canada.    Long established as the home for incredible music documentaries and storytelling, Paramount+ continues this tradition with the premiere of JUNE this January. The feature-length documentary explores singer/songwriter June Carter Cash’s life and career through rare and never-before-seen archival material and interviews with family, admirers and friends, including Dolly Parton, Reese Witherspoon and Willie Nelson.    Countless viewers will stream Super Bowl LVIII on Paramount+ on February 11, but a few lucky winners will get the VIP experience in person thanks to the “Hide & Peak” sweepstakes campaign. To enter the sweepstakes, viewers must search for buried QR codes that appear before popular series and movies, which can be scanned to open a landing page with further submission guidelines. Who knows, you could be headed to the big game!

STREAMING SOON

ORIGINALS, EXCLUSIVE PREMIERES & EVENTS 1/1: Changemakers 1/7: The Golden Globe Awards** 1/11: SkyMed Season 2 premiere 1/16: JUNE premiere 1/19: The Woman in the Wall* premiere 1/25: Sexy Beast premiere LIBRARY SHOWS January 2 America Decides (Season 2024)** CBS News Mornings (Season 2024)** CBS News Prime Time with John Dickerson (Season 2024)** January 6 The Uplift (Season 2024) January 7 Here Comes the Sun (Season 2024) The Takeout (Season 8) January 8 Eye on America (Season 2024)** January 10 Help! I'm in a Secret Relationship (Seasons 1-2) The Loud House (Season 6) The Really Loud House (Season 1) January 17 Aerial Argentina (Season 1) January 24 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987) (Season 3) January 31 Air Disasters (Seasons 1-7) Combat Ships (Seasons 1,3,4) Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City (Seasons 1-3) LIBRARY MOVIES January 1 54 5 Card Stud A Promise* A Single Man* A.C.O.D. Abandon Adore Adventureland Aeon Flux Alex Cross* Almost Famous American Beauty Amistad An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power An Inconvenient Truth Another 48 Hrs. Approaching The Unknown Atlantic City Baby It's You Bad Lieutenant* Basic Instinct Basic Instinct Director's Cut Bebe's Kids Becoming Jane Big Jake Black Beauty Black Sheep Boomerang Changing Lanes Chasing Amy Chocolat Cinema Paradiso Coach Carter Cop Land Days of Heaven Death On the Nile Deception Dora and the Lost City of Gold Event Horizon Face/Off Failure to Launch Falling in Love Flags of Our Fathers Flight Of The Intruder G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Get Rich or Die Tryin'* Gone Baby Gone Good Mourning* Halloween H20: 20 Years Later Halloween VI: The Curse Of Michael Myers Halloween VIII: Resurrection Hateship Loveship* Headhunters* Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth Hellraiser IV: Bloodline Hellraiser V: Inferno Hellraiser VI: Hellseeker Hellraiser VII: Deader Hellraiser VIII: Hellworld High Noon Hope Springs* In Too Deep Indiscreet Jack Reacher: Never Go Back Jackass 2.5 Jackass 3.5 Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa .5 Unrated Jane Eyre* Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. Last Vegas Little Women* Losing Isaiah Mansfield Park Miller's Crossing Monster Trucks My Left Foot Narc Norbit Nostalgia* Only Lovers Left Alive* Paid in Full Pretty In Pink Private Parts Reindeer Games* Scream Scream 2 Scream 3 Searching For Bobby Fischer Shall We Dance? Snow Day Some Kind of Wonderful Spy Kids Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams Spy Kids* Support the Girls* Surviving Christmas Suspect Zero Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Switchback Team America: World Police Terms of Endearment The Adventures of Tintin The African Queen The Bigfoot Trap* The Chumscrubber* The Core The Crow The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Diving Bell and the Butterfly* The Drop The Elephant Man The First Wives Club The Forgiven* The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo The Godfather (Remastered) The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone (Remastered) The Godfather Part II (Remastered) The High and the Mighty The Island The Last Airbender The Peacemaker The People vs. Larry Flynt* The Portrait of a Lady The Queens of Comedy* The Score The Stepfather The Thing Called Love The Time Machine The Untouchables The Woman in Black The Yards Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead* Total Recall Tropic Thunder True Grit Voyagers Warrior Strong* What Lies Beneath When Worlds Collide Young Sherlock Holmes January 8 All About the Benjamins Chloe Insomnia Lords of Dogtown Love & Basketball Maggie's Plan Menace II Society Michael Clayton The Exorcist January 17 The Stanford Prison Experiment* January 26 Clerks II* You Hurt My Feelings* January 29 Begin Again* SPORTS 1/6: NCAA Men’s Basketball – Mississippi State @ South Carolina* 1/6: NCAA Men’s Basketball – TCU @ Kansas*  1/6: NCAA Men’s Basketball – UNLV @ San Diego State* 1/7: NFL on CBS Week 18 Doubleheader (check local listings) 1/9-1/11: Coppa Italia Quarterfinals 1/12: Start of AFC Men’s Asian Cup 1/13: NCAA Men’s Basketball – San Diego State @ New Mexico* 1/13: Professional Bull Riders – Chicago* 1/13: Formula E* 1/13 or 1/14: NFL on CBS – AFC Wild Card Game 1/18: EA Sports Super Cup Semifinal – Napoli vs. Fiorentina 1/19: EA Sports Super Cup Semifinal – Inter vs. Lazio 1/20: NCAA Men’s Basketball – San Diego State @ Boise State* 1/21: NCAA Men’s Basketball – Michigan State @ Maryland* 1/20 or 1/21: NFL on CBS – AFC Divisional Playoff 1/21: Barclays Women’s Super League – Chelsea vs. Manchester United 1/22: EA Sports Super Cup Final 1/26-1/27: PGA TOUR – Farmers Insurance Open (Third and Final Round Coverage)* 1/27: NCAA Men’s Basketball – Kansas @ Iowa State* 1/28: NFL on CBS  – AFC Championship Game 1/28: Barclays Women’s Super League – Liverpool vs. Arsenal Throughout January: Italian Serie A competition Throughout January: AFC Men’s Asian Cup Throughout January: Scottish Professional Football League competition Throughout January: AFC Champions League competition Throughout January: Barclays Women’s Super League competition * Title is available to Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers. **All Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers can live stream CBS titles via the live feed on Paramount+. Those titles will be available on-demand to all subscribers the day after they air live. Dates for library titles are subject to change.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: December 17, 2023

  

A Murder at the End of the World:  The robot did it.  That is why no one can seem to find the killer.  That would be the perfect stupid ending to this stupid show.

 

Fargo:  I did not think we would see Lorraine defending Dot, but I guess she is the mother of her granddaughter.  But what exactly does the sheriff want from Dot?   Is he going to replace her with his current wife?  But I wonder if he did the math on Scotty’s age.  I have questions about that myself.

 

Survivor:  So Dee is going to win.  Though it would be more fitting if Austin somehow pulled out the win.  That would be the perfect stupid ending to this stupid season. 

 

The Challenge: Battle for a New Champion:  Gee, who could have seen the team with an extra player winning all three rounds?   Maybe everyone should have targeted them the first round when they had the chance.

 

Quantum Leap:  So Ben keeps leaping into places where the generic hot blonde chick is because they are in love.  Huh?  This was just the third time they have met.  At least the generic hot blonde did not have to make out with some old dude this time and got to make out with an international spy instead. 

 

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters:  So is John Goodman’s Asian granddaughter actually going to turn out to be Kurt Russell’s Asian granddaughter.  That would be the perfect stupid twist to this stupid show.  Happy early Festifus everyone.