View from the Peak - Everything Coming to Paramount+ in May 2024

 

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There’s plenty of new entertainment coming to Paramount+ this May for everyone in the household. Next month will see the premiere of brand new seasons of Paramount+ Original series Evil and RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, as well as new episodes of The Chi for premium subscribers. Two new music documentaries, LOLLA: The Story of Lollapalooza and Kiss The Future, join the critically acclaimed biopic Bob Marley: One Love, which has ranked as the No. 1 movie on the service among active subscriber households since its debut on April 12. And the UEFA Champions League should deliver edge-of-your-seat excitement for soccer fans in the lead-up to the final on June 1. For a closer look at all the entertainment coming to Paramount+ in May, check out the latest edition of View from the Peak.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Katja Herbers, Aasif Mandvi and Mike Colter in Evil   Throughout its run, we’ve followed an elite team of believers and skeptics tasked by the Vatican to investigate purported demonic events in the Paramount+ Original series Evil. The supernatural drama is the creation of husband-and-wife showrunners and writing partners, Robert and Michelle King, who have helmed a number of beloved series including The Good Wife, The Good Fight and Elsbeth. As Evil prepares for its finale, we sat down with the Kings to learn what fate has in store for our intrepid investigators. What’s made Evil incredibly unique is the way it plays the tension between the skeptics and believers on the team. Why was that important to you? We're of two different beliefs in our marriage. Robert is a Catholic believer, and Michelle is secular, so many of the debates in the show—between David and Kristen especially—mirror our debates. How much is evil a reflection of psychological problems, and how much is it a result of supernatural forces? We think that's what gives an extra weight and drama to the character's disagreements. We also want the plotlines to reflect that two-sided nature of reality. Evil can be just as funny as it is eerie. How do you find the right balance? I think it's just our sensibility. We hate earnestness and, when you're dealing with issues of good and evil, things often get dark and serious. But we also have great comic actors and we always want to give them something to do. It always seems best to leaven scares with laughs. Looking back across the series, what do you feel is the show's enduring message? The enduring message—though we don't really think in terms of messages—is that, in the modern world, evil is spreading, mostly because of social media. People can now talk to each other, and find fellowship in their villainy. What are you excited for fans to experience in the final season? We're most excited about all the new scares we find in different environments: a particle accelerator, a cornfield with a demon pig, in tunnels under the Vatican, in the middle of a hurricane. We're also excited to show a new set of demons. Finally, it's always fun to see different sides of our leads and how they work together. Your prayers will be answered when Evil's final season premieres on May 23.

WATCH THE TRAILER

BEHIND THE STREAMS

Joel Steingold, Rolando Boyce, Luke James, Vic Mensa, Jason Weaver and Jacob Latimore in The Chi Next month, we return to the Windy City when The Chi resumes. The SHOWTIME drama has never shied away from tough subjects, and this season delves even deeper into the internal struggles of life in Chicago’s South Side. May is Mental Health Awareness Month and one focus this season is seeking help with mental health. Several characters form a healing circle to create a safe space to discuss relationships, challenges and the intricacies of life. Executive producer and co-showrunner Justin Hillian maintains that differentiating between general mental health and the nuances of Black men’s experience was a must. “We were in the writers’ room discussing what we wanted to see on television and there was a consensus on Black male vulnerability,” Hillian explained. “There are so many stereotypes about Black men. It felt like the perfect forum to explore the interiority of these men.” Head back to The Chi on May 10 for the rest of season six on Paramount+ with SHOWTIME

WATCH THE TRAILER

IN TUNE

Kingsley Ben-Adir in Bob Marley: One Love   Don’t worry about a thing because the box-office hit Bob Marley: One Love has arrived on Paramount+. Starring Kingsley Ben-Adir as the reggae icon, the global success offers an intimate look at the man, his music, and the messages that have become the cornerstone of his legacy. May promises to keep the jams coming. LOLLA: The Story of Lollapalooza chronicles the impact of Chicago’s famed music festival since its debut in 1991. Produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, Kiss The Future is a moving testament to the power of art that recounts the efforts of an underground community that used music to bring attention—and ultimately U2—to the crisis in Sarajevo. And the second season of Behind the Music delves into the lives of musicians with new episodes about Bell Biv DeVoe, Trace Adkins and Wolfgang Van Halen and remastered episodes featuring 50 Cent, Ice-T and The Notorious B.I.G and more. These latest additions only continue the crescendo of music–focused content across our library. Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain become country music’s power couple, Tammy Wynette and George Jones, in the Emmy-nominated SHOWTIME mini series, George & Tammy.* Milli Vanilli, Nothing Compares*, and June offer in-depth looks at some of music’s biggest names while Thriller 40 and Hitsville document some of the sounds, albums and movements that revolutionized music history. And because we know seeing music live is an experience in itself, we provide fans a chance to skip the ticket line and watch streams of concert specials featuring Billy Joel, Lady Gaga, Tony Bennett, Jojo Siwa and more.

STREAM BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE ON PARAMOUNT+

PLANET PARAMOUNT

Mother Nature’s biggest stages have found their home at Paramount+. In honor of Earth Day, we announced a new partnership with the National Park Foundation as its first-ever official streaming partner. Paramount+ will provide funding to support the foundation's mission to protect and preserve more than 420 of America’s national parks and motivate people everywhere to connect and fall in love with their beauty, history and culture through unprecedented virtual access. Since Earth Week, we have been taking audiences inside Yosemite, Death Valley, and a number of national parks through live streams, and more virtual visits can be found in our Earthly Adventures collection.

DID YOU KNOW?

Utkarsh Ambudkar, Michelle Yeoh, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Vanessa Lachey and Dante Roman Basco (voice) in the Watch Us Rise collection In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Paramount+ is celebrating and lifting up the community’s creators and talent with a refresh of the Watch Us Rise collection. Launching May 1, it features hit series such as Halo and Yellowjackets* to fan favorites including Ghosts and NCIS: Hawai’i to movies like Oscar nominee Past Lives*, Oscar winner Everything Everywhere All At Once* and Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning.   On May 17, 14 of the most talented queens in Drag Race HERstory are returning to the Werk Room for the ninth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. There is more at stake this season as each queen is competing not only for a spot in the Drag Race Hall of Fame, but also representing a charitable organization that will receive a major donation if they win. The full cast was ru-vealed yesterday and fans are already speculating about which diva will climb to the top.   To make finding content subscribers will love even easier, Paramount+ recently introduced Top 10 Carousels that will enhance discovery and engagement of top-performing shows and movies on the service. We also rolled out a new, improved Kids Hub to help parents and kids connect with and enjoy more of our content together. The update includes a dynamic homepage of content carousels, eye-catching previews and curated collections to explore.

WATCH THE DRAG RACE ALL STARS CAST RU-VEAL

STREAMING SOON

Zoe Perry and Iain Armitage in Young Sheldon Throughout May, a number of CBS series and seasons will be coming to a close. Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik make a poignant return as “Sheldon” and “Amy” for the series finale of Young Sheldon while Bob and Abishola reflect on how far they’ve come over the last six years. From NCIS to SURVIVOR to the new top series, Tracker and Elsbeth, the finales will be packed with memorable, can’t-miss moments.

ORIGINALS, EXCLUSIVES, PREMIERES & EVENTS 5/1: Behind the Music Season 2 premiere Behind the Music returns with new, remastered episodes updated for today’s audiences featuring new artist interviews and a reimagined visual style. 5/7: Kiss The Future premiere An American aid worker asks U2 to help raise awareness about the siege of Sarajevo, Bosnia. The band immediately begins a series of live satellite interviews with local Sarajaevans during their 1993 ZOO TV Tour to highlight the dire situation. 5/10: The Chi Season 6 new episodes This coming-of-age drama series centers on a group of residents who become linked by coincidence but bonded by the need for connection and redemption. 5/14: Pillowcase Murders premiere This three-part documentary series exposes one of the deadliest serial killers you’ve never heard of who preyed upon one of our most vulnerable populations: the elderly. 5/17: Mourning in Lod premiere This film follows the fates of three Israeli and Palestinian families intertwined by an intense cycle of violence in the city of Lod, Israel while imagining a brighter dawn for the region. 5/17: RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 9 premiere RuPaul's royalty sashay back onto the runway for a chance at snatching the All Stars crown and nabbing a spot in the Drag Race Hall of Fame. 5/17: RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars: Untucked Season 6 premiere From the catfights to the backstage battles, find out what happens behind the scenes of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars. 5/21: LOLLA: The Story of Lollapalooza premiere In the summer of '91, the Lollapalooza music festival was born. What started as a farewell tour for the band Jane's Addiction rose from the underground to launch a cultural movement and change music forever. 5/23: Evil final season premiere A psychologist joins a priest-in-training and a contractor as they investigate unexplained mysteries. 5/30: Pyramid Game premiere After being voted the least popular student and becoming the target of school violence, Su-ji sets out to secure a spot at the top of the rank. LIBRARY SHOWS May 1 Charles: The New King PAW Patrol (Season 9) PAW Patrol: Dino Rescue PAW Patrol: Rescue Knights The Mightiest (Season 1) May 8 Teen Mom: The Next Chapter Season 1 May 15 Love & Hip Hop: Miami (Season 5) May 22 Aerial Adventures Season 1 May 29 CMT Giants (2022) CMT Storytellers Seasons 1-2 CMT Summer Camp Seasons (2022-2023) CMT Summer Sessions (Season 2) LIBRARY MOVIES All About the Benjamins Annihilation Anything for Fame* Baywatch Before the Devil Knows You're Dead Belly* Belly 2: Millionaire Boyz Club* Big Jake Big Night Black Lotus* Boogie Nights Clockstoppers Crawl Days of Heaven Double Jeopardy Ella Enchanted Everybody Wants Some!! Faster Fences Fire In The Sky Flight Of The Intruder Four Brothers Frida* Ghost Harriet The Spy Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth Hellraiser IV: Bloodline Hellraiser V: Inferno Hellraiser VI: Hellseeker Hellraiser VII: Deader Hellraiser VIII: Hellworld How She Move* I Know What You Did Last Summer* I Still Know What You Did Last Summer* I'll See You in My Dreams* Imagine That In the Cut Indecent Proposal Jack Reacher: Never Go Back Joy Ride Kelly & Cal* Kinky Boots* Maid in Manhattan* Margot At The Wedding* Marvin's Room* Mommie Dearest* No Country for Old Men Once Upon A Time In The West Point Break Revolutionary Road* Rocketman Romy and Michele's High School Reunion Serpico Shall We Dance?* Shane Sliver Stand By Me* Terms of Endearment The Accused The Back-up Plan The Gift* The Golden Child The Guilt Trip The Hateful Eight* The Haunting The Joy Luck Club The Longest Yard The Mechanic The Original Kings of Comedy* The Prince Of Tides The Terminal True Grit True Grit Vantage Point Virtuosity What's Eating Gilbert Grape* What's Your Number? Zoolander 2 May 15 The Boss Baby 2: Family Business May 18 Supernova* May 25 National Lampoon's Van Wilder - The Rise of Taj* May 28 3 Generations* May 31 Black Christmas* SPORTS 5/1: UEFA Champions League Semifinal – Borussia Dortmund vs. PSG 5/2: UEFA Europa League Semifinals 5/2: UEFA Europa Conference League Semifinals 5/4: Beyond Limits*  5/4: Course Record with Michael Breed* 5/4-5/5: PGA Tour – THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson (Third and Final Round Coverage)* 5/5: Barclays Women’s Super League – Chelsea vs. Bristol City 5/5: NWSL – Houston Dash vs. Kansas City Current* 5/7: UEFA Champions League Semifinal – PSG vs. Borussia Dortmund 5/8: UEFA Champions League Semifinal – Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich 5/9: UEFA Europa League Semifinals 5/9: UEFA Europa Conference League Semifinals 5/11: Apex Group Bermuda Sail Grand Prix* 5/11: AFC Champions League Final Leg 1 5/11-5/12: PGA Tour – Wells Fargo Championship (Third and Final Round Coverage)* 5/12: Course Record with Michael Breed* 5/12: PGA Championship Preview* 5/15: Barclays Women’s Super League – Tottenham vs. Chelsea 5/18-5/19: PGA Tour – PGA Championship (Third and Final Round Coverage)* 5/19: PBR – Professional Bull Riders Arlington* 5/25: WNBA – New York Liberty @ Minnesota Lynx* 5/25: AFC Champions League Final Leg 2 5/25-5/26: PGA Tour – Charles Schwab Challenge (Third and Final Round Coverage)* 5/26: PBR – Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo* 5/26: Course Record with Michael Breed* 5/26: PGA TOUR Originals: One Shot Away* Throughout May: Italian Serie A competition Throughout May: Scottish Professional Football League competition Throughout May: Barclays Women’s Super League competition Throughout May: Argentina Liga Profesional de Fútbol 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: April 21, 2024

  

Shōgun:  We finally get Crimson Sky and it was… someone killing herself at sundown?  Definitely not what I was expecting.  I thought the ninja at the end were going to be Crimson Sky, but they were there to get Mariko. 

 

The Challenge All-Stars:  Poor, Cyrus, shows up only to be sent in.  I really wish there was a 40 year old age limit floor so the old folks like Cyrus could actually have a chance.  But I wonder if that elimination is the new, safer version of Hall Brawl.  They tried and failed by adding puzzles and other lame things, but this is more interesting alternative.

 

Survivor:  We have had plenty of bad players to play this game, but no one has a further gulf between how bad they are and how good they actually think they are playing that Q.  I never thought anyone would surpass Coach in this category, but here we are.  That was just a clusterfork of a Tribal.

 

Ghosts:   It was kind of lame that a basement ghost was sucked off and no one even noticed just to hide that Flower was still around.  But now we have a crazy Chekov’s Puritan Ghost floating in the ground somewhere.  And just where was this hole they all fell into?

 

A Gentleman in Moscow:  Just two short episodes Lena was a precocious little girl, and now she is leaving a precocious little girl in the hands of Rostov.  This show is moving really fast.  I assumed the narrator of the show was Lena, but I guess it may actually be her daughter.  Though I am still confused why Lena spent so much time as a child in the hotel and why she had the skeleton key.  And then, what will become of Mishka? They arrested the guy they needed to bring down to save him, but he was spreading news of the famine which I assume the party does not want getting out.

Around the Tubes: April 20, 2024

  

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post includes blurbs on Pearl Jam, Taylor Swift, Elton John, Joy Oladokun, Nikka Costa, Blair Lee, Blair Lee, Frank Turner, Ariana Grande, Chestnut, You Can't Run Forever, and Reginald the Vampire.

- Already heralded as the band’s best in decades, Pearl Jam proudly present their anxiously awaited twelfth studio album, Dark Matter, available now via Monkeywrench Records/Republic Records. Listen HERE.  From the kinetic opener “Scared of Fear” through the optimistic exhale of album closer “Setting Sun,” these eleven tracks find the musicians firing on all cylinders. A surge of energy underscores this body of work amplified by thunderous rhythms, skyscraping guitar solos, and vital vocals. Produced by GRAMMY® award winning producer Andrew Watt, Dark Matter, marks the band’s first release since critically acclaimed Gigaton (2020).

- Taylor Swift released THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT. The 16 track album of new recordings is Taylor’s 11th original studio album. LISTEN TO THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT HERE.

- Elton John is celebrating the 50th anniversary of his 8th studio album Caribou with rare footage of his first live performance of the iconic hit ‘The Bitch Is Back.’ The incredible video shows Elton on stage on May 5, 1974 in front of over 40,000 fans at Vicarage Road at his legendary Watford FC Benefit Concert, playing the song two months before its release on Caribou. The track would be the album’s second single and would reach No. 4 in the US and No. 15 in the UK charts. Elton had recently been appointed as director of Watford Football Club and put on the benefit concert to give the club a financial boost - tickets started from £1 and it included guests such as Rod Stewart and Nazareth. The concert was not filmed for official release, making the video a rare gem - watch the unearthed footage HERE.  The resurfacing of this special footage comes just before Record Store Day on April 20th, which will see UMe release a special 50th Anniversary Edition of Caribou, Elton’s eighth studio album. The reissue will be released as a 2LP set on 180 gram limited-edition sky blue vinyl. The package includes the original album which features favorites ‘The Bitch Is Back’ and ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me,’ plus a newly compiled LP of bonus tracks, including the previously unreleased ‘Ducktail Jiver,’ which is the only true out-take from the Caribou sessions in January 1974. Find your local participating record store where you can go to purchase the limited-edition sky blue Caribou 2LP vinyl HERE.

- In response to overwhelming demand from fans worldwide, acclaimed singer, songwriter, and maverick Joy Oladokun officially shares her anxiously awaited new single “questions, chaos, & faith” on all streaming platforms today via Amigo Records/Verve Forecast/Republic Records. Listen HERE.  Joy first unveiled the song on Instagram Reels. It not only exploded as her second most-engaged post to date, but it also reacted with listeners, inciting over 125K views and counting. With the song, she pays tribute to the memory of her childhood best friend Casey by delivering a stark and soul-stirring anthem. Faint acoustic guitar echoes with raw feeling as she laments, “Nothing is certain, everything changes,” only to try to accept, “There are no answers, only questions, chaos, and faith.” The accompanying music video translates this sentiment to the screen with an intimate vignette. Soaked in tears and brought to life with memories, it offers a gripping elegy to a friend gone too soon.  Recently, she contributed “I Wished On The Moon” for Jack Antonoff’s Official Soundtrack for The New Look on Apple TV+. Listen HERE.

- the LA-based soul and funk singer Nikka Costa releases her third single “It’s Just Love” after returning from a six-year hiatus with "Dirty Disco" and “Keep It High”. Known for her powerful vocals, dynamic stage presence, and diverse musical influences, Nikka Costa returns from a musical career break with future-forward disco-inspired sounds. “It’s Just Love” is “a song about being able to love who you want and everyone else should just mind their own damn business. Period.” Nikka says.  These first three singles fully set the tone for her disco and soul-fused, progressive album Dirty Disco, which will be released on June 7th. It was recorded with and produced by Justin Stanley (Prince, Jamie Lidell, Beck, etc.). 

- Toronto’s budding lyricist Blair Lee releases her second EP LIMBO. With her light touch of the pen, Lee crafts a sonic universe unbound by gravity. A masterclass in extracting the hopeful from the mundane, the six-song offering draws the curtains back to reveal a period of time for feeling caught in the in-between — Stream.  Simply put, she says, “‘LIMBO’ is all about the in-between, indecision, looping, stalling, being stuck.”  This EP arrives alongside an official video for “Don’t Wanna Leave.” Having written this song on her birthday last year during a phase where she was staying out too late, Lee admits that the song is, “about not wanting a night to end, but my friends would argue it was about my relationship at the time. Maybe it’s both.” In the video, Lee is spending a casual night out at the restaurant/bar she works at with friends and coworkers. It’s the kind of night that feels small at the time, but ends up being a moment you always look back on — Watch. 

- Fresh off his first #1 album in the UK, English folk/punk rocker Frank Turner embarks on a groundbreaking journey to become the third person — and the first non-American — to perform concerts in all 50 states in the span of 50 days during the summer of 2022. As he plays with his full band, The Sleeping Souls, in the United States for the first time since the pandemic, The Work: 50 States in 50 Days captures an inside look at Turner and his tour family on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure.   Featuring Fat Mike, Tim Barry, The Bronx, Pet Needs, The Bouncing Souls, AJJ and more, the documentary will exclusively premiere its first two episodes this Tuesday, April 23 at 9 p.m. ET via premier streaming platform Veeps, which will be preceded by a live Q&A with Turner and filmmaker Aaron Roberts. Episodes three and four will premiere on Veeps on Tuesday, May 21. Four-episode bundles are available for purchase for $9.99, which will also include the Q&A. Get all the info and access at FrankTurner.veeps.com.

- Ariana Grande’s grandmother, Marjorie “Nonna”  Grande, receives special commemorative plaque certifying her history making achievement on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Ordinary Things”.  Featured on Ariana Grande’s #1 chart topping album, eternal sunshine, Nonna becomes the senior-most artist ever to have appeared on the Billboard Hot 100.

- Chestnut, starring Natalia Dyer, Rachel Keller and Danny Ramirez, written and directed by Jac Cron.  Opens in select theaters on June 21st and available on digital platforms on July 2nd.  Watch the Trailer.  Annie (Natalia Dyer, Stranger Things) just graduated college and she's stuck in her university town of Philly for the summer. She's ready to start her new job in LA come fall, but something is holding her back. As she falls into an aimless summer, she finds herself entangled with Tyler (Rachel Keller, Tokyo Vice), a woman she meets at a bar one night and Danny (Danny Ramirez, Top Gun: Maverick), Tyler's co-worker or best friend or…? Annie can never tell.  Chestnut follows Annie through a summer of self-discovery as she, Tyler, and Danny each battle for unrequited connection, ultimately helping Annie find her voice in desire and independence.

- YOU CAN'T RUN FOREVER: Release Date: In Theaters on May 17, 2024  (In Theaters, On Digital and On Demand).  Miranda, a young woman already suffering from acute anxiety due to a past tragedy, faces a new terror when a serial killer chooses her as his new target. In a harrowing hunt through the woods, Miranda finds strength she never knew she had as she tries to elude her murderous tracker. Academy Award® winner J.K. Simmons stars in a spine-chilling thriller about the strength of family and the astonishing power of the human spirit.  Watch the trailer.

- Reginald Andres finally got his life together – when he was turned into a vampire. While he doesn’t fit into the stereotypical expectations of what a vampire looks like – he’s not chiseled or classically handsome – Reginald has found his place amongst an unlikely cohort that includes the cool vampire who sired him, the former vampire chieftain turned unexpected ally (or is she?), and his co-worker/former girlfriend. A show with a lot of heart and just enough blood, “Reginald the Vampire” proves the undead life is just as complicated as life itself.  Season 2 Premieres on May 8th at 10pm on SYFY.  Watch the Official Season 2 Trailer

57 Channels and Only This Is On: April 14, 2024

The Regime:  Good riddance to this dreadful show.  It should have been good but just failed the execution.

 

Shōgun:  Considering the next episode is entitled “Crimson Sky” kind of a filler episode with Tauranga sulking around defeated all episode as if he is actually going to turn himself over to the council.

 

Survivor:  Things looked very dire for Venus those first couple episodes, but luckily her tribe never went to council.  Now I think she just may end up being the token no vote finalist this season.

 

Ghosts:   Okay, the Ghost stuck to the person was really funny.  Though we know the car ghost died in a car accident, just how exactly does someone wearing a baseball jersey get stuck to someone?

 

A Gentleman in Moscow:   It is interesting that everyone in speaking English, yet all the text, the book, the signage, is in Russian.  Then the precocious kid has turned into a weird teenager.  Nina also interacted with another person and we saw Rostov’s younger sister in a flashback and it definitely did not look like Nina, so there goes that theory.  So the question with her goes back to just where is her family and how did she get the skeleton key?  Now I am thinking maybe she is the child of one of the workers.

 

I am not sure why they bothered teasing Rostov killing himself.  It is only episode three; of course he is not going to kill himself.  But I do wonder what will happen in the last episode.  He has to leave the hotel one way or another, be it through a door or off the roof.   If it is a door, is it the front of side door?   He got chummy with his jailor; will Rostov help him so much that he will let him leave?