The critically acclaimed television series Yellowjackets earned a huge vote of confidence from Showtime when the premium cable network renewed it for a third season, all before its second season premiered.
Showtime is looking to capitalize on the show’s success by fast-tracking a third season three months before the season two premiere date. Term reported on Thursday.
According to the publication, the network also had a tight deadline for the renewal, as the deadline to pick up the cast’s contract options was approaching mid-December.
The series, which stars Christina Ricci and Melanie Lynskey, follows members of a high school soccer team who are forced to try to survive for 19 months in the Canadian wilderness after their plane crashes en route to a tournament.
That was fast! Showtime renewed its hit survival thriller Yellowjackets for a third season three months before the season two premiere, Deadline reported Thursday; Christina Ricci seen in the series
In addition to reminiscing about their fight to live, the surviving members of the team are shown as they struggle to fit into their adult lives years later.
The series was a success for the network, garnering more than 5 million weekly viewers and receiving seven Emmy nominations, though it did not win any of the awards.
Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of Showtime and Paramount Media Networks, told Deadline that the renewal was an attempt to build on the impressive “momentum” of the Yellowjackets’ first season.
“With the Yellowjackets’ overwhelming success in season one and the anticipation building for season two, we wanted to maximize momentum by fast-tracking season three now,” McCarthy said. “The show’s ambition is only exceeded by its execution, and I thank the incredible creative team behind it, including Ashley, Bart, Jonathan, eOne and the team at Showtime, for making this such a huge success.”
Just in time: The show, which follows a group of high school football players trying to survive a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness, was renewed just before casting options ran out; Melanie Lynskey seen in yellow jackets
It’s a hit: Showtime Chairman and CEO Chris McCarthy said the network wanted to capitalize on the show’s success after it garnered more than 5 million weekly viewers; still yellow jackets
The renewal before the second season has been released shows Showtime’s “strong commitment to the show and its ability to continue to grow, as well as how it clearly fits within a Showtime brand,” it added.
McCarthy also outlined a plan for the types of series Showtime will focus on cultivating under his leadership.
“As we head into 2023 and beyond, our plan is to build on Showtime’s strengths and focus on three key areas that have defined the brand. Complex and subversive anti-heroes like Dexter and Yellowjackets, powerful high-stakes worlds like Homeland and Billions, and offbeat cultural takes like The L Word and The Chi, all with an eye to making the biggest hits possible and turning them into successful franchises like we have. . done very successfully throughout the company,’ McCarthy said.
He also singled out Yellowstone and South Park, along with “global unscripted” shows, as franchises that “have helped propel Paramount+ to the fastest-growing streaming service in the US two years in a row,” adding: ” And now we’re excited to bring this franchise thinking to the great set of hit series that have defined Showtime.”
Go Dark: He singled out the show, along with Showtime’s recent Dexter sequel series, as a direction for the network; frame from Dexter: New Blood
Paramount has reportedly been discussing the future of Showtime as a separate network, or possibly as one facet of a single, unified streaming service, but the Yellowjackets’ strong streaming numbers have reportedly kept the idea of a single network alive. separate network.
The show became the network’s second most-streamed series behind its recent Dexter revival.
The fact that McCarthy also mentioned The L Word in his comments may have suggested that The L Word: Generation Q stays with Showtime.
The CEO also said that Showtime is working to remain relevant against other premium networks and broadcasters, such as HBO and the Warner Bros. HBO Max streaming service.
Paramount Global CEO Bob Bakish previously said Showtime would “lean on franchises” in hopes of attracting more viewers, and McCarthy shared more details about that plan.
Doubling down: McCarthy told Deadline that the network will now focus on franchises. Shows that cannot be franchised are likely to be cancelled; even yellow jackets
He indicated that the network would shift its resources to shows with a better chance of becoming franchises, while “some shows won’t make the cut” and would be cancelled.
City On A Hill, starring Kevin Bacon and Aldis Hodge, was previously canceled in October of this year, with McCarthy hinting that other shows on Showtime’s slate would soon be axed, presumably if they didn’t have the potential to create spin-offs.
“We intend to use our successful franchise strategy to drive the future of Showtime whereby fans connect with a franchise, and franchisees further develop the brand and our broadcast services, ultimately driving value to long term for the company,” McCarthy continued.
“To realize the full potential, we’ll look at all series with a critical eye and ask ourselves how big we can go to make the right creative bets to add to the company’s IP bank at large, which means some shows won’t.” . make the cut and others will receive much more resources and attention, together we only see opportunities to further grow the Showtime brand.’
Going for IP: “To realize its full potential, we’ll take a critical look at all series and ask ourselves how big we can go to make the right creative bets to add to the broader company’s IP bank.” McCarthy added; Juliette Lewis seen in yellow jackets