Chris McCarthy, the Paramount Global executive who was put in charge of overseeing Showtime last year, is doubling down on his franchise plans for the premium cable network.
The executive credited with driving Taylor Sheridan’s growth Yellowstone franchise for the streamer expands two of Showtime’s prized dramas – Dexter And Billions – with multiple offshoots in the works, sources confirm The Hollywood Reporter.
The network of linear cables grows up to four series connected to the Billions franchisees — including Millions And trillion – from executive producers Brian Koppelman and David Levien. THE Billions the co-creators have been in business with an overall deal at Showtime since 2019, and the financial drama now ranks as the cabler’s longest-running scripted original series.
As for Dexter, McCarthy announced on Monday that Showtime has gone straight to the show on a prequel series – Dexter: the origins – which will tell the origin story of Michael C. Hall’s serial killer drama that first bowed on Showtime in 2006 and was part of a wave of anti-heroes that captivated viewers . Showtime is also developing a new version of Dexter: new blood, which “will represent the continued emergence of Dexter’s son, Harrison”. The cabler also said he is looking more into the Dexter franchise that traces the stories of some of the series’ most iconic characters. This includes John Lithgow’s memorable Trinity Killer. Dexter creator Clyde Phillips, who was behind new blood and served as showrunner on the first four seasons (including Trinity), will oversee the franchise for Showtime.
Showtime revived Dexter with a series of suites, new bloodwhich helped mend the show’s legacy after its original finale was widely considered one of the worst in television history. new blood became a ratings and streaming success for Showtime. Phillips previously said THR that he would give up everything to make a new incarnation following Dexter’s son, Harrison. “Yes, there are a lot of things I would like to explore. I don’t have permission from Showtime to explore it yet. But if they were to call – much like Gary Levine called to do what became new blood — and say we want to do HarrissonI would drop everything and say yes in a minute,” the showrunner said. THR in January 2022 after the new blood finale in which (spoiler alert!) Hall’s Dexter was killed by his son. Phillips has been based at Showtime with an overall deal since 2021.
This is how Showtime describes Dexter: the origins: The series “will dramatize young Dexter Morgan as he begins his transition into the vengeful serial killer he would become. Set in the Miami that was a hotbed of true serial killers in his time, the show will begin as Dexter gets his college degree to join Miami Metro, where he meets younger versions of many of the characters we got to know in the original. Dexter. And, of course, the show will also focus on Dexter’s family, including a very lively Harry and a very formidable teenage Deb.
The second season of new bloodwhich ranks as Showtime’s most-watched series in Showtime history, centers on Dexter’s son, Harrison, who survives his tumultuous reintroduction with his father and flees to New York where he must fight against his own violent nature and whether, like his father, he too is compelled to kill. Dexter: new blood will explore the kinds of themes and storylines seen in the original series, but through a new lens.
McCarthy previewed his franchise strategy late last month when he confirmed Showtime’s longstanding merger with Paramount+. “We’ve already started conversations with our production partners about what content makes sense moving forward and what shows have franchise potential,” he said.
The Billions universe has four shows currently in development beyond the flagship series. Billions: Miami takes place in the world of private aviation, where clientele believe that the rules of society, government and gravity do not apply to them, amid wealth, nightlife, contraband and cryptocurrency pulsating in this city. Koppelman and Levien write. Billions: London operates in the world of British finance. Millions would feature various aspiring 30-something finance moguls doing whatever it takes to make it big in Manhattan; And trillion is a drama based on fictional stories of the richest people in the world.
“We remain fascinated by people whose ambition knows no bounds and who think the laws of civilization and nature don’t apply to them,” Koppelman and Levien said. “Miami is a vital, vibrant place that the super-rich have begun to take over. We’re excited to show everyone what’s really going on there.
Showtime will own all of its Dexter And Billions ramifications as McCarthy leans on proven hits and undoes underperforming originals, including reboots of american gigolo And Leave the one on the right in and pulls over 20 library titles, including the first season of Koppelman’s anthology, super pumped. The effort is part of a larger plan to add scale to Paramount+ as Paramount Global seeks to compete with Netflix, Disney+ and Warner Bros. Recently merged Discovery, among other conglomerates.
The property tidbit is also compelling given that Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa’s drama Country was one of Showtime’s most important programs. That show, however, is owned by Disney’s 20th Television following Mouse House’s $73 billion deal to buy assets from Fox, including its television studio. Rather than review Country and paying a licensing fee, Showtime on Monday announced a straight-to-series order for the similarly themed political thriller The Department, which counts George Clooney as executive producer and director. The series is based on the popular French drama and will be produced by Clooney and Grant Heslov’s Smokehouse Pictures and MTV Entertainment Studios. The latter studio is also behind all of Sheridan’s shows, including the Yellowstone franchise.
“The Department, based on the fascinating and brilliant series Officewill be part of the great tradition of Country, one of Showtime’s most successful and impactful shows,” McCarthy, CEO of Showtime and Paramount Media, said in a statement. “As Country raised global espionage to new heights, The Department will take viewers even deeper into a world of intrigue and subterfuge with complicated characters battling their own demons as they battle existential threats to the nation and the world. Production is set to begin this year, but the drama’s writer/showrunner has yet to be announced.
Showtime’s scripted slate includes yellow jackets, Emma Stone’s next comedy The curse And The Chi. It is not clear whether the project Mr. Ripley the series will air on the cabler or be purchased alongside three women, the latter of which McCarthy dropped out last week. Still on the bubble are I like that for you, the L-word: Generation Q and the Ziwe Variety Show.
