Paramount+ and Showtime Merging, ‘Three Women,’ ‘Let the Right One In,’ & ‘American Gigolo’ Canceled
Paramount’s linear channel and streaming service, Paramount+, is merging with Showtime and its streaming platform. As a result, Showtime has canceled two of its programs, Let the Right One In and American Gigolo, and will not be airing Three Women, which was currently in development. Executives have also warned that there will be layoffs for employees in the coming weeks.
Paramount CEO Bob Bakish announced the decision in a staff memo on January 30, finally confirming longstanding rumors of the merger. Both the Showtime linear channel and the premium tier of Paramount+ will be rebranded as Paramount+ with Showtime, with Chris McCarthy leading the Showtime studio and channel and Tom Ryan overseeing the streaming side.
McCarthy also sent out a memo, selling the additional audience the merger will bring and stating the company will lean into shows tightly associated with the network’s “brand strengths and content filters,” explicitly calling out shows like Yellowjackets, Billions, Dexter, and The Chi.
“To do this, we will divert investment away from areas that are underperforming and that account for less than 10% of our views,” McCarthy wrote. “We have already begun conversations with our production partners about what content makes sense moving forward and which shows have franchise potential.”
The first three shows to get the axe were scripted dramas Let the Right One In and American Gigolo, alongside the Shailene Woodley-led adaptation of Three Women.
“We are extremely proud of this series and of the outstanding work by Demián Bichir, Madison Taylor Baez, Anika Noni Rose, our showrunner Andrew Hinderaker and his fellow executive producers, and the entire cast and crew. We would like to thank all of them and our partners at Tomorrow Studios, and we wish everyone the best going forward,” Showtime said in a statement about Let the Right One In, additionally touching on American Gigolo with, “We are grateful to our partners at Paramount Television Studios, the producing team, cast, and crew for their tremendous efforts to bring this series to life.”
Both American Gigolo and Let the Right One In had been in the works for years before their 2022 debuts.
