Showtime gets its HBO on, removes shows from its platforms

Following in the grand tradition of HBO Max, Showtime will begin removing Showtime-exclusive content from its streaming platform and Paramount+. The network is starting with short-lived originals, including last year’s star-packed Super Pumped: The Battle For Uber and the Jim Carrey-vehicle Kidding. But they aren’t alone. The first season of American Rust, starring Jeff Daniels, and the Kirsten Dunst dark comedy On Becoming A God In Central Florida are also on the way out. However, American Rust is making the jump over to something called Freevee, so at least that’s kind of safe.

This raises all kinds of questions about these shows, particularly Super Pumped, which was the first season of an anthology show. Based on this news, it doesn’t sound like we’re getting a season two. As for On Becoming A God In Central Florida, well, that show is nothing but pain. After a difficult production period in which the series was developed by AMC, bought and dumped by YouTube, and finally released by Showtime, the show got a second season order, only to have it rescinded due to the pandemic. If you thought becoming a god in central Florida was hard, might we suggest producing a television program that’s widely available to people?

Per The Hollywood Reporter, the streamer is also removing “seasons of acquired content including The End and Wakefield.” More shows will likely disappear from the Showtime library as its parent streamer Paramount+ consumes itself, like Pizza the Hut, who found himself so delicious, he ate himself.

Of course, we’re all crossing our fingers that such groundbreaking originals as Twin Peaks: The Return will remain available for people to discover and enjoy. Not that we have to worry too much. Thankfully, David Lynch’s magnum opus is widely available on Blu-ray. Michel Gondry, however, isn’t so lucky. Kidding, the show that reunited Gondry and his Eternal Sunshine star Jim Carrey, never received a home video release, presumably, because those making it assumed it would be available on its exclusive home of Showtime.

The news comes on the heels of the announcement that Showtime is ditching two new shows based on movies, Let The Right One In and American Gigolo, both of which will also be removed from the service. While neither show was particularly well-reviewed or had a substantial audience, it is a bit extreme to make it so no one can ever see them. The one silver lining, if you’re the type of weirdo to find a silver lining in Showtime offloading content to save money and changing their name to something as stupid as Paramount+ With Showtime, is that Showtime is “expected to let the rights holders for the impacted programs shop the series,” says The Hollywood Reporter. Of course, that’s kind of the game, right? Hopefully, by taking them off the platform, Paramount can make a bit of money shopping these titles for other providers. So is anyone interested in buying a used Let The Right One In series?