We all know Hollywood is in tough times. Why should it be exempt from the turmoil facing the rest of us, right? We are all facing some hardship or other. Its problem is a lack of content in the pipeline. With the union strikes dragging through negotiations all outlets are forced to be careful with what content they do have. Thus, we see the Max series RAP SH!T move down the calendar year a bit further.
We announced in our monthly “What’s On” post that the show all about newcomers to the rap scene, played by KaMillion and Aida Osman, was set for Thursday, August 10, 2023, on Max. The show, executive produced by Issa Rae and her Hoorae Productions, had all the promo art/teaser in place and we were just awaiting a complete trailer to set up the season when it was put on halt. The show’s new premiere date is now Thursday, November 09, 2023. A double episode will premiere that day followed by weekly drops until the Decemb
er 21st finale.
The reason for the three-month bump is all about spreading the finished product out over time because except for non-scripted work or international work not affected by the strike, no new scripted content is going to be available. All media outlets from movie houses and streaming sites to cable & broadcast networks are going to feel the crunch. Another solid reason is that outlets don’t want quiet launches of programming. Actors in the union are not permitted to promote their work in any form or fashion. No videos or interviews from the cast of RAP SH!T, for example, will be generated to draw viewers’ attention to their show. It would quietly upload to the streamer without any fanfare in hopes that subscribers will catch it. Of course, we know how the business works, Max wants all eyes on it. 
All that is particularly bad for the HBO & Max brands. Max is already flushed with Discovery+ content, and this is just an opportunity for Zaslav to cram it with even more. The streamer is now going to have to be more careful in placing its rare, scripted works into the schedule. It needs all the help it can get, as we have also learned that Max is down in subscribers. As Variety tells us, “Warner Bros. Discovery lost 1.8 million streaming subscribers from April 1-June 30, the quarter during which it launched new combined streamer Max. Streaming subscribers across WBD’s HBO, Max and Discovery+ now total 95.8 million, per the company’s Q2 earnings report.”
So, if we dare to speculate, where do we stand?
- August – WINNING TIME: THE RISE OF THE LAKERS DYNASTY (HBO)
- September – INDUSTRY (HBO International) perhaps or TRUE DETECTIVE: NIGHT COUNTRY (HBO)
- October – 30 COINS (HBO International) and perhaps TRUE DETECTIVE: NIGHT COUNTRY (HBO)
- November – RAP SH!T (Max) and perhaps TOKYO VICE (Max)
- 2024 – THE GILDED AGE could lead off the new year or…
…this entire speculation could be totally erroneous. Tough decisions will have to be made going forward to spread out the programming so, we will keep you posted.
