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A Eulogy for Showtime

We all knew this day was coming. The collapse of a one-time HBO rival into Paramount+ was the guillotine drop that employees and fans had feared for months, if not years. The accompanying layoffs, I’m told, are likely just weeks away.

Paramount Global C.E.O. Bob Bakish says the collapse of Showtime as we’ve known it is a rebirth, not a gutting—a sentiment that has raised eyebrows.
Paramount Global C.E.O. Bob Bakish says the collapse of Showtime as we’ve known it is a rebirth, not a gutting—a sentiment that has raised eyebrows. Photo: Christophe Morin/IP3/Getty Images
Matthew Belloni
February 3, 2023

Let’s pour one out for Showtime. The 46-year-old pay TV network, home to many great shows and many stinkers, was pretty much murdered this week, the latest casualty of the Great Netflix Correction. And we all kinda shrugged.