Succession went out at the top of its game. The HBO series wrapped its final season on Sunday, revealing once and for all who would prevail as the new CEO of Waystar Royco. The finale drew 2.9 million viewers across Max and linear telecasts Sunday night, marking a new series high. Prior to the finale, the Sunday night high for Succession was Episode 6, which aired on April 30, with 2.75 million viewers. The Season 4 finale was up 68% versus the Season 3 closer.
Early Wednesday, some started noticing a change to the credits on films appearing on the just-renamed Max streamer from Warner Bros. Discovery. Instead of individually listing writers, directors and producers, the new Max format had lumped them all together. By Wednesday afternoon, the presidents of the Directors Guild of America and the Writers Guild of America West had issued a strongly worded joint statement condemning the “creator” credit.
Twelve years after Charlie Sheen and Chuck Lorre’s dramatic falling out on Two and a Half Men, the pair are back in business together, reuniting on Lorre’s first Max comedy series How To Be a Bookie. In casting news sure to make headlines and turn How To Be a Bookie instantly into one of the most anticipated new series of the year, Sheen is set for a recurring role in the single-camera comedy headlined by Sebastian Maniscalco, which hails from Two and a Half Men studio Warner Bros. Television where Lorre is based.
It’s official: Warner Bros. Discovery announced Wednesday that its newly merged streaming service, combining assets from HBO Max and Discovery+, will be called Max.
Exclusives
Warner Bros. Discovery unveiled three tiers for its new Max service today. The pricing keeps Max in line with HBO Max, and at the top end of the entertainment streaming spectrum. A price hike several months ago by HBO Max made it the most expensive service among major streamers, and the new set of plans will keep it just ahead of Netflix’s most popular U.S. plan, which now costs $15.49 a month. The top-end plan also gives Max 4K functionality and up to four concurrent log-ins, both increasingly popular options for discerning streaming consumers.
Warner Bros. Discovery executives are close to formalizing a new name and platform for its soon-to-be-launched streaming service that will combine the preexisting HBO Max and Discovery+ services. The merged platform’s expected name, “Max,” is being vetted by the company’s lawyers, according to people familiar with the matter.
