It is the successor to the original Paramount Television, as it was transferred to CBS Corporation during its split from Viacom, which retained Paramount Pictures and its motion picture division in 2005.[3] After the spin-off in January 2006, the division was renamed as CBS Paramount Television,[4] and then CBS Television Studios in May 2009, after the three-year agreement for licensing the Paramount trademarks expired.[5]
In March 2013, Paramount returned to television production based on the technological expansion of television via streaming services, making it a vigorous business[6] and Hollywood's growth engine. There was also recognition that severing the television operation from Paramount had given them little to fall back on when films fail, except for studio stage rentals.[7]
On January 14, 2020, Paramount Television was rebranded as Paramount Television Studios, following the closed merger of ViacomCBS (now Paramount Global).[8]
History
On March 4, 2013, Viacom president/CEO Philippe Dauman announced that Paramount opted to produce a television series based on one of their films. The show would allow Paramount to “get back, with very little investment, into the television production business.”[9] Hours later, Paramount chairman/CEO Brad Grey announced that the studio was co-producing a CBS television series based on Beverly Hills Cop with Sony Pictures Television; however, the pilot did not move forward.[10][11]
On July 22, 2013, it was announced that Amy Powell was made president of Paramount Television.[12] Until the re-merger of CBS Corporation and Viacom in 2019, the current Paramount Television had no ties to the CBS network, unlike the previous incarnation in its later years before the Viacom/CBS split.
A television series based on the film School of Rock was announced to air on Nickelodeon.[13] As of August 2014, Paramount and HBO are planning a new series titled Ashecliffe, which will serve as a prequel to the 2010 Paramount film Shutter Island.[14]
In May 2014, Paramount Television and Anonymous Content signed a three-year first-look deal to produce and distribute scripted programming developed by Anonymous Content.[15] In October 2014, Kyle Killen and Scott Pennington's company Chapter Eleven signed a two-year deal with Paramount Television and Anonymous Content after leaving 20th Century Fox Television.[16]
In July 2014, Paramount Television signed a first-look pact with Robert Zemeckis, his producing partner Jack Rapke, and their production company Compari Entertainment.[17]
In January 2017, Paramount Television signed a first-look agreement with Federation Entertainment.[18]
In July 2018, Powell was fired from her position of president, following reports that several people had "concerns around [Powell's] comments [made in a] professional setting, which they believed were inconsistent" with Viacom's and Paramount's values.[19] Powell countered the claims that she had made such insensitive comments and said she was considering legal action.[19] In September 2018, Nicole Clemens became the new president of Paramount Television.[20]
Viacom indicated that Paramount Television generated $400 million in 2018 revenue and produced nine series at the year end. In 2019, Paramount's chief executive Jim Gianopulos indicated that Paramount Television would have 20 series in production and double its profit.[7] More recently, Auriel Rudnick had signed an overall deal with the studio.[21]
Paramount Worldwide Television Licensing & Distribution is the television distribution and broadcast syndication arm of Paramount Television Studios, itself the television production and distribution division of Paramount Pictures, a subsidiary of Paramount Global.
It is also the successor to Paramount's original international distribution arm, Paramount International Television, which was merged with CBS Broadcast International to form CBS Paramount International Television in August 2004, and was later renamed to CBS Studios International in May 2009.
Paramount returned to television production and distribution in March 2013, forming a new syndication unit in the process.
Currently, Paramount owns the television distribution rights to the following shows:
Spin City
PEN15
Berlin Station
Dwight in Shining Armor
The Great
See also
CBS Studios, Paramount Television Studios’ corporate sibling
