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'Star Trek' braves new streaming frontier
6:43 AM
"Star Trek: Discovery" might be beaming into the new frontier of streaming, but this latest spinoff is upholding a long tradition of using the 51-year-old franchise as the fuel to launch new services
CBS will premiere the show on Sunday,
using the network exposure as a tease intended to drive people to CBS
All Access, its subscription streaming service. The twice-delayed
introduction comes after a spinoff of "The Good Wife," titled "The Good
Fight," attracting nearly 8 million viewers for its network debut. (The
network isn't releasing specific data for All Access but has renewed
that show for a second season.)
By leveraging "Trek" in this fashion -- to the chagrin of some fans --
CBS is essentially mirroring the strategy that Paramount employed in the
mid-1990s, when it used "Star Trek: Voyager" as the cornerstone of its
then-fledgling network, UPN. There were, in fact, even earlier plans to
lean on Gene Roddenberry's creation to sell stations on a new network,
dating back to the syndicated introduction of "Star Trek: The Next
Generation" in 1987.
Admittedly, the latest edition of
"Star Trek," featuring a cast that includes "The Walking Dead's"
Sonequa Martin-Green, Michelle Yeoh and Jason Isaacs, arrives in a media
world almost as complicated as the one Roddenberry envisioned. That
begins with the rights to "Star Trek," which were split between
Paramount, which distributes the movies; and CBS, which handles the TV
component, when Viacom implemented a corporate divorce of the two in
2006.For a series famously canceled after three seasons in its original voyage, "Star Trek" has gone on to generate billions of dollars in revenue from five prior live-action series and 13 movies. Perhaps more significantly, it possesses an inordinately passionate fan base, the kind of ardor that's required, in theory, to get people to ante up for a fledgling service.
Trekkers, however, are also known for their skepticism, which has been fueled by the delays and the departure of producer Bryan Fuller ("Hannibal," "American Gods"), after reported clashes over the show's creative direction.
CBS clearly knows what it's doing, or at least hoping to do: convert a significant percentage of those "Star Trek" fans who sample the program into subscribers paying $5.99 a month. On a call with investors last month, CBS CEO Leslie Moonves called the series "the perfect vehicle to take All Access to the next level and beyond."
Like most streaming shows, success will be relative. But given its long history, "Star Trek: Discovery" comes armed with the sort of awareness designed to help the show live long enough for CBS to prosper.
"Star Trek: Discovery" premieres Sept. 24 at 8:30 p.m. on CBS. (DVR alert: The start could be delayed by football.)
Charles Bradley, soul singer who found fame late in life, dies at 68
6:38 AM
Singer Charles Bradley, who was known as the "Screaming Eagle of Soul" because of his raspy voice and stirring performances, has died.
He was 68.
Bradley
died in New York on Saturday surrounded by family, friends and some of
his bandmembers, according to a statement on his website.
"It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Charles
Bradley. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult
time," it said.
The soul singer was diagnosed
with stomach cancer in 2016, and he started performing on the road this
year after receiving a clean bill of health.
But earlier this month, he canceled tour dates in the US, South America and Europe, saying his cancer has returned and spread to his liver, and he needed to focus on his treatment.
"I
love all of you out there that made my dreams come true. When I come
back, I'll come back strong, with God's love. With God's will, I'll be
back soon," he said.
Bradley
found fame in his later years, releasing his debut album "No Time For
Dreaming" at age 62. The album was named Rolling Stone Magazine's top 50
albums of 2011. His next album, "Victim of Love," was released two
years later, followed earlier this year by his third and last album,
"Changes."
He expressed
his love for legendary singer James Brown, and he has said he was
inspired to start singing at a later age after watching him perform.
Before his rise to fame, he took gigs as a Brown impersonator in small
clubs.
The Florida native has called New York home for the last two decades.
A documentary on his life, "Charles Bradley: Soul of America," followed his journey and rise to fame.