Fiction
Hallmark’s ‘con’ with innovation continues
MUMBAI: It may have failed to make a dent in India on the ratings front. However that is not stopping Hallmark from innovation as far as introducing new specials is concerned.
Earlier this month it had announced its show Child Of Our Time. The show tracks a generation of British babies for the next 20 years. Now it will take a completely different path with its new series Hustle.
The show which deals with con men trying to score will air every Tuesday at 8 pm from 1 February. Fans of the caper film Oceans 11 may want to check out this series. The crime series deals with a group of ‘long con’ artists, lead by the recently out of jail master, Mickey Stone.
They get together to make quick bucks by scamming the wealthy out of all they’ve got. A shares scam, the arts world, a health spare and a casino will be targeted by these criminals. The show has been shot in a very stylish manner. There are funky moments when the action slows down and the characters talk to the camera.
Since the criminals target the rich and greedy the viewer is encouraged to join in the fun. However not all their best laid plans always go as they expect them to. In the UK, the British show was hyped up in a big way before it went on air last year on BBC One. There were lots of trailer activities as well as ads on television, print and radio.
Talking about the different characters Hustle’s script editor Karen Wilson said, “Stone is in a class all his own. He is out of prison, and keen to get back in the game. His old team-mates have been busy while he’s been inside. Ash has been doing the flop, Stacie the dip and Albert’s just continued being Albert.
“However Stone wants them back together. This will be his last score before he retires. So it’s important he has the right team. This crew is not about conning little old ladies out of their pension – they’re strictly major league.”
Fiction
Warner Bros Discovery sees Sachem Head double stake in Q4 filing
Activist fund ups bet as Paramount circles and Netflix deal looms
NEW YORK: Warner Bros Discovery has drawn fresh activist attention, with hedge fund Sachem Head Capital Management more than doubling its stake in the media giant during the fourth quarter, according to a regulatory filing.
The fund, one of 2025’s best performers, said it held nearly 8 million shares in Warner Bros Discovery by the end of December. The position ranks among its ten largest US equity bets, underlining growing investor interest in the company as takeover drama gathers pace.
The move comes at a pivotal moment for the studio and streaming group. Warner Bros Discovery has agreed to sell its streaming and studios business to Netflix, a deal that has stirred interest across the industry and sparked a rival approach from Paramount Skydance.
Paramount has already made a hostile bid that was rejected last month, but it is far from backing down. This week, the company stepped up pressure on Warner Bros Discovery, urging the board to at least consider whether its offer could be made more attractive than Netflix’s proposal.
Paramount has also hinted at a possible boardroom battle, suggesting it could attempt to replace directors. It even floated the idea of bringing in the head of Pentwater Capital Management, one of Warner Bros Discovery’s largest investors, as a potential board candidate.
With a market value of about 70 billion dollars, Warner Bros Discovery now sits at the centre of a high stakes contest between strategic buyers and activist investors. Sachem Head’s increased holding signals that the hedge fund sees opportunity in the turbulence.
The filing also revealed new bets by Sachem Head elsewhere. The fund bought 5.2 million shares in telecoms company EchoStar, and opened fresh positions in used car retailer Carvana and entertainment group Live Nation.
Such filings offer a snapshot of hedge fund portfolios at the end of the previous quarter. While they are backward looking, investors still track them closely for clues on which stocks are gaining favour or becoming targets for change.
