Hollywood
Fox cancels ‘Utopia’ reality TV show
MUMBAI: ‘Utopia’, the Fox series dubbed as a one-year social experiment with 15 participants trying to create a new society from scratch has been discontinued by the network after 66 days.
Based on a Dutch series by Significant Brother creator John de Mol, the show was made to challenge participants to produce their personal society. It aired its final episode on 31 October and pulled down its 24/7 online live-stream of the compound on 2 November.
Throughout its run, Utopia was averaging 2.6 million viewers when it aired on Tuesdays and 2.4 million on Fridays.
‘Utopia’ premiered on 7 September and Fox began by airing the series two nights a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays. The network then cut back to just Fridays due to Tuesdays’ low-ratings. The live-stream stayed up throughout filming, and viewers could gain access to multiple, around-the-clock feeds if they paid a $5 a month subscription fee.
‘Utopia’ presented a challenge to its 15 participants with wildly diverse backgrounds to create a working society with limited supplies and no indoor plumbing. They would have to decide on a type of government, economy, to follow a religion and other great choices a community must make in the beginning. The reality series also introduced the threat of elimination for one of the 15 contestants.
On Fridays, the series will be replaced by reruns of Masterchef Junior.
Hollywood
WBD sets April 23 vote on $110bn Paramount Skydance merger
Investor approval key step, but regulators loom over mega media deal
NEW YORK: Warner Bros. Discovery has set April 23 as the date for shareholders to vote on its proposed $110 billion merger with Paramount Skydance, marking a crucial step in one of the biggest media deals in recent years.
The all-cash transaction offers WBD shareholders $31 per share, a hefty 147 per cent premium to its unaffected stock price, signalling strong intent to push the deal across the finish line. The company’s board has unanimously backed the merger and is urging investors to vote in favour.
Even if shareholders give the green light, the deal is far from done. Regulators in the United States and Europe are expected to scrutinise the merger closely, weighing concerns around competition and potential price impacts for consumers.
To keep investors on side, WBD has built in a safety net. If the deal is not completed by September 30, shareholders will receive a quarterly “ticking fee” of $0.25 per share until closure.
The proposed merger would significantly reshape the media landscape, combining the assets of Warner Bros. Discovery with those linked to Paramount Global and Skydance Media. It would also cement the growing influence of David Ellison, who has been steering Skydance’s aggressive expansion strategy.
“The WBD Board has been guided by the singular principle of securing a transaction that maximises the value of our iconic assets and delivers as much certainty as possible to our shareholders,” said Warner Bros. Discovery board chair Samuel A. Di Piazza Jr.. “This historic transaction will expand consumer choice and create new opportunities for creative talent.”
Warner Bros. Discovery chief executive officer David Zaslav added that the company is working closely with its counterpart to close the deal and unlock value for stakeholders.
With investor backing likely but regulatory hurdles ahead, the proposed merger is shaping up to be a defining moment for the global entertainment industry, where scale, content and competition are increasingly intertwined.
