Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories

Hulu expands originals slate & announces new content deals at Television Critics Association Press Tour

Submitted

Mon, Jan 15th 2018 11:15 am
Hulu confirms order for 'Catch-22' limited series event from George Clooney, Paramount Television & Anonymous Content; all 15 Seasons of Emmy Award-winning 'ER' make streaming debut on Hulu in new agreement with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution
Premium streaming service reveals premiere dates for second season of Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning 'The Handmaid's Tale' and final season of critically acclaimed comedy 'Casual,' as well as a new installment of Peabody Award-winning series 'National Treasure'
Company also announces new deal to present 'March of the Penguins 2' as part of growing documentary slate
Over the weekend at the Television Critics Association's Winter Press Tour at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena, Hulu Chief Content Officer Joel Stillerman unveiled a series of announcements that continue to fuel momentum for Hulu as it expands its original and library content catalogue - the largest of any streaming video on demand service in the U.S. The company's announcements included new deals to add more premium TV series and films to Hulu in 2018, as well as the premiere date of the second season of "The Handmaid's Tale." 
Hulu also presented panels for its slate of upcoming original series, including "The Looming Tower" and "Hard Sun."
"We are committed to creating a curated, diverse and boundary-pushing collection of content," Stillerman said. "And, we are doing just that by adding even more beloved shows like 'ER,' as well as expanding our offering of brand-defining original series, all within a world-class on-demand experience. As we continue to explore what it means to make content in a streaming world, we are incredibly bullish on Hulu's prospects for this year and beyond."
Hulu Teams with George Clooney, Paramount Television & Anonymous Content on 'Catch-22'
Hulu confirmed a full series order for "Catch-22," a six-part limited series event from George Clooney, Paramount Television and Anonymous Content based on one of the most significant novels of the 20th century. Clooney will portray Colonel Cathcart, and will direct the series alongside his Smokehouse Pictures partner Grant Heslov. The series will go into production in 2018.
Based on Joseph Heller's seminal novel of the same name, "Catch-22" is the story of the incomparable, artful dodger, Yossarian, a U.S. Air Force bombardier in World War II who is furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him. But his real problem is not the enemy, but rather his own army, which keeps increasing the number of missions the men must fly to complete their service. Yet, if Yossarian makes any attempt to avoid his military assignments, he'll be in violation of "Catch-22," a hilariously sinister bureaucratic rule that specifies a concern for one's own safety in the face of dangers, which are real and immediate, is the process of a rational mind; a man is considered insane if he willingly continues to fly dangerous combat missions, but a request to be removed from duty is evidence of sanity and therefore makes him ineligible to be relieved from duty.
Although the original novel was published over 50 years ago, "Catch-22" has continued to be regarded as the origin story of the geopolitical here-and-now.
"Catch-22" will join a growing slate of premium original programming from award-winning creators on Hulu, including the award-winning drama "The Handmaid's Tale"; the upcoming "The Looming Tower," a limited series based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning expose by Lawrence Wright from Academy Award-nominated writer Dan Futterman and Academy Award and Emmy Award-winning director Alex Gibney; and Stephen King and J.J. Abrams' upcoming series "Castle Rock."
Emmy-winning Fan-Favorite 'ER' Makes Streaming Debut on Hulu
Hulu announced a new agreement with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution that will mark the streaming debut of "ER." After being one of the most-watched shows in America during its run, all 15 seasons - more than 330 episodes - are available in SVOD for the first time ever exclusively on Hulu.
Since its premiere in 1994, "ER" has gone on to become the most-nominated drama in Emmy Award history. The iconic series also helped launch the careers of actors such as Clooney, Noah Wyle and Julianna Margulies.
The medical drama combined the talents of best-selling author/medical doctor Michael Crichton and Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television with Peabody-, Humanitas- and Emmy-winning executive producer John Wells. It follows the inner workings of an urban teaching hospital in Chicago and the critical issues faced by the dedicated physicians and staff of its overburdened emergency room.
In its 15-season run, the show became the longest-running primetime medical drama in American television history, and won a total of 23 Primetime Emmys, including Outstanding Drama Series. "ER" received a total of 124 Emmy nominations, which makes it the most-nominated drama series in history.
Upon hearing news around the series becoming available on Hulu, star Clooney stated: "It was such an honor to be a part of this show. I was lucky to have worked with so many writers, actors and directors all at the top of their game. Most importantly, I've made friends for a lifetime. I'm excited it will finally be streaming on Hulu."
Second Season of 'The Handmaid's Tale' to Premiere
Award-winning hit drama series "The Handmaid's Tale" will return for season two on April 25 with two new episodes, and subsequent episodes released every Wednesday only on Hulu.
The 13-episode second season will be shaped by Offred's pregnancy and her ongoing fight to free her future child from the dystopian horrors of Gilead.
"Gilead is within you" is a favorite saying of Aunt Lydia. In season two, Offred and all characters will fight against - or succumb to - this dark truth.
The series stars Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actress Elisabeth Moss, Joseph Fiennes, Yvonne Strahovski, Samira Wiley, Alexis Bledel, Ann Dowd, Max Minghella, Madeline Brewer, O-T Fagbenle and Amanda Brugel.
Hulu Picks Up Second Installment of Peabody-Award-winning Drama Series 'National Treasure'
The company revealed a second, four-part installment of the Peabody Award-winning drama series "National Treasure" will premiere in its entirety on April 4 as part of the Hulu Originals slate.
After its record-breaking debut on Channel 4 in the U.K., season two - titled "Kiri" - will make its U.S.-debut on Hulu. The new season will unfold around the abduction of a young black girl, named Kiri, who is soon-to-be-adopted by her white foster family, and the trail of lies, blame, guilt and notoriety that follow.
Hulu Adds 'March of the Penguins 2: The Next Step' to Award-winning Documentary Slate
On March 23, Hulu will present the sequel to one of the highest-grossing documentaries of all time: "March of the Penguins 2: The Next Step."
After its theatrical release in 2005, "March of the Penguins" went on to win the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. For "March of the Penguins 2: The Next Step," filmmaker Luc Jacquet and narrator Morgan Freeman will return to the Antarctic to revisit the Emperor Penguins who call the frozen continent home.
More than a decade after making the Academy Award-winning "March of the Penguins," Jacquet spent two months shooting in the Antarctic winter using the new technology of 4-K cameras, airborne drones, and under-ice diving to show the astonishing lives of these mysterious creatures in an entirely new light.
"March of the Penguins 2" tells the story of two penguins, a father and son, as they face and overcome the almost unimaginable challenges of life in this hostile land.
"March of the Penguins 2: The Next Step" joins a growing list of award-winning and critically acclaimed documentaries presented by Hulu, including "The Beatles: 8 Days a Week - The Touring Years," "Too Funny to Fail," "Obey Giant," "Becoming Bond," "Dumb" and "Batman and Bill."
Final Season of Golden Globe-nominated Hulu Original Casual to Premiere
After three critically acclaimed seasons, the fourth and final season of "Casual" will premiere in its entirety on July 31.
Since its premiere in 2015, "Casual" has gone on to become the first Golden Globe-nominated original series for Hulu, and has earned acclaim from fans and critics alike. Stars Michaela Watkins, Tommy Dewey, Tara Lynne Barr, Nyasha Hatendi and Julie Berman will return for the final season.
All episodes of Casual are now available to stream on Hulu.
About Hulu
Hulu is a leading premium streaming service that offers instant access to live and on-demand channels, original series and films, and a premium library of TV and movies to more than 47 million total unique viewers in the U.S. Hulu is the only streaming service that offers both ad-supported and commercial-free current season shows from the largest U.S. broadcast networks; libraries of hit TV series and films; and acclaimed Hulu Originals. In 2017, Hulu added live news, entertainment and sports from 21st Century Fox, The Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal, CBS Corporation, The CW, Turner Networks, A+E Networks and Scripps Networks Interactive to its offering - making it the only TV service that brings together live, on-demand, originals and library content all in one place, across living room and mobile devices.

Hometown News

View All News