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Tag: Hulu

  • Hulu Announces Original Series From Jason Reitman

    Hulu Announces Original Series From Jason Reitman

    Hulu announced that it’s adding a new original series to its slate. It’s called Casual, and comes from Oscar-nominated director Jason Reitman (Juno, Up in the Air).

    The show is described as a ten-episode, single-camera, half-hour comedy, which follows a dysfunctional family with a bachelor brother and his newly-divorced sister. They coach each other through the “crazy world of dating (on-line and off)” while living together and raising a teenager.

    Reitman will executive produce and direct the first episode along with writer Zander Lehmann and Helen Estabrook (Reitman’s production partner).

    “Jason Reitman uniquely blends comedy and drama in a way that touches the human spirit. We are honored to work with him to bring the next distinctive voice, Zander Lehmann, to television,” said Craig Erwich, Senior Vice President and Head of Content at Hulu.

    “I’ve long looked for the right first step into episodic storytelling,” said Reitman. “In Zander Lehmann, I have found the perfect collaborator. His writing is hilarious and provocative.”

    Hulu is following the lead of its rivals like Netflix and Amazon in going after more and more original content. Last month, we learned that it greenlit 11/22/63, an original series based on the Stephen King book of the same name.

    Casual will hit Hulu in 2015.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Hulu Plus Might Have Fewer Ads in the Future

    Hulu Plus Might Have Fewer Ads in the Future

    In that’s probably a good idea news, Hulu is considering chilling out a little bit when it comes to ads on Hulu Plus.

    Any subscriber (or former subscriber) of Hulu Plus knows the soul-crushing despair that comes with paying $7.99 a month for a service and still having to sit through ads. It’s a terrible pain in the ass. For those people, relief could be on the way – at least a little bit.

    The NY Post is reporting that Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins is concerned about the ad load on Hulu Plus and is seriously thinking about doing something about it. From the Post:

    CEO Mike Hopkins, who took the helm in May, is considering cutting back the number of ads that appear on Hulu Plus, the $7.99-a-month paid tier of the online streaming service, The Post has learned.

    While no decision has been made, an executive close to the company said Hulu and its media partners are “always looking at a variety of ways to create the best possible experience for our viewers and advertisers including reducing the ad load.”

    The Post also points out just how much Hulu Plus has gone overboard with the in-content advertising, noting a comScore report that showed Hulu showed users an average of 82.3 ads a month. By comparison, YouTube only showed users 32.3 on average. Sure, the content viewing habits associated with Hulu Plus and YouTube are different – mainly time on video – but that’s still a pretty staggering number considering how many ads are all over YouTube.

    So, with all the ads on Hulu Plus, why do people pay for it? The reality is that for a fan of network television, Hulu Plus is really the only streaming service that’s quick on the draw with new episodes. Hulu has film collections (notably a great selection of Criterion stuff), but it’s the hyper-current TV offerings that set Hulu apart from other services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Instant Video.

    But Hulu Plus is beginning to turn a corner – or is at least attempting to.

    Hulu is making originals – just like Netflix and Amazon. They haven’t received a ton of attention, but that could change pretty soon. Not only has Hulu picked up the fan-favorite but short-lived Party Down, but the company has also greenlit a new series based on Stephen King’s 11/22/63.

    As Hulu Plus looks to bat in the big leagues, the concern, apart from monetization, must be user acquisition and retention. It’s hard to sit through 82 ads a month, pay $7.99, and feel like something isn’t a little messed up.

  • Hulu Greenlights Series Based On Stephen King Book ’11/22/63′

    Hulu Greenlights Series Based On Stephen King Book ’11/22/63′

    Hulu announced that it has greenlit a new original series called 11/22/63 based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. It comes from J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions, writer Bridget Carpenter and Warner Bros. Television.

    Abrams, King, Carpenter and Bryan Burk are all serving as executive producers. Bad Robot’s Kathy Lingg is co-executive producer, and Athena Wickham is producer.

    Here’s the description:

    Based upon the best-selling 2011 novel written by King and published by Scribner, 11/22/63 is a thriller in which high school English teacher Jake Epping travels back in time to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. But his mission is threatened by Lee Harvey Oswald, his falling in love and the past itself … which doesn’t want to be changed.

    It will be a nine-hour series. Carpenter will write the teleplay.

    Hulu head of content Craig Erwich said, “J.J. Abrams and Stephen King are two of the most celebrated storytellers of our time, and we are excited to be working with them and Warner Bros. Television to bring this unique take on one of the most seminal historic events of the twentieth century to Hulu. 11/22/63 already resonated with audiences as a best-selling novel, and we are looking forward to bringing the riveting story to the screen.”

    “If I ever wrote a book that cries out for long-form, event TV programming, 11/22/63 is it,” said King. “I’m excited that it’s going to happen, and am looking forward to working with J.J. Abrams and the whole Bad Robot team.”

    Abrams added, “I’ve been a fan of Stephen King since I was in junior high school. The chance to work with him at all, let alone on a story so compelling, emotional and imaginative, is a dream. We are thrilled to be working with Hulu on this very special project.”

    Hulu will be the U.S. home for the series, and Warner Bros. Worldwide Television Distribution will distribute it globally.

    Image via Wikimedia

  • Hulu Picks Up The Hilarious ‘Party Down’

    Hulu Picks Up The Hilarious ‘Party Down’

    Hulu announced that it has acquired streaming rights to comedy series Party Down. Starting on Friday, all episodes of the show will be available to stream exclusively on Hulu Plus. The first five episodes will be available for a limited time on the free version of Hulu.

    Party Down ran for only two seasons on Starz from 2009 – 2010. Despite getting largely positive reviews, it just didn’t bring in the ratings. Many (like myself) became fans during the show’s run on Netflix. Netflix ended up losing Starz content in early 2012 after negotiations fell apart, and Party Down vanished from the service.

    Now, the show has a chance to find yet another audience. The cast alone should be enough to entice a number of people unfamiliar with the show. It includes Ken Marino, Adam Scott, Jane Lynch, Lizzy Caplan, Megan Mullally, and Martin Starr, and Ryan Hansen in addition to numerous familiar guest stars.

    Hulu says in its announcement:

    That means soon you’ll be able to watch all episodes of the cult comedy that celebrates mediocre employment and stars a cast of Hollywood comedic all-stars including Emmy® Award nominees Lizzy Caplan (Masters of Sex) and Jane Lynch (Glee), as well as Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation, Step Brothers), Ken Marino (Marry Me, Burning Love), Ryan Hansen (Veronica Mars), Martin Starr (Silicon Valley, Knocked Up) and Emmy® Award-winner Megan Mullally (Will & Grace, Fame).

    Like Netflix, Hulu is working on building up its comedy offerings. It also recently acquired exclusive streaming rights to South Park.

    Image via Hulu

  • Hulu Gains Exclusive Streaming Rights To ‘Manhattan’ For Plus

    Hulu Gains Exclusive Streaming Rights To ‘Manhattan’ For Plus

    Hulu is making moves to crank up its exclusive content offerings as competition from rivals like Netflix, Amazon, and Yahoo continues to accelerate.

    Today, Hulu announced that it has become the exclusive streaming home to Manhattan, a drama that airs on WGN America. Starting today, new episodes of season one will be available on Hulu Plus the day after they air on WGN. WGN will air them on Sunday nights (as usual), and Hulu will get them on Mondays.

    All thirteen episodes of the first season will be available on Hulu Plus, and the five most recently broadcast episodes will appear on regular Hulu for free after a three-day delay.

    Hulu’s Head of Content Craig Erwich writes on the Hulu blog:

    “Manhattan” may have just premiered last night, but it is already gathering acclaim with both critics and fans alike. That’s why it was no question for us to commit to the series before a single episode even aired to the public – making it the first time Hulu has stricken such a deal. Our partners at Lionsgate (“Deadbeat”), Skydance Television and Tribune Studios, and WGN America brought “Manhattan” to life and we are thrilled to be able to work with them to make Hulu the exclusive streaming home for the series.

    The compelling drama created and written by Sam Shaw (“Masters of Sex”), and directed by Emmy Award-winning director Thomas Schlamme (“The West Wing”), follows the real-life mission and the greatest race against time to build the world’s first atomic bomb in Los Alamos, New Mexico. I was hooked after just the first episode and am thrilled to be able to make the series available to the Hulu audience.

    A couple weeks ago, Hulu announced that it is also now the exclusive online streaming home of South Park.

    Here are some more titles recently added to Hulu and Hulu Plus.

    Image via Hulu

  • Here’s What’s New On Hulu And Hulu Plus (Catatafish’s Riddle Will Soon Be Told)

    Here’s What’s New On Hulu And Hulu Plus (Catatafish’s Riddle Will Soon Be Told)

    As recently reported, Hulu has scooped up South Park for its subscription service Hulu Plus. But that’s not all that’s new with the service.

    Hulu sent us the most recent list of new and upcoming content for Hulu and Hulu Plus. Here you go:

    New on Hulu this week

    “The Hotwives of Orlando” – SERIES PREMIERE – “Hotwives” takes us deep into the 97th most glamorous city in the world, Orlando, starring Casey Wilson, Angela Kinsey, Kristen Schaal, Tymberlee Hill, Danielle Schneider and Andrea Savage. (Tuesday, July 15)

    Summer of “South Park” – Hulu is now the exclusive home for all seasons of ‘South Park.’ All summer long, every episode of the series will be available and Hulu will be the exclusive streaming destination for season 18 when it launches on September 24th.

    “Neighbours” – ALL NEW – Lauren gets the truth out of Bailey about his drinking and stealing, and tries to persuade Paige to return to work. Toadie and Sonya struggle to come to terms with Callum’s absence and Amber starts lying to Josh about her feelings for Daniel. Susan can’t believe her eyes when she sees Karl heading toward the hotel with Paula Abdul (guest starring as herself). One of the world’s most popular television programs, “Neighbours” has been a smash hit since it first aired in Australia in 1985. (Friday, July 18)

    Special guest Liv Tyler on “The High Road with Mario Batali” (sponsored by Hyundai) Mario Batali takes viewers on a journey to some of New York City’s most fascinating gems with some of its most fascinating people. Available on Hulu and Hulu Plus. (Thursday, July 17)

    “The Only Way Is Essex” – Season Premiere – Welcome to the glamorous world of Essex, where viewers get a chance to delve into the real lives of some of the most gorgeous people around, in a truly innovative living soap. The characters featured in this show are real people living their real lives. Viewers will see the tears, the tantrums and the triumphs just like a real soap opera. (Saturday, July 19)

    Emmy Nominated for Outstanding Miniseries “Luther” – Season 3 Premiere – On a moral crusade, with only his convictions for company, John Luther (Idris Elba) is a deeply troubled man, a philosophical cop possessed by the insoluble problem of evil and justice in a Godless world, who gets pulled to the very edge of temptation.

    Summer Hulu Originals Premieres

    August 4 – “The Awesomes” Season Two – From the comedic minds of Seth Meyers and Mike Shoemaker (“Late Night With Seth Meyers”) comes the return of “The Awesomes” with many of their funny friends in tow, including returning voices, Kenan Thompson, Bill Hader, Taran Killam, and newcomers, Amy Poehler, Will Forte, Maya Rudolph and Kate McKinnon.

    August 7 – “Quick Draw” Season Two – Sheriff John Henry Hoyle (John Lehr), a Harvard graduate, brings the latest criminology and forensics techniques to the wild West town of Great Bend, Kansas, featuring Lehr, Bob Clendenin (“Cougar Town”), Allison Dunbar (“The Sopranos”) and executive produced by Keith Raskin (“Key & Peele,” “The League”).

    See more recently added titles here.

    Image via YouTube

  • Hulu Scoops Up South Park For Subscription Service

    Hulu Scoops Up South Park For Subscription Service

    Hulu announced that it is now the exclusive home for all seasons of South Park. If you’ve grown to love South Park Studios, the show’s website, which has offered every episode for years now, you’re in for some changes.

    Hulu and South Park Studios announced a multi-year licensing agreement that will see all South Park episodes coming to Hulu Plus. The bad news for fans is that Hulu Plus is a paid service, whereas all episodes have always been free on the South Park Studios site.

    All episodes will be free on Hulu before the start of South Park’s 18th season on September 24th, at which point Hulu Plus subscribers will have exclusive access. Once the season premieres, Hulu Plus users will have access to each new episode the day after it airs. Also at that point, both Hulu and the South Park Studios site will have a revolving selection of free episodes available – a major step down from the entire catalog as historically offered on the South Park site.

    Here’s what Matt Parker and Trey Stone had to say about it (yep, that’s how they’re named on the new Hulu-powered South Park blog – not sure if it’s just a mistake or if they’re trolling us):

    “This is a natural partnership for us. We are excited that the entire library will be available on Hulu and that the best technology around will power South Park Digital Studios.”

    That does indeed sound like something Matt Parker and Trey Stone might say.

    Hulu’s SVP and Head of Content Craig Erwich writes in a blog post:

    This show has revolutionized TV and it has consistently remained a top 10 most-watched show on Hulu.

    Here’s a look at some more recent additions to Hulu.

    Image via YouTube

  • Here’s What’s New On Hulu And Hulu Plus

    Here’s What’s New On Hulu And Hulu Plus

    Hulu sent us a list of new and upcoming content for Hulu and Hulu Plus for this week and beyond as it heads into next week with the the premiere of original series East Los High and its Summer TCA presentation. It also has some international shows premiering on from its Latino and Anime partners.

    Here’s the list.

    “El Tiempo Entre Costuras” (“The Time in Between”) – A Spanish miniseries based on the book of the same name. A young seamstress’s life takes an unexpected turn when she finds herself pregnant, alone, and penniless during the Spanish Civil War. (Friday, July 4)

    “Sailor Moon Crystal” –Based on Naoko Takeuchi’s legendary manga series, Sailor Moon Crystal retells the story of Sailor Moon as she searches for her fellow Sailor Guardians and the Legendary Silver Crystal to stop the dark forces of Queen Beryl. (Saturday, July 5)

    “Sword Art Online II” –Based on the light novel by written by Reki Kawahara, the Sword Art Online series continues into its second season. One year after the SAO incident, Kirito is approached by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Department, Seijiro Kikuoka, with a request to enter other VRMMO called Gun Gale Online (GGO). (Saturday, July 5)

    “Jenni Rivera: La Vida De Una Diva”– A 10-episode miniseries on the life and death of Tejana superstar Jenni Rivera. (Wednesday, July 2)

    Summer Hulu Originals Premieres

    July 9 – “East Los High” Season Two – Hulu’s hit high school drama featuring an all Latino cast returns for a second season as dance and scandal fill the halls of East Los High.

    July 15 – “The Hotwives of Orlando” – “Hotwives” takes us deep into the 97th most glamorous city in the world, Orlando, starring Casey Wilson, Angela Kinsey, Kristen Schaal, Tymberlee Hill, Danielle Schneider and Andrea Savage.

    August 4 – “The Awesomes” Season Two – From the comedic minds of Seth Meyers and Mike Shoemaker (“Late Night With Seth Meyers”) comes the return of “The Awesomes” with many of their funny friends in tow, including returning voices, Kenan Thompson, Bill Hader, Taran Killam, and newcomers, Amy Poehler, Will Forte, Maya Rudolph and Kate McKinnon.

    August 7 – “Quick Draw” Season Two – Sheriff John Henry Hoyle (John Lehr), a Harvard graduate, brings the latest criminology and forensics techniques to the wild West town of Great Bend, Kansas, featuring Lehr, Bob Clendenin (“Cougar Town”), Allison Dunbar (“The Sopranos”) and executive produced by Keith Raskin (“Key & Peele,” “The League”).

    See more recently added titles here.

    Image via Hulu

  • Hulu Original ‘Deadbeat’ Heads To DVD

    Hulu Original ‘Deadbeat’ Heads To DVD

    They don’t get as much media attention as Netflix’s, but Hulu has original shows too. One of them, Deadbeat, is reportedly heading to DVD later this summer.

    The official description from Hulu is as follows:

    Deadbeat is an all new original comedy series. Kevin Pacalioglu (series star Tyler Labine) may have no money and no clue, but he can see dead people, so that’s pretty cool. Faced with a constant stream of stubborn spirits, Pac goes to whatever lengths require the least amount of effort to help New York City’s most frivolous ghosts finish their unfinished business.

    John Squires at DreadCentral shares a snippet from the press release, which gives the series an August 26th DVD (plus digital) release from Lionsgate Home Entertainment.

    The DVD will be available exclusively at Target for about $20, and will come with three bonus featurettes: “Meet Camomile and Sue,” “Meet Pac and Roofie,” and “Medium for Hire – What Is Deadbeat?”.

    You can of course watch the show on Hulu itself. Episodes 1-10 are available for free here.

    Image via Hulu

  • Hulu Gets More Movies Through New Magnolia Pictures Partnership

    Hulu Gets More Movies Through New Magnolia Pictures Partnership

    Hulu just announced a new partnership with Magnolia Pictures, which will see various movies titles come to the streaming service.

    Naturally, as the latest awesome episode of Game of Thrones was directed by Neil Marshall, Hulu is talking up his film Centurion as one of the main attractions in addition to the cult hit Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil.

    Griffin Gmelich writes on the Hulu blog:

    In our continued efforts to bring new and exciting content to our users, we are proud to announce that Magnolia Pictures will expand the breadth of premium entertainment offerings on Hulu and Hulu Plus through its Magnolia and Magnet brands. Magnolia Pictures is part of a vertically-integrated group of media properties co-owned by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban that also includes the Landmark Theatres chain, production company 2929 Productions and high-definition cable networks AXS TV and HDNet Movies.

    If you’re a Hulu Plus subscriber, look out for my favorite movie of 2010: “Tucker & Dale vs. Evil.” It’s hard to pull off a film that straddles both horror and comedy, but – with the help of Tyler Labine’s rare type of talent – this film quickly reached cult status. It was Tyler’s memorable role as Dale Dobson in this bifurcated genre and iconic film that made him the perfect star for our Hulu Original, “Deadbeat.”

    Other films named include The Girlfriend Experience, Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop, Freakonomics, A Place at the Table, Food, Inc., Marley, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, and 13 Assassins.

    Netflix has had most or all of these titles for some time.

    Image via Hulu

  • Half Of US Streaming Netflix, Other Services On TVs

    Half Of US Streaming Netflix, Other Services On TVs

    According to a new report from Leichtman Research Group, 49% of all households in the U.S. have at least one TV connected to the Internet via a video game system, Blu-ray player, smart TV set, and/or stand-alone device like Roku, Apple TV, or Chromecast). That’s up from 28% in 2012 and 24% in 2010.

    24% of adults, according to a survey from the firm, watch video on the Internet via a connected TV at least weekly. That’s up from 13% two years ago and 5% four years ago.

    It comes as no surprise that this is largely driven by Netflix.

    “Connected television use is heavily skewed towards Netflix subscribers, with 49% of Netflix subscribers watching video from the Internet via a connected device weekly, compared to 8% weekly use among all non-Netflix subscribers,” the firm says. “Among Netflix streaming video users, 78% say that they watch Netflix on a TV set — a similar level to the previous three years.”

    Liechtman surveyed 1,211 households to reach its conclusions.

    “While this study is LRG’s eighth annual report on this topic, Emerging Video Services have truly emerged over the past two to three years,” said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group. “This recent growth was spurred by Netflix’s decision in the third quarter of 2011 to focus on streaming video, coupled with the proliferation of connected TV devices, smartphones, and iPads and tablets.”

    The survey found that 80% of Netflix subscribers also subscribe to a pay-TV service. That’s down from 85% in 2012, but not a huge decline suggesting a massive move away from cable. 48% of non-subscribers to a pay-TV service get Netflix. That compares to 29% in 2012. 15% of Netflix subscribers say their subscription is shared with others outside of their homes.

    47% of homes, according to the survey, get Netflix, Amazon Prime, and/or Hulu Plus.

    Via GigaOm

    Image via Netflix

  • Hulu/Hulu Plus Get ‘Breaking Bad’ Remake, A Fonzie Cartoon & More

    Hulu/Hulu Plus Get ‘Breaking Bad’ Remake, A Fonzie Cartoon & More

    Hulu sent us a list of content for “June and beyond” for Hulu and Hulu Plus. You’ll need to be a Hulu Plus subscriber to watch it, but included is the Spanish-language Breaking Bad remake Metastasis.

    If anyone watches this, please let me know how close it sticks to the original.

    Here’s a list of current TV highlights:

    ABC: Celebrity Wife Swap finale, Mistresses premiere

    NBC: New episodes of America’s Got Talent, Night Shift, Hollywood Game Night, Crossbones Last Comic Standing, and two episodes of Undateable, Miss USA

    FOX: Cosmos finale; New episodes of MasterChef, 24, Riot, I Wanna Marry ‘Harry’, So You Think You Can Dance, Hell’s Kitchen, Gang Related

    CW: Premiere of Famous in 12

    Viacom: The Daily Show Colbert Report, @midnight

    A&E: New episodes of Killer Kids, Little Women, Devious Maids, Longmire premiere, Big Smo premiere

    Additional Partners: Geek and Sundry’s Spooked, Univision’s Breaking Bad adaptation Metastasis

    Movies include:

    Rocky 1-5
    Ghostbusters
    Ghostbusters II
    The Pianist
    Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
    The Muppets Take Manhattan
    Men in Black
    Bruno
    Desperado
    A League of Their Own
    Quicksilver
    Radio Flyer
    Multiplicity
    Who’s Harry Crumb
    Dances With Wolves
    The Adventures of Milo and Otis
    Devil in a Blue Dress
    Get on the Bus
    Meatballs Part II
    Guarding Tess
    Husbands and Wives
    Lonely Hearts
    Moscow on the Hudson
    Nothing in Common
    Punchline
    Side Out
    Stan Lee’s Mutants, Monsters and Marvels
    Thank God It’s Friday
    The Terminator
    Bram Stoker’s Dracula
    Brokeback Mountain
    Life
    Manhattan
    Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
    Ali
    Out of Sight
    Patch Adams
    Gloria
    Dante’s Peak
    Click,
    Barbershop
    Hannibal
    October Sky
    Gomorrah
    4 Months,3 Weeks, 2 Days
    20 Feet Below
    Fearless Dragons,
    The Last Emperor
    Snoopy, Come Home
    Sabrina Down Under
    The Cat in the Hat
    Dr. Seuss on the Loose
    A Boy Named Charlie Brown
    The Lorax

    June 13th: The Real Housewives franchise in its entirety on Hulu Plus.

    June 15th: Rev.: Season 3, with all six episodes available on Hulu Plus, and a weekly rollout on Hulu.com.

    June 20th: Top Chef, Top Chef Masters, Flipping Out, The Millionaire Matchmaker.

    Also in June: 7th Heaven, Melrose Place, Webster, Fonz and the Happy Days Gang, Young Indiana Jones

    Yes, Fonz and the Happy Days Gang is a thing (naturally, it’s a cartoon in which the Fonz has a talking dog and a time machine).

    Sailor Moon is also available.

    Next month will see the premieres of Hulu originals East Los High: Season 2, Hotwives of Orlando, The Awesomes, and Quick Draw.

    Image via Hulu

  • Sailor Moon Is Back And Uncut, Streaming On Hulu

    Sailor Moon Is Back And Uncut, Streaming On Hulu

    Sailor Moon, like Akira and Ranma 1/2, was for many their first exposure to anime. The popular television series first aired in the U.S. back in September 1995 and is now making a comeback in its original unedited form.

    Viz Media announced today that it has acquired the North American rights to the entire Sailor Moon anime franchise. The license includes all 200 episodes of the franchise, including the fifth and sixth seasons that never made it to the U.S. Viz Media will also be presenting the series uncut for the first time in North America.

    “Sailor Moon is one of the extremely rare breed of anime series truly deserving of the title of ‘Legendary’,” says Charlene Ingram, VIZ Media Senior Manager, Animation Marketing. “Since its initial debut in the mid-1990’s, Sailor Moon has been unavailable to English-speaking fans for nearly a decade. It has also never seen a complete and proper unedited release in North America…until now!”

    “Sailor Moon was groundbreaking in the way its storyline and main characters resonated with both a male and female audience, and these aspects continue to attract a new generation of fans eager to see this iconic series,” says Brian Ige, VIZ Media Vice President of Animation. “We’re thrilled to be able to release this empowering action title uncut and in its entirety. We invite fans to catch the official premieres on Neon Alley and to enjoy the series on DVD and Blu-ray later this year!”

    If you weren’t a kid or teenager during the 90s, you might have no idea what this Sailor Moon is. In short, it’s the story Usagi Tsukino, a high school girl who transforms into Sailor Moon and fights evil. As the series progresses, more girls join the cause as the Sailor Scouts all sporting names based on planets in the solar system. It’s also well known for having one of the catchiest English openings ever produced for an anime:

    Unfortunately, that opening will not be present in Viz’ re-release of the series. Instead, it will be faithful to the source material and not contain any of the edits or cuts found in the original English TV broadcast. As such, Viz will be producing an entirely new dub for the series re-release on DVD and blu-ray later this year.

    If you can’t wait that long, Viz Media has released the first four episodes in Japanese today on Hulu and its own Neon Alley streaming network. It will be adding new episodes every Monday going forward.

    Between this and NISA licensing Card Captor Sakura, those who grew up with anime in the 90s will finally be able to engage in their nostalgia while supporting official releases.

    There’s no word yet on when Viz Media will release Sailor Moon box sets, but they will be out sometime this Fall. Viz Media has also acquired Sailor Moon Crystal, the new anime airing this year, and will most likely be streaming it alongside the Japanese broadcast for North American fans.

    Image via vizmedia/YouTube

  • Here’s What’s Coming To Hulu And Hulu Plus

    Here’s What’s Coming To Hulu And Hulu Plus

    Hulu is sharing a list of show launches for the coming weeks and months. Each week, we give you a look at what’s coming to Netflix, so here’s a look at one of its rivals for a change.

    Speaking of Netflix, Hulu this week announced that it has added Jenny Wall as SVP, Head of Marketing. She previously led the global creative team at Netflix.

    Hulu’s list includes Jim Henson’s “Doozers,” “The Next Step,” , “Rev.’s, “East Los High,” “Hotwives of Orlando,” “The Awesomes,” “Quick Draw,” and more.

    Here’s the list:

    May 16 – Jim Henson’s “Doozers:” On April 25, Hulu debuted its first original series for Hulu Kids, “Doozers.” The animated preschool series that encourages children to design, create and innovate. Inspired by the wildly popular characters from the classic Henson series “Fraggle Rock,” the entrepreneurial “Pod Squad,” Spike, Molly Bolt, Flex and Daisy Wheel, put ideas into action and take on challenges integrating a groundbreaking design thinking curriculum, which is part of an overall STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) initiative. “Doozers” is available exclusively on Hulu Kids, Hulu’s hub just for kids featuring current-season hits and past favorites such as “Fraggle Rock,” “Pokemon,” “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “Thomas and Friends,” “Caillou” and more at http://www.hulu.com/kids.

    May 28 – “The Next Step:” Dance like everybody’s watching. This reality-style teen drama follows the lives of a group of dancers at The Next Step Dance Studio as they attempt to win the regional dance championships. The tightly knit team of dancers train, rehearse and hang out together within a well-established social order led by star dancer Emily and the E-Girls, a band of dancers who are used to running the studio. A new girl joins the team, challenging alliances and social balance of the studio as the regional championships quickly approach.

    June 1 – “Fugget About It” Season Two: The outrageous animated sitcom about the misadventures of Jimmy Falcone returns for its second season only on Hulu and Hulu Plus. The former New York mob boss settles into his lot in life in the witness protection in Regina, Saskatchewan.

    June 15 – “Rev.” Season Three: “Rev.” is a BAFTA award-winning comedy series following the enormous daily frustrations and moral conflicts of an inner-city vicar Rev. Adam Smallbone, played by co-creator Tom Hollander (“Pirates of the Caribbean”). Big questions are asked of Smallbone and his wife Alex, played by double BAFTA-award winning Olivia Colman (“Broadchurch”), as they adjust to life as new parents at St. Saviour’s. A host of new and returning characters join the band of lost but loveable misfits in the parish, including Hugh Bonneville (“Downton Abbey”) and Joanna Scanlan (“The Thick of It”). “Rev.” is directed by Peter Cattaneo (“The Full Monty”), and is a Big Talk production (“Spaced,” “Hot Fuzz,” “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World”) made available on Hulu and Hulu Plus by BBC Worldwide North America. http://www.hulu.com/rev

    Summer Premieres:

    July 9 – “East Los High” Season Two: Welcome back to “East Los High”! The Hulu Original Series returns hotter than ever as romance, sex, dance and mystery fill the East Los High hallways with a new cast of students. Ceci returns to coach the Bomb Squad and struggles to take the unruly dance team to state championships. And get ready as this new class at East Los High finds themselves in unexpected love triangles and true-to-life situations, a scandalous turns of events makes it another breathtaking and suspenseful year at this inner-city high school!

    July 15 – “Hotwives of Orlando:” “Hotwives of Orlando” is a comedy series that pays homage to the “Real Housewives” franchise that people love to hate but secretly love. “Hotwives” takes us deep into the 97th most glamorous city in the world, Orlando, and the ladies who live there. Watch as these drunk, horny, rich, horrible, women fight, gossip, cheat, backstab and weave-pull their way into your hearts. Starring Casey Wilson, Angela Kinsey, Kristen Schaal, Tymberlee Hill, Danielle Schneider and Andrea Savage.

    August 4 – “The Awesomes” Season Two: The Awesomes is an animated show for adults that combines the thrills of comic book storytelling with the irreverent and inspired comedy that is the hallmark of show co-creators Seth Meyers (“SNL”) and Michael Shoemaker (“Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”). It is the story about the greatest superhero team in history, The Awesomes, and what happens after all the most powerful members leave. The team is led by the possibly under-qualified Professor Doctor Awesome, voiced by Meyers, who is determined to bring these funny-if-flawed superheroes to glory. Meyers and Shoemaker called upon their many friends in the comedy world to voice the characters, including some of “Saturday Night Live’s” most celebrated cast and alumni Kenan Thompson, Bill Hader, Taran Killam, Amy Poehler, Will Forte, Maya Rudolph and Kate McKinnon. This first animated Hulu Original Series is executive produced by Meyers, Shoemaker, and Broadway Video.

    August 7 – “Quick Draw” Season Two: “Quick Draw” is a comedy western set in 1875 centering on Sheriff John Henry Hoyle (John Lehr), a Harvard graduate, who brings the latest criminology and forensics techniques to the wild west town of Great Bend, Kansas. Season two of the procedural western comedy starts off with a bang, literally, promising more laughs, romance and gun-slinging action. Cole Younger is back and badder than ever, but hot shot Hoyle aims to stop him. Deputy Eli (Nick Brown), saloon owner Honey Shaw (Allison Dunbar), outlaw Pearl Starr (Alexia Dox) and undertaker Vernon Shaw (Robert Clendenin) return. The series is co-created and executive produced by Nancy Hower and John Lehr (“10 Items or Less,” “Jailbait”) and co-executive produced by Keith Raskin (“Key & Peele,” “The League”).

    The following NBCU content is also coming to the service, though the dates are unknown so far):

    Keeping Up with the Kardashians
    Housewives (all franchises except DC)
    Top Chef and Top Chef Masters
    Flipping Out
    Millionaire Matchmaker

    Same for this CBS content:

    Happy Days
    Brady Bunch
    Touched by an Angel
    Wings
    7th Heaven
    Melrose Place

    Hulu recently announced free, full-episode mobile streaming.

    Image via Hulu

  • Hulu to Stream Free, Full Episodes on Mobile

    Hulu to Stream Free, Full Episodes on Mobile

    Hulu is going to let people stream full TV episodes on their mobile device, regardless of whether or not they’re signed up for Hulu Plus. Up until now, Hulu’s free streaming (ad-supported) has only been available to people on their desktops.

    There no word yet on exactly which TV shows Hulu is going to open up to free mobile streaming, but CEO Mike Hopkins says that it’ll happen this summer.

    This news comes as Hulu Plus surpasses six million subscribers.

    Here’s the relevant bit from Hulu’s announcement:

    Across the TV industry, we’re seeing greater access to all types of content, and more ways for you, our loyal TV fans, to forge deeper connections with your favorite shows. As the way viewers consume premium TV continues to rapidly evolve, we want to evolve to be able to offer more content on even more platforms.

    That is why this summer, we will begin delivering a selection of ad-supported full TV episodes on mobile devices– for free. (Until now, viewers have been able to access Hulu’s free service only on the desktop). With our re-imagining of mobile viewing, we want you, our viewers, to have more access to the content you love, right at your fingertips. Additionally, later this summer, we will be launching the next generation of the Hulu Plus iPhone app.

    This decision comes about six months after Hulu finally brought some sort of free streaming video to mobile–but at the time it was only clips (not full episodes).

    Image via Hulu Blog

  • Netflix Will Soon Be Raising Prices

    Netflix Will Soon Be Raising Prices

    Netflix is gearing up to make a move that may not sit well with its subscribers.

    On Monday, the Internet video service announced that the cost of monthly subscriptions would be going up within the next few months. They are estimating that the cost for new subscribers will increase by one to two dollars.

    The nearly 36 million current subscribers need not worry … yet. The company has explained that the current cusomters will continue to pay the $8.00 monthly subscription cost, that has been implemented since 2010, at least for the next year.

    The rising costs come as a measure for staying up-to-par with the competition. While Netflix currently has millions of subscribers, they are facing increased competition from cable networks such as HBO and Showtime, as well as other Internet video providers like Hulu.com and Amazon.com.

    Netflix also needs the added income to help pay for the rising costs of licensing the many videos and series they provide, such as their original series House of Cards and Orange is the New Black.

    “When we look at the shows and movies that we will be able to get if we have a bigger budget, it’s exciting,” Netflix CEO Reed Hastings told The Associated Press. “We want to make the service better and better so more people will join.”

    Hastings’ welcomes the competition and admitted that he is a subscriber to Amazon Prime. He described their services as “complementary to Netflix.” “We’re building this ecosystem together that’s about Internet video,” Hastings explained. “The more players there are in Internet video, the bigger that ecosystem gets…. and we’re all participating in that transformation.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Amazon’s Streaming Box Will Reportedly Launch with Netflix, Hulu Apps

    Amazon’s Streaming Box Will Reportedly Launch with Netflix, Hulu Apps

    Amazon’s still unconfirmed set-top streaming device will launch with third party apps, according to sources quoted by GigaOm.

    We’re talking a couple of big names here–Netflix and Hulu Plus–meaning that Amazon is choosing to make the device more appealing to more people by not just offering up its own content and streaming service, Amazon Prime Instant Video.

    But according to the report, “some mid-sized, more niche-focused video publishers told me that they haven’t been asked to join.” Is this simply an oversight? Has Amazon simply not gotten around to adding smaller apps to their lineup? Is Amazon going for a set-top device that only plays with the big boys?

    Rumors of an Amazon set-top streaming box have been around for quote some time, although Amazon has yet to confirm its actual existence. In early 2013, rumors said that the device would launch by fall of that year. When that didn’t happen, reports indicated that it would be a holiday launch.

    Then, the device was apparently delayed for unknown reasons.

    This isn’t the first time we’ve heard that the box, when it finally launches, will sport third party apps. Sure, Netflix and Hulu are direct competitors of Amazon Prime–but it appears that Amazon doesn’t want to launch a streaming device that fails to offer the most-popular video apps around. The box would have to compete with the likes of Apple TV, Chromecast, and Roku–all of which boast a wide array of third party apps.

    Image via Thinkstock

  • Cosby, Cybill And More Come To Hulu Plus

    Cosby, Cybill And More Come To Hulu Plus

    It’s almost the weekend and you’re looking for something to watch this weekend. You’ve already gone through all of The Cosby Show on Hulu Plus and you’re looking for your next fix of laugh track fueled family comedy. Well, Hulu has four new shows that you just might be interested in spending your weekend with.

    Hulu announced today that Cosby, A Different World, Grace Under Fire and Cybill join its library today for Hulu Plus subscribers. This is the first time these shows have been available on any streaming platform. They join the already expansive collection of Carsey-Werner titles already available on Hulu Plus.

    Here’s a brief synopsis of the four new shows being added:

    Behind the giggles, chortles and laughs, shows like “A Different World,” in addition to introducing us to style icon Dwayne Wayne, taught us how to shed juvenile fears and face adult challenges. “Cosby” showed us how to roll with the punches and lean on our families as we get older (in addition to making us wish Madeline Kahn was a series regular in our lives). Chuck Lorre’s “Grace Under Fire” and “Cybill“ were both shows that comically portrayed the tough realities of the non-nuclear family of the 90s with strong female leads with distinctive differences. Brett Butler’s blue-collar divorcee Grace had grit, while Cybill’s multi-divorcee, struggling actress had…well…just a smidge more grace.

    In other content acquisitions, Hulu announced in early February that it had obtained the rights to CBS TV’s extensive back catalog of shows, including Happy Days, Cheers and The Brady Bunch. Around the same time, Hulu Kids added a bunch of Pokemon content.

    Image via Hulu

  • Hulu Sells Off Japan Business To Nippon TV

    Hulu Sells Off Japan Business To Nippon TV

    In 2011, Hulu finally went international with its launch in Japan. Its Japanese branch was doing pretty for itself as well with last quarter’s financial results revealing that it had doubled its subscribers in the region since the beginning of 2013. Despite its successes, Hulu is getting rid of it.

    Hulu announced today that it will be selling its Japanese business to Nippon TV for an undisclosed sum. There’s no particular reason given for the sale, but it’s strongly hinted that Nippon TV offered Hulu a deal it couldn’t refuse.

    “Hulu launched in Japan less than three years ago, a first-of-its-kind subscription video on demand service in the market which has grown to 50 content partners, offering users more than 13,000 assets of TV dramas and movies across 90 million devices,” said Mike Hopkins, CEO, Hulu. “We are very proud to have created a service that Nippon TV, the broadcast leader in Japan, sees as a strong asset.”

    It certainly makes a lot of sense for Nippon TV to take over Hulu Japan’s operations. It lets Hulu continue to exclusively focus on the U.S. market while Nippon TV gains an established foothold in the still growing digital content market of Japan.

    “In addition to terrestrial broadcasting and BS/CS broadcasting, Nippon TV is looking forward to succeeding Hulu’s business as a new path to deliver content through the Internet,” said Yoshio Okubo, President, Nippon TV. “Hulu’s sophisticated brand, wide content line-up, and its outstanding technology are very attractive. We feel a big potential in the brand and service Hulu has created.”

    Interestingly enough, Nippon TV won’t be changing Hulu Japan in any way as it has also licensed the Hulu name and its technology. In other words, Hulu Japan will still be around under its new owner. In even better news for Japanese subscribers, Hulu Japan will also be getting Nippon TV content in the near future.

    With this sale, Hulu is back to operating primarily in the United States. It will be interesting to see if it tries its hand at expansion again, or if it will just stick with its primary market. With competitors like Netflix expanding into Europe, however, Hulu might not be able to sit around if it wants to compete.

    Image via Hulu Japan

  • Netflix Getting Pokemon TV Series And Movies On March 1

    Netflix Getting Pokemon TV Series And Movies On March 1

    The Pokemon Company is starting to get the hang of this digital video streaming thing. After announcing last month that the Pokemon animated TV series and films would be headed to Hulu, the company has struck up a similar deal with Netflix.

    The Pokemon Company and Netflix announced today that subscribers will soon be able to watch various Pokemon animated features on the streaming service starting March 1. To be more specific, Pokemon Black and White, Pokemon: Indigo League and the two Pokemon Black and White movies featuring Victini will be available to stream.

    While this deal is similar to the one struck with Hulu, both services are getting vastly different content. Hulu got the Pokemon Origins TV special, the first season of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl and the three movies from the Diamond and Pearl saga. Compared to Hulu’s offering, Netflix is getting less content.

    For the old school Pokemon fan, Netflix may end up being more popular, however, as it has the very first season of the TV series. For those who have stopped watching the Pokemon TV series, the first season probably still holds a special place in your heart. You might even watch a few episodes just to reacquaint yourself with one of the best themes ever written for children’s television.

    We can only hope the Netflix version will also include the genre-defining Pokerap:

    Image via Coordinator Studios/YouTube