8 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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HBO

Originally a private cable network, then a premium cable channel, then a mini-network of specialized and dedicated channels, HBO has evolved into a powerhouse of original content production. Game of Thrones is its most obvious success story. But series like Deadwood, The Sopranos, Westworld, True Detective, The Wire, Sex and the City, Girls, and many more have made the network a strong contender in the crowded streaming landscape. With the launch of HBO Max, the network’s offerings have been paired with major titles from Warner Bros., DC, Studio Ghibli, and more. The Verge can help you sort through HBO’s new content and follow its evolving business model as it looks for its next Game of Thrones.

HBO’s The Last of Us TV show is pushing the game up the sales chartsHBO’s The Last of Us TV show is pushing the game up the sales charts
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy aren’t breaking up, but they’re still a mess.

Harley Quinn’s outgoing co-showrunners Patrick Schumacker and Justin Halpern don’t want Harley and Poison Ivy breaking up. But in a recent interview with Variety, they explained that highlighting the messiness of new relationships is the entire point of their horned-up Valentine’s Day special.

“Seeing two people who have a lot of issues try to sustain a healthy relationship is much more interesting than two people who can’t make it work,” Halpern said.

‘Harley Quinn’ Showrunners Break Down Clayface’s Autoeroticism, Penis Jokes and ‘High-Brow’ Appeal of ‘A Very Problematic Valentine’s Day Special’

[Variety]

Jess Weatherbed
Jess Weatherbed
The UK is also getting early access to the next episode of The Last of Us.

Following the announcement that episode 5 of the game-inspired series would land on HBO Max two days early to avoid clashing with the Super Bowl, British streaming service Now has confirmed that it will also be available to watch in the UK from Saturday at 2AM.

Good thing it’s not a school night.

Jess Weatherbed
Jess Weatherbed
We’re getting the next episode of TLOU early thanks to the Super Bowl.

The Last of Us Episode 5 will be available two days early on Friday, February 10th via HBO Max and HBO On Demand. It seems HBO isn’t keen on pitting its latest darling against the USA’s biggest sporting event, despite the game adaptation’s impressive viewership figures.

Elizabeth Lopatto
Elizabeth Lopatto
How the streaming wars hugged documentaries to death.

Subjects who expect paychecks! The loss of editorial control! Reality TV editing!

I’ve written a little about the fuzzy line of what’s real in documentaries, but things have gotten weirder since then, as the streaming wars pumped money into the genre — and now are threatening to take that money away.

Reality Check

[Vulture]

Warner Bros. Discovery is putting a bunch of HBO Max’s canceled shows on other streaming servicesWarner Bros. Discovery is putting a bunch of HBO Max’s canceled shows on other streaming services
HBO’s The Last of Us is pushing all the right buttons by telling new stories

The Last of Us’ third episode illustrates why breaking away from the source material can be exactly what a video game adaptation needs to do the original story justice.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Succession’s first season 4 trailer is here ahead of the show’s March returnSuccession’s first season 4 trailer is here ahead of the show’s March return
Jess Weatherbed
Jess Weatherbed
People really, really like HBO’s The Last of Us.

The second episode of the videogame-inspired TV series brought in 5.7 million viewers on Sunday, an impressive 22 percent increase from the premiere’s 4.7 million viewers last week.

The first episode is also currently tracking 18 million viewers since airing, edging towards HBO’s wildly popular House of the Dragon viewership numbers. Check out our full review for The Last of Us here.

‘The Last of Us’ Scores HBO’s Largest-Ever Viewership Growth for a Drama From Premiere to Episode 2

[Variety]

Harley Quinn wants you to get yours this Valentine’s DayHarley Quinn wants you to get yours this Valentine’s Day
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
RIP, Gossip Girl.

HBO Max’s Gossip Girl revival has been cancelled after two seasons, but according to series creator Josh Safran, he’s already hard at work trying to find the show a new home on another network.

Safran broke the news in an Instagram post thanking Gossip Girl’s fans for supporting the show since its 2021 debut. While there’s no word on where Gossip Girl might end up, The Hollywood Reporter notes that the series’ upcoming finale “was designed with some finality.”

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
The Last of Us is already looking like another hit for HBO.

It’s still a little too early to tell whether the season as a whole is going keep performing as well as its debut episode. But according to Nielsen, HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us did very, very well this past weekend as pulled in 4.7 million viewers, and became the network’s second-largest series premiere of the past 13 years after House of The Dragon.

HBO’s The Last of Us is a compact adaptation that puts you in the passenger seat

Charles Pulliam-Moore
The Last of Us’ co-creators say a TV show was always ‘lurking inside the game’

HBO’s The Last of Us is a faithful adaptation, but co-creator Neil Druckmann and showrunner Craig Mazin say that the game’s story was truly made for TV.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
HBO Max’s first price hike raises the monthly rate by $1HBO Max’s first price hike raises the monthly rate by $1
HBO Max offloads European shows to Comcast and ParamountHBO Max offloads European shows to Comcast and Paramount
HBO’s The Last of Us is a compact adaptation that puts you in the passenger seat

Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann’s The Last of Us TV series is a faithful adaptation of the beloved video game, but it doesn’t feel distinct as an apocalyptic survival series.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Warner Bros. Discovery says it’s done killing shows and movies just for tax write-offsWarner Bros. Discovery says it’s done killing shows and movies just for tax write-offs
Looney Tunes and The Flintstones are the latest victims of the HBO Max purgeLooney Tunes and The Flintstones are the latest victims of the HBO Max purge
Emma Roth
Emma Roth
Even George R.R. Martin is feeling the effects of the Warner Bros. Discovery merger.

In a new post, Martin says the “changes at HBO Max” has affected the development of several Game of Thrones spinoffs (save for the second season of House of the Dragon).

None of the projects have been greenlit, and two have already been shelved. But as Martin insists, they are not dead yet, as “you can take something off the shelf as easily as you can put it on the shelf.”

Stuff and Nonsense

[Not a Blog]

The 10 best shows from 2022 to stream on HBO MaxThe 10 best shows from 2022 to stream on HBO Max
The Verge’s 2022 in reviewThe Verge’s 2022 in review
Kara Verlaney
Alex Cranz
Alex Cranz
Aaaaand HBO Max yanks even more shows from the service.

Deadline is reporting that days after HBO Max yanked Westworld, The Nevers, and Minx from the service it pulled Raised By Wolves, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Head of the Class, FBoy Island, Legendary, and Finding Magic Mike.

This move is partly to avoid having to pay residuals on already canceled shows. The plan appears to be to package them up and sell the to a Free Ad-Support TV (FAST) service like Roku or Plex.

‘Raised By Wolves’ & ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ Among Other Titles Being Removed From HBO Max As Warner Bros. Discovery Lines Up FAST Plans

[Deadline]

The golden age of the streaming wars has ended

For a few years, there was a boon of content, and we were all wonderfully spoiled. And now that’s over.

Alex Cranz
Westworld is leaving HBO MaxWestworld is leaving HBO Max
Mitchell Clark
Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster
Black Adam is streaming very soon.

If you weren’t able to catch Black Adam in theaters — and I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t — the Dwayne Johnson-led superhero movie will be streaming next week, hitting HBO Max on December 16th.

HBO Max returns to Amazon’s Prime Video ChannelsHBO Max returns to Amazon’s Prime Video Channels
His Dark Materials’ third and final season is its most ambitious yet

Ahead of the premiere on HBO, the cast behind the fantasy series explains why the last season is the darkest and most complex to date.

Andrew Webster
The combined HBO and Discovery app will reportedly just be called ‘Max’The combined HBO and Discovery app will reportedly just be called ‘Max’
The new Last of Us trailer shows what Ellie and Joel are up againstThe new Last of Us trailer shows what Ellie and Joel are up against
Warner Bros. Discovery and Amazon are teaming up to produce new animated DC projectsWarner Bros. Discovery and Amazon are teaming up to produce new animated DC projects
HBO Max is working on a fix for playback errors on Apple TV 4KHBO Max is working on a fix for playback errors on Apple TV 4K
We finally have an idea of what kind of stuff David Zaslav wants Warner Bros. Discovery to make.We finally have an idea of what kind of stuff David Zaslav wants Warner Bros. Discovery to make.
Westworld is overWestworld is over
Alex Cranz
The date of the big HBO Max and Discovery Plus merger moved upThe date of the big HBO Max and Discovery Plus merger moved up
HBO Max appears to confirm January 15th premiere for The Last of Us TV adaptationHBO Max appears to confirm January 15th premiere for The Last of Us TV adaptation
In its finale, House of the Dragon became a worthy Game of Thrones successor

House of the Dragon’s season 1 finale pulled the series together by becoming what Game of Thrones was at its best

Charles Pulliam-Moore
House of the Dragon’s season finale has leaked online, and HBO isn’t happyHouse of the Dragon’s season finale has leaked online, and HBO isn’t happy
HBO Max’s A Christmas Story sequel is actually happening and has a new teaserHBO Max’s A Christmas Story sequel is actually happening and has a new teaser
The Last of Us’ first trailer is bleak and brutalThe Last of Us’ first trailer is bleak and brutal
HBO Max and Discovery Plus’ reinvention might come with some new costsHBO Max and Discovery Plus’ reinvention might come with some new costs

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