The upcoming Hulu thriller Paradise is about to get a network streaming debut! Find out when and where!
Usually, streaming shows and network shows are pretty separate and rarely mix even if the same company owns the channels. That’s what makes it notable when a streaming show will have a big premiere on networks as well.
That’s the case with Paradise as Variety reports that the new thriller, which will debut on Hulu on Tuesday, Jan. 28, will also get a network release as well. The first three episodes of the series will first premiere on Hulu on that day.
Then, on Wednesday, Jan. 29, the series premiere will broadcast on ABC at 10/9c. Following that, on Saturday, Feb. 1, the premiere will air on FX at 10/9c. After that, new episodes will drop only on Hulu.
It's an unusual direction yet fits to give a big push for a series with a cool concept and compelling leading man.
What is Paradise about?
Created by Dan Fogelman, the man behind NBC’s hit This Is Us, Paradise reunites the producer with Sterling K. Brown, who won an Emmy for that series. Brown plays Xavier Collins, the head of the Secret Service detail for the President of the United States (James Marsden). While at a secret retreat, the President ends up dead.
As Collins is accused of the murder, he has to navigate a mysterious conspiracy involving a black box and a possible threat against the U.S. The series co-stars Julianne Nicholson, Sarah Shahi and Nicole Brydon Bloom.
Why is Paradise getting this unique treatment?
This is the first time Disney has used its various networks to present the premiere of a streaming service show. They have been airing past seasons of the Hulu hit Only Murders in the Building on ABC, yet doing it for a new show is different.
There has been a tendency for this by other streamers. It goes back to when Paramount+ launched as CBS All Access in 2017. To promote their first original show, The Good Fight, CBS aired the pilot (edited for networks) and then aired the full version on All Access.
This has been used since by other streamers who have taken to releasing the premiere of a show on YouTube. Disney doing this for both ABC and FX is unprecedented, yet this can work out for them. It gets more eyes on the show, allowing viewers to latch onto it and thus subscribe to Hulu to see more.
It helps that Brown and Fogelman are good names behind a beloved past show. Disney can promote that, and the series can appeal to viewers of FX, who are used to these sorts of gritty dramas. The more viewers are intrigued by this pilot, the more likely they’ll subscribe to Hulu (even if only briefly) to check out the series.
This could be a new shift in the streaming battles. If this works, we may see things like NBC airing premieres of Peacock originals or more of Paramount+ shows on CBS. At least those who are looking forward to Paradise have a chance to check out the premiere for free and see what the fuss will be about.
Paradise premieres on Tuesday, Jan. 28 on Hulu.