Paramount will double down on staples like South Park, Daily Show and Drag Race amid transition

Despite TV Media chair George Cheeks’ assertion today that the company is aiming to “reimagine” brands like MTV, Comedy Central, and Nickelodeon, its actual strategy seems to be more along the lines of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” After thanking staff (well, the ones who weren’t let go in this particular round of cuts) for their “resilience during this difficult time of transformation,” Cheeks wrote the following in an internal memo, shared by Deadline: “Our purpose is clear: to reinvent and strengthen our brands to build a stronger future that’s rooted in exceptional storytelling across entertainment, news and sports.”

It seems the powers that be think Paramount is doing some exceptional storytelling already. “Our cable brands will focus on a more curated slate, optimizing programming and marketing resources to amplify what resonates most,” the note continued. “That means leaning into franchises like Spongebob, Paw Patrol, RuPaul’s Drag Race, South Park, Ms. Pat, and The Daily Show, while continuing to develop new IP across our studios and seeking new ways to amplify and connect with audiences.” 

So, in essence, the big new plan is to keep doing what works while looking for new stuff that also works. At least this should come as a rare bit of good news for fans of RuPaul, Jon Stewart, and the rest, at a time when that was far from guaranteed.