Trump settles with Paramount over case that should never have happened. Now we watch the merger that should have happened by now.

Good afternoon from the ABW bunker. Massive storms swept through New South Wales overnight. Much of my evening was spent rescuing items from our garage due to the massive hole that opened in the roof above. And now, the NBN Internet connection has gone down.

Trump settles with Paramount

The big news of today is that former Home Alone 2 star Donald Trump has agreed to settle with Paramount for what will be $16m (including his legal costs). This is the same amount ABC settled for last year when George Stephanopoulos misspoke about exactly what Trump was found guilty of in the E Jean Carroll civil case.

I wrote it up over at Mediaweek this afternoon. You can get the details there.

The big thing is that it now opens the door for the Skydance/Paramount merger to finally go through.

Paramount has been spinning its wheels the past few years waiting for a buyer/this merger to go through. The next few months will be wild as Paramount upend the media landscape with its new ownership. Expect new commissions, tech platform updates, staff layoffs, international asset sales, and heaven knows what else.

We just need to see the merger get approved. And I’d be surprised if I’m not writing about it at depth by Friday, TBH.

News Desk

• Jennifer Aniston will star in the Apple TV+ adaptation of the Jennette McCurdy memoir ‘I’m Glad My Mom Died. It will not impact on her involvement in future seasons of The Morning Show. Read: Deadline

• Variety has a pretty good list of the ‘best TV shows of 2025’.

• Did anyone think The Bear wasn’t coming back for season 5? Read: thefutoncritic

• Netflix has renewed the Shane Gillis comedy Tires for season 5. Read: Variety

• Neil Patrick Harris is hosting a new Netflix game show called What’s in The Box. I’m only watching if Gwyneth Paltrow guest stars. Read: Variety

• Peacock has removed all 12 seasons of Murder She Wrote. #JusticeFor Fletcher Read: The AV Club

• Michael Imperioli will star opposite Patrick Dempsey in the new Fox drama Memory of a Killer. Read: Deadline

• Moira Walley-Beckett is out as showrunner of Amazon’s planned Fourth Wing adaptation. Read: THR

• Jac Schaeffer is believed to be in as showrunner of Amazon’s planned Fourth Wing adaptation. Read: Deadline

Trailer Park

Eyes of Wakanda debuts on Disney+ August 27.

New Chuck Lorre sitcom Leanne debuts on Netflix July 31.

Leanne's (Leanne Morgan) world is turned upside down when her husband of 33 years unexpectedly leaves her for another woman. Supported by her family, including her ride-or-die sister Carol (Kristen Johnston), Leanne learns to embrace the chaos and finds strength, laughter and hope in the most unexpected places. This heartfelt comedy proves that it's never too late to rewrite your story.

Unspeakable Sins debuts on Netflix at a date TBA.

A woman trapped in a controlling marriage finds solace in a secret affair with a younger man until it spirals into a dangerous game of survival.

Delirium debuts on Netflix July 18.

When his wife Agustina falls into delirium, a professor delves into her dark past to piece together her story and uncover the cause of her madness.

Marked debuts July 31.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. A Joburg cash-in-transit truck proves the perfect mark for a devout mother whose child lies at death's door.

Japanese music drama Glass Heart debuts on Netflix July 31.

The Japanese music drama Glass Heart has unveiled its main trailer today, offering viewers their first listen to the title song "Glass Heart," written and composed by Yojiro Noda and performed by Takeru Satoh. Crafted to fulfill the production team's request for "a sound like never before," the song highlights Noda's distinctive sound.

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That’s the newsletter for today.

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