The Making of ‘The Godfather’ Getting the Scripted TV Treatment with ‘The Offer’

Tyler Hersko
·3 min read

Goodbye CBS All Access, hello Paramount+. ViacomCBS is preparing to rebrand its six-year old streaming service in early 2021, and the conglomerate is making an offer that it hopes prospective subscribers can’t refuse.

ViacomCBS announced five new original series to coincide with the Paramount+ rebranding news, including “The Offer,” a scripted limited series based on Al Ruddy’s experiences producing “The Godfather.” The 10-episode series is written and executive produced by Michael Tolkin (“Escape at Dannemora” and “The Player”). Ruddy will also serve as executive producer, and Emmy-winning producer Leslie Greif (“Hatfields & McCoys”) will executive produce and be a writer on the series.

Other upcoming Paramount+ originals include “Lioness,” a spy drama created by Taylor Sheridan (“Yellowstone”) with Sheridan, Jill Wagner, David Glasser, David Hutkin, and Bob Yari set to executive produce. Based on a real CIA program, “Lioness” follows a young marine recruited to befriend the daughter of a terrorist to bring the organization down from within. The series is produced by Paramount Network and 101 Studios.

The platform is also getting into music via “MTV’s Behind the Music — The Top 40, which will feature a unique and intimate look at the 40 biggest artists of all time, through their voices and their eyes. The series will be produced by Creature Films and MTV Studios. Other upcoming originals include “The Real Criminal Minds,” a true crime docuseries based on the CBS Television show, and a revival of “The Game.”

Release dates for the five aforementioned series were not provided.

A CBS All Access rebranding has been teased by ViacomCBS for several months. The conglomerate announced plans to “relaunch” the platform in July and has already begun to roll out a new user interface, features such as a curated homepage, and new content categories.

“Paramount is an iconic and storied brand beloved by consumers all over the world, and it is synonymous with quality, integrity and world-class storytelling,” said Bob Bakish, President and CEO, ViacomCBS. “With Paramount+, we’re excited to establish one global streaming brand in the broad-pay segment that will draw on the sheer breadth and depth of the ViacomCBS portfolio to offer an extraordinary collection of content for everyone to enjoy.”

CNBC reported in February that ViacomCBS was planning to launch a new streaming service that would reportedly have cost less than $10 per month; the ad-supported version of CBS All Access currently costs $5.99 per month, while the premium version runs for $9.99 per month. ViacomCBS never confirmed that report and given the Paramount+ rebranding news, it’s likely that plans for that alleged service were scrapped or partially folded into the CBS All Access rebranding. It’s unclear if Paramount+ will feature different price tiers.

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