Showtime viewers have complained after a number of series were reportedly pulled from the US network’s streaming platform.
On Monday (30 January), it was also announced that Showtime was being integrated into Paramount’s main brand, and will be known going forward as Paramount+ With Showtime.
Among the original series to have been removed from the streaming service, per The Hollywood Reporter, are crime series American Gigolo, vampire drama Let the Right one In, and Kidding, starring Jim Carrey.
On Becoming a God in Central Florida and American Rust were also taken down from Showtime’s catalogue.
Showtime has seemingly become the latest platform to take advantage of the tax write-downs available for shows that have been removed from their catalogue.
Companies such as HBO Max have faced criticism from fans and creators for removing underperforming films and TV shows from their streaming catalogues, in order to maximise tax benefits.
Showtime will also be able to sell on the rights to the shows to third-party buyers.
The news constitutes a double blow for fans of American Gigolo and Let the Right One In, with an announcement also coming on Monday that both series had been cancelled.
Fans vented their frustration with the series removals on social media.
“Holy frick, absolutely f the streaming era,” one person wrote. “Holy shizzle. At this point just about every company is doing this.”
“Okay I might be the only person who loved Kidding as much as I did but it ran for two seasons and what the f***,” wrote someone else.
“This makes me sad. Kidding and OBAGICF are some of the best shows of the past few years. I hope they both find a new streaming home,” one person wrote, while another simply put: “Bad, bad, bad.”
