‘Clarice’ Silenced: A Negotiations Stalemate Dooms CBS Series’ Move To Paramount+

EXCLUSIVE: A month ago, Clarice was poised to move from CBS to Paramount+ with the promise of a long run for a premium version of the Silence of the Lambs sequel. Now, prospects for the series appear bleak as negotiations between the ViacomCBS streamer and co-producer MGM have reached a stalemate, I have learned.
Additionally, I hear there is no viable path for Clarice to continue on CBS as the broadcast network already committed to a full slate of series for next season. It would mean the end of the road for the high-profile drama barring a major breakthrough in the Paramount+ negotiations, which currently appears unlikely. Reps for Paramount+ and MGM declined comment.
Industry veterans describe this as one of the craziest situations they have seen, where a show with a Season 2 pickup is facing a demise and the prospect of putting 300 people out of work. It involves a marquee IP, Silence of the Lambs; a top producer, Alex Kurtzman; a recently merged company, ViacomCBS; and an about-to-be merged studio, MGM, which is in the process of being acquired by Amazon.
Depending who you talk to, MGM either abruptly stopped good-faith negotiations that were closing in on an agreement, or the studio opted to walk away after being offered a “mediocre” deal it could not accept.
The saga started with Clarice spending the spring on the bubble at CBS, where the freshman was the lowest-rated and least-watched scripted series in linear ratings. However, the serialized drama, considered more suitable for streaming, has been a strong performer on Paramount+.
On May 14, five days before CBS’ upfront presentation, Deadline reported that the network’s dramas SEAL Team and Clarice were headed to sibling Paramount+ (soon to be joined by Evil). According to sources, MGM Television, which co-produces Clarice with CBS Studios, was notified that day of the plan to relocate the show.
I hear there was a lot of back-and-forth between MGM Television and Paramount+/CBS Studios about a deal between May 14-May 21, an eventful week that included word getting out about Amazon’s pending acquisition of MGM (May 17), Paramount+ announcing the pickup of SEAL Team and Evil (May 18), and CBS holding its upfront (May 19).
However, no agreement for Clarice was reached. Each side sees the reasons why differently.
https://deadline.com/2021/06/clarice-ca ... 234773361/