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Stan renews Wolf Creek, announces offline downloads, 4K, Cartoon Network.

Nine / Fairfax SVOD reveals new programming & new tech features for 2017.

Wolf Creek has been renewed for a second season by Stan in a raft of announcements made in Sydney yesterday.

The drama returns for a second season with star John Jarratt helmed by creator / director Greg McLean in late 2017.

“The journey we took in taking Wolf Creek from film into award-winning drama with season one on Stan opened us up to all the possibilities that world offered,” said McLean. “I couldn’t wait to get back into the epic Australian landscape, and delve deeper into the twisted mind of our iconic and terrifying villain; Mick Taylor. We’ll be pushing the envelope even further to create more thrilling, addictive, must-see drama.”

From March 24, Stan will launch weekly comedy specials One Night Stan, with stand-up shows from Wil Anderson Tom Ballard, Tom Gleeson, Judith Lucy, Celia Pacquola and Sam Simmons.

Wil Anderson said, “It’s so gratifying to see Stan supporting Australian comedy and doing it in the best way possible – making full-length specials with my favourite comedians. Oh and also me. Although I am not going to watch that one, but I hope you do!”

Amongst its international highlights is the anticipated revival of Twin Peaks on May 22, plus Showtime dramas Better Call Saul (April 11), Billions (February 20), and I’m Dying Up Here with Jim Carrey on June 5.

Also due in 2017 are Imposters, Transparent, The Girlfriend Experience, iZombie, Mozart in the Jungle, UnREAL, Younger, Ash vs Evil Dead, Power, The Last Ship, Underground, Good Behavior and Angie Tribeca.

From March, subscribers will be able to download the “vast majority” of Stan’s library for offline viewing on both iOS and Android devices.

From April a range of titles will be available in Ultra High Definition 4K on 2015 and 2016 model Samsung and LG TVs, as well as PS4 Pro, with more to come throughout the year -including every episode of Breaking Bad.

Stan also becomes the new SVOD home of Cartoon Network content.

“As the leading local streaming service, Stan is the perfect partner for Cartoon Network to showcase our amazing line-up of content. From Regular Show to Adventure Time, Powerpuff Girls to Steven Universe, the arrangement further expands the reach of our uniquely entertaining children’s series across Australia,” said Robi Stanton, General Manager of Turner Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Territories.

“This is great news for Stan families,” added Nick Forward, Stan’s Chief Content Officer. “Stan is committed to delivering great value and great entertainment for Australian kids and families, so we couldn’t be more thrilled to be the Australian SVOD home of Cartoon Network content. We can’t wait for our customers to be the first in Australia to see the new season of Regular Show.”

Billions will return for its second season exclusively on Stan on February 20, fast-tracked from the U.S. week to week. Billions stars Oscar® nominee, Emmy® and Golden Globe® winner Paul Giamatti (Straight Outta Compton, Sideways) alongside Emmy® and Golden Globe® winner Damian Lewis (Homeland) as they scorch the earth in a costly war for personal domination. It’s law versus money, with power, sex, and the soul of New York in the balance, as hard-charging U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades (Giamatti) squares off against billionaire hedge fund king Bobby “Axe” Axelrod (Lewis).

Better Call Saul fans will be able to watch the third season of the award-winning show from April 11, with episodes fast-tracked from the U.S. week to week. The latest season continues to follow the twists and turns of Jimmy McGill’s (Bob Odenkirk) transformation into Saul Goodman, Albuquerque’s most notorious criminal lawyer. Season three will also see the return of Breaking Bad favourite, drug lord and fast-food king, Gustavo “Gus” Fring (Giancarlo Esposito).

In May, the most anticipated series of 2017 will premiere exclusively on Stan when Twin Peaks returns. The first four hours will land on Stan on May 22, with subsequent hours fast-tracked from the U.S. week to week. Directed entirely by David Lynch, the new Showtime® limited event series picks up twenty-five years after the inhabitants of a quaint northwestern town were stunned when their homecoming queen Laura Palmer was shockingly murdered. Twin Peaks is written and executive produced by series creators David Lynch and Mark Frost, and is executive produced by Sabrina S. Sutherland. Golden Globe® winner and Emmy® Award nominee Kyle MacLachlan reprises his role as FBI Agent Dale Cooper, part of a 200 strong cast.

Comedy enthusiasts are in for another treat when the new series I’m Dying Up Here premieres on June 5, the same day as it airs on Showtime in the US. The one-hour drama series explores L.A.’s famed ‘70s stand-up comedy scene where the careers of legends such as David Letterman, Jay Leno and Richard Pryor were launched. The series delves into the inspired, damaged and complicated psyches of those who stand alone in front of an audience “dying” for fame, fortune and, with any luck, a shot on Johnny Carson. Produced by Showtime, I’m Dying Up Here is created and executive produced by Dave Flebotte, and executive produced by Michael Aguilar and Golden Globe® winner Jim Carrey, along with Christina Wayne for Endemol Shine Studios and Assembly Entertainment. The series is based on the non-fiction book of the same name by William Knoedelseder. The pilot was written by Flebotte and directed by Jonathan Levine.

15 Responses

  1. Netflix still has substantial original content that is financed by it’s worldwide subscribers and production companies. Netflix is not likely to wait for competitors to take their share of the streaming market, Stan with it’s second hand and older content will need to be on their game.

  2. Some decent titles there but price and the offline streaming execution will be the key – the first SVOD streaming comapny to get offline streaming to work reliably with a large variety of content may well get the jump on the competition. In a country with high mobile data charges such as Australia – turning your mobile device into a library of content that you want to watch will be a game changer, then they will just need to work out how to put it back onto a flatscreen TV at home and that will be the end of terrestrial free to air and pay tv.

  3. Good to see Stan taking it up to Netflix. Competition is healthy. Offering downloads is brave but might prove to be a bit of a game changer. Presumably won’t be offered on new or popular titles.

    1. I’m not sure why you think that? Netflix offers offline downloads on almost all of it’s new and popular titles. It’s likely that older and less popular titles won’t have offline downloads enabled.

      It should be enabled on all of the cartoon network and showtime titles, as these are more recent contracts likely to include licensing for stan to do that. Stan will have downloading enabled on all of it’s original programming.

      Offline downloads stores the files in a secure encrypted portion of your SD card or phone memory. They are protected, you can’t just copy the files onto a PC.

      1. “I’m not sure why you think that?”

        Because I misunderstood what Stan is offering. Didn’t realise it was restricted to mobile devices like Netflix. Thanks for clarifying.

  4. This is all great news. Stan are proving to be a worthy competitor to Netflix! Looking forward to the next Wolf Creek season and the comedy specials.

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