In this image released by Showtime, Don Cheadle as Marty Kaan, from left, Kristen Bell as Jeannie Van Der Hooven, Ben Schwartz as Clyde Oberholt and Josh Lawson as Doug Guggenheim appear in a scene from, "House of Lies." (Michael Desmond/Showtime via AP)
NEW YORK (AP) --
No kidding, "House of Lies" is going out in grand style.
The Showtime comedy is wrapping its five-season run with a finale filmed entirely on location in Havana. This marks the first time an American scripted series has been shot in Cuba since the restoration of diplomatic relations, according to Showtime, which made the announcement on Tuesday.
The episode, titled "No Es Facil" ("It's Not Easy"), premieres June 12.
"House of Lies" has centered on the hijinks of high-flying management consultants played by Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell as they manipulate and fleece their well-heeled clients.
While viewers may miss that show, they won't be without Kristen Bell very long. She will be back in the fall co-starring with Ted Danson in NBC's new comedy "The Good Place."
Dish Network satellite dishes are shown at an apartment complex in Palo Alto, Calif., Feb. 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)
DirecTV is calling off its planned acquisition of rival Dish after the offer was rejected by bond holders at that company.
The deal was reliant on Dish bond holders agreeing to trade in the debt they held for debt in the new company, a swap that would have cost them about $1.6 billion, collectively.
The retreat by DirecTV this week may end a years-long effort by the company to acquire both Dish and Sling after it announced the bid in September.
DirecTV was looking to acquire Dish TV and Sling TV from its owner EchoStar in a debt exchange transaction that included a payment of $1, plus the assumption of approximately $9.8 billion in debt. The deal was contingent on several factors, including regulatory approvals and bondholders writing off debt related to Dish.
"While we believed a combination of DirecTV and Dish would have benefited all stakeholders, we have terminated the transaction because the proposed exchange terms were necessary to protect DirecTV's balance sheet and our operational flexibility," DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow said in a statement.
The prospect of a DirecTV-Dish combo has long been rumored, and reported talks resurfaced over the years. And the two almost merged more than two decades ago — but the Federal Communications Commission blocked the deal valued at the time at $18.5 billion deal, citing antitrust concerns.
The pay-for-TV market has shifted significantly since. As more and more consumers tune into online streaming platforms, demand for more traditional satellite entertainment continues to shrink.
DirecTV says that it will continue to invest in next-generation streaming platforms and offer new packaging options while integrating content from live TV alongside direct-to-consumer... Read More
