Best TheAnkler.com Podcasts (2025)

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Now Renting: 8 Million Sq Ft of Sadness 31:24

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2 days ago31:24

31:24

L.A. may have lost its crown as the world’s production capital, but it’s still sitting on 8 million square feet of sound stages. So what to do with all that excess space? Think bar mitzvahs, weddings, YouTubers and cover shoots. Elaine Low, Sean McNulty and Natalie Jarvey explore how L.A.’s sound stages are the new dead malls and what that means fo…

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The 'American Idol' Pastor Who Helped Katherine McPhee and More Stars Shine 34:44

4 days ago34:44

34:44

In this episode of Hollywood Stories: Tales From Television, Richard Rushfield takes us back to the heyday of the original “American Idol” in the aughts and early 2010s, when the Fox juggernaut dominated conversation everywhere from “Howard Stern” to the “Today” show and produced megastars like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. But there was one…

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Mubi vs. Marvel: A New High-Stakes Film Era 31:36

9 days ago31:36

31:36

Big-name agents haven’t been this bullish on indie film in years, while Marvel can barely crack $450 million per movie. So what’s changed? Dealmakers’ Ashley Cullins joins Elaine Low and Sean McNulty to dissect why optimism surged out of Cannes, and how Mubi, fresh off a splashy $24 million acquisition for Jennifer Lawrence’s latest, is viewed as a…

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'Cheers' & Art of the 'Norm!' Entrance 7:51

10 days ago7:51

7:51

If a joke falls flat, you’ve got two options: fiddle with the set-up or adjust the punchline. That’s comedy writing 101 — unless you had George Wendt. As Norm on Cheers, George’s timing, presence and even just how he walked into the bar got a laugh. But Norm was a lovable loser, while George was just plain lovable. And for writers like Rob, lucky e…

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Bruce Vilanch and the Wild World of 1970s Variety TV Spectaculars 44:36

11 days ago44:36

44:36

For the second episode of Hollywood Stories’ sophomore season, Richard Rushfield talks to the brilliant and bawdy Bruce Vilanch, known as the longtime joke purveyor extraordinaire for the Oscars (plus the Emmys, Tonys and more). But before he became the go-to for Hollywood galas, Vilanch got his start in writing for the big variety shows and specia…

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Netflix, Disney+ & YouTube: The Fight to Babysit Your Kids 31:00

16 days ago31:00

31:00

Netflix just picked up Sesame Street, but this isn’t just about Elmo. It’s a calculated move in the high-stakes fight for kids’ attention — and future subscribers. Elaine Low, Natalie Jarvey and Sean McNulty dig into why streamers like Netflix and Disney+ are doubling down on branded kids content while others quietly exit, and why Paramount+ has un…

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TV Tales: 'Big Mouth' Creators Nick Kroll & Andrew Goldberg Tell (Almost) All 57:36

18 days ago57:36

57:36

Hollywood Stories is back! The Ankler pod series returns, this time focusing on untold tales from the world of TV as shared by the people who work in its trenches. In this debut episode of season two, Richard Rushfield hosts a revealing, in-depth interview with four creative minds behind Netflix’s hilarious, animated (but decidedly not-for-little-k…

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The Missing Middle-Zone Shows 11:51

18 days ago11:51

11:51

The best TV shows are like the best restaurants, says Rob Long: familiar, comforting, and just stylish enough. Not everything needs to be a tasting menu or guilty junk — sometimes you just want a steak, buttered broccoli, baked potato and a laugh. So in this era where prestige and junk reign in both food and TV, Rob asks, where are all the Hillston…

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Upfronts: Less Glitz, Higher Stakes & a Fierce Fight to Win 31:55

22 days ago31:55

31:55

Ad fab? Not quite. Still, even as the Upfronts lose glitz, stakes remain sky high. Ad buying happens year-round now, sure — but with Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube crashing the party and sports commanding ever-higher premiums, TV’s annual dog-and-pony is still a spectacle, drawing Elaine Low, Sean McNulty and Natalie Jarvey to the scene in New York. …

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My ER Trip to Grey's Anatomy: Gen Z 10:47

25 days ago10:47

10:47

This week, Rob wakes up spinning — literally — and ends up in the ER being evaluated by what appears to be the cast of Grey’s Anatomy: Gen Z. It wasn’t a stroke (spoiler), just vertigo, but that doesn’t stop Rob from noticing these physicians seemed to behave a little too much like TV doctors from ER, House or Chicago Hope — all of which gave Rob h…

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The Week Trump Terrified Hollywood 31:42

30 days ago31:42

31:42

Really believe Trump wants to bring production back stateside? Or that California Gov. Gavin Newsom can work with him to do it? Think again, says Richard Rushfield, who joins Elaine Low, Sean McNulty and Natalie Jarvey to break down the fantasy of a tariff or federal incentive, the impact already from the trade war, Newsom’s failings that precipita…

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The Trickery of Tariffs & Incentives 10:01

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about a year ago10:01

10:01

As President Trump involves himself in showbiz finances, Rob Long raises the problem of what happens when government gets involved in Hollywood spreadsheets: Everyone above the line gets a raise because A. money is fungible; and B. greed. And below the line? Taxpayers in whatever state is offering cash-back goodies end up paying for second season s…

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What Deals in 2025 Reveal So Far 31:22

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about a year ago31:22

31:22

Overalls, first-look pacts and original films are making a comeback — on paper, at least. Deal volume is up, but value is down. And that original film revival? It’s starting to come from outside the studios. Ashley Cullins joins Elaine Low, Sean McNulty and Natalie Jarvey to unpack her two-part series on current deal trends, from Sinners’ mid-budge…

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How Webtoon Is Building an IP Gold Mine 38:15

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about a year ago38:15

38:15

Natalie Jarvey, author of Ankler Media's creator economy newsletter, Like & Subscribe, sits down with Webtoon Entertainment COO David J. Lee and Wattpad Webtoon Studios' global head of entertainment, David Madden at NAB Show in Vegas. In this bonus episode they explore how Webtoon plans to expand the market for digital comics in the U.S. through Ho…

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Upfronts, Auspices & Half-Truths 11:51

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about a year ago11:51

11:51

Time was when networks would land a major star, with the next step finding a writer with “auspices” — an industry term for somebody proven, with a hit show already on air. The only issue? Those successful writers often couldn’t write. In spite of that, those series sometimes became massive hits. Which is why Rob Long wants to keep optimism alive. A…

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Hollywood Jobs 2025: Good, Bad & Who’s Hiring 30:47

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about a year ago30:47

30:47

The rare creative exec job posting inspires a mad scrum, and TV writers are scrambling to get staffed. So Hollywood, why not consider the creator economy next door? Elaine Low, Sean McNulty and Natalie Jarvey discuss both how to stand out in traditional Hollywood, and how to stand out if sliding over to one of the many proliferating creator studio …

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The Leakiest Business 11:06

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about a year ago11:06

11:06

Like Rob Long’s old Subaru, show business is leaky and can emit a toxic cloud — but it works. That is, until Silicon Valley strides in and tries to plug up the holes with things like “ad-free offerings” and an “all-inclusive monthly price”. What the tech overlords don’t get, though: It’s all those wires and oil and grime that keep the engine runnin…

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AI, Hollywood and New Worlds of Storytelling 42:59

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about a year ago42:59

42:59

Hollywood writer and producer David Goyer — known for “Blade,” “Foundation” and his writing on Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” Trilogy — explores new formats of storytelling that are bridging the gap between AI and traditional entertainment through his latest franchise project "Emergence" and the AI-powered platform Incention, powered by the …

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Reality Check: Inside Non-scripted TV with Top Execs 41:46

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about a year ago41:46

41:46

The Ankler gets real about what’s happening in nonscripted TV, a diverse and thriving industry that includes documentaries, talent/competition/game shows and of course, reality TV. Boardwalk Pictures founder Andrew Fried, Pantheon CEO and Velvet Hammer co-founder Jen O’Connell, Propagate founder Howard Owens and Wheelhouse president of entertainmen…

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Netflix’s Push to Take TV’s Final 80% 31:31

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about a year ago31:31

31:31

Yes, Netflix is huge, but apparently it’s not huge enough for co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters, whose recent earnings call revealed a road map for total market domination. Elaine Low, Sean McNulty and Natalie Jarvey break down its plan to capture the 80 percent share of TV consumption not already happening on Netflix or YouTube (think creators …

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Just Buy It. Just Say Yes 11:39

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about a year ago11:39

11:39

No matter how successful you are, the pitching never ends. Even the most seasoned TV creator has been known to melt down in front of their G-Wagon when they can’t land a greenlight: “Why don’t they just say yes?” Silicon Valley tech giants thought they could disrupt the “terrible business” of entertainment — less buying and selling, more ownership …

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WWE's Prez and Triple H on Global Growth, the Netflix Deal & Bad Bunny 52:51

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about a year ago52:51

52:51

Live from Las Vegas! Exec editor Alison Brower headed into the ring with WWE president Nick Khan, and chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque for The Ankler’s Business of Entertainment program at NAB Show, where the sports execs revealed why Netflix was strategically the right home for RAW, its flagship weekly showcase; how Triple H’s writer…

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CBS’ Secret Sauce to TV Procedurals 33:37

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about a year ago33:37

33:37

Live from the stage at NAB Show in Vegas, Elaine Low talks with ‘Fire Country’ co-creators Joan Rater and Tony Phelan as well as CBS executives Bryan Seabury and Yelena Chak about the new boom in TV procedurals on broadcast and streaming. Hear about the inner workings of CBS Studios’ development process, what it takes to expand a storytelling unive…

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WWE to Webtoon: Hollywood's New World Order 30:48

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about a year ago30:48

30:48

Storytelling remains fundamental to entertainment. But who tells those stories and how is shifting. A new era of influence revealed itself at The Ankler’s just-wrapped Business of Entertainment program, in partnership with NAB Show in Vegas. Execs, creators and stars behind WWE (Nick Khan and Paul “Triple H” Levesque), Tribeca Festival and Sphere (…

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The Bezos Divide 11:45

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about a year ago11:45

11:45

There are two keys to making money in showbiz: make a hit, and make it easy to watch and find. In other words, make the experience more like shopping on Amazon. Easy is why kids are on YouTube, Rob Long is watching The Gilded Age in TikTok snippets and why Amazon makes being online a seamless experience — except on Prime Video. Transcript here. For…

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Amazon Delivery: TV & Film Whiplash 31:26

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about a year ago31:26

31:26

Original movies in theaters? It’s true! Sean McNulty dials in from CinemaCon to tell Elaine Low about his reaction to Amazon’s bold film slate kickstarting a new era of studio leadership. Meanwhile, in L.A., Lesley Goldberg dishes with Elaine and Natalie Jarvey about the mess left in the wake of Jen Salke’s exit from Prime Video, and what agents an…

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Writers Hated Mini-Rooms. Now They Want Them Back 31:09

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about a year ago31:09

31:09

TV shows take longer to develop, writers rooms are shorter and naturally “no one wants to continue to work for free,” says Lesley Goldberg, who joins Sean McNulty and Elaine Low to share her survey of top writers on how they’d fix TV. There’s Shawn Ryan’s proposal to better train showrunners in writers rooms; details on how Zoom pitching creates op…

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Let’s Hold an IP Swap Meet 11:54

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about a year ago11:54

11:54

Rob Long recently sold all the old junk from his house: airplane bottles of Dutch gin, a Yemeni incense burner, asparagus tongs and two boxes of computer cables, naturally. Refreshed and ready to begin a new chapter, Rob thinks studios need a similar garage sale with each other’s libraries. Offer up titles, make some swap deals — and reset the whol…

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MrBeast & Beyond: Hollywood’s New Stars 30:00

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about a year ago30:00

30:00

First, streamers wanted YouTube and TikTok’s screen time. Now they’re gunning for their talent. Like & Subscribe’s Natalie Jarvey joins Sean McNulty and Elaine Low to talk about MrBeast and Ms. Rachel’s streaming hits, whether Jake & Logan Paul and Benito Skinner are next — and what Hollywood has to give up for its shot at digital cred. Plus: Apple…

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The Lineman TikTok TV Show 10:08

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about a year ago10:08

10:08

Languages other than English have special words for special situations (looking at you Germany and your fingerspitzenfühl). Now, Rob Long proposes a new local lexicon to help capture this particular moment now in the industry, a place where schadenfreude is giving way to another, strange new feeling: Hope for even someone else’s show, any show, to …

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Big IP’s Midlife Crisis: Marvel, DC, Bond 32:43

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about a year ago32:43

32:43

Can Jeff Bezos be trusted with 007? Is James Gunn the hero DC needs right now? Will Casey Bloys help Harry Potter make it safely to TV? All of Hollywood’s signature IP franchises face uncertain, perilous paths forward, and Richard Rushfield, Elaine Low and Sean McNulty decide whether they’d buy, sell or hold these tentpoles plus Marvel and Star War…

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A Priest Walks Into a Pitch Meeting... 8:42

about a year ago8:42

8:42

Mid-life, Rob Long has gone back to school. Princeton Theological Seminary has been a nice timeout from Hollywood — no profanity, shouting or the pressure to wrap up every meeting with a joke. But Rob is not ditching Hollywood. Instead he ponders bridging the secular and ecclesiastical divide by showing up to his next meeting in a priest’s collar t…

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Tina Brown & Janice Min Talk Meghan Markle, Demi Moore, DOGE 35:50

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about a year ago35:50

35:50

With the debut of Netflix’s With Love, Meghan, longtime royal observer Tina Brown and Ankler Media CEO Janice Min joined forces for a rollicking Substack Live conversation over at Brown’s Fresh Hell. Brown and Min appraise the Duchess of Sussex’s new career act (“always brilliantly behind the curve,” says Brown), debrief on the Academy Awards and D…

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The Lost Art of Hollywood Swagger 50:12

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about a year ago50:12

50:12

Hollywood execs want more “aggression” out of their young proteges, but Gen Z — raised in remote work and new rules — came to age without traditional role models. The Ankler team shares advice from their interviews with Greg Berlanti and Ted Hope for young creatives to stand out, something even more essential as the state of showbiz is begging for …

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Broadcast TV Surge; WBD’s Sports Pause; Paramount Stalled 44:56

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about a year ago44:56

44:56

Broadcast TV may be what “your uncle and your mom watches,” but it’s a bright spot for the studios. Series Business’ Lesley Goldberg joins Elaine Low to discuss her interview with CBS President Amy Reisenbach, why all those spinoffs and reboots give producers an “edge” and how year-round development helps “get the creative right.” Plus: Elaine, Sea…

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Michael Wolff on Trump's Coming 'Self-Destruction': 'He Will Pay the Price' 48:06

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about a year ago48:06

48:06

The New York Times gave author Michael Wolff’s new book a glowing review, but President Donald Trump disagrees, calling it a “total FAKE JOB, just like the other JUNK he wrote.” As with Wolff’s three earlier books about the president, All or None is filled with juicy tidbits with fly-on-the-wall accounts from the chaos inside Trump’s orbit. In unsp…

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James Bond's New Corporate Suit 12:50

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about a year ago12:50

12:50

Brand extensions? Prequel? Janet Bond?? Rob Long bets meetings at Amazon are underway with those bullet points in a PowerPoint now that the franchise has been wrested away from its legendarily impossible owners, the Broccolis. Corporate-controlled and obligated by fiduciary responsibility, 007 has secured the plot of his next adventure: shaking eve…

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Hollywood’s New Mission Impossible: Greenlights 33:05

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about a year ago33:05

33:05

Budgets for studio theatrical slates and TV lineups are disappearing as fast as federal agencies these days. But there’s hope! Dealmakers’ Ashley Cullins joins to break down the new rules for landing a greenlight for an original film today, while Elaine Low reveals ways to navigate new small screen realities, from acing that Zoom pitch to turning t…

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Hollywood’s DEI Cave-in; Post-Fires Leave L.A. Debate 37:30

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about a year ago37:30

37:30

As President Trump seeks to banish diversity, equity and inclusion, Disney buried its initiative this week, and Amazon continues to “evolve” its own. Sean McNulty, Elaine Low, Richard Rushfield and contributor Nicole LaPorte dive into whether Hollywood was ever committed to the cause — as Nicole says, “the erosion of DEI here has been going on for …

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Inside #StayinLA; Two Minutes with Bob Iger; SpinCo Woe 40:28

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about a year ago40:28

40:28

Disney started its latest earnings call with an uncharacteristically terse Bob Iger avoiding a trio of unpleasant topics: linear TV, declining Disney+ subscriber totals and Donald Trump. What wasn’t said spoke volumes, but a few messages rang clear: film keeps churning out hits, ESPN has good/less good news, and the streaming division is firmly in …

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The Garbageman's Vanity Card 9:37

about a year ago9:37

9:37

One of the problems facing showbiz right now: Too many production companies, private equity investors, and celebrity shingles — but not enough set-up projects. That’s why it’s worth remembering the actor-producer-garbageman Rob Long once hired, whose business card was a reminder of simpler times: the producer’s vanity card. Transcript here. For mor…

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A Dire Sundance, Indie Peril & the Creator Incursion 40:28

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about a year ago40:28

40:28

Just two deals and Sundance is almost over? Ouch. Richard Rushfield, on the ground at the fest, gives his report on indie malaise and how to fix it. Plus: Sean McNulty, Elaine Low and Richard on Peacock and NBCU’s troubling Q4, and Netflix’s showy 2025 slate, while Natalie Jarvey, author of the new Like & Subscribe newsletter, on why Hollywood abso…

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‘You Guys Are All the Same’ 12:48

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about a year ago12:48

12:48

New streamers all want to be the place that gets it. They’ll say, “Come here and be creative! Give us your quirky, oddball stuff!” But before you know it, Rob Long finds they’re giving notes on the act break and telling writers to raise the stakes. But anybody that’s been in this business awhile, or had any degree of success, can relate — it’s easy…

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'Creators Should Be in Charge': Sean Evans, Rhett & Link 33:48

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about a year ago33:48

33:48

Natalie Jarvey, author of Like & Subscribe, Ankler Media's new newsletter about the creator economy, speaks with YouTube stars Sean Evans, host of Hot Ones, and Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal — aka Rhett & Link, hosts of Good Mythical Morning. With 40 million subscribers between them, these digital innovators unpack the opportunities — creative, co…

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The New Showbiz: Hollywood, Creators, & Brands 45:02

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about a year ago45:02

45:02

The entertainment industry for years turned its nose up at brand-backed film and TV, but in a disrupted Hollywood scrambling for new business models and fresh voices, the tide is turning. Natalie Jarvey, the writer of Like & Subscribe, Ankler Media's new standalone newsletter about the creator economy, moderates a discussion with four top stakehold…

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Hollywood’s New Trick to Screw Writers 36:30

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about a year ago36:30

36:30

Who loves doing free work? No one. Who loves getting free work? The studios. “If-come” deals — where a writer develops a show under contract but only sees money if the show sells — are on the rise post-Writers Guild strike and have led to a new “involuntary servitude,” even among big-name scribes. Ashley Cullins joins Sean McNulty, Elaine Low and R…

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Craft Services Warning Signs 10:18

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about a year ago10:18

10:18

When the streets of L.A. and New York hummed with production, Rob Long would pass so many shoots that he’d zip through and stealthily swipe a coffee and pastry. Now, though, as production shrinks, artisanal donuts and Nespresso pods have given way to Dunkin’ and off-brand coffee. And you know the industry’s in really bad shape when rumors about hav…

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L.A. Production Spiral. Trump to the Rescue? 43:13

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about a year ago43:13

43:13

Can Jon Voight save Hollywood? Probably not. But President Trump’s announcement that the Midnight Cowboy, Mad Max (Mel Gibson) and Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) would be his “special envoys” in L.A. on the eve of his inauguration followed the latest report on L.A.’s continued production exodus. Sean McNulty, Elaine Low and Richard Rushfield dissect th…

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Wanted: A Hollywood Happy Ending 10:14

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about a year ago10:14

10:14

When tourists come to Manhattan, some check out “historical landmarks,” like the Sex and the City cupcake shop, where a bite of buttercream frosting can spark the fantasy of a romantic adventure in the Big Apple with best friends. Indeed, Rob Long believes showbiz is at its greatest when, in hard times, it lets the audience daydream. Especially tod…

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‘An Intense Couple of Days’ 33:59

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about a year ago33:59

33:59

“Everybody was feeling really optimistic going into this year,” says Elaine Low — and while there are encouraging signs for Hollywood, from new business models to a return to the fundamentals, she and Richard Rushfield tell Sean McNulty about friends who have lost homes, Richard’s memories of growing up in Pacific Palisades, and Elaine’s anxiety ov…