The Business

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Celine Song and Christine Vachon on ‘Past Lives’; inside Netflix’s big data drop Dec 15, 2023

Show notes

Netflix released its first report revealing viewership patterns. Why does it matter? What does the data reveal — and what happens next?

Then, Past Lives writer-director Celine Song and producer Christine Vachon discuss Song’s foray into filmmaking, their partnership, and the journey of the awards circuit.

TV legend Norman Lear on a lifetime of ‘experience’; Actors approve deal Dec 08, 2023

Show notes

SAG-AFTRA members ratify a three-year contract with studios. Plus, actors promote work post-strike, studios license content, and streamers bundle services.

Then, Kim Masters revisits a 2014 conversation with legendary television producer Norman Lear, who died Dec. 5 at the age of 101. The force behind TV shows like All in the Family, Maude, Good Times and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, among many others, Lear discusses his memoir Even This I Get to Experience, and shares stories about how he got his first job in television and the line that almost caused CBS to pull the plug on All in the Family.

Serving up ‘Waitress,’ streaming BroadwayHD, and Bob Iger on Disney’s future Dec 02, 2023

Show notes

Disney CEO Bob Iger talks about the company’s many struggles, including his succession, selling ABC, and Marvel troubles during the New York Times’ DealBook Summit.

Then, we’re taking it to Broadway: Contributor Jeff Lunden speaks to Tony-winning producers Stewart F. Lane and Bonnie Comley about their streaming platform, BroadwayHD. Lunden also talks with Waitress star Sara Bareilles and producer Jessie Nelson about the live capture and theatrical distribution of their hit musical show.

Justine Bateman, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland on AI contract language; Hollywood’s lean holiday box office Nov 24, 2023

Show notes

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni discuss what’s shaping up to be a lean holiday box office and what success for movies looks like — and how it’s perceived — when it comes to theatrical versus streaming releases.

Then, filmmaker and SAG-AFTRA generative AI advisor Justine Bateman joins to share her concerns over the union's new contract, while Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland explains why it’s the best deal possible.

Kristoffer Borgli on the “Dream Scenario” of directing Nicolas Cage; The saga of “Coyote vs. Acme Nov 18, 2023

Show notes

WBD is looking for a buyer for its Coyote vs. Acme film. Can it find one? Plus, an AI-generated Édith Piaf biopic is in the works at Warner Music.

Filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli talks with Kim Masters about his Nicolas Cage-led film, “Dream Scenario,” directing commercials, and how the Norwegian Film Institute unknowingly funded his projects conceived in LA.

Inside the end of the actors’ strike; James Burrows on the return of ‘Frasier’ Nov 10, 2023

Show notes

SAG-AFTRA reaches a tentative deal with studios after 118 days on strike. Was the deal a win? What is in it? Plus, WBD and Disney earnings news. Legendary sitcom director James Burrows talks with Eric Deggans, NPR TV critic and guest-host on The Business, about the revival of Frasier, his directing career, and whether sitcoms can endure on streaming services.

Comedian-actress Leslie Jones bares it all in raw memoir; HBO trolls critics Nov 04, 2023

Show notes

First, HBO CEO Casey Bloys asked staffers to create fake Twitter accounts to fight critics of the network. What’s all the attention about? Plus, Disney is finally buying Hulu.

Actress-comedian Leslie Jones discusses her tell-all memoir, overcoming personal and career obstacles, and her relationship with ‘SNL’ creator, Lorne Michaels.

Robert Kirkman on ‘Invincible’ Season 2; Israel-Hamas conflict’s impact on Hollywood Oct 28, 2023

Show notes

The actors’ strike forges on as Hollywood reckons with the impact of the Hamas-Israel conflict and streamers raise prices — again. NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans talks with comic-book-author-turned-showrunner Robert Kirkman about the new animated adaptation of his print series Invincible, modernizing the superhero genre, and why he’s not worried about comic book adaptation fatigue.

Agency heads feud, Ken Burns takes the (long) road less traveled with ‘American Buffalo’ Oct 21, 2023

Show notes

The CEO of Endeavor, Ari Emanuel, attacked rival Bryan Lourd, head of the talent agency CAA, at Bloomberg’s Screentime conference. What’s behind the feud?

Documentarian Ken Burns talks about his latest project, The American Buffalo, his career, financing projects, and controversies, including a recently surfaced photo of him posing along Clarence Thomas and David Koch.

Encore: Creating ‘Reservation Dogs’ with Indigenous cast and crew; Swift’s concert hits theaters Oct 13, 2023

Show notes

Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour concert film is out in theaters. Was this a good deal for Swift and AMC? And will this become a trend with other artists? This week on The Business, Kim Masters revisits an interview with Sterlin Harjo, co-creator of the hit comedy series Reservation Dogs on FX.

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