The Town with Matthew Belloni

Latest Episodes:

How to Pull Off a Real-Life Mockumentary May 24, 2023

Show notes

Matt is joined by Ronald Gladden, the star of Amazon Freevee’s new hit series ‘Jury Duty,’ as well as the director of the show, Jake Szymanski. They go through the process of creating the show, how Jake managed to direct the actors on set without breaking the illusion, Ronald’s thoughts after learning it was all a show, whether this type of show could be replicated, and more. Matt finishes the show by making a prediction about the newly rebranded streaming service, ‘Max.’

For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here

Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Ronald Gladden & Jake Szymanski

Producer: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Netflix Crashes TV’s Ad Party May 22, 2023

Show notes

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to analyze this year’s TV upfront presentations. They discuss Netflix’s upfront debut and its advertisement strategy, how it felt watching the presentations in the middle of a writers strike, the Disney+ purge, and more. Lucas finishes the show by making a prediction on Peyton Manning’s company, Omaha Productions.

For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here

Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Lucas Shaw

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The NBA Team Blowing Up Sports TV May 19, 2023

Show notes

Matt is joined by Endeavor executive vice presidents Hillary Mandel and Karen Brodkin to discuss the potentially groundbreaking TV deal they brokered for the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury: Moving forward, their games will be broadcast for free on over-the-air channels while also available to stream online on a direct-to-consumer service. They discuss how this deal affects the viewer and why it makes sense in the new age of sports media, what ESPN will look like as a streaming channel, and the reasoning behind the latest Big 10 and Big 12 media rights deals.

For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here

Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Hillary Mandel and Karen Brodkin

Producer: Craig Horlbeck

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hollywood’s China Problem May 17, 2023

Show notes

Matt is joined by Wall Street Journal reporter Erich Schwartzel to discuss the current state of Hollywood’s relationship with China and how the Chinese government feels about Hollywood releases. Erich breaks down how China’s movie infrastructure has changed over the years, how the Chinese box office affects which movies get made in America, the precarious projections of ‘Fast X’ in China, TikTok’s success, Shanghai Disneyland, and more.

For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here

Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Erich Schwartzel

Producer: Craig Horlbeck

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bob Iger’s Six-Month Report Card at Disney May 15, 2023

Show notes

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to check in on Bob Iger six months after his return to Disney, to see what’s working and what isn’t. They discuss Disney’s decrease in subscriber numbers and subsequent stock decline, bringing Hulu into Disney+, his lack of a succession plan, and the still uncertain future of the streaming model.

For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here

Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Lucas Shaw

Producer: Craig Horlbeck

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Struggle of the Modern TV Writer With Mike Schur May 11, 2023

Show notes

Matt is joined by writer, producer, and showrunner Mike Schur ('Parks and Recreation,' 'The Good Place,' 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine'), to discuss the life of the modern TV writer and how it has changed over the years. Mike brings his perspective on the ongoing writers strike and discusses how his experience as a writer was very different from that of an up-and-coming writer in 2023. Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the upcoming movie ‘Book Club 2.’

For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here

Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Mike Schur

Producer: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Weird State of Media and Hollywood’s Role in It May 10, 2023

Show notes

Matt is joined by journalist and cofounder of Semafor, Ben Smith, to talk about his new book ‘Traffic’ and the rise and fall of the biggest digital media companies of the past 15 years. Matt and Ben discuss their careers in digital media, look back on the media's transition to digital, the role of Hollywood in the evolution of media coverage, the role of Facebook and other social media platforms, and what’s next. Matt finishes the show by giving a prediction about the current writers strike.

For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here

Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Ben Smith

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 5 Biggest Narratives After Week 1 of the Writers Strike May 08, 2023

Show notes

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the most popular narratives that emerged after week 1 of the writers strike, including who is winning the social media war and if it matters, huge paydays for media CEOs despite layoffs and and cost cutting across the industry, the stalemate over AI, the messy situation for writer-producers, and more. Matt finishes the show with a prediction on Kevin Costner’s fate on the final season of ‘Yellowstone’.

For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here

Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Lucas Shaw

Producer: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 2023 Summer Blockbuster Confidence Scale May 04, 2023

Show notes

It’s May, which means it is officially summer blockbuster season. Matt welcomes back The Wrap’s Scott Mendelson to run through each of the most highly anticipated blockbusters of the summer and assign their confidence level in each movie’s likelihood of exceeding expectations at the box office.

For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here

Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Scott Mendelson

Producer: Craig Horlbeck

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Inside the Writers Strike With a WGA Negotiator May 02, 2023

Show notes

Matt is joined by writer, TV host, and WGA negotiation committee member Adam Conover to break down what it has been like in the negotiation room from the WGA perspective over the last few months leading up to the strike. They discuss how far apart both sides sit, the most hotly contested issues—including data transparency, mini rooms, and AI—and the broad spectrum of consequences that could accompany a prolonged strike.

For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown

Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Adam Conover

Producer: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices