Team Ankler is headed to Cannes Lions this month in a big way, but back at HQ, the week’s biggest stories captured an industry in full scramble: nepo babies tightening their grip on shrinking entry-level jobs, showrunners getting spooked by Paramount chaos, and executives throwing dumb money at YouTube creators after a trio of breakout horror hits.
Now, on to the Croisette, where we’ll have a packed slate of programming June 22-25 featuring Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade, Netflix top ad exec Amy Reinhard, Bravo & Peacock unscripted chief Frances Berwick, Roku president Charlie Collier, Summer House’s Lindsay Hubbard and more C-suite and creative standouts. Read all about our plans — including panels and soirees in partnership with the Impact Lounge, Brand Innovators, ADWEEK and Whalar — and RSVP to join us below. And look for Ankler Media CEO Janice Min and Like & Subscribe’s Natalie Jarvey amid the Palais and plages.
The Ankler was out in force this week too: Christopher Rosen interviewed YouTube daredevil Michelle Khare at Tribeca X, Richard Rushfield sat down with The Housemaid director Paul Feig at Alliance of Women Directors’ Back to Set symposium, and Elaine Low joined Katie Aselton there for a conversation of her own (she’ll have more on that Monday).
And in New York, we hosted our latest Documentary Spotlight with Thom Powers at Roxy Cinema, featuring Rafa filmmaker Zach Heinzerling, Mr. Scorsese director Rebecca Miller and more. Catch up on all of Thom’s great conversations below.👇🏼
Next up: I’m headed to StreamTV in Denver this week for keynote conversations with Tubi chief content officer Adam Lewinson, Radial Entertainment CEO Jeff Shultz and YouTube’s departing VP, Americas, Tara Walpert Levy. Say hello if you’ll be there.
Now, ICYMI, the rest of our best of the week:
Series Business
↑ The Paramount-HBO Max Pitch Scramble: A Sellers’ Guide In Elaine Low’s latest Spring Sellers’ Guide, she reveals what CBS, P+, HBO and its streaming sibling are looking for as the proposed Para-WBD merger redraws Hollywood’s programming map.
British TV’s YouTube Trap Is Coming for Hollywood The BBC, ITV and Channel 4 are growing on YouTube via short-form titles. But the more they succeed, the less leverage they have. Manori Ravindran weighs British broadcasters’ digital paradox.
TV in 3: Could YouTube Steal the Emmys?; Connor Storrie’s Loophole With the broadcast “wheel” deal expiring, sources tell Lesley multiple options for the telecast are on the table.
Runaway Production’s True Cost
↑The Hell of Runaway Production on Families: ‘Not a Way to Live’ Writers and crews are spending longer, lonelier months away from home, Nicole LaPorte reports — and the toll lands hardest, again and again, on women.
Richard Rushfield
↑ In a five-part series on the vast television landscape — with tips, explainers and insights into its inner workings — Richard walks you through…
- How to: Win the Secret Game of Hollywood Meetings
- How to: Survive TV Development Hell in Hollywood
- TV Won the Prestige War. Movies Are In Their Revenge Era
- Scripted TV’s Hazy Future: 3 Burning Questions
- TV’s Mount Rushmore, According to 50 Hollywood Insiders
YouTube Horror Kids vs. Nolan: Beware of Summer’s Wrong Lessons Plus, Richard takes stock of the outsized buzz around Backrooms and Obsession — and why calling twentysomething horror auteurs the industry saviors isn’t the answer.
Prestige Junkie
↑Jason Bateman Has Seen It All — And Probably Directed It, Too The Black Rabbit star and, yes, director, tells Katey Rich what he’s learned through decades of shifting models and audiences.
Lisa Kudrow’s Comeback vs. the AI Hellscape Katey chats with the HBO comedy’s creator, Michael Patrick King, about the fears that spurred the series’ revival.
Plus, All Her Fault star Dakota Fanning explains how the crime drama defied stereotypes and talks sharing a production company with her sister, Elle — and Spider-Noir co-showrunner Oren Uziel, with cast members including Lamorne Morris and Jack Huston, share their best Nicolas Cage stories from the set of the genre-bending series:
Jimmy Kimmel’s Still Fighting for Late Night Jimmy Kimmel Live EP Molly McNearney reflects on the show’s Trump satire, Colbert’s exit and what’s left in late night.
YouTube Is Still Waiting for Its Emmy Moment. Is This the Year? Katey interviews four creators and sees signs the digital-first storytelling breakthrough is almost here.
Stranger Things for Seniors? The Boroughs Is Netflix’s Answer Creators Will Matthews and Jeffrey Addiss tell Katey about their bold gambit of a sci-fi drama with big stars and a hint of Spielberg.
The Wakeup
The Paramount-WBD merger is far from over, and Sean McNulty breaks down the additions to Paramount and the California AG’s office, along with PSKY’s late-stage concessions to get the deal over the finish line:
Friday → ☀️ PAR, LGF Go Deeper on AI
Thursday → ☀️ CAA, TPG Re-Team To Spend In Creator Biz
Wednesday → ☀️ WARNAMOUNT Deal Army Adds Firepower
Tuesday → ☀️ PSKY Considers Deal Concessions, U.K. Launches Probe
Sunday → ☀️ AMAZON’s Masters Disaster, Latinos Power PAR’s Scary Big Wknd
Podcasts
Ankler Agenda
Elaine, Natalie and Sean dive into Netflix and Spotify’s podcast strategy as a bulwark against YouTube — and why streamers are betting that video pods are really just the next generation of low-cost talk shows:
Shows
Monday Morning QBs
Sean and Christopher Rosen break down last weekend’s biggest winners and losers, from Paramount’s nostalgia-fueled Scary Movie success to Amazon MGM’s Masters of the Universe flop:
Rushfield Lunch
L.A. Confidential author James Ellroy helped define Los Angeles noir, and the legendary crime writer joins Richard to discuss his career, process and Red Sheet, the latest installment in his ongoing saga of the city:
Like & Subscribe
New from Natalie Jarvey’s creator economy newsletter:
↑ YouTube’s Prestige TV Quest Runs Through Daredevil Michelle Khare
The Optionist
Andy Lewis’ latest IP picks:
↑ An Eco-Terrorism True-Crime Story with a Judas and the Black Messiah Twist
