Happy Sunday everyone! First, a little humblebrag. Actually, no, just a brag. Yesterday, The Bulwark’s Jonathan V. Last said this about The Ankler:

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This week marked our 1st anniversary together, so receiving such nice kudos was a welcome gift. We are delighted to have made an impact and thanks to you all for being part of, as the kids say, our “journey.”

The Bulwark, by the way, was referring to our still smoldering Exit Interviews series that closed out 2022. This week, iconic TV creator Shawn Ryan wrote in to defend Hollywood’s writers and the honor of the WGA from some of the assertions made by The Big Agent in the series.

Now, some other recent highlights from this week, where we dove right in to the start of a high-wire awards season:

• The NFL vs. Awards Shows Where and how Hollywood fits in an era of audiences just wanting more football.

• Martini Shot: 'Congrats. I Guess’ The insincerity of awards season.

• And with the Globes returning on Tuesday (you knew this… right??), we wondered where everyone’s head is in the first great Ankler Awards Season Mega-Poll. Should the Globes have come back? Why can’t Netflix bring it home? Cast your vote now and be heard!

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Also:

• Entertainment Strategy Guy likened the state of Hollywood today to where the music business was 20 years ago in 2023: The Year of Churn Baby Churn, and….

• Rushfield: 12 New Year's Resolutions to End the Sad Sack Era Take a studio private. Hire Richard Gere. Bring on a non-white guy studio chief. It's time to shake things up, in a good way.

This Week in The Wakeup

• McMahon setting return to WWE with eyes to sell

• AMAZON bumps up planned 2023 layoff count about 80%

• GLASS ONION scores biggest week for a NETFLIX Film in 2022

• How ABC-ESPN handled the NFL shocker last night

• What the First 5 Months of 2023 will reveal

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The Optionist

Lastly, our fast-growing newsletter about IP had a nice little scoop this week that was featured in the Daily Mail and on the Drudge Report about the number of books necessary for Penguin Random House to sell to recoup its huge advance in How Risky is Publishing's $20M Gamble on Prince Harry's Memoir?

Writer Andy Lewis also had some delectable picks to option in IP Picks: Fake Deaths and Family Feuds.

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Thanks as always for being part of our community. It’s never too late to make consuming smarter information one of your New Year’s resolutions. We’d love to have you join The Ankler today if you haven’t yet taken the plunge.

And stay tuned this week for Richard’s take on all things Globes where he’ll have a ringside seat at the Beverly Hilton.