Inside the Sweeping Journey of Apple’s ‘Pachinko’

Welcome to the 160th episode of TV’s Top 5, The Hollywood Reporter’s TV podcast.

Every week, hosts Lesley Goldberg (West Coast TV editor) and Daniel Fienberg (chief TV critic) break down the latest TV news with context from the business and critical sides, welcome showrunners, executives and other guests, and provide a critical guide of what to watch (or skip, as the case may be).

Here’s how this week’s episode plays out:

1. Headlines
Star Trek finds its new Kirk…Judd Apatow leaves his longtime home at HBO…and Netflix invests in Dr. Seuss, plus more of the week’s top news.

2. MLB embraces streaming
With the lockout in the rear-view mirror, Major League Baseball is looking to fill its coffers with revenue from streaming deals with Apple and Peacock as both platforms look to draw — and maintain — subscribers. Plus, Freddie Freeman is a Dodger!

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3. Mailbag
In this recurring segment, Dan and I respond to listener email. This week, we look at the must-have streaming services, why Logo is out of the scripted business and why streamers are making a play for awards shows. If you have a question you’d like to hear us discuss on the show, email us at TVsTop5@THR.com.

4. Showrunner Spotlight
Soo Hugh joins the show this week to discuss Apple’s Pachinko, the sweeping drama based on Min Jin Lee’s best-selling novel. The series, which bows March 25, started with a bidding war over rights to the book before landing at Apple with a sizable investment. Hugh, whose credits also include AMC’s The Terror and CBS’ Under the Dome, notes that she and Pachinko producers Media Res pitched the show to seven different outlets over four days with Netflix, HBO, FX, Amazon, Hulu and Showtime among the bidders. “The question of language came up for every pitch,” Hugh notes of the series, which is told in English, Korean and Japanese. “Not one person batted an eye. It shows you how far we’ve come.” Beyond the years-long road to the screen, Hugh also opens up about her long-term goal for Pachinko. “It’s meant to be four seasons, with eight episodes each, with a departure every season that examines one crucial historical point in that story each season,” she says of the story that is told throughout multiple time periods.

5. Critic’s Corner
As usual, every episode ends with Dan offering his reviews of what to watch in the week ahead. In this episode, he reviews HBO Max’s DMZ, Hulu’s Life & Beth and Apple’s WeCrashed, among others.

Hear it all now on TV’s Top 5. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to never miss an episode. (Reviews welcome!) You can also email us with any topics or Mailbag questions you’d like addressed in future episodes at TVsTop5@THR.com.