Welcome to another 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, executive and other guests and provide a critical guide of what to watch (or skip, as the case may be).
This week’s five topics are:
1. HBO Max’s bold swings.
Wonder Woman 1984 is heading to HBO Max the same day as it debuts in theaters (those that remain open, anyway). The move is nothing short of an effort by parent company WarnerMedia to bring new paying subscribers to its recently launched streaming service. This segment touches on the stakes that come with that decision and the risk vs. reward.
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2. End of an era for Conan.
Conan O’Brien’s late-night tenure will end in June as WarnerMedia ends his TBS show after 10 seasons, bringing an end to the host’s 28-year run behind the desk. Instead, O’Brien will next segue to a weekly variety show for HBO Max. This segment looks at O’Brien’s track record, how he adapted to TV’s changing landscape and more.
3. More executive moves.
Stop us if you’ve heard this before, but the executive landscape continues to shift in radical fashion on the TV side. This was a big week of changes at NBCUniversal as Susan Rovner sets her team and says farewell to a homegrown talent plus a beloved Hulu exec moves to UCP.
4. Showrunner Spotlight.
Moises Zamora, the creator and co-showrunner of Netflix’s Selena: The Series joins the show this week to preview what to expect from the scripted series, bowing Dec. 4. The first-time showrunner opens up about working with the superstar’s family on the drama, using the singer’s original music (some of which was previously unreleased) and casting Christian Serratos. Zamora also touches on the aspirational tone of the series and how much (or little) he wanted the series to be in Spanish.
5. Critic’s Corner.
As usual, every episode ends with Dan’s look at what to watch (or skip). This week, he weighs in on Hulu’s Animaniacs revival, Peacock’s Saved by the Bell update and HBO Max’s The Flight Attendant.
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 at TVsTop5@THR.com with any topics or questions you’d like to hear us discuss as part of our recurring Mailbag segment.
