‘TV’s Top 5’: Sean Spicer Outrage, NBC’s Late-Night Bet and Jason Katims

Welcome back to TV’s Top 5, The Hollywood Reporter‘s TV podcast.

In every episode of the weekly podcast hosts Lesley Goldberg (West Coast TV editor) and Daniel Fienberg (chief TV critic) select four current topics that are top of mind in the TV industry and go inside the latest headlines and, for the fifth segment, provide a critical guide of what to watch (or skip, as the case may be).

This week’s five topics are:

1. Dancing With the Stars courts controversy with Sean Spicer. The former White House press secretary’s inclusion in the season 28 cast of the ABC reality competition series has Hollywood up in arms. What does ABC have to gain by casting him? And more importantly, how long can that casting stick? The segment begins at the 5:55 mark.

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2. Late-Night check-in. THR digital media editor Natalie Jarvey joins TV’s Top 5 this week for a segment previewing what to expect from NBC late-night bet on YouTube star Lilly Singh, who will take over the 1:35 a.m. slot previously occupied by Carson Daly come September. How much of her YouTube sensibilities will Singh bring to broadcast? Are her millennial cord-cutting fans going to watch a show on a linear network? How big of a risk is NBC making with Singh? How will her show compare to Carson’s? The discussion begins at the 13:24 mark.

3. HBO Max’s busy week. WarnerMedia’s forthcoming streaming service announced three compelling new projects — a John Wells young adult drama, a Practical Magic prequel from Melissa Rosenberg and a Lena Dunham-produced dramedy co-created by a 17-year-old. But with so much experience behind all three shows, why are these pilot orders and not straight-to-series orders like other originals announced for HBO Max? Plus Meryl Streep is coming to the platform. The analysis begins at the 26:54 mark.

4. Showrunner Spotlight: Jason Katims. The Friday Night Lights and Parenthood grad sits down for a wide-ranging interview in the latest Showrunner Spotlight segment. Katims discusses the problematic issues with his forthcoming Fox drama Almost Family and addresses reboot culture — will there be a Friday Night Lights update? Will he revisit the Bravermans with a Parenthood update? Plus, with shows in the works for Netflix, Amazon and a deal at Apple, the formerly broadcast-focused Katims opens up about how streaming is changing the types of shows he makes. The interview begins at the 32:58 mark.

5. Critic’s Corner. As always, every episode ends with Fienberg offering his thoughts about what to watch (or skip). This week, he weighs in on Showtime’s On Becoming a God in Central Florida, Starz’s Power and the dearly departed FX comedy Baskets. Tune in starting at the 54:41 mark.

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 Goldberg and Fienberg with any topics or questions you’d like to be addressed in future episodes at TVsTop5@THR.com.