Welcome to the 222nd 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).
This week’s episode looks at the historic week in Hollywood’s labor wars as the performers union, SAG-AFTRA, joins the Writers Guild on the picket lines in a battle over the use of AI and royalties, among other core issues. Plus, the Emmy nominations are out, but it’s unclear if the September ceremony will be able to proceed without writers and actors.
Here’s how the episode plays out:
1. Headlines
Reneé Rapp, Fox’s fall schedule, Warner Bros. Television’s big executive loss and a slew of new hosts lead the week’s top headlines.
2. Actors Strike
For the first time in more than six decades, two of Hollywood’s biggest unions will be on strike together as the performers guild joins the writers on the picket lines where they’re being led by The Nanny.
3. Emmy Nominations
The votes are in for the 75th annual Emmys and the TV Academy awarded a trio of HBO favorites as the year’s top nominated programs en route to another year atop the leaderboard. Is there room for underdog shows like Reservation Dogs or even HBO’s Somebody Somewhere with the Academy?
4. Bob Iger less than ideal week
The Disney CEO inked a new two-year deal to remain at the helm of the Mouse House through 2026, and then followed up the pact with a newsy interview in which he stoked the flames of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, while also calling his linear networks (ABC, FX, Freeform) non-“core” assets. Whoa.
5. Critic’s Corner
As usual, we end with Dan’s thoughts on this week’s new and returning series. In this episode, he weighs in on FX’s What We Do in the Shadows, Apple’s The Afterparty, Max’s Project Greenlight and FX’s return to Justified, 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 [email protected].
