Fighting Unconscious Bias: We Need More Shows Like ‘Empire’
Conquering discrimination in the entertainment industry, whether that bias in hiring practices is conscious or not, is a difficult and complex topic. The subject engendered a frank and sometimes painful discussion as the Writers Guild of America, West hosted a panel called “Exploring Unconscious Bias,” moderated by showrunner Glen Mazzara. The panelists were executive producer Shonda Rhimes (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal,”” How to Get...
Crafting TV’s Top Hits: Showrunners Tell all at HRTS Hitmakers Affair
It’s a rare opportunity to get insights into some of the top shows on broadcast and cable in one place–all in one hour—but that was the agenda at the Hollywood Radio & Television Society’s annual Hitmakers Newsmaker Luncheon, held April 8 at the Beverly Hilton’s International Ballroom. A rapt audience heard from Lee Daniels, co-creator and executive producer of Fox’s breakout hit “Empire,” Noah Hawley, EP of FX’s acclaimed...
Billy Crystal, Josh Gad Join Forces in FX’s ‘The Comedians’
Billy Crystal hasn’t done a television comedy series since ABC’s “Soap,” which ran from 1977-1981, followed by his memorable turns on “Saturday Night Live” in that same era– unless you count some recent guest star spots on Lisa Kudrow’s “Web Therapy.” And we’ve nearly lost count of how many occasions he hosted the Oscars, with the last being in 2012. Okay, it was nine times, beginning in 1990. But now he’s back in the saddle, an...
Be A Part of It in HBO’s Four-Hour ‘Sinatra: All or Nothing at All’
Start spreading the news. It’s been 100 years since the birth of one of the most famous people in American pop culture–and the family of Frank Sinatra wanted to mark the centennial of the legendary crooner’s birthday in a big way befitting his iconic status. So they called upon producer Frank Marshall, best known for blockbuster films like “Indiana Jones” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and someone who had a unique connection. His...
‘Going Clear:’ Delving into the Secret World of Scientology
Several months before it was scheduled to be seen on premium cable by a large national audience, the Church of Scientology took preemptive action against “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief,” a documentary exposé directed by Alex Gibney which premiered on HBO March 29 after opening theatrically in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco March 13. The feature-length film was an official selection at the 2015...
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