Welcome to the 237th episode of TV’s Top 5, The Hollywood Reporter’s TV podcast. Hosted by Lesley Goldberg, West Coast TV editor, and Daniel Fienberg, chief TV critic, the podcast breaks down the latest TV news with context from both the business and critical sides. The hosts also welcome showrunners, executives, and other guests, and provide a critical guide of what to watch (or skip) each week.
This week’s episode features a wide-ranging conversation with veteran showrunner Glen Mazzara, tied to the debut of the MGM+ sci-fi drama Beacon 23. With the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike, Hollywood’s Hot Labor Summer-turned-Fall Frustration has now come to an end, but the industry actors and writers are returning to is dramatically different. Mazzara also opens up about the evolving TV landscape and his role with the Writers Guild of America overseeing the Strike Rules and Compliance Committee.
Here’s a breakdown of this week’s episode:
1. Headlines
The Bear, DC Comics, SWAT, wrestling, and The Circus lead the week’s biggest TV headlines.
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2. Actors Strike Is Over
The actors strike has ended after 118 days, with the guild reaching a new tentative agreement with the AMPTP. This segment explores why the deal took as long as it did, the larger impact of the strike on the industry, and more.
3. What Now?
The writers and actors strikes have ended, but what happens now? A race back to production will likely see a number of films and TV shows be scrapped, as the scheduling nightmare is similar to what the industry experienced after production resumed coming out of the pandemic’s quarantine period. Peak TV is over, contraction is here, and the programming is expected to be all “gourmet cheeseburgers” as we survey what comes next.
4. Showrunner Spotlight
Glen Mazzara, the veteran showrunner whose credits include The Shield and The Walking Dead, joins the show this week for a look at the MGM+ sci-fi drama Beacon 23. Mazzara opens up about working with creator Zak Penn and the appeal of coming in as a showrunner for hire. The wide-ranging interview also explores Mazzara’s role chairing the WGA’s Strike Rules and Compliance Committee and the violations that occurred during the nearly 150-day work stoppage.
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 Showtime’s The Curse, Apple’s For All Mankind, and The Buccaneers.
You can listen to it all now on TV’s Top 5. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to never miss an episode. Reviews are welcome! You can also email the hosts with any topics or Mailbag questions you’d like addressed in future episodes at [email protected].
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