Lesley Goldberg
@snoodit.bsky.social
This week for @theankler.com: A deep dive into the business of holiday programming theankler.com/p/the-ruthle...
The Ruthless Biz of TV Holiday Movies: Lots of Joy — But ‘They Want Snow for Free’
The Grinch brings fewer films on tighter budgets, but for writers, the pay can feel like Christmas morning: ‘Sometimes money floats down from the heavens’
theankler.com
November 26, 2025 at 6:13 PM
This week for @theankler.com: A deep dive into the business of holiday programming theankler.com/p/the-ruthle...
Scoop: Netflix considered a weekly drop for the final season of #StrangerThings before moving to a three-part holiday release for one of its signature hits. That and more this week for @theankler.com --> theankler.com/p/turkey-nfl...
Turkey, NFL & ‘Stranger Things’: Netflix Holiday Stunt Overrides Duffers’ Push for Weekly
SCOOP: What the creators wanted as industry insiders spill on the final-season strategy and the streamer’s new openness to moving beyond the binge
theankler.com
November 19, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Scoop: Netflix considered a weekly drop for the final season of #StrangerThings before moving to a three-part holiday release for one of its signature hits. That and more this week for @theankler.com --> theankler.com/p/turkey-nfl...
Reposted by Lesley Goldberg
For The Ringer, I wrote about the best TV coaching trees, from series that did the best job of finding and nurturing writers and/or directors who would go on to make great shows of their own:
Which TV Show Has the Best Coaching Tree?
Vince Gilligan is eternal proof of the strength of the ‘X-Files’ writers room. But frankly, that room has a ton of competition across television history.
www.theringer.com
November 19, 2025 at 2:59 PM
For The Ringer, I wrote about the best TV coaching trees, from series that did the best job of finding and nurturing writers and/or directors who would go on to make great shows of their own:
Miss me breaking down the big TV news of the week? Look no further! I'm back with another weekly column launching today at @theankler.com!
Check out the first installment of TV in 3 Acts -->
theankler.com/p/tv-in-3-ac...
Check out the first installment of TV in 3 Acts -->
theankler.com/p/tv-in-3-ac...
TV in 3 Acts: ‘Mad Men’ Returns, ‘Poker Face’ Folds, More Paramount Carnage
My new weekly wrap on the small-screen headlines worth your time
theankler.com
November 14, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Miss me breaking down the big TV news of the week? Look no further! I'm back with another weekly column launching today at @theankler.com!
Check out the first installment of TV in 3 Acts -->
theankler.com/p/tv-in-3-ac...
Check out the first installment of TV in 3 Acts -->
theankler.com/p/tv-in-3-ac...
#AllsFair, complete with its $100M price tag, is a fascinating case study in how to cut through in 2025. But is it all worth it? My column for @theankler.com --> theankler.com/p/100-millio...
$100 Million Hate-Watch: Inside Hulu’s ‘All’s Fair’ Trainwreck — and How It Turned Around
SCOOP: I have the budget, cast paydays and behind-the-scenes drama from Kim Kardashian's critically-savaged series that's gone ‘zero to hero’
theankler.com
November 12, 2025 at 6:57 PM
#AllsFair, complete with its $100M price tag, is a fascinating case study in how to cut through in 2025. But is it all worth it? My column for @theankler.com --> theankler.com/p/100-millio...
New on @theankler.com: My scoop-filled Q&A w/ UCP chief Beatrice Springborn, who spills on #MrRobot's Sam Esmail tackling David Cronenberg’s 1983 cult fave 'Videodrome,' the Obamas & Yara Shahidi taking on 'The Trees' & the future of Seth MacFarlane's deal
theankler.com/p/beatrice-s...
theankler.com/p/beatrice-s...
Beatrice Springborn’s Bet: A ‘Flexible Model’ to Win Talent, Outsmart Streamers & Go Global
SCOOP: Universal Content Productions’ chief reveals projects with Yara Shahidi, the Obamas, Sam Esmail, Matt Charman — and the state of Seth MacFarlane’s overall
theankler.com
November 5, 2025 at 7:26 PM
New on @theankler.com: My scoop-filled Q&A w/ UCP chief Beatrice Springborn, who spills on #MrRobot's Sam Esmail tackling David Cronenberg’s 1983 cult fave 'Videodrome,' the Obamas & Yara Shahidi taking on 'The Trees' & the future of Seth MacFarlane's deal
theankler.com/p/beatrice-s...
theankler.com/p/beatrice-s...
Reposted by Lesley Goldberg
Inside Warner Bros., the mood is “quiet panic.” @snoodit.bsky.social reports on how staff are bracing for another ownership change, what David Ellison’s bid could mean for jobs, and why “business as usual” doesn’t feel so usual anymore: theankler.com/p/warner-bro...
October 29, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Inside Warner Bros., the mood is “quiet panic.” @snoodit.bsky.social reports on how staff are bracing for another ownership change, what David Ellison’s bid could mean for jobs, and why “business as usual” doesn’t feel so usual anymore: theankler.com/p/warner-bro...
Reposted by Lesley Goldberg
TODAY AT 11 A.M. PT: Kristen Stewart joins Richard Rushfield on The Rushfield Lunch to chat about her sharp directorial debut 'The Chronology of Water' and her views on the state of the entertainment industry. Add to your calendar: open.substack.com/live-stream/...
October 29, 2025 at 3:58 PM
TODAY AT 11 A.M. PT: Kristen Stewart joins Richard Rushfield on The Rushfield Lunch to chat about her sharp directorial debut 'The Chronology of Water' and her views on the state of the entertainment industry. Add to your calendar: open.substack.com/live-stream/...
Breaking: Netflix has won a big bidding war for a hostage thriller starring Adam Driver and from Peter Craig (Top Gun: Maverick) and the Emmy-winning director of #Adolescence. More details coming shortly in this week's column for @theankler.com.
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October 29, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Breaking: Netflix has won a big bidding war for a hostage thriller starring Adam Driver and from Peter Craig (Top Gun: Maverick) and the Emmy-winning director of #Adolescence. More details coming shortly in this week's column for @theankler.com.
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Reposted by Lesley Goldberg
What would Paramount Skydance look like if it swallowed up Warner Bros. Discovery? And could that potential behemoth go head to head with Netflix? @snoodit.bsky.social spoke to insiders about David Ellison's dream merger and the fallout to come theankler.com/p/supermerge...
October 22, 2025 at 7:37 PM
What would Paramount Skydance look like if it swallowed up Warner Bros. Discovery? And could that potential behemoth go head to head with Netflix? @snoodit.bsky.social spoke to insiders about David Ellison's dream merger and the fallout to come theankler.com/p/supermerge...
This week's column for @theankler.com: What a super-charged Paramount would look like if the Ellisons can make a deal for Warner Bros. Discovery — a true rival to Netflix theankler.com/p/supermerge...
Supermerger: Inside the Deal That Would Finally Give Netflix a Real Rival
Industry insiders reveal their excitement over David Ellison’s Paramount-WBD dream and a rebalance of power: ‘My enemy’s enemy is my friend’
theankler.com
October 22, 2025 at 7:08 PM
This week's column for @theankler.com: What a super-charged Paramount would look like if the Ellisons can make a deal for Warner Bros. Discovery — a true rival to Netflix theankler.com/p/supermerge...
This week for @theankler.com: Which brings better value to NBCUni, the NBA or more Dick Wolf procedurals? The answer may surprise you! theankler.com/p/the-battle...
Battle for NBC’s Soul: Dick Wolf vs. the NBA (Final Score Inside)
I crunch numbers on 30 Rock’s $2.45B sports gamble and Wolf’s TV empire — and call a winner in the scripted-sports showdown
theankler.com
October 16, 2025 at 5:34 PM
This week for @theankler.com: Which brings better value to NBCUni, the NBA or more Dick Wolf procedurals? The answer may surprise you! theankler.com/p/the-battle...
Reposted by Lesley Goldberg
NBC is benching three hours of scripted TV a week for NBA games that cost $2.45 billion a year. @snoodit.bsky.social crunches the numbers on which play makes better business sense: live sports or profitable Dick Wolf dramas theankler.com/p/the-battle...
October 15, 2025 at 6:54 PM
NBC is benching three hours of scripted TV a week for NBA games that cost $2.45 billion a year. @snoodit.bsky.social crunches the numbers on which play makes better business sense: live sports or profitable Dick Wolf dramas theankler.com/p/the-battle...
Reposted by Lesley Goldberg
Sugar is back! New music at sugarcopperblue.com PLUS May 2026 live shows in NYC and London. All the info is here!
October 15, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Sugar is back! New music at sugarcopperblue.com PLUS May 2026 live shows in NYC and London. All the info is here!
Reposted by Lesley Goldberg
Who’s setting the tone for TV now? @snoodit.bsky.social polled agents, execs and insiders to find the 10 showrunners defining TV’s business and culture theankler.com/p/10-showrun...
October 8, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Who’s setting the tone for TV now? @snoodit.bsky.social polled agents, execs and insiders to find the 10 showrunners defining TV’s business and culture theankler.com/p/10-showrun...
This week for @theankler.com: Who are the showrunners on top right now, the ones who are churning out hits and defining the marketplace? The influencers right now? I polled *a lot* of industry insiders to get their honest take.
theankler.com/p/10-showrun...
theankler.com/p/10-showrun...
10 Showrunners Who Define TV Now
They don’t just make hits — they set trends, move markets and tell Hollywood what audiences actually want
theankler.com
October 8, 2025 at 5:32 PM
This week for @theankler.com: Who are the showrunners on top right now, the ones who are churning out hits and defining the marketplace? The influencers right now? I polled *a lot* of industry insiders to get their honest take.
theankler.com/p/10-showrun...
theankler.com/p/10-showrun...
This week for @theankler.com: A Day 1 cheat sheet for Netflix-turned-Amazon TV chief Peter Friedlander. Will he kill Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power? If so, it'll cost him $20M per season.
Read on for much more: theankler.com/p/amazon-tvs...
Read on for much more: theankler.com/p/amazon-tvs...
Amazon TV’s Brutal Keeper Test Begins: Palladino Exit, ‘LOTR’ Nightmare, Execs
Peter Friedlander steps in to a ‘battered’ team, a star showrunner departure and an insanely high kill fee to the Tolkien estate
theankler.com
October 1, 2025 at 6:16 PM
This week for @theankler.com: A Day 1 cheat sheet for Netflix-turned-Amazon TV chief Peter Friedlander. Will he kill Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power? If so, it'll cost him $20M per season.
Read on for much more: theankler.com/p/amazon-tvs...
Read on for much more: theankler.com/p/amazon-tvs...
Reposted by Lesley Goldberg
Jane Fonda is bringing back the Committee for the First Amendment, first formed in the 1940s to confront emerging McCarthyism. This time, 550+ artists have signed on to confront threats to free speech. Fonda joins Richard Rushfield
at 1 PM P.T. to discuss the relaunch theankler.com/p/jane-fonda...
at 1 PM P.T. to discuss the relaunch theankler.com/p/jane-fonda...
October 1, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Jane Fonda is bringing back the Committee for the First Amendment, first formed in the 1940s to confront emerging McCarthyism. This time, 550+ artists have signed on to confront threats to free speech. Fonda joins Richard Rushfield
at 1 PM P.T. to discuss the relaunch theankler.com/p/jane-fonda...
at 1 PM P.T. to discuss the relaunch theankler.com/p/jane-fonda...
Exclusive: Vince Gilligan has re-upped his longtime deal with Sony TV and stresses the need for more indie studios theankler.com/p/vince-gill...
EXCLUSIVE: Vince Gilligan & Sony TV Renew Overall — ‘I’ve Got it Pretty Great’
‘I’m proud (and a little sad) to be working for Hollywood’s last independent studio,’ the ‘Breaking Bad’ & ‘Pluribus’ creator tells me
theankler.com
September 24, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Exclusive: Vince Gilligan has re-upped his longtime deal with Sony TV and stresses the need for more indie studios theankler.com/p/vince-gill...
Reposted by Lesley Goldberg
In this emergency pod, host @elainelow.bsky.social is joined by a rotation of our best and brightest to break down the shocking news of Jimmy Kimmel's "indefinite" suspension. @snoodit.bsky.social has a play-by-play on Disney’s decision to pull Kimmel: theankler.com/p/emergency-...
September 18, 2025 at 8:51 PM
In this emergency pod, host @elainelow.bsky.social is joined by a rotation of our best and brightest to break down the shocking news of Jimmy Kimmel's "indefinite" suspension. @snoodit.bsky.social has a play-by-play on Disney’s decision to pull Kimmel: theankler.com/p/emergency-...
Reposted by Lesley Goldberg
I wrote about the firing of Alan Sepinwall, which is awful. And I tied it into what's happening all over in the media, why it's scary & what we can do to help. I used my words, but it's definitely Hulk Mo dialed up to 11, if that's a thing you would like to experience: www.moryan.com/on-the-firin...
September 16, 2025 at 4:12 PM
I wrote about the firing of Alan Sepinwall, which is awful. And I tied it into what's happening all over in the media, why it's scary & what we can do to help. I used my words, but it's definitely Hulk Mo dialed up to 11, if that's a thing you would like to experience: www.moryan.com/on-the-firin...
This is, hands down, one of the dumbest media moves I've seen in my career. Alan is easily one of the best in the business at what he does. A kind and smart human who deserves to be treated better than this.
Some news: yesterday was my last at Rolling Stone. For now, I'm going solo, doing all my TV reviewing, recapping, etc., at my newsletter. I hope you'll consider subscribing. Many more details here:
Don't stop believing
Some news, as they say
alansepinwall.ghost.io
September 16, 2025 at 4:08 PM
This is, hands down, one of the dumbest media moves I've seen in my career. Alan is easily one of the best in the business at what he does. A kind and smart human who deserves to be treated better than this.
Reposted by Lesley Goldberg
Netflix’s decade-long lock on 130+ of its originals, from House of Cards to Narcos, is ending. @snoodit.bsky.social reports on how Lionsgate, WB, Universal and FASTs like Tubi are circling, and what it means for the future of streaming libraries: theankler.com/p/netflixs-1...
September 10, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Netflix’s decade-long lock on 130+ of its originals, from House of Cards to Narcos, is ending. @snoodit.bsky.social reports on how Lionsgate, WB, Universal and FASTs like Tubi are circling, and what it means for the future of streaming libraries: theankler.com/p/netflixs-1...
Reposted by Lesley Goldberg
This week for @theankler.com: Former Paramount Network chief Kevin Kay pens an insightful guest column about how he landed #Yellowstone and why the process can now be seen as a reason for media companies to trust development executives over AI.
theankler.com/p/one-big-sw...
theankler.com/p/one-big-sw...
One Big Swing: How ‘Yellowstone’ Was Born From a Single Gut Call
For the first time, former top Paramount exec Kevin Kay reveals how he risked his career on a do-or-die bet on Taylor Sheridan in an impassioned rebuttal to AI
theankler.com
September 3, 2025 at 5:31 PM
This week for @theankler.com: Former Paramount Network chief Kevin Kay pens an insightful guest column about how he landed #Yellowstone and why the process can now be seen as a reason for media companies to trust development executives over AI.
theankler.com/p/one-big-sw...
theankler.com/p/one-big-sw...
This week for @theankler.com: Former Paramount Network chief Kevin Kay pens an insightful guest column about how he landed #Yellowstone and why the process can now be seen as a reason for media companies to trust development executives over AI.
theankler.com/p/one-big-sw...
theankler.com/p/one-big-sw...
One Big Swing: How ‘Yellowstone’ Was Born From a Single Gut Call
For the first time, former top Paramount exec Kevin Kay reveals how he risked his career on a do-or-die bet on Taylor Sheridan in an impassioned rebuttal to AI
theankler.com
September 3, 2025 at 5:31 PM
This week for @theankler.com: Former Paramount Network chief Kevin Kay pens an insightful guest column about how he landed #Yellowstone and why the process can now be seen as a reason for media companies to trust development executives over AI.
theankler.com/p/one-big-sw...
theankler.com/p/one-big-sw...