Lesley Goldberg
@snoodit.bsky.social
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...
Reposted by Lesley Goldberg
With The Summer I Turned Pretty ending and HBO’s Task premiering, CEO Paul Lee is steering Wiip toward animation and global series. He tells @snoodit.bsky.social why K-drama IP is key to the indie studio’s next chapter and predicts streamer consolidation theankler.com/p/he-made-th...
August 27, 2025 at 7:25 PM
With The Summer I Turned Pretty ending and HBO’s Task premiering, CEO Paul Lee is steering Wiip toward animation and global series. He tells @snoodit.bsky.social why K-drama IP is key to the indie studio’s next chapter and predicts streamer consolidation theankler.com/p/he-made-th...
Reposted by Lesley Goldberg
From The Boys to The Last of Us, Sony TV's Katherine Pope has built an indie slate across many platforms. She tells @snoodit.bsky.social about developing risky projects, doubling down on comedy, and luring Eric Kripke, Nick Stoller and Dana Fox into overall deals theankler.com/p/sonys-tv-c...
August 20, 2025 at 5:27 PM
From The Boys to The Last of Us, Sony TV's Katherine Pope has built an indie slate across many platforms. She tells @snoodit.bsky.social about developing risky projects, doubling down on comedy, and luring Eric Kripke, Nick Stoller and Dana Fox into overall deals theankler.com/p/sonys-tv-c...
New via @theankler.com: My wide-ranging interview w/ Katherine Pope about the blessings of being an indie, taking risks and why making more shows like The Pitt can help every facet of the industry. Plus exclusive news about three big Sony TV overall deals.
theankler.com/p/sonys-tv-c...
theankler.com/p/sonys-tv-c...
Sony’s TV Chief Wants to Make the Show You’re Scared to Write
SCOOP: Katherine Pope reveals three new overall deals, and how her indie (‘The Last of Us’, ‘The Boys’) wins on risk: ‘No show ever succeeded on a business model’
theankler.com
August 20, 2025 at 5:23 PM
New via @theankler.com: My wide-ranging interview w/ Katherine Pope about the blessings of being an indie, taking risks and why making more shows like The Pitt can help every facet of the industry. Plus exclusive news about three big Sony TV overall deals.
theankler.com/p/sonys-tv-c...
theankler.com/p/sonys-tv-c...
Reposted by Lesley Goldberg
USA Network once brought you White Collar and Burn Notice. Now, with The Rainmaker and Anna Pigeon on their slate, exec Michael Sluchan tells @snoodit.bsky.social what shows they’re hunting for next: theankler.com/p/scoop-usa-...
August 15, 2025 at 9:13 PM
USA Network once brought you White Collar and Burn Notice. Now, with The Rainmaker and Anna Pigeon on their slate, exec Michael Sluchan tells @snoodit.bsky.social what shows they’re hunting for next: theankler.com/p/scoop-usa-...
Can USA Network reinvent itself as an indie? Versant has a plan for it, and it starts Friday with #TheRainmaker theankler.com/p/scoop-usa-...
Scoop! USA Network is Buying Scripted TV Again. Here’s What They Want
Exec Michael Sluchan reveals ‘Blue Skies’ can be cloudy now, original ideas are wanted and a new strategy to survive
theankler.com
August 14, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Can USA Network reinvent itself as an indie? Versant has a plan for it, and it starts Friday with #TheRainmaker theankler.com/p/scoop-usa-...