Hey, we launched a music newsletter this week, the first one featuring Maren Morris. It’s called Notable, and I’ll tell you more about it below . . .
But first! One of the highlights of my week is editing our Series Business newsletter, devoted to helping you navigate the TV business. Elaine Low in L.A. and Manori Ravindran in London give paid subscribers (click here to become one) only-at-The Ankler insights that help you succeed in this market, from Elaine’s essential fall market guide that lets you in the private conversations of what every studio and streamer, from Apple to Netflix, want to buy right now, to Manori’s reporting about how to turn your TV series into reality as budgets shrink, whether through co-productions, YouTube or brand partnerships. Together they provide a global perspective and actionable advice you won’t find anywhere else — and unprecedented access to the top people in the business.
No surprise, Elaine won best online columnist last Sunday, honored by the National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards 🏆 💪. Send her a note at Elaine@theankler.com and congratulate her.
But that’s not all! Our first-ever live Series Business event is this Thursday, Dec. 12 at 1 p.m. at the London Hotel in West Hollywood. Elaine and awards editor Katey Rich will interview a slate of top names from the hottest TV series, including Netflix’s Nobody Wants This creator Erin Foster, Netflix’s A Man on the Inside creator/showrunner/writer/director Michael Schur, and Paul Simms, executive producer of FX’s smash English Teacher and What We Do in the Shadows. Stay tuned to Ankler socials and newsletters for the coming RSVP link . . . this is gonna be a good one.
I’m making sure you also see the latest from both Elaine and Manori this week:
Now, with no further ado, the rest of ICYMI:
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In yet another edition of Jay Penske’s global tour of questionable countries, Richard Rushfield explores a Penske bash in Qatar, the oil- and gas-rich nation that also has been rated “not free” by Freedom Rights given its dismal record around women and LGBTQ+ people. But wait! Deadline’s Contenders event today will also feature a Daily Wire-produced doc whose director really doesn’t care for gays and trans people, and even has his own profile as an extremist on the Southern Poverty Law Center website. Congratulations, Deadline! Classy! On a lighter note (!), Richard shares your guide for navigating year-end best-of lists:
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The new Netflix docuseries Churchill at War uses AI technology to create a version of the British statesman voicing his contemporaneous feelings and legendary quotes as he led the U.K. through World War II. In Reel AI (for paid subscribers only), Erik Barmack chats with the doc’s producers, Imagine’s Justin Wilkes and Sara Bernstein, to discuss how they pulled off this feat of using AI to make a more authentic documentary; the specific tools used; and how the producers created jobs in its use of AI:
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Now that Google has been ruled an illegal monopoly, the question is what happens next. Entertainment Strategy Guy breaks down the case for why YouTube should be separated from Google; why Trump’s pick to lead antitrust enforcement could make it happen; the big opportunities in the market if it happens; why traditional Hollywood likely won’t be the biggest winner; and the surprising group that could garner more power:
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An exclusive excerpt from John Bleasdale’s new Terrence Malick biography, The Magic Hours, focuses on the 20-year gap — from 1978 to 1998 — when the enigmatic director seemed to all but disappear. But the excerpt, as edited by The Optionist’s Andy Lewis, reveals a far more complicated saga about love, fear and, of course, really bad producing partners:
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After a blizzard of critics awards and nominations, Katey Rich breaks down what to make of the results. Reminder! Katey will be going live on Substack around 8:45 a.m. ET tomorrow, Monday, Dec. 9 to break down the Golden Globe nominations. Download the free Substack app to get a notification when she’s live:
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In our first edition of Notable, our new newsletter where music meets Hollywood, Rob LeDonne shares his honest conversation with Grammy-winning artist Maren Morris and composer Kris Bowers, who explore the creative magic behind The Wild Robot’s emotional anthem, “Kiss the Sky,” and a scoop about Morris’ next album:
If you want to know not only what just happened but what’s going to happen, you need to subscribe to Sean McNulty, who detailed where David Ellison is planning changes at Paramount, why Disney+ is the key to the company breaking the cable bundle and how WBD’s Casey Bloys has set HBO up for a big 2025:
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