Little Gold Men by Vanity Fair

A bonus episode from our friends at WIRED's Uncanny Valley.

The hit HBO Max comedy series Hacks follows the tumultuous relationship between a young comedy writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) and legacy comedian Deborah Vance (Jean Smart). The show has also had a lot to say about the business of show business. Creators Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello join Katie to talk about writing the series, corporate censorship, and why they find AI “deeply disturbing.”
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Rebecca and John discuss the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding the film adaptation of Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone and the long, complicated history of authors clashing with Hollywood over adaptations of their books. Then, Rebecca catches up with Wonder Man star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II about the surprise cancellation of the series after its first season. They also discuss Abdul-Mateen’s theater background and evolving relationship to watching his own work.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The mailbag is open! This week, Rebecca and John answer your questions about this year’s Best Actress race, how to make the most of Telluride, and so much more. Then, John talks to Widow’s Bay creator and showrunner Katie Dippold about the inspiration behind the Emmy-nominated horror-comedy series. Stick around till the end for a special round of FMK: Horror Movie edition.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jason Bateman has spent much of his career playing the calmest person in the room. But this year, his Emmy-nominated performances in Black Rabbit and DTF St. Louis flip that persona on its head. Rebecca talks with Bateman about embracing more emotionally exposed roles, how he decides which creative hats to wear on a project, and and why hosting SmartLess is the “easiest yet most lucrative” job of his career.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, ​Rebecca, John, and Vanity Fair features editor Hillary Busis each make the case for one television trend they’d happily banish forever, from the airport novel adaptation to the fictionalized true-crime miniseries. Then, after adequate complaining, they discuss the kinds of shows they’d like to see more of, including lower-stakes storytelling and the return of great episodic television.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices