The Ankler Podcast

The discussion dives into the chaotic job market in Hollywood, where TV writers are hustling for scarce positions. A look at the challenges new creatives face highlights the industry's bias toward experienced candidates. The conversation also explores the burgeoning creator economy, where traditional skills are transferring to exciting new roles in digital media. Amidst the industry's quirks, there's optimism for innovation and storytelling diversity, along with fun insights from a festive talk show event.

In this engaging discussion, Hollywood writer and producer David Goyer, renowned for his work on classics like 'Blade' and 'The Dark Knight' Trilogy, dives into the revolutionary fusion of AI and storytelling. Joined by Erik Barmack, he reveals how his latest project, 'Emergence,' and the Incention platform are changing narrative landscapes. They explore the ethical implications of AI in content creation, the potential for democratizing storytelling, and the necessity for a streamlined creative process in traditional Hollywood.

The Ankler gets real about what’s happening in nonscripted TV, a diverse and thriving industry that includes documentaries, talent/competition/game shows and of course, reality TV. Boardwalk Pictures founder Andrew Fried, Pantheon CEO and Velvet Hammer co-founder Jen O’Connell, Propagate founder Howard Owens and Wheelhouse president of entertainment Courtney White join Series Business writer Elaine Low to dissect the challenges and bright spots of the market on stage at NAB Show in Vegas. These top players — responsible for shepherding projects as varied as FX's "Welcome to Wrexham," Netflix's "Untold," A&E's upcoming "Duck Dynasty" reboot and the digital-first "Victoria's Secret Fashion Show" — reveal their strategies for finding new audiences as cable's reach dwindles, their secrets to great storytelling, and their tactics (including AI) to compete in a disrupted landscape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yes, Netflix is huge, but apparently it’s not huge enough for co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters, whose recent earnings call revealed a road map for total market domination. Elaine Low, Sean McNulty and Natalie Jarvey break down its plan to capture the 80 percent share of TV consumption not already happening on Netflix or YouTube (think creators and podcasts to eating the rest of cable’s programming). Plus: What to make of the Gen Z antics driving A Minecraft Movie, and Sean quizzes the crew on Netflix’s 2025 original movies.For more entertainment news, subscribe to The Ankler or apply to The Ladder, a members-only hub for early career entertainment professionals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Live from Las Vegas! Exec editor Alison Brower headed into the ring with WWE president Nick Khan, and chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque for The Ankler’s Business of Entertainment program at NAB Show, where the sports execs revealed why Netflix was strategically the right home for RAW, its flagship weekly showcase; how Triple H’s writers create distinctive and memorable characters and stories across shows (and platforms); what draws talent from the late Betty White (“a badass”) to Bad Bunny into the ring; and the physical and mental trials in auditions that reveal who can be a megastar. As Triple H puts it, “You cannot teach charisma.” Khan and Levesque also preview WrestleMania 41, going down April 19-20 in Vegas. “It’s our Super Bowl,” says Khan. But minutes after it’s over, “a writer’s assistant will walk in and put Monday Night RAW in front of me,” Levesque adds. “We are the story that never ends.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Live from the stage at NAB Show in Vegas, Elaine Low talks with ‘Fire Country’ co-creators Joan Rater and Tony Phelan as well as CBS executives Bryan Seabury and Yelena Chak about the new boom in TV procedurals on broadcast and streaming. Hear about the inner workings of CBS Studios’ development process, what it takes to expand a storytelling universe and Rater's gentle but firm method of raising the creative bar. Says Phelan, who's her husband as well as her co-EP, "Joan is notorious in the writers room for saying things like, 'It's just not awesome.'" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Storytelling remains fundamental to entertainment. But who tells those stories and how is shifting. A new era of influence revealed itself at The Ankler’s just-wrapped Business of Entertainment program, in partnership with NAB Show in Vegas. Execs, creators and stars behind WWE (Nick Khan and Paul “Triple H” Levesque), Tribeca Festival and Sphere (Jane Rosenthal), Universal Music Publishing Group (Jody Gerson), Webtoon (David J. Lee and David Madden) and AI startup Incention (David S. Goyer), among others, took the stage to reveal an optimistic view of opportunity outside the traditional studio system. Elaine Low, Natalie Jarvey and Janice Min break it all down. Plus: How Trump’s tariffs plague Hollywood.For more entertainment news, subscribe to The Ankler or apply to The Ladder, a members-only hub for early career entertainment professionals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original movies in theaters? It’s true! Sean McNulty dials in from CinemaCon to tell Elaine Low about his reaction to Amazon’s bold film slate kickstarting a new era of studio leadership. Meanwhile, in L.A., Lesley Goldberg dishes with Elaine and Natalie Jarvey about the mess left in the wake of Jen Salke’s exit from Prime Video, and what agents and showrunners expect from TV head Vernon Sanders.For more entertainment news, subscribe to The Ankler or apply to The Ladder, a members-only hub for early career entertainment professionals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lesley Goldberg, a television industry expert, shares insights from her latest survey of top writers on improving TV development. Topics include the surprising resurgence of mini-rooms, with writers advocating for their return, and how Zoom pitching has altered the landscape, creating new opportunities. She discusses the need for better training for showrunners and highlights Amazon's growing role in film distribution. The conversation ultimately reveals the urgent need for fair compensation and creative control in today’s evolving industry.

Natalie Jarvey, author of the insightful Like and Subscribe newsletter, shares her expertise on the creator economy and Hollywood's evolving landscape. The conversation dives into the rising popularity of giants like MrBeast and Ms. Rachel, exploring their streaming successes and questions surrounding the Paul brothers' future. Jarvey discusses the challenges of transitioning digital creators to traditional media, the staggering losses of Apple TV+, and innovative collaborations between YouTube stars and platforms like Netflix.