The Business

This week, Kim Masters talks to Alvaro Bedoya, a former FTC Commissioner, about why he objects to the Paramount-Warner Brothers merger. Bedoya says it will mean fewer jobs, higher subscription fees for consumers, and more censorship when the Ellison family - who own Paramount Skydance - control both CBS News and CNN. Bedoya also addresses a surprising accusation from Paramount’s Chief Counsel against some who oppose the merger.



Plus, Masters and Matt Belloni discuss the box office prospects for Steven Spielberg’s new movie Disclosure Day. Can the director, who popularized the summer blockbuster, still bring people out to the theaters?

This week, Eric Deggans talks to Eric Kripke, creator of the Amazon Prime series The Boys, about criticism of the show’s final season. Elon Musk went online to trash the finale of the politically provocative superhero satire, and some of the show’s less wealthy fans also didn’t care for it either. Kripke also talks about how The Boys managed to be pretty prescient about the current state of the country, and whether the franchise–with its multiple spinoffs–is actually becoming like the superhero genre it mocks.

Plus, Kim Masters and Matt Belloni discuss the firing of CBS’ 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley. The duo also discuss the success of the movie Backrooms, and how it made its leap from YouTube to the big screen.

This week, Kim Masters talks to Jack Thorne, who won all the prizes for writing the Netflix series Adolescence, about his new series, an adaptation of the novel Lord of the Flies. They also discuss how Adolescence revealed Netflix’s stunning global reach, and why series star Stephen Graham has a co-writing credit, even though Graham doesn’t actually write. Thorne also tells Kim about being diagnosed as autistic in his mid-40s.

Plus, Kim and Matt Belloni discuss the major shakeup at CBS’ 60 Minutes. Bari Weiss, the controversial head of the network’s news division, fired two correspondents and other staff, and hired someone with no broadcast news experience to run the vaunted show.

This week, Eric Deggans talks to Courtney Kemp, co-creator of the Netflix crime drama Nemesis, about the changing TV landscape, and whether she sees Hollywood standing by diversity initiatives despite the pushback from the Trump administration. She also explains how some executives who give her notes don’t necessarily grasp what matters to her audience. After signing an overall deal with Netflix in 2021, Kemp developed Nemesis, a Los Angeles-set crime story built around ambition, class, and power.

[Editor’s note: this segment was taped before it was announced that Kemp had signed an overall deal with Apple TV, and did not renew her deal with Netflix.]

Plus, host Kim Masters and Matt Belloni discuss the end of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the penultimate episode of which included a jab by Bruce Springsteen directed at Larry and David Ellison. The duo also assess the latest Star Wars release - The Mandalorian and Grogu. Disney has a lot riding on whether the franchise can successfuly turn a popular TV series into a box office hit.

[Editor’s note: this segment was taped before the final episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert aired.]

Kim Masters wraps up her two-part conversation with legendary actor William Shatner and famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. Shatner reflects on his deeply emotional journey to space at age 90 and Tyson shares why he isn’t picky about the show biz gigs he takes. The pair also reflect on technological disruption, including how the rise of AI inspired Shatner to record a heavy metal album about the Industrial Revolution. Their two-night live event, The Universe is Absurd, will be at The Saban Theatre May 19-20.

Plus, Masters and Matt Belloni break down the strength of the new AI protections outlined in the recently finalized four-year agreement between SAG-AFTRA and the studios. They also discuss Disney’s awkward upfronts pitch, and Netflix’s continued expansion into live sports and events.