Welcome to Episode 118 of TV’s Top 5, The Hollywood Reporter‘s TV podcast.
Every week, hosts Lesley Goldberg (West Coast TV editor) and Daniel Fienberg (chief TV critic) break down the latest TV news with context from the business and critical sides, welcome showrunners, executive and other guests, and provide a critical guide of what to watch (or skip, as the case may be).
This week’s five topics are:
1. Upfronts preview.
Crunch time for the broadcast networks has arrived as ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and The CW are reviewing pilots and making renewals and cancellations ahead of their (virtual and pre-taped) upfront presentations to ad buyers this month. This segment explores the latest on bubble shows, pilot buzz and what to expect from the new executive regimes at ABC and NBC.
2. Late-night farewells.
Conan O’Brien and Lilly Singh will each sign off of their respective late-night shows in June as this segment explores how the landscape has dramatically changed from Jay Leno’s tenure at the Tonight Show.
3. Network check-in: IMDb TV.
Amazon’s free, ad-supported streamer made waves at its Newfronts presentation this week with new series orders for a procedural from Dick Wolf and a high school comedy based on the lives of musicians Tegan & Sara. This offers a look at what IMDb TV’s strategy and how it compares to networks we’ve seen before.
4. Showrunner Spotlight.
Meredith Scardino, the Kimmy Schmidt and Colbert Report Emmy winner, joins the show this week to preview Peacock’s star-studded musical comedy Girls5eva. The girl-group comedy takes its roots from ’90s bands like the Spice Girls and explores themes like women supporting women, balancing family and career, life as a 40-something and, yes, music’s harmful patriarchy. Scardino also takes us through how the show’s musical comedy songs were crafted and how much talented vocalists Renee Elise Goldsberry and Sara Bareilles helped the creative process. Plus how Paula Pell and Busy Philipps helped deliver the show’s comic relief.
5. Critic’s Corner.
As usual, every episode ends with Dan’s guide to what to watch (or skip) in the week ahead. This week, he offers reviews of Peacock’s Girls5eva, Netflix’s Jupiter’s Legacy, Showtime’s Ziwe, Apple’s Mythic Quest, HBO’s Crime of the Century and HBO Max’s Hacks.
Hear it all now on TV’s Top 5. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to never miss an episode. (Reviews welcome!) You can also email us with any topics or Mailbag questions you’d like to be addressed in future episodes at .
