Hollywood, The Sequel

Call up your bestie and pour a glass of wine, because this episode is all about one of the most underappreciated movie genres: chick flicks! Guests: Writer/director Susanna Fogel, writer/comedian Alex Edelman, and writing/directing team Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (“Freaky Tales,” “Captain Marvel”). NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING is a production of The Black List, LAist Studios, and The Ankler. New episodes premiere Tuesdays and you can listen to the show on the radio at LAist 89.3 Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 10 p.m. Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency! Support for this podcast is also brought to you by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes L.A. a better place to live.

In this episode, we’re grabbing our stethoscopes and throwing around the term “stat!” for an episode about medical dramas. Test your knowledge alongside our guests, actor and rapper Utkarsh Ambudkar and writer Tracey Wigfield. Guests: Actor and rapper Utkarsh Ambudkar (“Ghosts,” “My Dead Friend Zoe,” “The Mindy Project”), and comedy writer Tracey Wigfield (“Four Seasons,” “30 Rock,” “Good News”) NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING is a production of The Black List, LAist Studios, and The Ankler. New episodes premiere Tuesdays and you can listen to the show on the radio at LAist 89.3 Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 10 p.m. Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency! Support for this podcast is also brought to you by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes L.A. a better place to live.

Scrub down your cauldrons and polish your wands — this week on NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING we are delving into the world of magic! Or, at least, the world of movies and TV shows about magic. Guests: Writer Justin Halpern (“Abbott Elementary,” “$#*! My Dad Says”), actor/writer Mary Holland (“Ghosts,” “Nightbitch”), and writer Kim Rosenstock (“Dying for Sex,” “New Girl”). NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING is a production of The Black List, LAist Studios, and The Ankler. New episodes premiere Tuesdays. We will be back in your podcast feeds on MAY 27! In the meantime, you can listen to the show on the radio at LAist 89.3 Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 10 p.m. Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency! Support for this podcast is also brought to you by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes L.A. a better place to live.

On NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING, we love case-of-the-week shows with acronyms for names, from “NCIS” to “Chicago PD” to “Law and Order: SVU.” On this week’s show, we get in on the procedural fun with actors Taran Killam, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, and Anna Konkle. Listen as our guests pitch their own procedurals, and try to solve the crime of bad movies and TV. Guests: Actors Taran Killam (“Saturday Night Live,” “High Potential,” “The Residence,”) Mary Elizabeth Ellis (“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “A Man on the Inside,” “Licorice Pizza,”) and Anna Konkle (“PEN15,” “Side Quest,” “Rosewood.”) NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING is a production of The Black List, LAist Studios, and The Ankler. New episodes premiere Tuesdays and you can listen to the show on the radio at LAist 89.3 Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 10 p.m. Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency! Support for this podcast is also brought to you by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes L.A. a better place to live.

We’re giving into nostalgia and going full 90s mode with an episode about the many great (and some not so great) TV sitcoms of the decade. Guests: Actors Tichina Arnold (“The Neighborhood,” “Martin”), Vella Lovell (“Animal Control,” “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”) and Timothy Simons (“Nobody Wants This,” “Veep”). NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING is a production of The Black List, LAist Studios, and The Ankler. New episodes premiere Tuesdays and you can listen to the show on the radio at LAist 89.3 Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 10 p.m. Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency! Support for this podcast is also brought to you by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes L.A. a better place to live.

Martinis shaken, not stirred. Fast cars and shiny shoes. Villain monologues and absurd gadgets. From shagadelic parodies to suave 007 and serialized stories, we’re taking aim at spy movies. Guests: Actress Rose McIver (“Ghosts,” “iZombie”); writer/showrunner Raamla Mohamed (“Little Fires Everywhere,” “Reasonable Doubt,”); and writer/director Mark Anthony Green (“Opus”). NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING is a production of The Black List, LAist Studios, and The Ankler. New episodes premiere Tuesdays and you can listen to the show on the radio at LAist 89.3 Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 10 p.m. Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency! Support for this podcast is also brought to you by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes L.A. a better place to live.

Today we’re talking about the only truly noble pursuit there is — making movies! To honor the greatest industry in the world, this live episode of NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING is all about movies… about movies. Guests: Writer/actor Ashley Nicole Black (“A Black Lady Sketch Show,” “Shrinking”); writer/actor Paul Scheer (“Black Monday,” “The League”); and writer April Prosser (“Look Both Ways”) NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING is a production of The Black List, LAist Studios, and The Ankler. Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency! Support for this podcast is also brought to you by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes L.A. a better place to live. New episodes premiere Tuesdays and you can listen to the show on the radio at LAist 89.3 Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 10 p.m.

Legend has it that women have been a pivotal part of the film industry since its conception, even though some corners of the internet get really angry if you say that. But this week on NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING, our guests Lauren Lapkus, Jackie Tohn, and Michael Urie get to the bottom of the mystery that is women in film (in an episode written and produced by women, as all of our episodes are)! Guests: Actor Michael Urie (“Shrinking,” “Younger,” “Ugly Betty,”); actress and comedian Lauren Lapkus (“Comedy Bang Bang!” “Good Girls,”) and actress Jackie Tohn (“Nobody Wants This,” “GLOW”) NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING is a production of The Black List, LAist Studios, and The Ankler. Support for this podcast is also brought to you by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes L.A. a better place to live. Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency! New episodes premiere Tuesdays and you can listen to the show on the radio at LAist 89.3 Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 10 p.m.

Some people think space is the final frontier, but those people are wrong. It's actually time travel! Space, we've been there. But time travel has only happened in fiction. Still, just the thought of the possibility of rewriting the past is one we can't seem to shake, as evidenced by the movies that Hollywood continues to make about time travel — over and over and over again. Guests: Actor/comedian/writer Fortune Feimster ("FUBAR," "The Mindy Project"); writer Dana Fox ("Wicked," "Cruella"); and writer Abdullah Saeed ("Deli Boys," "Bong Appétit"). NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING is a production of The Black List and LAist Studios, in partnership with The Ankler. Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency! Support for this podcast is also brought to you by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes L.A. a better place to live. New episodes premiere Tuesdays and you can listen to the show on the radio at LAist 89.3 Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 10 p.m.

Hollywood is getting ready for luncheons and deleting old tweets, which is why this episode is all about the Oscars. When you give an awards speech in your bathroom mirror, we know what statue you’re pretending to hold. So this week on NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING, Oscar nominees Peter Straughan, Kris Bowers, and actress Caitlin Reilly duke it out for the ultimate award -- winning a game show where the points are made up by our host, Franklin Leonard. Guests: Screenwriter Peter Straughan (“Conclave”), composer Kris Bowers (“The Wild Robot”), and actress and comedian Caitlin Reilly (“Hacks,” “Loot”). NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING is a production of The Black List and LAist Studios, in partnership with The Ankler. Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency! Support for this podcast is also brought to you by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes L.A. a better place to live.New episodes premiere Tuesdays and you can listen to the show on the radio at LAist 89.3 Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 10 p.m.

Los Angeles has been through a lot this year. It’s hard to find a single person in Los Angeles who hasn’t been affected in some way by the recent wildfires. There’s so much to be sad and even scared about right now, but since we can’t fix all of that, we’re here to do what we know best — in the words of the great Donald O’Connor: “Make ‘em laugh.” In this episode, we honor all of our friends, neighbors, and nemeses that call Los Angeles home, and put on a show that’s all about the movies that make us proud to be Angelenos. Guests: Writer/director Jason Reitman (“Saturday Night,” “Up in the Air”); writer/director/producer Julie Plec (“The Vampire Diaries,” “The Originals”); and actor and host Joe Manganiello (“Deal or No Deal Island,” “Magic Mike”). NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING is a production of The Black List and LAist Studios, in partnership with The Ankler. This episode is presented by NEON, and the movie "Anora." Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency! Support for this podcast is also brought to you by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes L.A. a better place to live. New episodes premiere Tuesdays and you can listen to the show on the radio at LAist 89.3 Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 10 p.m.

The troubled childhood, the meteoric rise to fame, the tragic fall… We all know the basic outline of a music biopic, so how hard can it be to write one? Find out (along with our guests!) in this episode of NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING. Guests: Writer/director Dana Ledoux Miller ("Moana 2"); actor Jason Ritter ("Matlock"); and writer Joshua Zetumer ("Say Nothing"). NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING is a production of The Black List and LAist Studios, in partnership with The Ankler. This episode is presented by FX. Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency! Support for this podcast is also brought to you by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes L.A. a better place to live. New episodes premiere on Tuesdays and you can listen to the show on the radio at LAist 89.3 Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 10 p.m.

Like most of America, Hollywood has a…weird relationship with the rest of the world. The land of The Oscars, Westerns, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck is afraid of subtitles and loves to remake an international hit in English. Say bonjour to the NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING episode all about foreign films! Guests: Writer Zach Baylin (“King Richard,” “The Order”); actress and writer Stephanie Koenig (“English Teacher”); and actress and comedian Alyssa Limperis (“What We Do in the Shadows,” “Dexter: Original Sin”). NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING is a production of The Black List and LAist Studios, in partnership with The Ankler. This episode is presented by FX. Support for this podcast is also brought to you by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes L.A. a better place to live. New episodes premiere Tuesdays and you can listen to the show on the radio at LAist 89.3 on weekends.

This episode of NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING is all about breakthrough stars. We'll focus on film and television debuts and first-timers who struck gold, because if there's anything we’re certain that Hollywood loves, it's someone who's younger and more talented than the last young and talented person.Guests: Actress and singer Jasmine Cephas Jones (“Hamilton,” “Blindspotting”); writer and actor Tommy Dewey (“Casual,” “Saturday Night”); and writer Liz Hannah (“The Post,” “The Girl from Plainville”)NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING is a production of The Black List and LAist Studios, in partnership with The Ankler. This episode is presented by FX.Support for this podcast is also brought to you by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes L.A. a better place to live.New episodes premiere Tuesdays and you can listen to the show on the radio at LAist 89.3 on weekends.

From the team behind the first episode of NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING comes a second episode that’s bigger, bolder, and more explosive…That’s right, it’s a sequel! In this week’s episode, we take a page out of Gladiator II’s book and pit your favorite Hollywood minds against each other in the Colosseum…aka, make them play games in a small, enclosed studio. Does anyone actually know what it takes to make a good sequel? Guests: Actor and writer Joel Kim Booster (“Fire Island,” “Loot”); actress Michaela Watkins (“Suze,” “You Hurt My Feelings”); and screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes (“Queer,” “Challengers”). NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING is a production of The Black List and LAist Studios, in partnership with The Ankler. This episode is presented by FX. Support for this podcast is also brought to you by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes L.A. a better place to live. New episodes premiere Tuesdays and you can listen to the show on the radio at LAist 89.3 on weekends.

What makes a blockbuster, or a box office bomb? The truth is, as famed screenwriter William Goldman put it, “Nobody knows anything.” Join us each week as we put your favorite actors, directors, and writers through the wringer (aka through a series of games) to see if they’ve got what it takes to make it in this wild town.This episode is all about coming-of-age stories — movies and TV shows about first loves, schoolyard scrapes, and the realization that the world is far bigger than the block you live on.Guests: Actor, writer and director Natasha Lyonne (“Poker Face,” “Russian Doll”); actor and comedian Sherry Cola (“Joy Ride,” “Nobody Wants This”); director and Oscar-winning screenwriter Cord Jefferson (“American Fiction”). “NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING” is a production of The Black List and LAist Studios, in partnership with The Ankler. This episode is presented by FX.Support for this podcast is also brought to you by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes L.A. a better place to live.New episodes premiere Tuesdays and you can listen to the show on the radio at LAist 89.3 on weekends. The premiere episode is supported by presenting sponsor FX.

Author Cheryl Strayed and showrunner Liz Tigelaar on the new Hulu series Tiny Beautiful Things. And as Hollywood  faces a looming Writers Guild strike, a production slow down has already begun. Listen and subscribe to Retake at https://laist.com/podcasts/retake or wherever you get your podcasts. Support Retake by donating now at LAist.com/join  

Introducing Human/Nature, from LAist Studios, a podcast with a wild yet inspiring thesis: if you step outside and reconnect with nature in your own city, you'll feel better, reconnect with yourself, and find your place in the world. This podcast will empower you to reclaim your attention.  In Episode 1, host and nature activist Marcos Trinidad talks with Jenny Odell, an artist and author of the book, “How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy.” O'Dell talks about birdwatching, the repose of Oakland's bustling Morcom Rose Garden and why seeing a Wilson's Warbler always puts her in a good mood. Human Nature is sponsored by BetterHelp and our listeners get 10% off their first month of online therapy at BetterHelp.com/nature Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and LAist Studios present a new multi-season audio series that examines the myriad of stories of our cinematic history. Jacqueline Stewart, Chief Artistic and Programming Officer of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and a MacArthur Fellow, hosts the series.  The Academy Awards have been a source of iconic moments and cultural impact since the award ceremony began in 1929. The awards often reflect and amplify the political, economic, and the cultural movements of the time, and that's what season 1 of this podcast (“And the Oscar Goes To…”) is all about.  “And The Oscar Goes To…”premieres on Friday, March 25. This 10-episode season goes behind the scenes of touchstone years of the Academy AwardsⓇ, probing key social and cultural moments that have come to define the film industry and the broader artistic community. Episodes include revelatory interviews and in-depth conversations with Oscar winners, film artists, industry leaders, activists, and scholars, as well as archival audio and other exclusive content that will only be accessible through the podcast. Academy Museum digital engagement platforms, including this podcast, are sponsored by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Introducing WILD by LAist Studios, a podcast about origin stories. About those moments big and small that transform people forever. Season 1 of WILD: Home Forever is a time capsule of these kinds of moments captured during a global pandemic that left a lot of us "growing up" again while stuck at home for more than a year. In episode 1, we meet Daisy Figueroa who went back to her childhood home and decides to transform it. In the process, she creates her own business and redefines the standard of living for people in her community.  Sponsors include:  Match with a licensed therapist when you go to talkspace.com and get $100 off your first month with the promo code WILD.  This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

We are back with another episode of Yeah No, I'm Not OK.  Karla shot to fame when she wrote an essay about being an undocumented student at Harvard. But instead of book deals, she looked for more meaning in writing and exploring her identity. Along the way, she learned more about herself and tells Diane how the correct diagnoses, therapy, strict personal boundaries, and self-acceptance have all changed her life for the better. If you are having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the United States at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). You can find a list of additional resources at SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources. More information on borderline personality disorder here: https://www.borderlinepersonalitydisorder.org/consumer-recovery-resources/ Learn about DBT therapy here: https://www.onlinedbtcourses.com/ Subscribe to our newsletter to stay on top of new episodes with a note from Diane, recommendations from listeners and our team, and listener stories. Sign up at laist.com/newsletters. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Who is Diane Guerrero and why is she talking about mental health? In this episode, we learn more about Diane’s personal experience and her commitment to making mental health a priority in communities nationwide, especially communities of color. Then for the very first time, Diane sits down with her big brother Eddie to have an honest conversation about their family history of addiction, anxiety, and depression.   Subscribe to our newsletter to stay on top of new episodes with a note from Diane, recommendations from listeners and our team, and listener stories. Sign up at laist.com/newsletters. For more resources on addiction or to get help, please visit: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline. http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/sapc/  More support (via text) can be found at: https://www.crisistextline.org/ Additional Information on depression and anxiety can be found here: https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions/Depression This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Introducing Norco 80, the unbelievable true story about God, guns, survivalism and the bank robbery that changed policing in America forever. May 9th, 1980 began as a regular Friday in sleepy Norco, a small town about 48 miles east of Los Angeles, known mostly for its horse trails and old western look. But around 3:30pm, five masked men with assault rifles would attempt to rob the Security Pacific Bank downtown. Host Antonia Cereijido introduces us to a region that was rapidly becoming the “Bank Robbery Capital of the World'' in the 1980s. The robbers themselves describe the beginning hours of the ill-fated robbery, that forty years later is still used to justify the evolution of armed policing and crime response in America. Norco ‘80 is produced by LAist Studios in collaboration with Futuro Studios.

Deep in the Mojave Desert, there is a little town with a big name and a bizarre history: California City. For decades, real estate developers have sold a dream here: if you buy land now, you’ll be rich one day. Thousands of people bought this dream. Many were young couples and hard-working immigrants looking to build a better future. But much of the land they bought is nearly worthless. In this new podcast, host Emily Guerin tells a story of money, power and deception. Listen and subscribe to this limited series at laist.com/californiacity. California City sponsors include: Sun Basket is offering $35 off your order when you go right now to SUNBASKET.com/calcity and enter promo code calcity at checkout. Simplisafe: Try SimpliSafe today at SimpliSafe.com/CALCITY. You get free shipping and a 60-day risk free trial. There’s nothing to lose.

We don’t know yet how the entertainment industry will adapt and respond to the traumas of 2020 when production resumes full time. But from an Oscar winning director to gig workers behind the scenes, there’s broad agreement that not everything in Hollywood should return to the “good old days.”   Hollywood, The Sequel sponsors include: Korea Tourism: Visit Korea and experience delicious food, vibrant cities, and natural beauty. Please visit https://www.visitkorea.com.my/ Caltech: Cal Tech Science Exchange provides trustworthy answers, clear explanations, and fact-driven conversation on critical topics in science and technology. Please visit scienceexchange.caltech.edu 

Screenwriter Akiva Goldsman and Casting Director David Rubin predict how the crises of 2020 will be represented by Hollywood’s storytellers, from scripting to casting. And Indie filmmaker Ana Lydia Monaco tells how she was able to shoot a short film in July, despite the challenges of Covid-19 safety protocols.  

Glenn Close is hoping for a new “golden age of storytelling;” costume designer Ruth Carter is hoping for a new Hollywood with a much wider world view. But if there’s one thing they have in common, it’s that they can’t wait to get back to work. Hollywood, The Sequel sponsors include: Watch Emmy®-eligible programs from HBO at hbofyc.com With critically acclaimed dramas and insightful documentaries. FX Networks has important content to help understand the world today. The limited series “Mrs. America,” with Cate Blanchett and Sarah Paulson explores the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and the backlash that shifted the political landscape. And the documentary “AKA Jane Roe” reveals the complex truth behind Norma McCorvey’s role in America’s abortion debate. Available on Hulu, and also for Emmy consideration at https://www.fxnetworks.com/fyc

Full Frontal’s” Samantha Bee and Ramy Youssef, of Hulu’s “Ramy,” are making us laugh despite the times we’re living in.  But in their different ways, each is also trying to be an agent for change in how, and by whom, stories are told on television.  Hollywood, The Sequel sponsors include: HBO: Watch Emmy®-eligible programs from HBO at hbofyc.com FX: With critically acclaimed dramas and insightful documentaries. FX Networks has important content to help understand the world today. The limited series “Mrs. America,” with Cate Blanchett and Sarah Paulson explores the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and the backlash that shifted the political landscape. And the documentary “AKA Jane Roe” reveals the complex truth behind Norma McCorvey’s role in America’s abortion debate. Available on Hulu, and also for Emmy consideration at https://www.fxnetworks.com/fyc

When Netflix began its streaming service in 2008, the movie studios were happy to sell the company their old films and shows. In doing so, they ended up inadvertently creating their biggest rival. As Co-CEO and Chief Content officer Ted Sarandos says, being fast and nimble, and not fearing their bigger competitors, turned out to be Netflix's superpower.  Hollywood, The Sequel sponsors include: HBO: Watch Emmy®-eligible programs from HBO at hbofyc.com FX: With critically acclaimed dramas and insightful documentaries. FX Networks has important content to help understand the world today. The limited series “Mrs. America,” with Cate Blanchett and Sarah Paulson explores the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and the backlash that shifted the political landscape. And the documentary “AKA Jane Roe” reveals the complex truth behind Norma McCorvey’s role in America’s abortion debate. Available on Hulu, and also for Emmy consideration at https://www.fxnetworks.com/fyc

With the FX series "Pose," writer/director Janet Mock became the first trans woman of color to write and direct a TV episode. The show features more transgender actors in regular roles than any other scripted series. That kind of representation, Mock says, has real power to change attitudes and behavior toward trans people. She also believes that the industry gatekeepers are beginning to realize that she’s able to tell more than one kind of story.

While the pandemic rages on,  “Homeland” director Lesli Linka Glatter is part of a select group crafting safety protocols designed to allow production to resume. But she’s worried about another danger--that some of the gains made in racial and gender equity will slip away. She’s calling on her peers and the studios to make a firm commitment to hire outside their comfort zones.

For Hollywood executives trying to fix the industry’s diversity problem, producer and actor Gloria Calderon Kellett has a simple piece of advice: just do it--even if it means you have to work through your own discomfort. The showrunner of “One Day at a Time” points to her own writers’ room and cast as proof that it’s not a “favor” to hire a diverse team--it makes everybody’s storytelling richer and more honest.  Hollywood, The Sequel sponsors include: Stream We Are Freestyle Love Supreme beginning July 17, only on Hulu

When work resumes in Hollywood, the business of show business will be very different, from how films are made, to where they’re shown, to what defines a box office hit. “Mulan” Producer Jason Reed is dealing with those challenges now, as he waits for the much-delayed release of his film. But he’s hopeful that some of the changes will lead to lasting solutions to Hollywood’s problems. He’s advocating for better financial support for the freelancers who are the backbone of Hollywood’s gig economy. He’s also calling for changes in the executive suites, so that more diverse voices can “shift the dominant paradigm.” Hollywood, The Sequel sponsors include: Stream We Are Freestyle Love Supreme beginning July 17, only on Hulu

With his comedy series  “Black-ish” and  “#blackAF,” Kenya Barris has never avoided difficult conversations about race. Entertainment, especially comedy, he says, will push those conversations forward, but there need to be many more versions of what Black lives and other underrepresented experiences look like. Hollywood, The Sequel sponsors include: Stream We Are Freestyle Love Supreme beginning July 17, only on Hulu

Just as advocates for meaningful police reform say you can't simply reassemble broken pieces, Ava DuVernay argues that reform won’t be enough to fix Hollywood. The director of “Selma” and “When They See Us” believes it’ll take drastic change in the executive suites of the networks and studios if Hollywood wants to rid itself of bias.  Hollywood, The Sequel sponsors include: Stream We Are Freestyle Love Supreme beginning July 17, only on Hulu  

The ACLU lawyers in “The Fight,” Kerry Washington’s new documentary, want justice for all. And so, too, does Washington. The actor and producer says when work begins again, it won't be enough for Hollywood to be not racist. It has to be actively anti-racist if the industry wants to be an agent of change.  Hollywood, The Sequel sponsors include: Stream We Are Freestyle Love Supreme beginning July 17, only on Hulu

Introducing a new podcast from LAist Studios hosted by John Horn. Entertainment decision makers, celebrities, creators and beyond discuss how to fix Hollywood.