ZOOM

Hail to the screen! One hundred years ago, Hollywood couldn't have been farther from Washington D.C. Until one ambitious studio boss united film glamour and political power and invented a new kind of star-spangled campaigns. Learn how the movies influenced major historic elections, including the losing race of a socialist who scared rich filmmakers to death and the winning race of an actor best known for co-starring with a chimpanzee. Let's go inside the White House’s private movie theater to judge former presidents’ favorite movies. Plus, we'll look at how Hollywood has shaped our image of a good Commander-in-Chief and find out what happened when 16 fictional movie presidents competed in their own election. Can we trust us movie fans to make the right decision? Special guest: Irresistible casting director Meredith Tucker.

How Did Politicians Become Movie Stars? (And Vice Versa!) A new episode of ZOOM drops tomorrow.

All hail! Divas demand worship, from Beyoncé and Barbra to the fictional Grace Davis in the new flick The High Note. But these powerful women aren't content to merely conquer music -- they want Hollywood, too. Why do divas risk their reputations for a shot at the big screen? Who's succeeded? And how did "diva" go from reverence to insult? Let's trace the history of the word back to the living gods of Ancient Rome, where Caligula put his own spin on "Slay!" Then, let's meet the opera and silent film stars who embraced the word and defied social taboos small and large, whether feeding their pet alligators champagne or openly celebrating their own worth. Perhaps we should be a bit more diva? Special guest: The High Note director Nisha Ganatra.

Our next episode features divas in film with a special look at the upcoming film The High Note. Don't miss it — subscribe today!

"Emma" is the novel that made Jane Austen famous. But soon after it was published, she died—leaving her family and fans to debate if she was a prim spinster... or a secret radical. Zoom's second season hails groundbreaking cinematic storytellers, and there's no one cooler to kick it off with than this wildly misunderstood author, whose stories filmmakers keep turning to again and again. We explore Jane's hidden politics, and how they went missing from Hollywood adaptations... then dive into the innovative new screen version of "Emma" that finally keeps Austen weird. Special guests: "EMMA." (2020) Director Autumn de Wilde and Elisa Donovan, aka Amber from "Clueless."

ZOOM returns this Friday with the tea on Jane Austen...

Blimey! In the new "Downton Abbey" movie, King George and Queen Mary have invited themselves to Downton, panicking everyone upstairs *and* downstairs. But no one would be more terrified to appear in a movie than King George himself, who in real life banned all fictional portrayals of himself and his family. Today, of course, movies and TV shows about the Royals are practically a genre unto themselves. Let's trace the long, surprising history of the love affair between mass media and the British monarchy, and ask why audiences are so eager for a peek into the palace (and why we should be glad there's no Smell-O-Vision). Special guest: "Downton Abbey" creator/producer Julian Fellowes and show/film historical advisor Alastair Bruce of Crionaich.Get tickets to see Downton Abbey only in theaters: downtonabbeytickets.comPre-order now at apple.co/downtonabbeymovie

Three cheers -- or er, braaaaains -- for the movie zombie, which turns 100 this year. How did the zombie get a death grip on our culture? Let's track the monster back to World War I, where it first crawled out of the grave, before it took a bite out of everything from shopping malls to armageddon preppers. Want to learn how to survive a zombie apocalypse? Hear from experts like "World War Z" author Max Brooks and the U.S. government's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Special guest: actress Chloë Sevigny ("The Dead Don't Die").

We're thinking zombies... tune in next week.

What are the perks of being a celebrity horse actor? Famous Hollywood horses haven't just been pampered and groomed—they've been forgiven for murder and forgiven for being Bryan Adams' #1 fan. It's a great job. But how do you get it? Special guest: writer/director Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre ("The Mustang").

In 1902, audiences went crazy for a moon man with lobster hands. Since then, aliens have conquered our imagination – and our planet, and our bodies, and our politics. (And even convinced a president he saw a UFO.) What do movie extraterrestrials really want from us? Special guest: writer/director Rupert Wyatt ("Captive State").

ZOOM premieres Thursday, March 14th