1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,480 Speaker 1: Don't you talk better than you fool I'll fool you 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:06,280 Speaker 1: up real now. You couldn't fool your mother on the 3 00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:08,560 Speaker 1: follingest day of your life if you had an electrified 4 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:10,400 Speaker 1: fooling machine. 5 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 2: Welcome to Daily Variety, your daily dose of news and 6 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:20,800 Speaker 2: analysis for entertainment industry insiders. It's Wednesday, February eleventh, twenty 7 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:24,319 Speaker 2: twenty six. I'm your host, Cynthia Lyttleton. I am co 8 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:28,160 Speaker 2: editor in chief of Variety alongside Ramin Setuda. I'm in LA. 9 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:30,960 Speaker 2: He's in New York, and Variety has reporters around the 10 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:34,320 Speaker 2: world covering the business of entertainment. In today's episode, we'll 11 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:37,839 Speaker 2: hear from Michael Schneider on The Simpsons. That show has 12 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:42,239 Speaker 2: hit the impossibly high bar of eight hundred episodes. Variety 13 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:44,919 Speaker 2: helped the cast and crew celebrate that milestone earlier this 14 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 2: month at a party in Hollywood that was original Simpson's 15 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:53,240 Speaker 2: Voice cast members Dan Castelenetta and Nancy Cartwright. You heard 16 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 2: in the cold open playing Homer and Bart in a 17 00:00:56,640 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 2: classic insult swapping match. Like an this show has truly 18 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:05,880 Speaker 2: become an American institution unto itself. But before we get 19 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 2: to all that, here are a few headlines just in 20 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 2: this morning that you need to know. Paramounts Guide Dances 21 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:14,800 Speaker 2: David Ellison has a new vocal ally in his fight 22 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 2: to acquire Warner Brothers Discovery. Ankora Holdings Group, a Cleveland 23 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:23,400 Speaker 2: based activist investor, has come out swinging hard against Netflix's 24 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:28,200 Speaker 2: proposed eighty three billion dollar acquisition of Warner Brothers and HBO. 25 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:32,000 Speaker 2: Ancora is advocating that Warner Brothers take Paramounts Guide Dance's 26 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:36,560 Speaker 2: higher hostile takeover offer that includes the entirety of the company. 27 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:39,560 Speaker 2: Anchora has about a two hundred million dollar position in 28 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 2: Warner Brothers Discovery, which is far less than one percent 29 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 2: of shares. Anchora's position is not enough to matter in 30 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 2: terms of the math of shareholder voting, but it is 31 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:51,320 Speaker 2: enough to be a thorn in the side of the 32 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 2: Warner Brothers Discovery board. The battle continues. The EW Script's 33 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 2: TV station group is about to implement a big effort 34 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 2: to use AI to to transform the operation of its 35 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 2: local stations that has people at the Cincinnati based company 36 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:09,520 Speaker 2: bracing for significant layoffs. Just a few years ago, Scripts 37 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 2: was making a mark with a national push for its 38 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 2: local news channels, but the local TV ad marketplace has 39 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:18,239 Speaker 2: been brutal in recent years, and they had to pull 40 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:20,960 Speaker 2: back on those efforts. The Super Bowl numbers are in. 41 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 2: The game itself was pretty dull, so it's not really 42 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 2: a surprise that Bad Bunnies, much talked about halftime show performance, 43 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:31,760 Speaker 2: did better on average in its thirteen minutes than the 44 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:34,160 Speaker 2: rest of the big game. The score in the end 45 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:37,000 Speaker 2: was Bad Bunny one hundred and twenty eight point two 46 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 2: million to Seahawks Patriots one hundred and twenty four point 47 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:44,400 Speaker 2: nine million. All in all, it was a very big crowd. 48 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 2: All of these stories and so much more can be 49 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:54,840 Speaker 2: found on Variety dot com right now and now it's 50 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:57,959 Speaker 2: time for conversations with Variety journalists about news and trends 51 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 2: and show business. Variety Television editor Michael Schneider has been 52 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:06,320 Speaker 2: all over the Simpsons eight hundred celebrations. Mike and Variety 53 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 2: helped host a panel and party on February sixth in 54 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:13,840 Speaker 2: Hollywood for the Simpsons cast and crew. We crafted a 55 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 2: video out of that as part of this week's deep 56 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:20,239 Speaker 2: look at the show's eight hundred episode milestone. Here's a clip, 57 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 2: followed by my interview with Michael. 58 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 3: M eight hundred episodes. Hi, everyone, I'm Michael Schneider for Variety. 59 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:30,400 Speaker 3: We're here to celebrate eight hundred episodes of the Simpsons. 60 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 3: Hi have fun rakes? Does anyone know Maya's fun Rakes? 61 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:41,240 Speaker 3: People don't know this, but we celebrate every single episode 62 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:43,480 Speaker 3: that we've put out. This is our eight hundredth K. 63 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 3: We've had enough. 64 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 2: I'm Steph Michael Schneider. Thanks for joining me the milestone 65 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:52,080 Speaker 2: of Simpson's eight hundred, eight hundred episodes. Let that sink in. 66 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 3: Think about this, Cynthia. When the Simpsons launched, I was 67 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 3: a junior in high school, no joke. I was writing 68 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 3: about the longevity of the Simpsons in like nineteen ninety six, 69 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:06,960 Speaker 3: So go figure, eight hundred episodes is pretty incredible. 70 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:10,080 Speaker 2: I was a big Tracy Ullman show fans, so I 71 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:12,840 Speaker 2: can honestly say I saw the birth of this franchise 72 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:16,360 Speaker 2: from those little shorts that were so wacky. Of course, 73 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:19,720 Speaker 2: Variety has been there from many years ago. Now the 74 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 2: one hundredth episode celebration, and Mike, you plugged in somewhere 75 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:26,720 Speaker 2: along that train, and you have done a number of 76 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:32,080 Speaker 2: those round number episode celebrations. What is left to discover? 77 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 2: What did you learn about the show doing this look 78 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:36,279 Speaker 2: at episode eight hundred. 79 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 3: I still watch The Simpsons every single week. I'm not 80 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 3: one of those haters who say it's not what it 81 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 3: used to be. As a matter of fact, over the 82 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:46,960 Speaker 3: past couple of years, particularly with Al Jean who was 83 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:49,840 Speaker 3: the showrunner until recently, and now Matt Sealman, who has 84 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:52,520 Speaker 3: really come in and revitalized I would say the show 85 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:57,000 Speaker 3: quite a bit. They're continuing to find new ways to 86 00:04:57,040 --> 00:05:01,120 Speaker 3: reinvigorate The Simpsons. Matt Salmon in particular, has been exploring 87 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 3: some of the more secondary characters. He's gotten a little 88 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:09,560 Speaker 3: deeper in terms of really diving into issues like mental 89 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 3: health and so some other really deep themes that maybe 90 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 3: the Simpsons hadn't really attacked in the past. Now they are, 91 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 3: and some of the creativity that we've seen over the 92 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 3: past couple of seasons on this show has been tremendous. 93 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:26,160 Speaker 3: I would say The Simpsons is at least as good 94 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 3: as it once was. 95 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 2: To mark this August occasion, you have a story that 96 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:32,720 Speaker 2: talks to some of the key creatives and does that 97 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:35,360 Speaker 2: kind of thirty thousand foot view on how they got 98 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 2: to eight hundred episodes. Within that the key players like 99 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:41,320 Speaker 2: Yardley Smith and Nancy Cartwright talk about very much from 100 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 2: the heart about what being on a show like this 101 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:47,760 Speaker 2: like this never happens in entertainment, but something this solid, 102 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:50,919 Speaker 2: this stable, where and this lucrative for the key cast 103 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:53,160 Speaker 2: members that have been with it since the beginning are 104 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:56,080 Speaker 2: nearly the beginning, just what that kind of longevity has 105 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 2: meant to them in their lives, everything from health concerns 106 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 2: to being able to pursue other passions while having this 107 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 2: incredible bedrock of a job. It really is astounding, and 108 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 2: I love that the story brings out key elements of that. 109 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 3: These are once in a lifetime jobs. You know. Having 110 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 3: covered the Simpsons as long as I have, of course 111 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 3: I also covered some of the contractual negotiations and renegotiations 112 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 3: among the cast, things got a little hairy at some 113 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:23,800 Speaker 3: point in the two thousands. 114 00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:25,400 Speaker 2: It did get contentious. 115 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:29,240 Speaker 3: We remember even at one point they started auditioning replacement 116 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:32,279 Speaker 3: voices to send a message to the stars. But things 117 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 3: worked out in the end, and at the same time, 118 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:37,799 Speaker 3: you know, the stars continued to make up pretty nice 119 00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:40,839 Speaker 3: living and that did allow folks like Yardley Smith, who 120 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:44,600 Speaker 3: I mentioned in my piece had a real health scare 121 00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:47,560 Speaker 3: a couple of years ago where she broke her neck 122 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:50,000 Speaker 3: and was really out of commission for at least a year. 123 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 3: She said being a part of The Simpsons allowed her 124 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 3: to recover and not have to worry about healthcare or 125 00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 3: worry about work. Since she had that nice nest egg 126 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:02,280 Speaker 3: from this show, Nancy Cartwright was able to raise her 127 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:04,640 Speaker 3: children and has been able to pursue all sorts of 128 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 3: different interests well at the same time working on The Simpsons. 129 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:12,080 Speaker 3: So it's been a nice gift to everyone involved in 130 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 3: that show. 131 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 2: Well, you have a deep dive into all of that 132 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:19,480 Speaker 2: that's in our Fabulous Print magazine this week. We also 133 00:07:19,640 --> 00:07:23,239 Speaker 2: have some really fun social extensions and a fun video 134 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 2: that captures an event that you hosted that Disney which 135 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 2: now owns The Simpsons through mostly for the cast and crew, 136 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:31,560 Speaker 2: which is pretty cool. 137 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 3: They had a nice event last Friday at the Fonda 138 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:38,120 Speaker 3: Theater in Hollywood, and Nancy Cartwright was there. Of course. 139 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 3: Matt Groening introduced the screening, and some big wigs, including 140 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 3: Dana Walden, who has a new job as we know 141 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:49,720 Speaker 3: Atratly Titled Firstly Titled, still found time to join in 142 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:53,400 Speaker 3: the festivities on Friday and along with her husband Matt, 143 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 3: and Dana mentioned that she happened to meet her husband 144 00:07:57,400 --> 00:08:01,200 Speaker 3: at the one hundredth episode party for The Simpsons. So 145 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:04,000 Speaker 3: a lot of party and a lot of good vibes. 146 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:07,239 Speaker 3: Nice to see something like the Simpsons still going strong 147 00:08:07,760 --> 00:08:09,000 Speaker 3: after all these years. 148 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:12,640 Speaker 2: That is hysterical. Homer has often said, is there nothing 149 00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:16,200 Speaker 2: a donut can't do? And apparently there's nothing the Simpsons 150 00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:20,160 Speaker 2: can't do, including making it a very senior executive match. 151 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 3: It is magic and the Simpsons one thing that they 152 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:26,480 Speaker 3: love to put on their marquees whenever they celebrate an 153 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:30,920 Speaker 3: anniversary is eight hundred episodes. Almost halfway there, and I'm 154 00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:34,760 Speaker 3: hoping the Simpsons is forever. I'm counting on my kids' 155 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:37,959 Speaker 3: kids to also enjoy the Simpsons. Let's hope that they 156 00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:39,400 Speaker 3: keep going for another eight hundred. 157 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:43,080 Speaker 2: Well. Matt Selman, who you mentioned, who recently went solo 158 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:45,959 Speaker 2: as sherunner, Matt Selman is good people. He's done a 159 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:48,600 Speaker 2: lot of good raised a lot of money for good causes, 160 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:52,520 Speaker 2: and is a stalwart of the animation community. And he 161 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:56,600 Speaker 2: talks in your story about Simpson's one thousand and it's 162 00:08:56,760 --> 00:08:59,320 Speaker 2: just ten short years away. You could close your eyes, 163 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:02,880 Speaker 2: you can absolutely see it. I have never covered Hollywood 164 00:09:02,920 --> 00:09:05,800 Speaker 2: without a Simpsons. I do remember when I first started, 165 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:08,839 Speaker 2: the Simpsons was going into syndication, and there were all 166 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:13,319 Speaker 2: these comparisons to The Flintstones. The Flintstones was successful in syndication, 167 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:15,719 Speaker 2: but it had been a very long time since an 168 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:19,640 Speaker 2: animated show had tried to go into the syndication market. 169 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:22,560 Speaker 2: And this was the frothy syndication market of the mid nineties, 170 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:26,840 Speaker 2: with Home Improvement and Seinfeld and then Friends just around 171 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:29,680 Speaker 2: the corner. Like it was a heady time. And suffice 172 00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:32,920 Speaker 2: it to say, the Simpsons is now a mainstay of 173 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:36,640 Speaker 2: local television stations. It's an astounding archive, and of course 174 00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:40,040 Speaker 2: it was the pillar of a whole cable channel for FX, 175 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:43,640 Speaker 2: the FXX channel, and for years the Simpsons and Family 176 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:46,080 Speaker 2: Guy were always in the top ten of what was 177 00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:50,079 Speaker 2: watched on Hulu. It has literally been the foundational building 178 00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:53,480 Speaker 2: block of so many products from Fox and now Disney. 179 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:55,560 Speaker 3: And by the way, that deal that they did way 180 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:58,280 Speaker 3: back in the day was allowed them to then move 181 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 3: The Simpsons onto Disney Place when that service started, and 182 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:05,280 Speaker 3: now you get all eight hundred episodes and even more 183 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:08,040 Speaker 3: of the Simpsons on Disney, Plus you get the movie 184 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:10,760 Speaker 3: as well. As we know there will be another Simpsons 185 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:13,840 Speaker 3: movie that once again Matt Selman has also overseen. So 186 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:17,360 Speaker 3: it's still a good time to be a Simpsons fan. 187 00:10:17,559 --> 00:10:20,040 Speaker 2: At the event, what was one of the most heartfelt, 188 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:23,280 Speaker 2: one of the funny moments that the cast members and 189 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 2: producers were talking about. 190 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 3: I think what's great is you could tell how much 191 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:31,920 Speaker 3: just James L. Brooks really appreciates this, and Matt Greening 192 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:35,160 Speaker 3: of course appreciates this. All of them are really grateful 193 00:10:35,320 --> 00:10:39,200 Speaker 3: to not only the networks and the studios, but also 194 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:43,400 Speaker 3: just the animators and all the people who day in 195 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:46,880 Speaker 3: and day out help make the Simpsons. And it's such 196 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:50,040 Speaker 3: a tight knit group, and it's a group that they 197 00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:52,720 Speaker 3: were really celebrating at this party. This wasn't a party 198 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:54,600 Speaker 3: that was for the public or for the fans. This 199 00:10:54,800 --> 00:10:57,760 Speaker 3: was for the animators, This was for the writers. This 200 00:10:57,960 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 3: was for the people who make that show and have 201 00:11:00,760 --> 00:11:03,840 Speaker 3: made it a success for eight hundred episodes. And you 202 00:11:03,880 --> 00:11:06,960 Speaker 3: could tell like this is a family that really just 203 00:11:07,040 --> 00:11:11,800 Speaker 3: appreciates the craft of making the Simpsons day after day, 204 00:11:11,880 --> 00:11:12,600 Speaker 3: year after year. 205 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:16,880 Speaker 2: And in Southern California where it was born. Absolutely, it's 206 00:11:16,880 --> 00:11:19,280 Speaker 2: a great story. Well, Mike, as always, thank you for 207 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:22,679 Speaker 2: keeping your eye on the calendar and noting these great milestones. 208 00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:30,719 Speaker 3: Yeah, I'll talk to you again at the nine hundred got. 209 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:36,480 Speaker 2: After all of this discussion of The Simpsons in its history, 210 00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:39,560 Speaker 2: of course, I dove into the Variety archives to see 211 00:11:39,559 --> 00:11:43,040 Speaker 2: what I could find. Don't forget listeners that The Simpsons 212 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:47,760 Speaker 2: premiered on Fox on December seventeenth, nineteen eighty nine, with 213 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:52,000 Speaker 2: a Christmas special. The regular series episodes debuted a few 214 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 2: weeks later, but the first ever full length episode of 215 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:59,719 Speaker 2: the Simpsons was actually a Christmas special. Thankfully, Variety gave 216 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:02,400 Speaker 2: it a really good review, and, as always with our 217 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:05,120 Speaker 2: reviews of movies and TV shows that are destined to 218 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:08,680 Speaker 2: be classics, there's one or two lines that stand out 219 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:13,080 Speaker 2: as either incredibly prescient or super relevant for the present day. 220 00:12:13,440 --> 00:12:17,160 Speaker 2: In the Simpsons Christmas Special review, that one is quote, 221 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:21,559 Speaker 2: new series should fit cunningly into the Fox lineup if 222 00:12:21,559 --> 00:12:25,520 Speaker 2: the characters and situations sustain the level of the initial 223 00:12:25,559 --> 00:12:29,600 Speaker 2: effort end quote. Remember Fox only had primetime programming a 224 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:32,080 Speaker 2: couple of nights a week at this point, but that 225 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:35,240 Speaker 2: was destined to change and The Simpsons was a huge 226 00:12:35,280 --> 00:12:42,160 Speaker 2: part of it. As we close out today's episode, here's 227 00:12:42,200 --> 00:12:45,160 Speaker 2: a few things we're watching for Werner Herzog has a 228 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:49,400 Speaker 2: new documentary coming out, and that's cause for celebration. Ghost 229 00:12:49,520 --> 00:12:53,400 Speaker 2: Elephants a look at master Trackers in Pursuit of an 230 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:56,120 Speaker 2: Animal long believed to be a myth, will be in 231 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:59,960 Speaker 2: limited release on February twenty seventh in theaters. It'll follow 232 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:03,360 Speaker 2: with its TV debut March seventh on National Geographic, and 233 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:06,360 Speaker 2: it'll be available on Disney Plus and Hulu the next day. 234 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:09,680 Speaker 2: Don't forget that A Dreamgirl's Revival is coming to Broadway 235 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:12,680 Speaker 2: this fall. Jennifer Hudson has signed on as a producer 236 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:15,520 Speaker 2: for this version of the musical that features all new 237 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:19,080 Speaker 2: choreography by Camille A. Brown and speaking as we did 238 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:22,320 Speaker 2: earlier of Bad Bunny and the super Bowl and Mike Schneider, 239 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:26,280 Speaker 2: do not miss Mike's expert post mortem story with the 240 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:29,800 Speaker 2: producers and directors of the Bad Bunny halftime Show. Mike 241 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:32,920 Speaker 2: really has a specialty of doing stories about how did 242 00:13:32,920 --> 00:13:36,319 Speaker 2: you pull off that incredible stunt on TV? He really 243 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:38,600 Speaker 2: got the goods on this one. You can find his 244 00:13:38,679 --> 00:13:42,160 Speaker 2: story on Variety dot Com and on our socials Before 245 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:45,480 Speaker 2: we go, Congrats to Kathleen Grace. She's been named Chief 246 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:48,679 Speaker 2: AI Officer for Lionsgate. She takes on the role after 247 00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:52,480 Speaker 2: serving as Chief Strategy Officer for the AI firm Vermilio. 248 00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:56,440 Speaker 2: Before that, she worked in development for the Imagine Entertainment 249 00:13:56,559 --> 00:14:01,040 Speaker 2: Discovery Communications joint venture dubbed New Form. Thanks for listening. 250 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:04,120 Speaker 2: This episode was written and reported by me Cynthia Littleton, 251 00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:08,360 Speaker 2: with contributions from Michael Schneider, Stick Snicks hick Picks. Please 252 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:11,200 Speaker 2: leave us a review at the podcast platform of your choice, 253 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:14,720 Speaker 2: and please tune in tomorrow for another episode of Daily Variety.