WEBVTT - Billions Co-Executive Producer on Crisis Response

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<v Speaker 1>This is Bloomberg Business Week with Carol Masser and Jason

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<v Speaker 1>Kelly on Bloomberg Radio. We have been so looking forward

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<v Speaker 1>to this next guest Billions of Course, season five, And

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<v Speaker 1>I got to say, for those of us who cover

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<v Speaker 1>business news, it's always been about a game of what's fact,

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<v Speaker 1>what's fiction? The characters on the screen who are there

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<v Speaker 1>in real life. It's a great and popular series on Showtime.

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<v Speaker 1>Full disclosure. Jason and I watch it. April Taylor is

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<v Speaker 1>co executive producer and unit manager on Billy And she's

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<v Speaker 1>also a founding member of the recently created New York

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<v Speaker 1>producers COVID Response Alliance. It's committed to relaunching production in

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<v Speaker 1>New York State post virus. She joins us on the

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<v Speaker 1>phone from Montalk, and that's where we want to start. April.

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<v Speaker 1>First of all, welcome to Bloomberg Radio. UM, I hope

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<v Speaker 1>you're doing well. Those important to you and your team.

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<v Speaker 1>Everybody's doing okay. Thank you so much for having me, Carol,

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<v Speaker 1>And I'm I'm pleased to say that I am doing

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<v Speaker 1>doing okay. And um fortunately those um in my my

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<v Speaker 1>friends and family circles are relatively okay, and those in

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<v Speaker 1>our production circle on our show, and so many other

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<v Speaker 1>in our community are are managing pretty well right now.

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<v Speaker 1>We're happy eats and not have had a major outbreak,

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<v Speaker 1>so um well and and managing right now April is

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<v Speaker 1>one thing. And and we do want to talk about

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<v Speaker 1>what you're working on to sort of get folks back

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<v Speaker 1>to work safely. Uh in many ways, you know, Carol

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<v Speaker 1>mentioned this group that you have been a part of

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<v Speaker 1>starting what does it look like? How do we do

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<v Speaker 1>this in a responsible way? Because we all love these

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<v Speaker 1>shows and maybe more importantly, they're a big economic engine

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<v Speaker 1>for this part of the world. UM. Yeah, I mean

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<v Speaker 1>we as a group of New York producers came together. UM.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, many of us had navigated the shutdown, UM,

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<v Speaker 1>which was a rather hectic affair and UM scary time

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<v Speaker 1>to live in realizing that UM times we're going to change,

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<v Speaker 1>and you know, we're all using terms like the new

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<v Speaker 1>normal or you know whatever, UM whatever your industry is

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<v Speaker 1>attaching to. But we realize that there's going to have

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<v Speaker 1>to be some substantial changes to how we how we

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<v Speaker 1>make any TV film product going forward. And we're working

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<v Speaker 1>really closely with the industry with UM all of our

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<v Speaker 1>partners in the industry and with the CUOMO Task Force too,

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<v Speaker 1>have discussions that are you know, guiding us into new solutions. Um.

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<v Speaker 1>Those discussions are you know, obviously coming from a health

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<v Speaker 1>and safety standpoint, looking at every aspect of our industry

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<v Speaker 1>and what we do and how we do it. Uh.

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<v Speaker 1>Those things are unique in New York, um as they

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<v Speaker 1>you know, are different in l A or in Atlanta

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<v Speaker 1>or any other region. Um. We're focusing our efforts on

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<v Speaker 1>this area that has had, you know, obviously such an

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<v Speaker 1>tense outbreak and has this great density issue. So UM,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, Uh, there's really not gonna be any stone unturned.

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<v Speaker 1>And the kind of conversations we're having are ranging from

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<v Speaker 1>the basic ppe conversations that every industry is having to

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<v Speaker 1>you know, how do we socially distanced while filming UM

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<v Speaker 1>actors and people who are obviously vulnerable to not being

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<v Speaker 1>able to wear pp on on a on a set.

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<v Speaker 1>So UM, we're just you know, going through all the

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<v Speaker 1>factors right now. Well, and I do wonder I do

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<v Speaker 1>wonder too, like like, well, will there be insurance liability

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<v Speaker 1>questions that come into this? I mean, do the dynamics

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<v Speaker 1>and the economics of the business also turn change, April.

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<v Speaker 1>Because of things like that, I think we'd be foolish

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<v Speaker 1>to think, Uh, any industry would not be having intense

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<v Speaker 1>conversations with regard to insurance and risk management and um,

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<v Speaker 1>you know how we all look at our our employees

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<v Speaker 1>and our companies. Um, these things are you know, the

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<v Speaker 1>insurance the insurance business and their response to a pandemic.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't think any of us have seen really what

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<v Speaker 1>that's going to yield yet, but certainly there are a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of considerations for people's privacy that are now being

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<v Speaker 1>you know, discussed with respect to testing protocols that it

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<v Speaker 1>might be implemented. Um, and you know all of the

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<v Speaker 1>resulting you know, medical disclaimers and comfort level that we

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<v Speaker 1>all have to have with sharing our personal information. UM.

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<v Speaker 1>And that's you know, that extent that is so not

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<v Speaker 1>a production issue, that is every company's issue. You are

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<v Speaker 1>listening to Bloomberg Business Week, excited to get back into

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<v Speaker 1>our conversation with April Taylor, co executive producer of Billions

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<v Speaker 1>that season five debut it is right ahead of us

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<v Speaker 1>this coming Sunday, May third. Couldn't be more excited, especially

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<v Speaker 1>as I feel like I've been binging all sorts of things.

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<v Speaker 1>But it's all been leading up to this April I

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<v Speaker 1>gotta ask. I mean, this is a show that obviously

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<v Speaker 1>we're both fans of, me especially, and I was worried

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<v Speaker 1>when it first came on that was going to feel

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<v Speaker 1>like a little bit of a busman's holiday, given what

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<v Speaker 1>we do for a living. And and yet it's a

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<v Speaker 1>breakaway hit. I love it, so many others do. Why

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<v Speaker 1>do you think it is? Like, what is the zeitgeist

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<v Speaker 1>that it's capturing here? I think from the business community,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, there's a lot of um the writers who

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<v Speaker 1>are really cybeless job of you know, harvesting some real

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<v Speaker 1>life stories that kind of feed into UM into the storyline,

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<v Speaker 1>sometimes in a in a in a real way. Sometimes

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<v Speaker 1>they're a little bit embellished UM. And I think that

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<v Speaker 1>the rabbitat Tat kind of Tommy Gunn New York fast

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<v Speaker 1>talking nous of the nature of most of the characters.

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<v Speaker 1>It a big um attraction for many of us in

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<v Speaker 1>the New York area in particular, but I think in general, um,

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<v Speaker 1>you know that there the fact that the character's minds

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<v Speaker 1>all works so fast, and that they have these you know,

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<v Speaker 1>machiavellian brains that kind of you know, out fox each other,

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<v Speaker 1>uh at every turn, building to this intricate UM story.

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<v Speaker 1>Every season is something that is exciting and and that

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<v Speaker 1>is entertaining well. And I gotta say, what's entertaining for us, April,

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<v Speaker 1>no doubt about it is we'll be like, Okay, that

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<v Speaker 1>feels like this corporate raider or this hedge fund individual.

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<v Speaker 1>And you know, all of us who have been covering

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<v Speaker 1>Jason's been covering it for several decades, me too, and

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<v Speaker 1>so it's just great to kind of, you know, compare

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<v Speaker 1>it to you know, reality UM. I got a chance

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<v Speaker 1>to catch up with Brian Coppleman and David Levine. They

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<v Speaker 1>did a panel here at Bloomberg to talk about the series,

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<v Speaker 1>and they had some great conversations about some of the

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<v Speaker 1>real life folks that they talked to and anecdotes. How

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<v Speaker 1>often are you guys, you know, having something from a

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<v Speaker 1>headline or reaching out to somebody in the financial community

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<v Speaker 1>to say, Okay, how would you guys play this? How

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<v Speaker 1>would you do it? I think that the writers are

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<v Speaker 1>doing that on a on a on a regular basis,

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<v Speaker 1>and I think that a lot of the color of

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<v Speaker 1>the show UM is having that kind of real insight

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<v Speaker 1>that only people in the industry can grab onto and

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<v Speaker 1>know is it is a true It's either a truth

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<v Speaker 1>or heavily rumored um, you know truth. Um. So I

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<v Speaker 1>think that that's something that they're they're constantly doing and

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<v Speaker 1>looking for, you know, exciting tidbits to throw in there

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<v Speaker 1>that they know or a wink or any you know,

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<v Speaker 1>or any story as we call them. Well and April

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<v Speaker 1>one of the other interesting things. And I think, just

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<v Speaker 1>sort of going back to our broader conversation about New York,

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<v Speaker 1>is New York is really a character in this show

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<v Speaker 1>in many ways. And I know that. I mean there

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<v Speaker 1>was I believe it was the season premier last season, um,

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<v Speaker 1>where Chuck is sort of going from place to place

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<v Speaker 1>to place, and it was almost this treasure hunt through

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<v Speaker 1>New York City and you know, this restaurant and this

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<v Speaker 1>place and this building. It feels like you guys invest

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<v Speaker 1>pretty heavily in this notion of making the city and

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<v Speaker 1>its environs sort of a character fair. Oh, extremely fair.

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<v Speaker 1>And I think that's one of the you know, major

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<v Speaker 1>appeals as a producer on the show. I think it's

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<v Speaker 1>so appealing that we, you know, get to go to

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<v Speaker 1>all these great places, and that the writers you know,

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<v Speaker 1>and the creators of the show, Brian and David, are

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<v Speaker 1>New Yorkers, and that there is a real love of

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<v Speaker 1>the New York News that surrounds all of these people

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<v Speaker 1>and that helps to find them and and you know,

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<v Speaker 1>color there their world, you know, the Upper East Side

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<v Speaker 1>of you know, Chuck Senior, and you know the cool

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<v Speaker 1>Bobby acts Rot and you know, the different kind of

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<v Speaker 1>environments they find themselves in, and Chuck being part of

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<v Speaker 1>this sort of you know, a lot of the old

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<v Speaker 1>guard and riding the middle to a certain degree, UM

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<v Speaker 1>is just you know that it gives us a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of opportunity, UM, to really showcase New York. And that's

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of the reason why, you know, as as

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<v Speaker 1>a passionate producer, you know, I was one of the

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<v Speaker 1>people that jumped into this, you know, early effort to

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<v Speaker 1>start make sure that we were going to revitalize New

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<v Speaker 1>York film production as soon as we can. I have

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<v Speaker 1>to say, right is somebody who's you know, lived um

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<v Speaker 1>worked in New York for such a long time. It

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<v Speaker 1>is like such a wonderful postcard UM and and it

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<v Speaker 1>reminds me of sex in the city a lot in

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<v Speaker 1>that you just went to the hotspots, the places that

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<v Speaker 1>everybody was talking about or would be talking about as

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<v Speaker 1>a result of including them in the show. Yeah. I

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<v Speaker 1>mean I worked on Sex in the City for a

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<v Speaker 1>season many years ago, and I my background is actually

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<v Speaker 1>from locations, so I have a particular passion with respect

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<v Speaker 1>of this subject. Um. But it was the first instance

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<v Speaker 1>where people would call us and say, please come and

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<v Speaker 1>film in our brand new, very high end restaurant, um

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<v Speaker 1>for you know, little or no money, just because the

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<v Speaker 1>publicity became such a big part of that experience. And um,

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<v Speaker 1>billions is not far behind that. I mean we have

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<v Speaker 1>we really do have a lot of recognition now and

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<v Speaker 1>people like what it says when we've come and put

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<v Speaker 1>them on the screen. Well, and I love I will

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<v Speaker 1>say this is I don't want to go too far

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<v Speaker 1>down a rabbit hole here. But um, the music also

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<v Speaker 1>is unbelievable and uh it features just a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>great music and not you know, the the obvious music.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, Jason Zabel, drive by truckers, things like that,

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<v Speaker 1>and I think a lot of that comes from from

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<v Speaker 1>Coppleman especially. Um, I do have to ask you, like

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<v Speaker 1>give us a preview of this season. What are we

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<v Speaker 1>gonna see? We sort of saw, I believe, the sort

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<v Speaker 1>of uneasy alliance at the end of last season between

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<v Speaker 1>Bobby and Chuck. Am I remembering that right? Um? Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>I mean it was. It was I think a very

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<v Speaker 1>delicate a lot. And I think we see we see

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<v Speaker 1>these two powerhouses with that are incredibly smart and have

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<v Speaker 1>slightly different tactics and egos you know, um make their

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<v Speaker 1>way through this complicated maze again. Um. And and you know,

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<v Speaker 1>we have some really great new people that have joined us,

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<v Speaker 1>new actors that have joined us this season. Um, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>the the incredible Corey Stoul and Julianna, Margalie's and um

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<v Speaker 1>some so we've really had some some fun introductions and

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<v Speaker 1>it's kind of expanded our our world a little bit.

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<v Speaker 1>And you know, I think everyone is going to find

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<v Speaker 1>that there's um a very very fun and exciting season

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<v Speaker 1>ahead of them. Well we just have to say, um,

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<v Speaker 1>we are delighted to have you here with us. Good

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<v Speaker 1>luck with the season. And I know you guys had

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<v Speaker 1>a pause of course because of the virus, so good

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<v Speaker 1>luck in getting production back up and running, and um,

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<v Speaker 1>good luck with the coalition. Let us know if there's

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<v Speaker 1>anything more we can do on that front. UH so

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<v Speaker 1>delighted to have with us, Abel Taylor, Co executive producer,

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<v Speaker 1>unit production manager on Billions, joining us on the phone

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<v Speaker 1>from Lantak