Welcome to Episode 143 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. Joe Millionaire returns.
Dan has a lot of thoughts about the revival of this once controversial Fox unscripted show, which returns with a new twist and to a vastly different TV landscape than when it originally aired nearly two decades ago.
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2. November TV preview.
Last year at this time, broadcast shows were just getting back on the air after resuming production following the industry-wide COVID-related shutdown. This year, however, November TV is largely about high-profile streaming shows with the launches of Dickinson, The Shrink Next Door, Hawkeye, Head of the Class, South Side, The Sex Lives of College Girls, The Great, Cowboy Bebop, Gentefied, The Game, Mayor of Kingstown and so many more.
3. Levy vs. Levy.
Schitt’s Creek Emmy winners Dan Levy and Eugene Levy are set to host two vastly different unscripted shows for two rival streamers as the father-son duo prepares to go head-to-head next year.
4. Showrunner Spotlight.
Clyde Phillips joins the podcast this week to preview what to expect from Showtime’s Dexter: New Blood. The revival does not wipe out the horrendous former finale (sorry, not sorry but Lumberjack Dexter remains one of the worst series enders of all time) but instead charts a new course for the serial killer with a conscience. Phillips also reveals that Showtime had worked with another writer on a different take to bring Dexter back from the dead — featuring Dex as an EMT! — but ultimately the premium cable network wanted Phillips (who ran the beloved first four seasons of the original series) to steer its return. “The theme I pitched Michael C. Hall was about fathers and sons,” Phillips tells us.
5. Critic’s Corner.
As usual, every episode ends with Dan’s thoughts on what to watch (or skip). This week, he weighs in on the final season of Apple’s Dickinson and Netflix’s beloved Big Mouth.
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 TVsTop5@THR.com.
Coming next week: An interview with The Great showrunner Tony McNamara.
