Showbiz Sandbox 136: Crafting A Story For The Grammys Through Triumph and Tragedy
February 13, 2012 · Leave a Comment
Los Angeles Times entertainment reporter Geoff Boucher was on assignment at the Grammy Awards when he heard about the the sudden death of pop star Whitney Houston over the weekend. While still covering music’s biggest night, Boucher was given two hours to write Houston’s obituary for the Sunday paper.
At the same time, David Wild was backstage at the Grammys putting the finishing touches on his script for the telecast. A contributing editor at Rolling Stone and best-selling author, Wild had less than 24-hours to work with Grammys producer Ken Ehrlich and revise the awards in the wake of Houston’s passing.
After an exhausting weekend Boucher and Wild join us to discuss how this year’s Grammys focused on two voices; one looking to the future with Adele winning six awards and one honoring the past by mourning the fresh tragedy of Houston’s death.
A whopping 40 million people watched this year’s Grammys telecast, though if we were to believe Nielsen few of them were under the age of 24. Brian Stelter of the New York Times stops by to explain why young people are watching television less often.
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Previous Episodes
Showbiz Sandbox 135: Is The SAG-AFTRA Merger Good For Hollywood?
February 6, 2012 · Leave a Comment
After years of humoring the idea it looks as if two of Hollywood’s largest labor unions may actually merge. Detailing the history of SAG and AFTRA, Jonathan Handel, a contributing editor at The Hollywood Reporter and an entertainment attorney, explains the reasons behind why the unions might want to merge and what it all means [...]
Showbiz Sandbox 134: Video-On-Demand Rides To The Rescue At Sundance
January 30, 2012 · Leave a Comment
This year’s Sundance Film Festival came to a close last weekend awarding top prizes to a wide range of movies. Independent film industry veteran Michael Tuckman sizes up this year’s festival and highlights some of its most noteworthy movies. Tuckman explains how video-on-demand has become a big part of the distribution strategy for such films, [...]
Showbiz Sandbox 133: Oscars Celebrate The Past; Sundance Discovers The Future
January 24, 2012 · Leave a Comment
This year’s Oscar nominations have finally been announced and they are full of surprises. Actors and actresses which seemed like shoe-ins for a nomination were completely overlooked. Films that nobody thought would be considered for Best Picture wound up in the list of nine nominated titles. Meanwhile up in Park City, Utah this year’s Sundance [...]
Showbiz Sandbox 132: Moviegoing Is Alive And Well In The Modern Age
January 16, 2012 · Leave a Comment
According to mainstream media, nobody goes to the movies anymore. However news about the death of movie theaters has been greatly exaggerated according to John Fithian, President of the National Association of Theater Owners. In fact, statistical trends for the last three decades show that movie attendance is actually on the rise. In a discussion [...]
Showbiz Sandbox 131: Broadway Flops Find New Life On The Road
January 9, 2012 · Leave a Comment
Even the worst Broadway flops can wind up turning a profit once they begin touring in cities throughout the world. Patrick Healy, the theater news and features reporter for the New York Times, explains how sometimes it doesn’t matter if you make it big on the Great White Way, provided you’re a hit in Buffalo. [...]
About Showbiz Sandbox
Showbiz Sandbox is a podcast featuring industry professionals J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward and Michael Giltz's humorous viewpoints, insightful analysis and insider opinions on the latest entertainment news headlines. The weekly podcast includes commentary, renown industry guests, as well as phone calls and emails from listeners who voice their own opinions on the child’s play of the entertainment business.
Send us news stories to cover at dirt@showbizsandbox.com or call us at 1-888-567-SAND (7263)
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Meet The Showbiz Sandbox Hosts
J. Sperling Reich has nearly 20 years of experience working in the entertainment industry. Besides covering show business as a journalist for numerous media outlets, Sperling is a highly regarded industry expert in cinema technology and new media. He works with some of the industry's leading motion picture exhibitors, studios and equipment manufacturers. [Read The Full Bio]
Karen Woodward is the ultimate Hollywood multi-hyphenate. After starting her career 15 years ago in the trenches of the William Morris Agency she has since worked in talent management, film-television production, promotions and advertising. Armed with a Master's Degree in Media Studies Karen presently helps dozens of today's top stars connect with their audience as one of the entertainment industry's leading social media consultants. [Read The Full Bio]
Michael Giltz is an award-winning freelance entertainment writer based in New York City. He covers all areas of the industry including movies, music, books, theater, TV and DVDs. Michael regularly contributes to the Huffington Post and the New York Daily News among many other international media outlets. [Read The Full Bio]