DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ HBO’s ‘Succession’ Dominates Emmy Nominations in Uncertain Year
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The moment of triumph for HBO is coming at a time of transition for the network, which since last year has been run by a debt-ridden parent company, Warner Bros. The network is now part of a streaming service that removed its call letters (bye HBO Max, hello Max). HBO had the three most nominated shows: “Succession” (27), “The Last of Us” (24) and “The White Lotus” (23). It was in 1992, when NBC landed nominations for “I’ll Fly Away,” “L.A. Law,” “Law & Order” and “Quantum Leap.” All four series lost to that year’s winner, “Northern Exposure,” from CBS.

Persons: ”, HBO Max, Max, ” Roy, Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, Brian Cox, L.A, Jason Sudeikis, “ Ted Lasso, Jeremy Allen White, Bill Hader, “ Barry, ” Jason Segel, Martin, Quinta Brunson, “ Abbott, ” Brunson, Isabel Sanford, Christina Applegate, ” Rachel Brosnahan, Maisel, ” Natasha Lyonne, Jenna Ortega Organizations: HBO, Warner Bros ., Brothers, Netflix, Warner Bros, NBC, CBS, “ Locations: The

☆ Dragons, Jedi and zombies find a seat at the Emmy table
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Dragons and zombies and Jedi, oh my. HBO’s gaudy show of force – with half the best-drama nominees and 127 bids overall, the highest total of any individual network or service – featured a combination of both. "Obi-Wan Kenobi," starring Ewan McGregor, was one of three "Star Wars" series to receive multiple Emmy nominations. Fabio Lovino/HBOWhen those nominees need to begin rehearsing their acceptance speeches is itself a source of mystery as of now. The last time a delay of the Emmys happened: 2001, after the September 11 terror attacks.

Persons: we’ll, “, ”, Barry, Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, –, Obi, Wan, Ewan McGregor, “ Andor, “ Obi, haven’t, Jenna Ortega, “ Dahmer, Jeffrey Dahmer, Evan Peters, Dominique Fishback, ” Dominique Fishback, “ Barry, Maisel, Ted Lasso ”, Saul, Trevor Noah, John Oliver ”, Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin, Jeremy Strong, Aubrey Plaza, Will Sharpe, Theo James, Meghann Fahey, Fabio Lovino, Frank Scherma Organizations: CNN, HBO, Warner Bros ., Lucasfilm, “, Amazon, Television Academy, Fox, Variety Locations: Dragons, “

☆ ‘Uncle Vanya’ Review: Confidences by Candlelight
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Laura Collins-Hughes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Leaning close in the flickering candlelight, Sonya and the man who makes her stomach flutter share a sneaky midnight snack. He is Astrov, her houseguest, and he is frankly a bit of a mess — drinks too much, is in fact drunk at the moment. He is also endearingly odd and smart and sweet, an eco-nerd physician who’s sending her some incredibly mixed signals. So is Sonya’s Uncle Vanya, whose play this is meant to be. Doomed to receive nothing better from Yelena, the professor’s wife, than a pathetic kiss on the forehead, Vanya doesn’t even have a woman to love him.

Persons: Sonya, We’re, ”, sotto, Laura, Uncle Vanya, Chekhov, Jack Serio, “, ” Sonya, Astrov, Will Brill, Maisel, Yelena, Bill Irwin, Vanya doesn’t Organizations: Marin Locations: Flatiron, Manhattan, Marin Ireland, Oklahoma

☆ The best new shows of 2023, halfway into a strike-disrupted year
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

‘Bill Russell: Legend’ (Netflix) and ‘The Luckiest Guy in the World’ (ESPN)Bill Russell in 'Bill Russell: Legend.' ‘Daisy Jones & the Six’ (Amazon’s Prime Video)Riley Keough as Daisy Jones in "Daisy Jones & the Six." ‘The Night Agent’ (Netflix) and ‘Hijack’ (Apple TV+)Luciane Buchanan as Rose Larkin, Gabriel Basso as Peter Sutherland in episode 'The Night Agent.' ‘Beef’ (Netflix)Steven Yeun and Ali Wong in the Netflix series "Beef." ‘A Small Light’ (NatGeo/Disney+)Margot Frank, played by Ashley Brooke, and Miep Gies, played by Bel Powley in 'A Small Light.'

Persons: ” “ Barry, ”, Maisel, Ted Lasso ”, It’s, Bella Ramsey, Storm Reid, Liane Hentscher, Pedro Pascal, Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, ‘ Bill Russell, Guy, Bill Russell, Bill Walton’s, Wilt Chamberlain, “ Goliath, Stephen Curry, ‘ Daisy Jones, Riley Keough, Daisy Jones, Fleetwood, Elvis Presley’s, Dominique Fishback, Donald Glover, Janine Nabers, Dominique Fishback’s, ’, Luciane Buchanan, Rose Larkin, Gabriel Basso, Peter Sutherland, Idris Elba, Steven Yeun, Ali Wong, Margot Frank, Ashley Brooke, Miep Gies, Bel Powley, Dusan Martincek, Anne Frank’s, Gies, Liev Schreiber, Otto Frank Organizations: CNN, Writers Guild of America, HBO, Netflix, ESPN, Celtics, NBA, Showtime, Apple, Fleetwood Mac, FBI, Geographic, Disney Locations: Atlanta, London

☆ Miriam Silverman Is ‘Unafraid of Embracing the Darkness’
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Rachel Sherman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Isaac recalled an experience one evening of “utter alienation” as he sat next to Silverman onstage. He felt as if he had been pulled out of the orchestra seats as an observer, and momentarily wondered if he’d be able to remember his lines. “I feel like I am a lucky member of the audience,” he said. (Alongside stage acting, Silverman has also had small parts in TV shows like “Blue Bloods,” “The Black List,” “Fleishman Is in Trouble” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”)“I’ve always felt like there were so many different paths that I could have taken, or maybe still could take,” Silverman said. “But to me that’s related to what I love about acting, which is an endless curiosity for different things.”

Persons: Isaac, Silverman, he’d, ”, “, ” Silverman, Rizzo, Tom Stoppard’s, Annie ”, “ Electra, Maisel, “ I’ve Organizations: Brown Locations: Manhattan, Providence, R.I

☆ Leaked memo: Amazon Studios parts ways with a longtime MGM film exec and expands others' roles in shakeup
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Amazon Studios is shaking up its business ranks in the wake of its acquisition of MGM. Feldman has been at Amazon Studios since 2015 and was a VP at MTV for about four years before that. Feldman has been at Amazon Studios since 2015 and was a VP at MTV for about four years before that. Also getting new responsibilities is Sam Semon , who will have international business affairs consolidated under him, adding oversight for Ingrid Auyón Tanji, who leads business affairs in Latin America. , who will have international business affairs consolidated under him, adding oversight for Ingrid Auyón Tanji, who leads business affairs in Latin America.

☆ The 12 Best Movie and TV Comedies to Watch Right Now
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Wsj Arts In Review Staff | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Here’s a roundup of the most noteworthy movie and TV comedies to watch right now, as covered by The Wall Street Journal’s critics. Rachel Brosnahan and Reid Scott Photo: Amazon StudiosStill breathless after all these years, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” enters its fifth and final season, a marvel in many ways and—doing what? Will the show flash forward to show its title character evolving into a road-hardened comedy legend who is as brittle as her jokes? Or will she finally heed the advice of her in-laws, give up all this showbiz meshugas, attend to her children and make sure they don’t grow up to hate her, or go live on a kibbutz?

☆ Amazon plans to reboot its struggling Alexa business by working on its own ChatGPT-like technology, leaked document shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

One of its ideas is to add entertainment features for Prime Video search and recommendations. "It feels like Alexa is thinking vs. fetching from a database," the document, titled "Alexa LLM Entertainment Use Cases," said. The document focused on new entertainment features for Alexa, including more conversational video search, personal recommendations, and storytelling and news-reading capabilities. When the user asks about one of the recommended shows — Paramount+'s "Younger" is the example used in the document — Alexa shares a one-line summary. 'World's best personal assistant'Other video search features listed in the document include semantic search and personal recommendations.

☆ The Wild Life and Times of a Soon-to-Be Former City Ballet Dancer
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Gia Kourlas | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

“He’s such a technician and this classicist and also contemporary and free — he’s an investigator, you know?” Whelan said. He is engaged to the fashion designer Zac Posen, whom he met at City Ballet and became close with during the pandemic. Much of his life has been erratic and wild, fueled, in part, by drug and alcohol addiction. He started ballet training at 4 with the now-defunct Charleston Ballet Theater in South Carolina and performed as a child. “It was a really weird situation,” Vera Ball, his mother, said, “but, yeah, that’s what we had to do.”

☆ Opinion: Top secrets come spilling out
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. Writing for CNN Opinion, Rep. Justin Pearson noted, “This should be a chastening moment for revanchist forces in Tennessee’s legislature and across the country. Over the long haul, the undemocratic machinations employed to oust us from office are destined to fail. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once famously said that the moral arc of the universe bends toward justice. “As a Jewish historian,” Perry wrote, “I worry about the tension between preserving the memory of past hardships while not locking our entire history into a tale of oppression.

☆ One Day Caroline Aaron Was an Usher, the Next She Was With Cher
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Marc Myers | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Caroline Aaron, 70, is an actress who appeared in the films “Sleepless in Seattle,” “Primary Colors,” “Breakable You” and “Edward Scissorhands.” She currently co-stars as the mother-in-law Shirley Maisel in Prime Video’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” She spoke with Marc Myers. My father, Aaron Abady, died when I was 8, leaving my 38-year-old mother to raise three young children. For me, the youngest, comedy became not only a tool for healing but also a way to protect my remaining parent. If I could make her laugh, she’d stick around.

☆ ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ Season 5 Review: Midge’s Last Set
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( John Anderson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Still breathless after all these years, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” enters its fifth and final season, a marvel in many ways and—doing what? Will the show flash forward to show its title character evolving into a road-hardened comedy legend who is as brittle as her jokes? Or will she finally heed the advice of her in-laws, give up all this showbiz meshugas, attend to her children and make sure they don’t grow up to hate her, or go live on a kibbutz? Can’t really say. What one can say is that “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” is a funny show, “funny” in the manner of two cannibals eating a clown.

How to watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel in the USFor Amazon Prime members in the US, watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is a breeze. If you don't want a full Prime membership, Prime Video is available on its own for $9 a month. Amazon Prime Video Monthly Subscription Prime Video has thousands of movies and TV shows, including popular original series and films you won't find anywhere else. How to watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel in the UKUK fans of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel can catch the final season with a Prime membership or individual Prime Video subscription. Amazon Prime Video Monthly Subscription Prime Video has thousands of movies and TV shows, including popular original series and films you won't find anywhere else.

☆ 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' celebrates premiere of fifth and final season at NYSE opening bell
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' celebrates premiere of fifth and final season at NYSE opening bellAmy Sherman-Palladino, Daniel Palladino and Rachel Brosnahan of 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' join 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss the overall experience, the relationship with Amazon and more.

☆ Amazon's pricey 'Lord of the Rings' show saw only 37% of viewers complete the series, a new report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"The Rings of Power" series reportedly only had a 37% percent completion rate, according to a report from The Hollywood Reporter published Monday — meaning that far less than half of its viewers finished the series. THR noted that the figure was confirmed by unnamed sources, but didn't offer more details. THR noted that Amazon held information more closely than usual on the "The Rings of Power" series. Nevertheless, THR noted that Amazon Studios Chief Jen Salke deems the series a success. That's not to say Amazon Studios hasn't had hits, which include shows like "Transparent," "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," and "Fleabag," THR noted.

☆ New spy series 'Citadel' is Amazon Studios' most ambitious — and riskiest — bet ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"Citadel," Amazon Studios' ambitious spy series, is on track to be one of the costliest series ever made. Amazon Studios early on was known for prestige shows like "Transparent" and "Maisel" as well as action hits like "Jack Ryan." Amazon Studios' Head of Global Television, Vernon Sanders, told Insider that "Citadel" is new territory for the company. Inside and outside of Amazon Studios, there are concerns about a lack of clear creative direction as well as the division's future role in the larger Amazon ecosystem. Insider spoke to 21 current and recently departed Amazon Studios executives, Hollywood agents, and other industry insiders about the opportunities and challenges.

☆ ‘Hello Tomorrow!’ Review: Billy Crudup Sells Crater-Front Property
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( John Anderson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

The dark comedy and shiny retrofuturism of “Hello Tomorrow!” may suggest a few alternative titles—“Mrs. Maisel in Space” or “The Jetsons Like Ike” or “Glengarry Glen Ross on Ketamine,” none of which would be wrong, exactly. Billy Crudup gives a genuinely remarkable performance as Jack Billings , a man who is mostly façade, which helps his mission—selling real estate on the moon. He’s a master at his craft and Mr. Crudup gives Jack sufficient self-awareness to make him charming, even when both he and a client know he’s playing a part and pushing a scheme. But even as the shilling for lunar time-shares plays out in a universe seemingly caught between eras, the production design is a constant wonder and curiosity, if not a positive distraction.

☆ How 'Citadel,' Amazon Studios' ambitious new spy series from the Russo brothers, became one of the costliest shows ever made
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

☆ Amazon Studios is growing fast and spending big on shows like 'Citadel,' but insiders say unclear creative direction, leadership shifts, and tech bureaucracy threaten to drive away staff and talent
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Lucia Moses | Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +20 min

The dust has been settling at Amazon Studios after a big reorg in the fall that solidified Jen Salke's power. Yet Amazon Studios faces major challenges. Amazon Studios' Head of Global Television Vernon Sanders told Insider that the goal is to deliver content with global cultural relevance. Amazon Prime VideoWhile spending on such big swings has soared, some insiders see far less budgetary support for underrepresented casts. "I do think people wonder what's the commitment to Amazon Studios," the current insider said.

☆ Cameo launches Cameo Kids personalized videos with Candle Media
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Dec 8 (Reuters) - Celebrity video messaging service Cameo said Thursday it has partnered with Candle Media to launch a new feature aimed at the playground set -- Cameo Kids. The service will offer personalized birthday and holiday video greetings from animated children's characters, including popular figures from Candle Media's Moonbug Entertainment's franchises "Blippi" and "CoComelon." Personalized messages for children expand the potential market for Cameo, which launched five years ago and allows athletes, celebrities and musicians to sell personalized videos to their fans. Cameo had experimented with offering children's content about a year ago, working with Mattel Inc's (MAT.O) 'Thomas the Tank Engine,' but its partnership with Candle Media helped elevate the experience, Galanis said. Blackstone-backed Candle Media spent months figuring out how to use its animated characters to deliver personalized video at scale.

☆ How ‘Veep’ and ‘Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ actor Reid Scott built a successful creative career
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Gili Malinsky | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Now based in LA, the 44-year-old has appeared in hit shows like "Veep," "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "The Marvelous Mrs. But Scott studied film at Syracuse University hoping to be a screenwriter and director. He ultimately took some acting classes at the behest of a professor saying he should get a sense for their role on set as well. "It took me a while to kind of own it," he says about ultimately becoming a full-time actor. Here are a few other lessons Scott learned along the way of building his career as a creative.

☆ 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' season finale: Amazon has more battles to come (SPOILERS)
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers about “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” season finale. CNN —“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” has ended its first season, with plans for several more to come. Yet the real battle for Amazon could be convincing everyone that its very expensive – and mostly underwhelming – gamble on J.R.R. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was personally involved in acquiring rights from the Tolkien estate way back in 2017, reflecting the company’s high-stakes bet. It’s become popular to refer to certain large corporations as being “Too big to fail,” and in TV terms, “Rings of Power” is about as big as they come.

Search resuls for: "Maisel"

22 mentions found