![Saved by the Bell](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Saved-By-the-Bell-Trae-Patton_Peacock-H-2020-1605208814.jpg?w=1296&h=730&crop=1)
Welcome to another episode 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. RIP, Alex Trebek.
The admired Jeopardy host passed way this week after battling pancreatic cancer for more than a year. This segment examines what the host brought to the trivia show and the conundrum producers Sony face when it comes to replacing the TV legend.
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2. Farewell, Supernatural.
The CW’s long-running genre drama wraps its run next week after an impressive 15 seasons and nearly 330 episodes. The CW CEO Mark Pedowitz joins the show this week to discuss what Supernatural has meant to his network and the future of franchise. “No, we’re not. There’s a lot of mythology,” he says when asked if he’s done trying to launch a spinoff after three failed attempts. “We’re always open to carrying on the Supernatural universe but it has to be connected to the Winchesters. … I’m always open to ideas — and there are many things I can’t discuss.”
3. More executive changes.
Stop us if you’ve heard this before, but there are more layoffs, reorganizations and new jobs for the people who help make television. In perhaps the most telling sign of how the pandemic has turned the TV industry on its head, there have already been more than 40 execs who have changed jobs or lost them as the industry continues to be reshaped by the pandemic and the shift to streaming. This week, we look at Disney, WarnerMedia and Universal TV.
4. Showrunner Spotlight.
Tracey Wigfield joins the show this week to discuss Peacock’s Saved By the Bell update. Wigfield, whose credits include 30 Rock and creating Great News, opens up about her vision for returning to Bayside High, how she mapped out using the original stars and winking to the cult favorite. The series also shifts from a Saturday morning multicamera to a single-cam that she envisions as a comedy to be viewed by the whole family that caters both to franchise newcomers and fans alike. “I do think it could go many seasons,” Wigfield notes. “Seeing these new kids and following them … by the end of [the first season] you’re invested and care about what happens to them.”
5. Critic’s Corner.
As usual, every episode ends with Dan’s look at what to watch (or skip). This week, he weighs in on Netflix’s The Crown, IMDb TV’s Alex Rider and ABC’s David E. Kelley drama Big Sky.
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 at [email protected] with any topics or questions you’d like to hear us discuss as part of our recurring Mailbag segment.
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