A very special paywall-free issue! The Bob Iger and Ted Sarandos of newsletters has a fever, and the only cure is more LISTS. Plus: Breakups, Penélopes, and a pop messiah gone dark.
Love to see Crazy Ex-Girlfriend on the list!! It doesn't get nearly the attention it deserves, and is brilliant. We're lucky to be alive at the same time as Rachel Bloom!
I just feel that the Spread editors, with whom I enjoy a very healthy para-social relationship, would appreciate that I, the ex-wife of a showrunner, ranked his shows (and only his shows), on Bluesky, and I believe that the NYT should have reached out to every showrunner spouse/partner, current or ex, and solicited our lists.
Yes, why didn't the NYT do the real research. Would love a compare and contrast version of these rankings - what the partners said when married to showrunner vs when no longer married to showrunner!
I sincerely think I was very objective. Probably helps that he made 7 of his 8 shows while we were together and 6 while we were cohabitating. (True story: My 79-year-old mother helped me move into the first house we bought together because he was on set for Season 1 of The Wire.) I probably overvalue Treme a little because of my affection for New Orleans, but I’m also bullish on Show Me a Hero and that was the beginning of the end in some ways, as he worked so much in NY from 2014 through 2019 that the state of NY eventually came after him for taxes. Or as I said a the time: Thank you, New York State, for your amicus brief in my divorce.
Slightly more seriously — there were a rash of profiles of my ex one year, really long ones, in places like Grantland and the NY Times Magazine and there was never any discussion about his personal life. No mention of family, children, how he managed to work those 12-14 hour days. I joked a lot about this, once even offered a bounty to any writer who would query my spouse at the TCAs how he handled work-life balance. I haven’t been paying close attention, but I don’t think things are much better?
Love to see Crazy Ex-Girlfriend on the list!! It doesn't get nearly the attention it deserves, and is brilliant. We're lucky to be alive at the same time as Rachel Bloom!
Rachel Baker would never sign off on a list that did not include Rachel Bloom!
NEVER EVER!
I just feel that the Spread editors, with whom I enjoy a very healthy para-social relationship, would appreciate that I, the ex-wife of a showrunner, ranked his shows (and only his shows), on Bluesky, and I believe that the NYT should have reached out to every showrunner spouse/partner, current or ex, and solicited our lists.
Yes, why didn't the NYT do the real research. Would love a compare and contrast version of these rankings - what the partners said when married to showrunner vs when no longer married to showrunner!
I sincerely think I was very objective. Probably helps that he made 7 of his 8 shows while we were together and 6 while we were cohabitating. (True story: My 79-year-old mother helped me move into the first house we bought together because he was on set for Season 1 of The Wire.) I probably overvalue Treme a little because of my affection for New Orleans, but I’m also bullish on Show Me a Hero and that was the beginning of the end in some ways, as he worked so much in NY from 2014 through 2019 that the state of NY eventually came after him for taxes. Or as I said a the time: Thank you, New York State, for your amicus brief in my divorce.
Slightly more seriously — there were a rash of profiles of my ex one year, really long ones, in places like Grantland and the NY Times Magazine and there was never any discussion about his personal life. No mention of family, children, how he managed to work those 12-14 hour days. I joked a lot about this, once even offered a bounty to any writer who would query my spouse at the TCAs how he handled work-life balance. I haven’t been paying close attention, but I don’t think things are much better?
Laura!! I hereby pledge to always ask men that I interview about work-life balance and hope the rest of Spreadlandia will do the same!
OK, so... are you going to share your top 10 shows of the century with us or what?!?!? (Please, please!)