Hulu is celebrating 15 yrs this week. At 48M subs, Hulu has come a long way from being called Clown Co (the nickname given in 2007 by a competitor prior to the naming and launching of the service ). Here are 4 lessons from Hulu and some little-known tidbits I hope make you smile Hulu was born of a joint venture b/t Fox and NBCUniversal in 2007. Incredibly - and a credit to then Fox President/COO Peter Chernin and then NBCU CEO Jeff Zucker for agreeing to do so - the entity was empowered to operate independently...

To release episodes of a series weekly vs all at once (binge drop)? I think what is easy to miss in the strategic debate is a clear understanding of what “jobs” a series actually does for its fans. 1/x When successful, a series actually delivers 2 things: entertainment value (I laughed, I cried, I was moved in some way) *and* communal value (I am part of a community of like-minded people that love this thing, I belong, I am - or can choose to be - social w/ this community). 2/x

Today is the final day of operation for WarnerMedia as it becomes Warner Bros. Discovery. To mark the occasion, I am taking a moment to share some important things, especially about the WarnerMedia team and the creative partners with which we get to work. 1/x I’ll start by sharing a graphic about our creative momentum. There’s many ways to assess how a team is doing creatively. None are perfect of course. I’ve never seen a team be more recognized by peers, critics, and audiences as this team has been recognized this awards season. 2/x

I often share photos of *things* from the @warnerbros lot here (soundstages, sets, the backlot). Today, I’m going to share a photo of a person from the lot. His name is Harry Dashjian and, if you like Hollywood history, you should know him and his story. Here it is. 1/x Harry was born in Baghdad. He + his father fled Iraq in ‘78 to come to America without knowing how to get there. Harry’s mother + 3 brothers had already made it over. And so Harry and his dad set off, via Istanbul, Athens, Rome, back to Athens, Canada and finally California. 2/x

Hollywood history time. Star Trek, Mission Impossible, The Untouchables, The Twilight Zone - and the creation of the television re-run - were ushered into this world in large part not by a conglomerate but an entirely unexpected duo: Lucille Ball + Desi Arnaz. ⏰ to learn how. I think the story of Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz and their production company Desilu is one of the most remarkable stories in Hollywood history. The juicy part *begins* when many thought Lucy’s career was on the decline as she approached 40.

Hollywood history time. Walk a Hollywood lot - particularly @warnerbros in Burbank - and you will inevitably walk past dozens of trailers marked Star Waggons. Ever wonder where they - and the extra g in the name - came from? I did. 1/x Star Waggons are tricked out trailers used on location for motion picture and television series production, most notably to provide places for actors, makeup, and wardrobe near the set. 2/x

A thread about basketball (not really), the best studio show in sports, and two unexpectedly heartfelt stories that have stuck with me over the years that I think a number of you might enjoy. Oh, and there’s also a fun documentary rec to celebrate it all at the end. 1/x Inside the NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) is celebrating 30 yrs (Covid yrs, really 31). I was a fan of the show long before I joined the TNT / @WarnerMedia team. Camaraderie, joy and fun permeates from hosts @TurnerSportsEJ, @TheJetOnTNT, Charles Barkley and @SHAQ. It’s infectious. 2/x

Hollywood history time. What you’re looking at isn’t just a soundstage on the @WarnerBros lot in CA. It is, in my opinion, a ridiculous story that would never happen today. This Gandalf of a soundstage (going from Grey to White) is my favorite soundstage in all of Hollywood. 1/x Soundstage 16 used to be like the others. While it had a bigger footprint than many soundstages pre-1935, its height was unremarkable, it was largely unassuming and didn’t appear to be all that powerful. It was just Soundstage 7 then. I think of it as Gandalf the Grey era. 2/x