As contractions and cost-cutting continue to hit the nonfiction space, a major producer is changing its documentary strategy: The New York Times.
The Times is restructuring its documentary unit, which is behind its The New York Times Presents series, which has produced nearly four dozen documentaries, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. It is changing the unit with the goal of further enmeshing non-fiction video filmmaking into the company’s existing sub brands and verticals.
Several sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the Times will be reducing its documentary output. Rumors have been swirling in the nonfiction community about the future of the Times‘ documentaries for some time. The media company released over 20 films in 2019 under their New York Times Presents banner while it released only four films in 2023.
“We just premiered a new film from The New York Times Presents last week, with two additional films presently in production, as...
The Times is restructuring its documentary unit, which is behind its The New York Times Presents series, which has produced nearly four dozen documentaries, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. It is changing the unit with the goal of further enmeshing non-fiction video filmmaking into the company’s existing sub brands and verticals.
Several sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the Times will be reducing its documentary output. Rumors have been swirling in the nonfiction community about the future of the Times‘ documentaries for some time. The media company released over 20 films in 2019 under their New York Times Presents banner while it released only four films in 2023.
“We just premiered a new film from The New York Times Presents last week, with two additional films presently in production, as...
- 5/3/2024
- by Mia Galuppo and Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
This year’s Emmy nominees for best documentary or nonfiction special include four examinations of celebrity in its various forms — from the tabloid target Britney Spears, the comic philosophies of George Carlin, the romantic and working partnership between Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz to the altruistic efforts of chef José Andrés. Rounding out the category is The Tinder Swindler, a true crime doc about a man who used the dating app to scheme unsuspecting women out of cash. Here is a rundown of the contenders from The Hollywood Reporter’s writers and critics.
Controlling Britney Spears: The New York Times Presents (FX/Hulu)
In the follow-up to Framing Britney Spears, Controlling Britney Spears is directed by Samantha Stark with Liz Day as a supervising producer and reporter, and features interviews with insiders who had knowledge of Spears’ life while in the conservatorship. In their interviews,...
This year’s Emmy nominees for best documentary or nonfiction special include four examinations of celebrity in its various forms — from the tabloid target Britney Spears, the comic philosophies of George Carlin, the romantic and working partnership between Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz to the altruistic efforts of chef José Andrés. Rounding out the category is The Tinder Swindler, a true crime doc about a man who used the dating app to scheme unsuspecting women out of cash. Here is a rundown of the contenders from The Hollywood Reporter’s writers and critics.
Controlling Britney Spears: The New York Times Presents (FX/Hulu)
In the follow-up to Framing Britney Spears, Controlling Britney Spears is directed by Samantha Stark with Liz Day as a supervising producer and reporter, and features interviews with insiders who had knowledge of Spears’ life while in the conservatorship. In their interviews,...
- 8/16/2022
- by Tyler Coates
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The documentaries and nonfiction programs that are nominated at this year’s Emmy Awards chronicle a diverse range of stories that continue to show why these genres are an essential part of the new Golden Age of Television we are currently living in. The creatives behind five of this year’s Emmy contenders for documentary/nonfiction programming joined our recent Meet the Experts panel. The subjects tackled include how a financial arrangement controlled a worldwide pop star, the career of one of America’s greatest stand-up comedians, the relationship of television’s first power couple, big-wave surfers looking to catch the ultimate experience in Portugal and a world famous chef seeking to rethink how we supply food to people in need of relief.
In our panel discussion, we hear what these directors and producers have to say about finding out about their Emmy nomination this year, what it was like...
In our panel discussion, we hear what these directors and producers have to say about finding out about their Emmy nomination this year, what it was like...
- 8/11/2022
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Even though Samantha Stark didn’t get to interview Britney Spears personally for “Controlling Britney Spears,” she does find herself in awe of the strength that she’s displayed throughout her career. “One thing that surprised me is that people told me that she had been in control and huge contributor to her art as a teenager. When she first became big, people thought she was a puppet, but I heard from so many people that she wasn’t,” she tells Gold Derby during our Meet the Experts: TV Documentary panel (watch the exclusive video interview above). That strength became even more admirable as the details of Spears’s conservatorship were found out. “The question of consent comes up for me a lot, because if Britney Spears couldn’t consent to who she saw and who her friends were, how could she consent to working and signing?”
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See More than...
- 8/11/2022
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Variety is pleased to announce that Amanda Seyfried, Murray Bartlett, Brendan Hunt, Lily James, Himesh Patel and Danny Strong have been added to the lineup for its second-ever Virtual TV Fest: The Nominees, featuring five panels airing virtually on Aug. 10 to an audience of voters. To register for the event, head to variety.com/tvfest.
Variety TV Fest: The Nominees expands its popular TV Fest franchise to include panels with Emmy-nominated actors, directors, producers and writers in the comedy, drama, limited/anthology, documentary and reality competition/nonfiction series categories.
The comedy series panel includes:
Paul W. Downs, “Hacks” John Hoffman, “Only Murders in the Building” Brendan Hunt, “Ted Lasso” Amy Sherman-Palladino & Dan Palladino, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” Paul Simms, “What We Do in the Shadows”
Henry Winkler and Anthony Carrigan, “Barry” Moderated by Michael Schneider, TV Editor, Variety
The drama series panel includes:
Dan Erickson, “Severance” Peter Gould, “Better Call Saul” Ashley Lyle,...
Variety TV Fest: The Nominees expands its popular TV Fest franchise to include panels with Emmy-nominated actors, directors, producers and writers in the comedy, drama, limited/anthology, documentary and reality competition/nonfiction series categories.
The comedy series panel includes:
Paul W. Downs, “Hacks” John Hoffman, “Only Murders in the Building” Brendan Hunt, “Ted Lasso” Amy Sherman-Palladino & Dan Palladino, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” Paul Simms, “What We Do in the Shadows”
Henry Winkler and Anthony Carrigan, “Barry” Moderated by Michael Schneider, TV Editor, Variety
The drama series panel includes:
Dan Erickson, “Severance” Peter Gould, “Better Call Saul” Ashley Lyle,...
- 8/3/2022
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
Five top TV documentary filmmakers will reveal secrets behind their projects when they join Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with 2022 Emmy Awards nominees. They will participate in two video discussions to premiere on Tuesday, August 9, at 6:00 p.m. Pt; 9:00 p.m. Et. We’ll have a one-on-one with our contributing editor Charles Bright and a roundtable chat with all of the group together.
RSVP today to our entire ongoing Emmy contenders panel series by clicking here to book your free reservation. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following 2022 nominees:
Controlling Britney Spears (FX)
Synopsis: Britney Spears has said that her conservatorship had become “an oppressive and controlling tool against her.” This investigation reveals much of how it worked, including an intense surveillance apparatus that monitored her every move.
RSVP today to our entire ongoing Emmy contenders panel series by clicking here to book your free reservation. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following 2022 nominees:
Controlling Britney Spears (FX)
Synopsis: Britney Spears has said that her conservatorship had become “an oppressive and controlling tool against her.” This investigation reveals much of how it worked, including an intense surveillance apparatus that monitored her every move.
- 8/2/2022
- by Chris Beachum and Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Update Nov. 12, 2021: After 14 years, Britney Spears’ conservatorship has been terminated.
The contentious fight over Britney Spears’ conservatorship entered a new phase after the singer’s scathing testimony in front of Los Angeles probate judge Brenda Penny in June, during which the pop star offered a harrowing account of the last 13 years of her life.
Since 2008, Spears’ life has been controlled by a conservatorship led by her once-estranged father, James “Jamie” Spears. The conservatorship has been credited by some with helping right Spears’ career after a tumultuous 2008 ended with a 5150 involuntary psychiatric hold; since then,...
The contentious fight over Britney Spears’ conservatorship entered a new phase after the singer’s scathing testimony in front of Los Angeles probate judge Brenda Penny in June, during which the pop star offered a harrowing account of the last 13 years of her life.
Since 2008, Spears’ life has been controlled by a conservatorship led by her once-estranged father, James “Jamie” Spears. The conservatorship has been credited by some with helping right Spears’ career after a tumultuous 2008 ended with a 5150 involuntary psychiatric hold; since then,...
- 11/12/2021
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Sales
Red Arrow International has sold documentary “Controlling Britney Spears” to a raft of territories. The 75-minute documentary contains new allegations from insiders with intimate knowledge of the pop icon’s daily life under her controversial conservatorship.
The documentary has been sold to Sky (U.K.), Nine (Australia), Crave (Canada), Three (New Zealand), Talpa TV (the Netherlands), Vgtv (Norway), TV2 (Denmark), TV4, MTV and Cmore (Sweden and Finland), Discovery (Italy and Philippines), Originals Factory (French and German-speaking Europe), HOT8 (Israel), yes-Dbs (Israel), TV Nova’s streamer Voyo (Czech Republic and Slovakia), Pro Plus (Slovenia), Globo for its GloboPlay streaming service (Brazil), and Tvn Grupa Discovery (Poland) including for its streaming platform Player.
“Controlling Britney Spears” is a follow-up to “Framing Britney Spears” and was produced in partnership by The New York Times and Left/Right, a Red Arrow Studios company. It premiered last month on FX and Hulu in the U.
Red Arrow International has sold documentary “Controlling Britney Spears” to a raft of territories. The 75-minute documentary contains new allegations from insiders with intimate knowledge of the pop icon’s daily life under her controversial conservatorship.
The documentary has been sold to Sky (U.K.), Nine (Australia), Crave (Canada), Three (New Zealand), Talpa TV (the Netherlands), Vgtv (Norway), TV2 (Denmark), TV4, MTV and Cmore (Sweden and Finland), Discovery (Italy and Philippines), Originals Factory (French and German-speaking Europe), HOT8 (Israel), yes-Dbs (Israel), TV Nova’s streamer Voyo (Czech Republic and Slovakia), Pro Plus (Slovenia), Globo for its GloboPlay streaming service (Brazil), and Tvn Grupa Discovery (Poland) including for its streaming platform Player.
“Controlling Britney Spears” is a follow-up to “Framing Britney Spears” and was produced in partnership by The New York Times and Left/Right, a Red Arrow Studios company. It premiered last month on FX and Hulu in the U.
- 10/18/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Acquisition
Red Arrow Studios International has picked up international rights to “Controlling Britney Spears,” the follow-up documentary to “Framing Britney Spears,” produced by The New York Times and Red Arrow Studios’ Left/Right.
The documentary was inspired by a confidential report obtained by The New York Times in which Spears told a court investigator that her conservatorship had devolved into “an oppressive and controlling tool against her.” The new documentary reveals previously un-published details about the Times’ investigation which uncovered an extensive surveillance network created to monitor her every move. “Controlling Britney Spears” premiered last week on FX and Hulu in the U.S. It is directed by Samantha Stark, with Liz Day as supervising producer and reporter.
“We are delighted to be distributing this fascinating follow-up to one of the most talked about television events of the year, which sold widely across every continent,” said Red Arrow president and managing director Tim Gerhartz.
Red Arrow Studios International has picked up international rights to “Controlling Britney Spears,” the follow-up documentary to “Framing Britney Spears,” produced by The New York Times and Red Arrow Studios’ Left/Right.
The documentary was inspired by a confidential report obtained by The New York Times in which Spears told a court investigator that her conservatorship had devolved into “an oppressive and controlling tool against her.” The new documentary reveals previously un-published details about the Times’ investigation which uncovered an extensive surveillance network created to monitor her every move. “Controlling Britney Spears” premiered last week on FX and Hulu in the U.S. It is directed by Samantha Stark, with Liz Day as supervising producer and reporter.
“We are delighted to be distributing this fascinating follow-up to one of the most talked about television events of the year, which sold widely across every continent,” said Red Arrow president and managing director Tim Gerhartz.
- 9/27/2021
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Those among Britney Spears’ inner circle are coming forward to share how they’ve witnessed the pop star be treated under her conservatorship in The New York Times Presents: Controlling Britney Spears, a documentary which debuted on FX and Hulu Friday night.
In the follow-up to Framing Britney Spears, Controlling Britney Spears is directed by Samantha Stark with Liz Day as a supervising producer and reporter, and features interviews with insiders who had knowledge of Spears’ life while in the conservatorship. In their interviews, they speak openly about how Spears’ life was controlled and react to the singer’s emotional testimony. Those featured include Spears’ former longtime ...
In the follow-up to Framing Britney Spears, Controlling Britney Spears is directed by Samantha Stark with Liz Day as a supervising producer and reporter, and features interviews with insiders who had knowledge of Spears’ life while in the conservatorship. In their interviews, they speak openly about how Spears’ life was controlled and react to the singer’s emotional testimony. Those featured include Spears’ former longtime ...
- 9/25/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Those among Britney Spears’ inner circle are coming forward to share how they’ve witnessed the pop star be treated under her conservatorship in The New York Times Presents: Controlling Britney Spears, a documentary which debuted on FX and Hulu Friday night.
In the follow-up to Framing Britney Spears, Controlling Britney Spears is directed by Samantha Stark with Liz Day as a supervising producer and reporter, and features interviews with insiders who had knowledge of Spears’ life while in the conservatorship. In their interviews, they speak openly about how Spears’ life was controlled and react to the singer’s emotional testimony. Those featured include Spears’ former longtime ...
In the follow-up to Framing Britney Spears, Controlling Britney Spears is directed by Samantha Stark with Liz Day as a supervising producer and reporter, and features interviews with insiders who had knowledge of Spears’ life while in the conservatorship. In their interviews, they speak openly about how Spears’ life was controlled and react to the singer’s emotional testimony. Those featured include Spears’ former longtime ...
- 9/25/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
There are no new music, no new tour, and no new Las Vegas residency, but there’s a lot of Britney Spears product out there in the days leading up to a potential seminal court hearing over the onetime Princess of Pop’s longstanding conservatorship.
Building up steam heading toward the September 29 showdown of sorts in Los Angeles Superior Court, CNN has been promoting its September 26 Toxic: Britney Spears’ Battle For Freedom Special Report, fronted by weekday anchor Alisyn Camerota and reporter Chloe Melas. Unveiled earlier this week and accompanied with a very newsmagazine-cut trailer a day later, Netflix has been teasing out a leaked “confidential report” about the big-money finances and more of the conservatorship for its documentary Britney vs Spears from director Erin Lee Carr. It premieres September 28.
This morning saw FX announce the debut tonight of its documentary Controlling Britney Spears. Focusing on the surveillance systems and...
Building up steam heading toward the September 29 showdown of sorts in Los Angeles Superior Court, CNN has been promoting its September 26 Toxic: Britney Spears’ Battle For Freedom Special Report, fronted by weekday anchor Alisyn Camerota and reporter Chloe Melas. Unveiled earlier this week and accompanied with a very newsmagazine-cut trailer a day later, Netflix has been teasing out a leaked “confidential report” about the big-money finances and more of the conservatorship for its documentary Britney vs Spears from director Erin Lee Carr. It premieres September 28.
This morning saw FX announce the debut tonight of its documentary Controlling Britney Spears. Focusing on the surveillance systems and...
- 9/25/2021
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
As the widely watched Britney Spears conservator case plays out, another documentary about the legal battle and its fallout launches tonight. FX and Hulu will premiere Controlling Britney Spears, a follow-up film from the team behind the Emmy-nominated Framing Britney Spears.
Part of The New York Times Presents series, Controlling Britney Spears bows at 10 p.m. Et on the cable net and the streamer. It arrives four days before Netflix’s docu Britney vs. Spears.
Directed by Samantha Stark and Produced by Liz Day, Controlling Britney Spears promises bombshell allegations from whistleblowers who were among those with intimate knowledge of the singer’s daily life inside the conservatorship.
In a confidential report obtained by The Times, Spears told a court investigator in 2016 that her conservatorship had become “an oppressive and controlling tool against her.” As the investigative docu plays out, a portrait emerges of an intense surveillance apparatus that monitored every move she made.
Part of The New York Times Presents series, Controlling Britney Spears bows at 10 p.m. Et on the cable net and the streamer. It arrives four days before Netflix’s docu Britney vs. Spears.
Directed by Samantha Stark and Produced by Liz Day, Controlling Britney Spears promises bombshell allegations from whistleblowers who were among those with intimate knowledge of the singer’s daily life inside the conservatorship.
In a confidential report obtained by The Times, Spears told a court investigator in 2016 that her conservatorship had become “an oppressive and controlling tool against her.” As the investigative docu plays out, a portrait emerges of an intense surveillance apparatus that monitored every move she made.
- 9/24/2021
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Another Britney Spears documentary is releasing very soon.
“Controlling Britney Spears,” a follow-up to FX and Hulu’s “Framing Britney Spears” from earlier this year, is releasing tonight, Sept. 24, at 10 p.m. Et.
The New York Times and director Samantha Stark return to offer more bombshell information regarding Spears’ conservatorship that has been in place over her life for the past 13 years. The original “Framing Britney Spears” doc, which was nominated for two Emmys, helped kick off an outpouring of support for Spears amid her conservatorship legal battle. Now, the follow-up promises allegations from insiders with direct knowledge of Spears’ daily life and surveillance under the conservatorship.
“When Britney spoke publicly about her conservatorship in detail for the first time during a court hearing in June, she said a reason she hadn’t spoken up earlier is she didn’t think people would believe her,” Stark said in a statement.
“Controlling Britney Spears,” a follow-up to FX and Hulu’s “Framing Britney Spears” from earlier this year, is releasing tonight, Sept. 24, at 10 p.m. Et.
The New York Times and director Samantha Stark return to offer more bombshell information regarding Spears’ conservatorship that has been in place over her life for the past 13 years. The original “Framing Britney Spears” doc, which was nominated for two Emmys, helped kick off an outpouring of support for Spears amid her conservatorship legal battle. Now, the follow-up promises allegations from insiders with direct knowledge of Spears’ daily life and surveillance under the conservatorship.
“When Britney spoke publicly about her conservatorship in detail for the first time during a court hearing in June, she said a reason she hadn’t spoken up earlier is she didn’t think people would believe her,” Stark said in a statement.
- 9/24/2021
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety Film + TV
FX and Hulu will launch a followup to their doc “Framing Britney Spears,” titled “Controlling Britney Spears,” tonight, Friday, at 10 p.m. Et.
Available on both the cable channel and streaming service at the same time, the doc from the same team that made “Framing Britney Spears,” an installment of the The New York Times Presents franchise, features “new allegations from insiders with intimate knowledge of Britney’s daily life inside the conservatorship” controlled by her father, Jamie Spears.
Per FX and Hulu, “In a confidential report obtained by The Times, Ms. Spears told a court investigator in 2016 that her conservatorship had become ‘an oppressive and controlling tool against her.’ But how the conservatorship has controlled her life has never been revealed. Now, in this New York Times investigation, a portrait emerges of an intense surveillance apparatus that monitored every move she made.”
News of the new doc comes on...
Available on both the cable channel and streaming service at the same time, the doc from the same team that made “Framing Britney Spears,” an installment of the The New York Times Presents franchise, features “new allegations from insiders with intimate knowledge of Britney’s daily life inside the conservatorship” controlled by her father, Jamie Spears.
Per FX and Hulu, “In a confidential report obtained by The Times, Ms. Spears told a court investigator in 2016 that her conservatorship had become ‘an oppressive and controlling tool against her.’ But how the conservatorship has controlled her life has never been revealed. Now, in this New York Times investigation, a portrait emerges of an intense surveillance apparatus that monitored every move she made.”
News of the new doc comes on...
- 9/24/2021
- by Jennifer Maas
- The Wrap
A new documentary about Britney Spears that includes bombshell allegations is set to premiere on Friday night on FX and Hulu. Controlling Britney Spears is the follow-up from the team behind Framing Britney Spears, the Emmy-nominated New York Times Presents documentary that explored the singer’s conservatorship battle. The latest offering is said to feature explosive new allegations from whistleblowers who were among those in the inner circle. It will debut simultaneously tonight at 10:00 Pm Et on FX and Hulu. The previous doc focused on the media frenzy and court battles relating to the conservatorship, including a confidential report obtained by The Times where Spears claimed that her conservatorship had become “an oppressive and controlling tool against her.” This follow-up will show how the conservatorship controlled the “Toxic” hitmaker’s life, revealing an intense surveillance apparatus that monitored every move she made. Samantha Stark returns as director, with Liz Day...
- 9/24/2021
- TV Insider
FX and Hulu have announced a surprise follow-up to the Emmy-nominated documentary Framing Britney Spears — and it premieres tonight.
Airing on FX and streaming on Hulu at 10/9c, Controlling Britney Spears is “an explosive follow-up documentary… featuring new allegations from insiders with intimate knowledge of Britney’s daily life inside the conservatorship,” according to the official release. The sequel comes just days ahead of the premiere of another highly anticipated documentary about Spears’ conservatorship, Netflix’s Britney Vs. Spears (watch trailer).
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Airing on FX and streaming on Hulu at 10/9c, Controlling Britney Spears is “an explosive follow-up documentary… featuring new allegations from insiders with intimate knowledge of Britney’s daily life inside the conservatorship,” according to the official release. The sequel comes just days ahead of the premiere of another highly anticipated documentary about Spears’ conservatorship, Netflix’s Britney Vs. Spears (watch trailer).
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- 9/24/2021
- by Ryan Schwartz
- TVLine.com
The New York Times, FX and Hulu are set to release a follow-up documentary to Framing Britney Spears, titled Controlling Britney Spears, which is slated to premiere tonight, just days ahead of the release of a secret Netflix documentary about the conservatorship and a high-profile hearing on the arrangement.
The project, directed by Samantha Stark with Liz Day as a supervising producer and reporter, explores new allegations from insiders with knowledge of Spears’ daily life inside the conservatorship. It’s set to premiere tonight at 10 p.m. Et on FX and Hulu.
The documentary highlights how the conservatorship has “controlled” Spears’ life, according to ...
The project, directed by Samantha Stark with Liz Day as a supervising producer and reporter, explores new allegations from insiders with knowledge of Spears’ daily life inside the conservatorship. It’s set to premiere tonight at 10 p.m. Et on FX and Hulu.
The documentary highlights how the conservatorship has “controlled” Spears’ life, according to ...
- 9/24/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Britney Spears’ contentious conservatorship has been one of the most-discussed topics in entertainment news this year. Now, Netflix is preparing to explore the conservatorship via “Britney vs Spears,” an upcoming documentary slated to premiere on the streaming service. Netflix unveiled the trailer for the film on Wednesday.
The documentary is directed by Erin Lee Carr, who has made a name for herself through her directorial work on high-profile topics in titles such as “How to Fix a Drug Scandal” and “I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth v. Michelle Carter,” which premiered on Netflix and HBO, respectively.
Netflix published the trailer for the documentary one day after dropping a Twitter teaser for the project that featured an audio snippet of a voicemail Spears sent to a lawyer in 2009.
Spears has been in a conservatorship since 2008 following a series of highly-publicized court rulings and legal issues. Since then, her estate has been managed by her father,...
The documentary is directed by Erin Lee Carr, who has made a name for herself through her directorial work on high-profile topics in titles such as “How to Fix a Drug Scandal” and “I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth v. Michelle Carter,” which premiered on Netflix and HBO, respectively.
Netflix published the trailer for the documentary one day after dropping a Twitter teaser for the project that featured an audio snippet of a voicemail Spears sent to a lawyer in 2009.
Spears has been in a conservatorship since 2008 following a series of highly-publicized court rulings and legal issues. Since then, her estate has been managed by her father,...
- 9/22/2021
- by Tyler Hersko
- Indiewire
In February 2021, FX released their latest episode of “The New York Times Presents.” The episode, “Framing Britney Spears,” sought to dive deep into the shadowy machinations of the conservatorship pop superstar Britney Spears has been under for the past 13 years. It’s a story New York Times’ Senior Story Editor Liz Day had long wanted to tell going back to her first day at the company in 2018.
“It’s just such an American saga,” Day said in an interview with IndieWire. “[It] tells us so much about fame and wealth, power and the legal system, and family.”
Day, like countless others who have followed Spears’ life, said she couldn’t understand how a woman could be deemed unfit to feed and clothe herself while making millions of dollars appearing on TV shows and going on a world tour.
“The pitch in a nutshell was, ‘What if we do ‘O.J.: Made in America’ but for Britney Spears,...
“It’s just such an American saga,” Day said in an interview with IndieWire. “[It] tells us so much about fame and wealth, power and the legal system, and family.”
Day, like countless others who have followed Spears’ life, said she couldn’t understand how a woman could be deemed unfit to feed and clothe herself while making millions of dollars appearing on TV shows and going on a world tour.
“The pitch in a nutshell was, ‘What if we do ‘O.J.: Made in America’ but for Britney Spears,...
- 8/17/2021
- by Kristen Lopez
- Indiewire
As almost every week brings new twists and brighter media glare to Britney Spears’ restrictive 13-year conservatorship, the filmmakers behind the documentary that turned the spotlight on the long-hidden situation found a lot of their own perspective by flipping the script.
“A revolutionary thing that we did, and surprising that it is revolutionary, is we said why don’t we interview women about this so we can do this from a women’s perspective,” Framing Britney Spears director Samantha Stark said of the film and its continuing blast radius in the court docket and in the streets. “And it may have cracked open the story, because we saw Britney as someone with agency, with power, as real human being who deserves to be respected …we said we wanted to correct the misperceptions.”
Stark’s comments came during the panel for the New York Times Presents documentary at Deadline’s Contenders Television: The Nominees awards-season event,...
“A revolutionary thing that we did, and surprising that it is revolutionary, is we said why don’t we interview women about this so we can do this from a women’s perspective,” Framing Britney Spears director Samantha Stark said of the film and its continuing blast radius in the court docket and in the streets. “And it may have cracked open the story, because we saw Britney as someone with agency, with power, as real human being who deserves to be respected …we said we wanted to correct the misperceptions.”
Stark’s comments came during the panel for the New York Times Presents documentary at Deadline’s Contenders Television: The Nominees awards-season event,...
- 8/14/2021
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Last month, after the release of his latest documentary, “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain,” Morgan Neville disclosed that he used artificial intelligence to simulate the voice of Bourdain. Outrage ensued and writers used it as an opportunity to pen headlines that said the project served as a reminder that documentaries are journalism.
But while it’s true that documentaries have never been a part of the fourth estate — an institution whose ability to be completely objective is debatable — most documentaries set out to expose a truth via journalistic tactics including research, making sense of the facts and interviewing subjects. This year many such projects — including “City So Real,” “Allen v. Farrow,” “Framing Britney Spears,” “The Social Dilemma” and “Welcome to Chechnya” — received Emmy nominations.
Veteran docu filmmaker Steve James says while he is a “nonfiction storyteller,” that does not relieve him of journalistic principles when making a documentary. James...
But while it’s true that documentaries have never been a part of the fourth estate — an institution whose ability to be completely objective is debatable — most documentaries set out to expose a truth via journalistic tactics including research, making sense of the facts and interviewing subjects. This year many such projects — including “City So Real,” “Allen v. Farrow,” “Framing Britney Spears,” “The Social Dilemma” and “Welcome to Chechnya” — received Emmy nominations.
Veteran docu filmmaker Steve James says while he is a “nonfiction storyteller,” that does not relieve him of journalistic principles when making a documentary. James...
- 8/11/2021
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Variety is pleased to announce the lineup for its first-ever Virtual TV Fest: The Nominees, airing on Aug. 18.
This year, Variety extended its TV Fest franchise to include panels with Emmy-nominated actors, directors, producers and writers in the comedy, drama, documentary series and nonfiction special and limited series categories. The panels will be moderated by Michael Schneider, Variety‘s deputy TV editor and senior TV awards editor, and Jazz Tangcay, senior awards editor.
The Comedy Series panel includes:
Hannah Einbinder
Debbie Liebling
Courtney Lilly
Rosie Perez
Paul Reiser
Hannah Waddingham
William Zabka
The Drama Series panel includes:
Steven Canals
Ann Dowd
Aunjanue Ellis
Eric Kripke
Tobias Menzies
Chris Sullivan
The Documentary Series and Nonfiction Special panel includes:
Kirby Dick
Steve James
Frank Marshall
T.J. Martin
Amanda McBaine
Jeff Orlowski
Samantha Stark
The Limited Series panel includes:
Paapa Essiedu
Barry Jenkins
Anya Taylor-Joy
Elizabeth Olsen
Kate Winslet
To register for the event,...
This year, Variety extended its TV Fest franchise to include panels with Emmy-nominated actors, directors, producers and writers in the comedy, drama, documentary series and nonfiction special and limited series categories. The panels will be moderated by Michael Schneider, Variety‘s deputy TV editor and senior TV awards editor, and Jazz Tangcay, senior awards editor.
The Comedy Series panel includes:
Hannah Einbinder
Debbie Liebling
Courtney Lilly
Rosie Perez
Paul Reiser
Hannah Waddingham
William Zabka
The Drama Series panel includes:
Steven Canals
Ann Dowd
Aunjanue Ellis
Eric Kripke
Tobias Menzies
Chris Sullivan
The Documentary Series and Nonfiction Special panel includes:
Kirby Dick
Steve James
Frank Marshall
T.J. Martin
Amanda McBaine
Jeff Orlowski
Samantha Stark
The Limited Series panel includes:
Paapa Essiedu
Barry Jenkins
Anya Taylor-Joy
Elizabeth Olsen
Kate Winslet
To register for the event,...
- 8/11/2021
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
Framing Britney Spears director Samantha Stark and senior story editor Liz Day are featured in a new Hollywood Reporter interview about the documentary, produced by The New York Times for Hulu/FX, about the pop star’s ongoing battle to break free from her conservatorship.
Shortly after the documentary premiered on February 5th, Spears wrote on her Instagram account that she “didn’t like the way the documentaries bring up humiliating moments from the past.” She has also criticized the film as being “hypocritical” in its scrutiny of how the...
Shortly after the documentary premiered on February 5th, Spears wrote on her Instagram account that she “didn’t like the way the documentaries bring up humiliating moments from the past.” She has also criticized the film as being “hypocritical” in its scrutiny of how the...
- 8/5/2021
- by Claire Shaffer
- Rollingstone.com
To say that The New York Times Presents: Framing Britney Spears caused a stir when it premiered Feb. 5 would be a grave understatement. The Hulu/FX documentary, which investigates the pop legend’s conservatorship and her fight to break free of it, sent shock waves rippling across the internet and beyond. Almost overnight, #FreeBritney became a household topic of conversation. Justin Timberlake, Perez Hilton and Sarah Silverman apologized for their past behavior and jokes directed at Spears, while others reflected on the misogynistic media culture that paved the way for what she has called an abusive legal arrangement. Yet director Samantha Stark ...
To say that The New York Times Presents: Framing Britney Spears caused a stir when it premiered Feb. 5 would be a grave understatement. The Hulu/FX documentary, which investigates the pop legend’s conservatorship and her fight to break free of it, sent shock waves rippling across the internet and beyond. Almost overnight, #FreeBritney became a household topic of conversation. Justin Timberlake, Perez Hilton and Sarah Silverman apologized for their past behavior and jokes directed at Spears, while others reflected on the misogynistic media culture that paved the way for what she has called an abusive legal arrangement. Yet director Samantha Stark ...
Framing Britney Spears, the New York Times Presents documentary that chronicles a years-long effort by pop star Britney Spears to be freed from her conservatorship and remove her father Jamie Spears from his role as conservator, only debuted on FX on Hulu this February.
But in the months since, the world both Spears and filmmakers Samantha Stark, Liz Day and Mary Robertson live in is noticeably different. As calls from Spears’ fanbase to #FreeBritney have increased — and both Hollywood and media have begun accounting for their treatment of Britney and celebrity women in general — the singer has navigated multiple court dates and ...
But in the months since, the world both Spears and filmmakers Samantha Stark, Liz Day and Mary Robertson live in is noticeably different. As calls from Spears’ fanbase to #FreeBritney have increased — and both Hollywood and media have begun accounting for their treatment of Britney and celebrity women in general — the singer has navigated multiple court dates and ...
- 7/19/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Framing Britney Spears, the New York Times Presents documentary that chronicles a years-long effort by pop star Britney Spears to be freed from her conservatorship and remove her father Jamie Spears from his role as conservator, only debuted on FX on Hulu this February.
But in the months since, the world both Spears and filmmakers Samantha Stark, Liz Day and Mary Robertson live in is noticeably different. As calls from Spears’ fanbase to #FreeBritney have increased — and both Hollywood and media have begun accounting for their treatment of Britney and celebrity women in general — the singer has navigated multiple court dates and ...
But in the months since, the world both Spears and filmmakers Samantha Stark, Liz Day and Mary Robertson live in is noticeably different. As calls from Spears’ fanbase to #FreeBritney have increased — and both Hollywood and media have begun accounting for their treatment of Britney and celebrity women in general — the singer has navigated multiple court dates and ...
- 7/19/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Updated with quotes from original 8:54 a.m. story: Framing Britney Spears, the New York Times documentary that brought renewed attention to the pop singer’s conservatorship, earned an Emmy nomination Tuesday for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special.
“It’s really wonderful to be recognized,” director-producer Samantha Stark told Deadline. “We had a big team that made this so it was great to be nominated in this category because it’s the whole team’s work together.”
But she added, “We have mixed feelings about it because Britney is currently in this [conservatorship] court battle… So it is a little odd for us to be celebrated in this way when that’s happening. But what I hope it signifies is how many people want to know the truth about Britney and are interested in really learning the real stories.”
Co-ep and writer Liz Day echoed that feeling.
“It’s complicated because...
“It’s really wonderful to be recognized,” director-producer Samantha Stark told Deadline. “We had a big team that made this so it was great to be nominated in this category because it’s the whole team’s work together.”
But she added, “We have mixed feelings about it because Britney is currently in this [conservatorship] court battle… So it is a little odd for us to be celebrated in this way when that’s happening. But what I hope it signifies is how many people want to know the truth about Britney and are interested in really learning the real stories.”
Co-ep and writer Liz Day echoed that feeling.
“It’s complicated because...
- 7/13/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
As Britney Spears’ legal battle ravages on, the buzzy television documentary surrounding the pop star’s conservatorship and the #FreeBritney movement has been nominated for two Emmys.
“Framing Britney Spears,” which was produced by the New York Times for FX and Hulu, has been nominated for outstanding documentary or nonfiction special and picture editing for a nonfiction program.
The Emmy nominations for “Framing Britney Spears” come just one day before Spears is expected to appear in court on July 14 for her latest hearing in her ongoing conservatorship saga.
Spears is currently fighting to have her father, Jamie Spears, removed from and terminate the conservatorship altogether. The singer is currently in talks with a major Hollywood power lawyer, who she hopes the court will approve to represent her on the ongoing matters, as she works to terminate the conservatorship that she has been under for 13 years. In 2008, her father became the...
“Framing Britney Spears,” which was produced by the New York Times for FX and Hulu, has been nominated for outstanding documentary or nonfiction special and picture editing for a nonfiction program.
The Emmy nominations for “Framing Britney Spears” come just one day before Spears is expected to appear in court on July 14 for her latest hearing in her ongoing conservatorship saga.
Spears is currently fighting to have her father, Jamie Spears, removed from and terminate the conservatorship altogether. The singer is currently in talks with a major Hollywood power lawyer, who she hopes the court will approve to represent her on the ongoing matters, as she works to terminate the conservatorship that she has been under for 13 years. In 2008, her father became the...
- 7/13/2021
- by Elizabeth Wagmeister
- Variety Film + TV
Let’s consider Britney Spears’ age. Now that she is back in court over the controversial issues of her financial and personal conservatorships, many people wonder (including those wild #FreeBritney fans): Isn’t she too old to be controlled by conservators? Hasn’t this gone on too long?
After all, Britney’s public mental collapse occurred way back in 2007 and 2008 when she shaved her head and attacked the car of a tabloid photographer while she was swept up in a frustrating legal battle with her ex-husband over the custody of their their sons. Thereafter, a Los Angeles court put her dad Jamie in charge of Britney’s finances and other issues, but now more conservators are also involved, too.
DISCUSSJoin our live chat now! Do you think Britney is really crazy?
But Britney is now 39 years old and she may very well have been a victim of media exploitation and mockery all along,...
After all, Britney’s public mental collapse occurred way back in 2007 and 2008 when she shaved her head and attacked the car of a tabloid photographer while she was swept up in a frustrating legal battle with her ex-husband over the custody of their their sons. Thereafter, a Los Angeles court put her dad Jamie in charge of Britney’s finances and other issues, but now more conservators are also involved, too.
DISCUSSJoin our live chat now! Do you think Britney is really crazy?
But Britney is now 39 years old and she may very well have been a victim of media exploitation and mockery all along,...
- 6/23/2021
- by Tom O'Neil
- Gold Derby
In the opening moments of “Genius: Aretha,” Cynthia Erivo’s Aretha Franklin is seen on stage as her career begins to skyrocket. The scene then cuts to Franklin in a gaggle of reporters, peppered with questions, one of which comes from a man asking whether her children were in the audience. Franklin responds, “It’s past their bedtime.” To which the man snickers in reply, “Weren’t you a mother at that age?”
“Genius: Aretha” is one of several recent series, in both the scripted and docuseries space, that offers nuanced and unapologetic portraits of female historical and pop-culture figures. Telling their tales now, and under the careful influence of female leadership, allows these projects to reflect the cultural awakening about sexism and gender stereotypes that existed in film and TV since the days of silent movies.
With “Genius: Aretha,” the deft female hands behind-the-scenes include Courteney Monroe, president of National Geographic Global Television Networks,...
“Genius: Aretha” is one of several recent series, in both the scripted and docuseries space, that offers nuanced and unapologetic portraits of female historical and pop-culture figures. Telling their tales now, and under the careful influence of female leadership, allows these projects to reflect the cultural awakening about sexism and gender stereotypes that existed in film and TV since the days of silent movies.
With “Genius: Aretha,” the deft female hands behind-the-scenes include Courteney Monroe, president of National Geographic Global Television Networks,...
- 6/10/2021
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
In the narrative world, sequels are all the rage for films and even “limited” series if the first installment is wildly successful, but seldom do you see follow-ups for documentaries. But all six filmmakers at Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Documentary panel — Samantha Stark (“The New York Times Presents: Framing Britney Spears”), J. Clay Tweel (“Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults”), Cecilia Peck and Inbal B. Lessner (“Seduced: Inside the Nxivm Cult”), Tom Beard (“The Year Earth Changed”) and Jeff Orlowski (“The Social Dilemma”) — are definitely not opposed to sequels to their films, some of which cover ongoing stories.
Click on each name above to watch that person’s individual panel interview. Watch our full panel above to hear everyone’s answers and more.
“With our film it feels like it just cracked us open,” Stark says of “Framing Britney Spears,” which spotlights the 13-year conservatorship the pop icon...
Click on each name above to watch that person’s individual panel interview. Watch our full panel above to hear everyone’s answers and more.
“With our film it feels like it just cracked us open,” Stark says of “Framing Britney Spears,” which spotlights the 13-year conservatorship the pop icon...
- 5/17/2021
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
“The New York Times Presents: Framing Britney Spears” was initially conceived as an “‘O.J.: Made in America’ but for Britney Spears,” taking a deep dive into the invasive and inappropriate media coverage the pop star endured throughout the 2000s, but that quickly changed, according to director Samantha Stark. “As we were reporting and researching for the film, the conservatorship really came out as a huge storyline,” Stark shares at Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Documentary panel (watch above).
Spears has been under a conservatorship, overseen by her father Jamie Spears, since 2008 following her very public breakdown, preventing her from making any personal, business or financial decisions on her own. Since 2019, the conservatorship has been under intense scrutiny, sparking the fan-made #FreeBritney movement, which calls for an end to the legal arrangement. In August, Spears’ court-appointed lawyer, Samuel D. Ingham III, filed documents stating that the singer does not...
Spears has been under a conservatorship, overseen by her father Jamie Spears, since 2008 following her very public breakdown, preventing her from making any personal, business or financial decisions on her own. Since 2019, the conservatorship has been under intense scrutiny, sparking the fan-made #FreeBritney movement, which calls for an end to the legal arrangement. In August, Spears’ court-appointed lawyer, Samuel D. Ingham III, filed documents stating that the singer does not...
- 5/17/2021
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Gold Derby’s group discussion with six outstanding directors of TV documentaries launched our popular “Meet the Experts” panel series featuring Emmy contenders. Our senior editor Joyce Eng moderated the chat that included Samantha Stark (“Framing Britney Spears”), J. Clay Tweel (“Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults”), Cecilia Peck, Inbal B. Lessner (“Seduced: Inside the Nxivm Cult”), Tom Beard (“The Year Earth Changed”), Jeff Orlowski (‘The Social Dilemma’).
- 5/10/2021
- by Tom O'Neil
- Gold Derby
Six top TV documentary directors will reveal details behind their projects when they join Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with key 2021 guild and Emmy contenders this month. Each person will participate in two video discussions to premiere on Monday, May 10, at 5:00 p.m. Pt; 8:00 p.m. Et. We’ll have a one-on-one with our senior editor Joyce Eng and a group chat with Joyce and all of the group together.
RSVP today to this specific event by clicking here to book your reservation. Or click here to RSVP for our entire ongoing panel series. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following 2021 guild and Emmy contenders:
“Framing Britney Spears”: Samantha Stark
Stark was a News Emmy nominee for “Coming Out.” Other projects have included “They Get Brave,...
RSVP today to this specific event by clicking here to book your reservation. Or click here to RSVP for our entire ongoing panel series. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following 2021 guild and Emmy contenders:
“Framing Britney Spears”: Samantha Stark
Stark was a News Emmy nominee for “Coming Out.” Other projects have included “They Get Brave,...
- 5/3/2021
- by Chris Beachum and Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
When the documentary The New York Times Presents: Framing Britney Spears premiered on FX in February, it caused a sensation. More than 1 million reactions were tweeted within a few days of its debut. And Justin Timberlake, whose treatment of Spears after the pop stars’ breakup years ago was questioned in the film, felt compelled to issue a statement apologizing to his former girlfriend.
“We were all truly surprised at what a reception there was,” director and executive producer Samantha Stark said during Deadline’s Contenders Television: Documentary + Unscripted panel discussion of the documentary. “Britney Spears, for a long time, was not taken seriously, was made fun of a lot, you can see throughout her life, with the media coverage. I was worried people would continue to do that, to make fun of that…but it was really, really incredible to see people really ‘get’ what we were trying to show.
“We were all truly surprised at what a reception there was,” director and executive producer Samantha Stark said during Deadline’s Contenders Television: Documentary + Unscripted panel discussion of the documentary. “Britney Spears, for a long time, was not taken seriously, was made fun of a lot, you can see throughout her life, with the media coverage. I was worried people would continue to do that, to make fun of that…but it was really, really incredible to see people really ‘get’ what we were trying to show.
- 5/1/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Britney Spears has broken her silence on the “Framing Britney Spears” documentary.
In an Instagram post on Tuesday that features her dancing to Aerosmith’s “Crazy,” Spears addressed the doc for the first time, writing that she hasn’t watched it but was “embarrassed” by the parts she did see and “cried for two weeks.”
“I didn’t watch the documentary but from what I did see of it I was embarrassed by the light they put me in,” Spears wrote. “I cried for two weeks and well …. I still cry sometimes!!!!”
Earlier in the post, Spears reflected on how she has been judged harshly by the media during her career, and said she still is “till this day.”
“My life has always been very speculated …watched … and judged really my whole life !!!” Spears wrote. “For my sanity I need to dance to @iamstevent every night of my life...
In an Instagram post on Tuesday that features her dancing to Aerosmith’s “Crazy,” Spears addressed the doc for the first time, writing that she hasn’t watched it but was “embarrassed” by the parts she did see and “cried for two weeks.”
“I didn’t watch the documentary but from what I did see of it I was embarrassed by the light they put me in,” Spears wrote. “I cried for two weeks and well …. I still cry sometimes!!!!”
Earlier in the post, Spears reflected on how she has been judged harshly by the media during her career, and said she still is “till this day.”
“My life has always been very speculated …watched … and judged really my whole life !!!” Spears wrote. “For my sanity I need to dance to @iamstevent every night of my life...
- 3/31/2021
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Red Arrow Studios International has closed a raft of global sales for controversial feature documentary “Framing Britney Spears.”
The documentary shines a light on the Queen of Pop’s court battle for control of her estate and also re-examines the media’s handling of her life and career. Since its early February debut, the film has been generating considerable attention around the world.
International sales include Sky (U.K. & Ireland), Nine (Australia), Crave (Canada), Three (New Zealand), Talpa TV (the Netherlands), Nrk (Norway), TV2 (Denmark), TV4 (Sweden & Finland), Discovery (Italy), Originals Factory (French & German-speaking Europe), Osn (Middle East), Odisea / Odisseia (Spain & Portugal), HOT8 (Israel), Yes (Israel), Dpg (Belgium) and Canal Plus Poland.
In addition, TV2, Nine, Crave, Odisea / Odisseia, HOT8 and Yes have also acquired the entire “The Weekly: Special Edition” documentary collection, which includes “Framing Britney Spears.”
Tim Gerhartz, senior VP of global sales at Red Arrow Studios International,...
The documentary shines a light on the Queen of Pop’s court battle for control of her estate and also re-examines the media’s handling of her life and career. Since its early February debut, the film has been generating considerable attention around the world.
International sales include Sky (U.K. & Ireland), Nine (Australia), Crave (Canada), Three (New Zealand), Talpa TV (the Netherlands), Nrk (Norway), TV2 (Denmark), TV4 (Sweden & Finland), Discovery (Italy), Originals Factory (French & German-speaking Europe), Osn (Middle East), Odisea / Odisseia (Spain & Portugal), HOT8 (Israel), Yes (Israel), Dpg (Belgium) and Canal Plus Poland.
In addition, TV2, Nine, Crave, Odisea / Odisseia, HOT8 and Yes have also acquired the entire “The Weekly: Special Edition” documentary collection, which includes “Framing Britney Spears.”
Tim Gerhartz, senior VP of global sales at Red Arrow Studios International,...
- 2/23/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Pop icon Britney Spears’ life, career, and conservatorship got a much overdue new spotlight with the documentary “Framing Britney Spears,” now streaming on Hulu from New York Times Presents. The film features a sweeping overview of her stardom and the circumstances that led to her father, Jamie Spears, managing her affairs and estate, and has sparked enough buzz that even Netflix is reportedly working on its own take on the singer. A recent The Hollywood Reporter interview with director Samantha Stark and writer Liz Day has revealed that the filmmakers have more than enough material for a follow-up of their own.
“There was so much we had to leave on the cutting room floor and in our notebooks just for time. And also since the documentary aired, we’ve gotten a lot of information that we’re interested in as well that we’re interested in pursuing and reporting out further,...
“There was so much we had to leave on the cutting room floor and in our notebooks just for time. And also since the documentary aired, we’ve gotten a lot of information that we’re interested in as well that we’re interested in pursuing and reporting out further,...
- 2/20/2021
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
FX documentary “Framing Britney Spears” is finally getting a U.K. release.
Comcast-backed pay-tv operator Sky has snapped up rights for the hit documentary, which aired earlier this month Stateside on the cabler and Hulu. The doc will debut on the Sky Documentaries channel as well as SVOD service Now TV on Feb. 16 at 9pm.
The acquisition is a coup for Sky, as it would have made sense for the documentary — given FX’s Disney ownership — to land on Disney Plus in international markets like the U.K. However, the only home that would have made sense for the doc is the forthcoming, adult-oriented Star tile, which launches in European markets only on Feb. 23. Considering the strong demand among U.K. audiences to watch the film, it’s likely the timings would have worked against a Star debut.
The film examines the meteoric rise of the pop singer in the 1990s,...
Comcast-backed pay-tv operator Sky has snapped up rights for the hit documentary, which aired earlier this month Stateside on the cabler and Hulu. The doc will debut on the Sky Documentaries channel as well as SVOD service Now TV on Feb. 16 at 9pm.
The acquisition is a coup for Sky, as it would have made sense for the documentary — given FX’s Disney ownership — to land on Disney Plus in international markets like the U.K. However, the only home that would have made sense for the doc is the forthcoming, adult-oriented Star tile, which launches in European markets only on Feb. 23. Considering the strong demand among U.K. audiences to watch the film, it’s likely the timings would have worked against a Star debut.
The film examines the meteoric rise of the pop singer in the 1990s,...
- 2/15/2021
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Over a week after the premiere of FX’s The New Times Presents episode “Framing Britney Spears,” the picture appears to be straightening out. On Thursday, Feb. 11, Los Angeles Judge Brenda Penny sided with Britney Spears’ legal team, reducing Britney’s father’s powers as sole conservator. Judge Penny ordered James Spears and financial company Bessemer Trust to work together on her financial and business affairs. On Friday, Feb. 12, Justin Timberlake issued a public apology to Britney, as well as for the misogynistic “wardrobe malfunction” prank he pulled on Janet Jackson at the Super Bowl in 2004. While the Britney documentary was a major force in the timing of these developments, they might not be happening if it weren’t for the efforts of Britney Spears’ most avid fans.
“Framing Britney Spears” director Samantha Stark spoke with Den of Geek about how the movement became a force for change. The New...
“Framing Britney Spears” director Samantha Stark spoke with Den of Geek about how the movement became a force for change. The New...
- 2/13/2021
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
The #FreeBritney movement is stronger than ever following the release of Framing Britney Spears, but has the pop star herself seen the documentary? According to Samantha Stark, the director and producer who chronicled the dark side of Britney Spears' rise to superstardom and the conservatorship she's now under on the Feb. 5 episode of FX's The New York Times Presents, probably not. Britney herself certainly hasn't revealed one way or another, but Page Six reported on Feb. 9 that the "Stronger" singer had indeed watched the doc. Andy Cohen pointed this out to Stark on the latest edition of SiriusXM's Andy Cohen Live, but she remained...
- 2/10/2021
- E! Online
From “The Jinx” to “Making A Murderer,” television docuseries in recent years have put high-profile cases directly back into the spotlight.
As legal proceedings continue in Britney Spears’ highly controversial conservatorship, a new FX documentary, “Framing Britney Spears,” will undoubtedly raise questions.
The Princess of Pop has been under a conservatorship since 2008, led by her father, Jamie Spears, meaning he controls her finances and essentially every other aspect of her life. This past November, the superstar lost a bid to remove her father from her conservatorship. He now remains in control, as co-conservator with financial company Bessemer Trust, though the judge did not rule out future petitions for his removal or suspension.
However, Spears took a strong stance, refusing to perform as long as her father remains in control.
“My client has informed me that she is afraid of her father,” Britney Spears’ attorney Samuel D. Ingham III told the...
As legal proceedings continue in Britney Spears’ highly controversial conservatorship, a new FX documentary, “Framing Britney Spears,” will undoubtedly raise questions.
The Princess of Pop has been under a conservatorship since 2008, led by her father, Jamie Spears, meaning he controls her finances and essentially every other aspect of her life. This past November, the superstar lost a bid to remove her father from her conservatorship. He now remains in control, as co-conservator with financial company Bessemer Trust, though the judge did not rule out future petitions for his removal or suspension.
However, Spears took a strong stance, refusing to perform as long as her father remains in control.
“My client has informed me that she is afraid of her father,” Britney Spears’ attorney Samuel D. Ingham III told the...
- 2/6/2021
- by Elizabeth Wagmeister
- Variety Film + TV
Britney Spears is one of the most-covered and least-known celebrities of the modern era. She is a millennial icon whose songs were the soundtrack of a generation. A choreographed contradiction from her earliest burst onto pop stardom, the singer became a blank canvass for anyone carrying a paint brush. The FX docuseries The New York Times Presents “Framing Britney Spears” is an attempt to find the artist’s place in the gallery. It is also searching for Britney’s whereabouts in general. Spears was placed into a conservatorship when she was 26 years old. That was 13 years ago this month, and she has been petitioning the court to have that changed.
Britney’s conservatorship, overseen by her father Jamie Spears, has been profitable. With a net worth of over $60 million, maybe too profitable to ever get resolved. It could be a form of life imprisonment and wannabe jailers appear to come...
Britney’s conservatorship, overseen by her father Jamie Spears, has been profitable. With a net worth of over $60 million, maybe too profitable to ever get resolved. It could be a form of life imprisonment and wannabe jailers appear to come...
- 2/6/2021
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
The FX docuseries The New York Times Presents takes a celebrity turn on the installment “Framing Britney Spears.” But this is no tabloid exposé, even as the gossip rags and paparazzi become inadvertently complicit. The series provides consistently dedicated longform journalism as a matter of course. Their beat is varied. It’s covered front line workers, booted a hacking network, and chased a killer.
“Framing Britney Spears” doesn’t present a homicide case, though legal minds might argue a life has been taken away. It is a true crime documentary, but the truth hasn’t been determined, and the crime is hard to define. There is a fiduciary element, and questionable mental health is a contributory factor. It is also a missing person’s case where the exact location of the victim-at-large is known. Well known and splashed across newsfeeds at a moment’s notice if there’s even a hint of a move.
“Framing Britney Spears” doesn’t present a homicide case, though legal minds might argue a life has been taken away. It is a true crime documentary, but the truth hasn’t been determined, and the crime is hard to define. There is a fiduciary element, and questionable mental health is a contributory factor. It is also a missing person’s case where the exact location of the victim-at-large is known. Well known and splashed across newsfeeds at a moment’s notice if there’s even a hint of a move.
- 2/3/2021
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Britney Spears was a symbol for her entire public life. And, even in her seclusion, we can’t stop seeing her as something more, and less, than simply a person.
The new Samantha Stark-directed documentary “Framing Britney Spears,” produced by the New York Times and airing on Feb. 5 on Hulu, looks at both sides of the pop superstar’s troubled experience of fame. From childhood, Spears put her talents towards what the recording industry made available to her: a sort of flat, inoffensive notoriety, a life as an image onto which spectators could imagine anything, virtuous or otherwise. After a break — Spears’ well-documented struggles with mental health in the late 2000s, placing on hiatus her career as well as testing her personal relationships — the performer returned in a show of force, making music as well as money under the oversight of her father, who held a new judge-mandated power over her decisions,...
The new Samantha Stark-directed documentary “Framing Britney Spears,” produced by the New York Times and airing on Feb. 5 on Hulu, looks at both sides of the pop superstar’s troubled experience of fame. From childhood, Spears put her talents towards what the recording industry made available to her: a sort of flat, inoffensive notoriety, a life as an image onto which spectators could imagine anything, virtuous or otherwise. After a break — Spears’ well-documented struggles with mental health in the late 2000s, placing on hiatus her career as well as testing her personal relationships — the performer returned in a show of force, making music as well as money under the oversight of her father, who held a new judge-mandated power over her decisions,...
- 1/27/2021
- by Daniel D'Addario
- Variety Film + TV
FX and Hulu are partnering with the New York Times to create a 10-episode documentary series that will explore breaking news, character-driven stories, and feature reporting from the publication’s journalists. The first episode of the series, which is titled “The New York Times Presents,” will premiere on Friday and centers on the coronavirus pandemic.
The docuseries hails from the team behind “The Weekly,” Hulu’s television spinoff of the New York Times’ popular “The Daily” investigative journalism podcast. While “The New York Times Presents” is not an FX on Hulu series, each of its episodes will simultaneously premiere on FX and Hulu, which are both owned by Disney.
Here’s the synopsis for “They Get Brave,” the coronavirus-focused episode that premieres on Friday at 10 p.m. local time: As the coronavirus ravages more and more American cities, we look back to the place hit hardest: New York City. Doctors and nurses documented their lives,...
The docuseries hails from the team behind “The Weekly,” Hulu’s television spinoff of the New York Times’ popular “The Daily” investigative journalism podcast. While “The New York Times Presents” is not an FX on Hulu series, each of its episodes will simultaneously premiere on FX and Hulu, which are both owned by Disney.
Here’s the synopsis for “They Get Brave,” the coronavirus-focused episode that premieres on Friday at 10 p.m. local time: As the coronavirus ravages more and more American cities, we look back to the place hit hardest: New York City. Doctors and nurses documented their lives,...
- 7/8/2020
- by Tyler Hersko
- Indiewire
FX and Hulu have teamed to launch The New York Times Presents, a 10-episode monthly documentary series set to premiere at 10 Pm Friday, July 10.
The New York Times Presents is the new incarnation of The Weekly; FX referred to a second season of the Nyt docuseries on its 2020-21 programming slate released in May.
The New York Times Presents hails from the same creative team as The Weekly and also will feature breaking news, investigations and character-driven stories and features reporting from journalists at The New York Times.
The air frequency will be different — monthly vs. weekly for The Weekly (and daily for The Daily podcast/radio show the TV series was originally based on.). Additionally, new episodes of The New York Times Presents will be released on a Friday simultaneously on FX and Hulu. An episode of The Weekly premiered on Sunday night, with Hulu posting it online at midnight the same night.
The New York Times Presents is the new incarnation of The Weekly; FX referred to a second season of the Nyt docuseries on its 2020-21 programming slate released in May.
The New York Times Presents hails from the same creative team as The Weekly and also will feature breaking news, investigations and character-driven stories and features reporting from journalists at The New York Times.
The air frequency will be different — monthly vs. weekly for The Weekly (and daily for The Daily podcast/radio show the TV series was originally based on.). Additionally, new episodes of The New York Times Presents will be released on a Friday simultaneously on FX and Hulu. An episode of The Weekly premiered on Sunday night, with Hulu posting it online at midnight the same night.
- 7/7/2020
- by Nellie Andreeva and Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
FX and Hulu are partnering to launch a new docuseries called “The New York Times Presents” from the team behind the newspaper’s “The Weekly” series.
Each of the 10 episodes will be its own individual documentary exploring breaking news, investigations, and character-driven stories featuring reporting from New York Times journalists. The first episode will follow the lives of doctors and nurses in New York City during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, and a later episode will cover the killing of Breonna Taylor by police in Louisville, Kentucky.
The series premieres this Friday, July 10 at 10 p.m. Et/Pt simultaneously on FX and Hulu, with new episodes to follow monthly.
Also Read: Matthew Weiner Has a Mystery Drama in Development at FX
Here are the official descriptions for the first two episodes:
“They Get Brave” – July 10
As the coronavirus ravages more and more American cities, we look back to the...
Each of the 10 episodes will be its own individual documentary exploring breaking news, investigations, and character-driven stories featuring reporting from New York Times journalists. The first episode will follow the lives of doctors and nurses in New York City during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, and a later episode will cover the killing of Breonna Taylor by police in Louisville, Kentucky.
The series premieres this Friday, July 10 at 10 p.m. Et/Pt simultaneously on FX and Hulu, with new episodes to follow monthly.
Also Read: Matthew Weiner Has a Mystery Drama in Development at FX
Here are the official descriptions for the first two episodes:
“They Get Brave” – July 10
As the coronavirus ravages more and more American cities, we look back to the...
- 7/7/2020
- by Margeaux Sippell
- The Wrap
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