Kim Masters speaks to Platonic co-creators Francesca Delbanco & Nicholas Stoller about what inspired their show about the comedy and complications of grown-up friendships. They talk about the challenge of writing characters—played by Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen—with none of the underlying sexual tension that has propelled so many television comedies to success. They also remember the time that Netflix boss Ted Sarandos sat through a lengthy table read of their first series, Friends from College.
Plus, as FCC Chairman Brendan Carr ramps up scrutiny of major media players, Comcast’s NBCUniversal appears to be his latest target. Is the company’s cable spinoff Versant a calculated play to dodge the Trump administration’s media witch hunt? Kim Masters and Lucas Shaw dig in.