FOR RELEASE ON NOVEMBER 11th
New Podcast Shares Behind-the-Scenes Secrets from Academy Awards Show Insider
New York, NY – November 11th, 2024 – Legendary comedian and Emmy Award-winning writer Bruce Vilanch unveils behind-the-scenes secrets of the Academy Awards in his exciting new podcast, OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! Co-hosted by the screenwriter of the cult-hit Ryan Reynolds comedy Just Friends, Adam ‘Tex’ Davis, the show dives into the history and controversies of the Oscars, tackling the puzzling decisions that have left audiences scratching their heads for decades.
Listeners can expect to explore jaw-dropping revelations, such as how two of the Top 100 American Films of All-Time were overlooked for nominations in the same year; or, why the film frequently hailed as the “Greatest Film of All Time” didn’t take home the Oscar. From the shocking wins to the baffling snubs, Vilanch and Davis dissect iconic moments in Oscar history, questioning how the Academy arrived at their decisions for better or worse.
“I’ve spent a third of my life writing for the Oscars, and trust me, plenty happens behind the curtain that the public never sees,” says Vilanch. “This podcast is about looking at films through the test of time and bringing humor and insight to the sometimes puzzling choices the Academy’s made over the years.”
Each episode features historical insights, engaging discussions, and never-before-heard stories from Hollywood’s biggest night, promising to be both entertaining and informative for cinephiles and casual movie fans alike.
Tune in to THE OSCARS: WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? to discover the truth behind the Academy’s decisions and to enjoy a hilarious look at the absurdity of awards season. The podcast trailer launches on October 28th with the first two episodes airing on November 11th., and will be available on all major podcast platforms.
About OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?!
Have you watched the Academy Awards and thought… ‘What were they thinking?’ Have you ever wondered, how is it that so many of the awards for Best Picture go to one movie when there’s a much better movie staring them in the face? Or, why have so many actors not won Oscars for their best roles? Or, why is it that so many movies that everyone loves and made a ton of money at the box office get no Oscar love while little-seen movies rake in the nominations and awards? If so, then this is the podcast for you. Co-hosted by legendary comedian, pop-culture icon and writer of over 25 Oscar telecasts, Mr. Bruce Vilanch, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at the nominating process, how and why some winners may have been chosen as well as tons of incredible, never-before-told, backstage stories about the world’s biggest stars on Hollywood’s biggest night. Joining Bruce is screenwriter, producer podcaster, and film nerd, Adam “Tex” Davis, writer of the very non-Oscar nominated movie Just Friends (starring Ryan Reynolds). Together, Bruce and “Tex” break down every Oscar ceremony, year-by-year, award-by-award, to reveal what the Academy got right, what it got wrong, the flubs, snubs and oversights. In the end, they’ll answer the question every movie-loving, Academy Awards watcher always asks – The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?
About Bruce Vilanch
Bruce Vilanch is an Emmy Award-winning comedy writer, songwriter, and actor known for his work on the Academy Awards and other major award shows like the Tonys, Grammys, and Emmys. With a celebrated career spanning decades, he gained fame as head writer and celebrity square on Hollywood Squares and penned material for the Oscars from 1989 to 2014, serving as head writer in his final years. His credits include work on The Donny & Marie Show, The Star Wars Holiday Special, and collaborations with celebrity icons like Bette Midler and Barbra Streisand. His work as a behind-the-scenes writer was so well-known, the 1999 documentary “Get Bruce!” was made about him.
About Adam “Tex” Davis
Adam “Tex” Davis is a seasoned screenwriter, producer and podcaster. He’s best known for his work on the cult, rom-com classic Just Friends, starring Ryan Reynolds, and Gardener of Eden, produced by Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way. A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Tex has contributed to over 25 feature film scripts and served as Co-Executive Producer and Head Writer for the Emmy-nominated series Brain Games. He is also a co-founder of Atomic Entertainment, overseeing projects like the Netflix series Brainchild and a growing slate of podcasts he writes or stars in such as Slayation, Mystery About True Histories, and Who Smarted?.
About Atomic Entertainment
Atomic Entertainment is the foremost creator of premium content so fun and engaging that audiences don’t realize they’re learning. From record-setting, Emmy-nominated TV shows and award-winning branded content to top-rated podcasts, Atomic Entertainment is known for its innovative and premium edutainment. Their TV projects include creating and producing BRAIN GAMES for Nat Geo, Netflix and Disney+, the top Netflix science series BRAINCHILD with Pharrell Williams, the cult SyFy hit THE INTERNET RUINED MY LIFE, and the upcoming documentary HYDRATION directed by Mimi Valdés, starring Pharrell, Missy Elliot, Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg, and more.
Their expanding podcast portfolio has more than one million monthly listeners, and includes family shows, pop culture, and comedy. Their flagship family series WHO SMARTED? and MYSTERIES ABOUT TRUE HISTORIES regularly occupy two of the top five family podcast spots on the chart and created the beloved Trusty Narrator character, and their true crime series SLAYCATION has a devoted and growing fan base of Slaycators. For more information on Atomic Entertainment, please visit AtomicEntertainment.com.
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Media Contact:Nick CastnerMarketing Directorncastner@atomicentertainment.com
