AirTalk Oct. 22, 2026

Today's show: AirTalk host Larry Mantle discusses film and TV shoots dropping in L.A., the future of Netflix, Novelist Lisa See on her new book, anxiety at nighttime and TV Talk.

New FilmLA report finds on-location productions have dipped

A new report from FilmLA found that on-location filming has continued to drop in Los Angeles, despite the expansion of tax credits for film and TV productions that occurred last year. The total number of productions, which does not include projects shot on soundstages, is down both year-over-year and since the previous quarter, though the portion of remaining productions benefiting from the subsidies has almost doubled.

Guest:

• Philip Sokoloski, vice president of communications at FilmLA

Is Netflix eyeing the silver screen?

Netflix has fired Dan Lin, its head of film, in a move that came right after the ousting of other major executives including Bela Bajaria, content chief, and Doug Belgrad, vice president of film. Though Ted Sarandos, Netflix's CEO, has long viewed theatrical releases primarily as a means to promote the company’s streaming platform, recent reporting suggests that the departures could hint at a change in that strategy.
Guest:

• Mia Galuppo, senior entertainment reporter at The Hollywood Reporter

Novelist Lisa See talks new book ‘Daughter of the Sun and Moon’

Lisa See has shown audiences the amount of research she does in her work, having explored her family’s history in her first bestselling novel, On Gold Mountain: The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of My Chinese American Family. Her new book, Daughter of the Sun and Moon, continues this tradition, including events from the 1871 Chinese Massacre in Los Angeles. On today’s show, we talk to See about the research that went into capturing that portion of local history.

Guest:

• Lisa See, novelist and author of the new book Daughter of the Sun and Moon (June 2026, Scribner)

Why are we more anxious at night?

The National Institute of Mental Health reports that around 30% of adults in the U.S. experience some sort of anxiety disorder at some point in their lifetime. Anxiety can feel particularly heightened during nighttime, when there are fewer distractions to occupy our headspace. That leaves many people who experience anxiety with heightened symptoms as they try to wind down. Today on AirTalk, we explore why you may be more anxious at night, and ways to curb it when it occurs.

Guest:

• Natalie Solomon, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine

TV Talk: ‘Benefits with Friends,' ‘Nobody Wants This’ and ‘Phony’

Have you felt completely overwhelmed when deciding what new show to watch these days? Us too. There’s just so much content out there between network TV and numerous streaming platforms. This week, listeners will get the latest scoop on what’s worth watching.

Guest:

• Steve Greene, freelance TV critic