Kyle MacLachlan Signals Hollywood Shift at Brittany Broski’s ‘Royal Court’ Launch
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A new era of entertainment is dawning, and it was on full display at the Paramour Estate in Silver Lake on Thursday night, as Kyle MacLachlan lent his star power to the season three launch of Brittany Broski’s YouTube talk show, Royal Court. The event signaled a deliberate bridging of Hollywood’s past and present, with the Twin Peaks actor embodying the transition from traditional entertainment to the burgeoning world of digital content creation.
The lavish estate, once home to silent film star Antonio Moreno and oil heiress Daisey Canfield, and famously the location for a scene in Scream 3, served as a symbolic backdrop for the “coronation” of a new Hollywood, as described by a senior Google official. MacLachlan, who recently appeared as a guest on Royal Court, represents a connection to the established entertainment industry, while Broski and her show are at the forefront of what Google is branding “New Hollywood.”
The Rise of ‘Royal Court’ and YouTube’s Talk Show Ambitions
Royal Court, a medieval-themed talk show, has quickly gained traction, attracting nearly 6 million viewers to its episode featuring Cole Sprouse. Broski, who first rose to fame with a viral 21-second Kombucha review, has cultivated a unique interview style, attracting high-profile guests like Brie Larson, Hannah Einbinder, David Corenswet, Diego Luna, Colman Domingo, and Charli XCX. She has also announced that Paul Mescal will be joining the show later this fall.
Broski’s vision for Royal Court was to blend the immersive world-building of Game of Thrones with the engaging interview format of Sean Evans’ Hot Ones. “This show began as a kernel of an idea,” Broski explained, “I love Game of Thrones and I really love Hot Ones, so I wanted to combine the two with how comfortable Sean Evans makes people feel, he makes them feel seen and then I wanted to combine this with an over the top, whimsical element to it.” The show, which premiered in July 2023 with Orville Peck, began in her spare bedroom and has rapidly expanded into a YouTube phenomenon.
YouTube Challenges Traditional Late Night
The launch event was attended by a diverse group of stars, including Fortune Feimster, Bob the Drag Queen, Rhett McLaughlin, Drew Afualo, Shayne Topp, and Brooke Averick, highlighting the show’s broad appeal and the growing influence of YouTube creators. YouTube is actively investing in talk show formats, having previously given an Emmy push to Hot Ones and currently focusing on shows like Good Mythical Morning, hosted by Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal. The company is also planning to increase its promotion of stand-up specials in the coming year.
According to Nielsen data, YouTube now surpasses Netflix in total television viewing in the U.S., with an average of 11.1 million viewers tuning in during primetime hours, compared to Netflix’s 10.7 million. This shift in viewership is not lost on Broski, who acknowledged the challenges facing traditional late-night television, citing the cancellation of The Late Show and the recent suspension of Jimmy Kimmel. “I think we’re in a new, exciting era of talk shows right now,” she stated. “We’re watching kind of the demise of old Hollywood and the influx of new Hollywood. It’s an honor and it’s a privilege to have YouTube to kind of be my champions.”
The question remains whether platforms like YouTube, with shows like Royal Court and Hot Ones, and video podcasts such as Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy, Theo Von’s This Past Weekend, and Jason and Travis Kelce’s New Heights, can ultimately supplant traditional late-night formats. However, the presence of MacLachlan at Broski’s launch event, coupled with Google’s strategic investment in digital content creators, suggests that the balance of power in the entertainment industry is undeniably shifting.
