Kyle Buchanan Exits The New York Times to Launch Video Podcast 'The Kyle Buchanan Show'
Kyle Buchanan, the New York Times awards columnist who spent eight years shaping the paper's Oscar-season coverage, has left the newspaper to launch a video podcast. Variety reported the departure exclusively on 25 August 2026. His last day at the Times fell on a Friday. Variety
The new show, titled The Kyle Buchanan Show, is set to launch in mid-October. It will release twice weekly in two distinct formats. The Tuesday edition, called "The Panel," puts Buchanan in conversation with two to three rotating industry guests. The Friday edition, "The Profile," is a one-on-one sit-down with a major star — the kind of long-form interview that has been Buchanan's signature at the Times. Variety
Acast, which describes itself as the world's largest independent podcast company, has signed on as the exclusive partner for advertising, brand partnerships and distribution. The show will be available in both audio and video on Apple Podcasts and all other major podcast platforms. Variety
Buchanan joined the Times in 2018 from New York Magazine's Vulture, where he was a senior editor. Over his eight years at the paper, he profiled Hollywood figures including Michael B. Jordan, Jennifer Lawrence, Brad Pitt, Daniel Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Channing Tatum and Colman Domingo. His interview subjects frequently made news beyond the page: Ke Huy Quan told Buchanan the story behind his viral reunion photo with Harrison Ford at a 2022 awards event, and Zendaya told him in an outtake that the ending of Challengers might be "confusing." Variety Variety, 2022 Variety, 2024
Buchanan is also the author of Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road, a best-selling oral history drawn from more than 130 interviews. The book made headlines of its own, including Buchanan's reporting that Tom Hardy was "aggressive" during the production of George Miller's film. Variety Variety, May 2026
His work at the Times put him on the Oscars red carpet, too. In March 2023, Will Smith's co-producer Jon Landau relayed news to Buchanan on the carpet, citing "personal reasons" — coverage that landed amid the industry-wide conversation following Smith's slap of Chris Rock at the previous year's ceremony. Variety, March 2023
For readers who follow awards season, Buchanan's departure from the Times closes a chapter — the paper's awards column was a fixture of the Oscar race, read by industry voters and film fans alike. What The Kyle Buchanan Show will look and sound like when it arrives in October is now the question, and one he appears ready to answer on his own platform.
