*By Conor White*
"Mad Men" creator Matthew Weiner's new anthology series for Amazon, "The Romanoffs," is about far more than Russia's last royal family, according to one of its stars.
"As I said to Matthew when I was doing this, I have to bone up on the Romanoffs," actor Aaron Eckhart said in an interview on Cheddar.
"And he said, 'Well, not really, because it really has nothing to do with the Romanoffs.'"
The family consisted of Tsar Nicholas II, his wife, and five children. After Russia's February Revolution of 1917, Nicholas II abdicated the throne and was later executed with the rest of his house. Within the last 30 years, all the bodies have been discovered and identified through DNA testing. Despite that evidence, whispers remain that one of his children, most likely Anastasia, escaped the killings. (The tsar's youngest daughter inspired the popular animated film, "Anastasia," which was recently turned into a musical.)
The Amazon ($AMZN) series features a different cast in each of its eight episodes, which are all linked by some sort of connection to the famous family ー be it real or fabricated.
Eckhart said it's the relationships between the show's characters ー whether directly linked to the royals or not ー that makes the show special.
"The magical part of the show is that it has thematics, and it has through lines with the Romanoffs," the Golden Globe nominee said. "But it's all these different scenarios with different people all over the world."
The series is creator Weiner's return to television after his seven-season run with "Mad Men" ー the highly-acclaimed show garnered two Golden Globes for "Best Drama Series" and eight Primetime Emmy awards.
It was Eckhart's first time working with Weiner, and he said the experience was "educational, interesting," and "fascinating,"
"It's very surprising and striking and bold. It takes a real genius to figure this all out," Eckhart added.
In the age of binge-watching, Amazon has made the choice to release one episode per week after releasing the first two episodes simultaneously on Oct. 12.
Eckhart is a fan of the move and called it "more traditional." But he admitted he has binged his way through at least one classic series.
"I did binge-watch 'Friends'," he said.
"'Friends' is a very good show."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/meet-the-romanoffs).
Amazon's planned HQ2s in New York and Virginia will be a boon for homeowners near the complexes ー but for renters and potential home-buyers, it's a bit of a different story. Danielle Hale, chief economist for Realtor.com, tells Cheddar what locals can expect.
NASA is partnering with an unlikely organization for one of its newest experiments ー The Michael J. Fox Foundation. NASA is planning on growing crystals out of the proteins that are likely connected to Parkinson's disease. Sarah Lewin, associate editor at Space.com, told Cheddar that growing the crystals in space will give scientists more information on the proteins and hopefully lead to a breakthrough in curing Parkinson's.
The burgeoning sport of drone racing is about to go autonomous. The professional Drone Racing League is preparing to launch a circuit for A.I. drones to compete against one another ー and, eventually, against human-controlled drones. Nicholas Horbaczewski, the founder and CEO of the DRL, previewed the new circuit in an interview on Cheddar Wednesday.
Tony Steuer, author of "Get Ready!,' spoke with Cheddar about his best tips on making a financial first-aid kit in the case of emergencies.
A new dog owner can expect to spend more than $14,000 over the course of their pet's life ー and that's just for routine care. Kelsey Sheehy, a staff writer for NerdWallet, broke down the high cost of owning a pet in an interview on Cheddar Wednesday.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018.
The California wildfires continue to devastate neighborhoods and towns in its path, and many celebrities have been the victim of these relentless fires. Elizabeth Wagmeister, co-host Page Six TV and Senior Correspondent at Variety, joined Cheddar to discuss how celebrities have been reacting and how individuals are giving back.
Six months after giving birth to a baby boy, former American Idol Jordin Sparks is re-introducing fitness into her daily routine. The "No Air" singer shared her tips with Cheddar on Tuesday for getting motivated to get in shape post-baby.
When Stephanie Cartin and Courtney Spritzer co-founded Socialfly in 2011 as an agency for the social media age, Instagram was in its infancy. Today, Instagram is joining the burgeoning field of social commerce, which is changing the way people shop online. But there's a lot to know before you jump in. Cartin told Cheddar what she tells her clients who are looking to build an e-commerce store using Instagram.
E-cigarette maker Juul announced new concessions to limit rampant teen vaping on Tuesday ー including pulling certain products from stores and abandoning social media feeds ー in the face of increasing pressure from the FDA and anti-smoking groups.
