*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).
Trendy beverage maker Dirty Lemon may have halted production of its CBD-infused drink due to legal concerns, but CEO Zak Normandin insisted the company isn't otherwise slowing down or playing it safe. Rather, it is working to expand the brand's physical presence and develop new products.
Petco will phase out dog and cat food containing artificial ingredients and preservatives entirely by May 2019. Petco CEO Ron Coughlin told Cheddar Tuesday that the decision to move to a wholly natural-ingredient line was part of a corporate strategy to become a full-service "partner to pet parents." It also reflects broader consumer trends toward healthier, organic foods ー that now includes the diets of their pets.
The backlash was swift after Amazon announced on Tuesday morning that it will split its second unbuilt headquarters and up to 50,000 full-time jobs between two locations: Long Island City, in Queens, N.Y., and the Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington, Va, just outside the nation's capital.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2018.
The Food and Drug Administration plans to restrict the sale of flavored e-cigarettes that might appeal to teens, according to a Washington Post report. But some worry a ban will only further entice young users. "Some people say it will just make it more attractive. That's one of the problems ー the more you restrict it, the more enticing it can be," USA Today health care policy reporter Jayne O'Donnell told Cheddar on Monday.
From the makers of the dating app, Bumble, the newest dating app exclusively for gay men is here. Chappy caters gay men and Adam Cohen-Aslatei, managing director of Chappy, said the app not only wants to help make meaningful relationships, but combat the discrimination seen in other dating apps.
The subject of gambling and esports has become a point of serious tension for gamers. For companies like Unikrn, which built its platform on the practice of esports betting, battling that stigma is a central, implicit part of the operation. According to CEO and co-founder Rahul Sood, the company is determined to make betting on esports a “safe, legal, and relegated” space.
Mike Masserman, head of global policy and social impact at Lyft, spoke with Cheddar about several initiatives the ridesharing company is taking to put its values front and center. Lyft's "Round Up & Donate" feature lets riders make a small charitable donation with each ride. Its first partner in the initiative, the USO, just topped $1 million in donations from the program. The ridesharing company has also activated its "Relief Rides" program to help victims of the California wildfires get to shelters and hospitals.
Over the weekend, the NRA criticized doctors for advocating for gun control by telling them to "stay in your lane." That was swiftly met with an online movement of doctors sharing their stories of seeing the aftermath of gun violence up close.
Dr. Ana Maria Lopez, president of the American College of Physicians, told Cheddar that physicians live by a code that requires them to address gun violence as a crisis.
Legendary comic-book writer, editor, actor, and film producer Stan Lee has died, according to multiple reports. He was 95 years old.
