*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).
Legendary choreographer Laurieann Gibson discusses her new Lifetime docuseries "Laurieann Gibson: Beyond The Spotlight." Gibson has choreographed music videos for stars like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Missy Elliot.
Your Cheddar hosts Kristen Scholer and Tim Stenovec discuss the biggest stories in business, the market, and personal finance.
Your Cheddar host Kristen Scholer joins David Dusseault, Executive Director of Ally Invest, at the TradersEXPO in New York City. Dusseault talks about the tools Ally Invest uses to help customers navigate their investment portfolio.
Choreographer Laurieann Gibson, who has produced tours for many high-profile artists, says that stars aren't just born, they're committed to "the process" that leads to greatness. She wants to make the process "cool" again.
The Career Contessa website recently launched The Salary Project, a database to compare salaries within your industry and receive a personalized salary review service. Lauren McGoodwin, Founder and CEO of Career Contessa joins Your Cheddar to discuss why she feels salary transparency would create an equal work environment.
It's that time of year to start thinking about planning a vacation, but you better think twice before paying for it with your credit card! Leanna Haakons, Founder of Black Hawk Financial, and Author of "Young, Fun and Financially Free" joins Your Cheddar to discuss how credit card debt can impact your life and where to find vacations for a discount.
Georgia's Lieutenant Governor is calling on Delta to reinstate its relationship with the NRA. The Dow closes down 300 points. Amazon is buying smart doorbell maker Ring. Former NBA star Al Harrington is looking to become the next marijuana mogul. Cronos Group started trading on the Nasdaq Tuesday. The vertically integrated company became the first marijuana company to join a major exchange in the United States.
In the wake of the Douglas School shooting students have been leading conversations and movements around the country. Many of those students are turning towards platforms like "Islands," to start conversations and share stories.
Grubhub recently announced their $1 million dollar fund for social good causes. The first initiative is being called "RestaurantHer" and is aimed at helping promote women and female-led restaurants in an uneven industry.
Christina Wayne, CEO of Assembly Entertainment and Founder of TelevisionSchool.com joins This Changes Things to discuss her long career in the media industry and how she took the plunge and started her own company.
