*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).
Matt Klinman is a comedian who has been working in comedy for companies like Funny or Die for years. Recently, the comedy site had to lay off many people in their video department. Klinman spoke with Cheddar about the reason many media companies are laying off social video departments and how these companies can refocus their goals to leave Facebook behind.
Vanity Fair's Hive: We’re joined by the crew from Vanity Fair's Hive to discuss the intensifying gun control debate. On Between Bells: Muppets, Olympics, Gotham, and more. With CinemaBlend, FanSided, and Chat Sports.
Women in the U.S. spend over $5 billion on feminine care products each year. As the market continues to grow, so does the number of options available. Lunette President Cathy Chapman, and women's health expert Dr. Sherry Ross, discuss the different types of products out there for women.
"Gotham" is returning for its spring premiere on FOX. David Mazouz plays a young Bruce Wayne on the series, and joins Cheddar to preview what's to come on the hit drama.
Just a few years after same-sex marriage was legalized in the U.S., gay culture is taking America by storm. We've got gay athletes at the Olympics and gay lingo on the streets, but where did it all come from? Comedian and writer Justin Sayre takes Cheddar to school with his "gAy-B-C's."
When it comes to medical dramas, the ladies of "Married to Medicine," say skip the scripted dramas and go straight for their reality show. Season Five's finale airs on March 2nd and two of the stars join Cheddar for a sneak peak.
The Olympics are coming to a close but many top athletes who've attracted huge social media followings may have potential far off the ice or slopes and well after the games end. Gregory Galant is the Co-creator of The Shorty Awards and the CEO of MuckRack and joins Cheddar to explain the role of social media in this year's Olympics.
Nearly half of American families have no retirement savings at all according to the Economic Policy Institute. The figure is even lower for Hispanic families with some estimating as few as one in four Latino families has a retirement account. That is why Carlos Garcia started Finhabit.
In the wake of last week's mass shooting teenagers are becoming outspoken advocates for change. In these rallies driven by students the advocates demand a better future for their peers. Bustle's Senior Political Correspondent Erin Delmore explains what makes this movement different than others.
Weight Watchers is getting slammed after offering a free membership promotion for teenagers. Project Heal's Kristina Saffran joins Cheddar to discuss the effects early dieting can have on young people's health and wellness.
