Ziwe Says YouTube Gives Her What Traditional TV Can’t | Ankler Studios at TIFF

Ziwe discusses ‘You’d Be an Iconic Guest,’ her YouTube interview series, with The Ankler’s Katey Rich at Ankler Studios at TIFF. After working across traditional television, digital media and live formats, Ziwe has found a home on YouTube, where she says the freedom to take an idea from conception to release without years of development has transformed her creative process. She explains why she considers YouTube television, how audience feedback influences the series and why she still releases interviews at a specific time to recreate the feeling of monoculture. Ziwe also breaks down the extensive research behind interviews with guests including Eric Adams, Hasan Piker, Law Roach, Fran Lebowitz and Wanda Sykes, and why preparation gives her the freedom to improvise once the cameras roll. For Ziwe, the best interviews happen when guests abandon polished press-tour answers and embrace honesty, awkwardness and chaos. Plus, Ziwe explains why ‘30 Rock’ is the perfect companion piece to her show and reveals the movie that managed to warm her “cold heart.” For more entertainment news, subscribe to The Ankler: theankler.com/subscribe Chapters: 00:00 Ziwe on ‘You’d Be an Iconic Guest’ 01:19 Why Ziwe chose YouTube and calls herself “unstoppable” 02:15 How Ziwe’s audience influences the show 02:56 Ziwe’s attempt to recreate TV monoculture 03:57 Why Ziwe considers YouTube television 04:28 What YouTube gives Ziwe that traditional TV can’t 05:25 How Ziwe has evolved as an interviewer 06:52 Ziwe breaks down her interview research process 08:06 What Ziwe wants from her guests 09:08 Why polished answers kill an interview 10:38 Ziwe’s formula for the perfect guest 11:43 Why Ziwe would pair her show with ‘30 Rock’ 12:51 ‘The Odyssey’ warmed Ziwe’s “cold heart”