TCM’s Acclaimed Podcast The Plot Thickens Returns with “Cleopatra,” the Making of Hollywood’s Most Infamous Production, on July 17, 2025

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Los Angeles, CA - April 23, 2025 - Turner Classic Movies' (TCM) award-winning podcast The Plot Thickens returns on July 17 with host Ben Mankiewicz, diving deep into the tumultuous production of the 1963 epic Cleopatra - a film written and directed by his Oscar®-winning uncle, Joseph L. Mankiewicz. With Joe Mankiewicz calling the shots and with the luminous Elizabeth Taylor in the title role, Cleopatra should have been a smash. Instead, it was a shoot plagued from the start by medical emergencies, location changes, climate disasters, nervous breakdowns, and egos as big as pyramids... not to mention Taylor's scandalous love affair with co-star Richard Burton. It fell to Mankiewicz to somehow wrest an epic out of chaos. Writing at night and directing during the day, Mankiewicz struggled to stay one step ahead of financial disaster and his own failing health.

"I didn't really know Joe well, even though I was already 25 years old when he died," said TCM Host Ben Mankiewicz. "I had the basics. The highs: He had four Academy Awards. The lows: Writer's block plagued him for the last two decades of his life. But reading Joe's diaries from the Cleopatra production reveals a man far more complicated. And far more human. First of all, he's wickedly funny, like my dad, my brother, my grandfather, and most of my cousins. Second, he's exasperated. I think he could feel the movie slipping away. And there is nothing he can do about it."

In this highly anticipated sixth season, listeners will enjoy never-before-heard, candid archival interviews with the cast and crew, offering an unflinching look at their experiences on the film, as well as new expert interviews from today's top movie historians and pop-culture aficionados. Ben Mankiewicz will also share captivating family stories and give fans an exclusive peek into his Uncle Joe's filmmaking process, drawn from his private diaries and detailed production logs. It's an exciting, behind-the-scenes journey into one of Hollywood's most legendary films.

The six-episode limited series will begin July 17, 2025, on all major podcast apps and platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. 

Dovetailing with the podcast's return, Turner Classic Movies will also air a Joe Mankiewicz and Elizabeth Taylor double feature Spotlight on Friday, July 18, with Cleopatra at 8PM and Suddenly Last Summer (1959) at 12:30PM.  

Interviews with Ben Mankiewicz are available upon request.

About The Plot Thickens

The Plot Thickens is Turner Classic Movies' official premier podcast about movies and the people who make them. Season one launched in April 2020, diving into the life and work of Oscar®-nominated director, writer, and actor Peter Bogdanovich. Season two, "The Devil's Candy," arrived in June 2021 and chronicled the stressful production of the 1990 film The Bonfire of the Vanities. Season three uncovered fresh insights into the life and times of the iconic Lucille Ball and debuted in October 2021. Season four explored the life and work of trailblazing actor Pam Grier in fall 2022. Season five stripped back the mythology and brilliance of mercurial director John Ford and his lost WWII film, premiering on the 80th anniversary of D-Day on June 6, 2024.

The Plot Thickens podcast has a devoted fan base and has won several industry awards: it was named a Webby Honoree in 2021 and 2022 and a Webby Nominee in 2023; won best branded podcast from the 2021 Adweek Podcast Awards; won multiple Signal Awards across consecutive seasons, and was nominated for best entertainment podcast at the Ambie Awards two years in a row. It has been featured on "best-of" lists from The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, NPR and Vanity Fair.

Previous seasons are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Max, or wherever you get podcasts.  Learn more at tcm.com/podcast.

About Turner Classic Movies (TCM)  

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is a two-time Peabody Award-winning network that presents classic films, uncut and commercial-free, from the largest film libraries in the world highlighting "Where Then Meets Now." TCM features insights from Primetime host Ben Mankiewicz along with hosts Alicia Malone, Dave Karger, Jacqueline Stewart and Eddie Muller, plus interviews with a wide range of special guests and serves as the ultimate movie lover destination. With three decades as a leading authority in classic film, TCM offers critically acclaimed series like The Essentials and Reframed along with annual programming events like 31 Days of Oscar® and Summer Under the Stars. TCM also directly connects with movie fans through popular events such as the annual TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood and the TCM Classic Cruise. TCM hosts a wealth of material online at tcm.com and through the Watch TCM mobile app. Fans can also enjoy a classic movie experience on the TCM hub on Max.