Hair and Makeup: Lexx Pianezza @lexx4makeup
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A talk show is always about the guests, the who’s who of TV, movies, or the latest book that’s going to change our perspective on life and luxury. That is unless you have a talented interviewer in front of you.
Interviewers who can draw in their guests as much as their audiences create a conversation space where even the most prestigious actors can be comfortable being people, where the audience can be invested in their life and legacy beyond the project spoilers and gossip. This is an interviewer’s talent, and for 27-year-old Hannah Fletcher, it’s a philosophy. As she prepares to launch her own talk show aimed at a younger audience, Hannah is creating a space for industry professionals to share their stories and advice with a younger generation planning their own futures.
We are still a few months away from the fall launch of The Hannah Fletcher Show, but Hannah is more than busy. As a trained actor, talent booker, and interviewer, Hannah is more than just the host, she takes a hands-on approach as the show’s executive producer. This is, understandably, a lot of work. “It’s fun stress. It’s good stress, but oh my gosh, it’s been a lot. It’s been so much fun though. I can’t complain. I’m happy. I’m very happy.” The outcome of all this stress is building her dream show.
For some, a talk show is an end goal to put their name out there. Hannah’s goals extend beyond herself. She is targeting a different audience than most talk shows, which are usually dominated by viewers between their 30s and 50s, using a classic format with a modern twist. “It’s definitely for the younger generation…that are in their upper teens to their younger to mid-30s,” she said. “We’re really trying to serve that generation…there is a really overlooked space in terms of the younger generation, and I’m trying to pioneer this whole show to be able to cater to them and to be able to bring on guests and have conversations that also apply to them.”
One of those segments is designed to help people develop their financial literacy. Hannah shared that she wants to create a space that explains and defines everyday finance and makes navigating those spaces less intimidating. “You might have one mandatory economics class. I know I did, but I don’t remember much of what I learned,” she said. “We’re really trying to teach the younger generation and bring on guests that can educate [them] and make it realisitic and make it exciting, nothing that’s taboo and overwhelming because I know it can be that, and I’m very adamant about not wanting it to register that way with the younger generation anymore.”
Hannah, and by extension The Hannah Fletcher Show, responds to the ways that media fails us, drawing attention toward negativity or misrepresented stories rather than valuable information. “I understand clickbait and I do understand getting those headlines. I understand that in certain circumstances. Where I don’t personally understand it is where it comes to human beings, and that’s where I really do step in.” She explained that in her interviews, from red carpets to Zoom, celebrities and interviewers are “a little spooked by the media” because their responses may be twisted to get people to click on content. “Though I understand that is a climate that we live in, that is not a space that I support, and that is not a space that I intend to provide,” she said. “Even in my personal life, I try not to click on clickbait. Even if I want to, I won’t, just because I’m not supporting that level of sensationalism. I don’t want to.” She wants to make empowering media trendy.
Empowering media is honest media. It connects people. “If I had a tagline, I would say ‘conversations, not interrogations,'” she said. Creating The Hannah Fletcher show has been a five year project building that content model. During 2020, which Hannah acknowledges was a major self-reflective period for everyone, Hannah outlined and wrote a podcast called Hey Han. The podcast ended up being practice for the talk show we’ll all be watching soon. People responded to her honesty, on her own and with guests, as she explored the entertainment industry, living alone in Los Angeles, and her passion for understanding others. That honesty is the foundation for The Hannah Fletcher Show‘s approach to bringing Hollywood and its many players to others in a real way.
Talk Show Host is a job title that comes with a lot of professional weight, but Hannah is silly too. The promotional images for The Hannah Fletcher show feature Hannah in business attire, but behind the scenes, she’s laughing and excited to play dress-up. Her other projects, like the YouTube channel REACT which features young adults trying not to sing along to TikTok hits or blind tasting chicken nuggets, show Hannah’s everyday opinions and relaxed personality. “I feel like my work is a huge reflection of who I am. I am extremely professional, but I am such a silly, goofy girl at the same time, too. I love that I have different projects out there to showcase the full parameters of who I feel like I actually am as a person.” This gives The Hannah Fletcher Show the bonus quality of showing viewers that professionalism does not have to be the end of youthfulness and fun.
The Hannah Fletcher Show will be part of our algorithms soon, and Hannah wants us to pay attention. The media you consume and the people you watch should want more than your views. She wants to build something that will give as much as it takes, and she encourages her audience, especially those in their teens and early 20s to “Find honest people to follow, and find honest outlets in any way, shape, and form…Curating your algorithm to consume positive content is the way to make sure you’re also just serving yourself in the best way possible.”
Hannah encourages anyone reading to visit thehannahfletchershow.tv to explore the resources she and her team have curated to provide information and aid wildfire relief efforts in Los Angeles. Share and find out how you can get involved or receive aid.
