Film-Makers Justin Graves and Byron Manuel talk about what it takes to make movies in 2025 being young, talented, and black. They talk about finding the dream of movies and giving up the dreams of music and sport. They talk about doing what it takes on a budget, fundraising, festivals, developing a ton of projects, and getting their movie “Swoon” on Tubi. They also talk about being able to handle the gut punches that the business offers and keeping your spirits high. Bio: Justin Antuan Graves wa...
Jun 24, 2025•49 min
Rachel talks about why people love or hate musicals, Crazy Ex- Girlfriend and how it would never be made today and how unlikely it was to get made back then. She also talks about growing up in Manhattan Beach, Theater School in NY, not having billionaire friends, enjoying the now, writing her one woman show to get through the death of Adam Schlessenger and the birth of her daughter, how being married to a funny person can help, Hamilton, The Tony Awards, the amazing last year of Crazy Ex-Girlfri...
Jun 17, 2025•48 min
Kenya Barris talks about his messy childhood, the do’s and don’ts of the writer’s room, laying low during covid, Larry David making Kenya take the leap to star in a show, raising kids better than our parents, running a writer’s room is like conducting music, making podcasts with Malcolm Gladwell, being pals with Jonah Hill, Eddie Murphy putting points on the board, the pleasure and importance of dressing well, and having people around you who can tell you, you suck. Bio: Kenya Barris is an award...
Jun 10, 2025•49 min
Jon and Jay talk about having writer dads, the pressure of trying to succeed as a second gen show biz kid, how to direct movies with being a jerk, being right, the value of being lucky, and the why Captain Crunch is better than Peanut Butter Crunch. Bio: Jon Turteltaub has been an elite producer and director of hit movies for the past 30 years. He is known for directing a series of hit films including 3 Ninjas, Cool Runnings, While You Were Sleeping, Phenomenon, National Treasure, National Treas...
Jun 03, 2025•49 min
Andrea Abbate talks about her amazing tumultuous life, including addiction, bad partners, bad parents, bad relationships, and surviving through comedy to land in a good place. Bio: Andrea Abbate has proven herself to be a powerhouse in the world of comedy. She’s found success as a stand-up comedian, television writer, actor/performer and producer. Andrea seamlessly blends sharp, edgy humor with an inviting charm that draws audiences in. Her ability to tackle bold, often controversial topics with...
May 27, 2025•47 min
Maggie Baird - Actress/writer/ & mother of superstars Billie Eilish & Finneas gives Jay the recipe for not messing up your kids and letting them flourish. She also talks about living small, rewarding effort and experience over awards, & the value of an artist’s mindset and working for love vs. money. And she talks about trying to change the world with her Support + Feed charity she formed to help fight food insecurity. She also talked about the value of publicists, good people in the...
May 20, 2025•50 min
We talk about deciding if you are a writer or a performer, confidence in bad joke, comedy as team sport, Neal being “groupless”, John McEnroe’s good sportsmanship, gratitude, the day the Chappelle Show died, ayahuasca & MDMA & how it made him believe in God. Bio: Neal Brennan has been a force in comedy for over three decades with both his own standup performances as well as working behind the scenes as co-creator of Chappelle's Show and writing, producing and directing with other comedia...
May 13, 2025•49 min
Bruce talks about stumbling into writing and finding a home. His feud with Barbra Streisand, writing for Richard Pryor, George Carlin, and Lily Tomlin. He talks about how being your own weird self is the best marketing and he discusses his new book “It Seemed Like a Bad Idea at the Time: The Worst TV Shows in History and Other Things I Wrote” He talks about t-shirts, Elmo, Hollywood Squares, The Star Wars Holiday Special and surviving as a writer forever no matter what he’s asked to write. Bio: ...
May 06, 2025•48 min
Jim Turner talks about doing one of our first pilots, Monkey World, being friends for 32 years, being the kind of guy who shows up at shows, makes shows, raises money for important causes, The Good Deed Corporation, Harry Styles, poker games, basketball games, Des Moines, Randy of The Redwoods, running for President, and almost talking about almost dying in Italy. Bio: Jim Turner was an actor for many years in teevee shows and movies. He’s got an IMDB page and everything (https://www.imdb.com/na...
May 02, 2025•29 min
Liz Kamlet answers all the music questions the dad of an aspiring musician has from Social Media to publishing to concerts to recording to warnings about the music contest TV shows. We also talk about the old school acts like Stephen Bishop, David Pack, and Michael McDonald! Liz is the smartest voice in music and promotion on the planet! Bio: Liz Kamlet is an accomplished music industry professional with over a decade of experience collaborating with world-renowned artists, leading record labels...
Apr 29, 2025•48 min
J. Elvis Weinstein was a head writer on many shows so he knows a good joke while Jay just jokes often from character. On this show we sort out the differences. Also J. talks about his funny family. Hobbies like ice cream, bad jokes, bubble gum jokes, fortune cookies, losing money on documentaries, saving your marriage by wasting less money than your wife thinks, Mystery Science Theater, old credits, and how jokes ruin dramas, hack jokes, improvisations, the perfect punchline, and hating Seinfeld...
Apr 25, 2025•29 min
Andy and Jay talk about anger, falling down, therapy, neuropathy, parents, the power of singing, audio books, back aches, Quakers, the State of The Industry, the Thought Spiral podcast, Binghamton University, LSD, The Stump, and Moon Zappa’s new book “Earth To Moon”, and running away from Jay Leno. Bio: Andy Kindler currently recurs on Fox’s hit animation, Bob’s Burgers and Comedy Central’s long-running Tosh.O. He is also a regular on the critically praised Canadian web series, But I’m Chris Jer...
Apr 22, 2025•46 min
Screenwriting legend Zak Penn talks about how he got so savvy in the business of show. We talk about how coming to LA and scouting out the city geared him up for his big move after college and his sale of “The Last Action Hero” started him on a 35 year journey of being one of Hollywood’s most sought after writers. We talk about the good times with Speilberg, JJ Abrams, Shawn Levy, Ryan Reynolds, & Dwayne Johnson and we talk about the bad times with others. Bio: Zak Penn’s career began as a s...
Apr 15, 2025•48 min
Comic/writer/cartoonist Mo Welch talks about her journey to find her dad and the Hulu special that came out of it called, “Dad Jokes”. She also dives into how she came fun humble beginnings to become a headlining comic who isn't so famous she gets hassled all the time. She talks about improv and drawing cartoons for the new yorker and being a mom and the difference between her upbringing and her wife's. She also talks about scolding her audiences and answers a few questions as basketball legend,...
Apr 08, 2025•48 min
Writer/Producer Andy Gordon loves writing. He talks about writing for pleasure after all these years. He talks about how the characters can make him laugh or cry in the car. He also talks about breaking into show business on the day he arrived in Hollywood, Jon Landis, Tom Lynch, Chuck Lorre, sending messages to his daughters through his shows, working on Big Bang and Modern Family, and the joys of arrest videos. Bio: Andy Gordon is a writer/producer who worked on KIDS INC, DREAM ON, MAD ABOUT Y...
Apr 01, 2025•47 min
Meredith Salenger talks about fighting for justice, making peace, mediating, falling in love over text, growing up in Malibu, being picked to be a star by John Houston, being a good stepmother, having a dentist dad, Patton Oswalt, Natty Gann, sunsets, and wolves. Bio: Meredith Salenger is an actress, writer, producer from Malibu, CA who began her professional acting career at the age of 10, playing an orphan in 1982’s “Annie,” directed by John Huston. She is perhaps best known for her starring r...
Mar 25, 2025•46 min
Marianne helps Jay try to find his spirituality. She talks about how we need to step into our own power. We talk about finding truths of the universe, faith in the people, and trouble at the bagel store. Bio: For more than four decades, Marianne Williamson has been a leader of spiritually progressive circles. She is the author of 16 books, four of which have been #1 New York Times best sellers. A quote from the mega-bestseller A Return to Love, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Ou...
Mar 18, 2025•48 min
Writer Dan Ewen talks about his new show which was the last from Norman Lear, Dear Santa, growing up across the street from the good side of town, loving Athens. Bio:Dan Ewen is a writer/producer from Athens, Georgia. On the series front, he has written for Disney, USA Network and Amazon, where he serves as Executive Producer, co-creator and co-showrunner of "Clean Slate", Norman Lear's final comedy, starring Laverne Cox and George Wallace, He also created Paramount's feature, PLAYING WITH FIRE,...
Mar 11, 2025•47 min
David Silverman explores the history of The Simpsons from before it existed until now. He talks about animating the hard stuff and making it look easy as well as his love of Burning Man & the tuba. Bio: After graduating from UCLA in 1983, David Silverman worked as a freelance illustrator and animator until, in 1987, he landed a job animating on The Tracey Ullman Show — where The Simpsons began. Animating on all 48 shorts led to David directing the first shows of The Simpsons. Starting with t...
Mar 04, 2025•47 min
Patton Oswalt and I finish our discussion in this first ever two part DBAWJK! You can never get enough Oswalt. He has been one of the most original minds out there for the last 30 years and a touch stone for quality who seems to be committed to art, laughter, ideas, and making the world slighty less shity. Bio: Patton Oswalt is a comic/actor/writer, but in alphabetical order.
Feb 25, 2025•46 min
Patton Oswalt talks about life, love, parenting, fandom, art and comedy in an episode so great it had to be two! We talk about putting in the work to be an actor, and how comedy bits form on stage, and how dismissing bands for not being cool is a dangerous game since cool changes on a dime, we talk about the need to bring marketing into everything we do, we talk about blow hards demanding audiences, and the brutal give and take of Hollywood on all levels. We also talk “King of Queens”, “AP Bio”,...
Feb 18, 2025•46 min
Screenwriter and actor Jim Rash and I talk about what makes him an empathetic and responsive friend, growing up in Charlotte, NC, being adopted, the Groundlings, winning an Oscar, Allison Janney, his dream of being on Friends coming true, Community, turning off your cell phone, directing his new movie, playing Snoopy, and singing and dancing in the kitchen to feel good. Bio: JIM RASH is best known for playing “Dean Pelton” on NBC’s Community. Most recently, he starred opposite Scarlett Johansson...
Feb 11, 2025•47 min
Annie and Mindy talk about what it takes to have a deep and lasting friendship. They discuss what brought them together, how they are alike and how they are not. They also talk about a divorce workbook, pets, kids, the trauma of ex-husbands, the difference between growing up in Detroit vs Miami, having parents who asked you to perform and parents who didn’t, asking your teacher to “hang out”, Groundlings, tums, having no emergency contact, boundaries, and how Jim Rash is the center of the univer...
Feb 04, 2025•45 min
On this episode we talk about the energy and commitment to be funny in everyday life with famed actor, writer, and improviser, Adam Pally who thinks it’s just a way of hiding yourself. We talk about being less funny and more authentic. We also discuss Mr. Throwback, Happy Endings, adulting, fatherhood, why New York is better than Los Angeles, parents who sing, deciding UCB was something Adam had to do, the artistic tribe he joined, why he thinks old show business is dead, and how his kid can’t b...
Jan 28, 2025•46 min
Writer/Comic/Director Lew Schneider talks about how he copes with his house burning down in the L.A. firesand. How to manage the feelings of loss and gratitude, how his wife Liz is feeling, the kindness of people, what he’ll miss, the french horn, and how he no longer needs his signed Bobby Orr poster. Bio: Lew Schneider is a youthful 62 year old man California Community Foundation Project HOPE
Jan 21, 2025•1 hr
On this episode Jay’s former writing partner, Wallace Wolodarsky and Wally’s new writing partner, his wife, Maya Forbes talk about partnership – the joys and the pitfalls including having your partner pretend to be shot in the head on film. We also discuss trying to make movies vs TV, the difficult current writing landscape, being pals with the Coppolas and Wes Anderson, Maya at the Harvard Lampoon, writing books, and long distance swimming. Maya Forbes began her career writing for The Larry San...
Jan 14, 2025•50 min
Nicole and Jerry talk about Friendship, iCarly, MadTV, “Wendell & Vinnie”, electric shock collars, escape rooms, snowboarding, keeping in touch, drinking, LA tour buses, kids, and playing a grandmother at 40. Nicole Sullivan - As a native New Yorker, Nicole has been acting since she was seven years old. Nicole studied the drama classics at Northwestern University. Sullivan was an original cast member of FOX’s smash hit “MADtv” and was their youngest member. She left “MADtv” to join the hit s...
Jan 07, 2025•48 min
Blurb: Matt Selman talks about keeping The Simpsons afloat and still funny after all these years, being the rare writer who stayed in one place, Terry Jones being the smart Python, innovating the show each week, what’s too silly, looking back with pride, how we are more judgy when we are younger, Ghost, Matt’s says he’s not a sociopath, and we discuss if Jay regrets leaving The Simpsons after 5 seasons? We also talk about Matt’s chance to leave that he left behind and working out on chest day. B...
Dec 31, 2024•46 min
Jay and Kelly talk about what we got from our fathers, both good and bad. We also talk about the genius of George Carlin, living in the shadow of your parents, Crossroads School, Judd Apatow, taking care of you parents, the Emmy Awards, defining yourself, fans, wanting to make people laugh, and how pity sex is just fine. Kelly Carlin-McCall is an author, storyteller, depth psychologist, transformational coach and television producer. Her solo show, A Carlin Home Companion, was expanded and then ...
Dec 24, 2024•49 min
We talk with James Burroughs about his reign as hollywood's greatest sitcom director, being the son of the Abe Burrows In the genetics of comedy, his book “directed by James Burrows”, “Cheers”, “Will & Grace”, “Mary Tyler Moore”, “Taxi”, “Friends”, the scripps that make him want to direct, the ones that don't, his amazing memory, his humble beginnings, the decade it took him to learn how to direct, working with geniuses like James L. Brooks, Chuck Lori, and Kohan & Mutchnick, Andy Kaufma...
Dec 17, 2024•47 min
