Reality Of Reality

Another network executive sitting down for the podcast and this time it's producer turned exec Chachi Senior. Chachi is now Senior vice President of Original Series at the Paramount Network (nee Spike) where he’s also in charge or development. The fact that Chachi's even AT a network at all might surprise you when you hear about his career path from a filmmaker to a reality producer with a REALLY fascinating stop in between (hint - not in television).

Excited to have another accomplished network exec on the podcast! Jonas Larsen is Comedy Centrals Executive Vice President of Talent and Development. He hails from Denmark - a first for this podcast - and his amazing journey from Denmark to LA has a lot of twists and turns - and may not be what you expect from the guy who went after Charlie Sheen to be roasted on the Comedy Central Roast. We’ll hear all about how he got to where he is and how Temptation Island and the Joe Schmo Show turned out to be pivotal moments in a very interesting career path.

Today on the podcast, one of my favorite people, not just in the business but in life! My good friend Drew Tappon finally came to the hot seat which he found out wasn’t so hot and we actually had a great time. We talked about his long successful career on the network side, studio side and now the production company side. He’s currently the chief creative officer for Sally Ann Salsano’s hugely successful 495 productions which created mega hits like Jersey Shore and Party Down South. Drew is an EMMY winner for a wonderful show on A&E called BORN THIS WAY and you maybe shocked where he stores those Emmys..

It’s our second casting guru on the podcast. Jacqui Pitman is widely known through Hollywood as, "the Casting Director with an Executive Producer's eye.” She started her casting career in the late 80's then detoured into producing for 10 years and has run her own casting and production company since 2009. She's cast basically every single show you’ve ever heard of and her resume is too long to list but she tells us the highlights. Jacqui's story is not just impressive but incredibly inspiring too.

Sasha Alpert's a rare gem in this business because she does 2 very different jobs at the same company. She's in charge of casting at Bunim Murray and also created and runs their documentary division. She's produced award winning films like VALENTINE ROAD and AUTISM THE MUSICAL and her latest doc is called THEY CALL US MONSTERS - now streaming on Netflix. Sasha's also cast some of the most well known shows in the history of reality TV and I loved talking to her about her illustrious career.

It's our first agent on the podcast! Alec Shankman has created a powerhouse division at Abrams Artists not just representing talent and producers in unscripted, but he's created and runs the digital, licensing and branding division where his clients are making waves and money running their own shows online. We talk about how to make it in the digital landscape and why producers need to think differently when it comes to this space.

Here's proof that being married for over 20 years and working together side by side most every minute of that time can actually work! In fact, it doesn't just work - it can be extremely successful. Julie Insogna and Seth Jarrett happen to be two of my favorite people in the business and interviewing them was a blast. You'll hear their meet cute story, find out the secret recipe to building a wildly successful company and why they've turned down big bucks to follow their dreams.

He's one of the funniest human beings I had never even seen a picture of before we met in the studio. Brian Moylan is someone I've been dying to meet forever. He writes hilarious recaps of the REAL HOUSEWIVES for Vulture and I've always wondered about the genius behind the genius. We find out his favorite and least favorite housewives, the worst husbands and who's crazier: Ramona or Vicki? (Spoiler alert : it's a tough call!)

Here's another kick-ass woman who proves there's not just one way to go anywhere or get anywhere. Lara Spotts is someone I've always admired since my days of pitching her at Bravo where she brought in hits like SOUTHERN CHARM and THE PEOPLE'S COUCH. She also brought Bravo into the scripted world with GIRLFRIEND'S GUIDE TO DIVORCE AND ODD MOM OUT - which is the show she now Executive Produces. The third season of this hilarious show premieres July 12th at 10pmET and you can watch the trailer here: http://ew.com/tv/2017/05/25/odd-mom-out-season-3-trailer/

Today on the podcast, I’m continuing to dive deep into the world of digital content with the head of unscripted content at YouTube. Ben Relles figured out the power of the internet early on. In 2007, his digital short “I Got a Crush on Obama” became a huge breakout hit and started what would be a successful career combining comedy and YouTube. We talk about the inspiration for that video and how Ben came to climb the ranks - now working on big shows with Kevin Hart, Demi Lovato and Ellen. He just struck big with Katy Perry’s Worldwide Online Experiment which attracted fans from 190 countries(!) and is buying lots more content — so producers take note. Ben has only one regret, which may very well become yours too…

If you’re a fan of true crime you probably know Josh Zeman’s work. His award winning documentary CROPSEY put him on the true crime map and is a must see. We talk about how he became interested in the subject and made that film. Josh went on to do another successful doc called KILLING LEGENDS which you can see now on Amazon Prime. Most recently, he did the in-depth docu-series THE KILLING SEASON on A&E. Even though Josh got his start in feature films, he’s firmly planted his flag in the true crime genre, which lucky for him is as hot as ever.

Here's a guy who keeps reality stars going long after their day in the sun is gone. Marc Marcuse is the founder and owner of Reel Management. His company works with reality stars to make money after their reality paycheck is gone. Our talk may make you think differently about the industry and the value of reality stars. Plus, Marc has some great insight on being a reality star since he was one himself - which is how this all started...

It's the famous and maybe even infamous Jay and Tony Show! You may know them from their fantastic podcast - the aptly named Jay and Tony Show. If you don’t listen - you should - because they say everything we all are thinking and their refreshing honesty has given me me life every Thursday for the last few years. These 2 are like an old married couple who love each other like crazy and drive each other crazy too. We go back to the college days when it all began and find out how they came together to become a successful producing duo.

You may not know his name but you’ve probably seen his brilliant work. The brilliant and talented Jon Collins is behind the iconic movies that get a round of network notes. You can find them on his blog “Jeez Jon” - http://jeezjon.typepad.com. In real life, Jon is not just a great writer with his eye and ear firmly on the pulse of reality TV, but also a senior story producer who’s come up in the business in the edit room. So when he writes those fake network notes, he knows exactly what he’s talking about.

Adding to the roster of powerhouse women who own production companies! Jodi Flynn is the president of Outpost Entertainment which produces lots of unscripted content for lots of networks and digital outlets. Before launching Outpost Entertainment, Jodi was in development at Cineflix and Screaming Flea Productions where she developed and sold a bunch of successful series, including the Emmy-nominated Hoarders for A+E, Three Sheets for Spike and My Shopping Addiction for Oxygen. Jodi’s successful show on the History Channel FORGED IN FIRE – now in season 4- premieres April 11th so be sure to check it out. It’s kind of like Chopped but for weapons.

The amazing Stephanie Drachkovitch founded the company 44 Blue with her husband Rasha back in 1984 (!) She and I talk about her early roots in TV news through her many years on the studio side then back to producing with her very successful company today. 44 Blue is known for hits like PITBULLS and PAROLEES, WAHLBERGERS and HOLLYWOOD MEDIUM. We break down how some of those famous shows came to be and why passion is EVERYTHING when you’re trying to make great TV.

Scott Carter's the Executive Producer of Real Time with Bill Maher that airs live every Friday night on HBO. He's been the EP on the show since it debuted on HBO in 2003 AND he produced the first 1,100 episodes of "Politically Incorrect With Bill Maher" from its 1993 Comedy Central debut. Scott and I talk about his career producing and writing and even his short lived stint as a standup comedian. He has incredible stories including a gem about Carrie Fisher and George Lucas and some very interesting insight on the very big recent controversy on Real Time.

It's a different kind of guest - but its really about time. In the unscripted world, we’ve been slow to get into the digital space and today's guest is one of its huge success stories. Josh Entman is the co-founder and Chief Development Officer for Jukin Media. Jukin has been in the news a lot lately because of their huge success. Their core business: acquiring videos and making them go viral. Josh tells us how that business has blown up and why what they're doing is indeed the future of our industry.

Two superstar show runners who have deep experience and insight: Aliyah Silverstein and Sara Quick. They're both top of their game and specialize in different genres but have incredibly similar ways of seeing their jobs and their approach to every show they tackle. I loved talking about everything from what it means to be a show runner to their particular experiences as women in the industry. Enjoy!

He's someone who spends every day of his life immersed in reality television: Andy Denhart. Andy created the blog REALITY BLURRED, a great place to get news on the industry, Andy’s take on specific shows, trends in the industry and interviews with some of the creators behind the shows. Andy and I talk about the state of reality TV and go in depth on his favorite shows of the year. Enjoy!