Exec/producer With Noah Pollack

Today's episode is a little different because our guests are also our moderators, Bunim/Murray founder, Jon Murray and SpringHill CCO, Jamal Henderson. Jon and Jamal came together for an event that I was fortunate enough to have produced with some very talented friends and colleagues at the TV Academy and which I am now sharing in podcast form for all of you. These two prolific creators are proof positive that there is no one precise path to success in the entertainment industry, but I do hope you pick up on some of the many commonalities and nuggets of wisdom shared by these two wonderful men and are able to apply it to your own journey. Enjoy!

Few companies have navigated the transition from linear to digital content production as well as B17. Founded and operated by Brien Meagher & Rhett Bachner, B17 has blazed their incredible path by looking forward and focusing on where their audience is going...not by digging their heels in and relying on where they have been. Not bad for an idea cooked up over a few beers on Venice beach. Enjoy!!!

The TV Academy may be best known for giving out Emmy Awards each year, but membership in this esteemed group brings a great deal more than simply awards participation and eligibility, it creates a true professional community. Made up of a variety of peer groups for most every conceivable category and trade within the genre, the academy serves as the heart center of the TV world and never has an anchor been more necessary than in this year of social distancing. Joining me on the podcast today in their work as Governors for the reality peer group are Jill Dickerson and Bob Boden. Jill and Bob both wear a variety wonderful hats which we value on this show - executive, producer and friend - and the work they do on behalf of the unscripted community is second to none. Enjoy!!!

The documentary boom is undeniable and today, we cover our first one, HBO's TRANSHOOD. Shot over 5 years in Kansas City, this incredible film showcases the triumphs and challenges for 4 transgender children - and their families - over this extended period of time. Directed by Sharon Liese and Produced by Sasha Alpert, TRANSHOOD is a story of patience, resilience and faith, both in front of and behind the camera. Enjoy!

4 years ago, Aliza Rosen turned a job interview into her very own podcast... and she hasn't looked back. Her weekly show, REALITY OF REALITY, features the best from all corners of unscripted tv and has become a staple for reality fans and producers alike. As with all of her projects, Aliza jumped into the fray by DOING and her straight talk advice is vital for anyone figuring out their professional journey, podcast or otherwise. Enjoy!

Noelle Lindsay Stewart and Elizabeth Voorhees join me today as representatives from an incredible organization, DEFINE AMERICAN, whose primary purpose is to assist all corners of the media landscape in portraying a more accurate depiction of our nation and the people who inhabit it. By providing knowledge to creators and producers - a group of people with an outsized ability to impact culture - Noelle, Elizabeth and their colleagues amplify the more marginalized voices of society and make the stories we consume better in all ways. The importance of their mission has never been more vital. 

My dear friend, Dr. Lisa Dabby, took some time off from saving lives in the ER to join the podcast and offer her guidance on how to re-open Hollywood production in as safe a manner as possible. No matter how much we will it to be, Covid-19 isn't going anywhere any time soon. Please enjoy this conversation with Lisa as she provides a great deal of meaningful and actionable advice on the measures industry professionals should consider taking in order to resume production in the summer of Covid-19. Enjoy...while wearing a mask!!!

Andrew Fried founded Boardwalk Pictures with a goal of making premium unscripted programming at a time when the market for that type of content simply did not exist. Shortly thereafter, Dane Lillegard joined the team...and the market for their preferred type of content still did not exist. Throughout it all, they kept their heads down and stayed true to their mission, their hard work begat more hard work until finally, the winds began to blow with heavy force from behind. Today they find themselves at the center of the premium unscripted explosion that defines much of television with trophies on their shelves and series all over the streaming landscape. Theirs is a story of patience, discipline and a standard of excellence that I know you will enjoy!

My old friend, Ari Ingel, is the Director of the Creative Community For Peace, an entertainment industry non-profit which aims to promote music and the arts as a bridge for cultural peace.  Ari and the CCFP organized a zoom panel this week for their members about COVID's impact on the entertainment business and asked me to moderate - and I am now sharing a recording of the panel in podcast form. This episode is a bit different from our previous episodes (and please excuse any zoom related glitches) but it remains full of all the information and takeaway that you've grown to expect from EXEC/PRODUCER. Enjoy some realism, optimism and many great streaming recommendations from a fantastic cross section of industry leaders!

Today, we discuss one of the most acclaimed new shows of the current television season, NBC's ZOEY'S EXTRAORDINARY PLAYLIST. Extraordinary is the perfect adjective to describe this series and its multiple Broadway caliber song and dance numbers performed to mega-hit music each episode (to say nothing of its exceptional balance of both comedy and drama.) There is no show on television quite like this one and it was my absolute honor to discuss it's fantastic and personal origin story with series creator, Austin Winsberg, and NBC's EVP of Drama, Cara Dellaverson. The three of us also all went to high school together, so there's that! Enjoy!!!

Our season 4 premiere features MIZ & MRS., a hilarious series which was 20 years in the making! The show itself didn't take 2 decades to develop, but the relationships at its core most certainly did. Driving the show are married WWE Superstars Mike "The Miz" Mizanin and Maryse Mizanin. Mike introduced his wrestling persona in 2001 as a breakout cast member on MTV's THE REAL WORLD and has subsequently willed himself into becoming one of the greatest WWE superstars of his generation. Maryse's story of wrestling fame and success is equally unlikely and their life as one of the first families of wrestling is now a hit entering its second season on USA (dropping tomorrow, Wednesday January 29 at 10/9 Central on USA). Rounding out the conversation is showrunner Russell Jay Staglik, a super talent who has been in Mike's orbit since the very beginning and who has stayed there because of one simple word, TRUST. I am also lucky to have known this crew since the very beginning and am so excited to bring this story t

I am thrilled to conclude our third season with the story of Path Content Group and two of its founders, veteran television producer, Andrew Jameson, and Turner Classic Movie host, Ben Mankiewicz. Path Content's model is to create broadcast quality legacy videos for anyone looking to document the story of their life. With Andrew in the producer's chair and Ben is the hosting seat, Path provides a modern day video memoir for those who can afford it. In a world where the traditional rules of media have been upended, Andrew, Ben and their partners have created a model where they can ply their expertise without all of the typical constraints. It's a wonderful story of entrepreneurship that I know you will enjoy!

Casey Kriley & Jo Sharon are the dynamic new leaders of one of the leading names in the history of unscripted television, the Magical Elves. Longtime lieutenants who took over after the departure of the company co-founders, Casey & Jo share their thoughts on leadership, maintaining the company culture and how to continue to grow a successful business in a climate that isn't nearly as open as it was even a few years ago. These two fantastic producers are just beginning their story as the newly appointed Co-CEO's and their frank advice is spot on. Enjoy!

Matt Belloni was an up and coming entertainment attorney who chose the road less traveled by ditching his law career at age 30 for the riskier path - but his true passion - journalism. That move paid off, as Matt methodically rose through the ranks and now finds himself as the Editorial Director for the most important news source in all of entertainment, The Hollywood Reporter. We discuss so much of what has changed in the media landscape since Matt made his move 13 years ago, including the story he's most proud of breaking and of course, the one that got away. I am privileged to have known Matt since our days as summer camp counselors many moons ago and I am honored to bring his insights to the show. Enjoy!

Jed Elinoff & Scott Thomas are the dynamic writing and producing team at the core of Netflix's summer smash, MALIBU RESCUE. As industry forces continue to box creators into one specific genre/lane, Jed & Scott continue to defy those trends and labels. They've written both comedy & horror, created unscripted formats and now are go to creators in the world of kids and family.  I've known and worked with and admired these 2 great talents for many years and am excited to share their wisdom with you. Enjoy!

DESCENDANTS started as a mere notion about the progeny of the most famous Disney villains only to become the Disney Channel's most successful film of the decade. In anticipation of next week's 8/2 premiere of DESCENDANTS 3, I sat down with the movie's co-writer and producer, Josann McGibbon, as well as the executive who championed it, Wonderland Sound and Vision's Corey Marsh, to discuss the many twists and turns which eventually produced this mega hit franchise and Halloween costume staple.  It's a wonderful conversation with two long time friends about patience, passion and creativity. Enjoy!    

Today's episode covers more than a show, it covers a business. More specifically, I sat down with the three founders of SIGNATURE TRACKS, one of the premiere TV & Film music companies working today. Russell Howard, David Lasman and Adam Malka are childhood best friends who in 2008, at the height of the economic downturn, went all in together on this business venture. Spoiler alert, but over a decade later, they're still going strong and were gracious enough to offer up some of their secrets of success for all of our listeners. Music is the unseen cast member in so many productions and these three are proof positive despite what the adage says, going into business with your friends can be a wonderful thing. Enjoy!

Today's episode covers one of TV's greatest new trends, interactive storytelling. With streaming, viewers now have the ability to do more than simply watch a show, they can also "play" it and no show does a better job of that than Netflix's YOU VS. WILD. Produced by long time Bear Grylls' collaborators Del Shoopman and Rob Buchta, YVW takes Bear and the viewer on a "choose your own adventure" like never before. Enjoy!

Today's episode features a philosophy and not just a show. Producer, Author, corporate speaker, philanthropist, podcast host and so much more, Brant Pinvidic took his sales acumen and philosophy towards living and created a brand, REJECT AVERAGE, which aims to thrust all of us out of our safe spaces and into the great big world. Your life, goals and career are so much broader than you believe them to be, if you simply open up your eyes and Reject Average.  Brant's methodology most certainly applies to anyone looking to sell a TV show, but it goes much deeper than that and I highly recommend this episode for anyone looking for any sort of life or professional tune-up. Enjoy!

WAHLBURGERS is a ostensibly a comedy about a budding restaurant empire, but at its heart, it's a show about family...and it's no surprise that this family show is produced by a family company, 44 Blue. One of the pioneers of unscripted TV, 44 Blue is owned and operated by today's guests, the wife and husband duo, Stephanie and Rasha Drachkovitch.  Business partners before they were even partners in life, these two producing legends are evidence that love and continued hard work pays off in the end, just as it has for the protagonists at the heart of today's featured show, WAHLBURGERS. Enjoy!