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!!!