112 - A Brush With (the Elbow of) Greatness (w/ Peter Tolan)

Welcome to It’s The Larry Sanders Show’s Show, a new podcast about Garry Shandling’s classic sitcom. This week, it’s the Season One finale! Jason and Max break down the first produced episode, paying attention to the visual style director Ken Kwapis brought to the show and how our favorite characters feel a little bit off in their characterizations. Finally, we bring you what must be a first in watchalong podcasting, a musical guest, with a performance of “A Work Call” by the band Frankie Cosmos.Frankie Cosmos is a New York-based band featuring Greta Kline, Alex Bailey, Lauren Martin, and Luke Pyenson. Their most recent album is Inner World Peace, released by Sub Pop Records in October.The Hey Now EpisodeOriginally aired: November 7, 1992Written by: Garry Shandling & Dennis KleinDirected by: Ken KwapisProduction Number: 101Are you enjoying It’s The Larry Sanders Show’s Show? Please consider following us on all social media @larrysanderspod and giving us a rating or review on your podcast distributor of choice!

Larry Sanders executive producer Peter Tolan returns for a second week! He tells behind-the-scenes stories to Jason and Max, including some of Rip Torn’s bad behavior. He also gives never before heard details about Life Everlast Inc., his never-produced post-Sanders collaboration with Garry Shandling. Then Jason and Max break down A Brush With (the Elbow of) Greatness. They both agree it's a slightly underwhelming episode but it features an episode-stealing performance by David Paymer. Finally, Jason and Max reflect on the season as a whole on the last-produced podcast of Season One.Peter Tolan is a director, screenwriter, and producer. He is a two-time Emmy Award winner and an executive producer for The Larry Sanders Show. He co-wrote the screenplays for many films, including Analyze This, Analyze That, and What Planet Are You From?  He also co-created Rescue Me with Dennis Leary and was the executive producer for the recent revival of Mad About You.A Brush With (the Elbow of) GreatnessOriginally aired: October 31, 1992Written by: Maya Forbes & Peter TolanDirected by: Ken KwapisProduction Number: 110Are you enjoying It’s The Larry Sanders Show’s Show? Please consider following us on all social media @larrysanderspod and giving us a rating or review on your podcast distributor of choice!

For our eleventh episode, we've booked a guest that makes the whole podcast worth it! Peter Tolan, the executive producer and showrunner for The Larry Sanders Show, joins Jason and Max to talk about the start of the show, writing with Garry Shandling, and casting the stars. Then Jason and Max break down The Warmth Episode.Peter Tolan is a director, screenwriter, and producer. He is a two-time Emmy Award winner and an executive producer for The Larry Sanders Show. He co-wrote the screenplays for many films, including Analyze This, Analyze That, and What Planet Are You From. He also co-created Rescue Me with Dennis Leary and was the executive producer for the recent revival of Mad About You.We'd also love to shout out comedians Maya Sharma and Shan Fahey for no reason other than that we're fans of their's.The Warmth EpisodeOriginally aired: October 24, 1992Written by: Paul SimmsDirected by: Ken KwapisProduction Number: 103Are you enjoying It’s The Larry Sanders Show’s Show? Please consider following us on all social media @larrysanderspod and giving us a rating or review on your podcast distributor of choice!

Come Here! To break down the tenth episode of season one, The Party, we let our hair down a little. Screenwriter and podcaster Josh Olson join Jason and Max for the entire episode for a loose and freewheeling conversation about social awkwardness, how Larry Sanders bests The Office, and the brilliance of Mike Leigh's Abigail's Party.Josh Olson is a screenwriter and podcaster. He was nominated for an Oscar for his screenplay to David Cronenberg's A History of Violence. He is also the co-host of the podcasts The Movies that Made Me with Joe Dante and The West Wing Thing with Dave Anthony, as well as the writer of the podcast drama Bronzeville.The PartyOriginally aired: October 17, 1992Written by: Maya ForbesDirected by: Todd HollandProduction Number: 108Are you enjoying It’s The Larry Sanders Show’s Show? Please consider following us on all social media @larrysanderspod and giving us a rating or review on your podcast distributor of choice!

We’re nine episodes in and we’ve finally booked a bona fide star. Jason and Max interview Jeannie Sanders herself -- Megan Gallagher -- about how she got the role on Larry Sanders, what working on the show was like, and how she felt about only appearing for one season. Then Jason and Max break down Ms. Gallagher’s star turn in The Talk Show and explain why Larry and Jeannie’s relationship seems so hot and cold due to episode airing order.Megan Gallagher is a a television and theater actress. She starred as Jeannie Sanders, wife of Larry Sanders, on thirteen episodes of The Larry Sanders Show. She has also appeared on Millennium, The Slap Maxwell Story, and Hill Street Blues.The Talk ShowOriginally aired: October 10, 1992Written by: Maya ForbesDirected by: Todd HollandProduction Number: 113Are you enjoying It’s The Larry Sanders Show’s Show? Please consider following us on all social media @larrysanderspod and giving us a rating or review on your podcast distributor of choice!

In the eighth episode of ITLSSS, Jason and Max explore the world of Johnny Carson with their guest Mark Malkoff. Then Jason and Max break down Out of the Loop, in which Larry decides to clean up all the spilled tea in the office. And they ask the vital question: was that really Jeremy Piven's butt?Mark Malkoff is a podcaster and comedian. His show The Carson Podcast, an in-depth look at the history of the The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson featuring interviews with countless people involved with the show has aired since 2014.Out of the LoopOriginally aired: October 3, 1992Written by: Marjorie GrossDirected by: Ken KwapisProduction Number: 107Are you enjoying It’s The Larry Sanders Show’s Show? Please consider following us on all social media @larrysanderspod and giving us a rating or review on your podcast distributor of choice!

For our seventh episode, Jason and Max get down to the economics. First, they interview journalist William Knoedelseder about the Comedy Store strike of 1979 and Garry Shandling's role in the labor struggle which still impacts stand-up comedy today. Then Jason and Max break down Hank's hardball contract negotiating techniques in the episode Hank's Contract, which includes guest stars Robin Williams and George Foreman.William Knoedelseder is a journalist and author who has written in-depth investigations of the auto industry, the music industry, and Anheuser-Busch. He’s the author of I'm Dying Up Here: Heartbreak and High Times in Standup Comedy's Golden Age, published in 2010. The book was adapted into a Showtime series of the same name, which aired for two seasons from 2017 to 2018.Hank’s ContractOriginally aired: September 26, 1992Written by: Paul SimmsDirected by: Roy LondonProduction Number: 112Are you enjoying It’s The Larry Sanders Show’s Show? Please consider following us on all social media @larrysanderspod and giving us a rating or review on your podcast distributor of choice!

Sixth episode here. Are you enjoying It’s The Larry Sanders Show’s Show? Please consider following us on all social media @larrysanderspod and giving us a rating or review on your podcast distributor of choice!This week, Jason and Max continue with their utmost professionalism. They interview TLSS director Ken Kwapis about getting involved with the show and sticking to a tight production schedule. Mr. Kwapis also shares which films inspired his work and how Garry Shandling changed his directorial style for the rest of his career. In the back half of the show, Jason and Max break down The Flirt Episode guest starring Mimi Rogers.Ken Kwapis is an award-winning director, producer, and author who has worked in film and television. His credits include The Larry Sanders Show, The Office, Freaks and Geeks, The Bernie Mac Show, Malcolm In The Middle, Space Force, #blackAF, A Walk In The Woods, He’s Just Not That Into You, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Dunston Checks In, and Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird. His memoir But What I Really Want To Do Is Direct was published by St. Martin’s Press in 2020.The Flirt EpisodeOriginally aired: September 19, 1992Written by: Garry Shandling and Fred BarronDirected by: Ken KwapisProduction Number: 102Are you enjoying It’s The Larry Sanders Show’s Show? Please consider following us on all social media @larrysanderspod and giving us a rating or review on your podcast distributor of choice!

In the fifth episode of It’s The Larry Sanders Show’s Show, Jason and Max do a professional deep dive into the history of late-night talk shows with Mr. Bill Carter. Mr. Carter describes the business model for these shows, the changing landscape in the early 1990s, and the blending of fact and fiction on TLSS. Then, Jason and Max break down The New Producer. Finally,  indie rock band Speedy Ortiz perform their song "Lean In When I Suffer" from the album Twerp Verse. It's a long one, so settle in and have a good time!Bill Carter is a journalist and author. He was a National Media reporter for the New York Times for over 25 years beginning in 1989. He is the author of the classic book The Late Shift. He is now a CNN contributor, recently producing the documentary series The Story of Late Night and The History of the Sitcom.The Late Shift is available here from Open Road Media: https://openroadmedia.com/ebook/the-late-shift/9781504058841Speedy Ortiz is a Philadelphia based band featuring Joey Doubek (drums), Sadie Dupuis (guitar & lead vocals), Andy Molholt (guitar, synth, backing vocals), and Audrey Zee Whitesides (bass, backing vocals). Their most recent release is The Death of Speedy Ortiz & Cop Kicker .​.​.​ Forever, issued in 2021 by Carpark Records.Special thanks to Davis Thurston for engineering the live recording of Speedy Ortiz. More information here: https://www.davisthurstonproductions.comThe New Producer Originally aired: September 12, 1992Written by: Garry Shandling, Dick Blasucci, Paul Simms, Howard Gewirtz, and Chris ThompsonDirected by: Todd HollandProduction Number: 111Are you enjoying It’s The Larry Sanders Show’s Show? Please consider following us on all social media @larrysanderspod and giving us a rating or review on your podcast distributor of choice!

It’s not a normal episode of It’s The Larry Sanders Show’s Show. While Max is recovering from a very legitimate personal medical issue, Jason hosts alongside guest comedian Brett Davis. We sincerely apologize that this episode was delayed and that we didn’t live up to the standards we strive to hold ourselves to. We hope you can forgive us and will continue to support the podcast.Brett Davis is a comedian and performer. He was the host of the public access variety show The Special Without Brett Davis, and the podcast The Podcast For Laundry and was a cast member of the reboot of The National Lampoon Radio Hour.The Guest HostOriginally aired: September 5, 1992Written by: Garry Shandling and Paul SimmsDirected by: Todd HollandProduction Number: 109Are you enjoying It’s The Larry Sanders Show’s Show? Please consider following us on all social media @larrysanderspod and giving us a rating or review on your podcast distributor of choice!