Exec/Producer With Noah Pollack

American Ninja Warrior - Matt Iseman & Arthur Smith

AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR is the little show that could. What started as a series of subtitled specials on the since departed G4 network is now a massive hit on NBC, entering its recently announced 8th season.

Produced by sports producer turned unscripted titan, Arthur Smith and hosted by Doctor turned comedian, Matt Iseman, NINJA WARRIOR is not just a franchise, but the center of a global movement inspiring people of all ages, shapes and sizes that ANYTHING is possible.

Enjoy!

The Voice - Meredith Ahr & Audrey Morrissey

For the Season 3 premiere of EXEC/PRODUCER, I am proud to bring you one of the most iconic shows of the decade, THE VOICE. Both a critical darling and ratings juggernaut, THE VOICE exploded out of the gate in 2011 and hasn't missed a beat as it approaches its 16th season and 400th episode. 

Produced for the entirety of its run by Audrey Morrissey and launched/overseen by NBC's Meredith Ahr, their fantastic story of both trust and risk taking made television history has changed the relationship between unscripted tv and superstar talent forever. 

Enjoy!

 

Live PD - Shelly Tatro & Dan Cesareo

For Season 2 finale of EXEC/PRODUCER, I am pleased to bring you one of the only true breakouts of recent memory, LIVE PD. Created and produced by Dan Cesareo of Big Fish and launched/overseen by A&E's Shelly Tatro, LIVE PD takes the tried and true police show format and eventizes it by adding in the thrill of live TV. The logline may sound simple, but the production is anything but, as was the run up of bringing the concept to air.

Shelly and Dan are both best in class creatives who I am lucky enough to have worked with during my career. They spend many weekend nights on the set of LIVE PD and I can't thank them enough for giving up what little time they have remaining to appear on this show. I hope you love this episode and have enjoyed Season 2 as much as I enjoyed bringing it to you! More soon...

Basketball Wives - Tom Huffman & Sean Rankine

I've returned to my own vault of shows to bring you BASKETBALL WIVES, a show which I launched and oversaw during my time at Vh1. Sold to us by Tom Huffman, then of Shed Media, and produced since the beginning of its nearly 200 episode run by Sean Rankine, BASKETBALL WIVES survived a few near death experiences before becoming the network's #1 show earlier this decade.

It hasn't been easy, but success never is and BASKETBALL WIVES is a prime example of that. This series has survived many cast changes, a cross country move and a ton of drama, but it's still standing strong and is now closing in on its 10th year. Enjoy!

Genius - Sam Sokolow

Joining me for my first one-on-one conversation is Sam Sokolow, President of EUE/Sokolow, and Executive Producer of Nat Geo's breakout series, GENIUS. Sam and his partners labored for years to bring Walter Isaacson's acclaimed biography of Albert Einstein to the screen, first as a feature and ultimately as a series. Not only did they hit paydirt with Nat Geo, but they created a format where different geniuses would be featured in subsequent seasons, following up with Picasso and currently prepping for Mary Shelley. 

Sam not only weaves a fascinating story of how GENIUS came to be, but also how he simultaneously transformed his own career from producing unscripted to producing scripted. Sam successfully "changed high schools" and gives fanstastic insight for anyone else contemplating a career pivot.

It's a great conversation that I hope you enjoy!

 

The Profit - Marcus Lemonis & Amber Mazzola

The business shows keep coming with this week's episode, CNBC's flagship show, THE PROFIT. Joining me are Executive Producer, Amber Mazzola, and the star of the show, The Profit himself, Marcus Lemonis. 

Amber entered the series as its Season 1 showrunner and her drive and comittment catapulted her to become the production company of record for the series. She now owns and operates her own company, Machete, built quite significantly on the strength of this show and her partnership with Marcus. 

Marcus puts the "real" in reality tv by putting his own money into the businesses which he decides to invest in each week. Marcus was already an uber successful CEO when production began on this series 5 years ago. His personality, tactics and business acumen have turned him into one of the world's most iconic turnaround specialists and his many millions of dollars invested have also placed him very much in the black.

It's a great conversation between two dynamos. Enjoy!

Shark Tank - Corie Henson & David Eilenberg

SHARK TANK originated as a hit overseas, but it struggled to find an American home and languished for some time as a format in the Sony catalogue. Mark Burnett Productions eventually caught wind of the idea and partnered with Sony to eek out a six episode order for the show on ABC. After surviving a near cancellation prior to premiere and an abysmal first week of ratings, the show ultimately found its footing and fought for and earned a second season before finally cementing its place as an American TV mainstay.

10 seasons later, hundreds of episodes produced and millions of dollars invested, SHARK TANK is a rare show that both entertains AND changes lives. Originally sold by David Eilenberg (then of MBP and now CCO of ITV America) and purchased/overseen by Corie Henson (then of ABC and now an EVP at Fox) SHARK TANK kicked off a professional relationship between these 2 highly respected members of the TV community who are now producing their 3rd franchise together. I was thrilled to bring together these 2 talents for a wonderful conversation about how SHARK TANK was born and how their own overlapping professional relationship continues to thrive. Enjoy!

Cobra Kai - Dustin Davis & Jon Hurwitz

You asked, I listened and today, I am proud to bring you COBRA KAI, the first scripted series discussed on our show. What began as a wild hair idea from 3 KARATE KID obsessed feature comedy writers became the signature series for Youtube's premium streaming service, Youtube Red.

Today I welcome one of those creators, Jon Hurwitz, as well as Youtube Red's Head of Comedy development, Dustin Davis, for a incredible discussion of how they convinced various rights holders, wined and dined potentially reluctant stars and employed Google analytics (along with a healthy dose of good old fashioned gut instict) to bring this fantastic series to life...and not upset a legion of hard core fans along the way.

It's a great one that I hope you enjoy!

Scientology And The Aftermath - Devon Graham Hammonds & Aaron Saidman

LEAH REMINI: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE AFTERMATH kicks off season 2 of EXEC/PRODUCER. This remarkable series showcases actress and former Scientologist, Leah Remini, in her journey to meet with other former members of the church and bring light to their heartbreaking stories. It has been no small feat for producer, Aaron Saidman and A&E executive, Devon Graham Hammonds, to successfully produce this series given all of its legal and procedural challenges, but they've not only walked the tightrope, but also were also rewarded with an Emmy.

Devon and Aaron are both excellent at what they do and their mutual respect and appreciation for one another is something to behold.  Enjoy!

 

EXEC/PRODUCER Season 2 Trailer

EXEC/PRODUCER is back for season 2! I took your thoughts and feedback to heart and am proud to bring you 8 new and exciting episodes. I sit down with Emmy winners, network presidents, production company owners and even the stars themselves. I'll continue to discuss your favorite reality formats and also feature some exciting scripted series.

Putting these episodes together was quite a ride and I hope you all enjoy listening to them as much as I enjoyed making them. The first episode of season 2, LEAH REMINI: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE AFTERMATH, is up now and new episodes will follow weekly.

As always, please follow the show on instagram @EPWITHNP, tell a friend and subscribe anywhere you get your podcasts. Enjoy!