Episodes
Wednesday May 30, 2018
Born This Way - Drew Tappon & Jon Murray
Wednesday May 30, 2018
Wednesday May 30, 2018
BORN THIS WAY's journey from passed pilot to Emmy gold was years in the making. Produced for A&E by the legendary Jon Murray, AKA the Godfather of the industry, BTW masterfully tackled the tricky subject matter of Down Syndrome with a series that is both incredibly informative AND entertaining.
Overseen by Jon's longtime friend and colleague, Drew Tappon, the story of BTW is one of passion, persistence, good fortune and so much more. I started my career answering Jon's phone and often found Drew on the other end of the line, as he was our network executive at the time for all of our MTV productions. This episode not only marks the end of season 1 for EXEC/PRODUCER, but is also a true full circle moment for me that I hope you'll all enjoy!
Wednesday May 23, 2018
Celebrity Rehab - Bob Forrest & John Irwin
Wednesday May 23, 2018
Wednesday May 23, 2018
This episode is dear to my heart because we're covering CELEBRITY REHAB WITH DR. DREW, a show which I oversaw during my time at VH1. Produced by my close friend, John Irwin, CELEBRITY REHAB was an monumental team effort which translated into countless saved lives, in addition to multiple seasons, spin-offs and ratings success.
Much of the soul of this series can be attributed to the efforts of our second guest, Dr. Drew's right hand man, Bob Forrest. A recovering addict himself, Bob lived a life as a rock star during the peak of the LA music scene in the 1980's and 90's before achieving sobriety and dedicating his life to helping others in need both on TV and in the real world.
CELEBRITY REHAB is a shining example of how a show can both help AND entertain and I'm thrilled to present to you the story of how it came to be. Enjoy!
Tuesday May 15, 2018
I Am Cait - Jeff Olde & Jeff Jenkins
Tuesday May 15, 2018
Tuesday May 15, 2018
Bruce Jenner's transformation to Caitlyn dominated the headlines like few other stories have before or since. From Diane Sawyer and the ESPY Awards to the tabloids and KEEPING UP WITH THE KARDASHIANS, Bruce/Caitlyn's journey was EVERYWHERE for the better part of 2015. Bruce/Caitlyn ultimately decided to document the transition from him to her in the groundbreaking docuseries, I AM CAIT, a show which walked the very delicate tightrope of entertaining while informing.
Produced by Jeff Jenkins, then of Bunim/Murray, and overseen by Jeff Olde, then of E!, I AM CAIT catapulted the transgender conversation squarely into the mainstream. Jeff Jenkins is a former collegue who rose through the ranks of Bunim/Murray all the way to becoming their Co-President of Entertainment. Jeff Olde is a Peabody winning producer who has my been my beloved boss two times over.
These two creators have a history of producing incredible television and it was a thrill to bring them together for this conversation. Enjoy!!!
Wednesday May 09, 2018
True Tori - Eli Lehrer & Greg Goldman
Wednesday May 09, 2018
Wednesday May 09, 2018
Most celebrities on reality television set strong boundaries as to what they will allow the cameras to capture. In addition, most shows have a multi-month post-production window, so by the time this already controlled content premieres, the show runs the risk of being dated. TRUE TORI was neither of these things, featuring Tori Spelling and her family at their most real and honest and doing it in real time, with a one week production turn around between the filming and the premiere of each episode.
Produced by Studio Lambert's Greg Goldman and overseen by Eli Lehrer, then of Lifetime and now of History Channel, TRUE TORI shot out of a cannon and captivated its viewers in ways that few recent series have. Both of these talented creators have had a direct and positive impact on my career and I'm excited to bring them together for an incredible conversation...Enjoy!!!
Wednesday May 02, 2018
Chrisley Knows Best - Heather Olander & Adam Greener
Wednesday May 02, 2018
Wednesday May 02, 2018
Adam Greener spent all of his remaining development money on a self funded pilot, only to see it go up in smoke. Months later, after being left for dead, Adam resurrected the project and his persistence paid off with an incredible 8 network offers! One of those offers came from Heather Olander at the USA Network who shared his vision and went straight to series on a show which would come to be known as CHRISLEY KNOWS BEST.
I have known and worked with these 2 talented friends for many years and am excited for to share the story of this fantastic partnership. Enjoy!
Wednesday Apr 25, 2018
The Surreal Life - Brian Graden & Cris Abrego
Wednesday Apr 25, 2018
Wednesday Apr 25, 2018
I'm thrilled to welcome both the smartest and hardest working people in unscripted tv. Brian Graden co-created SOUTH PARK before embarking on a legendary 13 year run as the President of Entertainment for MTV, VH1 and Logo. Cris Abrego co-founded the wildly prolific company, 51 Minds, before selling it to Endemol Shine, where he now serves as CEO of their North American operation.
These two wonderful talents and colleagues joined me to discuss THE SURREAL LIFE, a show which Cris co-created and Brian commisioned while at VH1. THE SURREAL LIFE changed the face of television history...enjoy!!!
Tuesday Apr 24, 2018
Vanderpump Rules - Lisa Vanderpump & Alex Baskin
Tuesday Apr 24, 2018
Tuesday Apr 24, 2018
Lisa Vanderpump burst onto the scene as a breakout star on THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF BEVERLY HILLS, but as a mega successful restranteur, she wanted more. One of her HOUSEWIFE producers, Alex Baskin, emailed a screen grab to Bravo from the website of one of Lisa's restaurants, Sur, and what was an immediate "yes" turned into a nearly year long adventure until officially being greenlit. The rest is television history and with over 100 episode produced, VANDERPUMP RULES shows no signs of abating.
I was fortunate enough to sit down with my childhood friend, Alex, and the one and only Lisa at her stunning home for a conversation about VANDERPUMP RULES. It's not only one of TV's greatest guilty pleasures, but it's also a shining example of how entertainment and business can intersect in some pretty incredible ways. Enjoy!
Tuesday Apr 24, 2018
Keeping Up With The Kardashians - Damla Dogan & Farnaz Farjam
Tuesday Apr 24, 2018
Tuesday Apr 24, 2018
Damla Dogan walked into the halls of E! over a decade ago and her VERY FIRST PROJECT was KEEPING UP WITH THE KARDASHIANS!!! The channel quickly ordered a show about this little known family, but with one caveat, it had to be produced and on the air in only 8 weeks. Enter Farnaz Farjam, showrunner extradorinare, who returned from her honeymoon to launch the series and to this day, hundreds of episodes later, hasn't stopped hustling.
I've worked with both of these incredible women multiple times in my career and brought them together for a conversation about their culture shifting ride with the most famous family in all of tv. Enjoy!