Behind the glitz and glamor, Hollywood can be brutal. For every success, there are many more rejections and failures. Screaming into the Hollywood Abyss explores that world and each week a new guest will talk about dealing with rejection, failure and adversity in the entertainment industry. Writer Noah Evslin and podcaster Dan Rutstein ask the questions.
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America the Beautiful Game is a podcast about soccer in the US and its relationship with Europe. Each week Dan Rutstein, a former sports journalist and diplomat and now head of International at Orange County Soccer Club, sits down with a new guest to discuss the sport and its growth in this country. We have current and former players, coaches, administrators and those from industries linked to soccer - betting, data, marketing and more. America the Beautiful game is a chance to see soccer in ...
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Take 128 - Showrunner and Writer John Wirth, Dark Winds, Nash Bridges
1:15:07
1:15:07
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We speak to the legendary John Wirth. He talks about a Hollywood career so long that he can't even remember all of the shows he has run, the shows he has been fired from and arguing with actors who hadn't won Emmys. He talks about managing upwards, 'run money' and an extraordinary argument with talent about trust. A remarkable episode with a remark…
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Take 127 - Writer, Showrunner, Memoirist SJ Hodges, The Player, Uneven Ground
1:50:47
1:50:47
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We talk to the extraordinary SJ Hodges. She talks about changing her name to a gender neutral one to get read, jumping from staff writer straight to show runner and what she learned from managing a literal car crash on The Player. Then SJ shares her personal journey of losing her husband to a brain tumour, what she did next and how she ended up bui…
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Take 126 - Writer Gary Whitta, The Book of Eli, Rogue One
1:08:41
1:08:41
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The podcast is back for the second half of season three and we have a cracker. Gary Whitta, writer of Book of Eli and Rogue One gives an extraordinary interview about his transition from video game editor to writer, working on Star Wars and his frustrations with Hollywood. He gves us an extraordinary pig analogy, talks about the excitement and pres…
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After a long mid-season break, we are back up with the second half of Season Three of Screaming into the Hollywood Abyss. Noah and Dan talk about what they have been up to the last few weeks - Noah's show got cancelled! - and we thank our long-term partner Scriptation and then introduce tomorrow's episode with Rogue One writer Gary Whitta. This tas…
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Matchday 33 - Andrew Fox, Orange County SC defender and trivia legend
55:16
55:16
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55:16
We talk to Andrew Fox, Orange County Soccer Club defender and legendary trivia figure. We talk about his unconventional journey to the USL, playing non-league in England, college scholarship in Texas, back to the English Football League before back to America. We also talk about his red card for Grimsby Town against Crystal Palace - the first playe…
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Matchday 32 - Jim McCarthy, founder of Impresario Strategic Services
46:13
46:13
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46:13
We talk to soccer ticketing consultant Jim McCarthy. We talk about why top football teams aren’t better at ticketing, the Messi and Caitlin Clark impacts in American sport and how Championship teams in England have their models wrong. We discuss stadium seating areas, why ticketing is important and how he has turned bagel knowledge to Goldstar tick…
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Take 125 - Writer, Producer, Director Ed Zwick, Shakespeare in Love, Blood Diamond, the Last Samurai
52:23
52:23
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52:23
Our first Oscar winner! For the last episode before our mid-season break we have Ed Swick on the show. He talks about his new book - Hits, Flops and Other Illusions. And we talk winning Oscars, writing truthful books about Hollywood and his extraordinary career. He tells us how the industry has changed, that films like the ones he made aren’t made …
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Take 124 - Showrunner, Director Jim Mickle, Sweet Tooth
42:16
42:16
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42:16
We talk to the fascinating Jim Mickle. He tells us about this start in independent movies, taking a break during the strike and the upcoming final season of Sweet Tooth. He explains how he got in to tv, becoming a showrunner and suffering from imposter syndrome and working in New Zealand during a pandemic. Jim talks about how hard and tiring being …
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Take 123 - Showrunner, writer Emily Fox, Hindsight, Watchful Eye, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist
51:19
51:19
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51:19
We talk to the fascinating Emily Fox who tells us about getting fired, trying to stuff a large chair into a car in the rain while in tears and the importance of connection in a writing room during a pandemic. She tells us about her shows getting cancelled due to a change of exec, being nice to people firing her and building bonds among colleagues. …
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Take 122 - Writer, Producer, Showrunner Wendy West, Law and Order SVU, Dexter, FBI: Most Wanted
44:10
44:10
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44:10
We talk to Emmy-nominated writer and producer Wendy West. She talks about researching murder, her love of morgues and being the only woman in the room early in her career. Wendy talks about mentoring young female writers, supporting veterans and what it's like to work in the Dick Wolf world. She explains her path to success, her love of crossovers …
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Take 121 - Producer, Director, Showrunner Eddie Schmidt, Good One: A Show About Jokes
40:10
40:10
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We talk to Oscar and Emmy award nominee Eddie Schmidt. He talks about being comedy adjacent, his time in an improv troupe and how he moved into the showrunning part of Hollywood. We discuss leadership style, the fun of working in comedy and the demeaning comments of mean bosses. We talk about how to appreciate comedy, the complexities of navigating…
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In a slightly different style of episode we talk to comedian Ray Ellin. We discuss how social media has changed comedy, hear some magnificent failure anecdotes from comedy clubs and bars and talk through the process of creating comedy. Ray talks us through his love of live standup, working in tv and why he made a podcast about Little House on the P…
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Take 119 - Writers and Producers Eric Johnson and Paul Tamasy, The Fighter, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
39:41
39:41
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39:41
We talk to Oscar-nominated writing partners Eric Johnson and Paul Tamasy, They talk about their fight to get the Fighter written, battling both the mob and Hollywood, the joy of an Oscar nomination and the slog of the promotional campaign. They talk about how they savour every moment of red carpets and parties, the importance of never giving up and…
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Take 118 - Writer Tom Vaughan, Winchester, The Haunting of the Queen Mary
46:29
46:29
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46:29
We talk to screenwriter Tom Vaughan who opens up about his Hollywood journey. He talks about his early career, the arrogance and refusal to take notes even from Disney and the mistakes he made. He talks candidly about being 'a drunk', how despite success he deservedly couldn't get people to work with him a second time and moving into teaching and t…
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Take 117 - Director, Writer, Showrunner Matthew Carnahan, Dirt, House of Lies
41:02
41:02
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41:02
We talk to the fascinating Matthew Carnahan. He tells us about his early work with Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, why he didn't want to work in TV and how he broke in to that world. He talks passionately about choosing meaningful projects over money, the joys of a successful project and the anger at the death of that same project. Matt talks about…
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Take 116 - Writer, producer, showrunner Ted Cohen, Friends, Veep, Succession
51:34
51:34
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51:34
The One with 4-time Emmy winner Ted Cohen. We speak to Ted about his time on Friends, what’s it like to win an Emmy and how we coped after coming off Friends and spending ten years in the development wilderness. We talk about the switch from comedy to drama, writing for himself and getting on Veep. Then we hear about Succession, working on a game- …
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Take 115 - Steven O’Neill, Head of Casting, Universal Content Productions
48:00
48:00
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48:00
We talked to Head of Casting at Universal Content Productions, Steven O’Neill. He proudly talks about his work helping people achieve their dreams, how he fell in love with casting and what the pandemic did to change the process. He talks about how to deal with disagreements with showrunners, separating behaviour from performances and running into …
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Take 114 - Writer and Showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker, Luke Cage, Creed II
54:03
54:03
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54:03
We talk to legendary showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker. He talks about his journey from music journalist to writer, what he learned from the tough world of hip-hop and how he used those skills in Hollywood. Cheo talks about the similarities between running and writing, finding pockets of time to write and how screenwriting can be painful. He describes e…
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Matchday 31 - Gareth Ainsworth, Wimbledon legend and manager
31:19
31:19
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31:19
We talk to former flying winger Gareth Ainsworth about his playing and managerial career. He tells us about his literal baptism of fire at Wimbledon, what he learned there about culture and how he models himself on Diego Simeone. Gareth talks about his desire to manage in the US, the away dressing room at Accrington Stanley and why Ryan Reynolds ma…
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Take 113 - Showrunner and Executive Producer Keith Geller, Wipeout, Fear Factor, Floor is Lava
40:54
40:54
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40:54
We speak to Keith Geller who talks us through his unscripted journey. We talk game shows versus docu-follows, shrinking budgets and higher expectations and picking only proven formats. He talks about his journey from Shakespeare to Wipeout, the role of social media and the changing attitudes towards mental health and crises. Keith talks pitching ne…
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Take 112 - Writer Daniel Kunka, 12 Rounds, Lift
48:26
48:26
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48:26
We talk to the lovely Daniel Kunka, writer of Netflix number one movie Lift. We talk zombie apocalypses, impregnating wolves and the unlikely demise of a great script. He tells us about his 15 year gap between movies, writing for a female lead and ending up with Kevin Hart and how it feels to have the number one movie on a global steaming platform.…
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Take 111 - Producers Marc Benardout, Hugh Broder - He Went That Way
48:57
48:57
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48:57
Back from the winter break and we have another 'case study' episode of the podcast. We talk to Marc Benardout and Hugh Broder, producers of He Went That Way, a new movie out tomorrow. They talk about working with Jacob Elordi and Zach Quinto, about dealing with the death of their director but also Marc's son during production and the 19-year journe…
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Take 110 - Showrunner Ashley Michel Hoban - Marco Polo, Girl from Plainville
47:13
47:13
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We talk to the effervescent Ashley Michel Hoban. She talks about the excitement for her new show coming out today, her journey from assistant to showrunner and what she learned along the way. She tells about self belief, imposter syndrome and how’s she’s expecting to feel tomorrow morning after tonight’s Dr Death Season 2 premiere. Ashley discussed…
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Matchday 30 - Simon Leslie, owner of Eastbourne Borough FC
31:19
31:19
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We talk to entrepreneur Simon Leslie who took the plunge and bought himself a non-league team. He talks about transforming the business into a media company, bringing in celebrities and overcoming fan resistance. Simon explains why he’s in it for the long haul, changing the badge and firing the manager and trying to bring some aspects of American s…
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Take 109 - Writer and Showrunner David Slack - Person of Interest, Law and Order, Teen Titans
42:48
42:48
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42:48
We speak to the excellent David Slack. We talk about how an independent movie failure led him to Hollywood, the path from animation to live action and getting fired from Law and Order. David tells us about the shows that didn’t make it, claiming unemployment and some of the poor behaviour that has gone on in Hollywood. We also cover post-strike exe…
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Take 108 - Producer, director, songwriter, writer Adam Anders, Glee, Rock of Ages, Journey to Bethlehem
47:39
47:39
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47:39
The day before his new movie hits 3000 theaters in 38 countries, we talk to the talented Adam Anders. He tells us about his transition from a very successful music career with shows like Glee to his 17 year journey to writing, producing, directing and songwriting for a Christmas family musical called Journey to Bethlehem. Adam talks about being cre…
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Take 107 - Producer, Writer, Illustrator David Kirschner, Hocus Pocus, An American Tail, Frailty, Chucky
49:31
49:31
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49:31
Must. Listen. Episode. We have the legend that it David Kirschner. He talks getting his break designing an album cover for Neil Diamond, pitching Steven Spielberg at his July 4th party and Hocus Pocus going from abject failure to cult classic. David explains the story of Hocus Pocus taking years to make, bombing and leaving him in tears and then gr…
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Take 106 - Writer and producer Jeremy Adams, Supernatural, Lego Scooby-Doo
42:55
42:55
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42:55
We talk to Jeremy Adams about his life in animation. He tells us about the difficulties animated writers face, how they are treated compared to TV writers and how hard it is to break out of the mould. Jeremy tells us about his successes, the sacrifices his family had to make and the irony of creating great work for little pay and then watching mill…
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Take 105 - Writer, actor, showrunner, director Deborah Pratt, Airwolf, Quantum Leap
42:55
42:55
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42:55
We talk to the extraordinary Deborah Pratt. She tells us about how she got her break in Hollywood, her period of homelessness even after Quantum Leap and what she did to get her career back on track. Amazingly, we also cover a wide range of topics from Frank Sinatra to Airwolf to fan chat rooms. Deborah tells us about fighting against discriminatio…
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Take 104 - EVP IP Management Jordan Moblo, Universal Studio Group
43:21
43:21
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43:21
This season we seek to explore failure and rejection in different parts of Hollywood. We have Jordan Moblo, EVP IP Management and Creative Acquisitions of Universal Studio Group. He talks why he is plans to be an agent didn't work, the books that got away and how they try and treat the authors they work with. He explains how they set expectations f…
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Take 103 - Executive, writer and showrunner Lisa Morales, Shameless, Two Sentence Horror Stories
36:25
36:25
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36:25
We talk to the fantastic Lisa Morales. She tells us about crashing James Cameron's Hummer, her role as an executive and then giving that up to become a writer. She walks us through being fired for not being confident enough, imposter syndrome and rebuilding her confidence and her career. What she learned on her journey to being a showrunner, what s…
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Take 102 - Writers Aaron and Jordan Kandell, Moana, Adrift
52:32
52:32
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We have the the amazing ‘Jewaiian’ twins who tell us about writing Moana, their early failures and why poetry didn’t pay the bills. They talk about representation in native Hawaiian storytelling, being down to their last 12 dollars and the emotionally challenging story of the making of Adrift. The twins explain how they celebrate success, how they …
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Take 101 - Showrunner Mike Scully, The Simpsons
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Season 3 Premiere We have legendary Simpsons showrunner Mike Scully on the show. He talks about being pigeon-holed as ‘Cartoon Boy’, losing out on an Emmy to the Rugrats Passover special and writing jokes for $25 for Yakov Smirnoff. He tells us about being accused of being a UN Observer for being so quiet in a writing room, having a show cancelled …
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After a season break and, not withstanding the strike, the podcast returns. In this pre-season show, we talk about the strike, what people can expect this season and how much Noah surfs. We talk writers, execs and who you can expect to hear from.By Noah Evslin and Dan Rutstein
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We temporarily return from our mid-season break to hear from Burn It Down author Mo Ryan. She talks about writing her book, what she tried to achieve and her hopes for the industry. On her second podcast appearance she describes the toll writing a book like this takes, the chapters she didn't write and what she thinks about the future of Hollywood.…
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Matchday 29 - Ashley Horsley, Sacramento Republic
44:53
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I talk to Sacramento Republic boss Ashley Horsley. We talk about the excitement of running a soccer team, what a non-sports job can teach you about sports and what an Open Cup run do for a team. We talk about women in sport, the public nature of the job and trying to conduct a business conversation during a match. Data in sport, cheering the front …
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Matchday 28 - Cody Cropper, goalkeeper Orange County SC
46:49
46:49
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Today is Open Cup day and we speak to Cody Copper, former US Youth and MLS keeper now plying his trade for Orange County Soccer Club. He talks about the magic of the cup, returning to an MLS stadium and why the USL is such a growing league. He tells us about his time in England with Ipswich and Southampton, having bags of urine thrown at him in Gua…
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Take 100, Producer Erica Huggins, The Dark Tower, Ted and President of Fuzzy Door Productions
45:19
45:19
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45:19
Our 100th guest is the amazing Erica Huggins, President of Fuzzy Door Productions. She talks about her early days as a film editor, being fired and told she will never work in this town again and her subsequent successful career. She talks balancing the comedy of Ted with the pressures of the modern world, working with Seth MacFarlane and the trans…
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Take 99 - Former soldier, TV host Chef Andre Rush, Kitchen Commando
39:50
39:50
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39:50
We talk to the extraordinary Chef Andre Rush in a slightly different episode of the podcast. The former solider and White House Chef talks about his transition into television, the 'sharks' he found there and why he chose to make the leap. Chef Rush tells us about the stresses of White House cooking, his role in spreading awareness about mental hea…
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Take 98 - Writer, Producer and Showrunner Brannon Braga, Star Trek: The Next Generation, 24, The Orville
40:39
40:39
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40:39
We talk to the excellent Brannon Braga. He talks about the pressure of working on the Star Trek franchise, understanding when he was, and wasn't, 'in peril', and we walk through his failures. Brannon tells us about which shows were hits, which were cancelled and what type of leader he is. We discuss how he receives fan feedback, working on his soul…
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Take 97 - Writer and entrepreneur Steve Vitolo, Black-Ish, co-founder Scriptation
37:12
37:12
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37:12
We talk to Steve Vitolo, aspiring writer and now a tech leader. He tells us his story of writing in rooms, getting his show cancelled and developing his app on the side. He talks not taking advantage of his new found access, feature writing and telling his TV colleagues about his app. Steve tells us about leadership, winning an Emmy and when to qui…
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Matchday 27 - Devon Kerr, Broadcaster/Analyst
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1:01:06
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We talk to ex-player and now leading commentator and analyst Devon Kerr. Together we reminisce about Orange County's 2021 USL Championship victory, the growth of the US game and how much the young American player's experience abroad has changed. We talk about cherishing victories, emotionless commentary and deep research. Devon tells us about his t…
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Take 96 - Writer and Showrunner Diane Ruggiero-Wright, Veronica Mars, iZombie
45:46
45:46
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45:46
We talk to the amazing Diane Ruggiero-Wright. She talks passionately about early success, a big cancellation and nearly returning to waitressing. She tells us why she regrets not completing her education, the huge fall-out she had at the end of our her first show and why she isn't very good at taking notes. We talk writing ability, over-noting and …
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Take 95 - Writer, Showrunner Diane Ademu-John, Crossing Jordan, Medium, Dune: The Sisterhood
40:32
40:32
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40:32
We talk to the amazing Diane Ademu-John. She talks about her first writing room, being afraid to speak and then getting fired from Crossing Jordan. She talks about leadership, co-showrunning and learning and growing even from bad projects. Diane talks about her love of genre, her new production company and working on a large ‘estate’ like Dune. An …
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Take 94 - Showrunner Luke Tunnecliffe, Making their Mark, Fearless
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39:53
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39:53
We talk to Australian showrunner Luke Tunnecliffe. He tells us about trying to run a sports documentary during a global pandemic, bringing an LA production to Australia only to get locked down and moving from sports documentaries to scripted dramas. He explains the difficulty of pitching Australia in Hollywood, the Australian obsession with sport a…
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Take 93 - Comedian, actor, showrunner Gina Yashere, Bob Hearts Abishola
41:42
41:42
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41:42
We speak to the extraordinary Gina Yashere about her journey from British comedian to American sitcom actress and showrunner. She talks about her dream to play a best friend in a sitcom, the lack of pressure because she never really wanted to be a showrunner and moving to America. Gina talks about her powerful comedy, talking about her childhood su…
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Take 92 - Actor, producer, showrunner Jim Piddock, Tooth Fairy, Mascots
46:34
46:34
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46:34
Two Englishmen talk Hollywood rejection as we managed to lose Noah for the episode. Veteran Jim Piddock tells us about his fight for fair pay for Tooth Fairy, what a nice man the Rock is and his huge problems with a high profile actress. He compares rejections as a writer, an actor and then an author, tells is about his thousands of failed audition…
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Take 91 - Dan Rutstein, former journalist and diplomat and podcast co-host
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We turn the microphone round and have host Dan Rutstein as guest. Friend of the podcast Paul Bae asks the questions with Noah as Dan talks through unsuccessfully applying for 100 jobs, getting laid off during the pandemic and the resilience needed to change careers. He talks openly about the importance of vulnerability, what he's learned from inter…
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Take 90 - Showrunner Eric Guggenheim, Miracle and Magnum P.I.
54:41
54:41
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54:41
We talk to the fascinating Eric Guggenheim. We talk early career success, serious imposter syndrome and working with his brothers (one of whom has already been on the podcast). He tells us about his good years, his fallow years and how much he loves being in a room. We discuss the importance of learning the craft of writing, how it feels to tell yo…
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Matchday 26 - Mark Donaldson, ESPN commentator and Hearts fan
57:52
57:52
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57:52
We talk to the hilarious and fascinating Mark Donaldson, long-time ESPN commentator. We talk to editing radio with a knife, the first team ever to beat the New York Cosmos and writing four sports books. He tells us about his love for Hearts, the importance of Succession to the club’s growth, covering American sports as a Scotsman and who will be th…
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