Best Dan Rutstein Podcasts (2024)

1
Take 121 - Producer, Director, Showrunner Eddie Schmidt, Good One: A Show About Jokes 40:10

15h ago40:10

40:10

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…

1
Take 120 - Comedian Ray Ellin 55:54

8d ago55:54

55:54

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…

1
Take 119 - Writers and Producers Eric Johnson and Paul Tamasy, The Fighter, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare 39:41

15d ago39:41

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…

1
Take 118 - Writer Tom Vaughan, Winchester, The Haunting of the Queen Mary 46:29

1M ago46:29

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…

1
Take 117 - Director, Writer, Showrunner Matthew Carnahan, Dirt, House of Lies 41:02

2M ago41:02

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…

1
Take 116 - Writer, producer, showrunner Ted Cohen, Friends, Veep, Succession 51:34

2M ago51:34

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- …

1
Take 115 - Steven O’Neill, Head of Casting, Universal Content Productions 48:00

2M ago48:00

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 …

1
Take 114 - Writer and Showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker, Luke Cage, Creed II 54:03

2M ago54:03

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…

1
Matchday 31 - Gareth Ainsworth, Wimbledon legend and manager 31:19

2M ago31:19

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…

1
Take 113 - Showrunner and Executive Producer Keith Geller, Wipeout, Fear Factor, Floor is Lava 40:54

3M ago40:54

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…

1
Take 112 - Writer Daniel Kunka, 12 Rounds, Lift 48:26

3M ago48:26

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.…

1
Take 111 - Producers Marc Benardout, Hugh Broder - He Went That Way 48:57

3M ago48:57

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…

1
Take 110 - Showrunner Ashley Michel Hoban - Marco Polo, Girl from Plainville 47:13

4M ago47:13

47:13

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…

1
Matchday 30 - Simon Leslie, owner of Eastbourne Borough FC 31:19

5M ago31:19

31:19

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…

1
Take 109 - Writer and Showrunner David Slack - Person of Interest, Law and Order, Teen Titans 42:48

5M ago42:48

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…

1
Take 108 - Producer, director, songwriter, writer Adam Anders, Glee, Rock of Ages, Journey to Bethlehem 47:39

5M ago47:39

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…

1
Take 107 - Producer, Writer, Illustrator David Kirschner, Hocus Pocus, An American Tail, Frailty, Chucky 49:31

6M ago49:31

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…

1
Take 106 - Writer and producer Jeremy Adams, Supernatural, Lego Scooby-Doo 42:55

6M ago42:55

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…

1
Take 105 - Writer, actor, showrunner, director Deborah Pratt, Airwolf, Quantum Leap 42:55

6M ago42:55

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…

1
Take 104 - EVP IP Management Jordan Moblo, Universal Studio Group 43:21

6M ago43:21

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…

1
Take 103 - Executive, writer and showrunner Lisa Morales, Shameless, Two Sentence Horror Stories 36:25

7M ago36:25

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…

1
Take 102 - Writers Aaron and Jordan Kandell, Moana, Adrift 52:32

7M ago52:32

52:32

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 …

1
Take 101 - Showrunner Mike Scully, The Simpsons 49:26

7M ago49:26

49:26

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 …

1
Prologue - Season 3 23:02

7M ago23:02

23:02

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

1
Burn it Down Special - Author Mo Ryan 55:34

9M ago55:34

55:34

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.…

1
Matchday 29 - Ashley Horsley, Sacramento Republic 44:53

11M ago44:53

44:53

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 …

1
Matchday 28 - Cody Cropper, goalkeeper Orange County SC 46:49

12M ago46:49

46:49

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…

1
Take 100, Producer Erica Huggins, The Dark Tower, Ted and President of Fuzzy Door Productions 45:19

1y ago45:19

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…

1
Take 99 - Former soldier, TV host Chef Andre Rush, Kitchen Commando 39:50

1y ago39:50

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…

1
Take 98 - Writer, Producer and Showrunner Brannon Braga, Star Trek: The Next Generation, 24, The Orville 40:39

1y ago40:39

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…

1
Take 97 - Writer and entrepreneur Steve Vitolo, Black-Ish, co-founder Scriptation 37:12

1y ago37:12

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…

1
Matchday 27 - Devon Kerr, Broadcaster/Analyst 1:01:06

1y ago1:01:06

1:01:06

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…

1
Take 96 - Writer and Showrunner Diane Ruggiero-Wright, Veronica Mars, iZombie 45:46

1y ago45:46

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 …

1
Take 95 - Writer, Showrunner Diane Ademu-John, Crossing Jordan, Medium, Dune: The Sisterhood 40:32

1y ago40:32

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 …

1
Take 94 - Showrunner Luke Tunnecliffe, Making their Mark, Fearless 39:53

1y ago39:53

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…

1
Take 93 - Comedian, actor, showrunner Gina Yashere, Bob Hearts Abishola 41:42

1y ago41:42

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…

1
Take 92 - Actor, producer, showrunner Jim Piddock, Tooth Fairy, Mascots 46:34

1y ago46:34

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…

1
Take 91 - Dan Rutstein, former journalist and diplomat and podcast co-host 54:54

1y ago54:54

54:54

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…

1
Take 90 - Showrunner Eric Guggenheim, Miracle and Magnum P.I. 54:41

1y ago54:41

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…

1
Matchday 26 - Mark Donaldson, ESPN commentator and Hearts fan 57:52

1y ago57:52

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…

1
Take 89 - Writer and showrunner Simran Baidwan, Manifest, Clean Slate 49:52

1+ y ago49:52

49:52

We talk to the extraordinary Simran Baidwan. She tells us about her best and worst rooms, the transition from criminal prosecutor to Hollywood and the importance of grace in leadership. We cover inclusion, telling a good story and how to not put roadblocks in your own path. Simran tells us how her Indian immigrant parents dealt with her career move…

1
Take 88 - Showrunner Jeffrey Lieber, Lost, Charmed 45:07

1+ y ago45:07

45:07

We talk to the amazing Jeffrey Lieber - for the second time. We take a deep dive into the world of failure, rejection and adversity in Hollywood. We talk ill-fitting jobs, managing and leading teams and shit sandwiches. Jeffrey tells us about his fears of not showrunning again, talks us through the mistakes he’s made and gives advice to aspiring wr…

1
Take 87 - Podcaster, writer Paul Bae, Black Tapes, Big Loop 40:55

1+ y ago40:55

40:55

We talk to the fascinating Paul Bae. The teacher/comedian/podcaster/screenwriter/actor talks us through his journey. We talk failing in screenwriting and acting leading to millions of downloads for his scripted podcasts, getting a chance to tell Korean stories and his secrets to pitching. He tells us how naming Korean menu items cost him a speaking…

1
Take 86 - Showrunner Ildy Modrovich, CSI Miami, Californication, Lucifer 42:32

1+ y ago42:32

42:32

We talk to the extraordinary Ildy Modrovich. She talks about arranged marriages, the importance of two showrunners and the pilot that was guaranteed - until it wasn't. She talks about losing her confidence, making sure others don't lose theirs and missing out on Sons of Anarchy to take a safer job. Ildy tells us about dealing with failure, the impo…

1
Take 85 - Writer, Showrunner Chris Sheridan, Family Guy, Resident Alien 44:08

1+ y ago44:08

44:08

We speak to the amazing and hilarious Chris Sheridan. He reads out some of his rejection letters, tells us about making calls from payphones on street corners and why he really didn't want to work on Family Guy. But then he talks about how great working on Family Guy was, running his own show and working in the studio kitchen. Chris tells us about …

1
Take 84 - Writer and Actor Brittani Nichols, Abbott Elementary 43:48

1+ y ago43:48

43:48

We have comedian, actress and writer Brittani Nichols on the show. A fascinating discussion about diversity, inclusive comedy and working on a rocketship of a show like Abbot Elementary. We talk happy and unhappy rooms, friendships on shows and how nice her Abbott Elementary colleagues are. We talk perseverance in a career, award nominations and wh…

1
Take 83 - Writers and Directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, A Quiet Place 45:53

1+ y ago45:53

45:53

We talk to the dynamic duo of Scott Beck and Bryan Woods about gimmicks in scripts, a yes after multiple nos and what happened to their directing dreams. They talk with incredible candor about their Quiet Place journey, what happened, what they learned and how they coped with a complex career conundrum. We talk difficult decisions, celebrating and …

1
Take 82 - Daria Polatin, novelist and showrunner Devil in Ohio 46:21

1+ y ago46:21

46:21

We talk to novelist and showrunner Dari Polatin. She talks about getting her book written at 4am and during lunchbreaks, the rarity of being allowed to adapt a novel and the struggles of a junior female writer in a room full of men. She talks about writing plays, struggling to pay bills and her pride in showrunning her own show. Daria talks about s…

1
Take 81 - Writer, Showrunner Andy Siara, Palm Springs, The Resort 50:34

1+ y ago50:34

50:34

We talk to the amazing Andy Siara. He tells us the story behind the time loop in Palm Springs, his fear of never working again and gives the most extraordinary piece of advice about hope. He talks the difficult of showrunning, explains what he does well and what went wrong for him when he lost control of his story and why he loves co-showrunners. W…

1
Take 80 - Producer, Development Executive Alex Hedlund, Great Wall 40:35

1+ y ago40:35

40:35

We talk to development executive Alex Hedlund. We talk at length about Matt Damon movie The Great Wall, why it failed, how he was involved and when he realised it was going wrong. He tells us what he learned from working on it, how it impacted his career and how it killed a genre. Alex talks about giving and taking notes, how he now chooses his pro…

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Dan Rutstein Podcasts

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