Episodes

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. A powerful interview with a passionate author about an important book.

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 transition from film to television. We talk resilience, leadership and running a real business in Hollywood. Erica talks working in partnerships, inspiring...

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 health and being in the gym at the Pentagon on September 11. We talk spilt wine, working with Gordon Ramsay and his desire to stay in television after th...

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's work and taking notes from the studio. A thorough and candid look at Hollywood life from a man who has been at the top for a long time.

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 quit writing. A fun interview about breaking in and getting out of Hollywood.

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 leadership style as well as hearing about imposter syndrome, the overconfidence of youth and writing characters based on you. An extraordinarily hones...

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 inspiring interview about confidence, storytelling and the inevitably of being fired.

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 and what he learned about showrunning managing productions during Covid. We talk the shows that got away, the importance of trust and relationships wit...

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 suicide attempt and breaking down barriers. She tells us how she doesn't yet feel successful, how she wants to help others like a 'rich white man' helpe...

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 auditions and why he loves writing. Jim talks casting, the studio exec who ruined his dream project and also shamelessly plugs his book!

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 interviewing showrunners and why he didn't succeed as a writer (because he only wrote one thing!). It's not your normal episode but it has plenty of reject...

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 your staff your show is cancelled and then how it feels to tell them you’ve been picked up by another network. A very human, a very vulnerable and a ver...

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, why she walked away from TV's number one show and why aspiring writers should just write. An extraordinarily thoughtful and insightful interview wit...

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 writers. A fascinating insight into the darker side of the business with one of its great minds and critical thinkers.

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 part in the Interview, telling authentic stories and being offered an overall deal for terrible money. A fun and funny interview with a serious stude...

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 importance of good timing and not taking it personally when projects fail. Motivational and inspirational in equal measure.

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 travelling cross country to Hollywood, the importance of remembering his humble beginnings and dealing with success. A fun, insightful and inspiration...

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 what comes next. A fun, entertaining and insightful discussion with a Hollywood rising star.

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 commiserating and putting things in perspective. A fascinating interview with two of the most genuine writers about their unique Hollywood story.

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 social media, fan feedback and the vulnerability of failure. A fascinating and insightful interview with the creator of a number one global Netflix sho...

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. We cover starting a family, touring rock bands and the importance of having a magic script. You’ll never hear a more honest, raw and self-critical inte...

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 projects and working on sensitive documentary topics. A great interview full of great advice.

We talk to the extraordinary John Cameron Mitchell. We talk failure in writing, directing and actor, the risks of coming out and how they decide which projects to work on. John talks Hedwig, passion projects and discrimination. They tell a remarkable OnlyFans story, explain the fightback against stereotypes and makes very clear their view on content houses. JCM also talks about every failure leading eventually to success, some amazing career near-misses and how you can follow your heart AND stil...

We (by which we actually mean just Dan) talk to writer and director Peter Kosminsky. He tells us about his early firings (of which there were many including lasting only a day as a researcher because they didn't like his ideas around tampon tax) as well as how he went from Chemistry student to lighting expert. He discusses his shortcomings as a director, his strengths and how they work on both sides of the Atlantic and the time he nearly gave up after being completely out of his depth on a big H...