This American Life 233: Starting From Scratch
10 snips
Aug 31, 2025 
Molly FitzSimons shares her father's whimsical journey of launching a unique cable channel dedicated entirely to puppies—no people, no plots, just endless cuteness. Dan Fitzsimmons dives into the challenges and joys of this venture, illuminating the healing power of puppies. Mary Beth Kirchner sheds light on a hustler named Joe, who wakes up broke each day, hustles hard, and loses it all by nightfall. Meanwhile, Jonathan Goldstein offers a playful retelling of Adam and Eve, revealing the complexities of starting from scratch in their own profound tale.
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Collateral Damage From Reality TV
- Jorge moved to NYC and felt he'd restarted his life until a reality show used his exact apartment layout on TV.
- Seeing a better version of his apartment on The Bachelorette crushed his confidence and made him feel publicly judged.
The Origin Of The Puppy Channel
- Dan Fitzsimmons conceived the Puppy Channel after watching TV during the O.J. trial and seeing how puppies cheered people up.
- He made a one-hour pilot of continuous puppy footage with instrumental music and theme songs sung by him.
Family-Staged Puppy Drama
- Molly and her family watched the Puppy Channel pilot and cheered when the last puppy finally got off the couch.
- Carol, Dan's wife, staged the climactic scene and even dressed in a dog suit for promotion at conventions.
