The Ankler Podcast

In this week’s Hollywood Stories, Richard Rushfield sits down with TV comedy legend Nell Scovell — creator of Sabrina the Teenage Witch and writer for everything from The Simpsons to Late Night with David Letterman.Before breaking into TV, Scovell sharpened her voice at Spy and Vanity Fair, where editors Kurt Andersen and Graydon Carter taught her to “be funnier, go harder, be meaner.” She shares how she defied her agent to leave Vanity Fair and dive into the boys’ club of TV writers rooms, a dynamic she was still battling decades later — even on The Muppets in the 2010s.She also opens up about her sharp, hilarious memoir Just the Funny Parts, which she jokes she really wanted to title, “Penis, Penis, Penis, Penis, Me, Penis.” (Scovell: "It would have sold more.") Richard calls it “one of the best memoirs of working in television I’ve ever read.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this bonus episode of The Ankler podcast, the second of two recorded live on May 18 at L.A.'s DGA Theater, The Ankler and the Directors Guild of America bring you a series of insightful and memorable conversations — presented by Threads — about the art of directing for television. You’ll hear Lesley Goldberg’s interview with Liz Garbus, who directed the pilot and the pivotal fifth episode of Hulu’s limited series “Good American Family,” and Elaine Low’s conversation with Jessica Lee Gagné, who made her directing debut on the second season of Apple TV+’s “Severance.” Katey Rich leads two Q&As — one with DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter, who helmed all six episodes of Netflix’s political thriller “Zero Day,” and a second with Damian Marcano and Amanda Marsalis, who each directed four episodes of HBO Max’s medical drama “The Pitt.” In addition to unpacking their process and craft, these five pros also share advice with the live audience about how to build a career as a director. “Be very drunk in yourself,” Marcano tells the crowd. “Don’t rob us of what you have to offer.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this bonus episode of The Ankler podcast, recorded live on May 18 at L.A.'s DGA Theater, The Ankler and the Directors Guild of America bring you a series of funny and memorable conversations — presented by Threads — about the art of directing for television. Lesley Goldberg interviewed Alethea Jones, who helmed the pilot for ABC freshman hit “High Potential”; Elaine Low spoke with Yana Gorskaya of FX's “What We Do in the Shadows”; and Katey Rich sat with Lucia Aniello of “Hacks” (who’s also co-showrunner of the HBO Max comedy). Despite the often loose tones of their shows, each of the directors emphasized the extensive prep on their end that’s required to make the storytelling work. “I write a novel on every episode of television I have ever done,” Gorskaya admits, “that tracks every character's wants, needs, desires, where we've been — and where we’re going.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

L.A. may have lost its crown as the world’s production capital, but it’s still sitting on 8 million square feet of sound stages. So what to do with all that excess space? Think bar mitzvahs, weddings, YouTubers and cover shoots. Elaine Low, Sean McNulty and Natalie Jarvey explore how L.A.’s sound stages are the new dead malls and what that means for the future of production in LA., and who’s still filming locally (shoutout to Abbott Elementary and Grey’s Anatomy). Plus: What new layoffs at Disney and WBD mean. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Hollywood Stories: Tales From Television, Richard Rushfield takes us back to the heyday of the original “American Idol” in the aughts and early 2010s, when the Fox juggernaut dominated conversation everywhere from “Howard Stern” to the “Today” show and produced megastars like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. But there was one powerful figure behind the scenes whose quiet devotion touched future superstars from Katharine McPhee to Jordin Sparks: Pastor Leesa Bellesi. Through her American Idol Ministry, Bellesi not only prayed for the success of these contestants, but she also helped them and their families navigate the harsh spotlight of sudden fame that glared upon even the ones who didn't make it far. Richard chronicled Bellisi’s incredible journey in his 2011 book, “American Idol: The Untold Story,” and now, more than two decades later, they revisit it together as she recalls her spiritual connection with the show and its stars — from the Bible passage that bonded her with McPhee to a fateful prayer circle with judge Paula Abdul. "It was such a God thing," she tells Richard. "The prayers that I prayed in that room are living themselves out still to this day." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ashley Cullins, a Dealmakers' representative, dives into the shifting tides of the film industry. She highlights the unexpected optimism for indie films following the Cannes Film Festival, fueled by Mubi's hefty investment in a Jennifer Lawrence project. The conversation also dissects Marvel's box office struggles, pointing to quality issues and changing audience dynamics. Directors are becoming key assets in film financing, raising questions about the future of franchise hits like the Fantastic Four reboot.

For the second episode of Hollywood Stories’ sophomore season, Richard Rushfield talks to the brilliant and bawdy Bruce Vilanch, known as the longtime joke purveyor extraordinaire for the Oscars (plus the Emmys, Tonys and more). But before he became the go-to for Hollywood galas, Vilanch got his start in writing for the big variety shows and specials that peppered the network schedules of the 1960s and ’70s and represent the height of television’s most flamboyant and unhinged period. Expanding on some of the wildest misadventures chronicled in  his new book, “It Seemed Like a Bad Idea at the Time,” Vilanch takes Richard through three of those song-and-dance spectaculars — the “Star Wars Holiday Special” that George Lucas famously disowned, the “Paul Lynde Halloween Special” and the short-lived series “The Brady Bunch Hour.” From writing material for graceless Wookiees to putting Robert Reed's Mike Brady in Carmen Miranda drag, Vilanch revels in how right it felt when everything went fantastically wrong. “It was ridiculous, but I had fun,” he recalls. “A lot of these things were conceived in clouds of smoke.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The battle for kids' attention is heating up! Netflix has snagged Sesame Street in a strategic move to draw in future subscribers. The discussion reveals how streaming services are reshaping children's programming and leaving traditional models behind. With shows like Bluey and Gabby’s Dollhouse taking center stage, the competition intensifies. There's also a playful chat about movie trends and upcoming releases, leaving listeners curious about what's next for their family's viewing habits.

Hollywood Stories is back! The Ankler pod series returns, this time focusing on untold tales from the world of TV as shared by the people who work in its trenches. In this debut episode of season two, Richard Rushfield hosts a revealing, in-depth interview with four creative minds behind Netflix’s hilarious, animated (but decidedly not-for-little-kids) hit, ‘Big Mouth,’ whose eighth and final season drops on May 23. Comedians and co-creators Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg swing by to discuss their silly, simpatico partnership that dates back to first grade, their own anxieties from puberty, and how they used their celebrity pull to get Hugh Jackman, Jordan Peele, Paul Giamatti and others to sign on for appearances. Richard also sits down with veteran writers and fellow co-creators Jennifer Flackett and Mark Levin, who explain why you can never go too far in pushing the risqué envelope and why ‘Big Mouth’ could never in a million years have happened at a network. Says Flackett, "It would have been a different show." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Upfronts are evolving, shedding glitz but raising stakes as platforms like Netflix and YouTube gain power. A humorous take on HBO's rebranding showcases the industry's branding blunders. The inaugural 'Uppie Awards' celebrate thrilling moments, with celebrity cameos drawing mixed reviews. A highlight from a recent YouTube event features unexpected athlete antics, and engaging commentary dives into how sports are overshadowing scripted content. The importance of innovative ad strategies and tech keeps the industry buzzing.