IndieWire's Turn It On

At the end of Season 2 of HBO's "Crashing," fictional Pete Holmes discovers a darker side of his personality, while doing a roast battle with his girlfriend. It freaks him out so much, as a matter of fact, that he breaks up with her and questions his very persona. Now, as Season 3 opens, Pete continues to evolve both as a person and as a standup. The show follows Pete as the character starts to taste some success -- and experiences the ego that comes with that. The season also touches on timely issues, such as misogyny in comedy, and leads to a big moment for Pete in the season finale. Returning guests include comedian Artie Lange, whose addiction struggles have been addressed throughout the show. We sat down with Holmes at the Austin ATX TV Festival last June. For information on how to attend this year’s festival (June 6-9, 2019), please visit: atxfestival.com. (Music by HookSounds.)

Hugh Grant returned to television for the first time since the early 1990s in "A Very English Scandal," which premiered on Amazon Prime Video this past June. Now he's received a Golden Globe nomination for the role, which tells the shocking -- and quite amusing -- true story of the first British politician to stand trial for conspiracy and incitement to murder. We recently moderated a panel with Grant about the series and what brought him back to TV; here's audio from that conversation. (Music by DJ Omar Khan and HookSounds.)

"The Neighborhood" stars Max Greenfield and Beth Behrs talk about their new sitcom and why they enjoy the multi-camera sitcom format. Also, they dissect their favorite episodes of TV of all time. While Greenfield chose the Season 2 finale of "The Leftovers," Behrs went back to a famous 1969 "Carol Burnett Show" sketch starring Tim Conway as a rookie dentist and Harvey Korman as his unwitting patient. (Music by HookSounds.)

TV writer Greg Garcia earned raves for creating shows with quirky but down-to-earth relatable characters, such as 'My Name is Earl" and "Raising Hope." His latest series, the TBS anthology "The Guest Book," introduces new characters every single week. Garcia was inspired by his heavy diet of sitcoms growing up, including the classic "Andy Griffith Show." For a young Garcia, it was a rare appearance by the eccentric Ernest T. Bass that made for his favorite episodes of the series. When we asked the TV creator to pick his favorite TV episode of all time, he zeroed in on those five Ernest T. Bass appearances. (Music by HookSounds.)

John C. McGinley, now star of IFC's "Stan Against Evil," grew up during the heyday of the classic 1970s sitcom when producers like Norman Lear and James L. Brooks ruled primetime. There were plenty of well-written comedies that acted almost like stage plays. But for a young McGinley, there was something extra fascinating about Lear's Carol O'Connor and Jean Stapleton series "All in the Family." We talk to McGinley about his series, acting, Hollywood, and his wide ranging career, which includes everything from "Platoon" and "Office Space" to "Scrubs." And we talk about his favorite episode of TV of all time — "All in the Family's" Season 2 episode "The Elevator Story." (Music by HookSounds.)

"Loudermilk" and "A Million Little Things" star Ron Livingston has seen it all, working in comedy and drama and on TV, film and stage. But like many viewers he was floored by the Red Wedding episode of HBO's "Game of Thrones," titled "The Rains of Castamere." We talk to Livingston about his current series, his career choices including that early appearance in the classic film "Swingers," plus his favorite episode of TV of all time. (Music by HookSounds.)

"Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" co-creator Aline Brosh McKenna talks about the final season of her CW show, and how Rachel Bloom made it OK to like Rebecca Bunch even at her worst. We also talk about her favorite episode of the series, and her favorite episode of TV of all time -- the pilot to The Americans. (Music by Hook Sounds.)

On their new CBS comedy "Happy Together," Damon Wayans Jr. and Amber Stevens West play a couple who have settled into an ordinary suburban life, But then a huge pop star, played by Felix Mallard, moves in with them to escape the paparazzi, and soon they're learning from him on how to bring the excitement back to their lives. IndieWire asked the stars to select their favorite episode of TV of all time, and Stevens West chose the "Friends" episode "The One Where No One's Ready," which is from the third season of the show in 1996. But dig a little deeper, and we also discovered a secret about Stevens West's love of the show in high school. Also: Wayans Jr. and West about their new show, the chemistry read that landed the part, what it was like growing up with celebrity dads. (Music by HookSounds.)

D'Arcy Carden stars on two of the most critically acclaimed comedies on TV right now: "The Good Place" and "Barry." As she recently revealed to IndieWire, she inherited that good taste from her mother, who first introduced her to another legendary comedy: "Friends." On this edition of the podcast, we talk to D'Arcy Carden about playing the A.I. character Janet on "The Good Place," how she was able to juggle both that show and "Barry," and also the "Friends" episode that she chose as her favorite TV episode ever. (Music by HookSounds.)

Comedian, "Daily Show" correspondent and "Crazy Rich Asians" co-star Ronny Chieng grew up in Singapore, where the animated series "South Park" was banned when it launched. Of course, that just made him want to watch it more. IndieWire recently sat down with Chieng to discuss his new Comedy Central show "Ronny Chieng: International Student," as well as "Crazy Rich Asians," and his favorite episode of TV of all time, the 2006 "South Park" episode "Make Love, Not Warcraft." (Music by Hook Sounds.)

For comedian Rob Riggle, "The Office" not only produced his favorite episode of all time, but it also gave him one of his first ever acting roles. We recently sat down with Riggle to discuss how he moved from a career in the military into comedy, his experiences on both "SNL" and "The Daily Show," and how a joke turned into his Sony Crackle comedy "Rob Riggle's Ski Master Academy." But first, we talked about his favorite episode of TV of all time, "The Office" Season 7 episode "Threat Level Midnight."

"Six Feet Under" was one of the shows that ushered in the new golden age of TV. For "Portlandia" co-creator and star Carrie Brownstein, it also produced one of her favorite episodes of TV of all time, the season 4 episode "That's My Dog." In this edition of the podcast, we talk to Brownstein about "Six Feet Under," and also her favorite episode of a comedy of all time ("The Office"), and her favorite episode of "Portlandia." (Music by HookSounds.)

The medical drama ER premiered in 1994, and quickly became a monster hit. The show ran for 15 seasons, through 2009, and helped change TV storytelling. For "The Handmaid's Tale" showrunner Bruce Miller, it was also an inspiration as he embarked on a writing career. Miller eventually wrote on the show, and still carries the lessons he learned from showrunner John Wells as he now heads up "The Handmaid's Tale." IndieWire recently sat down with Miller to discuss the success of "The Handmaid's Tale," and the pressure that comes with so much attention -- and Emmys -- in its first season. We began by discussing Miller's favorite episode of TV ever, the "ER" pilot. And later, Miller reveals his favorite installment of "Handmaid's Tale." (Music by HookSounds.)

Back in 1999, "Stranger Things" star David Harbour was still a struggling actor in New York, working on stage, in soaps and of course, guesting on Dick Wolf's Law & Order. The biggest thing on TV was "The X-Files," and to this day, David's favorite episode of TV ever is the Season 6 installment "Field Trip." In this episode, we talk to Harbour about that "monster of the week" episode, the dynamic between Mulder and Scully, and how the episode's themes relate quite a bit to "Stranger Things." Harbour also reveals his favorite episode of "Stranger Things" so far, and how the show is evolving as it heads into Season 3. (Music by HookSounds.)

Jennifer Lopez's competition series "World of Dance" was an out of the box hit last summer for NBC, and now it's back for a second season. IndieWire sat down with Lopez recently to discuss "World of Dance," as well as why now was the time to end "Shades of Blue," whether she watched the new edition of "American Idol," if she still plans to revisit "Bye Bye Birdie" for NBC, and what's next in her busy career. (Music by Omar Khan and Hook Sounds.)

It’s been a long wait for the return of “Better Call Saul,” which last aired in June 2017 with a rather fiery finale. Now, Season 4 is finally here, and Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) is back. The death of his brother (Michael McKean) — after their final clash — will continue to haunt him, while across town, the rise of Gus Fring’s power will bring “Better Call Saul” closer to the dawn of “Breaking Bad.” IndieWire sat down with Breaking Bad creator and Better Call Saul co-creator Vince Gilligan and star Bob Odenkirk at the Austin ATX TV Festival this June. For information on how to attend next year’s festival (June 6-9, 2019), please visit: atxfestival.com. To hear more from the festival, subscribe to THE TV CAMPFIRE wherever you get your podcasts, or visit ATVXP.com to hear/watch more panels, Q&As, and conversations from ATX! (Music by Omar Khan and Hook Sounds.)

When the Will Arnett-produced revival of The Gong Show premiered in 2017, the network went along with the ruse that the show's host was a British comedic hosting legend named Tommy Maitland. Of course, it wasn't entirely a secret that Mike Meyers was really playing the character, under prosthetic makeup. Now on season two, the host's real identity is out in the open -- but the fun remains. IndieWire sat down with Meyers and Arnett to talk about the reboot, including how Meyers came up with the Tommy Maitland character as well as the state of the changing business, why TV hosting has become a popular gig for A-list stars, why it's fun to parody British TV stars, and how having young kids changed both of their outlooks. (Music by Omar Khan and Hook Sounds.)

Phil Rosenthal found success as the co-creator and executive producer of the long-running hit comedy "Everybody Loves Raymond." But beyond the show, Rosenthal over time became a foodie and even an investor in restaurants around Los Angeles. Now he has a new crusade: Spreading the joy of travel and exploration to others. IndieWire recently spoke with Rosenthal at the ATX Television Festival, where he screened an episode of his series and discussed the new season. The news of Anthony Bourdain's passing had just broken, and Rosenthal opened the panel by paying tribute to Bourdain and how he inspired shows like Somebody Feed Phil. Later, we began the discussion by noting how much his show makes you hungry. (Music by Omar Khan and Hook Sounds.)

In the new 8-episode truTV scripted anthology series "Bobcat Goldthwait's Misfits and Monsters", premiering July 11, each twist episode contains plenty of thrills and satire. Guest stars include Michael Ian Black, Bridget Everett, Dave Foley, Seth Green, Melissa Joan Hart, David Koechner, Danny Pudi and more. IndieWire's TURN IT ON podcast recently sat down with Goldthwait to discuss the new series, which is both timely and timeless as it tackles everything from sexual harrassment to a Trump-like political figure who eats toddlers, to a man haunted by the animated character he voices. We began by discussing the benefits of being able to tell so many stories over one season. (Music by Omar Khan and Hook Sounds.)

Through seven seasons, Claire Danes' "Homeland" character, Carrie Mathison, has saved the world and the American government too many times to mention. But spoiler alert, the character ends Season 7 in pretty bad shape -- setting the stage for what may or may not be the show's final season. IndieWire's TURN IT ON podcast recently sat down with Homeland star and producer Claire Danes to discuss the show's evolution through the years, and how it has more recently mirrored real headlines as it takes on Russian meddling in American affairs. We also talked about a controversial choice at the end of the season, and a cliffhanger that left her character in a place not dissimilar to Brody in Season 1. We began by discussing the when the show will get up and running, and how first, Danes has another, more personal project in development. (Music by Omar Khan and Hook Sounds.)