Unscripted and Unprepared: A Realscreen Podcast

The talented Michael Bloom joins Jimmy for a lively discussion spanning the key stops along his television journey including the classic MTV Spring Break and Beach House era, working with 50 Cent and Paris Hilton, co-creating the Nickelodeon animated series Rocket Power and running the unscripted departments for AMC, Fox Sports and Turner Networks. Twitter: @IamJimmyFox // @realscreen Instagram: @...

From the earliest days of NBC reality, to the pre-launch of OWN, to running ABC's comedy department, Jamila Hunter has a wealth of experience to share with our listeners in this engaging episode. What made her take a break from the reality business and move into scripted? What was her first meeting with Oprah like? And how key is a GREAT title to a buyer when hearing a pitch? (spoiler alert: VERY)...

From the creation of Vh1's Behind the Music to Netflix's Rythm + Flow and a LOAD of NBCUniversal stories in between, Jeff Gaspin sits down with Jimmy to relive some of the most prominent moments of his prolific career. Highlights include his contribution to Pop Up Video, what was the view of Donald Trump when The Apprentice was first pitched, how did Biggest Loser come together, what was it like b...

Recorded 5/12/20 - Producer/Director Brian Volk-Weiss, CEO of The Nacelle Company and Comedy Dynamics joins Jimmy from his very impressive toy collector's room! Brian discusses the business of producing and distributing stand-up comedy specials and the seven year process of how Netflix's The Toys That Made Us came to be as well as its successful spin-off, The Movies That Made Us. Twitter: IamJimmy...

Are You the One? is undoubtedly one of the most successful reality formats of the modern era and in this episode Jimmy meets two of the brains behind the hit series, Jeff Spangler & Rob LaPlante. The two producers open up about their relationships with Lighthearted's founder Howard Schultz and the legacy he left behind as well as choice stories from both their career paths. But before Jimmy meets...

In front of a live audience at 2020's Realscreen Summit in New Orleans, Jimmy sits down with newly inducted Hall of Famers Jane Lipsitz & Dan Cutforth the founders of Magical Elves and executive producers behind such iconic series as Top Chef, Project Runway, Cold Justice and recent hit series Sugar Rush, Nailed It! and Brain Games. The two discussed the history of their partnership, the inside st...

From the Realscreen Summit in New Orleans Jimmy kicks back with Brian Speiser of APA to discuss the biggest stories and trends in the non-fiction space over the past year and... they hand out their own special awards! Twitter:@IamJimmyFox // @Realscreen Instagram: @jimmybfox // @Realscreen

Unquestionably one of the most prolific producers in the history of reality TV, Tom Forman sits down with Jimmy to go over the "greatest hits" including Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Gigolos, Catfish and many more. The producer talks through his pitching philosophies, how he benefited by coming up in the news world, the wild experience at Relativity and most recently the acquisition of Jenny Dal...

Brant Pinvidic sold and executive produced notable series such as Bar Rescue, Extreme Weight Loss and Valley of the Boom. He held major positions at GRB, 3 Ball and TLC, but after a career of working in reality TV Brant decided to take his talents elsewhere and leave the business. Jimmy and him talk about the fears everyone in the reality TV world secretly has and what life is like on the outside....

Howard T. Owens invites Jimmy into his home for a trip down memory lane and offers a high-level perspective from both the buying and selling side. From his early days in the William Morris mail room to the start of Reveille (Biggest Loser, Nashville Star, American Gladiators, MasterChef) to his days running National Geographic (Brain Games, Killing Lincoln, Life Below Zero). Howard is now the Co-C...

"It's all happening!" Troy Searer joins Jimmy to share some fantastic stories from a diverse career spanning both the scripted and unscripted genres. Starting off in the NBC Saturday Morning program world before going on to produce series like Biggest Loser, Breaking Bonaduce, Shooting Sizemore, The Two Coreys and Manhunt:The Unabomber.

Adam DiVello came into MTV as an assistant and left as the creator of one of the most successful reality franchises of all-time, The Hills! Jimmy and Adam discuss the creation of the show, how much was authentic vs scripted, and the thinking behind that memorable series finale. Plus, Adam talks about recent Done and Done Productions hit series Music City for CMT and Selling Sunset for NETFLIX.  Tw...

The delightful Cori Abraham joins Jimmy for a lively discussion on why she doesn't go to amusement parks, what it took to sell a show to Vh1 before the reality business "evolved", the golden era of Bravo and Oxygen's recent transition to a crime network. Twitter: @IamJimmyFox // @realscreen  

The quick-witted Jason Sarlanis joins Jimmy from 2019's Realscreen Summit in New Orleans. The two discuss his obsession with Kelly Clarkson, his rise through the ranks early in his career at E!, what it was like working with Joan Rivers and the biggest differences between being an executive in cable versus broadcast. Twitter: @IAmJimmyFox // @realscreen  

The highly entertaining Nancy Glass (Tanked, Pope: The Most Powerful Man in History), stops by for a lively career-spanning conversation. The former on-camera news anchor and host discusses how she began her transition to producing and why basing her company in Philadelphia allows for a unique corporate culture. Also, Nancy's President & General Manager, J.C. Mills, makes an (impromptu) appearance...

Fenton Bailey co-founded World of Wonder in 1991 with business partner Randy Barbato. In this live chat in front of an audience at 2019's Realscreen Summit in New Orleans, Fenton recounts his prolific career as a producer and filmmaker. From Million Dollar Listing(s) to RuPaul's Drag Race to prestige documentaries like Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures, Fenton relives the most notable moments of...

2018 was a big year in the reality business! Companies sold, companies merged, true crime reigned supreme and reboots were all the rage. In this episode, Jimmy breaks down the buzziest stories of the past year and hands out his own personal "NOT the Realscreen Awards" with guest Brian Speiser of APA. Twitter: @IamJimmyFox // @Realscreen

Friend of the show Matt Shanfield joins to put Jimmy on the hot seat! Starting out as a small town radio host at 16 years-old, Jimmy would later find his way to Los Angeles where he would work as a stunt football player in TV & Film, a treadmill salesman and a lowly production assistant before landing his first key jobs as an assistant at CAA and NBC. Jimmy covers notable projects he has produced...

JD Roth got his start as a child actor, voicing characters like Jonny Quest before establishing himself as a television host. Then, at 20 years-old he became the youngest executive producer in NBC history. He would go on to launch 3Ball Entertainment and executive produce such reality hits as The Biggest Loser, Beauty and the Geek and Bar Rescue. Now, he returns to the producing fold with new busi...

Whenever Jimmy has a question about game shows he turns to one man - Bob Boden! The veteran producer and executive discusses his pick for the greatest game show of all-time (and why), the show that sucked him in from a young age, how he chased executives begging for an opportunity, the death of the game show host, what ratings were like back when there was only 3 (and then 4) networks and what cel...

Some guests play it conservative here on the podcast but Ari Mark, Co-Founder of innovative production company AMPLE let's it rip in a lively discussion with Jimmy. If you crave insight into what it it takes to launch a succesful start-up in today's market, THIS is the episode for you.  Twitter: @IAmJimmyFox / @realscreen

The one and only Arthur Smith joins Jimmy to discuss many of his infuential shows that helped define the unscripted business: Paradise Hotel, The Swan, Hell's Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, Trading Spaces and American Ninja Warrior. Plus, Arthur shares stories from early on in his career running CBC Sports at 28 years-old and what it was like to work for Dick Clark.  Twitter: @IamJimmyFox // @Realsc...

Who else could Jimmy find himself in a conversation spanning topics such as obscure 90's hockey references, politics, relationships, mountain climbing and a little unscripted TV! Rachel currently is the head of unscripted programming at EPIX, the MGM owned cable network. Twitter: @IAmJimmyFox / @Realscreen  

When Sacha Baron Cohen returned to TV in his new Showtime series WHO IS AMERICA? there was one man he called to protect him and the network from lawsuits - Russell Smith. In this episode, Russell shares choice stories from personal case studies involving Donald Trump, Sacha, Ice Cube and others. Plus, Russell offers extremely useful legal input across various topics pertaining to those working in...

Just off the heels of launching Wheelhouse Entertainment, Pawn Stars executive producer Brent Montgomery sits down to discuss numerous topics such as: What tricks did he learn from working on The Bachelor? Would Pawn Stars sell in today's climate? How did he make the transition from producer to studio head? And how does one celebrate selling their company for a considerable amount of $$$? Twitter:...