Advertise on podcast: Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen

Comedian Chloe Radcliffe gave up Target corporate for comedy club and has zero patience for people who can't say the word "birthmark" out loud. AND SOMEHOW managed to sell a movie before she really knew how to write one. Jay sits down with stand-up comedian, screenwriter, and actress Chloe Radcliffe for a funny, candid conversation about what it takes to make it in comedy, why being an outsider might actually be an advantage, and learning to own the thing everyone else notices about you first. Chloe talks about growing up with a prominent birthmark and how years of dealing with other people's reactions helped shape both her perspective and her comedy. She and Jay dig into why so many comedians seem to come from the outside looking in — and how developing a sense of humor can become both a defense mechanism and eventually a career. She also tells the wild story of accidentally selling a movie to Columbia/Sony off a verbal pitch before she really understood screenwriting. Suddenly faced with actually writing the thing, Chloe headed to the library, started reading screenplays and screenwriting books, and eventually found inspiration in scripts ranging from Groundhog Day to Jurassic Park. Chloe also opens up about the less funny side of the comedy world: bad auditions, bombing onstage, audiences that aren't always receptive to women, and an uncomfortable encounter with a male headliner that illustrates the calculations women — and other outsiders — sometimes have to make when power dynamics are stacked against them. Plus, Chloe explains how ten years of competitive speech and debate quietly trained her for stand-up, why getting laid off from Target may have been one of the best things that happened to her career, what writing for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon taught her, and why she's determined to star in her own story rather than watch somebody else play "Chloe." And somehow Jay and Chloe still find time for narcissism, hardcore crochet, s****y pop-country, Coldplay, and the possibility that maybe some people really are just boring. It’s comedy-industry war stories, sharp cultural commentary, and two funny people figuring out why anyone would willingly choose a career in show business.Subscribe to Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen for more conversations with writers, comedians, actors, creators, and thought leaders exploring life, creativity, politics, and the human experience. Website: https://www.dontbealonewjk.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontbealonewithjaykogen/https://www.instagram.com/jaykogen/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dont.be.alone.wit Substack: https://substack.com/@jaykogenMerch: https://shop.app/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Political arguments are everywhere. Productive political conversations? Not so much. Jay sits down with writer, poet, and political analyst Robert Arnold, author of Defiance Until Death, to talk about why America has become obsessed with winning arguments instead of actually solving problems—and why humiliating the other side probably isn’t changing anyone’s mind. Robert talks about growing up in rural Arkansas, why he thinks he can reach people across the political divide, the role of faith and identity in American politics, and what it actually takes to have a conversation with someone who completely disagrees with you. Along the way, Robert attempts something considerably more difficult: explaining all of this to Jay. They also get into rural America, MAGA, political burnout, money in politics, why local elections matter more than most people realize, and whether there’s still a way for Americans to disagree without treating every conversation like a fight to the death. Follow Robert Arnold and check out Defiance Until Death wherever books are sold. Subscribe to Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen for more conversations with writers, comedians, actors, creators, and thought leaders exploring life, creativity, politics, and the human experience. Website: https://www.dontbealonewjk.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontbealonewithjaykogen/https://www.instagram.com/jaykogen/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dont.be.alone.wit Substack: https://substack.com/@jaykogen Merch: https://shop.app/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Kissinger grew up swimming in Nixon's pool, getting bad-mouthed by classmates over his dad's Nobel Prize, and hanging out with people history books call monsters — and he calls uncles. Jay sits down with David Kissinger — son of Henry Kissinger, TV exec behind The Office, Battlestar Galactica, and Netflix's The Beast in Me — for a conversation that swings from Watergate to Ted Danson's phone number to the time Paul McCartney pulled out a harmonica just for him. David tells the story of the president calling his childhood neighbors "sons of bitches" (in front of a 10-year-old), explains how he squandered millions of dollars developing shows before finally getting one right, and gets brutally honest about the show he still thinks was robbed of its shot. Plus: why AI can't write a joke to save its life, what Barry Diller taught him about being a good editor, and how a 6:20am hiking group became his weekly dose of joy. It's part Hollywood war stories, part front-row seat to American political history, and part two old friends just riffing. Also: listener mail about firing a friend without losing her, and a hard stance on marzipan. Bio:  David Kissinger has spent decades helping decide what America watches on TV — and he's the son of one of the most consequential (and controversial) diplomats in modern history, so he's had a front-row seat to two very different kinds of power. Professionally, Kissinger cut his teeth as a journalist, writing for outlets including Rolling Stone and Esquire, before crossing over into the entertainment industry. He rose through television development at Disney's Touchstone Television, where he helped oversee hits like Home Improvement and Boy Meets World, then went on to run NBC Universal Television Studio, where his fingerprints are on shows including The Office, House, Monk, and Battlestar Galactica. Since 2005, he's served as President of Conaco, Conan O'Brien's production company — proof that after years of corporate TV, he still knows how to have fun. His father was Henry Kissinger, the former U.S. Secretary of State, National Security Advisor, and Nobel Peace Prize winner. Growing up with that surname meant David spent his childhood somewhere between political history and normal life, which may explain why he's spent his adult life gravitating toward comedy.  Kissinger is married to Alexandra Kissinger, who worked directly with Jim Henson and has helped carry forward the Henson legacy. Outside of work, he's an avid music fan and enjoys hiking and not answering Jay’s texts.  Subscribe to Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen for more conversations with writers, comedians, actors, creators, and thought leaders exploring life, creativity, politics, and the human experience. Website: https://www.dontbealonewjk.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontbealonewithjaykogen/https://www.instagram.com/jaykogen/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dont.be.alone.wit Substack: https://substack.com/@jaykogen Merch: https://shop.app/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonathan Shapiro spent years as a successful attorney, working for the Justice Department and prosecuting organized crime. Then he met Jay Kogen — and somehow ended up writing television. Jonathan joins Jay for a funny and surprisingly personal conversation about leaving the law behind and building a 26-year career writing some of television’s biggest legal dramas, including The Practice, Goliath, The Blacklist, Mr. Mercedes, and The Undoing. They talk about the strange rules — or complete lack of rules — in show business, why great scripts never get made, what real courtroom experience taught Jonathan about writing television lawyers, and how a chance encounter with Jay helped convince him that maybe life didn’t always have to be vegetables when you could skip straight to dessert. But the conversation goes deeper than their careers. Jonathan opens up about getting older, losing people he loves, his journey to sobriety, using humor to keep people at a distance, and why genuine connection has become more important to him with age. It’s a conversation about law, writing, failure, friendship, mortality, and what happens when you finally admit: “Yeah… I’m a writer.”Subscribe to Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen for more conversations with writers, comedians, actors, creators, and thought leaders exploring life, creativity, politics, and the human experience. Website: https://www.dontbealonewjk.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontbealonewithjaykogen/ https://www.instagram.com/jaykogen/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dont.be.alone.wit Substack: https://substack.com/@jaykogen Merch: https://shop.app/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when two veteran comedy writers start questioning everything they were taught about writing? Jay sits down with Bill Martin and Mike Schiff, the longtime writing partners behind shows including 3rd Rock from the Sun, In Living Color, Grounded for Life, and The Neighborhood, for a funny and candid conversation about what makes comedy work — and why some of the oldest writing advice might be worth ignoring. They talk about the decline of the traditional sitcom, why younger audiences will binge hundreds of old episodes but struggle to connect with new comedies, surviving the chaos of In Living Color, taking over The Neighborhood, navigating changing writers' rooms, working with stars like Cedric the Entertainer and John Lithgow, and the strange pressure on writers to constantly “write their truth.” After decades of writing together, Bill and Mike also explain how their creative partnership survived every argument imaginable — and why sometimes the best thing a writer can do is stop writing what they know. It’s a conversation about comedy, friendship, changing television, and figuring out how to stay funny when the business around you keeps changing. Subscribe to Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen for more conversations with writers, comedians, actors, creators, and thought leaders exploring life, creativity, politics, and the human experience. Website: https://www.dontbealonewjk.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontbealonewithjaykogen/ https://www.instagram.com/jaykogen/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dont.be.alone.wit Substack: https://substack.com/@jaykogen Merch: https://shop.app/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael J. Weithorn knows a thing or two about making television work — and about what happens when it doesn’t. The creator of The King of Queens joins Jay Kogen to talk about the years of trial, error, difficult actors, canceled shows, and hard-earned lessons that eventually led to one of television’s most successful sitcoms. Michael shares how Jerry Stiller initially turned down The King of Queens, what it was like having Charlie Kaufman in the Ned and Stacey writers’ room, recognizing Bryan Cranston’s talent long before Breaking Bad, and what he learned about running a television show from Family Ties creator Gary David Goldberg. They also get into the strange reality of creative success: after you finally make the hit show, are you allowed to stop trying? Jay and Michael compare The Simpsons and The King of Queens, talk about why writers keep creating long after they have something to rest their laurels on, and wonder whether any of it ever actually feels like enough. Plus, Michael discusses directing Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick in his new film The Best You Can, the disappearing world of old-school TV writers’ rooms, and why comedy writers may simply be incapable of leaving a perfectly good dramatic moment alone. Michael J. Weithorn is an award-winning writer, producer, director, and creator of The King of Queens, with credits including Family Ties, Cheers, Ned and Stacey, True Colors, and The Wonder Years. Bio: Michael J. Weithorn is an award-winning writer, producer, and director with over four decades of experience in Hollywood television and film. He is best known as the creator and executive producer of The King of Queens, the beloved CBS sitcom that ran for nine seasons and 207 episodes, and has brought numerous other series to life across major networks, including Ned and Stacey, True Colors, and Weird Loners. Earlier in his career, he honed his craft as a producer and story editor on Family Ties and earned a WGA Award for his Cheers script and an Emmy nomination for The Wonder Years. His feature work includes A Little Help (2011) and the upcoming The Best You Can (2025), starring Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Judd Hirsch, and Ray Romano.  Beyond his creative work, Weithorn is a dedicated educator, teaching screenwriting as an adjunct professor at Columbia University's MFA program and UC Santa Barbara, while also leading comedy writing workshops for organizations including the Ghetto Film School and Inside Out Writers, an L.A.-based anti-recidivism program. Subscribe to Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen for more conversations with writers, comedians, actors, creators, and thought leaders exploring life, creativity, politics, and the human experience. Website: https://www.dontbealonewjk.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontbealonewithjaykogen/ https://www.instagram.com/jaykogen/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dont.be.alone.wit Substack: https://substack.com/@jaykogen Merch: https://shop.app/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can comedy run in the family? M*A*S*H and Laugh-In writer/producer Allan Katz and Groundlings pioneer Phyllis Katz join Jay Kogen to compare the wildly different paths that took two siblings from the same Chicago household into legendary careers in comedy. Allan's story sounds almost made up. While working in advertising, his work on Screaming Yellow Zonkers caught the attention of Laugh-In producer George Schlatter — who tracked him down and offered him a job. Allan, having no idea who was calling, hung up on him. More than once. Phyllis's career began with an equally unlikely encounter. After walking into Second City and asking Joe Flaherty if they bought song parodies, he handed her a flyer for their workshops. As Phyllis remembers it: "My life changed forever." From growing up with a former vaudeville hoofer for a father, to Laugh-In, M*A*S*H, Second City and The Groundlings, Allan and Phyllis talk about where funny actually comes from, surviving rejection, taking creative risks, finding your way into "the zone," and why sometimes an entire career can turn on one completely unexpected moment. And beneath all the comedy is something even more personal: the strange bond between siblings who share a lifetime of memories, inside jokes, and a language nobody else quite understands. So... is comedy genetic? Jay tries to find out.Subscribe to Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen for more conversations with writers, comedians, actors, creators, and thought leaders exploring life, creativity, politics, and the human experience. Website: https://www.dontbealonewjk.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontbealonewithjaykogen/https://www.instagram.com/jaykogen/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dont.be.alone.wit Substack: https://substack.com/@jaykogen Merch: https://shop.app/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When does pushing for what you want become pushing too far? Jay sits down with comedian, writer, performer, and Valley Heat creator Christian Duguay for a conversation about boundaries, bad decisions, creative confidence, and knowing when to make the call and when to leave something alone. At the center of Valley Heat is Doug Duguay, a fictional character who keeps finding himself in increasingly ridiculous situations. He suspects his pool guy is dealing drugs. He worries about his wife's yoga instructor. He obsesses over a mysterious car parked outside his house. And somehow, almost every questionable decision Doug makes seems perfectly reasonable…at least to Doug. Christian admits there's more of himself in Doug than you might expect. That leads Jay and Christian into a bigger question: How do you know when you're being persistent and when you're just being pushy? Jay has always believed in making the phone call, asking for the opportunity, and fighting for what you want—even if that occasionally means annoying someone. Christian has traditionally been more cautious. He didn't even show Valley Heat to his manager until he'd made ten episodes and knew he believed in it.  But by the end of their conversation, the two find some common ground: sometimes the phone call you're afraid to make is exactly the one you should make. As Christian puts it, most of us have needed someone to give us advice, open a door, or push us in the right direction—and sometimes getting what you want requires having the nerve to ask.  They also talk about Christian's years at The Groundlings, abandoning stand-up, struggling with creative confidence, making music, building the bizarre world of Valley Heat, and why sometimes the best thing a creative person can do is make something they like and put it into the world. So where's the line? When should you push and when should you back off? Follow Christian Duguay: Socials: https://www.instagram.com/csduguay/  Podcast: https://valleyheatpodcast.com/  Subscribe to Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen for more conversations with writers, comedians, actors, creators, and thought leaders exploring life, creativity, politics, and the human experience. Website: https://www.dontbealonewjk.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontbealonewithjaykogen/ https://www.instagram.com/jaykogen/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dont.be.alone.wit Substack: https://substack.com/@jaykogen Merch: https://shop.app/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Arrested Development to insubordinate rebels: John Levenstein tells all. Long before podcasting was cool, John Levenstein (Arrested Development, Kroll Show) was already doing it — mostly because he had no idea what he was signing up for. In this episode, the veteran writer/showrunner gets refreshingly honest about what actually makes a comedy writers' room work. His controversial take? Not everyone needs to agree. In fact, forcing consensus on a writing staff is its own kind of bullying — the showrunner's job is to make the call, not manufacture harmony. John also makes the case for "wasted time" as secret sauce: some of the best jokes in Arrested Development came from writers chasing pointless tangents that turned into five seconds of pure gold. Sometimes the grinding, chaotic, deadline-crushing process is the recipe. Then things get personal. John opens up about growing up without a male role model, why authority has always struck him as absurd, and how that turned him into a lifelong "insubordinate rebel" — one who somehow also became one of the most trusted, well-liked insiders in the business. He's the guy everyone wants to text, the friend who asks for nothing, and — surprisingly — a guy singing lessons made genuinely happy. Equal parts industry insight and unexpectedly moving personal story. Don't miss it.Follow John Levenstein: Socials: https://www.instagram.com/saltinwound/ Subscribe to Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen for more conversations with writers, comedians, actors, creators, and thought leaders exploring life, creativity, politics, and the human experience. Website: https://www.dontbealonewjk.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontbealonewithjaykogen/https://www.instagram.com/jaykogen/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dont.be.alone.wit Substack: https://substack.com/@jaykogen Merch: https://shop.app/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is America really doomed or is there still a path forward? In this episode of Don't Be Alone, Jay Kogen sits down with Leigh McGowan, better known as Politics Girl, for an honest conversation about the future of America. Together, they explore whether the country has reached a breaking point, why so many people have lost faith in politics, and what it would actually take to rebuild trust in our institutions. From the rise of independent media to the influence of money in politics, government reform, voter engagement, healthcare, and the future of democracy, this conversation goes far beyond partisan talking points. Whether you agree or disagree, it's a thoughtful discussion about where America is headed and whether there's still reason to hope. In this episode: Is America really beyond repair? Why Politics Girl believes hope still matters The biggest mistakes both political parties have made Can democracy survive growing division? The future of media, messaging, and political influence What everyday Americans can do to make a difference If you enjoy thoughtful conversations that challenge ideas rather than shout over them, be sure to subscribe for new episodes every week. Guest: Leigh McGowan (Politics Girl) Follow Politics Girl: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/politicsgirl Website: https://www.politicsgirl.com/ Socials: https://www.instagram.com/IAmPoliticsGirl/https://www.tiktok.com/@iampoliticsgirl Subscribe to Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen for more conversations with writers, comedians, actors, creators, and thought leaders exploring life, creativity, politics, and the human experience. Website: https://www.dontbealonewjk.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontbealonewithjaykogen/https://www.instagram.com/jaykogen/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dont.be.alone.wit Substack: https://substack.com/@jaykogen Merch: https://shop.app/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Barbara Heller talks about walking away from the perfect man just before her wedding and breaking down with a mid-life panic attack on stage and committing to being a Jew to find happiness and trying to live as a perfectionist and being an all or nothing person.  She discusses her one woman show and her ability to get people to explore their life stories through drama to understand who they really are.  She makes Jay explore his deepest fears on the show!  Bio:Barbara Heller is an award winning playwright, podcaster, documentarian, songwriter, 30 year curriculum writer and coach. You may have seen her in the past as a host on tv or heard her voice in blockbuster movies, TV shows and commercials, including Snatched, The Heat, The Arrival, Kung Fu Panda 3, Disney Jr.s’ Vampirina.  Pending on her schedule she can be hired to perform her Award winning One Woman Show, Cosmic Conversations which was performed in 6 countries including at the Edinburgh Fringe or to do a Creative Writing Workshop in your community! Subscribe to her award winning podcast See One Beautiful Soul  here. My mission is to inspire people to let go of their past and heal it through the re-telling of our stories through Inner-Child work and Artistic Expression.  When we gather in community, learn about our origin faiths, and encourage each other to get clear about our Spiritual Values, that is when we soar. May we dance, sing, meditate, pray, forgive past trauma, and thus mirror and heal one another, our families, our larger communities and cause beautiful ripple effects to reverberate and heal the whole world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Show Notes: On this episode legendary writer and show creator talks about being the first white guy on stage at the Apollo, getting a show about alcoholics cancelled because the network president was an alcoholic, the pleasure of writing a first draft, and driving way too fast, and how music drives his writings and the time he was oddly alone with Bruce Springsteen and told him a dirty joke. Bio: on Reo has always been quick with a quip, from the time he got his first laugh sometime back in junior high school to the jokes he wrote for traveling comedians, through the half century he spent “pushing the limits” of sitcoms to the book he is currently negotiating with Random House—The Tibetan Joke Book of the Dead.  “It’s about Hollywood and death which are probably synonyms,” said Reo, the recipient of WGAW’s Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement to be presented at the 2026 Writers Guild Awards. “I think you’re born with a funny gene, or maybe it’s the way you’re raised. Nobody else in my family was particularly funny, but I got a laugh in the seventh grade, and I thought, ‘Maybe I can do this. This is nice because it stops people from hitting you.’ I read that Woody Allen was making $500 a week writing jokes, and I thought, ‘Well, f**k, I can do that!’” And he did, effectively launching a career that has spanned seven decades, earning writing credits on series such as Sanford and Son, Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, M*A*S*H, and Rhoda and creating or co-creating Blossom, My Wife and Kids, The John Larroquette Show, and The Ranch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brilliant comic, Leah Rudick, talks about growing up in Ohio, being a drama kid, writing and doing sketch comedy, and eventually moving out to LA and becoming a stand-up. Working with her brother. She talks about how being shy gave her the courage to be in front of people while wearing the mask of performing. She talks about making TikTok Instagram her character playground. Leah talks about how creative ambition pushes her forward, how having a husband in booze helps, how nothing matters, and the glory of Peach Pouch Pie! Bio: Leah Rudick is a Los Angeles-based actor, writer, and comedian. Known for her viral original characters including "Wealthy Woman," "Joannie," and "Love Coach," Rudick has built a devoted fanbase of nearly 2 million followers across socials with her signature "weird girl" comedy. She was most recently named one of Deadline's Comics to Watch in 2026. In addition to acting and developing her own projects, she is currently headlining a national tour. Festival credits include Moontower, Just For Laughs, SF Sketchfest, and Laughing Skull. In 2023, her debut comedy hour, Spiraling, released on Amazon and Apple TV.  TV credits include High Maintenance (HBO), Commuters (IFC), and Crowd Control (Dropout TV). She co-wrote and co-starred in the critically acclaimed web series Made to Order, featured in Marie Claire, IndieWire, and the New York Observer. On the big screen, she co-wrote and co-starred in the indie feature Sweet Parents, which took home top prizes at Brooklyn International Film Festival, Montreal World Film Festival, and The Lower East Side Film Festival. Rudick began her comedy career in New York with her sketch duo Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting, earning praise in Time Out NY, Washington Post, and Complex Magazine, which named her one of "25 Funny People Who Should Have Their Own TV Show." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when two people with complicated pasts — failed marriages, sobriety journeys, and a chance meeting at a 4th of July party — fall in love but decide not to move in together? Claudia and Jonathan join us for a conversation as layered and surprising as the indie film they made together, D(e)AD — a project born from personal heartbreak, an ex-husband who may or may not have faked cancer, and the haunting feeling that the not-so-great people from our past never fully leave us. They'll take you behind the scenes of making a movie with friends and family, funding it through Kickstarter, and then getting it into theaters one screen at a time — from cities across the US to London to Bosnia — all while navigating the soul-crushing gauntlet of festival rejections, fake IMDB credits, and music licensing processes that take six months just to say no. Along the way, Claudia opens up about using her parents and daughter as the raw material of her art, and why storytelling is how she survives. We also get into Jonathan's origins — from writing a fake Nightline to a history with cartoons and the discipline of keeping art beautifully simple — and the question that ties it all together: would you trade your messy, painful, hilarious past for a different one?  And how, bubble wrap can save your sanity. Bio:   Claudia Lonow started her career as an actress, playing Michele Lee’s chubby, loud-mouthed teenage daughter on “Knots Landing.”  Favorite episodes include: the one where she has kidney failure and is saved by Donna Mills kidney; the one where she runs away with the town murderer, “Chip,” and drives her mother to drugs; and the one where she almost loses her virginity, but instead winds up donning clown make up and singing “Put On A Happy Face” with her mom. Lonow’s next career was waitressing.  She did stand up comedy for a while, working across the country and doing some television.  When she gave her best joke to Sarah Silverman, and Silverman killed with it, a writer was born. Her television-writing career took off when she wrote a semi-autobiographical spec pilot about a former nighttime soap opera television actress who gets sent to rehab, called “Rude Awakening.”  Showtime bought the show, which ran for 55 episodes.  Lonow has been creating and writing television ever since: “Good Girls Don’t” for Oxygen; “Accidentally On Purpose” for CBS and “How To Live With Your Parents (For The Rest Of Your Life)” for ABC.  Lonow moved into directing with the award winning shorts, “Bummed” and “Keep Calm and Tampon.” Lonow just completed directing and acting in her first feature, the very indie film, “D(e)AD” written by and starring her daughter, Isabella Roland, her partner Jonathan Schmock and pretty much everyone else in her family. She is currently developing various other TV and film projects, has gotten back to stand up and is threatening to do a solo show. Jonathan Schmock is an actor, director, comedian, show creator, artist and Emmy nominated writer, (group Emmy but still). As a stand-up he was half of the comedy team The Funny Boys with Jim Vallely. As an actor you’ve seen him in such varied things as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Star Trek Enterprise, The Big Bang Theory, Arrested Development, Shameless, The Simpsons, The Mentalist (the guy who did it) and NCIS Los Angeles (the guy who didn’t) among others. As a writer/director he co-created Sabrina, The Teenage Witch and Brotherly Love and worked as an executive producer/writer on Dharma and Greg and Good Girls Don’t, Real Time and many more. Most recently he acted in and produced the indie film D(e)AD, which can be seen and purchased online, (hint.)  His editorial cartoons can be seen at jonathanschmock.com. His paintings have appeared in a group show at the L.A. County Museum of Art, (no shit.) He hopes to continue writing about himself in the third person for many years to come. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In memory of the great James Borrows we rebroadcasting this episode of "Dont Be Alone with Jay Kogen". We talk with James Burrows about his reign as Hollywood's greatest sitcom director, being the son of Abe Burrows, the genetics of comedy, his book "Directed by James Burrows", "Cheers", "Will & Grace", "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", "Taxi", "Friends", the scripts that make him want to direct, the ones that don't, his amazing memory, his humble beginnings, the decade it took him to learn how to direct, working with geniuses like James L. Brooks, Chuck Lorre, and Kohan & Mutchnick, and Andy Kaufman. And Jimmy explains how his two best friends are Al Michaels and Bruce Springsteen. BIO: James Burrows was one of television's most respected and honored creative talents. Over his distinguished career, Burrows was the recipient of eleven Emmys, five Directors Guild of America Awards, the 1996 American Comedy Awards' Creative Achievement Award, the Television Critics Association's Career Achievement Award, and in 2006 he was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences' Hall of Fame and was honored by the US Comedy Arts Festival with their Career Tribute Award. He was the recipient of 22 nominations for the Directors Guild of America Award, thus bestowing him the honor of being the most nominated director in the history of television at the Guild. He was honored by the DGA with the Inaugural 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award in Television. In November of 2015 he directed his 1,000th episode, which was recognized by a TV Special on NBC in January of 2016. Burrows' success as the director of television pilots was legendary. He directed the first two episodes of the "Frasier" reboot's second season, and wrapped the pilot "Mid-Century Modern" for Fox, which went to series. In January of 2020, he received his fifth DGA Award for directing the Emmy Award-winning show "Live in Front of a Studio Audience #1: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons." He was also asked back to direct "Live in Front of a Studio Audience #3: Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life" in December of 2021. In June of 2022, he published his autobiography, "Directed by James Burrows," which received considerable attention and praise from the industry. Burrows was probably best known as co-creator, executive producer and director of the critically acclaimed series "Cheers." The hit show, which aired for 11 seasons, is tied for the most nominated Comedy series in the Television Academy's history and is in third place for most Emmys received by a Comedy Series. Burrows also received numerous awards for his work on "Will & Grace," "Frasier," "Friends," "Wings," "Night Court," "Taxi," and "Dear John." For the first time in 25 years, he returned to the stage in the spring of 1998 to direct the highly acclaimed "The Man Who Came to Dinner" at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, starring John Mahoney. Burrows learned his trade from the very best, the legendary writer/director Abe Burrows, whose noted career included such classics as "Guys and Dolls," "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," and "Cactus Flower." Born in Los Angeles and raised in New York, Burrows graduated from Oberlin College and continued his education at Yale, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts degree. Burrows relocated to Hollywood to work as a dialogue coach for "O.K. Crackerby!," a short-lived television series starring Burl Ives. When the show ended, he returned to New York and initially worked as a stage manager before directing several off-Broadway shows, such as "The Castro Complex," and stock productions of "The Odd Couple" and "Never Too Late." In 1974, Burrows moved back to the West Coast when he was invited to visit MTM Productions in Los Angeles and offered a job directing an episode of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." Mr. Burrows and his wife, Debbie, resided in Los Angeles and between them they had four daughters. He passed away on June 19, 2026. He left an indelible mark on American television. He will be remembered and missed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices