Bleav No Script No Problem

Academy Award winning filmmaker Eva Orner joins the show to discuss her riveting new HBO documentary, "Brandy Hellville and the Cult of Fast Fashion," which is streaming now on MAX. She discusses the challenges of exposing a global, popular and successful... but extremely toxic fashion brand like Brandy Melville and the role of social media in its success.

Award-winning filmmaker Deborah Riley Draper joins me to discuss her latest project - the 4-part high-energy documentary series "James Brown: Say It Loud" - about the legendary musician, icon, and entertainment legend James Brown, nicknamed the Godfather of Soul.

I talk to award-winning producer/director Kyra Knox about her powerful feature documentary debut "BAD THINGS HAPPEN IN PHILADELPHIA," which is executive produced by former NBA superstar, ALLEN IVERSON. Airing now on Fox Soul and Amazon Prime Video, filmmaker Kyra Knox explores the gun violence problems of her hometown, Philadelphia, and the nonprofit organizations and residents who are trying to stop the tragedies that are poisoning the City of Brotherly Love.

I break down Netflix's surprise release of their "engagement numbers," which reveal what shows and movies are receiving the most hours of viewing. Plus, I talk to author and Emmy-winning TV producer Maria Baltazzi about her inspiring new book, "Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct & Produce the Life You Want," which is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and GoodReads.

Award-winning filmmaker Sonia Kennebeck tells me about her new film, "Reality Winner," (AppleTV+ and Amazon Prime), a riveting, present-tense documentary filmed over 5 years about the young NSA whistleblower Reality Winner, who bravely exposed Russian interference in U.S. elections... and went to jail for it.

I talk about the latest efforts to unionize reality TV, the rapid rise in streaming costs, and accusations against Bravo from a former Housewife. Plus, meditation teacher Tim Duffy joins me to share his methods that can help you better manage stress, anxiety, anger, or disappointment.

I talk to former MTV creative executive, producer, and director Billy Rainey about his time pulling potent pranks on Punk'd and the chaos in the entertainment industry today. I also give you my 2 cents on the strikes, when they might end, what Hollywood can learn from the Barbenheimer phenomenon, and why the media landscape will look totally different in a year.

In this episode, I talk to producer BRAD BOGART about his film - "SPINNING GOLD" - the unbelievable true story of how his father, music producer Neil Bogart, and Casablanca Records launched the performers and music that became the soundtrack of a generation with talents like KISS, Donna Summer, and Parliament Funkadelic.

In this episode, I highlight Jordan Tetewsky and Joshua Pikovsky’s debut feature film, "HANNAH HA HA," which stars HANNAH LEE THOMPSON. I speak with the filmmakers and their lead about this unique, award-winning coming-of-age tale.

This episode, I talk REBECCA and JOSH TICKELL and WILLIAM MAPOTHER about their powerful new environmental thriller, "ON SACRED GROUND." Josh and Rebecca directed the film and William stars in this drama, which is inspired by real events surrounding the 2016 Standing Rock Reservation protests.

Award-winning director RACHEL LEARS joins me to discuss her powerful, poignant, and riveting climate crisis documentary, "TO THE END," which follows four exceptional young women— Representative ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ, activist Varshini Prakash, climate policy writer Rhiana Gunn-Wright, and political strategist Alexandra Rojas— as they grapple with new challenges of leadership and power and work together to defend their generation’s right to a future.

Academy-award nominated and Emmy-award winning documentary filmmaker RORY KENNEDY joins the show to talk about her incredibly powerful film, "The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari," which premieres on Netflix on December 16, 2022.

In this episode, I chop it up with filmmaker CJ RUSSO, the visionary behind the wonderful documentary feature film, "LADY BUDS," which tells the story of 6 courageous women who come out of the shadows of the CANNABIS underground to forge a path to legalization, battling deep-pocketed corporations as they risk everything to make their American Dream come true in the market they helped create.

The 2022 Academy Awards are set for March 27th, and my guest - MATT OGENS - will be there with his film - "AUDIBLE" - nominated for an Oscar in the category of Best Documentary Short. Streaming now on NETFLIX, "Audible" is a cinematic and immersive coming of age documentary film, which takes you inside a high school football season with the Maryland School for the Deaf, introducing the world to some incredibly talented and resilient student-athletes who face many obstacles - on and off the field.

In this episode, I talk to award-winning director and executive producer ALEXANDRA DEAN about her shocking and powerful 10-part documentary series, SECRETS OF PLAYBOY, a no-holds-barred exposé on the Playboy empire and legendary founder HUGH HEFNER. As Alex tells me on the podcast and you can see in the docu-series, several former Playmates claim Hefner raped, coerced and dominated them, allowing his friends and celebrities to do likewise, and fashioned a cult-like environment to satisfy his incessant appetite for sex and power.

In this episode, I talk to the filmmakers of the wonderful HBO documentary, "STREET GANG: HOW WE GOT TO SESAME STREET," a fascinating film that gives a rare window into the early days of the groundbreaking TV series, “Sesame Street,” revealing the creators, artists, writers and educators, who together established one of the most influential and enduring children’s programs in television history.

In this episode, I chat with director/editor/producer JODY MCVEIGH-SCHULTZ about his outstanding 3-part HBO true crime documentary series, “The Murders at Starved Rock,” which explores the 1960 brutal murders of three women at Starved Rock State Park in LaSalle, Illinois, and the decades of questions and doubts left in their wake. This is the first true crime docu-series Jody has directed and it is currently streaming on HBO Max.

In this episode, I chat with Academy and Emmy Award-winning film producer and director EVA ORNER, whose incredible works include “Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator” on Netflix and “Burning” on Amazon Prime, which takes an unflinching look at the unprecedented and catastrophic Australian bushfires of 2019-2020, known as ‘Black Summer.’

In this episode, I'm psyched to chat with Peabody and Emmy Award-winning director/producer ERIKA COHN, who Variety recognized as one of 2017’s top documentary filmmakers to watch, as we discuss her powerful, shocking and incredibly impactful feature doc, "BELLY OF THE BEAST," which exposes modern-day eugenics and illegal sterilizations in California prisons.

I'm honored to have the award-winning documentary filmmaker SONIA KENNEBECK as my guest, as we discuss 3 of her incredible films: "Enemies of the State," "United States vs. Reality Winner," and "National Bird." In the 3 films, Sonia investigates the critical topics of government surveillance, national security, and the role of the whistleblower in a powerful and necessary way.

Producer/Director/Filmmaker REBECCA HALPERN joins "No Script, No Problem" to talk about her new documentary film: "Love, Charlie: The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter," which premieres 10/18/21 at the Chicago Film Festival. 🎥

My guest is award-winning producer ETHAN GOLDMAN, the founder and president of Anchor Entertainment, a production company that collaborates with documentarians and filmmakers to create timely, character-driven content, such as Anchor's incredible feature doc, "Rebel Hearts," which is currently streaming on DISCOVERY +.

Veteran executive producer, director and content creator PATTY IVINS SPECHT joins the show to discuss her powerful new 3-part documentary special, "ALY RAISMAN: DARKNESS TO LIGHT," which premieres on both LIFETIME and HULU Friday, September 24th. 📺🎥

The super talented and hilarious Sahara Bushue joins "No Script, No Problem" to talk about her exciting role as Senior Vice President and Head of Unscripted at Westbrook Studios, a subsidiary of Westbrook Inc., the media company founded by Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith to empower artists to tell stories that connect with a global audience. 🙌

SHAWN WITT, the Co-President of Leftfield Pictures and an executive producer on History Channel's survival series "Alone," breaks down how the hit show came about, how it's produced, and the keys to casting these incredibly unique individuals.

With "JACKASS 4" ready to hit theaters this fall, celebrating 21 years as a franchise, I chatted with Executive Producer TRIP TAYLOR about the keys to Jackass' lasting success, his favorite pranks, working with Johnny Knoxville, the most disgusting and shocking moments, and how the series has evolved over the years from MTV into full length films on the big screen. 🎥 🍿

In this episode of "No Script, No Problem," I'm joined by award-winning filmmaker KIM A. SNYDER, director of "US KIDS" - an incredible documentary about the 2018 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and the subsequent student-led worldwide March for Our Lives movement, which became the largest youth protest in American history. Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, "Us Kids" is an insightful, rousing coming-of-age story of a generation of youth leaders determined to take the reins and fight for justice at a most critical time in our nation’s history.

Trailblazer Studios SVP of Development Ashleigh DiTonto joins me to discuss the company's TWO powerful documentaries about the 1921 Tulsa Massacre... "RISE AGAIN: TULSA AND THE RED SUMMER" is directed by Dawn Porter on Nat Geo and Hulu while "The Legacy of Black Wall Street" is directed by Deborah Riley Draper as a 2-part doc for OWN and is streaming now on Discovery +.

In this episode of No Script No Problem, I welcome back RI-KARLO HANDY, the CEO of Sunwise Media and the founder of the HANDY FOUNDATION. We discuss inclusion and diversity in entertainment, mental health awareness, the massive merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery, and the importance of telling the true story of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre.

If you are a SHARK TANK superfan, this episode is for you, as I chat with supervising casting producer, MINDY ZEMRAK, who has been working the 4-time-Emmy-winner since season 1, as well as supervising producer, SAMI AZIZ, and they take us behind the scenes, as the hit ABC show gears up for what will be season 13 this fall.

In this episode, I chat with executive producer / showrunner Angie Day about her latest project, HBO Max's "GENERATION HUSTLE," a captivating, shocking and important 10-part documentary series, which shines a light on the world of scams, con men, pyramid schemes, gaslighting, hustlers, and get rich quick schemes.

On this episode of "No Script, No Problem," I chat with the multi-talented ADAM FREEMAN, who somehow finds a way to balance his work as President of Creative at Thinkfactory Media ("Mama June Not to Hot"; "Marriage Bootcamp"; "Gene Simmons Family Jewels") 🎥 with his work as a standup comedian and successful writer of comic books (The Highwaymen) & graphic novels. 🦸‍♂️

After 14 years and 20 seasons, the epic reality TV series KEEPING UP WITH THE KARDASHIANS is finally coming to an end, so I chatted with Farnaz Farjam Chazan, one of the show's executive producers who has been there since season 1 and seen it grow from a filler in the lineup to a mega-hit to a cultural phenomenon.

Filmmakers TAYLOR MORDEN & ZEKE KAMM join NSNP to chat about their terrific Netflix documentary, "THE LAST BLOCKBUSTER," which chronicles the dramatic rise and fall of Blockbuster Video and how one final store in Bend, Oregon keeps the spirit of a bygone era alive.

Russ McCarroll - an Emmy award-winning producer and the CEO and founder of Pocket Square Productions - joins the show to discuss his illustrious career, which includes producing The Today Show, serving as an SVP of development at both Discovery Channel and the History Channel, and now running his own production company.

"NO SCRIPT, NO PROBLEM" is the podcast that takes you behind the curtain of non-fiction entertainment like never before with insight from some of the best in the business of documentaries, reality TV, competition shows, true crime, game shows, docu-series, and much more. From "Big Brother" to "The Last Dance" to "Love is Blind" to "All In"… If it’s non-fiction, we’ll get into it. 📺

My guest is award-winning filmmaker ELIZABETH LO, whose debut feature documentary, "STRAY," won the Top Jury Prize at Hot Docs and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award, a Critics Choice Award, and two Cinema Eye Honors after premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2020.

In honor of Paramount + streaming "THE REAL WORLD HOMECOMING: NEW YORK," my guest is George Verschoor, who produced and directed seasons 1-4 of "The Real World" and is a true pioneer of unscripted television.

Executive Producer and development executive Abby Greensfelder, creator of "Say Yes to the Dress," joins "No Script, No Problem" to talk about her groundbreaking entertainment venture: EVERYWOMAN STUDIOS, a purpose-built media company whose mission is to tell female-focused stories that might not otherwise be told, and that can have a positive impact on our culture.

Gabriela Tavakoli Bailey, the VP of Production at TLC and an Executive Producer on the hit dating show, 90-Day Fiancé, joins "No Script, No Problem" to talk about the franchise's incredible ratings success and how they continue to expand the brand with over a dozen spinoffs like: 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After, 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days, 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way, The Family Chantel, and Darcey & Stacey.

On this episode of "No Script, No Problem," I'm joined by 2 of the best directors of photography in the reality TV: JASON "NINJA" WILLIAMS ("The Challenge") and DAVE THIES ("Peanut Butter Falcon") to talk about the adjustments that camera crews and directors are making during the pandemic to film safely while still getting the same top notch product on screen.

DAVID COLLINS, the Emmy award-winning Creator and Executive Producer of the hit NETFLIX series QUEER EYE and the Co-Founder of Scout Productions, talks about some of the biggest moments in his illustrious career, which includes working with legends like Jodie Foster and Errol Morris and winning multiple Emmys for Queer Eye.

BRIAN MCGINN, an Emmy-nominated director, writer, producer and show-runner, joins NSNP to talk about some of his biggest projects, such as: directing, writing and producing the powerful NETFLIX documentary "Amanda Knox," executive producing and directing the incredibly stylish Netflix food docu-series "Chef's Table," and executive producing and directing the Netflix legal docu-series "Trial By Media."

Executive Producer CARLOS KING, the CEO of Kingdom Reign Entertainment, joins "No Script, No Problem" to talk about his new series on OWN, "BELLE COLLECTIVE," as well as his other hits like "Love & Marriage: Huntsville" (OWN), "Behind Every Man" (OWN), and "Hollywood Divas" (TV One).

PAUL DIMEO, a talented and hilarious carpenter and host, who starred on EXTREME MAKEOVER HOME EDITION for ABC and BUILDING WILD for NAT GEO, joins "No Script, No Problem" to chat about his experience on these 2 dynamic renovation shows, what they meant to him and what he takes away from his years building homes, schools and cabins for others.

Ashley McFarlin Buie, the vice president of development for WE tv, joins the "No Script, No Problem" podcast to talk about the network's diverse slate of shows, like LOVE AFTER LOCKUP, and to share her fascinating personal story of battling a bizarre medical ailment and how she overcame it in dramatic fashion.

Archie Gips, the president of Mark Wahlberg's unscripted production company Unrealistic Ideas, joins "No Script, No Problem" to talk about their hit Emmy-nominated documentary series "McMillions," his time as showrunner on "Wahlburgers," and what he's looking forward to in 2021.

LOREN RUCH, the Group Senior Vice President of Production & Development for HGTV, joins "No Script, No Problem" to talk about HGTV's ratings success, the evolution of their programming, the type of talent they look for, the keys to great home renovation shows, and what fans of HGTV can expect in the near future.

RYANN LAUCKNER, the President & Chief Strategy Officer at Asylum Entertainment Group, joins "No Script, No Problem" to talk about the rapidly changing landscape of the unscripted business and how she is helping her company adapt to some of the new problems we face.

Producer and show creator Eric Evangelista, the co-president of Hot Snakes Media with his wife, Shannon, joins the podcast to talk about some of their terrific series like Breaking Amish, Extinct or Alive, and now Deaf U on Netflix.

Evolution Media Co-President Alex Baskin discusses the art of the docu-soap genre and pulls the curtain back on some of the company's smash hits, like Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," "The Real Housewives of Orange County," "Vanderpump Rules," E's "Botched," and MTV's "The Hills: New Beginnings".

Veteran producer and development executive Tim Duffy, the Co-President of Ugly Brother Studios, discusses how he handles the stress of reality TV, how his company is working in the pandemic, what it's like teaming up with his twin brother, and what we can expect from their hit Nickelodeon show, Top Elf.

Lifetime network head of unscripted programming Gena McCarthy joins the show to talk about their powerful docu-series "Surviving Jeffrey Epstein" and their hit relationship series, "Married at First Sight," and how she's able to make both work as part of the Lifetime brand.

Outstanding unscripted showrunner Sean Rankine joins "No Script, No Problem" and reveals some never-before-told success from some of his hit shows: Basketball Wives, Making the Band, The Rap Game and Iyanla: Fix My Life.

Veteran unscripted TV development executive Amy Savitsky of History Channel talks about what she looks for in a pitch and reveals the stories behind some of the biggest shows she helped to launch, such as: "My 600-Pound Life," "Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath," and "The Murder of Laci Peterson."

Julie Pizzi, the President of Entertainment and Development at Bunim-Murray Productions, and an executive producer of MTV's "The Challenge," joins "No Script, No Problem" to chat about how they keep the long-running hit series fresh and fascinating for fans, as it heads into its record-breaking 36th season.

Reality TV super producer Arthur Smith joins NSNP to talk about his hit shows "The Titan Games," "Hell's Kitchen," and "American Ninja Warrior," as well as their upcoming Netflix series about gospel music, featuring Pharrell.

CEO of Sunwise Media Ri-Karlo Handy, a popular producer and editor in reality TV, joins NSNP to talk about how his Facebook post looking for black union editors caused a chain reaction that has led to an important discussion about diversity and inclusion of editors and other "below-the-line" positions in the entertainment industry.

Queer Eye showrunner Jen Lane pulls the curtain back on the two-time Emmy-winning Netflix series, sharing details of how the show is made, how the Fab 5 work together, and what it's like to be on set for some of the most emotional moments on the lifestyle makeover show.

Veteran unscripted producer and executive Nancy Glass pulls the curtain back on her amazing interview with Jeffrey Dahmer, reveals how she pulled off a docu-series on the Pope and how she's managed to launch a successful podcast company.

Amidst the transformational events taking place around our country, Steve Berkowitz hosts a panel of top unscripted producers to discuss race in reality TV and how this dramatic and powerful social justice movement is affecting each of us and the entertainment industry.

Heath Luman, the creative mind behind many of the wildest and most popular challenges on CBS's "Big Brother," joins Steve to discuss how the long running competition series continues to come up with innovative games and maintain a dedicated audience.

Sacha Jenkins, Emmy-nominated director of documentaries "Fresh Dressed" and "Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men," tells Steve about his evolution from journalist to producer to filmmaker, what the keys to his success are, and what we can anticipate from his upcoming Rick James doc.

Izzie Pick-Ibarra, executive producer of Fox's wild celebrity in disguise singing show "The Masked Singer," joins "No Script, No Problem" to discuss the breakout hit's surprise universal appeal and her journey from England to showrunner on Dancing with the Stars and now network television's top-rated reality series.

Lighthearted Entertainment's Jeff Spangler and Rob LaPlante share their secrets to making a great dating show and who they think killed Carole Baskin's husband on Tiger King.

Steve talks to Below Deck Mediterranean showrunner Nadine Rajabi about how the Bravo nautical docu-soap has become such a big hit, how she's running the show during COVID-19, and how the virus will affect the entertainment industry as a whole.

Showrunner Todd Hurvitz joins host Steve Berkowitz to discuss how to create great comedy in unscripted TV.

Lifetime development executive Cat Rodriguez chats with Steve about her unique journey into reality TV and the network's current and future slate of dynamic unscripted programming.

Extreme Makeover Home Edition is back on the air, this time on HGTV, and "No Script, No Problem," has all the details you need about the reboot of this iconic renovation series.

Paramount Network executive Chaz Gray talks with Steve about how food, travel, and transformation have become huge influences in reality TV over the years.

Host and producer Erin Ryder joins Steve to discuss the obsession with paranormal and UFO-based reality TV shows.

"NO SCRIPT, NO PROBLEM" is the first podcast that takes you behind the curtain of unscripted television, as veteran producer and host, Steve Berkowitz, shares insight from his 15 years in the business as well as from some of the best in the business of reality tv, documentary series, competition shows, social experiment, and game shows.

Hidden camera expert Matt Mazzant explains how he pulled some of his favorite pranks in the early days of Punk'd and how things have changed in the fan-favorite genre since then.

Madison Merritt, the SVP of Alternative Programming at eOne in the U.S talks to host Steve Berkowitz about the keys to selling a reality show, the importance of attaching talent, and the evolution of pitching over the years.