Storytelling Saga: Recent Episodes
Alison T.
The podcast that shares stories — original works, personal tales, favorites from TV shows, books, movies and more.
Ali shares about her experience at this year's Pasadena Comic Con and meeting Craig Bartlett, the creator of Hey Arnold!
Ali interviews storyboard artist, Kelly Hobby, who shares about her experience in the industry, the inspirations behind her work, thoughts on the current state of animation, and much more!
Ali celebrates the 250th episode of the podcast by sharing all about her experience attending a live performance of Avatar: The Last Airbender in Concert: The 20th Anniversary Tour!
Ali shares a quick Courage the Cowardly Dog story called "Warm Whisper." This episode is dedicated in loving memory to the series' head writer, David Steven Cohen.
Ali discusses Disney's first feature-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).
Ali commemorates the 20th anniversary of Avatar: The Last Airbender by reflecting on what the show means to her, sharing a few silly memories based on what little she saw of it back when it was originally airing, as well as why she's always loved Kataang from the very beginning.
Additionally, she expresses her infinite excitement for the new upcoming animated projects from Avatar Studios, including the limited series, Avatar: Seven Havens, and the first theatrical movie featuring the Gaang as young adults titled The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender. She also shares her love for the cast of the live-action Netflix adaptation of the series.
To close out the episode, she shares a mushy Kataang story she wrote called "An Air of Certainty."
"Will you go penguin sledding with me?"
Ali discusses Wicked: Part I, the long-awaited movie adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, Wicked, directed by Jon M. Chu and starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-Butera as Elphaba and Glinda. "I hope you're happy, my friend."
Ali discusses three more Nicktoon Christmas specials: "When Santas Collide" (ChalkZone), "Have Yourself A Thornberry Little Christmas" (The Wild Thornberrys) and "A Rocket X-Mas" (Rocket Power).
Ali discusses the uplifting and incredibly emotional Pixar movie, Up, directed by Pete Docter.
Ali recaps her experience attending LA Comic Con for her third year in a row, sharing fun tidbits from panels featuring the cast of Rick and Morty and Avatar: The Last Airbender, as well as industry insights from other panelists about writing for animation, post-production, sound editing, and more. She also shares about meeting the voice actor behind the beloved Cabbage Merchant, James Sie, and almost missing the opportunity (but thankfully it worked out) to meet the voice of Aang, the Avatar himself, Zach Tyler Eisen.
Ali discusses the shredding Nicktoon, Rocket Power, created by Arlene Klasky and Gábor Csupó. Come along for the ride as she highlights all the ways this sports-centric series resonates with her now compared to when she watched it as a kid, namely all the sweet sibling moments between Otto and Reggie, the many hilarious lines from Twister stemming from his naive nature, the relatability of Sam aka Squid, Raymundo as an amazing dad and Tito as a wonderful fatherly figure, and much more, including what she thinks the four friends' careers would be and a whole bunch of details she didn't remember about the show—other than the iconic term, "shoobies," and the celebratory handshake, "Woogity, woogity, woogity, woogity!"
Ali discusses the profound animated movie that capped off the Disney Renaissance era, Tarzan.
Ali discusses Inside Out 2 written by Meg LeFauve and Dave Holstein and directed by Kelsey Mann.
Ali interviews writer, director, and producer, Craig Shemin, who shares about his work with The Jim Henson Company and various Muppets projects, including his two books, Sam and Friends: The Story of Jim Henson’s First Television Show and The Muppets Character Encyclopedia. He also shares about his experience on other shows he wrote for including The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss and Courage the Cowardly Dog, plus his personal favorite piece of Muppets memorabilia and much more!
Ali interviews actor and puppeteer, Jayden Libran, who shares about his work on various projects that include The Happytime Murders, Helluva Boss, Beavis and Butt-Head, Class Acts, and much more!
Ali discusses the sequel series to Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra, coming in hot with a few nitpicky narrative criticisms before delving into all the ways this series resonates with its darker and more mature themes, unique villains with a unifying characteristic, Korra's strength as the protagonist and how she stands out from Aang as the avatar, and much more, including her thoughts on each of the romances culminating in a (potentially) hot take. "I'm [on a podcast], you gotta deal with it!"
Ali interviews actor and writer, Evan Marshall, who shares about his play, The AllStore, along with other projects pertaining to theater and film.
Ali recaps her experience attending Collect-A-Con Los Angeles, highlighting fun panels featuring beloved franchises including Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and more!
Ali discusses the documentary series, Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV. Listen at your own discretion.
Ali interviews illustrator and graphic designer, Michael Harring, whose projects include directing the movie, The Mountain, The River and The Road, illustrating the book, Magoo and His Magic Poo, developing a monster-themed collection called Wayward Ghouls, and much more.
Ali interviews co-creators of the comic book series, "Bobo & J-5: Journey to the Planet Pie!," Joseph Bricker (writer) and John Charles Bricker (illustrator).
Ali interviews actress, writer, and producer, Georgie Leahy, who shares about co-producing her first movie, Bosco, creative influences which notably includes Britney Spears, her move to LA and experience of being a muse, working with Brandon Rogers, voicing Stella on Helluva Boss, and many more fascinating stories!
Ali interviews rapper, actor, and podcaster, Tenn Buick, who shares about his first gig when he got to LA, his process for creating a rap, why authenticity is more important than virality when it comes to putting out content, personal favorite moments from his podcast, All Grown Up (SYKE!), favorite things from the '90s, and a whole lot more!
Ali interviews co-creators of the "Ducks" newspaper comic about two ducks named Dan and Dave, Nathaniel Foster (writer) and Lia Kim (artist).
Ali recaps her experience attending Pasadena Comic Con, including meeting awesome people like Melanie Chartoff (Didi Pickles), David Kaufman (Danny Phantom), and lots of talented indie artists. Plus, chatting more with Susanne Blakeslee and working up the nerve to ask Butch Hartman that Cosmo & Wanda question (listen to the Toon Con episode for context).
Ali recaps her second year attending LA Comic Con, highlighting awesome panels for The Office, Johnny Bravo, and much more!
Ali and returning guest, Stacey, discuss the long-awaited Good Burger sequel, Good Burger 2, written by Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert and directed by Phil Traill. They chat about favorite comedy bits, cameos, and Easter eggs, classic lines from the first movie, iconic All That characters, their love of Kenan & Kel, the comedic chemistry between Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell from the '90s to today, hopes for a Good Burger 3, and more. 'Cause we're all dudes, hey!
Ali interviews author, Marcie Colleen, whose books include Super Happy Party Bears, Survivor Tree, and many more!
Ali discusses three Cartoon Network Christmas specials: "Twas the Fight Before Christmas" (The Powerpuff Girls), "Ed, Edd n Eddy's Jingle Jingle Jangle" (Ed, Edd n Eddy) and "Operation: N.A.U.G.H.T.Y." (Codename: Kids Next Door).
Ali discusses three more Nicktoon Christmas specials: "An 'Even Steven' Holiday Special" (As Told By Ginger), "Christmas Every Day!" (The Fairly OddParents) and "Holly Jolly Jimmy" (The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius).
Ali recaps her experience attending Toon Con, including meeting awesome people like Rikki Simons (GIR), Bob West (Barney), Peter Kelamis (Rolf), and more, watching a fun panel with the cast of The Fairly OddParents and two more with legendary Disney artists and actors, and finally, working up the nerve to ask Susanne Blakeslee and Daran Norris an intimate question about Cosmo & Wanda.
Ali interviews art director and background painter, Andy Clark, who shares about his experience on many shows such as Dexter's Laboratory, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Angry Beavers, ChalkZone, Seth MacFarlane's canceled The Flintstones project, and more. He also provides a lot of valuable insight about the current state of the animation industry and offers pertinent career and life advice.
Ali interviews musician and composer, Pat Irwin, who shares about the process of composing for television and movies, in particular his work on Rocko's Modern Life and Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling among other projects. He also shares about memorable moments performing with his bands, music classes he currently teaches, the value of music as part of humanity, and more.
Ali discusses the critically-acclaimed series, Ted Lasso, developed by Jason Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt and Joe Kelly.
Ali interviews musician, composer, and singer/songwriter, Nick Balaban, who shares about his musical influences, creative process, working on Blue's Clues, memorable performances, and more!
Ali binged all of The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder, so enjoy more of her random thoughts on this fever dream of a series.
Ali gives her visceral, unfiltered reaction to watching an episode of The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder reboot in this special bonus episode. It's a weird one, folks.
Ali discusses all things The Fairly OddParents, diving into “School's Out! The Musical," the uniqueness of the franchise, a whole bunch of classic quotes from the original run of the show (seriously, this episode is mostly quotes), why the early relationship dynamic between Cosmo & Wanda is the absolute cutest (which inadvertently leads to wondering something...), the adorableness that is baby Poof, and a quick FOP story called "A Kiss and a Tie (But Not in That Order)."
Are you ready? Ali and returning guest, Stacey, discuss the Zoey 101 sequel movie, Zoey 102, written by Monica Sherer and Madeline Whitby and directed by Nancy Hower. They discuss initial reactions, favorite laugh-out-loud and heartfelt moments, thoughts on the glow-ups of all the original characters, and much more, including gushing over Todd (even despite the big reveal at the end), reminiscing about some classic moments from Zoey 101, parallels with the iCarly revival, and still holding out hope for a Ned's Declassified reboot.
Ali discusses Judy Blume's pivotal coming-of-age novel and its wonderful film adaptation written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
Ali interviews writer, illustrator, and storyboard artist, Heather Martinez, who shares about her work on SpongeBob SquarePants, My Life as a Teenage Robot, The Fairly OddParents, The Replacements, and more!
Ali discusses the latest Pixar movie, Elemental, written by John Hoberg, Kat Likkel, and Brenda Hsueh and directed by Peter Sohn.
Ali interviews storyboard artist, writer, and director, Jay Lender, who shares about working on Hey Arnold! and SpongeBob SquarePants, making his movie, They're Watching, illustrating the children's book, Poopy McPooFace In: The Perilous Journey, and much more!
Ali discusses the portrayal of writers on screen, citing shows such as 30 Rock, Hacks, BoJack Horseman, New Girl, Seinfeld, Party Down, and the short-lived Hulu series, Reboot, all the while sharing advice about the writing process.
Ali interviews comedian and the voice of Chaz on Helluva Boss, Eric Schwartz, who shares about his comedic and musical influences, putting himself out there on stage, his new special, Delivery, the popularity of Chaz, advice for artists, and more. It's Chaz time!
Ali discusses The Super Mario Bros. Movie written by Matthew Fogel and directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic. Afterward, she shares a post-movie short story she wrote called “A Heartfelt Quest.” Let's-a go!
Ali celebrates the 200th episode of the podcast by sharing all about her experience attending her first-ever fan convention, LA Comic Con!
Ali discusses the TV movie, CatDog and the Great Parent Mystery, written by Steven Banks, Robert Lamoreaux, and Victor Wilson for the wacky Nicktoon, CatDog, created by Peter Hannan. Hi Ho Diggety!
Ali discusses one of the best episodes of Community, "Remedial Chaos Theory," written by Chris McKenna and directed by Jeff Melman.
Ali interviews animation production designer and painter, Carol Wyatt, who shares her insight from working in the industry on many different projects such as The Simpsons, Duckman, the Rugrats pilot, the Hey Arnold! pilot, Rocko's Modern Life, The Powerpuff Girls Movie, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Green Eggs and Ham, Amphibia, Rick and Morty and more!
Ali interviews animator and director, Mike Hollingsworth. He shares about his journey starting out as a stand-up comedian, the early days of working on BoJack Horseman, lots of cool stuff about the standout season 3 episode he directed, "Fish Out of Water," his thoughts on where the industry is heading, memorable fan convention experiences and much more!
Ali and special guest, Harry Mackin, discuss the masterpiece series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. You want to hear our thoughts on the show's themes of valuing mentors, embracing the dichotomy of ourselves, finding your destiny and looking inside yourself for the answers? What about the reasons Toph is the ultimate earthbender, hot takes on Kataang vs. Zutara, why Iroh is the absolute best, Katara's subtle yet powerful growth throughout the series, Zuko's redemption arc and how it parallels Aang's journey, the tragic toxicity of Azula, not to mention the comedic awesomeness that is Sokka? You'll get all of that and more with this episode so sit back and enjoy. Yip yip!
Ali interviews Betsy Rosenblatt, Professor of Law and volunteer Legal Committee Chair of the nonprofit Organization for Transformative Works. It's an informative conversation about the value of writing fanfiction and contributing to fandom communities, how gender identity plays into fan culture and marketing, fair use law of what you can and can't copyright, the joy of attending fan conventions and much more!
Ali discusses the 1987 animated movie based on the novel of the same name, The Brave Little Toaster.
Ali opens up about a traumatic event she recently went through and how she's healing. She also shares her 2023 New Year's resolutions and a new short story called "Bailey."
Ali discusses three Nicktoon Christmas specials: “The Santa Experience” (Rugrats), “Christmas Who?” (SpongeBob SquarePants) and “The Most Horrible X-Mas Ever” (Invader ZIM).
Ali discusses the classic stop motion TV special, The Little Drummer Boy, based on the song of the same name.
Ali discusses A Garfield Christmas Special written by Jim Davis and directed by Phil Roman and George Singer.
Ali taps into her 11-year-old self's hatred of Hey Arnold!: The Movie (2002), reflecting on why it was such a huge disappointment to her at the time between the misleading marketing, the lackluster plot and The Big Scene (you know the one).
Ali discusses the crossover movie, Straight Outta Nowhere: Scooby-Doo! Meets Courage the Cowardly Dog, written by Michael Ryan and directed by Cecilia Aranovich Hamilton.
Ali interviews songwriter, screenwriter, director and voice actor, Sam Haft, whose credits include The Living Tombstone, Helluva Boss and much more!
Ali interviews songwriter, screenwriter, director and voice actor, Sam Haft, whose credits include The Living Tombstone, Helluva Boss and much more!
Ali celebrates the 25th anniversary of South Park by reflecting on what the show means to her.
Ali discusses the fantastic web series, Helluva Boss, created by Vivienne “VivziePop” Medrano. Afterward, she reads a Helluva Boss story she wrote called “Nice Shot.”
Ali discusses The Simpsons Movie co-written by series creator, Matt Groening, along with James L. Brooks, Al Jean, Ian Maxtone-Graham, George Meyer, David Mirkin, Mike Reiss, Mike Scully, Matt Selman, John Swartzwelder and Jon Vitti and directed by David Silverman. D'oh!
Ali discusses the season 2 premiere of That '70s Show, “Garage Sale,” written by Dave Schiff and directed by David Trainer.
Ali discusses the heartwarming Disney movie, Lilo & Stitch, and shares why it's one of her all-time favorite movie-going experiences to this day.
Ali and her cousin, Gina, discuss all things Hamtaro, sharing their memories of watching the anime when it premiered on Cartoon Network in June 2002, Ali co-writing ridiculous fanfiction featuring the Ham-Hams, Gina's pet hamster, plus a lot of reminiscing about playing the fun and adorable Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance games, Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite! and Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak. Hamha!
Ali shares more thoughts on The Bob’s Burgers Movie in this special bonus episode, addressing some fan criticisms while also sharing some favorite laugh-out-loud moments in this second review. "And it's gonna be the sunny-side-up summer of our lives!"
Ali discusses The Bob’s Burgers Movie co-written and co-directed by series creator, Loren Bouchard, along with co-writer, Nora Smith, and co-director, Bernard Derriman.
Ali discusses the romantic comedy series, What I Like About You, starring Amanda Bynes and Jennie Garth.
Ali discusses the coming-of-age Pixar film that creatively captures the turbulent time of puberty, Turning Red, directed by Domee Shi.
Ali discusses the clever comedy, A.P. Bio, created by Mike O'Brien and starring Glenn Howerton. "All right, everybody, start to shut up."
Ali discusses one of her favorite episodes of the hit Nickelodeon series, iCarly, "iThink They Kissed," written by Steve Holland and directed by Adam Weissman. She also touches on the 2021 revival, and of course she digs into the epic Creddie vs. Seddie shipping debate. "I may be an idiot, but I'm not stupid."
Ali discusses the thirteenth original animated Peanuts special, Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown, written by Charles Schulz.
Ali interviews storyboard artist, Gia Ligammari, whose credits include The Angry Birds Movie 2, Jellystone, Inside Job and the upcoming Tiny Toons Adventure reboot, Tiny Toons Looniversity. Gia shares about her creative influences, favorite things to draw, thoughts on live-action reboots, imposter syndrome and creative block, advice for young artists and much more!
Ali discusses the canceled-too-soon hangout comedy, Happy Endings, created by David Caspe. Here we GO!
Ali shares her New Year's resolutions for 2022 and a brand new short story she wrote called “Faux Pas.”
Ali discusses The Roku Channel original movie, Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas, written by series creator, Austin Winsberg, and directed by Richard Shepard.
Ali discusses what goes into crafting a compelling character, drawing examples from various TV characters including Moira Rose, Michael Scott, Peggy Olson and Bugs Bunny.
Ali interviews writer, story editor, producer and voice director, Eric Trueheart. Eric shares how he got his start in the industry, advice for writers trying to break in, the early days of his comedy troupe, The Ministry of Unknown Science, lots of fun stuff from his book, The Medium-Sized Book of ZIM Scripts Vol 1: Pigs 'n' Waffles, and how he deals with writer’s block. He also talks about writing the ZIM comics, being a script consultant on Invader ZIM: Enter the Florpus,voice directing on Yin Yang Yo!, pilots he’s written and his podcasts, The Army of Drunks and One Man Murder Maze, plus lots of great screenwriting tidbits along the way!
Ali interviews TV, film and video game composer, Kevin Manthei. He shares about his musical influences, how he got his start composing for video games, his process for scoring an episode of TV, working as the series composer on Invader ZIM and stepping back into the world for Invader ZIM: Enter the Florpus, what went into creating “Peace Is Nice,” his thoughts on creative block, advice for aspiring composers, current projects and more!
Ali discusses the pilot and the two-part series finale, "The Last Day," of the police procedural comedy, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, created by Dan Goor & Mike Schur.
Ali discusses the groundbreaking dark comedy, Kevin Can Fk Himself, created by Valerie Armstrong and starring Annie Murphy and Mary Hollis Inboden.
Ali discusses her absolute favorite anime based on the popular manga series by Natsuki Takaya, Fruits Basket, for this special 150th episode of the podcast! Having first been introduced to the manga in middle school, Ali reminisces about falling in love with the characters (in particular, Kyo Soma) and fangirling with her friends, cousins and sister over the original anime. She shares her thoughts on the incredible new anime, exploring the powerful themes of acceptance, healing and what it means to belong, all the while breaking down character arcs in connection to the Soma family curse.
Additionally, in a first for the podcast, Ali opens the episode by playing the original theme song, “For Fruits Basket,” on the piano. Enjoy!
Ali discusses one of the best episodes of the profound Nicktoon, As Told by Ginger, “And She Was Gone,” written by series creator, Emily Kapnek, and directed by Mark Risley.
Ali discusses the movie, The Princess Diaries, based on the young adult novel series of the same name by Meg Cabot.
Ali discusses her favorite episode of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, "Frankie My Dear," written and storyboarded by Lauren Faust and directed by series creator, Craig McCracken.
Ali discusses the 2004 cult comedy film, Napoleon Dynamite, written by Jared and Jerusha Hess, directed by Jared Hess and starring Jon Heder as the title character.
Ali interviews actor and writer, Marin Miller, whose credits include Athena, Alecto and Tisiphone in HADES and Enkidu in Fate/Grand Order - Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia. They share how they got their start in the industry, their thoughts on dubbing vs. voice recording for video games, the intricate process behind script adaptation, favorite anime and ships, advice for aspiring voice actors and more!
Ali discusses her favorite episode of Danny Phantom, "Fanning the Flames," story by Steve Marmel, written by Marty Isenberg and directed by Wincat Alcala, Juli Hashiguchi & Butch Hartman.
Ali discusses The Breakfast Club parody episode of Victorious, "The Breakfast Bunch," written by Dan Schneider & Jake Farrow and directed by Steve Hoefer.
Ali discusses the first episode of Family Guy she ever watched, "E. Peterbus Unum," written by Neil Goldman & Garrett Donovan and directed by Rob Renzetti.
Ali discusses the season 4 finale of Parks and Recreation, "Win, Lose, or Draw," written and directed by series co-creator, Mike Schur.
Ali interviews actor, Chiara Zanni, whose credits include the title character in Hamtaro, Amy Ryan in About a Girl, Daring Do in My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic and many other voice-over and on-camera roles. Chiara shares how she began her career, different techniques for voice acting vs. on-camera acting, her thoughts on living in Vancouver and LA, the importance of self-kindness, advice for aspiring actors and more!
Ali discusses her favorite moments and musical numbers throughout season 2 of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.
Ali discusses the iconic play, A Streetcar Named Desire, written by Tennessee Williams.
Ali discusses the classic Disney movie, Cinderella (1950), based on the folk tale of the same name.
Ali discusses the Newbery Medal-winning young adult novel, Holes, written by Louis Sachar.
Ali discusses the ridiculously hilarious movie, BASEketball, starring Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
Ali discusses the adventurous Nicktoon, The Wild Thornberrys, created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, Steve Pepoon, David Silverman and Stephen Sustarsic, as well as The Wild Thornberrys Movie written by Kate Boutilier. Smashing!
Ali discusses the hugely successful musical, Hamilton, music, book and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Ali and returning guest, Stacey, discuss The Fairly OddParents, Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, Nickelodeon reboots and more!
Ali discusses the romantic comedy, 13 Going on 30, starring Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo.
Ali discusses the movie, Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions, which mostly involves her gushing over Seto Kaiba.
Ali discusses the hit musical, The Book of Mormon, music, book and lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone.
Ali discusses what goes into writing a compelling inciting incident for any given story.
Ali discusses the creative Nicktoon, ChalkZone, created by Bill Burnett and Larry Huber.
Ali discusses the hilarious musical, Avenue Q, music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx and book by Jeff Whitty.
Ali discusses the phenomenal show, Fleabag, created by, written by and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
Ali shares her New Year's resolutions and talks about a few miscellaneous things including shows she's been watching and upcoming revivals she's looking forward to in 2021. Afterward, she shares a brand new short story she wrote called “Smile or Not.”
Ali discusses A Chipmunk Christmas starring Alvin and the Chipmunks. She gives an overview of the Chipmunks and their debut song, "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)," as well as the animated series from the '80s and The Chipettes before sharing her thoughts on this sweet Christmas special.
Ali interviews artist, Sam Kays. She shares about her experience as a background designer on Invader ZIM: Enter the Florpus, her favorite Invader ZIM character and episode, working as a design lead at OddBot, her thoughts on live-action/CGI remakes of 2D animated projects and much more!
Ali interviews TV writer and producer, Shauna McGarry. She shares how she got her start in the industry, what it was like working on Bajillion Dollar Propertie$, details about the award-winning Tuca & Bertie episode she wrote, "The Jelly Lakes," a deeper look into the two BoJack Horseman season 6 episodes she wrote, "The Face of Depression" and "Angela," her advice for writers and much more!
Ali interviews award-winning screenwriter, playwright, producer and director, as well as the founder of Jacob Krueger Studio, Jacob Krueger. Jake shares his journey into screenwriting and founding the studio, his thoughts on starting a project from character, plot or process, a deeper look into what’s behind writer's block, the effect of negative and positive self-talk about your own writing, a different approach to the well-known concept of show, don't tell and much more!
Ali discusses the heartbreaking reality of Miriam Pataki from Hey Arnold!, touching on episodes such as “Road Trip,” “The Beeper Queen,” “Helga on the Couch” and more.
Ali discusses the second Rugrats theatrical film, Rugrats in Paris: The Movie. She reminisces about seeing it in theaters, sharing her love of all the heartfelt moments and the addition of new characters to the Rugrats family. Plus, some interesting revelations she never knew about the 2000 hit song from the soundtrack, "Who Let the Dogs Out" by Baha Men.
Ali discusses the stop-motion animated movie, Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, sharing her thoughts on the plot, favorite songs and Jack and Sally's love story.
Ali discusses the movie, The Addams Family (1991), based on the characters created by cartoonist, Charles Addams, sharing her favorite lines while admiring the unbreakable love between this creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky family.
Ali interviews TV writer, Alison Tafel. She shares how she got her start in the industry, her first day in the BoJack Horseman writers’ room and insight into each of the episodes she wrote for the show: “Stupid Piece of Sht,” “INT. SUB,” “Feel-Good Story” and “The View From Halfway Down.” She also talks about her experience writing for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,* and she gives advice for writers trying to break into the industry as well as when you’re in the industry.
Ali discusses the cigarette-smoking, coffee-drinking, nonconforming Goth Kids from South Park, focusing on three of their most prominent episodes: "Raisins" (season 7), "The Ungroundable" (season 12) and "Goth Kids 3: Dawn of the Posers" (season 17).
Ali discusses the musical, Little Shop of Horrors, composed by Alan Menken with book and lyrics by Howard Ashman and based on the original 1960 horror comedy film, The Little Shop of Horrors. She talks about first seeing the musical in a college production, favorite songs, her thoughts on the 1986 movie adaptation directed by Frank Oz and the original ending compared to the updated version.
Ali discusses Gilmore Girls created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel as the fast-talking, coffee-loving, mother-daughter duo, Lorelai and Rory Gilmore. She shares how all the buzz about the revival got her into the show and reminisces about visiting the lot where they shot all the exterior scenes for the fictional town of Stars Hollow. She also talks about her favorite characters, Luke and Lorelai's relationship, her thoughts on each of Rory's boyfriends throughout the series and the Netflix revival, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.
Ali discusses the works of bestselling author, Mitch Albom, touching on the universal themes of life, love, family, faith and more that he beautifully depicts in his popular books, including his debut memoir, Tuesdays with Morrie, novels, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, For One More Day, The First Phone Call from Heaven, The Time Keeper and The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto, as well as his latest memoir, Finding Chika: A Little Girl, an Earthquake, and the Making of a Family.
Ali discusses Tiny Toon Adventures created by Tom Ruegger, sharing her appreciation for these Looney Tunes counterparts chock-full of slapstick gags, meta humor and fourth wall breaking commentary, plus her love of the catchy theme song and being confused as to what "no relation" meant when she watched the show in reruns on Nickelodeon as a little kid. She also talks about that one banned episode, as well as the fun direct-to-video movie, Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation.
Ali discusses the creative cartoon about a global coalition of adult-fighting kids, Codename: Kids Next Door, created by Mr. Warburton. She reminisces about watching the pilot back when it originally aired that won the Cartoon Network viewers' poll to be made into a series. She talks about favorite episodes she loved as a kid, plus a bunch she'd never seen until now, all the while sharing her thoughts on the dynamics of the five main characters, Numbuhs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. She also discusses the series finale, "Operation: I.N.T.E.R.V.I.E.W.S," and she touches on the attempted spin-off series, Galactic: Kids Next Door.
Ali interviews animator and director, Aaron Long. He shares how he became a director on BoJack Horseman, memorable episodes and scenes he’s worked on for the show, his favorite contributions to Tuca & Bertie thus far, the inspiration for his indie cartoon series, Sublo and Tangy Mustard, favorite episodes and funny character names, as well as the character he relates to the most from his show. He also shares his thoughts on cartoon reboots, some of his all-time favorite cartoon characters and advice for young animators and creators.
Ali discusses some of her personal favorite bottle episodes from various TV shows and what makes them so interesting, whether it's hilarious character interactions, building tension between two characters or raising the stakes as an episode plays out in real time.
Ali and returning guest, Sylvie, discuss their early days of reading and writing fanfiction, touching on various fandoms, genres and pairings, as well as collaborations, crossovers, clichés and general misconceptions about fanfiction. They also discuss the pros and cons of writing fanfiction, their thoughts on the successful fanfic turned bestselling trilogy, Fifty Shades of Grey, and their advice for writers.
Ali discusses the defining moments of Beatrice Horseman (née Sugarman) as seen in flashbacks of BoJack's terrible childhood, her own tragic childhood depicted in the season 4 episode, "The Old Sugarman Place," further exploration of pivotal points in her life that led to her bitter adulthood all shown through her shaky memories in the fantastic penultimate episode of season 4, "Time's Arrow," BoJack delivering her eulogy in the standout episode of season 5, "Free Churro," and finally her last appearance in the phenomenal penultimate episode of the series, "The View From Halfway Down."
Ali discusses what goes into writing a TV comedy pilot for this special 100th episode of the podcast! She talks about the two main things any pilot should accomplish as well as the difference between a premise pilot and an episodic pilot, drawing examples from some of her favorites while also talking about how the television landscape has changed over the years.
Ali discusses the brilliant Pixar movie, Inside Out, directed by Pete Docter, praising the imaginative concept and emotional storytelling that make it one of the best Pixar films. Afterward, she shares an Inside Out story she wrote called "An Emotional First Date."
Ali discusses the hilarious movie, Superbad, written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, sharing her favorite lines and her appreciation for the sweet moments that capture the genuine yet changing friendship between the two main characters.
Ali discusses the Disney movie, Hercules, praising the stellar soundtrack and strong character arcs, all the while reminiscing about seeing the film in theaters and watching it repeatedly with her siblings on VHS.
Ali discusses the hit '90s Nickelodeon sitcom, Kenan & Kel, created by Kim Bass and starring Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell. She reminisces about watching the show as a kid on the SNICK lineup each week, sharing clips from some of her favorite episodes that showcase the silly storylines and iconic lines that anyone who grew up with this show can still quote to this day. Aw, here it goes!
Ali discusses her favorite books she read in elementary school, including Charlotte's Web, Holes and the Junie B. Jones series.
Ali discusses the beloved independent black-and-white comedy film, Clerks, written and directed by Kevin Smith. She talks about her main takeaway from the movie and key conversations, plus her thoughts on the original ending.
Ali discusses the musical dramedy series, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, created by Austin Winsberg. She shares how it captivated her from the start, praising the show’s moving themes, beautiful choreography and talented cast while sharing her favorite moments of empathy and character growth throughout the first season.
Ali discusses the wonderful show, Schitt's Creek, created by Dan Levy and Eugene Levy, praising the series for its realistic character growth while highlighting its perfect blend of heart and humor as she shares her favorite hilarious moments and emotional scenes that make this show the epitome of love and joy.
Ali discusses the breakout hit DreamWorks movie, Shrek, and her personal favorite film of the franchise, Shrek 2, recounting the irreverent humor, sweet moments and timeless themes all wrapped up in a fun fairy tale universe.
Ali discusses the long-running family mockumentary series, Modern Family, created by Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd. She shares how she got into the show, scenes that always make her laugh, favorite emotional moments and episodes with clever storytelling methods, plus her thoughts on the series finale.
Ali interviews author and TV writer, Nick Adams, whose writing credits include New Girl, black•ish, People of Earth, Tuca & Bertie and BoJack Horseman. Nick shares what his process was for writing his book, Making Friends with Black People, what it's like working in a TV writers' room, favorite jokes he's contributed, hitting a crucial story beat in one of the final episodes of BoJack he wrote, "Xerox of a Xerox," plus his advice for aspiring TV writers.
Ali caps off '80s Movies Month by discussing the timeless comedy and mystery movie, Who Framed Roger Rabbit. She reminisces about watching it for the first time over her cousins' house one New Year's Eve, sharing her favorite moments while praising its seamless blend of animation and live-action.
Ali continues '80s Movies Month by discussing The Princess Bride, a movie she's always heard about but had never seen until now. She shares her first impressions and favorite moments, plus a few shows she's seen that have paid homage to this beloved film.
Ali continues '80s Movies Month by discussing another iconic movie written and directed by John Hughes, Ferris Bueller's Day Off. She recaps her favorite moments and shares which part of the movie is her favorite overall. She also talks about its wonderful and always relevant message, favorite parodied scenes and which two characters she feels had the most satisfying arcs.
Ali kicks off '80s Movies Month (the first themed month of the podcast!) by discussing the iconic movie written and directed by John Hughes, The Breakfast Club. She recaps the film's memorable scenes while praising its brilliant writing, relatable themes and unforgettable ending.
Ali talks a little bit about the COVID-19 pandemic. Then she reminisces about favorite concerts she's attended over the years.
Ali discusses the movie, Juno, sharing some of her favorite lines from this witty and heartfelt coming-of-age comedy-drama. She also recalls a sweet memory from when she saw it in theaters.
Ali discusses Kathryn Stockett's debut bestselling novel, The Help, recapping key plot points amidst the heartbreakingly honest portrayal of racism during the 1960s, all the while praising the realistic characters and how much they truly make you feel.
Ali discusses the existential play, Waiting for Godot, written by Samuel Beckett, highlighting the various interpretations of this unconventional play.
Ali discusses the last season of BoJack Horseman, sharing her thoughts on the final arcs for BoJack, Diane, Princess Carolyn, Todd and Mr. Peanutbutter. She also talks about the brilliant penultimate episode, "The View From Halfway Down," sharing a few behind-the-scene tidbits along the way, and she praises the series finale, "Nice While It Lasted," as a wonderful send-off to this exceptional show. Afterward, she shares a BoJack Horseman story she wrote to coincide with the final season called "Nothing Unsaid."
Ali shares a new short story she wrote called “Here's What It's Like" for this special bonus episode.
Ali discusses her favorite show about a group of lovable weirdos, New Girl, created by Liz Meriwether. She shares her favorite episodes from each season, touching on hilarious one-liners, heartwarming couple milestones and sweet friendship moments that make this series the perfect blend of humorous and heartfelt. Afterward, she shares a New Girl story she wrote called “Again.”
Ali discusses "Nirvana," an award-winning short story by Adam Johnson, recapping key plot points and sharing why the story stuck with her.
Ali and returning guest, Patricia, each share their top 5 favorite animated protagonists.
Ali discusses George Bernard Shaw's famous play based on the Greek mythology of the same name, Pygmalion, recapping key plot points and touching on a few of its many adaptations.
Ali celebrates her birthday by sharing memories of birthday parties and traditions growing up.
Ali discusses the musical, The Phantom of the Opera, composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and based on the French novel by Gaston Leroux. She reminisces about seeing the musical twice on Broadway and shares which song is her favorite from this dark, captivating, longest-running Broadway show.
Ali and returning guest, Casey, discuss the long-running series, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, created by Rob McElhenney. They discuss favorite episodes, character-defining moments and hilarious quotes, plus their thoughts on the gang's dynamic and the clever anti-sitcom mentality of the show.
Ali shares a new short story she wrote called “Guardian of the Night.” She also talks a little about New Year's resolutions to close out 2019 and ring in 2020.
Ali discusses the Christmas specials of South Park, starting with the two animated short films that led to the series, The Spirit of Christmas: Jesus vs. Frosty (1992) and The Spirit of Christmas: Jesus vs. Santa (1995), followed by all of the classic Christmas episodes from the show: "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo" (season 1), "Merry Christmas, Charlie Manson!" (season 2), "Mr. Hankey’s Christmas Classics" (season 3), "A Very Crappy Christmas" (season 4), "Red Sleigh Down" (season 6), "It’s Christmas in Canada" (season 7) and "Woodland Critter Christmas" (season 8).
Ali discusses the beloved Christmas special based on the song of the same name, Frosty the Snowman, sharing her favorite moments and why it still makes her emotional every year.
Ali discusses the short story, "The Gift of the Magi," by O. Henry, highlighting the true act of selflessness despite the irony in this well-known Christmas tale.
Ali interviews Emmy award-winning writer, lyricist and composer, David Steven Cohen, whose credits include Pee-wee’s Playhouse, ALF, Arthur, Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, Balto and many other projects, including serving as the head writer on Courage the Cowardly Dog. David shares how he got his start, notable moments in his career, favorite episodes and songs he’s written, his experience as the executive producer of the Writers Guild Awards, advice for up and coming writers, what he’s currently working on and much more!
Ali discusses the TV movie, Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie, written by series creator, Craig Bartlett, along with Joe Purdy, Laura Sreebny and Justin Charlebois. She recaps all her favorite moments while reliving the excitement of this long-awaited movie. Afterward, she shares another Hey Arnold! story she wrote called "Audaciously Flirting."
Ali discusses the movie that kicked off the Disney Renaissance era, The Little Mermaid. She talks about why “Part of Your World” is her all-time favorite Disney song and recaps her favorite moments from this beloved film.
Ali discusses the fantastically creepy cartoon, Courage the Cowardly Dog, created by John R. Dilworth. She reminisces about lines she and her siblings would always quote, terrifying villains that freaked her out as a kid and why Courage is the perfect protagonist for always facing his fears to protect his owners since, as he always says, "The things I do for love."
Ali discusses the important life lessons learned throughout the lives of the four March sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy—in Louisa May Alcott’s timeless novel, Little Women.
Ali discusses storytelling clichés including hackneyed phrases, stereotypical characters, love triangles, miscommunications and many other tropes.
Ali discusses the movie, Kiki’s Delivery Service, written, produced and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. She reminisces about watching the movie with her siblings and gushes over how much she loves Kiki’s black cat, Jiji. She also talks about the powerful message of finding what inspires you in order to regain your confidence as depicted through Kiki’s journey in this coming-of-age film.
Ali discusses the amazing Nicktoon, Hey Arnold!, created by Craig Bartlett. She shares her interesting interpretation of the show’s title when she was a kid, poignant moments that move her to tears, various lines that always crack her up, key scenes that stood out to her as a kid and what she feels is the all-encompassing theme of the series. She also talks about the qualities she admires most about Arnold and the reasons Helga G. Pataki is one of her all-time favorite characters. Afterward, she shares a Hey Arnold! story she wrote called "Care."
Ali discusses the movie, The Devil Wears Prada, starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway, recapping her favorite moments from this fashion-centric film.
Ali shares tips from various articles about crafting effective story endings. She also shares a super short story she wrote for a college assignment called “The End.”
Ali discusses the gut-bustingly hilarious cartoon, Ed, Edd n Eddy, created by Danny Antonucci. She shares her favorite episodes, quotes and fourth wall breaking moments, plus a few behind-the-scene tidbits and her theory on what's under Double Dee's hat. She also shares her thoughts on the fitting series finale, Ed, Edd n Eddy’s Big Picture Show, and she shares an Ed, Edd n Eddy story she wrote called “Edd the Stud.”
Ali discusses the movie, Invader ZIM: Enter the Florpus, written by series creator, Jhonen Vasquez. She shares everything she loved about the movie in all of its ridiculous glory, from the incredible visuals to the hilarious dialogue to the surprisingly sweet moments. Afterward, she shares another Invader ZIM story she wrote called "Sitting in a Tree."
Ali celebrates the first anniversary of Storytelling Saga by sharing behind-the-scene details of the podcast, from preparing, recording and editing to her goals for the podcast as it heads into its second year. She also shares some advice if you're thinking about starting your own podcast, and she shares an extremely short story she wrote a while back called "Rules of Rejection."
Ali and special guest, Sylvie, discuss the Netflix special, Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling, written by series creator, Joe Murray, with additional writing from Mr. Lawrence, Martin Olson, Cosmo Segurson, Dan Becker and Tom Smith. They discuss first reactions to finding out Rocko's Modern Life was getting a special, favorite meta jokes and callbacks, thoughts on the overall theme and message, their opinions on how this special compares to other Nicktoon reboots and much more!
Ali discusses the powerful imagery and the connecting theme of motherhood in Sue Monk Kidd’s critically acclaimed novel, The Secret Life of Bees.
Ali discusses her all-time favorite childhood cartoon and one of the original three Nicktoons, Rugrats, created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó and Paul Germain. She shares some of her favorite episodes and heartwarming moments throughout the series, plus all the ways she admires her favoritest baby, Tommy Pickles. A baby's gotta do what a baby's gotta do!
Ali discusses a short story about the complications of planning a simple wedding called "A Most Blessed and Auspicious Occasion" from Raphael Bob-Waksberg's book of short stories, Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory. She also touches on a few lines from other stories in the book that resonated with her.
Ali discusses the iconic Disney movie, The Lion King (1994), its direct-to-video sequel, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998), as well as its clever retelling, The Lion King 1½ (2004). She shares her thoughts on everything that makes the original film such an absolute masterpiece. She also reminisces about seeing The Lion King musical on Broadway, and she compares the original movie to the 2019 remake. Hakuna matata!
Ali shares stories about her cousins growing up involving video games, family vacations, sleepovers and holidays.
Ali discusses Betty Smith’s bestselling novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. She shares all the ways she admires and relates to the heroine, Francie Nolan, and she talks about the significance of the tree’s metaphor throughout the novel.
Ali discusses the iconic show about nothing, Seinfeld, created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. She shares her favorite episodes, noteworthy catchphrases and relatable situations that make this sitcom so timeless and one of her all-time favorite series.
Ali discusses Pixar’s first feature film, Toy Story (1995), and its sequels, Toy Story 2 (1999), Toy Story 3 (2010) and Toy Story 4 (2019). She shares her favorite moments from each movie that make up this phenomenal franchise and capture the universal themes of friendship, growing up, purpose and unconditional love.
Ali discusses the movie, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, written by series creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, along with Pam Brady. She reminisces about watching the movie for the first time with her siblings on a long car ride home, reliving all the filthy language and fantastic songs.
Ali discusses the popular fan parody series, Yu-Gi-Oh! The Abridged Series, created by LittleKuriboh. She shares her favorite ridiculously hilarious moments from the spoof series while attempting to make sense of the actual series’ plot. She also reveals which pairing she’d ship. “Screw the rules, I have [a podcast]!”
Ali discusses Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. She reads memorable passages from this noteworthy work of fiction, praising the main characters' values while highlighting the important themes of empathy, courage, morality and justice.
Ali shares stories about sleepovers she’s hosted and attended throughout her childhood and adolescence.
Ali discusses the hit sitcom, The Big Bang Theory, created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady. She shares her favorite episodes, memorable scenes and sweet couple milestones. She also shares fun behind-the-scene details from her experience attending a taping of one of the final few episodes of the series. Afterward, she shares a Big Bang Theory story she wrote called "The Left and Right Brain Dichotomy."
Ali shares a new short story she wrote called “Friendship Bracelets.” She also talks about a few shows she’s currently watching and upcoming movies she’s excited to see.
Ali discusses the movie adaptation of the first book in Ann Brashares' bestselling young adult novel series, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. She tracks the story arcs of each of the four main characters while touching on the timeless themes of self-love, growth, family, grief and, above all else, the true bond of everlasting friendship.
Ali discusses her all-time favorite Disney movie, Aladdin. She quotes her favorite lines and reminisces about watching the film repeatedly as a kid. She also compares the movie to its Broadway musical adaptation.
Ali discusses the nautical Nicktoon, SpongeBob SquarePants, created by Stephen Hillenburg. She shares her favorite episodes, hilarious quotes, classic songs and various memories growing up with this iconic show. She also reminisces about seeing The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie and SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical.
Ali discusses the movie, Bridesmaids, written by Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig, sharing her favorite moments and funny lines from this female-driven comedy.
Ali discusses the short story, "Who Will Greet You at Home," admiring the creative yet heartbreaking tale from a book of short stories called What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah. She also talks about the reason she bought the book per a recommendation from the creator of one of her all-time favorite TV shows and how she had the opportunity to meet him and chat with him about it.
Ali discusses J. D. Salinger's popular novel, The Catcher in the Rye. She analyzes the main character, Holden Caulfield, focusing on his unique way of speaking, his hypocritical hatred of all things phony and his cynical feelings toward growing up. She also talks about important symbolism throughout the novel and the key theme of preserving innocence.
Ali discusses the hilarious Nicktoon, The Angry Beavers, created by Mitch Schauer. She shares her favorite episodes, funny exchanges and sweet brotherly moments, plus plenty of the show’s distinct mispronunciations. She also talks about why her opinion has changed from when she was a kid on which of the Beaver brothers is her favorite.
Ali and special guest, Patricia Miranda of Old School Lane, each share their top 5 favorite animated antagonists.
Ali discusses the movie, Spice World, starring the Spice Girls. She shares memories about watching the movie with her friends, collecting Spice Girls stickers, favorite Spice Girls songs and her favorite Spice Girl as a kid.
Ali discusses the Broadway musical, Newsies. She reminsices about seeing the show during its final few weeks on Broadway, sharing her favorite songs and admiring the musical for its amazing choreography, creative set designs and encouraging message.
Ali discusses the Disney movie, Zootopia, praising its writing, animation, voice acting and music, all of which contribute to the film's incredibly pertinent message. Afterward, she shares a Zootopia story she wrote called "Just One Date."
Ali discusses the witty, heartfelt, yet unfortunately short-lived series, Selfie, created by Emily Kapnek. She shares funny lines and heartwarming moments from each episode while referring to the show’s timely commentary on the pitfalls of social media obsession.
Ali discusses S. E. Hinton’s powerful coming-of-age novel, The Outsiders. She reads passages and talks about important character moments as well as the significance of the novel’s famous quote, “Stay gold, Ponyboy.”
Ali interviews Seventeen Snapchat Editor and author of Hey Arnold! Guide to Relationships, Stacey Grant. Stacey shares about her career path, favorite articles she's written and people she's interviewed, her thoughts on reboots, favorite Nickelodeon shows and much more.
Ali discusses Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling compiled by former Pixar storyboard artist, Emma Coats, drawing examples from different Pixar films along the way.
Ali discusses the a cappella comedy movie, Pitch Perfect, written by Kay Cannon, sharing her favorite lines and highlighting the positive message of this feel-good film.
Ali interviews music director, Casey Reed. He talks about his experience working on various projects, favorite composers and Broadway musicals, the importance of music in storytelling, tips for aspiring professional musicians and much more. Plus, an impromptu discussion about favorite Nicktoon composers.
Ali counts down her favorite books from early childhood, including The Cat in the Hat, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Goodnight Moon and more.
Ali discusses the famous novella by Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol. She reads passages and talks about how its timeless message warrants its many adaptations.
Ali discusses the first original animated Peanuts special, A Charlie Brown Christmas, written by Charles Schulz. She shares some interesting facts about the special and cites all the moments that make it so iconic.
Ali discusses the animated Christmas special based on the book of the same name, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! She shares her favorite moments and cites some lyrics from the classic song, “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.”
Ali discusses the beloved Christmas comedy film, Elf, sharing her favorite quotes and a few fun facts along the way while emphasizing the joyful spirit that makes this a fun movie to enjoy all year round.
Ali interviews Emmy award-winning showrunner, writer and producer, Jerry Perzigian, who's worked on many classic sitcoms including The Jeffersons, The Golden Girls, Frasier, Married... with Children and more. Jerry shares how he got his start in the industry, his most rewarding moments in his career, his thoughts on the current age of television, his advice for aspiring TV comedy writers and much more.
Ali discusses The Rugrats Movie, the first theatrical film based on her all-time favorite childhood cartoon, Rugrats, created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó and Paul Germain. She reminisces about the hype leading up to the movie and her experience dancing to one of the songs from the soundtrack. She also shares her favorite quotes and talks about the emotional moments that still make her tear up all these years later.
Ali discusses the post-apocalyptic comedy, The Last Man on Earth, created by Will Forte. She recaps story arcs from each season while referencing the show's silly humor as well as its many dark moments.
Ali discusses the key foreshadowing moments in John Steinbeck’s classic novella, Of Mice and Men.
Ali discusses the cult Nicktoon, Invader ZIM, created by Jhonen Vasquez. She talks about her favorite episodes, quotes and character interactions while sharing various behind-the-scenes facts she’s learned about the series. She also expresses her excitement about the upcoming movie, Invader ZIM: Enter the Florpus, and she shares an Invader ZIM story she wrote called “Dodgeball of Doom.”
Ali discusses the third original animated Peanuts special, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, written by Charles Schulz. She shares her favorite moments and touches on Peanuts' influence in other works of animation.
Ali shares writing tips with a focus on key elements to crafting a story, including character, conflict, dialogue and more. She also talks about the classic rule of showing vs. telling, and she shares a few tips on how to combat writer’s block.
Ali discusses the short story, "Sea Oak," written by George Saunders, citing various excerpts and the important message surrounded by its disturbing content.
Ali discusses the movie, Mean Girls, written by Tina Fey, sharing memorable lines and highlighting its noteworthy messages along the way.
Ali discusses the adult animated Netflix series, BoJack Horseman, created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg. She talks about why it’s one of her all-time favorite shows, citing its many innovative storytelling devices, favorite running gags, lines that make her laugh, moments that make her cry, pivotal themes and much more. Afterward, she shares a BoJack Horseman story she wrote called “Temporarily Forget.”
Ali discusses The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the acclaimed epistolary novel by Stephen Chbosky. She cites various quotes that resonate with her, compares the novel to its movie adaptation and talks about the qualities she admires most about the main character, Charlie.
Ali gives an overview of what to expect from the podcast and shares a short story she wrote called “Fairy Tale Reimagined.”