The Fourth Wall

Adult Swim has been the home for many influential pieces of alternative comedy, but Childrens Hospital is a series that helped the fledgling network establish their brand. The Dadaist comedy helped bring live-action to the programming block as well as an enviable cast and crew of comedic talent.Childrens Hospital was a jewel in Adult Swim's line-up for the seven seasons that it ran. However, the series has decided to gloriously return in the form of a police procedural parody series on Netflix, Medical Police. Medical Police retains the absurdity of Childrens Hospital, but gives it a glossy action makeover and makes Drs. Owen Maestro (Rob Huebel) and Lola Spratt (Erinn Hayes) the series' driving forces. The result is one of Netflix's silliest series in ages and a very worthy follow-up to Childrens Hospital.We got the opportunity to talk with Rob Huebel and Erinn Hayes about their return to the characters Owen Maestro and Lola Spratt, how Medical Police differs from Childrens Hospital, and their favorite moments from subverting action tropes. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Even though violence, gore, and sex fill Adult Swim's airwaves, there are still wholesome rays of positivity that shine through the nihilism. Joe Pera Talks With You is almost anti-comedy in how simple and genuine it is. Spun off from his popular infomercial specials, Joe Pera's series looks at his various mundane passions as he tries to give the audience a brief education on these topics of his choosing. Pera's unique, gentle personality and the unusual comedic sensibilities of the show's creative team, Conner O'Malley and Jo Firestone, result in a program that is truly like no other.The first season of Joe Pera Talks With You made a strong impression, and season 2 only continues that goodwill and pushes Joe to more unexpected places. With the show having returned on December 6th, Den of Geek contributor Daniel Kurland had the opportunity to talk with Joe Pera about what's ahead, the powerful majesty of lighthouses, and what his dream episode would look like. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Writing the score for an adult animated comic-based property like Harley Quinn is probably far from the typical experience for a composer, but Jefferson Friedman is equal to the task. Having already scored for DC's short-lived live action comedy, Powerless, Friedman knows his way around this particular universe. He's also composing music for NBC's New Amsterdam, which couldn't be more opposite to Harley Quinn, but even there Friedman finds some similarities that he shares with us. He also talks about the process he uses to create the different themes and how he got an opportunity to actually create new music for the DC Universe logo animation in addition to the score of one of its most successful animated properties, Harley Quinn, which just aired its second episode as of this podcast publication. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Maybe it was the timing of Limetown as a podcast, coming out a year after Serial made the audio medium a commodity, that made it a viral success in 2015 in addition to the compelling nature of the story, but it was undoubtedly that strong narrative that helped the sci-fi mystery make the transition to television so successfully. Season one of the adaptation recently wrapped up on Facebook Watch with millions of views per episode and plenty of rabid fans begging for more, and we took the opportunity on The Fourth Wall podcast to ask creators Zack Akers and Skip Bronkie what made the show a hit in both formats. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The best superheroes in comics lore have inspired readers for decades, so it should come as no surprise that when Disney+ launches its streaming service with plenty of new and existing Marvel content, it will seek to lift our hearts with stories of real life heroes in Marvel's Hero Project. This non-fiction series will tell the stories of kids who have overcome adversity to make a difference in their communities and become their own kind of superhero to those around them. We spoke with executive producers Sarah Amos and Stephen Wacker about the new feel-good docuseries premiering on November 12, 2019. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Fast and Furious movies have always capitalized on over-the-top action and stunts that defy the laws of physics, but a sense of family among the major players in the saga, even between those who don't always get along like the title characters in Hobbs & Shaw, has always been at the core of the drama.Chris Morgan has been the screenwriter for the franchise since Tokyo Drift, and as each sequel expanded the world beyond street racing, it was clear that a cinematic universe had been born. On this edition of the podcast, we talked to Morgan about Hobbs & Shaw, which is coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray and DVD on November 15, and how this spin-off opens up all sorts of possibilities for reaching new audiences. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ben Smith is no stranger to Jason Bourne and his associated movie adaptations from the Robert Ludlum novels, having produced a number of the theatrical versions of the tale of sleeper assassins. Now, along with Universal Content Productions, he is presenting a prequel of sorts on television in the form of Treadstone, coming to the USA Network on October 15, 2019. The TV series will explore the origins of the black ops initiative that turned ordinary people into deadly assassins that could be activated at any time. With storylines taking place in the 70s as well as in modern times, Treadstone appears poised to give us an action-packed international romp worth of Ludlum and (ahem) the Bourne legacy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jake Kasdan directed and produced the wildly successful Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and now he and his wonderful cast is coming back for Jumanji 2: The Next Level, premiering in theaters December 13, 2019. This interview was conducted just as the first movie was released on DVD and Blu-ray, but it still feels relevant today as news trickles in about the sequel, which finds Danny Devito and Danny Glover inside the game playing Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart's characters. Join us as we reflect with Jake Kasdan on what makes this adaptation different from its predecessors and from any other video game based narrative. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

David Schwartz has given us some of the most memorable television themes in modern times, from his very first gig as the composer for Northern Exposure with its signature creole sound to the final seasons of The Good Place and Veep in coming months. Schwartz spoke to us about the unlikely start of his career and the twists and turns along the way, including an interesting story about how a trip to Bora Bora led to the very distinctive opening music for Arrested Development. We gain a bit of insight into how Schwartz puts together a unique combination of instruments for his themes and why having producers that have musical talent themselves can be a blessing and a curse in his profession. The Good Place season 4 begins on September 26, 2019. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We spoke to Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, the creators of The Dark Crystal prequel series on Netflix subtitled Age of Resistance, about reinventing this Jim Henson Company movie classic for television. Showrunner Javier Grillo-Marxuach also joined us to talk to us about the development journey of this unique puppet-driven fantasy. The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance drops on August 30, the same day as this podcast episode, and the series has a five-star review from our Den of Geek reviewer. Come listen to this spoiler-free conversation about how it all started! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It takes a special kind of stunt coordinator to manage a show like Cobra Kai, in which the fight choreography is central to the story. That's where married couple and professional pairing Hiro Koda and Jahnel Curfman come in. The design duo has been nominated for their work on season 2 of Cobra Kai, and they spoke to us about how they coordinate such a large number of sequences for a single show. Koda was also the stunt coordinator for season 3 of Strangers Things and Ozark, and Curfman worked on the sets of Venom and Avatar and served as the stunt double for Sandra Bullock in Birdbox as well as for Karen Gillan in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and the upcoming Jumanji: The Next Level. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Shawn Hatosy has been killing it as Andrew "Pope" Cody on TNT's Animal Kingdom for four seasons now, and with the recent renewal announcement for season 5, we're happy that there's more criminal mayhem to come from the Cody family. Hatosy had his directorial debut for an episode last season, and this week's episode entitled "Julia" was also directed by the longtime TV and movie actor of Outside Providence and Southland. He came on The Fourth Wall to talk about his experience as a director and the character development for Pope, and he also acknowledges a coincidental personal connection to our podcast host and editor, Michael Ahr. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After Moon garnered praise at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, director Duncan Jones won a BAFTA Award for Outstanding Debut by a British Director, and the science fiction story starring Sam Rockwell quickly became a modern classic. Now, upon the tenth anniversary of the movie's release, new viewers and established fans alike can enjoy the story of a lone astronaut in the final stretch of his three-year contract mining the lunar surface in a special 4K Ultra HD release available as of July 16, 2019. We spoke to Jones about what new things might pop off the screen in this high definition version of his first film. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Abraham Rodriguez, who plays Nate on Power Rangers Beast Morphers, takes the character's braininess and lack of athleticism as a challenge. Nate is far from a typical hero, but that brings a depth Rodriguez enjoys. In this interview conducted by our Power Rangers expert, Shamus Kelley, the actor recalls his initial ideas about the character, becoming the Gold Ranger, and what fans can look forward to with his robot “brother”, the Silver Ranger. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sometimes it can be a thankless task to be part of the comedy duo in any Power Rangers iteration, but Kristina Ho has taken the role of Betty Burke and turned it into a fan favorite character that brings an undeniable energy to the show as Hasbro takes over the franchise. The episode of the podcast is the first of a two-part visit with the cast of Power Rangers Beast Morphers conducted by our resident expert, Shamus Kelley. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What We Do in the Shadows on FX is unique among single camera comedies in that it makes use of special effects but also strives for a realistic mockumentary feel. With the show wrapping up its stellar first season on May 29, 2019, we spoke with cinematographer DJ Stipsen, who also worked on the original New Zealand movie directed by and starring Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement that inspired the series, and Brendan Taylor, who acted as visual effects supervisor, making the vampires and their powers look as real as possible while preserving the believability of the world the show tries to create. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Kevin Heffernan and Steve Lemme are best known for their work with the Broken Lizard comedy troupe, the group responsible for a string of comedy films in the 2000s, like the first Super Troopers and Beerfest, that shaped American comedic sensibilities at the movies for a decade. With their original truTV series Tacoma FD, however, Heffernan and Lemme wanted to do something a little different. The show premiered in late March and gradually gained a niche following that has resulted in some pretty good ratings for the network. Ahead of the season finale next Thursday, the longtime friends and collaborators spoke to Den of Geek about the inspiration for the series, its surprisingly familial themes, and more for The Fourth Wall podcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Imagine a player piano that can play along with a live human, weaving intricate harmonies and rhythms based on what the pianist is playing but modified by algorithms that invert, echo, or otherwise mimic the live performance to provide, in essence, a robot accompanist. It may sound like something out of Westworld, but it's actually the method jazz pianist Dan Tepfer uses in his improvisational live performances and on his new album, Natural Machines, which has its digital release on May 17, 2019. We spoke with Tepfer about how he came up with the idea of playing alongside a computer and using math with music. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Catherine Hardwicke may be known for directing of movies like Twilight and Thirteen, but her recent remake of action thriller Miss Bala is notable for the reframing of its female protagonist for a modern audience. Kayti Burt spoke with Hardwicke about the home entertainment release of Miss Bala, adapting a Spanish-language movie for English-speaking audiences, and her experiences as a woman director among male peers. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our staff writer Matthew Schuchman is a huge Terry Gilliam fan, and his knowledge of the great director's work gave this interview a well-rounded feel - perfect for a true "fourth wall" experience. The two met up in New York to talk about The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, but the discussion ranges from Gilliam's earlier films like Brazil and The Fisher King to the upcoming TV adaptation of Time Bandits to why you should never watch a movie on your cell phone. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our interview with Emmy-nominated production designer Drew Boughton is a true example of The Fourth Wall's mission: to allow creative people to talk directly to our audience in a voice that's not always heard. What does a production designer do? How did Boughton create the looks for the various cultures represented in the alternate 1960s history of The Man in the High Castle? We got some great insight into how a set goes from drawing to construction in this episode of the podcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Megan Crouse, our resident Star Wars expert and host of another podcast here at Den of Geek called Star Wars Blaster Canon, sat down with composer Ryan Shore, who is responsible for the music design for the Disney animated series Star Wars Forces of Destiny and Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures. While the former allows for full-length original scores, the latter calls for Shore to weave together John Williams' original music with his own design. Hear all about Shore's process as we break through the fourth wall to bring you right into a composer's world. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ultraman has a rich history in Japan spanning decades, so it will take special skill to unify the many incarnations of the hero into cohesive transmedia universe. Jeff Gomez, CEO of Starlight Runner Entertainment, is equal to the task, and he spoke to our Tokusatsu expert, Shamus Kelley, about how his company accomplishes the task of building a mythology, not only for Ultraman, but also properties like Avatar, Spider-Man, Men in Black, and more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Den of Geek movies editor David Crow went to Park City for Sundance this year, and he talked to us about his favorite movies of the festival. Among the topics up for discussion are The Lodge, Little Monsters, The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Hail Satan, and Honey Boy. Find out why these made David's shortlist for films to watch out for at your local indie theaters. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"Murr" from Impractical Jokers is also James S. Murray, noted horror thriller author. His debut novel Awakened just came out in the summer of 2018, and he's here to talk about its origins and inspiration and about the coming trilogy, which continues with book 2, The Brink, in summer 2019. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We spoke to Haley Joel Osment about his role as Stu Camillo in Future Man on Hulu and how Stu resembles some other characters Osment has played in the past. With Kingdom Hearts 3's recent release, we had to ask him about voicing Sora as well. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.