A Lot More with The Jennifer Hudson Show’s Andy Lassner and Angie Green

0:00 with the success of the spirit tunnel um which has been remarkable.

0:04 What are we at now?

0:04 Six billion views or something like

0:07 so many mine.

0:09 It's something like that.

0:10 We're in the billions from Okay, then it was my idea.

0:12 The average

0:14 then I did come up with this time.

0:16 Sounds about right.

0:23 Welcome to the Warner Brothers lot.

0:24 I'm Jonathan Buckley and this is a lot more.

0:26 The Jennifer Hudson Show keeps going from strength to strength,

0:30 helped along by the viral sensation of, of course, The Spirit Tunnel.

0:34 And to talk all about it,

0:35 we're here with the producers today, Andy Lassner and Andy Green.

0:38 Andy, Angie, thank you so much for coming in and congratulations on season five.

0:43 Can't believe it.

0:43 Thank you very much.

0:44 It's so cool to be here.

0:45 Do you wait in with baited breath to hear the news when Absolutely.

0:50 Yeah.

0:51 And you know, historically,

0:53 I think every producer knows what that anxiety is like,

0:56 but the way daytime television has been going lately

0:59 and a lot a lot of television, you know,

1:02 it's it's much harder to get renewed and um based

1:05 on the economics and based on the the day part.

1:08 And so for us, it was really exciting cuz, you know,

1:12 we're seeing our friends at other shows being cancelled and going away.

1:16 And that's kind of heartbreaking.

1:18 Yeah, it's heartbreaking.

1:19 Everyone's like, "Oh, good for you guys.

1:20 you're still making it and they're gone.

1:21 And I'm like, no, it's like all boats rise if when,

1:25 you know, it's it's good for the industry if there's more shows.

1:28 What do you think is contributing to that?

1:30 People have so many choices.

1:32 Yeah.

1:32 There's, you know, we you know, when I started,

1:34 which is I don't think she was born, um the uh

1:38 I'm not going to say my age right now.

1:39 I'm really old.

1:40 Um as a daytime show, you competed against daytime.

1:45 Yeah.

1:45 And now we're competing against the internet

1:46 and Tik Tok and like literally everything.

1:49 The JA show has done such a great job of like um crossing that line as well.

1:54 Like probably better than just about any other show

1:57 I can think of off the top of my head.

1:59 Well, I would say the biggest part of that is

2:01 this young lady and the the spirit tunnel team.

2:04 That's what I was going to say too.

2:05 Your dream your dream is to just get some attention no matter how,

2:10 you know, and be noticed and pop into the zeitgeist.

2:14 And then these young amazing people came up with this tunnel that we,

2:18 you know, we didn't know what it was going to be.

2:20 And I was like, it's kind of weird.

2:21 They're cheering for Jennifer.

2:23 Like, what's going on?

2:24 What is this?

2:25 And there's all this energy.

2:26 And I'm like, all right.

2:27 Okay.

2:28 And then I think we've done really well at going behind the curtain.

2:31 I think that's what separates us from

2:33 other shows.

2:34 And I think people want to see that.

2:36 You know what I mean?

2:37 And because we have fun doing it and we're

2:40 making these customized songs and we're seeing these celebrity guests,

2:44 everyone's fans of these people.

2:46 We're giving them their flowers and all of a sudden

2:47 you're just seeing them be silly dancing in a hallway.

2:50 It's the most random thing ever.

2:53 Totally.

2:54 But it just works so well, you know, and I don't think any of us were

2:58 really prepared for how popular it would become.

3:02 Is it something that was planned or just kind of organically grew out of a

3:08 It definitely general idea

3:10 grew.

3:10 I started this I started working at Jay Hood in season 2,

3:13 but in season 1 um staffers still lined up

3:16 and you know cheered Jennifer as she went onto stage

3:19 and then come season two it kind of morphed into customized songs.

3:26 I I just don't even know like it just for Jennifer and then

3:29 it became okay now we got to do this for our celebrity guests and

3:33 and that came from Jennifer cuz she was like you

3:35 know like Angie said she came season two but season

3:37 one what it really I mean it started really is

3:39 what you would see when a basketball team runs out

3:45 I mean and that's what I grew up a spirit

3:47 tunnel being was just like that and then it just

3:51 evolved into this thing and as soon as they started

3:53 coming in with these chants and these songs and the joy.

3:56 She She was like, she loved it, but then she's like, I want guests to feel this.

4:01 Yeah.

4:00 But we weren't taping it.

4:02 We weren't That's That's the thing is people don't understand.

4:04 We weren't doing it for We didn't start taping it until well into that year.

4:08 We're like, "We should shoot some of these.

4:09 They're kind of fun." But it wasn't set out like that.

4:12 It was liter and I think that's why it sort

4:14 of resonated because it's becomes it started out so organically of like

4:19 not everybody is excited to go out on a talk show.

4:23 There's people who are tremendous actors, tremendous actresses,

4:26 but the other part of that business is going out

4:28 and promoting and having to do interviews and talk about yourself.

4:31 And there's something about being hyped up

4:33 and getting excited that it made people happy.

4:36 So, by the time they hit Jennifer for the actual show and interview,

4:41 they were ready.

4:42 Jazz and pumped and the energyy's high and very exciting.

4:45 They're sweated.

4:45 They need touchups.

4:46 Like, they got to like do glam all over again to get ready.

4:50 Yeah.

4:51 You've been producing for so long.

4:55 Um, but from a producers's perspective,

4:57 is it something that could be created or did it

4:59 just have to happen this way just kind of organically?

5:02 I mean, I think every the inception of an idea can come a lot of different ways,

5:06 but this is certainly not anything that came into my head.

5:09 I think a lot of my personal success

5:12 in this business has not been from generating ideas.

5:15 It's been being smart enough to listen to people who have the great ideas.

5:21 And so it was so foreign and yet there

5:24 was this energy and this feeling of you know

5:29 yeah I think it probably had this thing had

5:31 to probably be organic or it would have felt contrived maybe.

5:36 Um

5:36 and I only say that because I see a lot of people trying

5:38 to do spirit tunnels now and those feel a little bit you know

5:41 create something that just came came natural.

5:42 It's tricky.

5:43 So for me it's just I I'm always I'm like I'm glad to be part of this ride,

5:48 but but it really it really is is Angie

5:52 and this core team and then the rest of the staff

5:55 who put it together every day and these are people with full-time jobs.

5:59 Yeah.

5:59 you know, we're still producing 136 episodes and it's not like

6:04 and they're integr

6:09 and so in addition to that, they're creating chants and songs and rehearsing

6:15 and and you're just like this is unbelievable.

6:17 It seems like a lot of work to do as fun as it is at the time.

6:23 behind the choosing the songs for guest.

6:30 Let's go into the weeds a little bit.

6:31 How does it how does it work?

6:32 How do we create a spirit tunnel?

6:35 Usually the obviously the guest gets booked and we immediately

6:38 have like a group chat where we start brainstorming like

6:41 if you love this person, let's look at their Instagram.

6:44 What do you know about them?

6:46 You know, and try to figure out what song would make them dance.

6:49 Our goal is to get you to come down the hallway and dance.

6:54 You know what I mean?

6:54 Some people come down and they walk and they just want to wave and be cool.

6:57 And we love that, too.

6:58 But we really want to see you the way the world hasn't seen you yet.

7:02 You know what I mean?

7:02 Cuz we're in our mind,

7:04 it's a labor of love and we're giving

7:05 you your flowers because we're a fan and we

7:07 support you and want you to have

7:08 a good time because it's the happy place, right?

7:11 So, we just start pitching each other ideas

7:14 and sometimes we vote on who has the best idea.

7:16 Sometimes it can get competitive of which song is better.

7:19 I mean, we just

7:21 we really go for it.

7:22 And then we just come up with like words to say.

7:25 So like obviously our show's theme is feel the love this season.

7:28 We incorporate spirit tunnel, hallway, walking to stage.

7:31 There's certain words that we kind of use in each tunnel.

7:35 Um and then yeah, just put the melody to it to whatever song.

7:39 And

7:41 yeah,

7:41 and it's you know,

7:42 it's a lot, but it's fun.

7:44 It's a lot.

7:44 And I think one of the things we try and do with our segment producers and all

7:48 of us is to really make it clear

7:50 to the guests when they're booked there's no pressure

7:54 because I'll admit this right now.

7:55 I have actual nightmares uh where I'm coming

7:58 out of a room and there's a spirit tunnel.

8:01 You need Hudson for that sketch was it was so accurate.

8:08 It's like literally my nightmare to go down

8:09 at Spirit Tunnel and we're having these celebrities

8:11 do it every day and I'm like this is more than they signed up for.

8:14 But the truth is they all love doing it.

8:17 But what's really fun is there's certain ones who are like taking

8:20 that as seriously as any other part of their day and so they're calling ahead.

8:25 They're they're having their publicist, you know, Michelle Obama Yeah.

8:29 had a very specific song she wanted.

8:31 Okay.

8:32 And and they come with songs and she she wanted Stevie Wonder.

8:35 Correct.

8:36 She was she was all about it.

8:38 And it's great.

8:38 Some of them take it really really seriously.

8:41 But for the people who haven't prepared

8:42 and some of those tunnels end up being great, too, cuz they're like, "Well,

8:46 no one's cheering for me like this anywhere in my life.

8:49 This is kind of fantastic."

8:50 Was it Chris Perfetti we had in here that was like did an amazing job.

8:54 And when I asked him about he's like,

8:56 "If only I had have known in advance what a spirit tunnel was."

9:00 Right.

9:00 We And his went so viral.

9:02 He was like dropping it low on his knees.

9:04 Like we had so much fun with Chris Perfetti.

9:06 He's he's a good time.

9:07 Yeah.

9:07 So there's now an awareness out there and because

9:10 it has taken on this life of its own.

9:12 I know that you did a little bit of a refresh for season 4 of the hallway.

9:17 Of the hallway specifically,

9:18 but is there anything that you you thinking of maybe adding for season five?

9:23 The nice thing about our show is we we finish our season and then

9:27 we have a nice chunk of time between seasons and that's when we'll go what's

9:31 brainstorm because you got to you got to level up and you know

9:33 and really leveling up this year just meant getting rid of some old

9:37 I mean the carpeting was the same we had

9:41 yeah lighting microphones it's like it's it's a it's its own stage

9:46 and the team that you get to line the hallway is

9:51 that collecting people from the building Are there people vying to be when

9:54 because obviously when there's certain celebrities

9:56 that come in like there's a chance

9:57 I'd be like can I can I spirit tunnel this week because

10:01 you're always welcome but we really encourage people

10:04 to show up for all of them if they can.

10:06 It's staff and crew that's coming.

10:07 That's those are fellow producers, crew, props department,

10:12 but we're you know we're taping sometimes three shows a day.

10:14 We're doing like eight shows in a week.

10:16 We can't always get people to work.

10:18 this these are our employees and sometimes they're

10:20 producing the next day's show or they're on you

10:22 know they're on the phone with with whatever celebrities

10:25 pre-ining them for tomorrow so they can't be there.

10:28 So yes, there's a lot of like you know 30 seconds

10:31 till the tunnel we need people in the hallway now like rallying.

10:36 Um and then of course you you wouldn't know

10:37 that when you see it cuz then everyone's doing it

10:40 cuz learning them songs would be difficult.

10:42 I don't know how you remember all the lyrics when you're doing you say

10:44 four shows a day so it's at least four guests in a at least

10:48 well well it's more like two and a half three shows

10:50 a day but some days it's as much as 10 tunnels like

10:54 we also think Jennifer gets her tunnels as well I still do Jennifer

10:58 so we usually send out the we send everything out like the night before and then

11:02 in the mornings after our production meeting we

11:04 hold a spirit tunnel rehearsal everyone we like rallies

11:08 around each other we get into a circle

11:09 and we start just singing these songs until we

11:12 all feel good and then we go on about

11:13 our day to continue producing and doing like

11:16 you know our main roles that we have and I'm amazed at your and to coin a term

11:22 your bandwidth to be able to do all of that because

11:27 from what I know about producing there's a lot of fires to be put out

11:31 and there's a lot of things going

11:32 on and you're getting pulled in a million directions.

11:35 This sounds like a very large chunk of your day,

11:38 but you have three, you said three and a half shows to

11:42 two and three two and a half to three to produce.

11:45 How do you work?

11:48 How does that work?

11:49 Are you very organized?

11:50 Yeah, we're super organized.

11:52 Um, and we all take it very serious.

11:54 Like we all perform at the highest level.

11:57 And I think that's what makes us so

11:58 successful is that there is no weakest link, right?

12:01 Like we all bring our agame every single day.

12:06 And like I said, we look at it as a labor of love.

12:08 There's a couple of weak links.

12:10 Well, not you.

12:10 We're not talking about you right now.

12:12 We're talking about everybody else.

12:14 But um it's adrenaline.

12:16 It's excitement.

12:17 We take it very serious.

12:18 We have a lot of pride in our spirit tunnel.

12:20 Like we what we never want is a bad spirit tunnel.

12:23 We are hard on oursel.

12:24 If we hear if I hear a note was off or like someone messed up a word afterwards,

12:28 I'm like I hope the camera didn't pick that up, you know?

12:30 But it's the reality like it can't always be great,

12:33 but we just have we have so much fun and we love each other.

12:35 We genuinely love each other and I think that shows

12:38 and and I'm for sure biased cuz it's all I've done my whole career, but

12:43 producing a daily show is not for everyone.

12:46 It's a lot of work.

12:48 So, you take the tunnel out of it, it's still intense.

12:51 It's still you're coming in every day and certain

12:54 things are falling through and you still have

12:56 to tape in an hour and you got to figure out what you're going to do with that.

12:59 And so that's already there.

13:01 And then on top of it, they do this.

13:03 I always say once you've produced daytime television,

13:06 you pretty much can go do other things.

13:08 And I've seen it happen.

13:09 So many people, you know, it's the hardest genre in terms of every single day.

13:14 Any daily show, even like the the late night shows go through it, too.

13:18 It's it's it's an intense schedule.

13:21 And now we have this and they do it with such grace and we don't

13:24 miss a beat and we still have to start the show on time because guests are,

13:28 you know, expecting to go on time as their publicists are because

13:32 they have to leave in 20 minutes to go do Jimmy Kimmel's show.

13:35 And so we can't say, "Oh, we need to take a little longer because

13:38 we're not ready with the tunnel yet." Like, so we're keeping on that schedule.

13:41 And they do it with grace.

13:43 And it's it's the amount of stuff that gets accomplished is I know

13:48 is unbelievable.

13:48 It is crazy when you look back at it like how much we do.

13:51 Before we came on, we were talking

13:52 about how it's a welloiled machine over there.

13:54 You have staff that have been working there for, you know, a long time.

13:57 I mean, you've been in that building for how many

14:00 20 years maybe.

14:01 Do you wear a lot of hats?

14:02 And because producing can sometimes be a pretty when you try and explain

14:07 what you do to somebody like in the nuts and bolts like

14:11 it's it's not just well I do the emails and the scheduling.

14:14 It's like, no, I got to do the emails, but I also have to make sure that the car

14:17 craft services arrived or I have to help this team.

14:20 I would say the more the business has gone on and it

14:24 the jobs are almost compacting and so people are taking

14:27 on more things because budgets aren't what they necessarily used to be

14:31 and so you really you you wear a lot of hats.

14:35 Um, and especially the the the producers who

14:37 are doing all you know, I'm a showrunner.

14:40 I I take credit for all the good things

14:42 and then I find who to blame for the bad things.

14:44 My job's easy.

14:46 But really but really um but really what they do it's incredible and it's you

14:52 know when I was coming up there

14:54 was a celebrity producer who only produces celebrities.

14:56 A person who who only produces um promos a person.

15:00 But now, if you know, my kids are in college.

15:03 I don't I don't think they're going to end up doing this.

15:05 But like when I advise young people, I'm like, learn it all

15:09 because look around, look what everyone's job is,

15:11 and see if you can do that, too.

15:12 Because that's where we're headed, especially with AI.

15:15 And it's just being realistic instead of looking

15:17 at it as like I'm going to be irrelevant.

15:20 You're not.

15:20 Make yourself relevant.

15:21 But part of doing that is going I can do all of it.

15:24 Yep.

15:24 And so now we hybrid producer.

15:26 Yeah.

15:27 Just be a producer.

15:28 Like be able to do it all.

15:29 and surround yourself with really good people.

15:32 And uh

15:33 he's talking about me.

15:34 Yeah.

15:34 No, but it is it is

15:35 I do get the sense that there's a lot of warmth between the two of you.

15:39 Yes.

15:39 We're a dynamic duo, Andy and I.

15:41 Uh but it's you do you we spend, you know, 12 hours a day there a lot of days.

15:46 And it's so you want to be around people you want to be around.

15:50 Yeah.

15:50 And that's an important dynamic because it does it sounds cliche,

15:54 but it really does become a family.

15:57 And unlike your real family, we can pick this family.

15:59 So it does look like a joyful place.

16:03 Obviously from the show,

16:04 it's a joyful show and I'm sure a lot of that comes from Jennifer, but

16:08 how much of that comes from the team behind the scenes

16:10 as well because if it's no good behind the scenes,

16:13 I can't imagine it's going to come across on.

16:15 I think it it it very much comes from Jennifer.

16:18 like she really came in and set a tone of like I want the best people around me

16:23 and I want them to feel like they're my family

16:25 and I want everyone to feel good about what they're doing

16:29 and you know she really knows everyone.

16:31 She knows everything about everyone.

16:33 So it was she really did set the tone and then you know

16:37 the one good thing after doing this as long as I have and Corey

16:40 the other showrunner is we sort of knew what we needed in a staff

16:44 and what kind of people we wanted and and and that helped.

16:48 That's what I was going to say.

16:48 I feel like you guys have done a good job

16:50 at like we're all characters like all of us on staff.

16:54 We're funny.

16:55 We have a sense of humor and I think that really

16:57 helps us be like we're just authentically ourself every day.

17:01 Yeah.

17:01 And that helps us get along and be family because

17:04 it's just like somebody's bound to say something hilarious and just

17:09 Yeah.

17:09 Well, that seems like a very Well,

17:10 at least judging from the two of you, like a very creative environment.

17:13 There's a lot of fun creativity that's happening just behind the scenes.

17:18 If you're not having fun producing the show,

17:22 then there's zero chance that the actual show

17:24 is really going to be that fun anymore,

17:26 especially with with a with with a show that is not scripted.

17:30 And with this, we're leading with our heart.

17:32 So, that was sort of an adjustment for me to go like,

17:35 oh, we're not just going for the joke.

17:36 But I also think like what's been great about Jennifer is she really is heart.

17:41 That's who she is.

17:42 To the point where I'm like,

17:44 you don't have to say hello to every audience member.

17:46 We do.

17:47 We do have another show to do.

17:49 She loves connecting with the audience.

17:50 She It's It's unbelievable.

17:53 What a remarkable gift to give to those audience members who have come from

17:59 Yes.

17:58 all over.

18:00 It's unbelievable.

18:01 They will remember that for forever.

18:04 So, it sounds like she carries that responsibility really well.

18:07 Really seriously.

18:08 And it's not for anything.

18:10 She's that way in her regular.

18:12 If someone stops to talk to her, she talks to them.

18:15 the amount of times I get a text from her going, "I just met so and so.

18:18 Here's their phone number." And I'm like, "What do you want me to do with

18:21 Are they guest?

18:22 Are they Is it someone you want on what?"

18:25 And if she's It's just she's just constantly like

18:30 she's just so warm and she's so And like I said,

18:33 as a producer who's trying to keep everything on time,

18:35 sometimes I literally want to lift her and take her back into her dressing room.

18:39 Stop talking.

18:40 And like the the greatest thing about this is like every day, you know,

18:43 sometimes you'll have a couple VIP guests of the studio,

18:46 guests of Warner Brothers, but they come down and take a photo.

18:49 So we say to her, "We have four photos today." And she goes, "No,

18:51 we have eight cuz I want to take one with that person."

18:54 She'll just pull people who aren't even asking for photos.

18:57 She's like, "Come on, take a photo with me." And I'm like,

18:59 "What are we doing?" And that's who she is.

19:02 It's so

19:03 And you and you guys do focus on the audience a lot.

19:06 like when you're watching an episode,

19:08 it's nice to see the camera spin around and and see the audience as well.

19:11 Is there a um I guess a method to that that you follow?

19:15 We definitely want people to feel that they're in a room

19:18 with a studio audience and you know how they react to her.

19:21 I think when the show first started, like any show,

19:24 we had to evolve and my biggest frustration as a producer early was I

19:29 don't know that the people at home are understanding how fun it is here.

19:34 the actual good time that you know people

19:37 are having like it's literally all for Jennifer.

19:40 They're all here for Jennifer.

19:41 And

19:42 on the first week of tapings, I was like,

19:44 we are not capturing what this intimacy with this audience is

19:49 with her because there just I mean and and and you know,

19:52 you see them leave after and it's like 7:30 at night after a taping and they're

19:57 like bouncing across the street leaving our studio

19:59 like they've had the time of their lives and

20:02 and that's an energy that that she has created

20:04 and we try any way we can to show that.

20:10 Yeah.

20:08 Yeah.

20:08 I've been watching the two of you uh on the internet.

20:13 That sounds creepy.

20:17 You have what's the name of your series?

20:20 I have it already.

20:21 Backstage Bakedown.

20:23 I always do this.

20:24 I always mess up the name.

20:26 Backstage breakdown, right?

20:27 She's not.

20:28 I was It was such a joy for me to find that cuz I was like, "Wait, didn't

20:33 What is this Backstage Breakdown?" Yeah.

20:36 It was just something.

20:37 It was just an idea we had.

20:39 It wasn't our idea.

20:40 It was idea of other producers who thought

20:43 we should give people a little something and we did it.

20:45 And you know, we're still we were just

20:47 on the way talking over here going, "How do

20:49 how do we elevate backstage breakdown?"

20:51 So, I found it very endearing.

20:53 Your relationship on camera is well,

20:56 it's exactly as if you're watching this right now,

20:58 you could probably get a sense, but it's even more so, I think, on the back.

21:01 You guys are having a lot of fun on there.

21:03 And so if you're a big fan of the series and you're online,

21:06 you're watching this, skip to backstage break.

21:09 Well, once people watch this, they're going

21:10 to want you to host our backstage break.

21:13 This is our replacement, right?

21:16 Um, do you miss your time on camera when

21:18 cuz you were doing Average Andy for a while.

21:22 I loved it.

21:22 It was such a great part of my life,

21:23 but as I mean for those people who watched it,

21:26 I was sort of the hesitant participant in all that.

21:29 I was never never looked to be on camera.

21:32 It was never something I aspired to.

21:34 Um, but I think that's what was fun about it.

21:37 He's got a great sense of humor from what I can tell.

21:40 He's hilarious.

21:41 I appreciate that.

21:41 He really is hilarious.

21:43 Timing is always good.

21:44 I don't miss it, but I did love it.

21:46 Was a great part of my life.

21:47 And the the amount of people who still come up to me going,

21:50 "Oh my god, I know you're on JHUD now,

21:52 but when are you going to start doing haunted houses again?" And we're all,

21:56 you know, when are you going to race Michael Phelps in the pool again?

21:59 And like that was all fun and Average Andy was like a great

22:03 a great experience for me.

22:04 But I love producing.

22:06 I love being around

22:08 this staff and these people.

22:09 And I can't believe it, but I'm starting to feel like an elder in this business.

22:13 And so I'm I know.

22:14 I know.

22:15 But you admit that you're famous.

22:18 No, he's famous.

22:18 I say all the time like Andy, you're famous.

22:20 Like you're famous.

22:21 Everyone loves Andy Lasser.

22:23 Everyone

22:23 loves it.

22:24 it and you know to be doing this this long and you

22:26 know not every day at everybody's job is great but I

22:30 would say that more days are great than not by a long

22:33 shot and I don't think I've had that on any other experience

22:36 just because of the nature of how hard what we do is

22:40 Angie you've had experience a lot coming up through like reality TV and I did

22:44 was this always kind of going to be your career path did you did you watch

22:48 you know I had I grew up despite you thinking I'm

22:51 so young I appreciate that but I grew up watching talk shows.

22:54 Okay.

22:54 I loved talk shows and I never thought I would actually work on one.

22:58 I thought starting in television that my career was just going

23:01 to be reality TV and I didn't know if my skills

23:06 in reality TV producing would cross over to daytime talk because

23:10 all that I knew about daytime television was the turnaround is fast.

23:14 Yep.

23:14 You know, you're doing x amount of shows

23:16 a day and every show is unique to itself.

23:19 It's not there's no carryover.

23:21 So, you have to have new ideas at all times.

23:22 And I was like, how am I going to do this, you know?

23:25 But luckily, I came in and and I came in season

23:28 2 as an associate producer on the human interest team.

23:32 And I was paired with a producer who pretty much saw my talents,

23:37 pulled it out of me, and helped me shine.

23:40 And like I learned so much about daytime talk.

23:43 I don't really think people understand

23:46 how hard it is, but once you master it, it's like I don't know.

23:50 We make it look easy.

23:51 It's weird.

23:52 It's difficult to explain.

23:53 I understand that.

23:54 You know what I mean?

23:55 Like it's it's difficult.

23:56 It's a lot of work, but we make it look easy.

23:58 So, like to your question earlier, I was like,

24:00 "What do you do on the show as a producer?" It's like,

24:02 "Well, I do everything." Kind of everything.

24:04 Can't really.

24:04 Yeah.

24:05 My parents are like, "What'd you do today?" And I'm like, "A lot.

24:07 I don't know." You know, it's hard to explain what you do cuz it's

24:11 it's so creative.

24:12 It's definitely one of those jobs like a lot of like there's,

24:14 you know, 98% of jobs I wouldn't be able to do in this world.

24:18 So I'm I'm But this is one of those jobs where especially now I can quickly

24:22 tell like with people like Angie when she joined us I was like no she'll get it.

24:26 And you either get it and you don't.

24:28 And like you know over the years I've met

24:30 people who I adore who are like this might not

24:34 be for you who have gone on to tremendous success.

24:38 You you have to have a certain ability to multitask be neurotic a little bit.

24:44 that there's there's a pivot pivot change.

24:50 Um, keeping calm under pressure I feel like is

24:53 funny cuz cuz we all have to keep calm under pressure,

24:58 but I would say most people who work in daytime TV,

25:01 we have anxiety issues and somehow somehow we all manage them.

25:07 But when I when I think of like cuz you need to have

25:10 that sort of nervousness of like this next show you're as good as your last

25:14 show and this next show better be better and the nervousness and the countdown

25:19 to when you're taping the show and then you're taping the show

25:23 in an hour.

25:23 You're not going three hours and then editing it down.

25:26 You're taping it in real time.

25:28 So, and you can't say, "Ah,

25:29 let's shove that one cuz they're all scheduled already." So it's like

25:33 so it is you know so there is kind of an anxiety

25:36 to it and yes it also teaches you a certain

25:39 calmness and how to uh do that and and you

25:43 know that's part of probably my favorite part of my job

25:45 now is seeing young people and trying to have them

25:49 not make the same mistakes I made early in my career

25:52 of like thinking that every segment is literally the end

25:56 of the world and every mistake I will never come back from.

26:00 And so a lot of my energy is sometimes just

26:03 trying to be just trying to be fun and go,

26:05 "Guys, we're doing a talk show with Jennifer Hudson.

26:09 It's okay.

26:10 We got this."

26:11 The way you sort of painted that picture just then,

26:13 I I can imagine when you have like a particularly good show,

26:16 like if you were in the theater for instance,

26:18 and you got a standing ovation and you kind of do

26:20 you get that elation at the end of that show like,

26:22 "Oh, that was a ripper.

26:24 That was a real good one." Absolutely.

26:26 We do.

26:26 And you can and you can feel it when it's happening.

26:29 You know, you you do this long enough,

26:31 you know, in the moment, oh, this is an interview.

26:33 This is a And then sometimes you're like, okay.

26:36 And and you can also see like where something isn't going the right way.

26:39 You can on the floor say, well,

26:40 let's tape 2 minutes extra and we'll cut that part out.

26:43 And you know, there's definitely pride in what you do

26:46 and you feel good at the end of the day.

26:48 And you know, you can't let it rule your life,

26:50 but there are going to be days you go home and go,

26:53 I wish I could get that one back.

26:55 I wish I, you know, I really felt good

26:57 about that idea I pitched and it really didn't work,

27:01 you know, and and those are the ones that keep you up at night.

27:04 It's funny.

27:04 You focus on those ones more often than

27:06 the than the dozens and dozens of successful

27:09 Exactly.

27:09 And you're always like,

27:10 I go home and I sleep better and feel

27:13 better than I have at any other job I have.

27:15 So, I feel like we're we're on the right track.

27:17 That's lovely.

27:17 And do you have a particular episode that you look back on and you go

27:20 that was of all my days at work that was the that was the best one.

27:24 We did a huge Kellogg integration

27:26 this season for National Day of Racial Healing.

27:28 That was a huge huge undertaking and show.

27:33 We had a lot of people that came in.

27:35 We had a community that came in.

27:37 They were called the No Nissa Polynesia.

27:41 Mhm.

27:41 It was it was a huge undertaking for us and we kind of there

27:44 was like a team of like six of us who spearheaded the whole

27:46 episode from top to bottom and we pulled it off and it was

27:50 like while there was like relief like oh my gosh we did it.

27:52 It was also like it was a great show like

27:54 if I was at home sitting on my couch I'd want to watch you know.

27:59 Yeah.

27:58 So that would probably be my big one

27:59 for this season that I can think of right now.

28:01 Okay.

28:02 But a lot of our shows are just they're just

28:04 so exciting or like the interviews with Jennifer like you

28:07 watch her and it's just like you could tell the two

28:09 of whoever she's interviewing just having such a good time.

28:11 Like

28:13 it's a real art what she does.

28:14 I mean it's it's an art.

28:16 It's not just as simple as sitting there and asking a couple of questions.

28:19 She has a she creates a genuine rapport with people which is

28:23 was very enjoyable to watch.

28:25 But it is, it's funny as she was saying, I was like,

28:26 "Please don't ask me if I have a favorite show." Because

28:28 it's like when my kids used to come home from kindergarten,

28:31 I'd go, "What'd you do today?" They'd be like,

28:33 "I don't remember." That's how I feel.

28:35 When I get home, when I get home, we have done such a long day.

28:38 And so I get home and my wife says, "Who was on today?" I go, "Ah,

28:42 can't even tell you how.

28:43 I don't know.

28:43 Tomorrow, I'll tell you this.

28:45 I feel good.

28:45 It was a good day.

28:46 Like Paul." So I was like, "I I don't know.

28:49 We've done some really good ones this year that I'm proud of." So,

28:52 and a lot of episodes, thank you.

28:54 And we just are trying to keep

28:56 getting better and keep, you know,

28:58 trying to make daytime television happy and relevant again.

29:03 And that's sort of an amazing job.

29:04 That's sort of a a mission of ours because like I said, you know,

29:08 having done it as long as I have and also you're not new at it.

29:13 Uh we have a lot of friends in this business and there's

29:15 a lot of friends who were on other talk shows who aren't working.

29:18 It's like I really believe in daytime and I believe

29:21 in this audience and I believe in this day part.

29:24 So I'm just going to

29:25 keep hoping that we can do things that drive people to watch us.

29:30 Well, I think with the success

29:32 of the spirit tunnel um which has been remarkable.

29:35 What are we at now?

29:35 Six billion views or something like so many.

29:40 It's something like that.

29:41 We're in the billions.

29:42 Okay.

29:42 Then it was my idea.

29:44 The average then I did come up with the spare time.

29:47 Sounds about right.

29:47 So I think you've you've really I think you've done

29:50 an incredible job of like uh not bridging the divide

29:54 but bringing those two worlds together of traditional daytime

29:57 television and the new audience that you've got online and

30:02 and Cory I have to say Cory the other

30:04 showrunner my partner in this is very good at that.

30:07 He's he's

30:08 he's younger than me of course and so he really is

30:11 in touch with everything that's you know since the internet started.

30:14 So, he really sort of manager right now wrapping up season 4.

30:23 Is there anything that you have in the bag

30:25 already that we can be excited about for season 5?

30:28 Damn it, we're exhausted.

30:30 You're about to go on holiday, but we will.

30:32 I mean, the one nice thing about our schedule is we get

30:35 to fall down a little bit now and then we start thinking.

30:38 But, you know, as someone who is,

30:40 you know, probably 40 years of doing talk shows,

30:44 there's a lot of pressure every summer cuz you're starting to go,

30:46 how are we going to up it?

30:48 How are we going to be different?

30:48 What's our premiere going to be?

30:50 How are we going to get viewers that didn't

30:51 watch us last year to watch us this year?

30:53 How are we going to get more, you know, eyes on not just the Spirit Tunnel,

30:57 but everything else that's great that we're doing.

30:59 So you're constantly So it's it's at this particular

31:03 moment we're at sort of the end of a season.

31:05 So we're just like our brains are fried.

31:07 But I can tell you a lot of effort

31:10 comes about summertime is all about what we're doing cuz we want we're

31:14 excited to welcome people back in September to our new episodes and our new

31:19 Yeah.

31:20 I'm excited for season 5.

31:22 Yeah.

31:21 I I keep saying like as I'm reflecting

31:24 You think you'll be asked back for it?

31:25 I hope so.

31:26 You going to get your contract reviewed?

31:28 We're just asking right now.

31:30 See guys, this is every day.

31:33 No, but I keep saying like every season just gets bigger and bigger

31:37 and bigger and I don't know how we do it, but we do

31:41 and season five is I just feel like it's such a monumental number.

31:45 Like five seasons is so big for for our show.

31:49 I just I'm excited for what like I I don't know what we're going to do.

31:52 We have to think about it and sit on it and brainstorm, but

31:55 I know it's going to be great.

31:56 I know it's going to be great.

31:57 I have to say one other thing I was thinking

31:58 about cuz I'm like what is what is the formula that

32:02 that shows are going away and somehow we keep going

32:05 and there's a lot of different things.

32:09 Mhm.

32:08 But I will say having Warner Brothers as your syndicator

32:12 as the people who are running the place has been unbelievable.

32:16 The way they believe in us,

32:18 the way they keep pushing going we're going to do another season.

32:21 We're going to where it's easier for some people to go.

32:24 They have been so incredibly support.

32:26 I mean I for me it's been 20 years on this lot and probably all in

32:31 30 years with this company and it's been

32:34 they are a supportive company.

32:35 They are you're kind of proud to be part that's why

32:38 when you're getting bought or sold and you're whatever you're just like

32:42 I'm still Warner Brothers cuz that's that's

32:44 who you know Discovery whatever they call us.

32:48 It's a great place to come to work and it's like you work on a real lot

32:53 around real history.

32:55 Yeah.

32:55 Stage one.

32:56 Is it stage three?

32:57 Stage one.

32:57 Stage one.

32:58 One, two, three.

32:59 Yeah, we got three stages.

33:00 Two of them are actual stage and then the other part is a holding area.

33:04 But yeah, we've taken over a whole stage.

33:07 Yeah.

33:06 Just speaking on the Warner lot really quick,

33:08 like I this is my first time working on an actual lot, right?

33:11 Working on this talk show

33:14 and usually on my lunch breaks, I like to take a walk on the lot.

33:16 And the amount of times I just have ran into like Aaron Pierre,

33:20 I saw Seth Rogan over here.

33:22 Like I saw you uh Harrison Ford for shrinking.

33:26 It's just like it's such a cool place to just

33:29 be and like exist and you're just casually walking

33:32 by going to the comm getting lunch and then you

33:34 just see a celebrity walk by and it's like that's,

33:37 you know, it's just you can't really and I encourage people I always encourage

33:42 people to take the tour for whatever reason.

33:44 Don't ask me why.

33:45 for whatever reason, and don't ask me why,

33:47 we were like 10 years into Ellen and I finally

33:50 took a tour cuz I had relatives in and they

33:53 booked it and usually I would just send them

33:55 and it was on a Saturday and they're like,

33:57 "Please come with us." And I was like, "All right, fine."

33:59 And I was like, "Wow, this is it was the history that is

34:05 on this lot on this real estate is incredible.

34:09 You should actually host a tour, Andy.

34:11 You should want to hear backstage breakdown.

34:13 Backstage breakdown on I would just make up stuff cuz I don't really know.

34:18 But it was uh I was like so now when people are like what do you should I do?

34:22 I'm like have you done the Warner Brothers tour?

34:24 It is really good.

34:25 Is it hard to get a spot in the audience of Jay Hard?

34:28 How do we uh No, there's a we we use a company called One Iota

34:33 um that books a lot of audiences in uh LA and New York.

34:38 And you know we we're we're pretty full but like you Tickets are free.

34:42 Tickets are free and uh you just go online

34:45 at find it and you know tickets are available.

34:50 Okay, rapid fire Jay-Hut edition with Angie and Andy.

34:54 Here we go.

34:55 Tunnel moment you rewatch the most.

34:58 Tyreek Withers.

34:59 Right now it's Tyreek Withers.

35:01 I just I'm obsessed with him.

35:02 He's so fun and he's just he to me is this season's Aaron Pierre for us.

35:08 Like last season, Aaron Pierre gave us a big

35:09 one and I think a big one this season.

35:12 I'm partial to Cardi B just because of the story behind it is

35:16 that she literally won her case in court and left court and came

35:21 to our so she went from court from this public case where it

35:25 it went her way and 40 minutes later she's walking through our spirit tunnel.

35:29 So when I watch the Cardi B I'm always thinking this is a moment.

35:33 She came straight from court.

35:36 Highly publicized court guys.

35:37 Yeah.

35:38 Uh, if you weren't producing on the show,

35:40 what other role would you want and why?

35:43 I'd be a journalist.

35:45 Yep.

35:45 Yeah.

35:45 I'd be a journalist reporting the news.

35:47 Hard-hitting news or entertainment?

35:50 Well, both.

35:50 I think both.

35:51 Like when I went to when I first went to college, I studied journalism

35:54 or like wartime cuz those guys are No.

35:56 No.

35:56 I was like news anchorish journalist.

35:58 Yeah.

35:59 So covering all the things.

36:01 That would be me.

36:02 What would you do, Andy?

36:03 Well, to be honest with my personal history,

36:05 I would probably want to work within this business,

36:08 but with young people with helping them with mental health or addiction issues.

36:12 Interesting.

36:12 Okay.

36:13 Yeah.

36:13 I I'm sober 27 years, but it's a huge part of my life.

36:18 And so, whenever this is done, I think that's what I'm going to do is,

36:22 you know, help the younger people deal with anxiety and that kind of thing.

36:26 Always relevant, but very relevant right now for a lot of people.

36:28 So, I think that sounds like a very noble cause.

36:30 So, you'll probably move into that, do you think, after you finish?

36:32 Yeah.

36:33 Not not necessarily in a in a going to school and becoming an account way,

36:37 but I'll just put a lot of my energy and effort into it.

36:40 Like, this business has been very good to me.

36:42 And so, now I want to sort of just

36:44 give back and mentor younger people in that aspect cuz

36:49 some of the most talented people I know struggle.

36:54 Struggle.

36:55 Did you have someone to help you?

36:58 Yes, I did.

36:58 I uh I had a lot of people,

37:01 but one of which is interesting and I wrote about this.

37:04 Uh Richard Lewis, the comedian,

37:06 was one of the first people when I came here who sort of took me under his wing,

37:10 not knowing who I was, anything.

37:12 Just saw me at a meeting and he was a big part of it for me.

37:16 And so many people in this business struggle.

37:19 I think artists struggle.

37:20 Artists and I think it's important to let other people know.

37:24 Not I mean now we live in a world where everyone admits everything.

37:27 So, I think a lot of people know people are addict,

37:29 but to really say like, I get it.

37:31 I get the pain and I get the I get what

37:34 it's like to be successful and to really not feel good.

37:39 Y that two things can happen.

37:40 And that's a really nice point that you bring up that it is okay

37:42 to talk about it now cuz sometimes just

37:45 knowing that that's okay to to talk about.

37:47 Yeah.

37:47 Well, still Yeah.

37:49 Which is still, you know,

37:50 people sometimes say you're so brave to talk and I'm like

37:53 part of it is very selfish.

37:55 I need the world to know that if I'm not if you're not keeping an eye on me,

37:59 I I have the ability to be,

38:01 you know, and it's the truth is because as a drug addict,

38:04 we're secretive people and we're protecting a secret.

38:06 And I think for me, part of letting people know is like when you start seeing

38:10 me cuz I'm scared of myself as a lot of addicts are when they become that.

38:15 And so it's just important for other people to see,

38:19 oh, okay, so he's doing okay in his life.

38:21 He's successful.

38:22 He's made it.

38:23 and he's also really struggled in his life.

38:26 Yeah, that's really nice to hear your perspective.

38:28 Thanks for sharing.

38:29 I feel like we could probably fill a whole podcast with just talking.

38:32 I'm actually organizing an intervention for her soon.

38:35 That is not true.

38:37 Do not spread rumors on this Warner lot.

38:41 Anderson, I always call him Anderson.

38:44 A light question of uh crafty snacks.

38:46 What is your favorite?

38:48 Oh, that's cuz not all crafty stations are built the same.

38:52 Sugar.

38:52 Sugar.

38:52 Anything sugar?

38:55 Okay.

38:54 Yeah.

38:54 Too much, honestly.

38:55 Like I'm You shouldn't eat as much sugar as you eat.

38:57 I know.

38:58 My wife says I eat like a 12-year-old.

39:00 Yeah.

39:00 Like what is it?

39:01 Like you like like I'll come home at night and she's like,

39:03 "Do you want dinner?" I go, "No, I just have cake." Why would I want dinner?

39:07 I have cake.

39:08 Uh yeah, sugar.

39:09 Mine is the same every day.

39:10 I have a seaweed snack.

39:12 Oh.

39:12 A tangerine, like the little cutie, orange cuties, and a banana.

39:16 And I have it in that order.

39:18 Yeah.

39:18 Like a little cutie.

39:19 Just a little cutie.

39:19 Don't judge me.

39:20 He's judging.

39:21 just no interest in any one of those items in any order.

39:24 It's like it's like a healthy cuz otherwise I'm

39:26 going to go to the candy and the cookies and a very light choice.

39:29 I know this is an aside and water an aside but a you like the little cuties.

39:35 What's your stance on sumo?

39:37 The sumoed ones that they sell in the supermarket.

39:39 The giant sumo mandarin.

39:40 I need all of that.

39:41 What?

39:41 That's so delicious.

39:42 Oh, I just need a little bite size.

39:44 Never mind.

39:45 But really really I mean for those people who

39:48 are not in entertainment craft service is a whole

39:54 thing very you are being challenged every day to not eat garbage.

39:59 Well they're saving our life.

40:00 Yeah.

40:00 But you know we don't have time to eat so they have to put it out

40:03 but like and when people come to visit me

40:06 and they're like this is out all the time.

40:08 I'm like yep.

40:09 They think it's like the greatest thing.

40:10 I'm like table fight.

40:13 Have I really just had my fourth donut?

40:15 You have to walk past it like this every day with your blinders up.

40:18 Exactly.

40:19 All right, last question.

40:20 If you guys were going out into the spirit tunnel tomorrow,

40:23 uh, and you were going to have to dance,

40:26 even though I know you don't have to, what

40:28 would you hope that your song would be?

40:31 Ooh, that's a fun one.

40:34 What would my song be?

40:36 Rio Duran Duran.

40:37 Good song.

40:38 And how would you dance to that?

40:39 That's not going to happen today.

40:41 You just have to like kind of go with it, wouldn't you?

40:43 You just have to lots of What am I doing?

40:45 What does this mean?

40:46 I don't even know what I'm doing.

40:47 I'm like, and do this.

40:48 Oh, man.

40:49 Mine would probably be like Michael something Michael Jackson.

40:52 Okay.

40:53 I like love.

40:53 And would you give it everything you've got with the dance?

40:56 100% imitation all the way down of Michael Jackson.

40:59 But she's got it already.

41:00 Like if you see her in the tunnels, she's she's a dancer.

41:03 She can do it.

41:04 It's fun.

41:04 For me, it would be very fun.

41:05 That's a good question.

41:06 I like that.

41:06 And last thing, last thing for for for all of the people that you're going

41:10 to have come through that spirit tunnel in season five.

41:13 Yes.

41:14 Do you have any advice how should they approach it?

41:18 Because as we know it can keep people up at night.

41:21 Yeah, I know.

41:22 What's the best approach?

41:23 It's not that serious.

41:25 That's what I would say.

41:25 It's not that it's not.

41:27 No, I would tell them don't don't worry about it.

41:29 Right.

41:29 It's fun.

41:30 It's not agreeing with me.

41:31 No, I'm agreeing with Oh, yeah.

41:32 It's not that serious.

41:33 I'm against you.

41:34 It's not that serious.

41:35 Any way you come, any way you go through it,

41:37 it's going to it's going to be okay.

41:39 So, don't stay up at night in your hotel room practicing the electric word.

41:42 It's almost better when you don't plan, I think,

41:44 when they don't if they don't get in their head and plan it.

41:46 Just calm down and feel the vibe and just go, just do your thing.

41:49 And what I like also is that it's one of the places

41:52 where you go and you see these things and you know,

41:55 you get a lot of likes and a lot of encouragement and a lot of because,

41:58 you know, the internet can be mean.

42:00 And so, this is a place I think people feel good hopefully most of the time.

42:04 Obviously, there's always going to be those people

42:06 who make the comments that are unfortunate, but

42:08 you got to tune tune that stuff out.

42:10 Just like it doesn't matter how good you do something.

42:13 And I've learned this just from from doing out shows.

42:16 It doesn't matter how amazing somebody is,

42:18 there will be somebody out there that's going to be

42:20 like and it's more than it's more than somebody.

42:24 It's almost more than somebody.

42:25 It's almost half the people now.

42:26 So, like I always say, if I have one more person in the world

42:29 liking me than disliking me, I'm doing okay.

42:32 It's people very opinionated and people feel very

42:35 comfortable saying really awful things on the internet.

42:38 It's kind of heartbreaking but Angie Andy thank you again so much for having us

42:44 in September.

42:44 Make sure you tune in for the Jay Hud show.

42:47 Catch your spirit tunnels on your phones and everywhere.

42:52 And then backstage breakdown.

42:55 Backstage breakdown.

42:56 You don't have to post this if it's not as good as your other cuz

42:59 I've seen your other episodes and I'm

43:00 I'm not feeling like we're doing that well.

43:03 You're good.

43:03 It's okay.

43:04 So much fun.

43:05 Thanks so much.

43:06 Thank you.