WEBVTT - The Next Chapter Begins! 0:00:01.040 --> 0:00:06.000 This is the most dramatic podcast ever and iHeartRadio podcast. 0:00:07.720 --> 0:00:10.639 Chris Harrison and Lauren Zema coming to you from our 0:00:10.800 --> 0:00:15.400 new office, Merritt Street Media. I don't know if you 0:00:15.440 --> 0:00:17.599 guys have heard the news. If not, we're going to 0:00:17.640 --> 0:00:20.200 break it to you right here, right now. Lauren Za 0:00:20.200 --> 0:00:23.880 and I are coming back to television at Merritt Street Media. 0:00:23.920 --> 0:00:28.080 It is a brand new network run created by the 0:00:28.200 --> 0:00:31.080 legend doctor Phil. It's going to hit the airwaves in 0:00:31.160 --> 0:00:37.320 the biggest network launch ever April second. LZ, Congratulations, welcome 0:00:37.360 --> 0:00:38.000 back to TV. 0:00:38.200 --> 0:00:43.560 Congratulations babe. This feels so incredible. We have been sitting 0:00:43.560 --> 0:00:46.040 on this news for a little while and are. 0:00:46.600 --> 0:00:48.760 Thrilled to be able to share it with everybody. 0:00:48.760 --> 0:00:51.360 And thank you all for all of the support that 0:00:51.360 --> 0:00:54.440 you've given us, for the messages, for the we want 0:00:54.480 --> 0:00:57.440 to see you back on TV again. I almost feel 0:00:57.440 --> 0:00:59.360 like we should go back to where we started, how 0:00:59.360 --> 0:01:02.120 we met, which is me interviewing you so that we 0:01:02.160 --> 0:01:04.280 can kind of explain the story of how this happened 0:01:04.280 --> 0:01:05.040 and vice versa. 0:01:05.120 --> 0:01:07.240 Okay, yeah, this will be our training to get back 0:01:07.240 --> 0:01:10.880 into television. But yeah, I'm just so darn excited to 0:01:10.880 --> 0:01:13.400 be doing this. It's I'm we've been chopping at the 0:01:13.400 --> 0:01:15.640 bit to break this news because, like you said, we've 0:01:15.640 --> 0:01:16.800 been sitting on this for a while. 0:01:17.160 --> 0:01:23.000 I've been surprised by how I don't want to say 0:01:23.000 --> 0:01:24.960 I didn't miss it. It's just I think you and 0:01:25.000 --> 0:01:28.280 I were both in the place of what we want 0:01:28.319 --> 0:01:31.440 our next chapter to be. And we literally named our 0:01:31.440 --> 0:01:34.720 production company Next Chapter Productions. But we wanted our next 0:01:34.800 --> 0:01:37.959 chapter to be something that we were really excited about, 0:01:38.080 --> 0:01:42.959 and we actually behind the scenes and never never announced this. 0:01:43.080 --> 0:01:45.880 We had another overall deal with a studio where we 0:01:45.880 --> 0:01:48.120 were working on some stuff. They were great, but we 0:01:48.200 --> 0:01:50.440 never really found the project we wanted to do. 0:01:51.080 --> 0:01:53.160 And when this came along, this felt right. 0:01:53.240 --> 0:01:55.160 So I think let's dive in with that, because that's 0:01:55.160 --> 0:01:56.560 going to be everybody's first question. 0:01:56.720 --> 0:01:58.160 Let me ask you, Chris Harrison. 0:01:58.240 --> 0:02:02.240 Yes, why was at Street Media the right home for 0:02:02.360 --> 0:02:03.880 your return to television? 0:02:04.400 --> 0:02:08.400 It was a perfect fit. When doctor Phil and I 0:02:08.480 --> 0:02:10.240 had our first lunch and then you came to our 0:02:10.280 --> 0:02:11.919 next lunch and we all got to know each other, 0:02:11.960 --> 0:02:14.480 and he explained what he was doing, the purpose behind 0:02:14.520 --> 0:02:18.000 Merritt Street, and what he wanted us to be doing. 0:02:19.360 --> 0:02:22.360 I just I had this fire burning inside me again, 0:02:22.360 --> 0:02:25.000 and I just knew, you know, you get that feeling, 0:02:25.120 --> 0:02:27.920 you're like, this feels right. This was right, And I 0:02:28.000 --> 0:02:29.680 believe in what he's doing. I believe in what this 0:02:29.760 --> 0:02:33.200 network stands for. And what I really liked is when 0:02:33.240 --> 0:02:35.040 he talked to both of us, he said, I want 0:02:35.040 --> 0:02:37.200 both of you back on TV, but I'm not just 0:02:37.280 --> 0:02:39.880 bringing you back to do a relationship show. If you 0:02:39.919 --> 0:02:43.200 want to do that, great, you guys, think bigger, think bolder. 0:02:43.240 --> 0:02:45.040 This is a blank slate. It is going to be 0:02:45.120 --> 0:02:48.520 the biggest network launch ever. Somewhere between seventy five and 0:02:48.600 --> 0:02:52.360 eighty million subscribers will be watching Merritt Street Media. You 0:02:52.400 --> 0:02:54.399 guys go, I just want you to be a part 0:02:54.400 --> 0:02:55.880 of this family. We'll figure it out. 0:02:55.919 --> 0:02:57.639 I'm glad you just had the opportunity to do the 0:02:57.680 --> 0:03:01.160 Chris Harrison thing of the biggest, the biggest network launch ever. 0:03:01.720 --> 0:03:04.080 But it really is. I mean, by the numbers, seventy 0:03:04.080 --> 0:03:07.720 five eighty million people, and it was I know, we 0:03:07.760 --> 0:03:09.360 had told you all we were going to announce this 0:03:09.400 --> 0:03:11.440 a little bit sooner, a little bit earlier than we 0:03:11.520 --> 0:03:13.640 ended up being able to. Part of the reason was 0:03:14.200 --> 0:03:16.839 they were getting approached with even more deals to add 0:03:16.840 --> 0:03:20.080 even more numbers of subscribers to this launch. So it 0:03:20.160 --> 0:03:23.480 is the biggest network launch in television history. I think 0:03:23.560 --> 0:03:27.480 the sort of easiest, most digestible way to convey it is, 0:03:27.960 --> 0:03:31.000 remember when Oprah launched own Doctor Phil is now launching 0:03:31.000 --> 0:03:33.280 his own channel, his own network, and you all are 0:03:33.320 --> 0:03:34.200 going to be able to find it. 0:03:34.200 --> 0:03:36.920 We'll have more details on you know, literally what channel 0:03:36.920 --> 0:03:37.280 it's going. 0:03:37.280 --> 0:03:39.640 To be, right, But it'll be on Dish, it'll be ondirected, 0:03:39.640 --> 0:03:41.840 it'll be on Charter Cave, it'll be on all everything. 0:03:42.280 --> 0:03:45.800 So when we started meeting with Phil, like you said, 0:03:45.840 --> 0:03:47.800 I think we were both instantly excited. There were a 0:03:47.800 --> 0:03:50.520 couple of things that instantly excited me. One, doctor Phil 0:03:50.600 --> 0:03:53.480 is brilliant. I mean, if you don't know his background, 0:03:53.480 --> 0:03:55.840 the reason Oprah found him and put him on TV 0:03:56.120 --> 0:03:58.800 was because she was just so impressed by him. And 0:03:58.840 --> 0:04:01.360 by the way, this kind of feels like kismet. Yeah, 0:04:01.680 --> 0:04:04.640 Doctor Phil launched his show. I went and looked this 0:04:04.800 --> 0:04:07.760 up two thousand and two. What else launched in two 0:04:07.760 --> 0:04:08.200 thousand and two? 0:04:08.200 --> 0:04:12.000 Babe The Bachelor? My career doing The Bachelor, And I 0:04:12.000 --> 0:04:15.080 didn't know that for some reason. I think because of Oprah. 0:04:15.200 --> 0:04:17.200 I felt like he's been on so much longer. When 0:04:17.240 --> 0:04:19.280 you told me that he started the same year that 0:04:19.400 --> 0:04:23.760 we started, I really that it feels full It feels 0:04:23.760 --> 0:04:24.239 full circle. 0:04:24.360 --> 0:04:25.240 So he's so brilliant. 0:04:25.240 --> 0:04:27.520 And I had actually interviewed him a couple times when 0:04:27.520 --> 0:04:29.440 I was at ET because at that time his show 0:04:29.480 --> 0:04:33.039 was on CBS, we both were. And when Doctor Phil 0:04:33.040 --> 0:04:36.720 announced he wasn't renewing with CBS, that was a big deal, right, 0:04:36.800 --> 0:04:40.120 I mean, his show is a huge daytime show, I 0:04:40.160 --> 0:04:42.400 think the biggest, and so for him to leave and 0:04:42.400 --> 0:04:44.400 say I'm going to start my own thing that made 0:04:44.440 --> 0:04:47.880 waves in the industry. And that leads me to the 0:04:47.920 --> 0:04:50.560 second thing that excited me, which was that he wanted 0:04:50.600 --> 0:04:55.240 to make waves. To have incredible resources, this facility is 0:04:55.320 --> 0:04:58.080 so stunning that they've built here in Texas, and to 0:04:58.279 --> 0:05:01.560 also have the experience of someone like Doctor Phil who 0:05:01.640 --> 0:05:05.560 is such a pro at what he does, and having 0:05:05.600 --> 0:05:09.440 those two worlds colliding is really something special that does 0:05:09.480 --> 0:05:10.840 not come along very often. 0:05:10.960 --> 0:05:13.560 And I'll piggyback off that because a couple of things. 0:05:13.640 --> 0:05:16.160 Number One, why am I so excited about Merritt Street. 0:05:16.480 --> 0:05:18.800 One of the reasons you just mentioned. It's right here 0:05:18.800 --> 0:05:20.440 in my own backyard. To be able to get back 0:05:20.480 --> 0:05:23.000 to television and do something meaningful, and to do it 0:05:23.040 --> 0:05:25.279 here in the DFW area where I grew up, my 0:05:25.360 --> 0:05:29.160 mom still lives, all my friends family. This is awesome. 0:05:29.600 --> 0:05:31.720 This is such a treat for me to be around. 0:05:31.720 --> 0:05:35.080 We're hiring locals, bringing people out of the local colleges. 0:05:35.240 --> 0:05:39.039 This is just such a cool thing to be able 0:05:39.080 --> 0:05:42.240 to give back to this community and to bring television here, huge, 0:05:42.279 --> 0:05:44.599 big time TV. This state of the art facility that 0:05:44.640 --> 0:05:48.640 he built, I've never seen anything like it. It really is. 0:05:48.440 --> 0:05:51.200 It is. I've been to CNN, I've been to Fox News, 0:05:51.240 --> 0:05:56.040 I've been to all these places. This place is absolutely astronomical. 0:05:56.080 --> 0:05:58.800 And Doctor phil They've spared no expense, cut no corners. 0:05:59.080 --> 0:06:02.440 It's incredible. The other thing to me is you and 0:06:02.480 --> 0:06:04.960 I had different options to return to television. We had 0:06:05.000 --> 0:06:08.680 talked about different ideas, We had ideas pitched to us, 0:06:09.040 --> 0:06:12.560 and nothing just nothing felt right, Like nothing got that 0:06:12.680 --> 0:06:16.279 fire burning where I'm like, yes, this is it. And 0:06:16.960 --> 0:06:20.560 something about running into doctor phil Us, becoming friends and 0:06:20.640 --> 0:06:24.040 him pitching us this idea. All of a sudden, the 0:06:24.080 --> 0:06:27.400 stars aligned and this thing just felt right. And as 0:06:27.440 --> 0:06:29.839 soon as you and I were on you know, talked 0:06:29.839 --> 0:06:32.680 about this, we knew. We were like, this is it. 0:06:32.680 --> 0:06:35.839 It is. It's kind of like a what's work love 0:06:35.880 --> 0:06:36.440 at first sight? 0:06:37.320 --> 0:06:38.599 You know, it's funny. I was gonna say, this has 0:06:38.640 --> 0:06:41.320 been a relationship show for the last couple of years. 0:06:41.760 --> 0:06:44.840 And let me let me dispel one rumor. People have said, oh, well, 0:06:44.880 --> 0:06:47.359 he stayed away because there was a two year no 0:06:47.480 --> 0:06:50.320 compete clause and that's why he stayed away this long. 0:06:50.600 --> 0:06:53.680 That was not the case. We really just couldn't find 0:06:53.720 --> 0:06:56.640 anything that I wanted to sink my teeth into. Nothing 0:06:56.960 --> 0:07:00.160 really lit that fire in me until this, And and 0:07:00.240 --> 0:07:02.599 luckily Lauren and I had the ability to wait and 0:07:02.680 --> 0:07:05.560 be patient. And I give you a lot of credit 0:07:05.560 --> 0:07:08.080 for that, and myself, I'll tell you know, pat myself 0:07:08.080 --> 0:07:10.680 on the back of like being patient and not just 0:07:10.840 --> 0:07:13.440 jumping back to jump back. I didn't want to get 0:07:13.440 --> 0:07:15.760 into TV just to do TV again. I wanted it 0:07:15.800 --> 0:07:16.520 to be right. 0:07:16.840 --> 0:07:19.280 Yeah. I think you know, we're coming from a place 0:07:19.320 --> 0:07:22.200 of like if someone was in their twenties asking me 0:07:22.200 --> 0:07:24.600 that question, I'd say, dive in, say yes to everything, 0:07:24.600 --> 0:07:29.200 try everything, take the opportunity. But once you've really gotten 0:07:29.240 --> 0:07:30.840 to a good place you want to be at in 0:07:30.880 --> 0:07:34.160 your career, then you just have to start making decisions about, well, 0:07:34.240 --> 0:07:38.000 what do I want my career to be, and sometimes 0:07:38.000 --> 0:07:40.720 you have to say no. Sometimes saying no is more powerful, 0:07:40.880 --> 0:07:42.720 but you know that comes later. So I think we 0:07:42.720 --> 0:07:48.360 were both at that place. And maybe the one of 0:07:48.360 --> 0:07:51.560 the biggest assets about Merritt Street and Doctor Phil also 0:07:51.760 --> 0:07:56.080 is I don't know anywhere else, you know. Again, we 0:07:56.160 --> 0:07:59.800 talk to other networks about possibly doing overall first Look 0:07:59.840 --> 0:08:02.720 d and that kind of thing. I don't know anywhere 0:08:02.720 --> 0:08:05.960 else where. Someone who is running the network has been 0:08:06.000 --> 0:08:10.360 on TV themselves, and that is a game changer. It's 0:08:10.400 --> 0:08:12.520 almost hard to convey if you're not in the industry. 0:08:12.560 --> 0:08:14.840 But you know what a lot of people have an 0:08:14.840 --> 0:08:16.800 issue with in Hollywood right now, people who have been 0:08:16.800 --> 0:08:20.320 working in this business a long time, is that creatives 0:08:20.400 --> 0:08:22.880 used to run studios and now numbers people. 0:08:22.680 --> 0:08:26.200 Do people that had TV experience, they made TV. 0:08:26.640 --> 0:08:29.640 And now it's not like that. So it's kind of 0:08:29.720 --> 0:08:35.520 losing that that magic. And not only losing that magic, 0:08:35.679 --> 0:08:39.320 but it's just really hard to like pitch stuff and 0:08:39.360 --> 0:08:42.680 get stuff done because everybody behind the scenes is like 0:08:42.720 --> 0:08:45.120 a numbers person and is only worried about the bottom line, 0:08:45.120 --> 0:08:47.240 and you're trying to tell them, but if we make. 0:08:47.120 --> 0:08:49.120 This project great, it will be good. 0:08:49.160 --> 0:08:51.760 Like I would say, one of the huge reasons the 0:08:51.760 --> 0:08:56.120 Barbie movie crush this summer is because Mattel told director 0:08:56.160 --> 0:08:59.040 Greta Gerwig, do your vision. They let her do her 0:08:59.160 --> 0:09:00.880 vision and it was great, and they didn't try to 0:09:00.880 --> 0:09:01.319 step in. 0:09:01.280 --> 0:09:03.600 Too much, even at the expense of Mattel, Like they 0:09:03.640 --> 0:09:05.679 took some shots at Mattel, but they said, no, no, 0:09:05.920 --> 0:09:06.920 do your movie. 0:09:06.960 --> 0:09:07.520 Do you think? 0:09:07.600 --> 0:09:07.960 Yeah? 0:09:07.960 --> 0:09:10.920 And when we sit in a room with Phil, this 0:09:11.040 --> 0:09:14.920 is his network. He's running it. He makes quick, smart, 0:09:15.800 --> 0:09:19.760 powerful decisions, and he knows what's good. And to see him, 0:09:20.000 --> 0:09:22.160 you know, have that trust in us, like when we've 0:09:22.160 --> 0:09:26.400 been talking about some potential relationship reality shows. He's very 0:09:26.480 --> 0:09:28.760 much like you guys. You know, Chris, you know what 0:09:28.760 --> 0:09:29.760 you're doing, What do you want to do? 0:09:30.000 --> 0:09:32.520 What you know? I think you would call it in 0:09:32.559 --> 0:09:35.720 sports a player's coach. There are certain people you play 0:09:35.800 --> 0:09:38.200 for in sports that. 0:09:37.640 --> 0:09:39.800 That's one of the first sports analogies you've ever made 0:09:39.800 --> 0:09:40.600 that I've understood. 0:09:40.600 --> 0:09:45.320 In they really understand because they've been there. You know, 0:09:45.520 --> 0:09:47.840 they've played, they've been on the field. They know what 0:09:47.880 --> 0:09:50.199 you're going through as a player. That's Doctor Phil. When 0:09:50.200 --> 0:09:51.600 you sit down and you pitch him a show or 0:09:51.600 --> 0:09:54.160 you talk to him, the guy's been there. He's doing 0:09:54.240 --> 0:09:56.720 it at the highest level. He's still doing it because 0:09:56.760 --> 0:09:59.040 Doctor Phil Primetime is going to be the anchor of 0:09:59.040 --> 0:10:02.280 this network. He is Doctor Phil Brilliant. He owns his 0:10:02.280 --> 0:10:05.400 own show. So he has brought Doctor Phil the catalog 0:10:05.559 --> 0:10:08.280 as well as his new show, Doctor Phil Primetime to 0:10:08.440 --> 0:10:14.360 this network, and he's doing some unbelievable, really moving shows. 0:10:15.280 --> 0:10:17.280 As he says, I want to really own the debate 0:10:17.360 --> 0:10:20.400 lane in this country because, as he says, we got 0:10:20.440 --> 0:10:33.320 problems and we're going to start solving some of these problems. 0:10:34.920 --> 0:10:38.400 So maybe the next big question people ask is what 0:10:38.440 --> 0:10:41.880 are you working on specifically and what does this return 0:10:41.960 --> 0:10:43.560 to TV really mean? 0:10:44.160 --> 0:10:46.320 I love this. We're doing this in our new office 0:10:46.320 --> 0:10:48.840 and Doctor Phil is about to walk by right now 0:10:49.000 --> 0:10:51.480 to go out to the stage to do Doctor Phil Primetime. 0:10:52.120 --> 0:10:54.640 So the floor director's right outside. We got our camera 0:10:54.720 --> 0:10:58.080 crew right there taking pictures of us, and Doctor Phil 0:10:58.120 --> 0:11:01.000 is about to walk by, very hands on work. Everybody 0:11:01.120 --> 0:11:04.240 is around each other all the time. Just a creative 0:11:04.320 --> 0:11:08.080 think tank. I love this. But to your question, where 0:11:08.120 --> 0:11:10.960 will you see Elsie and I back on TV? A 0:11:11.000 --> 0:11:14.560 couple of big projects. First and foremost, I will be 0:11:14.559 --> 0:11:17.199 appearing on Doctor Phil Primetime. As Doctor Phil said, you 0:11:17.240 --> 0:11:19.240 know what I was doing with Oprah and how I 0:11:19.240 --> 0:11:22.160 would kind of supplement and help her. I want you 0:11:22.200 --> 0:11:24.120 doing that on Doctor Phil Primetime. So I will be 0:11:24.160 --> 0:11:27.560 appearing immediately starting April second, as the show launches, the 0:11:27.600 --> 0:11:30.600 network launches, I'll be on Doctor Phil Primetime, filling in 0:11:31.000 --> 0:11:34.440 doing some work with him. And I love that because 0:11:34.440 --> 0:11:37.560 it immediately got me back to my journalism and the 0:11:37.600 --> 0:11:39.280 same thing with you. You and I have talked about these 0:11:39.280 --> 0:11:40.360 stories that he's doing. 0:11:40.440 --> 0:11:43.520 Well, we need sort of a new word because you 0:11:44.400 --> 0:11:49.720 have been doing journalism. Yeah, but like you did that 0:11:49.800 --> 0:11:51.920 on The Bachelor. I mean you interviewed people on. 0:11:51.920 --> 0:11:54.360 The Batchel are using your skills for sure, totally. 0:11:54.400 --> 0:11:56.120 That was the Chris Harrison hot seats. 0:11:56.120 --> 0:11:59.160 So yeah, your journalism, yes, but I think what you're 0:11:59.160 --> 0:12:01.439 doing is bringing the hot seat to Doctor Phil. 0:12:01.840 --> 0:12:04.160 And oh interesting, Yeah, you've seen a couple of the shows. 0:12:04.200 --> 0:12:05.800 You tell me what I'm bringing, Well. 0:12:05.640 --> 0:12:06.559 That is what you're bringing. 0:12:06.600 --> 0:12:09.640 You know, you did a show about They've brought you 0:12:09.679 --> 0:12:11.880 in to talk about some relationship topics and I think 0:12:11.920 --> 0:12:14.560 you've done great with that. Also, it's getting you back 0:12:14.600 --> 0:12:16.960 to you know, he was really great with asking you 0:12:17.000 --> 0:12:17.760 what are you interested in? 0:12:17.800 --> 0:12:18.440 What do you want to cover? 0:12:18.520 --> 0:12:20.080 So I know you want to do some stuff with 0:12:20.160 --> 0:12:23.720 sports and things that are happening in that world, controversies. 0:12:24.200 --> 0:12:26.480 But Doctor Phil's show is kind of the perfect fit 0:12:26.640 --> 0:12:29.560 for you of that journalism interview background. 0:12:29.559 --> 0:12:31.280 But there's some drama on Doctor Phil. 0:12:31.360 --> 0:12:35.840 No. He look, he knows this network television also needs 0:12:35.880 --> 0:12:38.520 to be entertaining. That's what we're here for too, is 0:12:38.559 --> 0:12:40.800 to entertain you. And that's again you go back to 0:12:41.240 --> 0:12:43.560 having a player's coach, having a guy who's been in 0:12:43.600 --> 0:12:46.640 the trenches and been on TV. He knows we're not 0:12:46.720 --> 0:12:49.719 just going to do ah. You know, TV, we kind 0:12:49.720 --> 0:12:51.600 of entertain We got to make you laugh, got to 0:12:51.600 --> 0:12:53.280 make you think, got to make you cry. That's what 0:12:53.360 --> 0:12:55.440 TV does and that's what Doctor Phil does and he's 0:12:55.440 --> 0:12:56.160 brilliant at it. 0:12:56.240 --> 0:12:59.280 Another part of the reason the fit seemed so perfect 0:12:59.320 --> 0:13:03.880 to me, I think you two share reasons that you 0:13:04.160 --> 0:13:07.120 have been on TV for so long. Like Doctor Phil 0:13:07.160 --> 0:13:09.480 moved his show to Texas, he moved lots of LA 0:13:09.520 --> 0:13:10.200 staffers with him. 0:13:10.240 --> 0:13:11.400 He takes care of his people. 0:13:11.920 --> 0:13:14.360 And you know, when we were going through everything, I 0:13:14.480 --> 0:13:16.960 know that a huge part of the reason you made 0:13:16.960 --> 0:13:19.560 a lot of the decisions that you made, I think 0:13:19.600 --> 0:13:23.640 in part well, I think sometimes really to your own detriment, 0:13:23.720 --> 0:13:26.800 Like looking back, they weren't great decisions for you personally, honestly, 0:13:27.240 --> 0:13:31.520 but you made those decisions because your driving force was 0:13:31.559 --> 0:13:34.160 never yourself. It was I want to make sure the 0:13:34.200 --> 0:13:36.680 show stays okay. I don't want you know, I want 0:13:36.720 --> 0:13:40.160 to make sure that everybody who I've worked with is okay. 0:13:40.480 --> 0:13:42.360 And you were really focused on their jobs. So Phil 0:13:42.360 --> 0:13:45.800 brought a bunch of people from LA to hear and 0:13:45.920 --> 0:13:47.280 his bond with his audience. 0:13:47.600 --> 0:13:49.760 He really cares about his audience. 0:13:50.120 --> 0:13:54.800 He here in the Merit Street Media Studio has built 0:13:54.840 --> 0:13:58.920 an entire red carpet audience experience so that when the 0:13:58.960 --> 0:14:01.360 audience comes in for him tape, they have a really 0:14:01.400 --> 0:14:05.439 cool VIP Hollywood like experience right here in Texas. And 0:14:05.679 --> 0:14:08.559 he understands that connection. And you've always understood that connection. 0:14:08.960 --> 0:14:10.880 I always say The simplest way to explain it is 0:14:11.480 --> 0:14:13.760 you stop and take a picture with everybody, because you 0:14:13.800 --> 0:14:16.040 know those people are the reason that you're here. 0:14:16.280 --> 0:14:17.520 Yeah, and by the way, if you're ever in the 0:14:17.559 --> 0:14:19.480 DFW area, you want to come see a life taping 0:14:19.520 --> 0:14:21.760 of Doctor Phil Prime Time or maybe something else, and 0:14:21.800 --> 0:14:24.640 I will be talking about and doing very soon. But 0:14:25.520 --> 0:14:28.200 I thank you, and I feel the same when I'm 0:14:28.240 --> 0:14:30.920 on stage with him. He has this charisma and this 0:14:31.040 --> 0:14:34.200 charm and again I go back to sports, all my 0:14:34.240 --> 0:14:37.240 analogies or sports. But it's been fun to kind of 0:14:38.000 --> 0:14:41.160 exchange barbes with him and kind of volley back and 0:14:41.200 --> 0:14:43.920 forth with him when we're on stage together and we're 0:14:43.920 --> 0:14:48.320 hosting together. It really is a masterclass in hosting. I 0:14:48.360 --> 0:14:50.600 really enjoy his style, and it took me a minute, 0:14:50.920 --> 0:14:53.080 you know, to watch his style to see how he 0:14:53.120 --> 0:14:55.440 does things. But it's fun to be on stage with 0:14:55.520 --> 0:14:59.360 another host who does it at this high level because 0:14:59.360 --> 0:15:02.000 he's so damned talented. And you know, by the way, 0:15:02.040 --> 0:15:05.440 don't ever underestimate the guy with the accent. That's what 0:15:05.480 --> 0:15:07.320 he wants. Yeah, that's what he wanted. 0:15:07.760 --> 0:15:10.400 He's doing that Texas draw to draw it out of you. 0:15:10.600 --> 0:15:11.920 But That's one of the things he said to both 0:15:11.920 --> 0:15:13.920 of us when when he said, I want you guys 0:15:14.080 --> 0:15:16.400 to come to Merritt Street, I want you back on TV. 0:15:16.920 --> 0:15:20.280 I think you both have you resonate with your fans, 0:15:20.320 --> 0:15:21.960 and you have this fan base that you're going to 0:15:22.000 --> 0:15:25.640 bring with you. So I like that. You know, game 0:15:25.960 --> 0:15:26.920 recognizes game. 0:15:27.080 --> 0:15:30.920 You know well to have someone tell you, especially in 0:15:30.960 --> 0:15:33.280 our business, like here's what's a little bit of the 0:15:33.320 --> 0:15:39.160 contradiction of Hollywood. People who really make it are a personality, right, 0:15:39.240 --> 0:15:41.480 Like when you think about Jack Nicholson, you know exactly 0:15:41.520 --> 0:15:43.560 who're thinking about. When you think about Tom Hanks, you 0:15:43.600 --> 0:15:47.560 know people know that person. But what this business also 0:15:47.600 --> 0:15:49.600 tells you over and over again is fit a mold, 0:15:49.640 --> 0:15:52.040 fit a mold, fit a mold. And you and I 0:15:52.120 --> 0:15:55.320 were both at places where like I did Roses and 0:15:55.400 --> 0:15:58.000 Rose and I loved it, and I created that myself 0:15:58.000 --> 0:16:00.160 and pitched it and they greenlit that and support it. 0:16:00.200 --> 0:16:03.360 So I'm so grateful. But when I was doing interviews, 0:16:04.040 --> 0:16:06.880 you know, it was always like, okay, but you have 0:16:06.920 --> 0:16:08.840 to be doing it the ET way, ask it the 0:16:08.880 --> 0:16:11.320 ET way. And on the one hand, yes, but on 0:16:11.360 --> 0:16:14.520 the other hand, you know you lose yourself a little bit. 0:16:14.600 --> 0:16:18.000 And so to have him say to us, I want 0:16:18.000 --> 0:16:19.880 you to come here and do what you want to 0:16:19.880 --> 0:16:20.800 do and be yourselves. 0:16:21.360 --> 0:16:23.200 What a gift. I felt so blessed. 0:16:23.280 --> 0:16:25.240 One of the things that there's a quote that's stuck 0:16:25.240 --> 0:16:26.920 with me, and I've said this to some other people. 0:16:27.240 --> 0:16:29.240 So We're sitting with doctor Phil in his office and 0:16:29.280 --> 0:16:31.360 you know, I'm really hand ringing and him and and 0:16:31.400 --> 0:16:34.040 Holland about how I'm going to return, which of his 0:16:34.120 --> 0:16:36.840 shows that I would make the first show back, and 0:16:37.080 --> 0:16:39.760 what subject matter will I cover? And you know, I'm 0:16:39.880 --> 0:16:42.800 really in the weeds on this, and he just stops me. 0:16:42.840 --> 0:16:44.760 And as only doctor Phil could say, he is like, Chris, 0:16:45.560 --> 0:16:49.160 we don't have to hang this in the louver, meaning 0:16:50.120 --> 0:16:53.280 everything doesn't have to be perfect. Get let's get you 0:16:53.360 --> 0:16:55.680 back on TV man. People just want to see you talk. 0:16:55.800 --> 0:16:58.840 Let's go. And I just love he cuts to the chase, 0:16:59.000 --> 0:17:01.440 and that's a line that's going to resonate and stick 0:17:01.480 --> 0:17:03.880 with me for a long time. He just stopped me. 0:17:03.960 --> 0:17:05.600 He's like, we don't have to hang it in the loover, man, 0:17:05.640 --> 0:17:07.240 Let's just go do TV. Well. 0:17:07.280 --> 0:17:08.800 We're definitely both perfectionists. 0:17:08.840 --> 0:17:11.200 We like for our quality to be really high, which 0:17:11.480 --> 0:17:13.840 by the way, is why I have sometimes honestly struggled 0:17:13.880 --> 0:17:17.159 with podcasting. I'm excited to be back on TV because 0:17:17.280 --> 0:17:21.199 I grew up and studied and loved a medium that 0:17:21.320 --> 0:17:25.240 is really like edited and not a word is wasted. 0:17:24.960 --> 0:17:26.560 Scripted, formulaic to a certain degree. 0:17:26.640 --> 0:17:29.000 When I would edit Roses and Rose, I would cut 0:17:29.040 --> 0:17:32.439 out half seconds, like the timing matters so much to me, 0:17:32.920 --> 0:17:35.679 especially because that's what you learn about in comedy, Like 0:17:35.760 --> 0:17:39.280 timing matters so much so to just sit and what 0:17:39.280 --> 0:17:42.520 we've always been told about podcasting is talk longer, go longer. 0:17:42.600 --> 0:17:43.639 It crushes me. 0:17:55.400 --> 0:17:57.439 Okay, well, before we wrap this up, I think we 0:17:57.440 --> 0:17:59.720 need People are going to be wondering, Hey, what else 0:17:59.760 --> 0:18:01.480 are you working on. 0:18:01.480 --> 0:18:04.280 One of the first things we're working on is a 0:18:04.320 --> 0:18:08.040 morning show together, a morning show that we will co host. 0:18:08.119 --> 0:18:11.000 That was one of our first ideas here at Merit, 0:18:11.080 --> 0:18:13.879 and again they were super supportive of it. So we 0:18:14.000 --> 0:18:16.919 have that in the works, and I think that's going 0:18:17.000 --> 0:18:20.240 to be that great next chapter, as we named our company, 0:18:20.280 --> 0:18:23.399 Next Chapter Productions for us, where we've been doing the 0:18:23.440 --> 0:18:26.199 podcast together, but now we can do something together in 0:18:26.280 --> 0:18:30.000 a medium that we really love, which is television. 0:18:29.480 --> 0:18:33.920 Merritt Street Media. Immediately April second, we'll launch with Doctor 0:18:33.920 --> 0:18:37.240 Phil primetime, and they also have news. There's a big 0:18:37.280 --> 0:18:40.119 news department and they have a very talented group of 0:18:40.160 --> 0:18:44.440 newscasters and producers. In the morning, I think they're doing 0:18:44.480 --> 0:18:46.600 two hours of news. There's going to be evening news 0:18:46.600 --> 0:18:50.520 as well. That will launch immediately. And then what we 0:18:50.560 --> 0:18:54.680 are working on is producing a late morning talk show, 0:18:55.320 --> 0:18:58.520 the two of us hosting together. That could be dangerous, 0:18:58.880 --> 0:19:00.480 it could be fun, the. 0:19:00.359 --> 0:19:01.960 Most dramatic talk show ever. 0:19:02.080 --> 0:19:04.119 Yeah, okay, it'll come on right after It'll come on 0:19:04.240 --> 0:19:08.040 right after the morning news. And that is something that 0:19:08.119 --> 0:19:11.919 I am so excited about. It's, if I had to 0:19:11.920 --> 0:19:16.480