WEBVTT - Causing a Commotion with Tracey Raftery 0:00:01.760 --> 0:00:04.439 And that's what you really missed with Jenna. 0:00:04.480 --> 0:00:07.119 And Kevin An iHeartRadio podcast. 0:00:09.440 --> 0:00:11.680 Welcome to and that's what you're in the mist podcast. 0:00:12.440 --> 0:00:18.760 It's the publicity episode. Today we have Tracy Raftery, the 0:00:18.840 --> 0:00:25.599 head of publicity for Glee. Her first live action scripted show, 0:00:26.280 --> 0:00:30.600 Out the Gate, which is a very big undertaking for her. 0:00:31.440 --> 0:00:34.000 And I came to one and she also was like 0:00:34.159 --> 0:00:36.839 not much older than the time she. 0:00:36.960 --> 0:00:40.440 Started, and she had been working on animated shows before. 0:00:40.479 --> 0:00:42.560 She gave up this air of like knowing what she did, 0:00:42.600 --> 0:00:44.520 so I just assumed she'd been around for a while. 0:00:45.560 --> 0:00:48.479 Yes, we all trusted her blindly, and I think that 0:00:48.560 --> 0:00:51.080 was the right thing to do because she took care 0:00:51.080 --> 0:00:56.040 of us. Yeah, she's She is just the kindest person. 0:00:57.400 --> 0:01:00.640 She worked so hard and I can't wait for you 0:01:00.680 --> 0:01:03.400 to hear all the things she did for the show. 0:01:03.600 --> 0:01:11.040 This is Tracy. Oh my god, Hiray you ageless, wonder what. 0:01:10.880 --> 0:01:11.840 The hell like? 0:01:11.920 --> 0:01:18.200 Benjamin Button, Oh my god, you guys to see you. 0:01:18.920 --> 0:01:20.039 I'm good to see you. 0:01:20.959 --> 0:01:23.440 Oh my gosh, Suy you guys. 0:01:24.800 --> 0:01:25.759 We cry all the time. 0:01:27.040 --> 0:01:30.679 No, I know this, this podcast must be so like cathartic. 0:01:32.080 --> 0:01:35.600 It is asking me to come on, I'm like thinking 0:01:35.640 --> 0:01:38.600 about that time again, just like going through all those 0:01:38.640 --> 0:01:41.200 memories and it's just like very therapeutic. 0:01:41.280 --> 0:01:49.080 I think, yeah, yeah, buckle up. Well, we're so happy 0:01:49.080 --> 0:01:50.840 that I mean, honestly, it's so good to see you. 0:01:51.520 --> 0:01:54.120 Seriously, so like I don't think people understand and we'll 0:01:54.120 --> 0:01:56.200 get we'll get there, but like we spent so much 0:01:56.240 --> 0:01:59.720 time with you over the course of that show. It 0:01:59.800 --> 0:02:02.640 really does take an army of people to like make 0:02:02.680 --> 0:02:05.960 something successful, to make everybody happy, to get it all 0:02:06.000 --> 0:02:10.960 done in all the different departments. Can you tell people 0:02:11.280 --> 0:02:13.840 what you did on Glee? 0:02:14.080 --> 0:02:19.639 Yes, So I was the network publicist, and I'll explain 0:02:20.040 --> 0:02:22.400 a little bit about the different types of publicists that 0:02:22.440 --> 0:02:26.399 work on the show. But for me, as a network publicist, 0:02:26.520 --> 0:02:31.480 you're sort of the middle person, the conduit from media 0:02:31.960 --> 0:02:37.320 to the show, from talent to executive producers and the network. 0:02:37.800 --> 0:02:41.799 So you're just either pitching stories and features or you're 0:02:41.919 --> 0:02:47.000 receiving request from reporters, and you know, it runs the 0:02:47.040 --> 0:02:51.040 gamut of everything from a talk show booking to a 0:02:51.080 --> 0:02:54.320 profile in the New York Times to a radio interview 0:02:54.720 --> 0:02:57.560 or online. So it was really a lot of different 0:02:57.600 --> 0:03:02.720 things and how the different publicists work within the show. 0:03:02.919 --> 0:03:06.560 Is like you guys had personal publicists, so you guys 0:03:06.600 --> 0:03:09.520 would hire someone that kind of oversaw your career and 0:03:09.560 --> 0:03:11.840 your goals and things like that. And then there was 0:03:11.840 --> 0:03:15.880 the network publicist, the studio publicist who was Chris Alexander, 0:03:16.720 --> 0:03:19.440 who was amazing and he was my counterpart on the show. 0:03:19.520 --> 0:03:23.760 And studio publicists really oversee sort of the business of 0:03:23.800 --> 0:03:27.200 the show, licensing and merchandising and a lot of other 0:03:27.280 --> 0:03:30.160 things outside of just airing on the network. And then 0:03:30.280 --> 0:03:33.200 there was Pam Jackson, who I definitely wanted to talk 0:03:33.240 --> 0:03:35.160 about because I love so much and I know you 0:03:35.200 --> 0:03:39.360 guys loved so much, and she oversaw international pr, so 0:03:39.440 --> 0:03:43.400 any international press went through her. And then there was 0:03:43.440 --> 0:03:45.880 the record label and they would help us with all 0:03:45.880 --> 0:03:49.800 the music, music drops and exclusives and stuff like that. 0:03:50.080 --> 0:03:53.640 So it was a it was a it was definitely 0:03:53.680 --> 0:03:57.200 a big role at the time. It was my first 0:03:57.240 --> 0:04:01.640 big show. I was my first day at Fox was 0:04:01.920 --> 0:04:04.720 the premiere of The Simple Life with Nicole Richie and 0:04:04.800 --> 0:04:09.839 Paris Hilton. And you know, my bosses like were great there. 0:04:10.000 --> 0:04:11.960 Shannon Ryan was my boss at the time, and she 0:04:12.040 --> 0:04:13.800 gave me a bunch of great shows that she had 0:04:13.840 --> 0:04:17.520 worked on, and it was like the days of Arrested 0:04:17.560 --> 0:04:22.800 Development and twenty four and you know, it was this 0:04:23.000 --> 0:04:25.840 really interesting time. There were only four major networks at 0:04:25.839 --> 0:04:29.160 that time, you know, and it was like the good 0:04:29.200 --> 0:04:32.240 old days. And if I could explain further, just the 0:04:32.360 --> 0:04:36.400 media landscape at that time, it was just, you know, 0:04:36.520 --> 0:04:39.760 so different than it is now. And I don't think 0:04:39.800 --> 0:04:42.240 you realized it unless you were like going through it. 0:04:42.520 --> 0:04:46.159 But so, yeah, so that's sort of it in a nutshell. 0:04:46.480 --> 0:04:47.840 That's awesome. That was a really good. 0:04:48.279 --> 0:04:49.320 Yeah, that was very good. 0:04:49.600 --> 0:04:49.920 No good. 0:04:51.040 --> 0:04:53.800 So when you when you got when you heard about 0:04:53.839 --> 0:04:56.080 Glee for the first time, when they brought you Glee, 0:04:56.120 --> 0:04:59.720 they're like, there's this new show. Read the pilot, Like 0:05:00.160 --> 0:05:02.880 what did they preface it with any kind of like 0:05:02.960 --> 0:05:05.440 this is going to be big? Like did they give 0:05:05.480 --> 0:05:07.760 you any kind of inkling as to what this show 0:05:07.839 --> 0:05:08.400 was going to be? 0:05:10.240 --> 0:05:12.320 No? But what was weird about the show is that 0:05:12.680 --> 0:05:14.800 I don't think this was very common back then that 0:05:15.240 --> 0:05:18.160 a show would get picked up for thirteen episodes right 0:05:18.200 --> 0:05:21.240 off the bat. So it was really because of Ryan 0:05:21.320 --> 0:05:24.839 Murphy and just like I was a huge Niptock fan, 0:05:24.920 --> 0:05:27.960 like everyone at Fox loved him and that show, and 0:05:28.120 --> 0:05:32.440 he got picked up for thirteen. And so typically the 0:05:32.520 --> 0:05:35.719 network would buy a pilot and then then they'd have 0:05:35.800 --> 0:05:38.120 it come in and they'd look at it and they decide, Okay, 0:05:38.160 --> 0:05:40.400 we want this to go to series, and that's when 0:05:40.440 --> 0:05:42.840 pr will get brought in after it was already going 0:05:42.880 --> 0:05:46.080 to series. So we typically didn't even cover a pilot 0:05:46.120 --> 0:05:49.719 of a show. So yeah, so I got brought in 0:05:49.760 --> 0:05:51.279 on the pilot on this one, and they were like, 0:05:51.320 --> 0:05:54.159 this is going to series, so we should cover the 0:05:54.200 --> 0:05:58.359 first episode, and we of course were like we have 0:05:58.440 --> 0:06:01.440 to cover. Don't stop believing, like that's you know, that's 0:06:02.040 --> 0:06:05.880 the scene, that's the moment, you know. And I think 0:06:05.920 --> 0:06:08.640 there was a sentiment that this was something different, but 0:06:08.720 --> 0:06:12.320 I don't think I don't think it was fully realized 0:06:12.440 --> 0:06:17.720 until the first season, like September of the first season. 0:06:18.640 --> 0:06:22.400 I think those early days, it was a small group 0:06:22.440 --> 0:06:24.640 of us at the network that we're getting scripts and 0:06:24.680 --> 0:06:26.840 that were kind of like this is amazing, Like we're 0:06:26.839 --> 0:06:29.359 on set, We're seeing what's happening. You know, this is 0:06:29.440 --> 0:06:33.000 like special. You know, these these performances are gonna like 0:06:33.160 --> 0:06:36.400 kill it and people are gonna love it and and 0:06:36.480 --> 0:06:38.960 so yeah, I don't. I don't know. And it's funny because, 0:06:38.960 --> 0:06:41.720 like I was, I had only had Family Guy and 0:06:41.760 --> 0:06:44.040 American Dad as the shows I was working on at 0:06:44.040 --> 0:06:48.400 the time, and this was like my first scripted show. 0:06:48.720 --> 0:06:51.239 And it's funny because I was just kind of junior. 0:06:51.400 --> 0:06:53.440 I was only twenty nine when I got the show, 0:06:53.480 --> 0:06:55.280 and it only i'd only been there probably. 0:06:55.080 --> 0:06:55.799 Like a peer. 0:06:56.760 --> 0:06:57.960 Yeah, crazy, I. 0:06:58.000 --> 0:07:00.440 Was only a few years. Different thing, or is it? 0:07:00.480 --> 0:07:02.839 You know Corey and I in age, you know, So 0:07:02.920 --> 0:07:05.320 I was like young and and I had been working 0:07:05.360 --> 0:07:09.080 on animation, but animation was a totally different beast, Like 0:07:09.160 --> 0:07:11.880 it was like table reads and a year in advance, 0:07:11.960 --> 0:07:14.280 and you know, it was a different world. And so 0:07:14.400 --> 0:07:17.200 I got brought on on Glee, and I'm surprised at 0:07:17.200 --> 0:07:20.000 some point they weren't like, let's bring in someone senior, 0:07:20.200 --> 0:07:23.120 like to help her with this. But like I think, 0:07:23.160 --> 0:07:27.480 I just you know, became like embedded with you guys. Yeah, 0:07:28.280 --> 0:07:30.800 working on like going on the Glee tour and the 0:07:30.840 --> 0:07:33.560 Mall tour and stuff like that. So so I think 0:07:33.920 --> 0:07:37.400 that sort of like you know, changed it. And then 0:07:37.560 --> 0:07:40.320 you know, season one it was it was just a 0:07:40.480 --> 0:07:42.480 crazy rollerbuster. 0:07:49.960 --> 0:07:52.320 Start with the Hot Topic tour that we did because 0:07:53.080 --> 0:07:56.760 because let me just clarify, at that point the pilot 0:07:56.760 --> 0:07:59.800 had aired, the rest of it had, the thirteen had not, 0:08:00.560 --> 0:08:05.960 and we had we didn't have any personal publicises at 0:08:05.960 --> 0:08:09.160 that point yet, like most of us had not brought 0:08:09.160 --> 0:08:11.960 on personal publicists yet. We didn't know where we were 0:08:11.960 --> 0:08:13.920 going to be headed, Like we really didn't know what 0:08:14.040 --> 0:08:16.960 was in what was ahead yea. So it was really 0:08:17.000 --> 0:08:20.360 you and Marissa that were really our people. And this 0:08:20.520 --> 0:08:23.280 first like big press tour was like a couple of 0:08:23.320 --> 0:08:26.120 cities we did. It was it's called a mall. 0:08:26.040 --> 0:08:29.440 Tour top days in twelve days. I remember for the 0:08:29.560 --> 0:08:33.160 details because I felt like we were going on tour 0:08:33.760 --> 0:08:36.800 and only one episode had aired, and we're like, what is. 0:08:36.840 --> 0:08:38.120 Maybe somebody's going to show up? 0:08:38.320 --> 0:08:42.959 Yeah, okay, so okay. So the concept behind like airing 0:08:43.080 --> 0:08:46.160 after American Idol was like this idea of like, we 0:08:46.280 --> 0:08:49.040 have this huge musical show. We want this to be 0:08:49.160 --> 0:08:52.960 the springboard to a marketing campaign. So they aired you 0:08:53.000 --> 0:08:57.920 Guys in May after Idol, and the plan was to 0:08:58.040 --> 0:09:00.640 like booy that with press and with Mark throughout the 0:09:00.679 --> 0:09:04.640 summer and then bringing back in the fall, and they 0:09:04.640 --> 0:09:08.200 were like, you know, at Fox they had nine oh 0:09:08.240 --> 0:09:10.480 two one. Oho was like their big teen show that 0:09:10.520 --> 0:09:13.360 they had had that finished about ten years before ours, 0:09:13.840 --> 0:09:16.040 and I think it had sent them on a mal 0:09:16.080 --> 0:09:19.240 tour and they were like, let's send the kids on 0:09:19.280 --> 0:09:22.000 a maltwur and I was like, oh my gosh, okay. 0:09:22.600 --> 0:09:26.520 So we so we get hot topic as a partner, 0:09:27.480 --> 0:09:30.520 and we do like ten like you said, ten cities 0:09:30.760 --> 0:09:33.480 in like twelve days. We started in Boston and we 0:09:33.679 --> 0:09:37.880 ended up in la And I will tell you, guys, 0:09:38.000 --> 0:09:41.600 you had only aired one episode. The fear inside of 0:09:41.640 --> 0:09:44.600 me that that first city was going to have no people, 0:09:45.120 --> 0:09:48.520 like I remember driving up to that first bo mall 0:09:48.920 --> 0:09:52.560 thinking like oh god, please, like please, like I don't 0:09:52.559 --> 0:09:54.800 want to be embarrassed with this, Like I hope there's 0:09:54.920 --> 0:09:57.960 kids there. And I remember walking into the mall and 0:09:58.000 --> 0:10:00.280 seeing like a line of kids that have been like 0:10:00.400 --> 0:10:03.920 sleeping and waiting. And then like you guys sat down 0:10:04.000 --> 0:10:07.320 to do a signing and and you were like getting 0:10:07.360 --> 0:10:10.840 like women are bringing their babies and like leading onesies 0:10:11.040 --> 0:10:14.800 and you guys like kids are crying, like oh my god, 0:10:14.840 --> 0:10:17.880 I see myself in this character. And I remember like 0:10:18.000 --> 0:10:20.800 calling my bosses at that time and was like, I 0:10:20.840 --> 0:10:25.280 don't know what this is, but it feels like the Beatles, 0:10:25.559 --> 0:10:28.560 Like I don't know, it's like it felt like something special, 0:10:28.640 --> 0:10:31.200 and it felt like it was like really moving people. 0:10:31.360 --> 0:10:33.760 And I saw it in that like first mall and 0:10:33.800 --> 0:10:36.960 I was like, this is crazy, you know, here we go. 0:10:37.200 --> 0:10:41.760 And then I remember after that, you know, it's snowballing 0:10:41.800 --> 0:10:44.760 and like paparazzi started following us on the mall star 0:10:45.760 --> 0:10:48.560 and you know, and and and you're right, you guys 0:10:48.640 --> 0:10:51.960 did not have publicist at the time, and you know, 0:10:52.160 --> 0:10:54.360 I was still really young, so I think I tried 0:10:54.400 --> 0:10:56.360 to give you the best advice that I could, but 0:10:56.440 --> 0:11:00.640 I think it was you know, it was like anything 0:11:00.679 --> 0:11:05.240 anyone could expect. No one knows how to handle a 0:11:05.280 --> 0:11:08.880 pop culture phenomenon, Like no matter how smart and talented 0:11:08.920 --> 0:11:11.000 you are, no matter how long you've been in the business, 0:11:11.600 --> 0:11:15.040 you can't get your arms around it. And there's no 0:11:15.160 --> 0:11:17.400 explaining it to anyone. You almost just have to like 0:11:17.440 --> 0:11:21.440 go through it and learn by trial and error. 0:11:22.640 --> 0:11:27.200 Did you have to do more pitching or were there 0:11:27.360 --> 0:11:30.440 now like say season ones up and running and were 0:11:30.480 --> 0:11:34.160 a hit? Was just like influx of press coming to 0:11:34.280 --> 0:11:36.840 you that you kind of have to like pingpong around. 0:11:37.280 --> 0:11:40.600 Yeah, you had to like manage. So what I would 0:11:40.640 --> 0:11:42.880 say on a normal show is you spend all your 0:11:42.880 --> 0:11:45.760 time pitching, You spend all your time trying to get 0:11:45.800 --> 0:11:48.760 press for your clients for your show, really getting people 0:11:48.800 --> 0:11:52.400 to buzz and talk about it. But on Glee, it 0:11:52.520 --> 0:11:55.439 was different. It was like a wildfire, and it was like, 0:11:55.760 --> 0:11:58.680 how do you contain this in a way? And my 0:11:58.960 --> 0:12:02.120 ultimate goal with every reappearance that you guys did was 0:12:02.720 --> 0:12:05.320 just make sure like they're taken care of, their reps, 0:12:05.320 --> 0:12:08.000 are there, they have what they need. It goes smoothly. 0:12:10.000 --> 0:12:12.440 Press are happy with what they get. You guys are 0:12:12.440 --> 0:12:17.000 happy with the experience, and nothing kind of backfires on 0:12:17.120 --> 0:12:19.439 us because I think at a certain point, you go 0:12:19.559 --> 0:12:21.920 from like in the PR world, you go from like 0:12:22.280 --> 0:12:25.160 pitching a show and trying to get awareness, and then 0:12:25.240 --> 0:12:27.240 you kind of get to that top and then you 0:12:27.320 --> 0:12:32.760 have to like protect the show and and the people 0:12:33.240 --> 0:12:35.240 and like it kind of just kind of does that? 0:12:36.720 --> 0:12:40.120 Does that like natural pop culture? You know, like like 0:12:40.280 --> 0:12:44.680 media blitz? Yeah, yeah, yeah, I actually so I did 0:12:44.679 --> 0:12:50.120 some research before this. I pulled every single all the 0:12:50.160 --> 0:12:52.120 big things that we did, and I just wanted to 0:12:52.320 --> 0:12:55.959 I just go through and like just read. 0:12:55.760 --> 0:12:57.280 All the things, read them through. 0:12:58.120 --> 0:13:02.160 Okay, all right, and this is I want to preface 0:13:02.160 --> 0:13:03.840 this by saying, because you know, there was like a 0:13:03.880 --> 0:13:05.959 team of people that worked on the on the show. 0:13:06.040 --> 0:13:11.240 It was me, Chris, Alexander, Pam, Mike Navarro, Shannon, Ryan, 0:13:11.440 --> 0:13:15.120 Joe Early like in marketing, Christen Graham, and Missy. So 0:13:15.200 --> 0:13:17.880 every one of us is like this little inner circle 0:13:17.920 --> 0:13:20.520 team at Fox and all worked on all these things. 0:13:20.600 --> 0:13:22.360 So I feel like we were all so close to 0:13:22.400 --> 0:13:24.520 that whole group too, because every name you say, it's 0:13:24.559 --> 0:13:28.160 like we had such regular interaction with all of you. 0:13:28.440 --> 0:13:31.520 I mean you and Pam and Chris the most, but 0:13:31.800 --> 0:13:35.040 everybody on that team was always around because there were 0:13:35.040 --> 0:13:37.160 a lot of people to that funny. 0:13:37.200 --> 0:13:39.600 It's funny is that it almost was better that was 0:13:39.640 --> 0:13:41.840 like a small group of us at the network that 0:13:41.920 --> 0:13:44.880 were like with you guys, yeah, because there wasn't a 0:13:44.920 --> 0:13:46.560 lot of cooks in the kitchen then, and it was. 0:13:46.559 --> 0:13:48.880 A little like you, there was a lot of consistency. 0:13:48.920 --> 0:13:51.640 It was always the same people, like right. 0:13:51.440 --> 0:13:56.880 Exactly, Okay, So we did past or performances at the 0:13:56.880 --> 0:14:00.720 World Series, the Super Bowl, the White House East Egg Event, 0:14:00.960 --> 0:14:04.280 and the Christmas Tree Lighting, a themed episode of Oprah. 0:14:04.640 --> 0:14:08.160 Jane hosted the Emmys Cast, did and Emmys Open with 0:14:08.640 --> 0:14:12.600 Jimmy Fallon. Jane hosted Saturday Night Live and Inside the 0:14:12.640 --> 0:14:17.880 Actors Studio performances at the Tonys MTV Music Awards Cast, 0:14:17.960 --> 0:14:22.680 presented Lady Gaga on Award Our, Ten City Mall Tour, 0:14:23.680 --> 0:14:26.760 Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Premiere parties at 0:14:26.760 --> 0:14:31.840 Santa Monica High School, Chateau Armont, Paramount, Lot three, Entertainment 0:14:31.880 --> 0:14:37.760 weekly covers, cover of Emmy Magazine, Rolling Stone, GQ, Marie Claire, 0:14:38.360 --> 0:14:44.000 People's Special Issue, Hollywood Reporter cover twice, TV Guide Magazine 0:14:44.040 --> 0:14:49.120 cover twice, US Weekly Special Issue, Billboard cover, Vogues, Fashion 0:14:49.200 --> 0:14:54.120 Night Out, solo covers on Glamour, More Detail seventeen, Nylon, 0:14:54.280 --> 0:14:58.200 Cosmo A Lore, Marie Clare teen Vogue, cast, appearances on 0:14:58.240 --> 0:15:01.400 almost every talk show. And then that doesn't even include 0:15:01.440 --> 0:15:07.240 like upfronts, TCA screenings, Q and AS award campaigns. So 0:15:08.280 --> 0:15:11.800 that I mean, and the context of that is just 0:15:11.840 --> 0:15:15.080 like that was in the day when there was like 0:15:15.080 --> 0:15:18.880 like no like when you were on something, everyone saw it. 0:15:19.000 --> 0:15:23.880 Like right, And also most of that happened within the 0:15:23.880 --> 0:15:25.080 first like three seasons. 0:15:25.400 --> 0:15:28.480 Like I'm tired listening to that list. It was like 0:15:29.120 --> 0:15:31.800 you're like every weekend we were like here we are again, 0:15:32.800 --> 0:15:33.320 here we are. 0:15:33.560 --> 0:15:37.920 Yeah. That was the hardest thing was that you guys 0:15:37.920 --> 0:15:41.280 were shooting five days a week, and then I would 0:15:41.280 --> 0:15:45.960 have like Saturdays for photo shoots every weekend, and then 0:15:46.120 --> 0:15:49.760 Sunday was typically an award show, so you guys like 0:15:50.200 --> 0:15:52.960 Sundays are always during awards campaign. You had to go 0:15:53.000 --> 0:15:57.400 to every red carpet of every award show. So it 0:15:57.480 --> 0:15:59.840 was it was a good two and a half years 0:15:59.840 --> 0:16:03.480 of like you know, working like NonStop on all that. 0:16:11.880 --> 0:16:14.040 There's something you said about like being on the pilot 0:16:14.200 --> 0:16:18.040 and you seeing the performances and being around all of us, 0:16:18.080 --> 0:16:20.240 and then you being able to go back and be like, guys, 0:16:20.240 --> 0:16:24.760 something's happening here, and going on the mall tour and 0:16:24.800 --> 0:16:27.680 getting to witness like how people interacted, like you saw 0:16:27.800 --> 0:16:31.600 from the very beginning where a lot of people, how 0:16:31.640 --> 0:16:33.280 many of us were on that mall tour. It was 0:16:33.360 --> 0:16:40.200 like you and us, yeah, like and so nobody else 0:16:40.280 --> 0:16:44.200 was really around to see some of those things except you, 0:16:45.240 --> 0:16:48.040 like was there a role and like being able to 0:16:48.200 --> 0:16:51.840 go back to the network and be like you being 0:16:51.880 --> 0:16:54.400 able to report like I think this is going to 0:16:54.480 --> 0:16:58.040 be something like could you start mentally preparing for oh 0:16:58.040 --> 0:17:01.000 if this hits because I know how I feel about it, 0:17:01.080 --> 0:17:05.280 and then like being ultra in a healthy way like 0:17:05.359 --> 0:17:09.480 protective over us immediately, like I feel like going on 0:17:09.480 --> 0:17:12.760 that mall toor was like such a rude wakening for 0:17:12.800 --> 0:17:17.440 all of us of like, oh, there's more of them 0:17:17.440 --> 0:17:19.400 than there are of us. And then you were able 0:17:19.440 --> 0:17:21.800 to relay that back like what was especially because this 0:17:21.880 --> 0:17:25.240 was like the first I don't know five action show 0:17:25.280 --> 0:17:27.200 you had done in the hot minute, yeah, like what 0:17:27.680 --> 0:17:28.760 is happening with this beast? 0:17:29.400 --> 0:17:32.280 Yeah? Yeah, I mean I definitely related back to like 0:17:32.400 --> 0:17:36.320 Joe Early and the team like at the network that 0:17:36.480 --> 0:17:39.239 it was something special and I relayed everything that I 0:17:39.320 --> 0:17:43.480 was seeing and like the response from from fans, and 0:17:43.760 --> 0:17:45.719 I was sort of like, you know, I wasn't in 0:17:45.760 --> 0:17:48.000 that age bracket. I was older, but I was close 0:17:48.200 --> 0:17:50.359 closer to it than some execs that were there, and 0:17:50.400 --> 0:17:53.359 I think they valued what I had to say about it, 0:17:53.400 --> 0:17:55.119 and they you know, they really listened to me. That 0:17:55.200 --> 0:17:57.119 was one of the great things about working at the 0:17:57.160 --> 0:18:00.840 network is they did value like young, younger people opinions 0:18:01.880 --> 0:18:04.240 and kind of thoughts on where things were going. And 0:18:04.280 --> 0:18:07.119 I was really I was really excited for the show, 0:18:07.200 --> 0:18:10.520 and I was excited for you guys, but I never 0:18:10.560 --> 0:18:14.240 could have anticipated the trajectory and the things that would 0:18:14.280 --> 0:18:16.520 have how it would have taken off, and what it 0:18:16.560 --> 0:18:21.639 would have become, you know, And yeah, and it was 0:18:21.680 --> 0:18:23.960 just so special. It's just so special, you know, And 0:18:24.240 --> 0:18:26.840 being able to it's funny because like when I think 0:18:26.880 --> 0:18:29.560 about Glee, I've been trying to, like I forget a 0:18:29.600 --> 0:18:31.239 lot of the things that we went through and the 0:18:31.280 --> 0:18:33.240 things that we did, and I've been trying to like 0:18:33.320 --> 0:18:35.320 go back and think through a lot of this again. 0:18:35.400 --> 0:18:40.560 And it's the early days that I remember the most. Yeah, 0:18:40.600 --> 0:18:42.679 you know, like the end kind of got fuzzy for me, 0:18:42.920 --> 0:18:46.080 Like it got like it got harder and it got fuzzier. 0:18:46.440 --> 0:18:49.879 But I remember like that Maltor in those days before 0:18:49.920 --> 0:18:54.000 anyone else knew what it was, those were the most special. 0:18:55.280 --> 0:18:57.639 Those I felt like I really connected with you guys. 0:18:57.720 --> 0:19:01.360 And then you guys, you guys all got publicist pretty quickly, 0:19:01.480 --> 0:19:04.280 like the first season, and I always thought that was 0:19:04.320 --> 0:19:08.840 like so wonderful because I was only one person at 0:19:08.840 --> 0:19:11.000 the time, and I already felt like, even just on 0:19:11.040 --> 0:19:13.600 the mall Toor, there was no way I was going 0:19:13.680 --> 0:19:16.960 to be able to cover both of you, you know, 0:19:17.960 --> 0:19:21.760 even just said I remember the Santa Monica, the first 0:19:22.040 --> 0:19:25.320 Santa Monica High school like screening thing that we did. 0:19:25.840 --> 0:19:27.800 You know, everyone arrived at like the same time, and 0:19:27.840 --> 0:19:29.520 I'm like, I'm only one person. I don't know how 0:19:29.520 --> 0:19:32.240 I'm gonna take everyone down the carpet and be there 0:19:32.320 --> 0:19:34.120 for everyone. And so it was great that you guys 0:19:34.160 --> 0:19:40.720 all got you know, reps and who were all amazing good. Yeah. 0:19:41.280 --> 0:19:43.320 One of those early memories that sticks out in my 0:19:43.359 --> 0:19:46.520 head is on that Maltor We're on a flight being 0:19:46.600 --> 0:19:49.000 rowdy and the flight team that got mad at us 0:19:50.000 --> 0:19:54.679 and they're like, where is your parent? It was like parent, 0:19:55.440 --> 0:20:01.160 and then we just were like we took over first 0:20:01.160 --> 0:20:04.520 class and four other people that weren't part of our 0:20:04.560 --> 0:20:07.840 group for them, and then we were just like her, 0:20:09.560 --> 0:20:12.000 talk to her. 0:20:11.119 --> 0:20:14.560 Oh my god, I know, I know. Yeah, I was like, 0:20:14.600 --> 0:20:16.320 I guess I was the adult in the situation. 0:20:16.680 --> 0:20:23.880 Yeah, but like ironically, yeah, yeah, not by a lot. 0:20:24.160 --> 0:20:26.840 How did did you guys, did you work with Ryan 0:20:27.720 --> 0:20:31.159 and like the Ryan Camp on a lot of like 0:20:31.240 --> 0:20:35.520 the PR strategy and such like, how did that kind 0:20:35.560 --> 0:20:40.120 of line of you know, I don't know the rain work. 0:20:40.800 --> 0:20:45.960 Yeah, I worked with them, like very closely. I've worked 0:20:46.000 --> 0:20:50.439 with so many incredible producers over my career, and Ryan, 0:20:51.080 --> 0:20:56.679 Brad Dante and Iann were my favorite. They they Ryan, 0:20:57.160 --> 0:20:59.560 I would email and he would respond like that, like 0:21:00.040 --> 0:21:02.920 within minutes, you know, Oh, it called all the time. 0:21:03.400 --> 0:21:08.119 He was really involved. He is, I feel like the great, 0:21:08.480 --> 0:21:13.440 Like he understands media and pop culture unlike anyone I've 0:21:13.480 --> 0:21:16.480 ever met. And I thought I was going to like 0:21:16.520 --> 0:21:19.720 a master class of marketing and PR just my work 0:21:19.840 --> 0:21:24.000 with him, because because he understood how the media worked, 0:21:24.119 --> 0:21:27.840 he knew he knew, you know, and and I learned 0:21:27.840 --> 0:21:30.959 so much from working with him about it. And you know, 0:21:31.040 --> 0:21:34.159 there were times when he I remember, I think it 0:21:34.280 --> 0:21:38.000 might have been before second season he called Joe Early 0:21:38.160 --> 0:21:40.560 and Shannon and I and Chris and we did a 0:21:40.600 --> 0:21:43.560 meeting and he kind of presented like the second season, 0:21:43.720 --> 0:21:47.640 like the episodes that were going to come up, and 0:21:48.200 --> 0:21:50.160 you know, it was like the Brittany. I don't remember 0:21:50.200 --> 0:21:53.920 exactly what it was, Brittany up was Rocky Horn episode 0:21:54.320 --> 0:21:56.920 and and we left and I was just like, I 0:21:57.320 --> 0:22:02.119 think about it now because it's it was just sheer brilliance, 0:22:02.160 --> 0:22:05.720 like the fact that he created like a marketing hook 0:22:05.840 --> 0:22:10.200 for every single episode so that we could promote it 0:22:10.480 --> 0:22:13.680 and the music team could promote it, and the marketing 0:22:13.760 --> 0:22:17.480 and promos and social and stuff like that. He gave 0:22:17.560 --> 0:22:20.080 us something to sink our teeth into. And I think 0:22:20.119 --> 0:22:25.119 it helped really catapult the show like even more. And 0:22:25.240 --> 0:22:28.240 it wouldn't have been for you know, for his you know, 0:22:28.480 --> 0:22:31.680 brilliant ideas and the musicians they brought on and guest 0:22:31.720 --> 0:22:35.040 stars and things like that too. But yeah, I worked 0:22:35.080 --> 0:22:37.359 really close to them. Probably Dante I probably worked with 0:22:37.400 --> 0:22:38.080 like every day. 0:22:38.760 --> 0:22:40.200 He was He was more. 0:22:40.200 --> 0:22:44.440 Like when I had you know, like when SNL calls 0:22:44.480 --> 0:22:46.840 and like we want Jane Lynch to host, I have 0:22:46.960 --> 0:22:51.639 to get Ryan and Dante's approval to clear her for 0:22:51.680 --> 0:22:55.479 a week before she can go. So yeah, so I 0:22:55.520 --> 0:22:58.760 worked with them on clearing you guys all the time, 0:22:59.080 --> 0:23:02.600 and you know, working towards events and stuff like that. 0:23:03.240 --> 0:23:04.400 Yeah, it's crazy. 0:23:04.920 --> 0:23:08.440 The marketing for the show was one of the most 0:23:08.600 --> 0:23:10.280