Don’t Be Alone with Jay Kogen is a comedy/advice podcast trying to fight the isolation of modern life. Each episode, Award winning TV writer/comedian/philosopher Jay Kogen has a conversation with a friend about how to solve the problems on Jay’s mind. These friends happen to be famous comics, musicians, actors, artists, writers, and sometimes even his family. It’s an entertaining, fun, and thoughtful show meant to bond us through humor, experience, and empathy.From Straw Hut Media
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Your Life Isn’t as Interesting as You Think — Bill Martin & Mike Schiff
Tuesday, September 1, 2026 • Duration 56:01
What happens when two veteran comedy writers start questioning everything they were taught about writing?
Jay sits down with Bill Martin and Mike Schiff, the longtime writing partners behind shows including 3rd Rock from the Sun, In Living Color, Grounded for Life, and The Neighborhood, for a funny and candid conversation about what makes comedy work — and why some of the oldest writing advice might be worth ignoring.
They talk about the decline of the traditional sitcom, why younger audiences will binge hundreds of old episodes but struggle to connect with new comedies, surviving the chaos of In Living Color, taking over The Neighborhood, navigating changing writers' rooms, working with stars like Cedric the Entertainer and John Lithgow, and the strange pressure on writers to constantly “write their truth.”
After decades of writing together, Bill and Mike also explain how their creative partnership survived every argument imaginable — and why sometimes the best thing a writer can do is stop writing what they know.
It’s a conversation about comedy, friendship, changing television, and figuring out how to stay funny when the business around you keeps changing.
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Website: https://www.dontbealonewjk.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontbealonewithjaykogen/
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King of Queens Writer/director Michael Weithorn - Learning to be THE BOSS
Wednesday, August 26, 2026 • Duration 55:42
Michael J. Weithorn knows a thing or two about making television work — and about what happens when it doesn’t.
The creator of The King of Queens joins Jay Kogen to talk about the years of trial, error, difficult actors, canceled shows, and hard-earned lessons that eventually led to one of television’s most successful sitcoms.
Michael shares how Jerry Stiller initially turned down The King of Queens, what it was like having Charlie Kaufman in the Ned and Stacey writers’ room, recognizing Bryan Cranston’s talent long before Breaking Bad, and what he learned about running a television show from Family Ties creator Gary David Goldberg.
They also get into the strange reality of creative success: after you finally make the hit show, are you allowed to stop trying? Jay and Michael compare The Simpsons and The King of Queens, talk about why writers keep creating long after they have something to rest their laurels on, and wonder whether any of it ever actually feels like enough.
Plus, Michael discusses directing Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick in his new film The Best You Can, the disappearing world of old-school TV writers’ rooms, and why comedy writers may simply be incapable of leaving a perfectly good dramatic moment alone.
Michael J. Weithorn is an award-winning writer, producer, director, and creator of The King of Queens, with credits including Family Ties, Cheers, Ned and Stacey, True Colors, and The Wonder Years.
Bio: Michael J. Weithorn is an award-winning writer, producer, and director with over four decades of experience in Hollywood television and film. He is best known as the creator and executive producer of The King of Queens, the beloved CBS sitcom that ran for nine seasons and 207 episodes, and has brought numerous other series to life across major networks, including Ned and Stacey, True Colors, and Weird Loners. Earlier in his career, he honed his craft as a producer and story editor on Family Ties and earned a WGA Award for his Cheers script and an Emmy nomination for The Wonder Years. His feature work includes A Little Help (2011) and the upcoming The Best You Can (2025), starring Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Judd Hirsch, and Ray Romano. Beyond his creative work, Weithorn is a dedicated educator, teaching screenwriting as an adjunct professor at Columbia University's MFA program and UC Santa Barbara, while also leading comedy writing workshops for organizations including the Ghetto Film School and Inside Out Writers, an L.A.-based anti-recidivism program.
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Website: https://www.dontbealonewjk.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontbealonewithjaykogen/
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Does Nerve Run in the Family? Comedy Siblings Allan & Phyllis Katz on Risk & Spit Takes
Tuesday, August 18, 2026 • Duration 55:57
Can comedy run in the family?
M*A*S*H and Laugh-In writer/producer Allan Katz and Groundlings pioneer Phyllis Katz join Jay Kogen to compare the wildly different paths that took two siblings from the same Chicago household into legendary careers in comedy.
Allan's story sounds almost made up. While working in advertising, his work on Screaming Yellow Zonkers caught the attention of Laugh-In producer George Schlatter — who tracked him down and offered him a job. Allan, having no idea who was calling, hung up on him. More than once.
Phyllis's career began with an equally unlikely encounter. After walking into Second City and asking Joe Flaherty if they bought song parodies, he handed her a flyer for their workshops. As Phyllis remembers it: "My life changed forever."
From growing up with a former vaudeville hoofer for a father, to Laugh-In, M*A*S*H, Second City and The Groundlings, Allan and Phyllis talk about where funny actually comes from, surviving rejection, taking creative risks, finding your way into "the zone," and why sometimes an entire career can turn on one completely unexpected moment.
And beneath all the comedy is something even more personal: the strange bond between siblings who share a lifetime of memories, inside jokes, and a language nobody else quite understands.
So... is comedy genetic?
Jay tries to find out.Subscribe to Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen for more conversations with writers, comedians, actors, creators, and thought leaders exploring life, creativity, politics, and the human experience.
Website: https://www.dontbealonewjk.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontbealonewithjaykogen/https://www.instagram.com/jaykogen/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dont.be.alone.wit
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When Should You Push? When Should You Back Off? | Christian Duguay (Valley Heat)
Tuesday, August 11, 2026 • Duration 56:37
When does pushing for what you want become pushing too far?
Jay sits down with comedian, writer, performer, and Valley Heat creator Christian Duguay for a conversation about boundaries, bad decisions, creative confidence, and knowing when to make the call and when to leave something alone.
At the center of Valley Heat is Doug Duguay, a fictional character who keeps finding himself in increasingly ridiculous situations. He suspects his pool guy is dealing drugs. He worries about his wife's yoga instructor. He obsesses over a mysterious car parked outside his house. And somehow, almost every questionable decision Doug makes seems perfectly reasonable…at least to Doug.
Christian admits there's more of himself in Doug than you might expect.
That leads Jay and Christian into a bigger question: How do you know when you're being persistent and when you're just being pushy?
Jay has always believed in making the phone call, asking for the opportunity, and fighting for what you want—even if that occasionally means annoying someone. Christian has traditionally been more cautious. He didn't even show Valley Heat to his manager until he'd made ten episodes and knew he believed in it.
But by the end of their conversation, the two find some common ground: sometimes the phone call you're afraid to make is exactly the one you should make. As Christian puts it, most of us have needed someone to give us advice, open a door, or push us in the right direction—and sometimes getting what you want requires having the nerve to ask.
They also talk about Christian's years at The Groundlings, abandoning stand-up, struggling with creative confidence, making music, building the bizarre world of Valley Heat, and why sometimes the best thing a creative person can do is make something they like and put it into the world.
So where's the line?
When should you push and when should you back off?
Follow Christian Duguay:
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/csduguay/
Podcast: https://valleyheatpodcast.com/
Subscribe to Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen for more conversations with writers, comedians, actors, creators, and thought leaders exploring life, creativity, politics, and the human experience.
Website: https://www.dontbealonewjk.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontbealonewithjaykogen/
https://www.instagram.com/jaykogen/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dont.be.alone.wit
Substack: https://substack.com/@jaykogen
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Why This Arrested Development Writer Hates Having a Boss
Tuesday, August 4, 2026 • Duration 51:42
From Arrested Development to insubordinate rebels: John Levenstein tells all.
Long before podcasting was cool, John Levenstein (Arrested Development, Kroll Show) was already doing it — mostly because he had no idea what he was signing up for. In this episode, the veteran writer/showrunner gets refreshingly honest about what actually makes a comedy writers' room work.
His controversial take? Not everyone needs to agree. In fact, forcing consensus on a writing staff is its own kind of bullying — the showrunner's job is to make the call, not manufacture harmony. John also makes the case for "wasted time" as secret sauce: some of the best jokes in Arrested Development came from writers chasing pointless tangents that turned into five seconds of pure gold. Sometimes the grinding, chaotic, deadline-crushing process is the recipe.
Then things get personal. John opens up about growing up without a male role model, why authority has always struck him as absurd, and how that turned him into a lifelong "insubordinate rebel" — one who somehow also became one of the most trusted, well-liked insiders in the business. He's the guy everyone wants to text, the friend who asks for nothing, and — surprisingly — a guy singing lessons made genuinely happy.
Equal parts industry insight and unexpectedly moving personal story.
Don't miss it.Follow John Levenstein: Socials: https://www.instagram.com/saltinwound/
Subscribe to Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen for more conversations with writers, comedians, actors, creators, and thought leaders exploring life, creativity, politics, and the human experience.
Website: https://www.dontbealonewjk.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontbealonewithjaykogen/https://www.instagram.com/jaykogen/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dont.be.alone.wit
Substack: https://substack.com/@jaykogen
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Can America Still Be Saved? | PoliticsGirl
Tuesday, July 28, 2026 • Duration 59:43
Is America really doomed or is there still a path forward?
In this episode of Don't Be Alone, Jay Kogen sits down with Leigh McGowan, better known as Politics Girl, for an honest conversation about the future of America. Together, they explore whether the country has reached a breaking point, why so many people have lost faith in politics, and what it would actually take to rebuild trust in our institutions.
From the rise of independent media to the influence of money in politics, government reform, voter engagement, healthcare, and the future of democracy, this conversation goes far beyond partisan talking points. Whether you agree or disagree, it's a thoughtful discussion about where America is headed and whether there's still reason to hope.
In this episode:
Is America really beyond repair?
Why Politics Girl believes hope still matters
The biggest mistakes both political parties have made
Can democracy survive growing division?
The future of media, messaging, and political influence
What everyday Americans can do to make a difference
If you enjoy thoughtful conversations that challenge ideas rather than shout over them, be sure to subscribe for new episodes every week.
Guest: Leigh McGowan (Politics Girl)
Follow Politics Girl: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/politicsgirl Website: https://www.politicsgirl.com/ Socials: https://www.instagram.com/IAmPoliticsGirl/https://www.tiktok.com/@iampoliticsgirl
Subscribe to Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen for more conversations with writers, comedians, actors, creators, and thought leaders exploring life, creativity, politics, and the human experience.
Website: https://www.dontbealonewjk.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontbealonewithjaykogen/https://www.instagram.com/jaykogen/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dont.be.alone.wit
Substack: https://substack.com/@jaykogen
Merch: https://shop.app/
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Writer/Life Coach, Barbara Heller Turns An On Stage Panic Attack Into A Life Quest
Tuesday, July 21, 2026 • Duration 49:06
Barbara Heller talks about walking away from the perfect man just before her wedding and breaking down with a mid-life panic attack on stage and committing to being a Jew to find happiness and trying to live as a perfectionist and being an all or nothing person. She discusses her one woman show and her ability to get people to explore their life stories through drama to understand who they really are. She makes Jay explore his deepest fears on the show!
Bio:Barbara Heller is an award winning playwright, podcaster, documentarian, songwriter, 30 year curriculum writer and coach.
You may have seen her in the past as a host on tv or heard her voice in blockbuster movies, TV shows and commercials, including
Snatched, The Heat, The Arrival, Kung Fu Panda 3, Disney Jr.s’ Vampirina. Pending on her schedule she can be hired to perform her Award winning One Woman Show, Cosmic Conversations which was performed in 6 countries including at the Edinburgh Fringe or to do a Creative Writing Workshop in your community!
Subscribe to her award winning podcast See One Beautiful Soul here.
My mission is to inspire people to let go of their past and heal it through the re-telling of our stories through Inner-Child work and Artistic Expression. When we gather in community, learn about our origin faiths, and encourage each other to get clear about our Spiritual Values, that is when we soar. May we dance, sing, meditate, pray, forgive past trauma, and thus mirror and heal one another, our families, our larger communities and cause beautiful ripple effects to reverberate and heal the whole world.
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Writing Legend Don Reo Makes It Look Easy. Jay Makes It Look Awkward
Tuesday, July 14, 2026 • Duration 57:09
Show Notes: On this episode legendary writer and show creator talks about being the first white guy on stage at the Apollo, getting a show about alcoholics cancelled because the network president was an alcoholic, the pleasure of writing a first draft, and driving way too fast, and how music drives his writings and the time he was oddly alone with Bruce Springsteen and told him a dirty joke.
Bio: on Reo has always been quick with a quip, from the time he got his first laugh sometime back in junior high school to the jokes he wrote for traveling comedians, through the half century he spent “pushing the limits” of sitcoms to the book he is currently negotiating with Random House—The Tibetan Joke Book of the Dead. “It’s about Hollywood and death which are probably synonyms,” said Reo, the recipient of WGAW’s Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement to be presented at the 2026 Writers Guild Awards. “I think you’re born with a funny gene, or maybe it’s the way you’re raised. Nobody else in my family was particularly funny, but I got a laugh in the seventh grade, and I thought, ‘Maybe I can do this. This is nice because it stops people from hitting you.’ I read that Woody Allen was making $500 a week writing jokes, and I thought, ‘Well, fuck, I can do that!’” And he did, effectively launching a career that has spanned seven decades, earning writing credits on series such as Sanford and Son, Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, M*A*S*H, and Rhoda and creating or co-creating Blossom, My Wife and Kids, The John Larroquette Show, and The Ranch.
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Leah Rudick Succeeds at Acting, Stand-up, Writing & Jay Doesn't
Tuesday, July 7, 2026 • Duration 55:07
Brilliant comic, Leah Rudick, talks about growing up in Ohio, being a drama kid, writing and doing sketch comedy, and eventually moving out to LA and becoming a stand-up. Working with her brother. She talks about how being shy gave her the courage to be in front of people while wearing the mask of performing. She talks about making TikTok Instagram her character playground. Leah talks about how creative ambition pushes her forward, how having a husband in booze helps, how nothing matters, and the glory of Peach Pouch Pie!
Bio: Leah Rudick is a Los Angeles-based actor, writer, and comedian. Known for her viral original characters including "Wealthy Woman," "Joannie," and "Love Coach," Rudick has built a devoted fanbase of nearly 2 million followers across socials with her signature "weird girl" comedy. She was most recently named one of Deadline's Comics to Watch in 2026.
In addition to acting and developing her own projects, she is currently headlining a national tour. Festival credits include Moontower, Just For Laughs, SF Sketchfest, and Laughing Skull. In 2023, her debut comedy hour, Spiraling, released on Amazon and Apple TV. TV credits include High Maintenance (HBO), Commuters (IFC), and Crowd Control (Dropout TV). She co-wrote and co-starred in the critically acclaimed web series Made to Order, featured in Marie Claire, IndieWire, and the New York Observer. On the big screen, she co-wrote and co-starred in the indie feature Sweet Parents, which took home top prizes at Brooklyn International Film Festival, Montreal World Film Festival, and The Lower East Side Film Festival. Rudick began her comedy career in New York with her sketch duo Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting, earning praise in Time Out NY, Washington Post, and Complex Magazine, which named her one of "25 Funny People Who Should Have Their Own TV Show."
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Claudia Lonow & Jonathan Schmock Pioneer Making Films While Jay Pioneers Eating Snacks
Tuesday, June 30, 2026 • Duration 01:02:27
What happens when two people with complicated pasts — failed marriages, sobriety journeys, and a chance meeting at a 4th of July party — fall in love but decide not to move in together? Claudia and Jonathan join us for a conversation as layered and surprising as the indie film they made together, D(e)AD — a project born from personal heartbreak, an ex-husband who may or may not have faked cancer, and the haunting feeling that the not-so-great people from our past never fully leave us. They'll take you behind the scenes of making a movie with friends and family, funding it through Kickstarter, and then getting it into theaters one screen at a time — from cities across the US to London to Bosnia — all while navigating the soul-crushing gauntlet of festival rejections, fake IMDB credits, and music licensing processes that take six months just to say no. Along the way, Claudia opens up about using her parents and daughter as the raw material of her art, and why storytelling is how she survives. We also get into Jonathan's origins — from writing a fake Nightline to a history with cartoons and the discipline of keeping art beautifully simple — and the question that ties it all together: would you trade your messy, painful, hilarious past for a different one? And how, bubble wrap can save your sanity.
Bio:
Claudia Lonow started her career as an actress, playing Michele Lee’s chubby, loud-mouthed teenage daughter on “Knots Landing.” Favorite episodes include: the one where she has kidney failure and is saved by Donna Mills kidney; the one where she runs away with the town murderer, “Chip,” and drives her mother to drugs; and the one where she almost loses her virginity, but instead winds up donning clown make up and singing “Put On A Happy Face” with her mom. Lonow’s next career was waitressing.
She did stand up comedy for a while, working across the country and doing some television. When she gave her best joke to Sarah Silverman, and Silverman killed with it, a writer was born.
Her television-writing career took off when she wrote a semi-autobiographical spec pilot about a former nighttime soap opera television actress who gets sent to rehab, called “Rude Awakening.” Showtime bought the show, which ran for 55 episodes. Lonow has been creating and writing television ever since: “Good Girls Don’t” for Oxygen; “Accidentally On Purpose” for CBS and “How To Live With Your Parents (For The Rest Of Your Life)” for ABC. Lonow moved into directing with the award winning shorts, “Bummed” and “Keep Calm and Tampon.” Lonow just completed directing and acting in her first feature, the very indie film, “D(e)AD” written by and starring her daughter, Isabella Roland, her partner Jonathan Schmock and pretty much everyone else in her family. She is currently developing various other TV and film projects, has gotten back to stand up and is threatening to do a solo show.
Jonathan Schmock is an actor, director, comedian, show creator, artist and Emmy nominated writer, (group Emmy but still). As a stand-up he was half of the comedy team The Funny Boys with Jim Vallely. As an actor you’ve seen him in such varied things as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Star Trek Enterprise, The Big Bang Theory, Arrested Development, Shameless, The Simpsons, The Mentalist (the guy who did it) and NCIS Los Angeles (the guy who didn’t) among others. As a writer/director he co-created Sabrina, The Teenage Witch and Brotherly Love and worked as an executive producer/writer on Dharma and Greg and Good Girls Don’t, Real Time and many more. Most recently he acted in and produced the indie film D(e)AD, which can be seen and purchased online, (hint.) His editorial cartoons can be seen at jonathanschmock.com. His paintings have appeared in a group show at the L.A. County Museum of Art, (no shit.) He hopes to continue writing about himself in the third person for many years to come.
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