Basic!
Before binging, there was cable. Welcome to Basic!, the official podcast bringing you the unofficial history of cable TV. Go behind the scenes of a glorious time in pop culture, when shows like MTV’s ‘The Real World,’ ESPN’s ‘SportsCenter’ and AMC’s ‘Breaking Bad’ made basic cable a must-have for every American home. With the help of guests like Jimmy Kimmel, Cindy Crawford and Amy Schumer, hosts Doug Herzog (former network executive at MTV, Comedy Central, Fox) and Jen Chaney (TV critic at New York Magazine/Vulture) explore basic cable history through the experimental shows, ground-breaking creators, and Zeitgeist-shifting trends that defined the medium.
Episodes
The Kid Mero stops by to talk Desus & Mero, their journey from 'Bodega Boys' to cable late-night stars, and their recent decision to part ways.
'Chappelle Show' co-creator and stand up comic Neal Brennan takes us behind the scenes at one of cable’s most legendary shows and the chaos that abruptly derailed it.
Samantha Bee talks to Jen and Doug about her early days on 'The Daily Show,' breaking the glass ceiling of late night TV, and learning the U.S. national anthem.
Former ESPN personality Jemele Hill talks with Jen and Doug about the intersection of sports, news, social media and politics.
Emmy award winner Bryan Cranston joins Jen and Doug to talk anti-heroes, the birth of binging, and the 'Breaking Bad' scene he will never forget.
From the very first season of The Real World, Kevin Powell joins us to talk the birth of reality TV, peak Gen X, and the legacy of Tupac.
'Beavis and Butt-Head' creator Mike Judge joins us to talk 'Frog Baseball,' earthquakes, and how he may have inadvertently popularized Crocs. His latest work, 'Beavis and Butt-Head Do The Universe' is streaming on June 29 on Paramount Plus.
ESPN SportsCenter legend Dan Patrick takes us back to the "must-watch" heyday of 'The Big Show' and his days alongside Keith Olbermann.
Cindy Crawford looks back at MTV’s 'House of Style' and how it helped transform her from supermodel to icon, and also reminds Doug that he might owe her some money.
Basic cable babies and Gen X comedy icons Tom Lennon and Kerri Kenney-Silver join Jen and Doug to talk about their shared partnership that stretches from ‘The State’ to ‘Viva Variety’ to ‘Reno 911.’
Tim Gunn of 'Project Runway' shows Jen and Doug how to “Make It Work” and answers the question, “Do you own a pair of sweatpants?"
Fab Five Freddy "drops some science" on Jen and Doug and tells us how MTV finally embraced hip-hop and changed everything.
Amy Schumer talks about her Comedy Central journey from unknown stand-up to comic superstar.
Jimmy Kimmel discusses 'The Man Show' and why it may not work today, and explains why he turned down an offer to host 'The Daily Show.'
Welcome to Basic!
The official podcast of the unofficial history of cable television.
Hosted by Doug Herzog (former network executive at MTV, Comedy Central, Fox) and Jen Chaney (TV critic at New York Magazine/Vulture), new episodes release every Wednesday on Apple Podcasts, the SiriusXM App, Pandora, Stitcher or wherever you like to listen.
Don’t forget to hit ‘Follow’ so you never miss an episode.
A Pantheon Podcast.
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