Blocks w/ Neal Brennan
Based on his Netflix comedy special, "Blocks." Neal Brennan interviews friends and colleagues about the things that make them feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how they are persevering despite these blocks.
Episodes
June 26, 2025 • 68 mins
Neal Brennan interviews Ramy Youssef (#1 Happy Family USA, Ramy, Mountainhead) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.
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00:00 Intro
1:17 Television
2:45 911 Joke
4:20 In Love
5:05 Balancing Work & Relationships
13:36 #1 Happy Family USA
21:15 Sponsor: Huel
23:54 Sponsor: Mand...
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June 12, 2025 • 80 mins
Neal Brennan interviews Stephen Merchant (‘The Office,’ ‘Extras,’ ‘An Idiot Abroad,’ ‘Life’s Too Short,’ ‘Hello, Ladies’ and more) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.
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00:00 Intro
1:33 Origin story
3:07 Ricky Gervais
7:49 Origins of the Office
10:56 Ambition in the UK vs. US...
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May 29, 2025 • 80 mins
Neal Brennan interviews Josh Groban (multi-platinum musician) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.
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00:00 Intro
2:07 Getting discovered
6:34 Early singing career
15:21 Singing with Celine Dion at the Grammys
20:11 Reaction to success
21:37 Insecurity
34:07 TV Special
35:0...
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May 15, 2025 • 90 mins
Neal Brennan interviews Tom Green (The Tom Green Show, Freddy Got Fingered, This Is The Tom Green Documentary) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.
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00:00 Intro
00:33 Testicular Cancer
3:44 White Rapper
4:59 DIY roots
6:18 Norm Macdonald & Letterman
9:44 Experiencing sudden ...
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May 1, 2025 • 95 mins
Neal Brennan interviews W. Kamau Bell (We Need to Talk About Cosby, United Shades of America, Who's With Me? 2025 standup tour) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.
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00:00 Intro
9:20 We Need to Talk About Cosby
14:19 Sponsor: Huel
17:01 Sponsor: BetterHelp
18:25 Who Defines W...
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April 17, 2025 • 103 mins
Neal Brennan interviews Larry Wilmore (Nightly Show, Daily Show, Bernie Mac Show, Blackish, Insecure & much more) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.
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00:00 Intro
3:15 Dating, Marriage & Kids
7:30 Therapy by Proxy
8:26 Emotions
13:53 Providing
25:01 Sponsor: Mando
26:52 Sponsor: B...
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April 3, 2025 • 86 mins
Neal Brennan interviews Blake Griffin (NBA Rookie of the Year, 5-time All-NBA, Amazon Prime announcer) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.
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00:00 Intro
1:45 Retirement
12:00 Mentoring
16:10 Clippers
19:50 Are NBA Players happy?
23:03 Sponsor: CookUnity
27:38 Coachability / arguin...
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March 20, 2025 • 88 mins
Neal Brennan interviews Carol Leifer (Standup, 'Seinfeld,' 'Hacks,' 'SNL' & Much More) about the things that make her feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how she is persevering despite these blocks. Carol's new book is called 'How to Write a Funny Speech... for a Wedding, Bar Mitzvah, Graduation & Every Other Event You Didn't Want to Go to in the First Place: https://www.amazon.com/How-Write-Funny-Speech-Graduat...
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March 6, 2025 • 85 mins
Neal Brennan interviews William H. Macy (Shameless, Fargo, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Seabiscuit, Pleasantville & many more) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.
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00:00 Intro
1:19 Serendipitous
2:27 Becoming an Actor
5:32 Different roles he’s played
6:21 David Mamet
10:10 Meddler ...
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February 20, 2025 • 90 mins
Neal Brennan interviews Ari Shaffir (America's Sweetheart on Netflix, You Be Trippin' Podcast, This Is Not Happening & more) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.
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00:00 Intro
00:58 Neal gives Ari his flowers
3:15 Anti-authority
6:12 Parking Lot Urchin
7:50 Moving to LA, Comedy Store...
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February 6, 2025 • 87 mins
Neal Brennan interviews Joe List (Fourth of July, 'Enough for Everybody,' + more specials, 'The Standups' on Netflix) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.
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00:00 Intro
1:12 Netflix Specials
3:30 Marriage
4:55 OCD
15:03 Sponsor: Tushy
16:36 Sponsor: Mando
18:08 GAD
23:00 Mental Healt...
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January 23, 2025 • 78 mins
Neal Brennan interviews Jason Reitman ('Saturday Night,' 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife,' 'Up in the Air,' 'Juno,' 'Thank You For Smoking' & more) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.
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00:00 Intro
1:30 Fears Obituary Credits
3:00 Reason for Making 'Juno'
6:00 Ego After Making ‘Up In The ...
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January 9, 2025 • 89 mins
Neal Brennan interviews Paul Scheer ('Joyful Recollections of Trauma,' Human Giant, The League, Black Monday, How Did This Get Made? Podcast) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.
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00:00 Intro
1:48 Writing about Trauma
3:02 Origin of the book
5:50 Childhood abuse
10:05 Dad vs. Stepda...
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December 19, 2024 • 77 mins
Neal Brennan interviews Jerry O'Connell (The Talk, Stand by Me, Kangaroo Jack & much more) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.
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00:00 Intro
1:00 Neal & Jerry's 1992 Memory Disagreement
6:50 Stand by Me
12:20 Imposter Syndrome
14:40 Should there be Child Actors?
23:23 Jealousy of Co...
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December 12, 2024 • 61 mins
Neal Brennan interviews Akaash Singh ('Gaslit' special, Flagrant) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.
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00:00 Intro
1:05 Starting Standup
13:05 Confrontation with Wife
15:45 How do you ask for what you want?
19:45 Guy relationships
22:58 His Own Emotions
24:30 Alcoholism in Family
2...
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December 5, 2024 • 75 mins
Neal Brennan interviews Matteo Lane (Hairplugs & Heartache) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.
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00:00 Intro
00:43 Andrew Schulz
4:30 Being a Gay Comedian
13:30 Being Gay Now vs. Then
15:28 Coming out of the closet
18:40 Sponsor: Public Rec
21:01 Sponsor: Tushy
22:36 Anxiety
27:30...
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November 28, 2024 • 74 mins
Neal Brennan interviews Ken Burns (Leonardo Da Vinci on PBS plus The Civil War, The War, Jazz, Baseball and many more documentaries) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.
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00:00 Intro
1:00 What qualifies for a Ken Burns documentary
2:16 Leonardo da Vinci
5:17 Self-parody
8:22 Why he ...
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November 21, 2024 • 64 mins
Neal Brennan interviews Ron Livingston (Loudermilk, Swingers, Office Space & more) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.
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00:00 Intro
00:56 Everyman
3:43 Swingers
8:16 Office Space
19:13 Sponsor: Uncommon Goods
20:29 Sponsor: The Perfect Jean
22:04 Executive Function
30:52 People Ple...
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November 14, 2024 • 64 mins
Neal Brennan interviews Randall Park (Always Be My Maybe, Fresh Off the Boat, WandaVision, Shortcomings) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.
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00:00 Intro
1:30 Ali Wong
3:00 UCLA & Asian-American representation
5:20 Parents & Upbringing
6:24 How the Immigrant Experience Influenced H...
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November 7, 2024 • 51 mins
Neal Brennan interviews Ben Schwartz (Ben Schwartz & Friends, Parks & Rec, Middleditch & Schwartz and more) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.
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00:00 Intro
00:48 Improv Tours
4:15 Social Media Addiction
9:28 Self-worth tied to job
24:33 People Pleaser
36:31 Relationships vs. Work
...
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