Last night’s episode of The Anonymous on USA Networks was filled to the brim with epic surprises and epic twists, none more shocking than the farewell of Tyrenna Tolbert. For she was sent home last night after doing a wonderful job of playing the game, and to properly bid her goodbye, we sat down with Tyrenna to discuss her experiences on the show.
 
John Betancourt: I would love to start today by asking, how you came to be involved in this unique series.
 
Tyrenna Tolbert: I was watching another reality show, and I was drinking a glass of wine, and I said, “I could do this,” and I applied, and I never thought that anybody would ever call me back. And so fast forward, when I didn't make the final cut for another show, they did follow up with another call and told me about The Anonymous and I immediately was like, “Absolutely, let's do it. I'm ready.” 
 
John Betancourt: I would say that you definitely were one of the more dynamic competitors in those first three episodes in that it seems like the unique dynamic didn't quite hammer you as hard as it did some others. And I'm curious how you mentally managed to navigate what seemed to be very difficult for folks. 
 
Tyrenna Tolbert: I think for me, I know that you know me, being a little bit more seasoned, I might have resonated with maybe being, you know, their mom's age, which, you know, for the exception of two, you know, I could have been any one of their parents. And I think my confidence level may be also mixed with a little bit of arrogance. So, I think they also knew better than to come at me too hard, you know, because I'm with all of the smoke, you know. So, I think that's how I was able to kind of manage through some of what was harder for some others. 
 
John Betancourt: Obviously, you had quite the bold strategy there in episode three to just kind of lean into the dice idea. I'm curious what motivated the strategies that you played over the course of the first three episodes. 
 
Tyrenna Tolbert: Well, for me, the ranking of -- we went up in ranking depending upon how many people got your character wrong. So, my intent was, if more people thought I was the dice, the more likely I could become The Anonymous. So, the more they kept thinking I was the dice, all you going to do is, baby, keep pushing me up. And if I become The Anonymous, I can save myself. So that was the strategy going in. 
 
John Betancourt: Which sadly, did not quite workout, unfortunately. But that does lead me to my next question. How hard was it then, to exit this series?
 
Tyrenna Tolbert: It's definitely hard, because at the end of the day, it's $100,000, right? You know too, John, who couldn't use $100,000, right? But for me, at the end of the day, it's a game, right? And so, it didn't make sense for me to overreact, because I just wanted to leave people with a seed of, you know, what things that they need to just pay attention to and be more mindful. But once I saw my name come up in the chat, I knew that I had to really do some hardcore navigating, and just the odds were not on my side. So, I kind of geared myself up just for anything that could happen. And although I fought the good fight, I just need to fight a little harder the next time. 
 
John Betancourt: That also leads me to my next question. If you had to do anything differently from a strategy standpoint, what would you have done differently on the show? 
 
Tyrenna Tolbert: I would have held my cards closer to my chest. Um, I definitely would have started day one out the gate with strategy and getting alliances. I was slow on the alliances. I didn't realize that soon as you start breathing, that you need to start with an alliance, right? So definitely hold my cards a little bit closer to the chest and getting the alliance out the gate right away. 
 
John Betancourt: Speaking of that, now, I'm very curious too, were you aware of the fact that there was that kind of just… titanic shift towards, let's go after you over anybody else.
 
Tyrenna Tolbert: You know? You go to the bathroom, and you come back, and everybody's like… a mutiny. They trying to all get rid of you, you know. So, I was really surprised, but I could see the energy, the emotional energy, had shifted and I knew probably was because I, you know, was with Lilly, and they knew that I was a protector of Lilly and building her confidence up. And they knew that I could be influential. So, if I can influence one, and if I can influence people to do things and make it think that it's their idea, I can keep pushing that, you know. So, there's been some very subtle ways that I was able to influence the group to do certain things, and I think some of the others picked up on it, and it was like, “she gotta go.” 
 
John Betancourt: Yeah. It really was an interesting vibe that you suddenly were this massive threat, which I thought was pretty intriguing as well, because it kind of just came out of the blue. I'm also curious too, since, since you were a little bit cooler and collected with that dynamic and kind of the intensity of it, what did you take away from that? 
 
Tyrenna Tolbert: What I've learned is, if I ever have another chance to be in a game like this, or any other strategy game, is, I'm going to be a savage from the gate. I'm going to burn the whole entire house down, and I'm going to take no take no prisoners (Laughter) But what I've learned is, you know, people you know, definitely have different personas, and I play too transparent. And I think it was scary for them, because I was very matter of factly and unafraid. So, my personality, I wouldn't change. Keeping things a little bit more close and doing more watching and picking up things quicker will definitely be something I would do, but I love them all. It was a fabulous time, not negative.
 
John Betancourt: I do appreciate the positive nature of the show as well, adds a very different feel to it. I was also curious, because something I noticed was that you took this game so quickly… how you navigated it with such mastery?  
 
Tyrenna Tolbert: Um, I think just because of life, right? I've been on this earth for more than a day, you know? So, you get things hurled at you, and you learn to pivot. And so, for me, you know, I said, “Well, I could even sit here and boo hoo and cry,” you know, when I know that's not my nature, or I can try and manage it as best as I could. And I knew that my limits were really, really tight. And so, it was important when I didn't play the stone game and didn't take the box from Marcel. I said, “all right, I gotta get The Anonymous.” And that was really the goal, get The Anonymous and hope that I was popular enough that whoever got The Anonymous, if it wasn't me, that they would choose me. 
 
John Betancourt: Now since you mentioned you had a great time, not a negative time. What are you going to miss the most by being on the show?
 
Tyrenna Tolbert: The view, my god, that was a beautiful view. You can't… listen it’s a postcard in the making. The lights. Um, even the people. I mean, you know, I have a 26-year-old daughter, you know, most of them were in that 26 to 30, you know, 30-year-old range. And just the smiles and the things that I mean, Dillian was just so funny. You just couldn't help but love him. You know, he has a big personality, Christopher and his abs, because he has, you know, six pack for days. (Laughter) You know, you had, Andy the dapper King, you know, Lilly. I always think of her as this beautiful little Rapunzel with her long blonde hair. So, every one of them had something so unique and so great about them, and what made sense and why we were all there together anyway. So just meeting them was just really something memorable. And who could say at 54 years old, how many of us can get on a reality show and do what I did? So, I'm proud of myself. 
 
John Betancourt: Obviously, this is a very unique experience that so few people get to do, and I'm wondering what you learned about yourself that you didn't know before, after coming through this competition.
 
Tyrenna Tolbert: I think… it wasn't something that I didn't know before, but it kind of just remains the same. I have always been fearless. I've always gone into things and taking a good risk and getting into good trouble. And why limit myself, right? And so, and I just want other people to know that. You know, not that it's ever been my aspiration to be on a reality show, but the opportunity presented itself, and why not, and that that was my thing. Instead of saying why I can't, I always say why I can. So, it just reinforces that I'm still fabulous and I'm still fierce. That’s all.
 
John Betancourt The last question that I have for you today, what does it mean to you to be part of something that was this new and this dynamic? 
 
Tyrenna Tolbert: It's great because I'm sure, like, if there's, another season, which I can't see why there wouldn't be? Because it was such a fabulous show that we got to really be the creators and help massage what that would look like and taking a chance on doing something different and being fluid with it. So that, in itself, is great to do something that hasn't been done before. I feel like the low-key astronaut, the astronaut of The Anonymous, if you will, right? So, I walked on The Anonymous. So yeah, that's pretty cool. 
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. 

We wrap up our season one coverage of Time Bandits with not one, but two interviews with those incredible bandits. Courtesy of a grand discussion with two of the quirkier bandits in the bunch, Roger Jean Nsengiyumva & Tadhg Murphy, who played the absent-minded yet brilliant Widgit, and the time traveling thespian Alto, respectively.
 
John Betancourt: I like start by getting to know what it was that attracted you as actors to this opportunity.
 
Roger Jean Nsengiyumva: Taika Waititi. Jemaine Clement. Iain Morris. What? Monty Python What? Because I didn't even know Lisa (Kudrow) was on until I landed in New Zealand. So, I didn't, I didn't need any more of a pull. Actually, that's a lie. I didn't even know it was Monty Python, because it was a secret name at the pitching stage. So, yeah, just comedic legends.
 
Tadhg Murphy: Absolutely the same John, I was a huge fan of Time Bandits, and I recognized off the audition that it was Time Bandits, that it was going to be a reimagining of it. And I thought the idea of trying to reimagine an iconic piece under the helm of like, like heroes, Taika, Jermaine and Iain, like, I can't, it's hard to it's hard to fathom, because when it happens, part of you goes, “Of course, I was born with this.” And that's, that's the truth, I swear to God. So you go, like, “I'm supposed to be doing this. This is” -- I was saying to Rog the other day. I wrote down, you know, like, you know, people manifest and stuff like that. I 100% manifested this show, and the people around me in the show. And that's not saying that the show's about me, even though it is bit. (Laughter from everyone) But I absolutely ate up the chance. And this, it was… the cake that was offered was tastier, more beautiful, more surprising and more unimaginable than I could have even fathomed. So it was, clearly a no brainer, so I'm blessed that whoever refused the roles before me. It's great. (More Laughter)
 
John Betancourt: Now a question I posed to some of your co-actors earlier, is I am curious to know if there was any pressure in being part of a franchise that so iconic.
 
Roger Jean Nsengiyumva: I've got this pressure of everyday life. (Laughs) I was on a building site when my agent called me to tell me I got the job. So, I think that if there was that pressure, I don't think that I would have done a good job. I think how I felt on set from day one ‘till the last day was… I just felt so free. I think Monty Python comedy is so silly that it would -- for me anyway, it was definitely extremely helpful that I felt very comfortable with the group and with the crew and with the environment, to be able to just try things so I didn't feel any of that, any of that pressure.
 
Tadhg Murphy: I have a very… I don't know if it's healthy or unhealthy, but I've had this my whole acting career. I always think I'm about to get fired. (Laughs) I remember for the first, because, you know, it's in contracts as well. At the start, there's always the, if you’re doing a pilot of a new show, they can always replace you. And I've seen it happen to actors, and it's so soul crushing. So, part of you is going, “Am I good enough?” And then the other part's going, “Yes, of course, you are.” So, these two things are traveling at the same time, so you feel the pressure of that until you land into a space with people that are allowing you to be free, which is what it's all about. And they cast so well on this show, and they wrote so well on this show, that everything came together very, very fast, and you felt you were in something very special immediately, and that immediately popped the pressure off in that sense, and brought the new pressure of, I love it so much. I hope everyone else does.
 
John Betancourt: I think everyone does, and that does lead me to my next question. Because we’ve talked about its iconic nature, and I’m curious why you think this franchise resonates so well with audiences?
 
Roger Jean Nsengiyumva: I think, I think the duality of having jokes that you know, really young children can understand, whilst also older ages can also understand. I think that when we, when we were in the table reads, that's what I really got a sense of, because you'd have Kal-El (Tuck) and Kiera (Thompson) laugh at something, and then you'd, you know, you'd have me and Tadgh laugh at something, and I went, “Oh, wow. Okay, it universally age wise resonates.” I also think we're all so different as well the bandits, and I think that helps with people being able to connect. So yeah, Monty Python is so silly. Like, you know, “He's not the Messiah. He's a very naughty boy.” That is just that's hilarious to everyone, or to at least everyone who likes that kind of humor.
 
Tadhg Murphy: I would echo everything that that Roger has just said, and I'd add in I've never been in a show that's built entirely for family, for family viewing. And there's a great sense of heart in this show, and there's a great sense of, there's a sort of a love letter to joy in the show and like who, I mean I for me from loving the original so much, one of the… the “Narnia” moment of the doors opening and being able to travel through time like that. Fantasy is so alive in your youth, and you don't want it to disappear, and you want to hold on to it and for it to return to me as an adult in the literal sense of doing it, and to watch it in Kal-El’s eyes appear.
 
I think of it for my own sons as they grow that they watch this show, and hopefully they will feel that excitement as well. And the idea of, you know, possibility beyond the realms of what it is, because we all have, you know, we all have to live on Earth. We all have to live in reality. And this, what this show does so well, is it shows you the benefit of fantasy and the heart that sits inside of that, and that's something we can all enjoy together, especially sitting down in front of a television set to connect together, doing something that ostensibly seems like shutting off. In fact, you are connecting to everyone, because you can't experience the show and the joy without knowing love in your heart and for the people around you. And so, for me, that is a joy, and that the joy is within the silliness of that. Also, everything I just said was gold by the way! Just amazing! (Laughter from Everyone)
 
John Betancourt: I totally agree! Get all of that, put it on a poster. Put it on the DVD cover. (More laughter) The last question that I have for you gentlemen today, what are each of you most proud of when it comes to your work on this first season?
 
Roger Jean Nsengiyumva: Pride is a weird one for me. I struggle with being proud. I think, I think gratitude is quite a strong feeling that I have, being able to be involved, being able to have, like a really, I mean me and Tadhg were on the phone last week. We both, we both had children that are a week apart from each other. I've just had a three, three-week-old daughter and Tadgh, was it month and a little boy?
 
Tadhg Murphy: Yeah.
 
Roger Jean Nsengiyumva: So, I'm really grateful to now have that in my life. I'm really grateful to have made people laugh. I think that's so fun. I think that's such a great you know; I’ve played all kinds of characters. I think one of the first things that my fiancé’s dad said to me was about another show that he saw me on was, “Oh, you were really scary.” I was like, “this is a great first impression.” So, yeah, gratitude. Gratitude is the biggest feeling that I have about the show, just being able to make people laugh and being able to be in that environment.
 
Tadhg Murphy:  The thing. I'm most, obviously, most proud of my children. But apart from that, I'm very proud. I'm very proud to be in this in this show. I'm very proud to be part of a show whose sole reason to exist is to bring joy. That makes me proud, and I, like Roger, do struggle with pride, I have to say. But the very strong bonds within the cast, and from conversations that I've had, both individually, with Rune (Temte), with Lisa, with Kal-El, with Roger, Kira, that there is such camaraderie and such care within the group and with one another, that you can't help but know that you're a cog in that wheel, and because you are a cog in that wheel, you should be proud, because look at the people that are around you. So that's, I think we've all given that to one another, and so that's probably my proudest thing, is that I'm part of this show with these people.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
​

There are a great many reasons that fans tuned into season one of Time Bandits on Apple TV+. For some, it’s the story and the chance to see history through a big budget reimaging of a classic. For others, it’s about seeing what Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement did with Terry Gilliam’s amazing story. But regardless of which reason you tuned in, we can all agree that the cast ended up being a big reason we enjoyed this show, since every actor turned in amazing work to sell this wild adventure. And to properly celebrate the work they’ve done, we sat down with Kal-El Tuck, and Rune Temte, who play Kevin Haddock and Bittelig on the show, to discuss their journey through time.
 
John Betancourt: I would love to start today off by getting to know, what it was that attracted you to these just dynamic characters that you play.
 
Rune Temte: Oh wow. Kal, what can we say? We were given a lot of confidence and a lot of freedom, weren't we?
 
Kal-El Tuck: Yeah, there was a lot of improvisation in many of our characters and different places. It was a very fun, very fun to play with our characters and just see how they would act without having to stick to the script sometimes.
 
Rune Temte: But I have to say Kal, we always so impressed when you came on set, and the amount of text you are handling, and you were handling, it was amazing. And then started to improvise, as well, as we went bananas. Of course, you got to know us after 20 seconds, and you know that this was going to be a bit crazy. But I'm really amazed, because it's not easy when you come in with so much concrete, great text, and then we start to do all the banter so well done, you.
 
John Betancourt: Wow. Well, that’s incredible because you cannot tell there was improvisation on the set, because everything feels so natural and your characters have such depth. So, I'm curious too, then to kind of know as actors, how did you find kind of that purity and that essence of your characters?
 
Rune Temte: Yeah, man, I have to say that, of course, it's a lot of improvisation. But on the other hand, as you see the series now, it's very well written, of course, and scripted with all the jokes from Iain (Morris) and Taika (Waititi) and Jemaine (Clement). And it is also following very much what we had on paper. But of course, sometimes we had the improvisation and maybe all the banter, what was going on, that is not actually in the series for different reasons. If not, I think Kal-el will agree. It will be one hour and 15 minutes each episode, right? But so, it's maybe that awesome atmosphere between us, and that's something that I'm very happy, that comes across as you say, there's something there, but of course, there's some skills you have to have, to do that kind of work, and to be dynamic and relaxed in the situation you have, of course, Lisa leads the whole gang, even though she's not the leader. (Laughter from everyone.)
 
John Betancourt: No, not the leader.
 
Rune Temte But it's, it's such a pleasure working with her, and I think Kal-El will agree that it was such an inspiration. And we watched her and she, she invited us all into her way of working, and she is very much organic and very much down to earth with how she deals with the text and the character. So that was a great thing for us.
 
Kal-El Tuck: Yeah, I would say just by going through the series and just seeing how he would act through different crazy situations and really show how the character acts. It's built up like at first you see that no one really likes him, but it's because he knows too much and people get annoyed with him, but he goes through the series and makes friends and meets new people and has a good time.
 
Rune Temte: John, could I just add? Because Kal just reminded me of, Bittelig, how I approached this character. Because for me, he's like he's a child in a good sense of the word. So, whenever he's confronted with something, it's with an open mind and open heart and “what is going on.” And from this, I think a lot of the character was created. That was my aim, to be as open as possible, as relaxed as possible. Um, actually, because I was born with two ears and one mouth, as most of us are, I want to listen more than I was talking. Maybe Kal-El will disagree, because I was talking a lot as well, but, but, you know, that was the approach. And I think as Kal says, as we were doing more, meeting more people, meeting more situations and time traveling. That's sort of how it developed.
 
John Betancourt: Now the original film is iconic in nature, and I’m curious was there any pressure for either of you, when it came to becoming a part of this franchise?
 
Rune Temte: Yeah, first of all, I'm happy that you say franchise, because that's means we're probably going again. So, thank you. That's a good thing to put out there. No, it's a franchise, obviously, very excited, very humbled to be sort of entering this world that was inspired by and so much influenced by an iconic movie, by an iconic director and an iconic group of people called Monty Pythos. So, no pressure. (Laughter)
 
Kal-El Tuck: Well, of course, there's got to be some. Like everyone there has been in so many things, so many good things. The actors are some of the best actors, best directors, but the franchise itself, it was exciting because who, who wouldn't want to go through time with a bunch of bandits and just have some fun?
 
John Betancourt: Now I love how this show has so much to it. It’s part history lesson, part adventure. It also has a lot of heart and depth, and I’m curious if there’s a deeper message you hope the audience takes away, what would that be?
 
Kal-El Tuck: One is, you're worth more than your level. You're probably better than you think you just keep yourself down too much, you can be better.
 
Rune Temte: Yeah, I totally agree, and because it's such a big heart in every scene in the whole series. I think this is what I want to take away, is that it's so much love in it, and it's coming across and the timing is perfect in our day and age. So that's great. And of course, it's a lot of humor, and the message also is to use your imagination, follow all of your innermost, if not dreams, at least your interests. I think that's a good thing. And, yeah, I think that's the main thing for me. It's so much love in this show… that's my thing.
 
John Betancourt: The last question that I have for you gentlemen today, what are you most proud of when it comes to your work in season one?
 
Rune Temte: Oh, my God, that's an interesting question. Oh, my God, I've been an actor for 32 years now, and it's very hard to say what I'm proud of, but I'm proud of… given from what I've seen from the episodes that I managed to, give Bittelig, different layers and different reactions to nearly everything that happens. He's not one thing. He can be so many things. And I think this is, in a way, the approaching a character like this. He doesn't die, he travels to time… “What is this?” So, in a way, he’s timeless and that's also why I try to do all the variations to go in and take in what was happening. So, I'm very proud of myself, and I'm very proud that I worked with these lovely people on this level, so many great actors coming in, Kal-El and crew. And I'm so proud that I could work on this level and I'm really proud of the result we got. It's a great result.
 
Kal-El Tuck: I'm proud that I could work with these actors. I could be on the same scene as them and work with them and improv with them and just be there, basically just doing the TV show.
 
Rune Temte: Big star, Kal-El. Fantastic job.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
​

Last night’s premiere of The Anonymous on USA Network, saw not one, but two competitors be sent home. For shortly after Sydney was sent packing by Jack and his unique strategy, his second turn as The Anonymous prompted him to send Kacie home, and to properly bid Kacie farewell, we sat down with her to discuss her experiences on the show.
 
John Betancourt: I would love to know how you became involved with the show.
 
Kacie Mize: So, I had applied for another show, and I wasn't quite the right fit for that one, so casting reached back out to me about this show, and was like, “You’d be great for this show.” And I was like, yeah, no, let's do it, being the first season. I was kind of a little like, a little timid, because I knew I was going in blind, and I didn't know what to expect over all these other shows. But I was like, “Oh yeah, for sure. I know all the blah, blah, blah and all this,” but yeah, they just reached out to me for my personality… is what I guess it would be for.
 
John Betancourt: Now the dynamic in this show is downright fascinating, since you can’t quite be yourself, and have to keep so much to yourself to play the game, and I’m curious how hard it was to navigate that, and having people put you up for elimination.  
 
Kacie Mize: Yeah, not being myself is impossible. It's really, really hard. If I'm not allowed to be myself, I completely and totally, totally crumble, which I'm sure we all saw, you know, I get like, a little manic here and there, and then, as far as, like, you know, someone's coming for me and whatnot, I'm someone who I'm not, like, scared. And I don't think there's anything wrong with going up to a person and, you know, saying, you know what's going on. How can we get on the same page? You know, was something misconstrued? Did you misunderstand, like, what I was saying? Did it come off wrong? You know, that's not how I meant it. I'm really big at communicating, um, that will get you really far in life. And you know, you weren't really allowed to communicate so much, and then, you know, hiding my personality and everything, so I was really stripped of everything, like in the real world and in, like, another game that I think would like really work towards my benefit.
 
John Betancourt: I'm curious too, since obviously this was the first time a show like this has ever been assembled, how hard was it to create any kind of strategy, since you're in such a unique playing environment.
 
Kacie Mize: Well, my strategy was just like, going into, like any other show, like, okay, lay low, don't win, you know, the first like, competition or so, like, come, you know, in the middle, stay, like, a little quiet and whatnot. So that was my strategy. And I just kind of stuck to that even, like, when I walked in, I was like, “Oh, God, I don't know if this is going to so much work,” but yeah, you know, not being able to have a true alliance, you know, really hurt me too. I just, I like to connect with people and, like, form a bond, and then hopefully we have each other support from there. And so not being able to, like, really do that, I found super, super tough.
 
John Betancourt: Obviously, I have to ask the big question. How tough was it to exit the series? Because the frustration was very visible on your face.
 
Kacie Mize: So, I think I'm just like, I just, I have a lot of facial expressions and whatnot, and standing there, like waiting, I kind of like, knew, you know, it was me, and then, you know, it wasn't too bad I had kind of, like, accepted it. I was just more annoyed with the fact that I didn't get to, like, clear the air with, like, a conversation that I felt like, was taken, you know, the wrong way. I didn't get a chance to do that, and that really sucked for me. But, yeah, I was, you know, sad to go, but I don't think there was really anything I could have done differently not to go. I mean, I wasn't on the block the first time, so I knew I was definitely going to go up. I knew Marcel was going to be the one to do it, because he walked to me and Lilly and was like, “You guys are safe.” We're not safe. Definitely not safe now. So, I was happy that it was Jack that voted me out, actually, because I wasn't coming for Jack, I was friends with Jack, and so I would rather it be someone who, you know, I was friends with, rather than someone that I was like, oh, you know, like, I was coming for them, and they got me first.
 
I mean, you know, the first elimination, I was going back and forth between Marcel and Sydney to put up. Wouldn't have mattered who it was regardless. Marcel was up, Sydney was up. I had no control of who went home. Second elimination, I was going back and forth between Marcel and trying to cover up the whole Andy conversation. And, you know, Marcel was up, he didn't go home. So, if I went with my second option, which was Marcel, wouldn’t have mattered. I was going home. He didn't go home the first time. You know, it's kind of like out of my hands. I don't really know much more I could have done except look out for myself more than, you know, other people. I think I probably did too much of that, but that’s just kind of like, who I am, if I like you, like I'm gonna, you know, I'm gonna back you up all the way and to a fault, I guess.
 
John Betancourt: I'm really curious too, because I did talk to Sydney earlier today as well, and she had kind of mentioned that there was an interesting vibe once you guys’ kind of got out of the booths. Because you said things, they said things, now everyone has to be nice. How hard was it to navigate kind of that strange duality?
 
Kacie Mize: Oh, God, it was tough. Because I thought I was the only one that went after Sydney from our rooms. So, I was like, how am I going to do this? I knew I was, I kind of like the person that was more like, not with the group, like it was, it was clear, and I just kind of, like, felt very lonely and everything. But it turns out I wasn't the only one, so I probably went to, like, a little bit of a spiral about that. But, you know, the next day, I just woke up and was like, alright, well, that's over, you know, moving on. But you know, Dillian wouldn't really, like, look at me, and then he would, you know, say, “Oh, it's between, you know, like you and Robbie,” trying to figure it out. But then, you know, I had Christopher saying, “Oh, it was Dillian.” And then instead of being like, “Oh, yeah, it was definitely Dillian,” I said, “No, it's definitely not Dillian.”
 
Because I want to protect Dillian, because I like Dillian. I just at some point I had to look out for myself, and I just wasn't doing that. I was too concerned. But, yeah, it was definitely a weird vibe coming out. Being the first elimination, you know, she was sobbing. Lilly was sobbing. I was just kind of, like, walking around, like, not really sure what to do here. I feel like she definitely knows I voted for her. I would be shocked if she didn't know. Um, so, yeah, but I didn't really care. (Laughter) Like, you know, whatever. See you later. I don't know what to say about it, but yeah, there was definitely a weird vibe, she was definitely right about that.
 
John Betancourt: What are you going to miss the most about being on this show?
 
Kacie Mize: I mean, I was really bummed I didn't get to do more competitions. That was something I was really, really looking forward to more than anything. And I think coming out of that second elimination, if I would have made it, I felt like I was going to be good for like a minute, like everything would have died down. Everything else would have been forgotten about and whatnot. But, you know, I didn't, I didn't make it quite that far.
 
John Betancourt: What did you take away from this experience on a personal level.
 
Kacie Mize:  Um, I took away that not being surrounded by people that I already trust in my life is very hard. And, you know, I've worked, not worked really hard. I mean, it's been pretty natural. But, you know, coming out of, like, a small town, you know, you know, being a gay and whatnot, and really surrounding myself with queer, like-minded people and like, going in, like, I don't know that, you know, I was the only lesbian there, and I know there was other, like queer people there, but, you know, we're, we're different people. We're different generations, of gays and whatnot. So, it was just, it would have been nice to have, like, someone there that I already knew, like, we've gone through like, the same, like, experiences and whatnot, where we could just kind of, like, lock eyes and be like, “Okay, so like, we at least understand each other.” I know there's other people there from, like, the south and whatnot, but, you know, they're not a gay from the south. Like, we can't really, you know, all we have is, like, we're from the south together. But other than that, like, I'm not sure how much more you know, we have in common. Um, so it was hard to, you know, just walk in and just kind of be like the only gay person there. I missed my lesbian friends.
 
John Betancourt: Um, last question for you today, what did it mean to you personally to be part of something that is so new and so unique?
 
Kacie Mize: I mean, it's awesome. I hope I, like, made a small mark, and I hope, you know, people know, you know, I was relatively genuine, like, when I could be, I know, and, you know, the hideouts and whatnot, I was pretty, like, cutthroat and whatnot, and a bit manic. So that's just how I am. I talk out loud, and I talk in a bunch of different directions, and I'll say something, be like, oh, you know, not really, and then go back, and then who knows what's going to come out and whatnot. But, yeah, I hope people, you know, understand me as a person. It wouldn’t be the first time in my life where I have been, like, really misunderstood. I don't know. I feel like, are you either like, get me immediately, or like, you don't really get me at all, and like, if you don't get me at all, like, okay, well, byeeeee. (Laughs)
 
This Interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
​

The new reality competition series, The Anonymous, on USA Network, kicked off with a bang last night. By introducing us to a new type of game and a bevy of new competitors to get to know. But sadly, as is the case with these types of competitions, someone has to be sent home and the first person off of the board was Sydney, and to properly bid her farewell, we sat down with Sydney to discuss her experiences on the show.
 
John Betancourt: I have to start with the tough question here, because you were the first one off of the board and, I'm very curious about what made the about what that exit process and the selection so emotional for you.
 
Sydney Dorsey: I don't know if it was me. You know, this was a dream come true for me. I'm from a very small town, I’m a small-town girl, and so this becoming a reality for somebody like me was huge. And I think I was just very, very sad that I was about to go home and didn't get to see the rest of my castmates. But at the same time, growing up, I dealt with rejection a lot. I was outcasted a lot because of my personality. So, to kind of be in that reality TV environment where big personalities were celebrated and really focused on was amazing. So, there was so many different things going through my head, like, did they not like me? This, this, and this. But in the end, it was a game, and you got to do what you got to do.
 
John Betancourt: What was very intriguing in all these episodes was the unique dynamic you had to navigate in keeping silent about what happened in the chat, while still playing nice and planning your next moves. How hard was that to navigate?
 
Sydney Dorsey: Oh my gosh, it was the hardest thing that I've ever done. We were given these iPads to kind of take notes on and who we thought was who. I was so mind boggled and confused, like you don't get the tone in these chats. You don't know who is who, and you have everybody trying to be somebody else. And it was just so crazy. And the majority of the time I was drawing the emojis on my iPad, and then just hopefully somebody, I would figure out somebody, I could write their name beside it. And it was really, really hard. And especially like you go back to -- it was hard to defend yourself, but also keep your identity, and then to go back and be face to face with everybody and conversate without also, again, defending yourself, giving up your identity. It was so incredibly hard. It's like, what do you conversate about now, like, we want to talk about the game and we want to form alliances, but it's hard because you could not… even to your allies. You couldn't give up anything.
 
John Betancourt: But you did have a strategy, what motivated you to come up with the strategy that you had in place.
 
Sydney Dorsey: So, interviewing for the show, I was single, um, had no idea that the love my life was going to come along. And, you know, funny enough, that's how the universe works. Um, but interviewing for the show, I had this strategy in place from the beginning, and it was just something that I wanted to go on, to be that relatable person or to flirt if I needed to. And I guess I'm using flirt, very loosely, because my definition is a little bit different from others. I mean just being out in public, maybe at a bar or something like that, just trying to have a conversation with a guy, just the way that I conversate, they probably would think that I'm flirting with them. I'm like, “No, I'm just a nice, pretty person. I'm like, don’t get the wrong idea.” (Laughs) But I, I don't think I necessarily was trying to flirt. But rather, conversate, and, you know the no offense but the idea of a guy, they're like, “Oh, this girl likes me.” So, you know, I was just, I was playing the game. I'm just hoping something worked out.
 
John Betancourt: Now, obviously, hindsight is always 2020, and you probably have had a little time to reflect upon the game and your strategy. What would you have done differently if given the chance?
 
Sydney Dorsey: So going into the game, you know, it's funny, because I told myself, I was like, I'm gonna go in. I'm gonna sit back and be very quiet. As soon as I got into that house, my mouth would not shut up, but that's just who I am. I'm very loud, and I love to conversate with people. I love to get to know people, especially from people all over the world, like, I want to know about people's lives. And so I think if I had the chance to go back and do it again, I would maybe sit back and be a little bit more observant, kind of listen to conversations, not do things that would put me at risk, such as, you know, taking a higher number in the game, and then, you know, not getting the cash prize, but somebody had to do it. So, you know, it was me. But, you know, there's a lot of things, what ifs that come up and arose in my head? But, you know, maybe one day I'll get the opportunity to play another game.
 
John Betancourt: But what other challenges outside of the main stuff did you run into in playing this game?
 
Sydney Dorsey: So, when we first got there, hadn't gone into our first chat yet. It was so happy and uplifting, and everybody was just trying to get to know everybody. We went into our first anonymous chat, and we chose our handles, and then we started communicating. And it was downhill from there. As we got out of those pods, the mood shift of everybody, nobody wanted to talk to anybody, but me? I was just put up at risk by six people, and I'm like, “Alright, somebody's about to speak up because I'm mad.” And so, it was just finding that that line of being able to conversate and keep yourself in the game without revealing your identity, without stirring up too much drama to get yourself put at risk. It was just so much going on that you had to keep up.
 
John Betancourt: What are you going to miss the most about being on this series?
 
Sydney Dorsey: Oh, my goodness, just the friendships that I made, um, which, luckily, we've stayed in contact, and we've gotten to know each and every person, and we've got to conversate a little bit more outside of the game. And it's so funny because, like, we'll see, like, when the promo clips first came out, we would send them in the chat, and we would laugh at each other, like, “Oh my gosh, I can't believe you said this,” but we knew in the end, like, we had to separate the “reality TV us” from “everyday life us,” and that we were playing a game for a huge sum of money, and so we had to do things that were a little bit, you know, not faithful of everyday personalities. But, you know, I'm just happy that I get to keep in contact with everybody and get to see everybody and maybe one day connect again, and hopefully there's a reunion. Who knows? I don't know but would love for that to happen. That would be fun.
 
John Betancourt: Wow, you don’t hear that often about reality television shows, everyone staying in touch like that. Speaking of personal moments in that vein, what did you take away from this experience on a personal level?
 
Sydney Dorsey: Goodness, I, you know, I had never experienced anything like this. You had former people on the show, like you had Xavier, who was on Big Brother, and Nina who was on Survivor. And then you had, like, a lot of other people who did a lot of public relations things, like Robbie was a poker player, was on TV a little bit, and just a lot of these personalities who experienced a little bit of something like this, but I'm a small-town girl from, you know, Georgia. I grew up going to dirt track races and competing in pageants and weird things like that. Never did I think I would see myself on a on a TV show. Um, so, I mean, it was just an incredible experience to be there and to take away everything I learned, and it was such a huge gift to me and a blessing to me, because I have struggled with anxiety so much, starting in middle school, and so when I was getting my physical for the show, my doctor, almost, believe it or not, didn't sign me off. She was like, “I don't know if you're going to be able to make it because of your anxiety,” but I was like, just have faith in me. And I got to travel across the world to film a reality show, little to no contact my family, and overcame one of the biggest, you know, obstacles in my life, and faced my anxiety. And so that alone was a big gift to me.
 
John Betancourt: Well, that is just incredible, and it does lead right into my last question, what does it mean to you then to have overcome all of that and still gone on and done this and now be in front of just a massive audience, regardless of the outcome.  
 
Sydney Dorsey: I have always just wanted to be somebody that people could look up to. And you know, growing up, I was… typically it's hard for people to believe when I say this, just, I guess, because of the way I look, but I was outcasted a lot because I had a huge, big personality and people where I'm from, just, I guess, didn't want to put up with that, or be around when I was annoying or just aggravating, and I didn't care. And I think, you know, going on this show and watching myself and my dreams come to life. If I could look back and tell little Sydney like to always be herself because she's about to premiere on a reality show… I just want little girls and little boys across the world to know like to always believe in their dreams. Never change who they are, because you will never know where you end up. And I'm about to end up on a reality show premiering.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Stephen Yemoh is an accomplished television producer that has worked on such shows as Love Island and Squid Game: The Challenge. His latest project is the fascinating new competition series, The Anonymous. Which debuts on USA Network on August 19, 2024, and in anticipation of its arrival, we sat down with Stephen to discuss this fascinating new show!
 
But before we get into the interview, here are some details regarding the show, so you have a full understanding of the conversation ahead!
 
"The Anonymous" is a strategic competition played in two worlds, the real world and anonymous mode. The Digital Anonymous Networking Interface, or “DANI” for short, has invited 12 players to live in her domain and work side-by-side to raise a prize fund of up to $100,000. Despite their close quarters, all players will have their own private underground hideouts, where each is completely anonymous and can say anything and everything behind the mask of a unique handle. In their hideouts, players can provide raw, unfiltered takes on their fellow contestants. They will scheme, connive and deceive to build influence and advance their game. The question is: Can they stay anonymous while doing so, or will the other players guess their identity?  
 
Each week DANI conducts tests where all contestants must try and match players to their handles. The player who is best at staying anonymous becomes the one with the power to eliminate their competitors. In a game where every move is calculated and a single misstep can expose who you truly are, only one will take home the grand prize. 
 
John Betancourt: I would love to start off by getting to know what it was that inspired the creation of this very unique show.
 
Stephen Yemoh: We're always trying to find good new competition formats, things that spark an interest with the viewers. And I think we wanted to answer some, some kind of broad questions, like, you know, we live in an age of social media. How can we bring social media into a potential competition, reality format, and ask that sort of question of, what will people do when nobody knows that it's them that is doing it, basically, which is what The Anonymous sort of actively tries to, sort of answer. DANI's put them in this position where they can say, whatever they want, for the good of their game, but no one actually knows that it's them. And how does that play out? And what strategies will people use in order to be successful at this show?
 
John Betancourt: I must say that I was super impressed with how anonymity was preserved. What kinds of challenges did all you run into in assembling a show this ambitious and that had this much potential for someone to leak information?
 
Stephen Yemoh: I mean, we put a lot of things in place, so leaks didn't get out. We made sure that players didn't have any access to phones or laptops or anything like that, so if somebody did leave the game, they couldn't send a message to the rest of the players or anything like that. Um, and generally, we had a really cooperative cast who really enjoyed playing this game. I think, as you said, it's a new, unique concept, and they really enjoyed playing it, and so they bought into the game that they were playing, and they knew that not leaking it would be beneficial to the viewers, because they wanted everyone to see how much of an interesting game this was.
 
John Betancourt: This show also boasts quite the group of competitors, with faces we know and don’t know. How did you all select such a broad group of competitors?
 
Stephen Yemoh: I think for the good of reality TV. Reality TV audiences are becoming more broad. I think we've gone through an age where we saw just sort of hot, beautiful people playing these shows. (Laughter) But I think actually life… it's not like that, you see so many different people in your offices or in your zooms now, people are working remotely, that we just want to reflect them. We know that different people from different backgrounds have so much to offer, and we like to give the opportunity for as many people as possible to see a version of them in the shows that we make. And I think that brings a richness to any show when you've got various different people that are bringing something different to it and I think it makes it interesting for the players that play as well. If you're just playing with loads of people that are exactly the same as you, that's quite boring. I think this game takes you out of your comfort zone, and the people that are in it should also take you out of your comfort zone as well. They should test your social skills, test your perception, and your deception, by having people that you don't you sort of do these types of things with on a daily basis. So, we just wanted to get a nice, broad and warm, and root-able cast. And I think we managed to do that.
 
John Betancourt: That leads me right to my next question. Because, as you said there too, the audience is definitely engaged in a very unique way here. I think that's why I appreciate this show, because the format almost adds a little commentary on our world. And I'm very curious what it means to you to offer up a show that is not only engaging and entertaining and fun, but also kind of adds a little poignancy and a little bit of tasking of the audience too.
 
Stephen Yemoh: I just think people relate well to things that are in their world. I think if you can bring something that’s like,” Oh, I can sort of see how that relates to my world,” it becomes immediately more interesting. You know, I think there's a lot of people out there who have, sort of have two different profiles for their social media, you know, it might be they say different things on LinkedIn to what they say in their real life. So, I think that sort of living in the social media world is part of most of people's everyday life now. So, I thought that we could bring that in and gamify it, was really interesting to us. And I think it helped the players, because, because they sort of had an idea of how to speak in a group chat. You know, we've all got our group chats with people, and how do you speak in a group chat, and what makes that interesting? But also, how do you use that and use the power of anonymity in order to, you know, improve your game and enhance your position within the game.
 
John Betancourt: I do have to ask, because I think this is something that's going to be, you know, discussed very heavily and analyzed very heavily, and rightfully so, because it's such a cool idea. But under on a more intimate level, what do you kind of hope audiences take away personally from a messaging standpoint? Because I do think there's something we can learn from a show of this caliber.
 
Stephen Yemoh: I think you can learn that you can have fun online and not be mean. I think one of the things that we wanted to make sure this show wasn't, is just like trolling online. It wasn't just a load of people hiding behind a screen and saying whatever they want, meanly about certain players. I don't think it ever got to that stage. And I think if you know, I don't know how deep people read into shows, but you don't have to be mean online. Just because your true persona isn't necessarily out there for the people to see doesn't mean you have to be mean, but you can still have fun with it. I think the players all played hard, and they played with strategy, and they, you know, all played for themselves, but they weren't mean at any time, and we were really happy with that, and that's also kind of why we chose the cast that we did, because we knew it wouldn't ever get to that.
 
John Betancourt: Yeah, that's a really good point. So, as a follow up to that, would you say that perhaps this show could teach us about how to strategically use social media in a much more impactful and helpful manner.
 
Stephen Yemoh: Yeah and look that does happen. There's loads of great social media accounts out there which I use on a daily basis, which improve my life, and they enhance my life, and they are great. They give me comedy; they give me life skills. They give me just a bit of like light relief, or they give me some things to think about, poignantly. And, you know, I think that’s the great part of social media, right? You must use it every day in your world. The root of it is brilliant, and it has so many brilliant uses in everyday life and but unfortunately, sometimes that that doesn't quite work, but look the show isn't a commentary on social media at all. It is just, we've used the positives of social media and try to gamify it a little bit in order to see, you know, how people will play strategically. Like, I mean, people, you know, people use different types of social media to enhance their businesses or their lives in certain way. And I think that this show kind of does this as well.
 
John Betancourt: As a producer, what did you enjoy the most about assembling the show and watching it come together?
 
Stephen Yemoh: I'm sure you've spoken to many producers over your time, but I just love the fact that you can have an idea, put it on paper, and then through lots of conversations and working together and development, you can take it and you can find a cast, and you can create a world and a game, and then you take it back to the edit, and you put it all together, and you have somebody go, “this is fun, this is like, cool” when it's really different. I think this show feels familiar enough to be comfortable, but different enough to feel fresh. And I think that's really important for us at Studio Lambert, whenever we make shows, we're just trying to make it so, you know, audiences that like this type of show will go, “Yeah, I can give that a go,” but when they watch it, go, “Oh, this feels a bit different to everything else that I've watched.” And I don't know what you felt, but I felt like we got that when we were watching it play out and once, we sort of put the show together.
 
John Betancourt: I did feel that. It really is quite different but easy to be comfortable with. The last question that I have for you today, now that we're so close to it, what are you most excited for audiences to experience when they settle in to watch this three-episode premiere and beyond?
 
Stephen Yemoh: Um, I'm really excited for the audience to sort of see a new game, a new format, which is, you know, quite interesting. There's so many brilliant reality shows, competition reality shows, out there. But this feels new and feels fresh and like I said before, it speaks to people's daily lives, but I'm really excited for everyone to see this cast as well. I think the cast are really, really warm, really root-able. They got the game very quickly. You know, I think some of the great shows over the years, they keep being great because people have watched it for years, and then they know how to play it. This show, they've never seen it before. They are fresh into it. They're the debut cast, but they got the game really quickly, and they played the game really well, and with good heart, they were funny with it. And, you know, I just love the way that they all bought into this world and bought into DANI and the idea of trying to be The Anonymous, and that's what makes it a really fun watch, for me.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Something we don’t talk about enough in the entertainment world, is how many icons and pioneers make up the family entertainment side of the business. For so many amazing folks have brought to life impactful family stories that have inspired generations of fans, and in recent years, Christian Jacobs and Scott Schultz can be added to that list. For they are the creators of the highly beloved series, Yo Gabba Gabba! and they are also the brain trust behind the new chapter in the saga, Yo Gabba Gabbaland! on Apple TV+, and we had the distinct honor of sitting down with both of them to discuss the next chapter in this saga!
 
John Betancourt: I’d like to start today by getting to know what inspired each of you to want to bring this franchise back to life.
 
Scott Schultz: We had always kind of thought that it would be amazing to bring Gabba back, but fundamentally, it needed to be the same magic in all the pieces, right? And so, you know, there's various people that really flirted with wanting to bring it back, and it just wasn't the right time and place. And I think it wasn't until, you know, it's been a few years talking with Apple TV Plus, but you know, they really cared to bring back a new series, not just season five, you know, expansion of the old series. And so, I think we were really lucky to have that type of partnership to bring back a vision of how Gabba could be so much bigger.
 
Christian Jacobs: Just, you know, Scott and I and, everyone else working on the show. Yeah, it was always kind of a dream to keep the show going and keep it alive. And so, like he said, I agree, all the pieces kind of had to fall into place. And Apple TV was -- it felt like the perfect opportunity and perfect partner and perfect time to like, okay, let's bring it back for real and for a whole new generation of kids and parents. It's almost like we're getting to that point where it's like kids that grew up watching Yo Gabba Gabba! are kind of getting to that age where they could have kids or getting close. So, it's like the new generation of adults, kind of like Gabba kids, and so fun to see that. And pretty… kind of a trip.
 
John Betancourt: Now you mentioned a little bit that in taking a little time to get there, there's been some challenges. Could you elaborate a little further on what challenges came into place and bringing this to life, because I'm sure it was not an easy task, in the slightest.
 
Scott Schultz: Yeah, especially because we really wanted this, you know, to be the magic, like the old show, like I said, um, so that's very, very tricky to do, especially because, you know, the old show was very practical, you know, it was very contained. We could turn on the lights and just start filming. And we wanted to bring that same aesthetic. It had to be that same DIY aesthetic that looks like a parent has painted, you know, tiny things that you could put down in a play set, and then we're zooming down in there. And so, to expand the world, you know, really, we had to take a challenge that I don't think any other kids show has done, is like using volume screen technology to try and really make this world expand. And that was a trick, you know. I mean, they're doing it on Mandalorian, but for kids shows, it was, you know, a real epic exploration. But I think at the end of the day, beautiful, because we were able to kind of use it for this intention in a way that works in the same way as the old show, we were kind of breaking the barriers of what a kid's show could be at that time. So, you know, it reminded us so much of season one of the first show, where we're reinventing the wheel, you know what I mean?
 
Christian Jacobs: Yeah, it's definitely taken a little bit longer than we had hoped. Finally, here. So that's all that matters. You know, better late. But yeah, to Scott's point, there was all kinds of new challenges and new things in order to expand the show, but ultimately, you just wanted to make more Gabba, you know, more Gabba, bigger and better.
 
John Betancourt: Something I do want to know. Because, I mean, this has been an absolute pop culture phenomenon. It is obviously near and dear to both your hearts, because the smiles on your faces speak to that. What does it mean to each of you, then, to bring it back to life?
 
Scott Schultz: It means the world to me because we are able, to bring it back to life in the right way. I was always scared that the show would come back, you know, maybe, like other shows where the creators aren't involved and they just kind of bring back for the IP and really Yo Gabba Gabba! is not that. Like it's there for the heart of the show. And Yo Gabba, as we, me and Christian experienced early on, so much bigger than us, because we opened up to that co-collaborative spirit, like, we're creating this with all sorts of bands and artists and DJs, you know, celebrities, like we're inviting everyone to this setting and this playset, you know what I mean, this preschool world, and really, just allowing all of us to play and experience the wonder of being that age. So, for it to be able to come back in that same type of magical way is kind of a dream come true. And like, you know, kudos to Apple, kudos to everybody that came back to support this, including, you know, the bands who were never on the show before that just came in and, you know, the artists, everybody coming in to collaborate in the same type of way, like, it's a beautiful thing to experience, you know, for me personally, because so well beyond me.
 
Christian Jacobs: Yeah, I agree. And Scott and I, we haven't really done a whole lot of stuff together since, since Gabba and, I think, coming back together as friends, because the show grew out of our friendship and our love for not only our children, but also for children's television in general, like we, we love, like the kind of the golden age of kids TV. And we grew up on obviously, we were Sesame Street fans and Pee Wee's Playhouse and all the bigs. You know, we loved those shows as kids ourselves. And so having Gabba grow out of our childhoods and our friendship and our love for our families, and then having it come back together, like as us being back together has been really, really important for our lives.
 
Scott Schultz: It's so beautiful. It's all about the relationships, right? And I feel like that translates to the show. It's like me and Christian coming back together, you know, as friends is kind of the heart of the characters coming back together, and like having more interactions with each other, it's, it's been a beautiful experience
 
John Betancourt: The last question that I have for you. What are you each most excited then for audiences to experience with this new iteration of the show?
 
Christian Jacobs: Well, I'll jump in first. I want to say, it's hard to say most excited about but I think for me again, like touching upon the new, new generation of kids. Obviously, there's a whole bunch of kids that grew up watching the shows, and they're grown up, they're in their early 20s or late teens, and they get to kind of re-experience it with another generation of younger kids and I think for me, that’s just exciting to see. Also, the reach that Apple has with the show, because the first iteration of the show, you know, not to get into the nitty gritty of the licensing process for the globe, but Apple TV's global reach, it's already going to have such a bigger impact than the old show did. And the old show went as far as we could throw it, if that makes sense. But the new one, it's going to get to be in everyone's back pocket, around the world. And for me, that's so exciting, to not only touch a new generation of kids, but a new generation globally. And we have a global kind of focus in the show, there’s a new segment in the show called The Culture Kids, where we’ve gone to different countries, using iPhones and filming little almost like little documentaries, one-minute documentaries about a day in the life of a child in a different country, in a different culture. And to me, it's how the show will it resonate, or how it resonates globally with kids around the world, that’s really exciting for me and Scott, we're really stoked.
 
Scott Schultz: Yeah, I'm most excited for the world to meet Kammy. She is so amazing. And I have a daughter who's around that age, like 12, and she is so enamored by this idea of Kammy. And I just can't wait for the world to meet her, because in person, as the human, Kamryn Smith is so amazing, as you’ve probably experienced. But you know. In GabbaLand she's everything. And I think this is really going to spark that imagination that kids of any age, right, myself included, this is their imagination, bringing their toys to life. You know, I mean, playing with their reality as they see it. And it's, you know, it's an in point for them. And anyways, I'm excited for Kammy. I'm also excited in the future for us all to get together into a live show, right? That experience of all coming together and experiencing a live show, dancing, expressing, singing songs… that, to me, is like, lookout, I'm waiting with bated breath for that to happen. You know, hopefully next year.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Kamryn Smith is a rising star in the entertainment business, and currently has the honor of playing Kammy Kam in the new Apple TV+ series, Yo Gabba GabbaLand! and we had the distinct honor of sitting down with Kamryn to discuss her work on the show.
 
John Betancourt: I would love to start today by getting to know how you became the host of this important show.
 
Kamryn Smith: This story is kind of long, but I'll make it short. Um, so basically, we were on another job, and one of the prop guys was the creator of the show, and we didn't end up knowing, and he tapped my mom on the shoulder and was like, “Is this your daughter? She's so good, and she would be a great fit for Yo Gabba Gabba!” And my mom was like, “No way, because me and my brother used to watch that show when we were younger.” So, my mom was like, so excited. And then that day, his brother, Parker, ended up drawing me in like, a Yo Gabba Gabba! outfit. And my mom was like, “Wait, that's like crazy, because like, this is real, like, this is no joke.” So, like, four years later, he ended up staying in touch with us, and then. it was real, like they were getting it done and finished with Apple TV Plus. And so, we finally got the audition, and I ended up doing it, and then couple days later, they were like, “You got it,” and it was crazy. And we couldn't believe in we were like, we're gonna have to go to Utah for three months. And we were so excited.
 
John Betancourt: What does it mean to you to be part of a franchise that is just so beloved and so iconic?
 
Kamryn Smith: It means so much for me, because it's so different from me watching it on the screen with a different person, than watching me, because I'm like, this is just crazy how, like, I just see myself in like, this whole world and this whole magical adventure that, like, I'm taking people on. And it's crazy.
 
John Betancourt: It also looks like you’re having so much fun doing the show. How much fun was it to be Kammy?
 
Kamryn Smith: It's so much fun because everybody on set is the most nicest people on set. They're always looking out for me, and they're just always so nice to me, and it makes it more fun because we always have music playing. We don't -- it's more silly, more fun when I'm doing it, instead of being like, super serious, and we have like, Nerf guns on set, and like, you know, it's like, more fun. It's not super serious. So, it was always fun.
 
John Betancourt: That does sound like a really good day at work. Now was there any pressure on you to go in and be a part of this show, since it is so important, and you’re such a fan?
 
Kamryn Smith: No, there was no pressure at all. You know, when I was coming into this, I thought of it more as being myself instead of being a different character. Um, because, you know, Kam, she's a younger girl, but like, she's still me, and I brought myself into this instead of being like, “Okay, I'm gonna set her up as a character instead of, like, being myself.”
 
John Betancourt: That's a great way to approach that. Now, what are you most excited for audiences to experience when they tune in?
 
Kamryn Smith: Um, I'm most excited for audience to experience like the magic and then the new adventures that we have on this show, because there's so many new things and new ways that we're going with this and just like the whole new world.
 
John Betancourt: Now since you’re fan of the original show, and now the host of this one. What do you like the most about this version of the show.
 
Kamryn Smith: Um, something that I like about this show, I think, is that it's from a kid's point of view, like mine, and I think it's showing the kids’ way of how I take care of all my characters and all my toys and how I'm showing them new ways and new adventures to go.
 
John Betancourt: Now everyone takes something away from this series, because it is so special. What do you hope audiences take away from this version of the show?
 
Kamryn Smith: I hope they just take. Um, like, the way of friendship and family, because that's a big thing is, us on the show, we are all one huge family, and they're, the toys are, like my babies, basically, and I hope they take away the friendship and the family part of it.
 
John Betancourt: The last question that I have for you today, what are you most proud of when it comes to your work on this show?
 
Kamryn Smith: I'm most proud of me. This sounds kind of weird, but just me doing it. You know, this is my first, like, huge project, so me, just like actually going through with it. I'm also proud of me, like learning my scripts, remembering them in my head, because that's something really hard, and I didn't realize how hard it was until I did it. So really, just like learning my scripts, and, you know, remembering them, and just like believing in myself that I could, like, you know, do it.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

The highly anticipated comedy/mockumentary series, Mr. Throwback, is now available for the world to stream on Peacock, and to properly celebrate its arrival, we here at NTG sat down with the show’s Executive Producers, Matthew and Daniel Libman, and David Caspe, to discuss the creation of this ahow and more.
 
John Betancourt: I'm very curious to start with what it was that inspired each of you to want to be a part of this series.
 
Matthew Libman:  We’re all huge basketball fans.
 
David Caspe:  Yeah, we grew up – the three of us grew up in Chicago during the glory days of the Bulls, and have been enormous basketball fans since, and huge Stephen Curry fans. So, he was the driver. Once we heard he wanted to make a show, we wanted to be a part of it.
 
Daniel Libman: The remote possibility of being friends with Stephen Curry was my main entry point. (Laughter)
 
Matthew Libman: And then also the three of us and Adam Pally, just love working together, and have worked together so much, and have developed a shorthand. David and I have been, obviously Daniel and I are brothers, and David and I have been friends since the third grade, and we've worked together on almost every show we've done. So, there's a shorthand there and just a love of working together that you know, we would do anything together. So, it was a no brainer for all of us.
 
Daniel Libman: Some would call it a crutch. (Laughter)
 
Matthew Libman: It is. It's a huge crutch. Are you kidding? It's a massive crutch. Why? Why do anything alone?
 
Daniel Libman: Yeah!? When you could use a crutch!  
 
David Caspe: I would call it a burden, which is a little different.
 
Matthew Libman: Would you call it a ball and chain situation?
 
David Caspe: Yeah, I’d call it more shackles.
 
Daniel Libman: John, could you give us the Zoom? (Laughter from all)
 
John Betancourt: Not a problem. I could sit here this and listen to this all day. This is great.
 
Matthew Libman: It was such an innocent question, and it really turned south very easily.
 
John Betancourt: Hey that’s okay! It keeps this conversation honest!
 
Daniel Libman: We're gonna give you the raw, unfiltered, shit.
 
John Betancourt: That's what I'm talking about. So, with that in mind that also kind of brings up what kinds of challenges you ran into in having Stephen Curry be part of this show? Because the NBA season is close to year-round now.
 
Daniel Libman: Well, that's the biggest one. Is just he's, this might shock you, but he's a very busy, individual, individual. He's got an extremely busy day job and a lot of other obligations.
 
Mathew Libman: And a family life.
 
Daniel Libman: He's very devoted to and dedicated to his family. So, the fact that he even found time for this and us is truly humbling for us. And we were, you know, we felt really grateful to have the time that that we got with him, which was a lot to shoot, you know, as you know, these shows can be very time consuming to shoot, and he was all in and very generous with his time. And so, yeah, other than that, there that there were no, no real challenges other than just, you know, finding the time. And once we had it, it was, it was smooth sailing from there.
 
John Betanocurt: Obviously, I do want to dive into all the great aspects of this show. I was very impressed with the mockumentary style, very impressed that it has heart to it, and I kind of want to know from each of you, what led to the decision to create such a complex but also, you know, just wonderfully hilarious show.
 
Matthew Libman: You know, I think, I think some of the stuff that we're inspired by, some of the documentaries and also like dramas that we like, have so many layers to them and, you know, so many sort of like facets that are fun to kind of like, unravel and follow and different, you know, rich sort of fabric of characters. I think this is just sort of like what we what we lean into. And then I think once we were assembling the cast and realized what an incredible, incredibly gifted cast we had, it felt like we could do so much with them and give them so much that they could make even better. So, it kind of just became this like feedback loop of, you know, you know, us trying to, like, give these amazingly talented performers sort of material that was worthy of them being in the show. And it elevated our writing, I think, just to have them to write for. But no, it was very much just like the style lent itself to, like a certain, you know, depth that we were trying to hit and, and, and I hope we did.
 
Daniel Libman: It's just, you know, it was just sort of just identifying these little you know, parts of all these genres that really spoke to us and trying to pull them in, and, you know, put them under one roof. And that was sort of the fun, and the challenge of their elements, of sports documentaries, of the true crime genre, of the mockumentaries that we, you know, love and that were super influential for us, comedically. And just trying to marry all those things into one tone. Was really the baseline, and then, yes, trying to give our actors stuff to help us look good. 
 
David Caspe: I mean, I think we were really wanted to challenge ourselves to like, I think if you've heard that a sort of famous sports celebrity or something was doing a television show, you would maybe -- immediately your brain would jump to, like, a multi cam where they're kind of taking care of their family, or, you know, them and their kids or something. And so, we wanted to sort of try to really challenge ourselves to come up with what's maybe different than what people would think is the show. And I do think, for better or worse, of whether people like it or not, I don't know, but I do think that this is probably… in flipping it on… is not going to be the show they expected to see when they heard Steph Curry's doing a sitcom, you know?
 
And I think they'll also be, like, pleasantly surprised at how much it like, Stephen Curry is in this show, you know, I think, like, people would assume like, “Oh, he'll just, like, be on FaceTime at the start and the end of every episode,” or something like that. But he is firmly in the show as much as anyone else is, you know. So, yeah, we were just trying to kind of build out his world from there. And, you know, I think you see a lot about celebrities, and stars and stuff now, but you don't see quite as much about the world around them, you know. And so, I think we were just interested in the world around them. And, you know, a lot of times they say, like power corrupts, but I actually think, like, power corrupts people around people with power, oftentimes more than the actual person themselves. So that was something interesting to us.
 
John Betancourt: Actually, yeah, that was the first thing I did notice was that he is a huge part of the show and actually, David, you kind of lead me right to my next question. I am very, very curious, because there is a lot of heart to this show and in the journeys the characters go on, and I’m curious what you hope audiences take away from the heart, from an underlying message standpoint.
 
David Caspe: I will say myself, like the main thing that was really like, sort of touchstone for me from the beginning, and I think for everyone, was that, like, you know, almost every person has something in their past that that defines, or they believe, defines themselves or their life going forward. You know, a mistake you made, or something that happened to you. And, you know, I think we liked the idea of making a show that sort of acknowledges that everybody has that, you know, and that… I mean… this is way too pretentious for a comedy, for an interview about a comedy, but just that concept of, like, you know, everybody's got something that they regret or something that they think defines them. But we all have that, you know, and we should all get past it, you know, I guess was the general thought.
 
Matthew Libman: I would just say that it was hard really, because no one we know, has any issues with their dad. So, it was very it was like, we just had to just make that up. (Laughter from all)
 
Daniel Libman: None of the three of us at all.
 
Matthew Libman: And we're all parents, and we're like, so good at being dads.
 
Daniel Libman: We’re not even worried that any of the stuff – I mean there's not stuff with our dads could creep into our own parenting.
 
Matthew Libman: No, no, no, no. That's not even a concern literally or remotely.
 
David Caspe: Or even that the making of this show kept us away from our children for such an amount of time that that could affect –
 
Matthew Libman: Almost repeating the sins of our fathers inadvertently.
 
David Caspe: Yeah, exactly, and that down the road they'll be making a show also about fathers, is quite possible. No, John, I don't know, you know my favorite musician is Bruce Springsteen, and so I definitely spend a lot of time listening to art about dads, you know? So, I figure we should make some. (More laughter from all)
 
John Betancourt: I love that. So, focus groups. That’s how you got all this together because it’s three perfect dads. I love that. Now, everyone is so close to watching the hard work you put together and enjoying this series, and I’m curious what you’re all most excited or people to watch when they tune in?
 
Matthew Libman: I really think it is, honestly some of that the heart and some of the sort of, you know, sort of more slightly dramatic storytelling. I also just think, like you mentioned, the sort of subverting people's expectations of like, what a Steph Curry sitcom would look like, and kind of being surprised by what that ends up being. I think, you know, we put a lot of thought, like we are just as serious as you know about the writing, as we are about the production design, about the cinematography, about costumes, about music, about editing, about sound mixing, like we love the whole like, every aspect of what goes into making a TV show.
 
So, there's just so much that we're very proud of on the show. And besides us, we work with incredibly gifted people from production and post and editors and every director, Dave Wain did an amazing job. So, we're just, you know, it was such a crazy race and sprint to the finish here that we're just so grateful that we got it done. And we're just really excited for people to see everyone's sort of hard work on the whole team.
 
Daniel Libman: I'm excited for people to have a break. I think people need a break. And if they can take three hours and have a nice break and laugh a little, hopefully…
 
David Caspe: Sign up for Peacock in the process.
 
Daniel Libman: and like, maybe even, like, leave a tip. I don't know if that's a feature that they can do. (Laughter from all)
 
Matthew Libman: If there isn’t, write to your Senator.
 
Daniel Libman: Yeah, so you could sign up for like, a premium and then like, leave a gratuity, like you do at a restaurant? No, I think, I'm excited for people to hopefully just have a little bit of a respite and enjoy some comedy, which it feels like there is less of these days.
 
David Caspe: Yeah, I want people to see the whole, you know, Stephen Curry and the whole cast. I think we assembled really, a really killer cast and just, they're just one through ten, or something hilarious, you know, I'm trying to think of how deep it goes. But fifteen, one through fifteen, just absolute killers.
 
Daniel Libman: You know, I won't tell you who sixteen is, but they stunk. (Laughter from all)
 
David Caspe: It was just an insane cast. The writer’s room we had was so incredible. They just put in so much hilarious stuff. And yeah, the look and feel the show. I don't know. It's just a lot of really, we got to work with a lot of really, really talented people, and we, we really are proud of the product, so we're just excited for people to go and check it out.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.