Bullseye With Jesse Thorn

All Creatures Great and Small tells the story of a Scottish veterinarian who moves out to the English countryside. It started as a book series written under the pen name James Herriot. In each chapter, Herriot drives around the Yorkshire Dales in an old car, from farm to farm, appointment to appointment. He treats horses, cows and dogs in neighboring villages. In the '70s and '80s, the books became a TV series of the same name on the BBC. All Creatures set in the '30s, between the wars. It's a quiet series – gentle, funny and bursting with love. There's a brand new television series based on the book. We talk about the latest reiteration with Ben Vanstone, writer and showrunner who created the reboot. There's quite a few animals on the show, but who's Ben's favorite? All that and so much more on the latest episode.

From his role as the lovable Sam Malone on the classic sitcom Cheers to his role as the goofy demon Michael on The Good Place, Ted Danson has made an indelible mark on our hearts playing the mischievous cad you can't help but love. He talks with Jesse about his new show, Mr. Mayor, growing up in Tucson, and what he hopes happens when he dies. Plus, Ted tells us why you never let comedy writers know your secrets.

John Wilson created the series "How To with John Wilson," one of our favorite new shows, a totally unique look at New York City, social anxiety, the pandemic and risotto. John joins Bullseye to chat about finishing a season of television during a pandemic, the nuance he found in his personal life from the edit process and making real life seem "less fake." Plus, we'll find out just how much of his life is dedicated to shooting the footage for his show.

Fran Lebowitz has lived in New York City pretty much her entire life. Her written work often provided American social commentary through her unique lens as a New Yorker. While her work is now iconic, it's been decades since she last published written works. These days she makes a living talking. She talks about politics, about New York and how it's changed. Fran also, kind of personifies New York City. Which makes her the perfect subject of the new Netflix docuseries Pretend It's a City. In the seven part series, Martin Scorsese chats with Fran about a number of topics including her relationship with New York – Manhattan in particular. Fran joins guest host Julie Klausner to discuss the new TV series about her. They cover a lot of ground including Fran's thoughts on: the Camp exhibit at the Met, outdoor dining, Dr. Fauci and more!

Comedian Natalie Palamides joins Bullseye this week to talk with guest host Carrie Poppy! Natalie and Carrie talk about Natalie's new Netflix special Nate: A One Man Show, what her parents think of her raunchy stand-up, and choosing to commit to your art over commercial projects. Plus, Natalie tells us about the occupational hazards of wrestling random audience members on stage.

This week, we're joined by actor Isiah Whitlock Jr. He played Clay Davis in the iconic television series The Wire. He's also appeared in some of our favorite films including Goodfellas, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, 25th Hour and last year's Da 5 Bloods. His latest project teams him up with Bryan Cranston in the new Showtime series Your Honor.

Robert Glasper is a Grammy award-winning pianist, producer and songwriter. He's worked with some of the biggest names in hip-hop from Kanye West to Common. Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly features some of his outstanding keyboard work. To date, he's earned three Grammy awards and is up for another two this year – best R&B song for "Better Than I Imagined" and best R&B Album for, F–k Yo Feelings. We're revisiting our conversation from 2012. At the time he'd just released one of his most acclaimed albums to date: Black Radio. Robert Glasper reflects on his longtime friendship and most memorable collaborations with Bilal. He also dives into the evolution of jazz , and how he sees himself in that world. And if you've ever wondered what it's like to party with Ludacris in Atlanta – he has the answer.

This week we're revisiting our 2019 conversation with rapper Freddie Gibbs. Freddie joined us to talk about his childhood growing up in Gary, Indiana, carving out space for himself as a rapper from the Midwest, and how he always knew that one day he'd be famous. Plus, he tells us about how he met his MadGibbs collaborator, producer Madlib.

We're joined by comedian and actor Michael Ian Black on an all-new Bullseye! He's a founding member of the comedy groups The State and Stella as well as a regular on the kind of talking head pop culture shows that were all the rage in the late aughts. When he's not busy making us laugh on stage and screen, Michael is a prolific author. His first book, a children's book, was titled Chicken Cheeks and was the first of many books geared toward kids. He's also written several books for adults. His latest is A Better Man. It's a touching long-form letter to his teenage son about the perils and pitfalls of manhood and what it means to be a man in a society that often attempts to pigeonhole what manhood is allowed to look like. Black chats with guest host Carrie Poppy about raising a son and daughter, the lessons he's learned and how his mother's tumultuous past impacted how he sees the world.

We're back with our first new episode of the year! It's already one of our favorites in recent memory. Actor Glynn Turman talks with us about his extraordinary life. You might know him as Clarence Royce on The Wire, or Doctor Senator on the most recent season of Fargo. And he's had a number of iconic roles in films like in Gremlins and Cooley High, too. His latest role is in Netflix's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. It's a film adaptation of the August Wilson play of the same name. The story centers on a fateful recording session of "Mother of the Blues" by Ma Rainey in 1927 Chicago. Glynn's been in the game for over half a century – he reflects on his past roles and future ambitions. We also discuss what it was like working with Chadwick Boseman in his final film role. Plus, he shares an incredible story about how he met his second wife ... Aretha Franklin.

It's the most hilarious time of the year again! That's right, we're back for another End of Year Comedy special. This holiday season the staff at MaxFun HQ listened to countless hours of stand-up, considered thousands of punchlines, and subjected our funny bones to innumerable tickles so that we could deliver only the very best stand-up comedy of 2020 to you!

"Canonball" is a segment on Bullseye that gives us a chance to take a closer look at albums that should be considered classics, to find out what makes them great. This time, Margaret Wappler makes the case for why Bjork's 1995 record "Post" deserves to be added to the canon of classic albums.

Dick Van Dyke has been entertaining the public for over 70 years. He's a legend of stage and screen – The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mary Poppins, Bye Bye Birdie and so many more... and he's still performing today. He turned 95 this month. We're taking a moment to celebrate his career by revisiting our interview with him from 2015. Dick Van Dyke talked about being a comedy legend and of course, we dove into his legacy working on some of the most iconic roles in entertainment. Plus, life before working on television and finding his footing during the dawn of television.

It's here! Bullseye's Holiday Spectacular has finally arrived and it's a jam packed episode! This year features interviews with guests like musician and actor Andrew Bird, actor and musician, Anika Noni Rose, and hosts of the new MaxFun podcast Tiny Victories, Laura House and Annabelle Gurwitch. Plus, the McElroy brothers join Jesse to offer up some holiday advice in true My Brother, My Brother and Me style. So put on your reindeer headphones and settle in for a bonanza of holiday cheer!

Adrian Tomine is a cartoonist. Along with graphic novels like Killing and Drying and Shortcomings, he created the series Optic Nerve, which began publication in 1991. He's also made several classic covers for The New Yorker. His latest book is an illustrated memoir called The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist. Adrian joins Bullseye guest host Brian Heater to talk about how making comics prepared him for screenwriting, trying to do a book tour during a pandemic and what's next for him. Plus, he'll talk to us about an infamous Fresh Air interview.

Roman Mars hosts the radio show and podcast 99% Invisible. It's a show about the little known stories behind everyday design and architecture. Prefabricated homes. Trash can design. Even those little ramps you see on sidewalk corners: how and why did stuff like that come to be? He just released a new book based on the podcast – it's called the 99 Percent Invisible City. The book is an illustrated look at how cities work, and why they work the way they do. Roman Mars joins us to talk about life before podcasting, and what decades in radio has taught him. Plus, the COVID-19 Pandemic has affected the design of cities, and which of those changes might be permanent.

This week we're revisiting our 2017 conversation with musician Phil Elverum. Phil is a singer-songwriter best known for the music he records as the bands the Microphones and Mount Eerie. Earlier this year he released a new album titled Microphones in 2020. He joined Jesse to talk about grieving the loss of his first wife, cartoonist Geneviève Castrée, and how a trip British Columbia with his daughter inspired the album A Crow Looked at Me.

Singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco has been making music since she was a teenager. For decades now, she's recorded and released her music on her own label, Righteous Babe Records. Her music is both autobiographical and political, with influences from funk, rock, jazz and punk. She's released over 20 albums so far and her latest, "Revolutionary Love," will be available in January. Ani joins Jesse to talk about breaking away from self-sufficiency, writing beautiful music and taking time off from the road, Plus, she'll tell us what it feels like to jam with the one and only Prince! All that and more on the next Bullseye!

Carrie Coon is an actor best known for her roles on TV. You've seen her as Nora on HBO's The Leftovers. No one was as fearless and bold as Nora. She was angry and kind of tightly wound, traumatized by the loss of her entire family. In Season 3 of Fargo, Carrie played Police Chief Gloria Burgle: brave in the face of danger, but also baffled at humanity's capacity to be so violent and cruel. In her latest role, she's starring on the big screen in The Nest alongside Jude Law. In the film, a cross-continental move tears a marriage apart. Linda Holmes, the host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, talked with Carrie Coon recently about The Nest. Plus, Carrie also discusses how she got into acting and she describes her wedding – which is perhaps the most unconventional ceremony you've ever heard.

Actor and comedian David Cross is our guest! While you may know him best for his stand-up comedy and roles on shows like Arrested Development and Mr. Show, David joins Jesse to talk about his newest endeavor - a dramatic role in the new film The Dark Divide. He talks about the mental and physical challenges of playing that role, growing up in Georgia, and his enduring relationship with Mr. Show co-creator, Bob Odenkirk. Plus, why he'd describe his new movie, The Dark Divide, as an "underpants heavy" film.