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The James Altucher Show

346 - Nell Scovell: From Old to Original: How to Take Tired Ideas and Make Them New

The James Altucher Show

James Altucher

Education, Business

4.62.7K Ratings

🗓️ 24 April 2018

⏱️ 64 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Nell Scovell had a dream career working in television. She's worked on every classic I can remember. And she even created a show, "Sabrina the Teenage Witch." She took tired sitcom plots and put them through what she calls a "magical blender." And out came something original. She told me how her ambition to be a prominent female television writer gave her these amazing opportunities that us men can only dream of. And how being on the sidelines gave her the confidence to lead a team to success.   Links and Resources Just the Funny Parts... And a Few Hard Truths About Sneaking into the Hollywood Boys' Club  by Nell Scovell Follow Nell on Twitter + Facebook   Also Mentioned Murphy Brown Monk It's Garry Shandling's Show The Muppets Charmed Late Night with David Letterman Sabrina the Teenage Witch, created by Nell 90210 Bewitched I Dream of Genie Coach with Craig T. Nelson The Simpsons Seinfeld Curb Your Enthusiasm A Thousand Clowns, the play by Herb Gardner The Cosby Show Newhart The Buttoned Down Mind of Bob Newhart I'm Dying Up Here: Heartbreak and High Times in Stand-Up Comedy's Golden Era by William Knoedelseder Superstud: Or How I Became a 24-Year-Old Virgin by Paul Feig Gilligan's Island Freaks & Geeks Arrested Development The Office Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg Sheryl Sandberg's TED Talk: Why we have too few women leaders NCIS   I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltucher.com/podcast.   Thanks so much for listening! If you like this episode, please subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts Stitcher iHeart Radio Spotify   Follow me on Social Media: Twitter Facebook Linkedin Instagram ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

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0:00.0

This isn't your average business podcast and he's not your average host.

0:06.4

This is the James Altiger Show on the Choose Yourself Network.

0:12.4

Today on the James Altiger Show.

0:15.6

It seems like it's not always coming up with the new, new, absurdist idea,

0:20.8

but kind of combining old concepts together in a new way.

0:24.8

Yeah, that was a big breakthrough for me because when you start,

0:28.0

you just want to be original all the time and if something's been done,

0:32.9

you don't want to do it. I think if you're creative, that's your instinct.

0:37.2

But there aren't a zillion original stories, so what you have to do is take an old story

0:43.5

and make it original. Put your own spin on it.

0:46.8

It's a perspective on life. I think you're just always looking for the twist.

0:51.6

And why do you think you have a twisted perspective on life?

0:55.7

It's exactly the way I've seen the world, which is it's so much more fun

1:01.6

to be looking for that thing that makes you laugh.

1:13.3

Okay, well, I am really honored to have a living piece of television,

1:19.2

history in the room. I hope you don't mind me saying that.

1:21.2

No, that's okay.

1:22.4

Nell Scovall. Could you call me iconic?

1:25.6

Your iconic. You are iconic. You're an icon.

1:28.6

I've always wanted to be called iconic.

1:30.9

Well, now you're officially iconic. Nell Scovall, you just wrote a came out of the book,

1:36.8

just the funny parts, but I'm glad you came out with that this book because it gives me an excuse

...

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