The Commercial Break – TCB Replay: Danny Ricker
Original Release: September 24, 2025
Hosts: Bryan Green & Krissy Hoadley
Guest: Danny Ricker (Co-Executive Producer and Head Writer, Jimmy Kimmel Live!)
Episode Focus: Parenting, Comedy Writing, Late Night TV, Danny’s Book “Wow, You Look Terrible”
Episode Overview
This TCB Replay features Bryan and Krissy’s lively, irreverent interview with Danny Ricker, the co-executive producer and head writer of Jimmy Kimmel Live! Danny discusses the daily chaos of making late-night comedy, the evolution of political humor, the importance of free speech, and his debut book on parenting, Wow, You Look Terrible. Blending twisted humor with parental wisdom, the conversation moves from inside-the-show anecdotes to a frank, funny perspective on raising kids in the digital age.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Inside the Jimmy Kimmel Show: Organized Chaos
[17:29 - 20:48]
- Daily Routine & Decision-Making:
- The show starts at 6 AM; by 4:30 PM, whatever chaos or creativity that’s happened gets assembled into that night’s program.
- There’s no set formula: “We’re kind of putting the menu together for Jimmy every day” (Danny, [19:49]).
- Jimmy Kimmel is deeply hands-on, serving as both showrunner and key writer:
“He’s probably a little too involved… up all night going through scripts. But that’s what makes the product good.” (Danny, [19:14])
- How Comedy is Selected:
- A blend of hot-topic ideas and evergreen bits, with a “menu” of segments and sketches for Jimmy to curate daily.
- Writers keep a stockpile of ideas for whenever the day's news is slow.
2. Late Night TV’s Role & Political Humor
[21:17 - 26:49]
- Approach to Politics:
- No single pivot to “getting political”—the show mirrors the zeitgeist and what the country is actually talking about.
- Kimmel’s team views their mission as “a mirror to what’s going on;” they reflect, riff, and offer catharsis.
“Jimmy always says, I want to talk about what people are talking about.” (Danny, [23:10])
- Societal Function:
- Bryan praises late night’s role as a place for public processing and laughing through pain.
- Danny says their goal is to make viewers feel “seen,” offer perspective, and find humor even in hard news cycles.
3. Danny’s Origin: From TV Watcher to Head Writer
[26:49 - 31:37]
- Started at Jimmy Kimmel Live! as a college intern and “TV watcher” (think: a real job monitoring TV for usable clips).
- The experience taught him not just comedy instincts but also the technical, editorial side of writing for TV.
“It was so… like a clockwork orange. You just sat there with your eyes open… consuming every piece of media.” (Danny, [29:36])
- The show promotes from within, nurturing young talent into creative roles.
4. Parenting in the Age of Chaos (and Screens)
[33:13 - 58:27]
- About the Book:
- “Wow, You Look Terrible” blends practical advice with comic essays about surviving parenthood, inspired by real parental chaos.
- The book’s faux premise: “how to parent less and get your life back”—find shortcuts that actually work and relinquish unrealistic expectations.
“Generally speaking, the book is humor, but my hope is that parents will read it and feel seen… and go, oh, yeah, I go through this on a daily basis too.” (Danny, [35:48])
- Cutting Corners in Parenting:
- Don’t feel pressure to sew costumes by hand—buy them! (Danny: “$12 on Amazon, they will survive!” [39:41])
- Reduce “self-imposed ridiculousness” and comparison with other parents.
- “Ultimately they don’t need much other than just… to know you love them and take them to get ice cream once in a while.” (Danny, [40:10])
- Parenting Then vs. Now:
- Bryan and Danny reflect on less “hovering” childhoods and how current parents overcomplicate things with expectations set by social media and parenting books.
- Giving kids independence matters (“Let them fail. That’s how we learned.” – Bryan [43:58]).
- Danny: “I think one of the metaphors [from ‘The Anxious Generation’] I love is, there’s these trees in Hawaii… strong because they’re constantly blown by wind. That’s a good metaphor for kids.” [41:43]
5. Lies Parents Tell & Holiday Myths
[47:43 - 52:40]
- Danny loves tactical parenting fibs, like telling his kids "the car doesn’t play kid music."
“It just doesn’t… It’s not wired to play kid music in the car.” (Danny, [48:23])
- He’s pro-magic but not precious—thinks the Santa/Easter Bunny myths are more fun for the parent’s amusement.
- On kids unraveling the truth:
- When his daughter cracked the Santa code, Danny quipped, “You got me. Now you’re part of the Illuminati who knows about this.” ([52:02])
6. The Screen Time Dilemma
[54:47 - 58:27]
- Both Bryan and Danny wrestle with how, when, and if to introduce screens and phones.
- Danny’s household: an old iPhone on Wi-Fi as a “family phone” with tightly restricted usage (texting, FaceTime, Netflix for travel).
“We say, you can have this if you agree to the following terms… and that's it.” (Danny, [55:12])
- When screens are restricted, kids stop asking for them—but access proves addictive fast:
“It just became so clear to me this is addictive. The more they have it, the more they want it.” (Bryan, [57:27])
- Both hosts and guest reflect on their own digital dependence and how hard it is to model restraint for their kids.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On the late night grind:
“It’s chaotic. It’s crazy. It’s weird. … But because we have such a great group of people, it gets done every day by hook or by crook.”
— Danny ([18:17]) - On political comedy:
“We didn’t have a meeting where we all sat down and went, okay, now our show is political. We just get up and look at what's happening and decide how we feel about it, and then talk about it.”
— Danny ([22:13]) - On TV-watching as a job:
“It was a clockwork orange. You just sat there with your eyes open… consuming every piece of media that came across your TV.”
— Danny ([29:36]) - On practical parenting:
“I'm like my kid’s service animal basically… I’m just trying to look for corners you can cut that won’t affect your kids negatively.”
— Danny ([35:51], [38:35]) - On the pressure to perform as a parent:
“I never remember a time where my dad sat on the floor and played with me for two hours… and he was a fantastic father.”
— Danny ([41:43]) - On lying to kids:
“I think it’s totally fine to lie to kids. They lie to us about everything… just wedge a couple in.”
— Danny ([48:23]) - On screen time addiction:
“It feels like a drug. It’s like giving them cigarettes or something… I can’t imagine how difficult it would be for a kid.”
— Danny ([58:25]) - On holiday myths:
“When she figured it out, I said, now you get to be part of the Illuminati who knows about this.”
— Danny ([52:32]) - On letting kids fail:
“Let them run into some sharp objects… what doesn’t kill them will make them stronger.”
— Bryan ([59:27])
Timestamps for Important Segments
- [17:29] Danny joins – Late night chaos & team process
- [22:13] Political content: “Did you decide to get political?”
- [26:49] Danny as “TV watcher” – clip-finding origins
- [33:13] Parenting & book origins
- [35:51] The book’s faux self-help premise
- [38:35] Embracing parental chaos
- [41:43] Independence and letting kids fail
- [48:23] Lies parents tell — music in the car
- [52:02] Santa Claus revealed — “The Illuminati”
- [54:47] The cell phone conversation; screen time discipline
- [57:27] Screen time as addiction
- [59:27] Digital dependency for kids & parents
- [61:14] Closing remarks; book details
Final Thoughts & Closing
The episode hilariously and candidly explores the intersection of comedy writing, the grinding unpredictability of late night TV, and the everyday absurdities of raising kids in 2025. Danny Ricker shines as both an everyman dad and a sharp industry wit, offering listeners both laughs and unexpectedly practical parenting wisdom.
Where to Find More:
- Danny Ricker’s book: Wow, You Look Terrible ([61:14])
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! weeknights (with Danny behind the scenes)
- TCB Podcast Website, @thecommercialbreak on Instagram, and YouTube channel for more episodes