Therapuss with Jake Shane – Session 115: Dan Levy

April 9, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of Therapuss with Jake Shane features Emmy-winning writer, actor, and showrunner Dan Levy (Schitt’s Creek, Big Mistakes). Returning briefly to Jake’s signature playful therapy format, the episode explores introspection, the creative process, realities of the entertainment industry, and candid mental health talk. The conversation is rich with humor, empathy, and honest sharing—not only about creating beloved TV but about self-doubt, community dynamics, and life’s small indignities. The episode also includes “Tell Me What’s Wrong,” where Dan and Jake dispense advice to listeners.

Key Sections & Timestamps

Pre-interview Banter (00:27–10:56)
Interview with Dan Levy Begins (10:59)
Faith, Comedy, and Representation in “Big Mistakes” (11:47)
Schitt’s Creek Origins & Reality TV (18:42)
Housewives, Reality TV, Cultural Phenomena (22:41)
Artistic Integrity, Pressure & Hate (32:05–50:19)
Creative Leadership & Making TV (53:04–59:49)
Cultural Impact & Audience (59:49–63:21)
Advice Segment: “Tell Me What’s Wrong” (67:01–88:17)
Episode Wrap-Up & Reflections (88:19–89:14)

Detailed Summary

1. Pre-Interview Banter: Group Therapy with Alice

[00:27–10:56]

Jake and friend Alice recount their recent trip to Japan—hilarity (farting in the face), minor travel disasters, Muji obsessions, and Coachella planning.
Their sibling-like dynamic highlights codependency, planning mishaps, and an ongoing joke: “We aren’t happy unless we’re upset together.”
- Quote (05:17):
  Alice: “We aren’t happy unless we’re upset together…we can be again.”
- Quote (06:03):
  Jake: “Every day, it was a toss up whether she would walk down to breakfast or not.”

2. Enter Dan Levy – Warmth and Stage Setting

[10:59]

Dan is introduced (“the man, the myth, the legend”), promoting his new Netflix show, Big Mistakes.
Immediate comfort between host and guest:
- Quote (11:12):
  Dan: “Yeah, I feel completely comfortable.”

3. Faith, Comedy, & Thoughtful Representation

[11:47–15:46]

Jake praises a moving line from Big Mistakes:
- Quote (12:04):
  Jake: “You had this line: ‘God is perfect, but the people that interpret him are not.’ I thought that was really beautiful.”
Dan insists on respectful comedy:
- Quote (12:12):
  Dan: “The last thing I wanted was to make religion the butt of the joke…I think it’s lazy. I really wanted his relationship to faith and God to be real.”
- He consulted a gay pastor for authenticity.
Collaborating with Rachel Sennott to create a “brother-sister situation” for the show—Dan wanted authentic female perspective:
- Quote (14:17):
  Dan: “I really wanted like a female voice to speak to the reality of…this character…I didn’t think it was appropriate if I just, like, created this woman and didn’t have the nuance.”
Future of Big Mistakes:
- Quote (15:59):
  Dan: “I have the final image of the show, many, many seasons down the line.”
Jake’s elevator pitch:
- Quote (16:07):
  Jake: “It’s kind of like Sopranos for gay people.” Dan: “That’s the highest compliment I’ve gotten so far.”

4. The Anatomy of a Hit: Schitt’s Creek Origins & Reality TV

[18:42–22:37]

Dan’s reality TV background inspired Schitt’s Creek—what if the wealthy families “lost it all?”
- Quote (19:47):
  Dan: “I was really preoccupied with this idea of showing what would happen to these families…if it all went away.”
The show’s slow build:
- Quote (32:18):
  Dan: “I don’t think it really took off until we had finished season six.”
- He emphasizes the importance of narrative “foundation laying” for emotional payoff.
Transition into reality TV talk: Hills, Laguna Beach, and the skill of Housewives stars like Kristin Cavallari and Lisa Rinna.
- Quote (22:22):
  Dan: “When you’re doing that world, you gotta understand what game you’re playing…she was there to stir the pot.”
- Quote (24:22):
  Dan: “Lisa Rinna is the Kristin Cavallari of Beverly Hills Housewives.”

5. Cultural Impact: The Slow-Burn Hit & TV’s Future

[32:05–36:38]

The “instant hit” culture is at odds with how great TV develops:
- Quote (33:33):
  Dan: “You can’t expect an audience to cry for a character when they just met them. That comes with time.”
- Quote (34:32):
  Dan: “If we were on an actual network, we would have been canceled immediately.”
Lessons from Schitt’s Creek, Breaking Bad, The Wilds, and Industry:
- Great shows need time, freedom, and network support.

6. Hate, Insecurity, and Criticism—Especially From Within

[46:55–49:38]

Dan reflects on the perils of media attention after winning awards, the feeling of being ready for backlash:
- Quote (47:33):
  Dan: “At some point, there’s a tipping point where the media decides, ‘Okay, they’ve had enough.’”
The pain of critique from within your community:
- Quote (49:16):
  Dan: “Man, when was the last time a gay person set a record at the Emmys? Why are we not celebrating that?”
Jake adds:
- Quote (49:38):
  Jake: “The most specific hatred I get…is from another gay guy. It hurts more than anyone else saying anything to me.”
Dan responds with empathy, linking it to a sense of competition within marginalized communities.

7. Artistic Integrity—Advice to Creators

[51:30–59:49]

Dan’s creative philosophy:
- Quote (51:44):
  Dan: “You just have to shut [the noise] out and care about the story you’re telling…If you earn it, that choice…even if it goes against expectations, it’s the right decision.”
On not pandering:
- Quote (53:46):
  Dan: “You gotta, like, fight for the things you believe in.”
Letting your work be what you want:
- Quote (55:26):
  Dan: “The show has to be exactly what you want it to be. Otherwise, you’re gonna go to bed and think, gosh, if I had only held out…”

8. Audience, Anomalies, and Letting Culture Catch Up

[59:49–63:21]

The impossibility of predicting what culture will love:
- Quote (56:33):
  Dan: “The threat of losing what you have by making some kind of mistake is an illusion.”
Why Canada takes risks:
- Quote (60:40):
  Dan: “Because it’s a smaller market. You can take risks.”
On Toronto and Canadian culture—Jake and Dan reminisce about “Maple Leafs games and Tim Hortons” (61:22).

9. Advice Segment: “Tell Me What’s Wrong”

[67:01–88:17]

Highlights:

On insecurity about looking worse than your partner:
- Dan (69:00): “My best friend gave me…the greatest piece of relationship advice: Would this person run to you?…If they wouldn’t, then they’re not right.”
On “greening out” on a date (vomit story):
- Dan (71:17): “The minute you assign a smell to a person, it’s over.”
Karaoke-related ick:
- Dan (74:03): “I find people who are game for karaoke to be infinitely charming. It shows a complete ease in the relationship to self…that’s incredibly attractive.”
On roommates with a public sex kink:
- Dan (82:58): “I’m radically honest. I don’t need to hear you moaning in your bed with your boyfriend. Shut the door.”
Dating apps are “hell”:
- Dan (85:03): “You have to go in [the apps] knowing that it’s one in a thousand that will pique your interest.”
On learning you have narcolepsy as an adult:
- Dan (86:02): “As someone who doesn’t sleep that much, it sounds kind of great…”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Creative Process:

Dan (51:30): “The minute a writer’s room starts to think about what the audience wants, they lose the plot.”

On TV Tastes and Time:

Dan (33:33): “You can’t expect an audience to cry for a character when they just met them. That comes with time.”

On Success and Backlash:

Dan (47:33): “At some point, there’s a tipping point where the media decides, ‘Okay, they’ve had enough.’”

Jake (49:38): “The most, like, specific, like, hatred I get, if I encounter it, it’s from, like, another gay guy. And it hurts more than anyone else saying anything to me.”

On Relationship Advice:

Dan (69:00): “Would this person run to you?...If they wouldn’t, then they’re not right.”

On Karaoke and Self-Acceptance:

Dan (74:03): “It shows a complete ease in the relationship to self. You are open to humiliation and embarrassment, and I find that incredibly attractive.”

On Artistic Courage:

Dan (55:18): “You can’t control anything outside of [your creative choices]…the show that you’re making is exactly what you want to make, because opinions aside, that’s all you have at the end of the day.”

Final Reflections

[88:19–89:14]

Jake and Dan express mutual admiration and gratitude.
- Dan: “I would be more than happy to be a sounding board if you ever need…that was some of the best advice I’ve gotten so far. Ever.” (88:39–88:49)
Dan’s closing lesson:
- Dan: “It’s okay to call out a lie…There was something in me that had to proclaim, ‘I lied to you.’ And I felt better. And I felt very comforted by this conversation in a variety of ways.” (88:52–89:11)

Takeaways

Be honest—about your insecurities, mistakes, ambitions, and needs, to yourself and to others.
Fight for your creative vision; don’t pander or anticipate the audience’s opinion prematurely.
Great art and connection take time, faith, and courage; “let culture catch up.”
Self-acceptance and vulnerability—whether in the writers’ room, on stage, or singing karaoke—are unexpectedly magnetic.
Community support, not competition, should be the focus among marginalized or creative groups.

This episode combines hilarious storytelling, deep creative wisdom, and candid, relatable therapy for both feelings and art. For television fans, creators, and anyone navigating the mixed messages of success, insecurity, and community, it’s a must-listen—or a must-read.