Episodes

  • Episode #337: Best of 2024 Podcast (State of the Podcast, Top 15 Reality TV Performances, & Top 15 Albums)

    Episode #337: Best of 2024 Podcast (State of the Podcast, Top 15 Reality TV Performances, & Top 15 Albums)
    Dec 23 2024
    2024 is winding down, and it’s time for Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar’s annual Best of series!

    State of the Podcast: But first…let’s do the state of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast! The fifth anniversary season has ended, and what a year! Our downloads were the best since 2021 and crossed the 10,000 and 11,000 lifetime downloads milestones. Listeners were the second best since 2021, with listeners from 71 countries! I want to thank the listeners of the United States, Sweden, Canada, United Kingdom, Singapore, India, Australia, Germany, Thailand, and the Netherlands as they listened to the podcast the most. Our most downloaded episodes of 2024 were with Canada’s Got Talent standouts Geneviève Côté and Matthew Cooper, social media sensations Ana Saia (the eighth most viewed on my YouTube channel) and Brandon Farris; Billboard charting saxophonist Boney James, The Challenge cast members Derrick Kosinski, Jenny West, and Paulie Calafiore, and my friends Paige of Most Likely Podcast and the hosts of AGT Time Pod.

    Best of 2024 – Music: 2024 was full of impeccable music! Here are my Top 15 Albums of the year

    Previewing 2025: 2025 will be a massive year for the Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar brand. Nine episodes of the podcast’s sixth season have been recorded. Award-winning journalist Shawn Edwards, one of my mentors, will kick off the season. Actors Derek Yates (Days of Our Lives) and the legendary Lenore Zahn (Rogue, X-Men: The Animated Series & X-Men ’97), Marcel Katz (the Art Plug), best-selling author Kate Gladdin and our old friend Underground Music Collective founder Gerard Longo are some of the guests that will visit the Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast. America’s Got Talent (AGT) is expected to air its twentieth anniversary season during the summer of 2025. Season 20 will be the fourteenth season I have covered since launching the blog in 2011. I hope to bring some of my favorite acts, creatives, and judges onto my platform that made the NBC talent competition show the juggernaut it is today.

    In Memoriam: Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar wants to pay homage to several impeccable people who passed away throughout 2024. Charles Osgood, Chita Rivera, James Earl Jones, Johnny Wactor, Liam Payne, Dame Maggie Smith, Martin Mull, Pete Rose, Phil Donahue, Richard Simmons, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, and Shannen Doherty all left remarkable imprints on pop culture, and they will be missed. We also want to remember guests comedian Kabir Singh, who I had the privilege to speak with him in 2021 when he competed on AGT: Season 16, and actor and model Mike Heslin, who was one of the podcast’s first guests in 2019 with his husband and longtime friend Scotty Dynamo.

    Finally, I would like to pay tribute to two men who impacted my life from 2003 to 2007 while I attended Blue Valley Northwest High School in my hometown of Overland Park, Kansas. My choir teacher, Dale Eaton, and my 12th-grade English teacher, Dr. Rick Pribyl, impacted me and countless students during their time at BVNW. Thank you for the memories, Mr. Eaton and Dr. Pribyl.

    Season’s Greetings: Thank you, everyone, for all your support this year! I want to thank all my guests who took time out of their schedules to visit the podcast, as well as the media teams who trusted my platform so their clients could see and share their stories. I also want to give a special shoutout to my family: mom Gloria, dad Matthew, brother Aaron, sister-in-law Whitney, nephew Nash, and niece Emory. I love you all to pieces! Finally, thank you to the readers and listeners who followed me on this journey! I hope 2025 will be a phenomenal year for all of us!

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jake-s-take-with-jacob-elyachar--4112003/support.
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    21 mins
  • Episode #336: Jack Hutson & Michael Pitt TALK ‘Day of the Fight’

    Episode #336: Jack Hutson & Michael Pitt TALK ‘Day of the Fight’
    Dec 16 2024
    It is a privilege to welcome Day of the Fight’s Jack Huston and Michael Pitt to The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast.

    Set in Brooklyn in the 1980s, Day of the Fight follows a once-celebrated middleweight boxer, Mikey Flannigan, AKA “Irish” (Michael Pitt), as he embarks on a day-long redemptive journey as he prepares for his first match since serving time in prison.

    “Day of the Fight is an underdog story in its purest form,” said Jack Hutson, who wrote, co-produced, and directed the film. “This movie is about second chances, overcoming adversity against all odds, and above all, it’s forgiveness.” The 108-minute film also stars Nicolette Robinson, John Magaro, Kat Elisabeth Williams, Steve Buscemi, Ron Perlman, and Joe Pesci. Josh Porter, Jai Stefan, Emma Tillinger Koskoff, and Colleen Camp joined Jack Hutson on the production team.

    In 2023, the movie was featured in various film festivals. It closed out the 2023 Austin Film Festival and was the opening night film for the 2023 International FilmFestival Mannheim-Heidelberg, Mill Valley, and Raindance Film Festivals. It was also an official selection for the 2023 Venice Film Festival. Jack Hutson also won two director awards for the 2023 Newport Beach and SCAD Savannah Film Festivals.

    On this episode of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Jack Hutson and Michael Pitt discussed the Day of the Fight filming process. Jack explained why the film was shot in black and white, while Michael shared his perspective on sharing the screen with acting legends Steve Buscemi, Ron Perlman, and Joe Pesci.

    Day of the Fight can be found in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Boston, and San Francisco theatres.

    Let's connect on social media! Visit my channels on:
    A) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JacobElyachar/
    B) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacobelyachar/
    C) Threads: https://www.threads.net/@jacobelyachar
    D) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@therealjacobelyac
    E) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JacobElyachar



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    14 mins
  • Episode 335: Drew Angelman RETURNS + TALKS The Challenge Universe (BFANC, AS4 & Battle of the Eras)

    Episode 335: Drew Angelman RETURNS + TALKS The Challenge Universe (BFANC, AS4 & Battle of the Eras)
    Dec 9 2024
    It is a privilege to welcome back for the fifth time onto The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast – the one and only Drew Angelman.

    Drew is the creator and founder of Angelcake Entertainment! Since he last visited the podcast, Drew covered several Challenge spin-offs – The Challenge: World Championship, The Challenge USA: Season Two, and The Challenge All-Stars: Season Four. He also covered The Challenge: Battle for a New Champion and the current season – The Challenge: Battle of the Eras.

    He also created top moments of the show’s iconic champions, tackling some of the franchise’s biggest rumors, and broke down how Wes Bergmann and Kenny Santucci’s legendary rivalry still impacted the franchise. He also made a two-part documentary covering show icon Cara Maria Sorbello’s time on the long-running MTV Reality TV show.

    He also conducted several interviews with cast members. Brandon Nelson, Dr. Kefla Hare, Kyland Young, and Troy Cullen are some of the people who visited Drew Angelman’s platform. Fans can also see Drew sit down with The Challenge 40 cast members on his Patreon.

    On this edition of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Drew Angelman gave his take on Battle of the Eras and his thoughts on the social media drama and previewing The Challenge: All-Stars’ fifth season.

    Let's connect on social media! Visit my channels on:
    A) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JacobElyachar/
    B) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacobelyachar/
    C) Threads: https://www.threads.net/@jacobelyachar
    D) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@therealjacobelyac
    E) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JacobElyachar

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jake-s-take-with-jacob-elyachar--4112003/support.
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    1 hr and 16 mins
  • Episode #334: Alan Locher TALKS Working at Disney, ‘Guiding Light’ & ‘The Locher Room’

    Episode #334: Alan Locher TALKS Working at Disney, ‘Guiding Light’ & ‘The Locher Room’
    Dec 1 2024
    It is a pleasure to welcome Alan Locher as a guest on the latest episode of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast.

    Alan began his career as a Page for ABC-TV before joining the Walt Disney Studios in film promotions, leading to his niche in publicity. In Alan’s eight-year tenure at Disney, he worked closely with talent and studio executives on marketing more than 200 films. Following Disney, he transitioned to the agency side of the business, serving as the Senior Account Director for Rubenstein Public Relations.

    Alan later led the PR team for two legendary Procter & Gamble Productions, As the World Turns and Guiding Light, which he grew up watching. Most recently, managed a team of 30 across marketing, sales and operations for On Location Tours, one of the world’s largest TV and movie tour companies. At the start of the pandemic, Alan Locher created The Locher Room, a virtual talk show on YouTube featuring celebrity guests from daytime, primetime, and film. To date, Alan has produced over 400 shows and raised over $130K for various charities.

    He also launched Conversations with Alan to have open and honest discussions about the rise of hate, racism, and anti-Semitism in the United States with high hopes that it leads to conversations that make us all think about our place in history—and what we can do together to change our country’s course. Alan hopes you will watch these with an open mind and if you feel so inclined please share them with your friends and family. We can do better, be kinder, and love each other equally!

    On this episode of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Alan Locher discussed his time at Disney, As the World Turns, and Guiding Light, as well as his most memorable interviews, such as an all-star tribute to the late Agnes Nixon, a conversation with Laura Wright and Cynthia Watros, and the reunion between All My Children’s The Kane Women (Susan Lucci, Eden Riegel, and Alicia Minshew).

    Let's connect on social media! Visit my channels on:
    A) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JacobElyachar/
    B) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacobelyachar/
    C) Threads: https://www.threads.net/@jacobelyachar
    D) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@therealjacobelyac
    E) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JacobElyachar

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jake-s-take-with-jacob-elyachar--4112003/support.
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    33 mins
  • Jake's Take's Best of 2020 to 2024: Top 40 Got Talent Golden Buzzers

    Jake's Take's Best of 2020 to 2024: Top 40 Got Talent Golden Buzzers
    Nov 27 2024
    Welcome to the Jake's Take's with Jacob Elyachar's Best of 2020 to 2024 series!

    The first entry in this series is my Top 40 Got Talent Golden Buzzer performances!I picked out 40 acts that received the Golden Buzzer throughout America's Got Talent, Australia's Got Talent, Britain's Got Talent, Canada's Got Talent, France's Got Talent, and Das SuperTalent (Germany's Got Talent). The selections also included Golden Buzzer recipients from the four AGT spinoffs: America's Got Talent (AGT) - the Champions: Season Two, AGT Extreme, AGT: All-Stars, and AGT: Fantasy League.

    Without further ado, here are the Top 40 Got Talent Golden Buzzer Acts from 2020 to 2024.

    What were some of your favorite Got Talent Golden Buzzer moments from 2020 to 2024?

    Let's connect on social media! Visit my channels on:
    A) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JacobElyachar/
    B) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacobelyachar/
    C) Threads: https://www.threads.net/@jacobelyachar
    D) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@therealjacobelyac
    E) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JacobElyachar

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jake-s-take-with-jacob-elyachar--4112003/support.
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    42 mins
  • Episode #332: Muni Norodom TALKS ‘1660 Vine’ & Authenticity On Social Media

    Episode #332: Muni Norodom TALKS ‘1660 Vine’ & Authenticity On Social Media
    Nov 25 2024
    It is a privilege to welcome Khemuni “Muni” Norodom to The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast.

    Muni spent his childhood in his home country of Cambodia. Upon graduating from the International School of Phnom Penh, he traveled to Malaysia and Germany to study in their capital cities. It did not take long before he caught the acting bug. Following his uncle, King Sihamoni, who worked as a Cambodian cultural ambassador and a classical dance teacher in his younger days, Muni decided to pursue a career in the arts field and moved to the United States. In 2017, Muni graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. 1660 Vine will be Muni’s first feature role.

    1660 Vine is an original musical that investigates the journey of life as a social media influencer creating, curating, and continuing an artificial online identity that pleases sponsors, brands, and tens of millions of followers, all the while aware of the widening space between one’s true self and one’s online self. The film is an ensemble story of makeup tutorialists, stunt artists, models, pranksters, gamers, vloggers, and musicians who, though each on their path, have found community in the luxury Hollywood apartment building they (temporarily) call home – 1660 Vine Street.

    1660 Vine is directed by Patricia McGregor, the New York Theater Workshop Artistic Director. The legendary Paula Abdul choreographs it and features music supervision from the team that oversaw the High School Musical franchise. Muni is joined in the cast by Cheryl Porter, Chris Olsen, Pia Toscano, CJ Curz, Malachi Durant, Lisa Loeb, and Sam Haft.

    On this edition of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Muni Norodom discussed what attracted him to the role of Danny, working with his cast, and sharing advice for content creators about being authentic on social media.

    Let's connect on social media! Visit my channels on:
    A) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JacobElyachar/
    B) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacobelyachar/
    C) Threads: https://www.threads.net/@jacobelyachar
    D) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@therealjacobelyac
    E) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JacobElyachar

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jake-s-take-with-jacob-elyachar--4112003/support.
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    7 mins
  • Episode #331: John Hickman TALKS An Intervention from Al Pacino, ‘GUNNERS,’ & ‘Barron’s Cove’

    Episode #331: John Hickman TALKS An Intervention from Al Pacino, ‘GUNNERS,’ & ‘Barron’s Cove’
    Nov 21 2024
    It is a privilege to welcome actor John Hickman to The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast.

    John had always been interested in acting, but it wasn’t until he won the opportunity to play a part in True Blood that he realized it was a path for him. His first scene on the HBO series turned into several more, and soon he became a part of Joe Manganiello’s “wolf pack,” which included the opportunity to work with live wolves in Season Five.

    John Hickman also worked on shows like The Originals and The Vampire Diaries on the CW. As a go-to character actor, John worked alongside some of Hollywood’s biggest names, such as Bruce Willis, Ed Harris, James Franco, Nikki Glaser, Peter Facinelli, and Pierce Brosnan.

    While his acting career was taking off, he was secretly battling an alcohol addiction. After filming four films back-to-back, John wound up in the hospital due to his drinking. However, it was an on-set meeting with Al Pacino that led him to get clean and sober. While detoxing on his next set, the Emmy and Oscar-winning actor pulled him aside one day and told him he needed to improve. John took that life-changing advice to heart and went to rehab, returning later to finish the film.

    In addition to acting, John is dedicated to philanthropy. In 2011, he established the John Herman Hickman Foundation to aid victims of natural disasters and provide scholarships to the children of Peco Foods employees. His charitable efforts also extend to the West Alabama Humane Society and other organizations.

    On this episode of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, John Hickman discussed how he got into acting later in life, how an encounter with legendary actor Al Pacino changed his life, and his work on GUNNER (starring Morgan Freeman and Luke Hemsworth) and Barron’s Cove (starring Garrett Hedlund, Hamish Linklater, and Brittany Snow).

    Let's connect on social media! Visit my channels on:
    A) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JacobElyachar/
    B) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacobelyachar/
    C) Threads: https://www.threads.net/@jacobelyachar
    D) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@therealjacobelyac
    E) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JacobElyachar

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jake-s-take-with-jacob-elyachar--4112003/support.
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    24 mins
  • Episode #330: SWMRS TALK Becker, Cole's Progress, & European Tour

    Episode #330: SWMRS TALK Becker, Cole's Progress, & European Tour
    Nov 18 2024
    It is a privilege to welcome SWMRS (Max, Cade, and Cole Becker) to the Jake's Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast.

    SWMRS is not just a band—it's a California-born brotherhood fueled by punk energy, catchy hooks, and electrifying performances. Max and Cole Becker kicked off this wild journey as teenagers, and for the past 15 years, they have been building a fiercely loyal, ride-or-die fanbase while evolving their sound.

    But in 2022, with the addition of younger brother Cade on bass, their dynamic took a decisive turn: the family bond became the band's heartbeat. For SWMRS, brotherhood isn't just a connection—it's their driving force. And now, they're inviting you to be part of the family too.

    On this episode of The Jake's Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, SWMRS spoke about their latest record, BECKER, and shared the stories behind their songs. Plus, Cole exclusively shared how he has grown as a musician since joining his brothers on stage.

    Let's connect on social media! Visit my channels on:
    A) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JacobElyachar/
    B) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacobelyachar/
    C) Threads: https://www.threads.net/@jacobelyachar
    D) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@therealjacobelyac
    E) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JacobElyachar

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jake-s-take-with-jacob-elyachar--4112003/support.
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    31 mins