Hannah Fletcher’s new Tubi talk show looks to remix the traditional format for a new generation. After years of interviewing some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Hannah Fletcher is moving from the red carpet to her own studio. It’s a show that benefits from a level of experience and enthusiasm that is hard to fake, speaking to the authenticity that Hannah brings to the show.
The Hannah Fletcher Show is a chance for Fletcher to showcase her skills as an interview in conversations with everything from legendary comedy stars in to modern influencers, highlighting . During an interview with TVBrittanyF ahead of The Hannah Fletcher Show coming to Tubi on March 13th, Hannah Fletcher delved into her idealized approach to conversations with her guests, why it’s important to use a classic format in a way that appeals to younger generations, and the greatest joys of a good interview.
TVBrittanyF: Every interviewer has their preferences, but there are so many ways to approach conversation. I know some journalists who lean into deeper conversation, some who like to just have fun, some who try to strike a balance between the two — I honestly love being a little bit of a hype man and getting to talk about something creative. What kind of interviews get you the most excited?
Hannah Fletcher: I would say, honestly, I’m kind of the same way as you. I’m a big hype person. My biggest prerogative as an interviewer is, if the person I’m speaking to wants to come back and sit down with me again, I consider that to be a success. I’m really all about making the other person feel good and comfortable because interviewing is conversational.
It can be surreal at times. In one breath, we’re very used to it, psychologically. At the same time, we’re kind of really not used to it. Interviews are typically in promotion of something, or even just in reference to a legacy. Whatever it is, [I love] to support the guest and really authentically highlight them. I want them to know I’m not out to get them. I’m out there to support them and give them a space to speak.
Sometimes, it’s unavoidable, though. I’ve had interviews where I’ve gotten to speak to some very impressive actors about passion projects, but I had to stop the flow of the conversation to a question about something the editors needed us to ask.
Yeah, and sometimes other people don’t understand that. People don’t always understand that sometimes you have people over your head that are requiring you to ask certain questions. They’ll be like, ‘Oh, well, that didn’t make me feel good.’ Well, you don’t have a producer in your ear saying you need to ask this really intense question, and your job is on the line. It can be hard at times.
I’m a big proponent of the idea that every assignment is a just a lesson for the next one. Almost every interview I’ve ever done has been built on the experience I got from the previous one. How are you bringing your own extensive experience to this new format?
What’s been really great is that we filmed a lot of episodes already. So far, we have about 13 30-minute episodes all ready. That’s where we’re at right now. We’re going to pick up cameras shortly and continue on, and then it’ll be more of a rollout from there. But the idea of even just understanding booking for a show like this… that’s something that I came into the red carpet space and I really wanted to understand. ‘Okay, well, how do I take this connection and how do I foster it further? What do I do when I run into somebody that I really hit it off?’ This show is a perfect place to foster them further.
I will always use Gary Anthony Williams as my example. Him and I get along very well. I’ve interviewed him multiple times. When he came on the show, I think that was the fourth time that I’ve interviewed him. Any interview that I’ve ever done with him was not like the one before it. This most recent one was my favorite because it was on the show and it was the funniest one yet. It was hardly an interview… I don’t even know if we asked a question [Laughter].
It’s all about understanding how you can foster a connection with talent and bring that forward into the experience. I mean, I did basically all of the booking for the show, and I really enjoy doing that. I think that that’s one of the ways that I really brought my experience and the education that I’ve accrued out in the field into the studio. I’m very happy and very proud to say that that I can book my own talent. I think that’s a really fun skill. I’m very happy about that. It’s been very rewarding.
This really is one of the best elements of this career path. Interviews are fun! What are the little things that make you the happiest during an interview?
When [the person you’re interviewing] validates your question. That feels great. Sometimes people do things you’ll never forget. I’ll tell the story until the day I die. When I interviewed Larry the Cable Guy, he was promoting the Cars series on Disney+. He picked up his little Mater truck while we were on Zoom, and he did the voice and said my name. I was like, ‘I’m done. I don’t even need to ask any questions. This just validated my life.’ [Laughter]. I’m from Virginia. This is like their second Jesus. They love him there. I sent that to all of my friends and family. I was like, ‘Look at this!’ It can be very validating.
What has been the biggest surprise of this experience?
What’s been interesting about the whole process and what has surprised me in a very pleasant way is that there really haven’t been any trials and tribulations. My executive producer Eric Wheelwright is amazing. He is so on it, and he’s also the director. He’s literally a dream to work with. I love him. I talk to him every day. We will have calls, and it’s half a meeting and half a life lesson. He’s my mentor. He’s great. Even as far as the whole process in and of itself, it’s been ultimately just very surreal.
It’s been honestly amazing. Working with red carpets and working freelance with various outlets and you’re doing all of all of this work, you become very self-sufficient… when you come into a process such as this one, you’re articulating visions and goals and a dream at the end of the day. The way Eric helped take that and elevate it. It is incredible; it’s a gift in and of itself. I think the whole process has been amazing. It’s a dream come true. I’m flabbergasted, which is a word we all need to use more often.
Are there any guests you can tease?
We have a large variety of amazing guests on the show, and this was intentional. I knew the line-up, obviously, but even in post-production, I was like, dang, I really love this lineup [Laughter]. I loved it when we were filming. The variety is amazing. We have a gentleman on the show who found God and became an author and songwriter. His interview was very long, and it was so intense. I’m so glad I got to sit down and speak with him. His name is Tyrone. I love Tyrone. We have Jessica Morris, who is like a lifetime legend. We have Lainey Kazan, who’s amazing and has been around for decades.
We have influencers on the show, as well as content creators. A big part of this show is that I really want to remove the stigma that surrounds the idea of content creators. I’m very passionate about the idea that content creators work extremely hard, and they deserve credit too. There’s a climate that exists that doesn’t give them credit. Content creators are a one-stop shop people.
They are overhead production, content control, you don’t know how many times they’re editing or changing or submitting videos. They work hard. So I really want just to continue to bring various guests in and show all of the ramifications of what’s going on in today’s society. I want to be able to build out a variety of conversations for the younger generation. I think there’s something for everybody in every episode that we’ve shot and continue to shoot.
The Hannah Fletcher Show will be available to streamin on Tubi on March 13
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