'Anytime With Bob Kushell' Star Takes Us Inside the Garage

“What’s most important is not the hits, it’s the quality of product and that’s what they’re trying to do at Crackle is create a situation where they have really quality product that attracts people. They’re very happy with what we’re doing and we hope we can continue,” said Bob Kushell

, star of the popular web talk show Anytime with Bob Kushell when I sat down with him in his garage sound stage in Van Nuys.

It’s a super cool setup—they’ve literally built a talk show set in the garage, along side the Windex and the power tools is full television style talk show set with a curtain and everything. We went to check out a taping they did with Alex Trebek which you will see in a few weeks on Crackle.

The show is hosted by the oddly handsome and extremely talented Los Angeles native Bob Kushell. How often do you meet one of those these days? Bob went to El Camino Real High School in the Valley and then UC Irvine “The Harvard of the West” as he says with all the charm of your favorite a late night talk show host. “I grew up wanting to write comedy for television.” And he did.

Kushell has written for shows like Dream On, The Simpsons, Third Rock From the Sun, Grounded for Life,  Malcolm In The Middle and is currently a staff writer on Samantha Who. When the writers strike rolled around he created two strike videos that got him some on camera attention. Turns out Kushell, who has spent his life behind the scenes isn’t half bad in front of the camera. Kind of charming in fact.

After his strike videos hit the internet, Kushell tells us, “my agent Marc Gordon suggested I have my own talk show online.” The pair pitched around some ideas and eventually came up with the Anytime 5-minute talk show concept. If you’re looking for quirkiness of Between Two Ferns, you’re not going to get that. However, you will see a funny bit followed by a funny and sometimes awkward interview with a high profile celebrity guest, like Christina Applegate, John Stamos, Neil Patrick Harris, Kat Von D and many other people you would normally have to turn on your television to see.

“That’s like a dream come true,” says Kushell who feels that hosting an internet talk show is a garage is his true calling in life, and when you watch the show, you can’t disagree.

“It’s evolving, and I know at the beginning I had never interviewed anyone in my life and the learning curve has been quick. I came in very pre-planned in the beginning and it wasn’t until my brother-in-law and creative inspiration on the show Russ said basically all you really have to do is listen.” And that really made a huge difference in the show.

So, Kushell does a lot of listening these days, and when you watch the show you can’t help but get the feeling that this little internet talk show should be on TV. That wasn’t and isn’t the plan as of now, but you never know.

You can also find Bob on Facebook with the group Anytime With Bob Kushell and see new episodes of the show every Thursday on Crackle.com.