Blocks w/ Neal Brennan Podcast By Neal Brennan cover art

Blocks w/ Neal Brennan

Blocks w/ Neal Brennan

By: Neal Brennan
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 Based on his Netflix comedy special, "Blocks." Neal Brennan interviews friends and colleagues about the things that make them feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how they are persevering despite these blocks.Neal Brennan Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Stephen Merchant

    Stephen Merchant
    Jun 12 2025
    Neal Brennan interviews Stephen Merchant (‘The Office,’ ‘Extras,’ ‘An Idiot Abroad,’ ‘Life’s Too Short,’ ‘Hello, Ladies’ and more) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks. ---------------------------------------------------------- 00:00 Intro 1:33 Origin story 3:07 Ricky Gervais 7:49 Origins of the Office 10:56 Ambition in the UK vs. US 14:22 The Office First Season 17:11 Success 18:24 Christmas Specials 21:35 Sponsor: Mando 23:55 Sponsor: BetterHelp 25:52 American version of The Office 28:08 Secret sauce of his relationship with Ricky 34:42 American adaptation 39:12 Current roles and goals 48:08 Sponsor: Harrys 49:56 Tall 58:30 Comedy persona vs. who he really is 1:05:30 Ambition 1:07:00 Relationships 1:09:06 How Success Impacted Him 1:15:40 Stephen Imparts Wisdom ---------------------------------------------------------- Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan https://twitter.com/nealbrennan https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557 Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234 Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased). Edited by Will Hagle (wthagle@gmail.com) Sponsors: Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @shop.mando and get 20% off + free shipping with promo code [NEAL] at https://www.shopmando.com !#mandopod This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/neal and get on your way to being your best self. Get the shaving products that always deliver. Visit https://www.harrys.com/NEAL for a $5 Trial Set. Sponsor Blocks: https://public.liveread.io/media-kit/blocks ---------------------------------------------------------- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 19 mins
  • Josh Groban

    Josh Groban
    May 29 2025
    Neal Brennan interviews Josh Groban (multi-platinum musician) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks. ---------------------------------------------------------- 00:00 Intro 2:07 Getting discovered 6:34 Early singing career 15:21 Singing with Celine Dion at the Grammys 20:11 Reaction to success 21:37 Insecurity 34:07 TV Special 35:04 You Raise Me Up 38:55 Loneliness from Being Uncategorizable 46:56 Building Walls 53:51 Sponsor: Tushy 55:44 Sponsor: Square 57:21 The Show Must Go On 1:00:56 Work Life Balance 1:02:57 Stage Fright 1:09:55 Hobbies 1:10:30 Talented Introvert 1:14:11 Depression 1:15:55 Self-Acceptance ---------------------------------------------------------- Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan https://twitter.com/nealbrennan https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557 Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234 Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased). Edited by Will Hagle (wthagle@gmail.com) Sponsors: Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @shop.mando and get $5 off off your Starter Pack (that’s over 40% off) with promo code [NEAL] at https://www.shopmando.com! #mandopod This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/neal and get on your way to being your best self. Over 2 Million Butts Love TUSHY. Get 10% off TUSHY with the code [NEAL] at https://www.hellotushy.com/NEAL Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at https://www.square.com/go/NEAL! #squarepod Sponsor Blocks: https://public.liveread.io/media-kit/blocks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 19 mins
  • Tom Green

    Tom Green
    May 15 2025
    Neal Brennan interviews Tom Green (The Tom Green Show, Freddy Got Fingered, This Is The Tom Green Documentary) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks. ---------------------------------------------------------- 00:00 Intro 00:33 Testicular Cancer 3:44 White Rapper 4:59 DIY roots 6:18 Norm Macdonald & Letterman 9:44 Experiencing sudden fame 15:05 Hosting SNL 19:08 Sponsor: Harrys 21:10 Sponsor: BetterHelp 23:13 Early adoption of creative technology 26:45 Negative reaction to fame 30:05 Shell shocked by fame 32:10 Downside of sudden fame 35:45 Relationship with Drew Barrymore 37:07 Anxiety 41:16 Testicular cancer 48:41 Difficulty of public relationship 51:39 Sponsor: RocketMoney 53:10 Moving back to Canada 1:03:29 Positive Thoughts 1:06:30 Procrastination & Indecision 1:15:26 Keeping the Dream Alive 1:17:05 How His Relationship with Himself has changed ---------------------------------------------------------- Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan https://twitter.com/nealbrennan https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557 Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234 Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased). Edited by Will Hagle (wthagle@gmail.com) Sponsors: An exclusive offer for our listeners -- Get a $10 trial set for just $5 at https://www.harrys.com/NEAL This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/neal and get on your way to being your best self. Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster with Rocket Money. Go to https://www.RocketMoney.com/NEAL today. Sponsor Blocks: https://public.liveread.io/media-kit/blocks ---------------------------------------------------------- #podcast #comedy #mentalhealth #standup Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 28 mins
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This was an excellent listen and one of the best interviews I have ever experienced. Neal and Pete had a phenomenal connection and the energy was palpable. I am better mentally for having listened to this and I am very grateful. Thank you Neal and thank you Pete.

FANTASTIC

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Big fan of Neal, he does a great job interviewing his friends and bringing them to surprisingly emotional places. It's like listening to someone else's therapy sessions.

Great Interviews with Emotional Depth

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The Brenaissance man maintains a comic essence that he's perfected in a way that you don't see with regular people in other podcasts. I'm agnostic-ish but mostly athiest, and now I'm side-eyeing that kokopelli pipe he's smoking (𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐡𝐮𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐚), because he was in a similar situation with god, but not "God" god. No shade, though! Maybe some shade, actually (muscle memory catholic sign of the cross, chain kiss, sky point). Neal's story, which he shares openly in his special, is the only creator-related story I've given some thought since the big No Santa in '88, and my mute years that followed.

He's just ahead of the game by a decade or something. He's my hero, and I'm not even into comedy/jokes etc.

The point of the show, to me, is to give audiences, guests, and sweet Dr. Neal a chance to get as deep or dark as they want, without judgement. I doubt that dumb people aren't into this shit, so the comments probably aren't as toxic, but only a liiiitttle less usual. That's why you gotta join the army, bro. if you are into visuals, one can watch it on a popular video platform, Or Audible! You're already here, stranger!

Now, if there's a guest who ends up being kind of a dud, this podcast is a safe space that person to roll up their sleeves and share some of the shit that's hit the fan in the past, or maybe the fan isn't on and they're too scared to turn the fan on and spray the shit everywhere, so they can stay cool and clean up the shit. Stay with me. The dud guests are there to face the blocks that causing them to be 'more dudley. ..So it never hits that awkward cringe egg fart silence! I personally live for that stuff, but I'm trying to say that there's a tone you can count on if you leave it on for an entire workday without feeling gross.

if you fw youtube, find his older podcast, 'how feel neal', because it;s somehow better with video. Ahem.

Blocks w/ Neal Brennan is Big City Vulnerability Porn for tortured, jaded consumers like me (and you, soon). It's a weird time in history, so it's addictive, and ok to binge without feeling buttery,because we all grow and shit.

There was, in my opinion, a dud guest on very recently. Things never got 90s Spears/Sawyer weird because Neal exorcised any demons as the whites of their were starting to show. It was like, "Who you gonna call?"

Neal keeps the pace, and I'm mentioning all of it because the show wouldn't work with any other person I can name without literally having a brainstorm session when I'm not as high. He's definitely the comedian/therapist/writer's Rogan, and POLITICS? (eagle cry in distance... not quite cliche yet) are nowhere to be seen. He's the coolest white guy we got, folks. Kid Rock has been dethroned, and with Chris Rock having ruled the other side for decade, we may finally be stuck between a Rock and a... nm.

Neal keeps the everybody on track, like a dungeon master for the soul. Start from the beginning.

Neal's a genius, sharp as a tack, Give it a shot.

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