Rob Reiner

The episode of “The Theme Machine” hosted by John Carney primarily covers the life and works of renowned actor-director Rob Reiner, who is known for his work on shows like “All in the Family” with his father Carl Reiner and films such as “Spinal Tap”, with visits from a number of people important in the life of Rob Reiner.

The episode discusses how Rob started in show business alongside his father Carl, where they both worked on various TV shows like “Batman,” “Gomer Pyle,” and “The Beverly Hillbillies.”

It also delves into how Reiner played Michael Stivik on the iconic show, “All In The Family”, highlighting its groundbreaking aspect as one of the first to feature an interracial cast.

The discussion moves on to discuss Rob’s films including “Spinal Tap,” a mockumentary that became a major genre-defining release. It also covers his other works like “Stand By Me” and “When Harry Met Sally.”

John Carney touches upon Rob Reiner’s personal struggles, such as the death of his son Nick due to addiction and how this influenced one of his films, “Being Charlie.”

The podcast also includes discussions on Reiner’s political activism and works like his podcast series “Who Killed JFK?” which examines events related to the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

Rob Reiner’s documentary film “God and Country” is also highlighted, as well as projects we may see in the future like a Spinal Tap sequel and footage from a concert at Stonehenge.

In this episode: Rob Reiner Carl Reiner Harry Shearer Cary Elwys