Phil Hendrie, the radio host who turned the talk format on its ear by creating his own call-in characters, has been immortalized in a new video documentary.
“Hendrie,” which focuses on the comedian, actor, and voiceover talent's syndicated radio talk shows, has been picked up by Freestyle Digital Media, a division of Byron Allen's Allen Media Group/Entertainment Studios, for North American distribution. The documentary will be available on demand on all digital HD internet, cable, and satellite platforms, as well as to own on DVD, on Mar. 15.
The movie features not only Hendrie, who tells stories about his radio career and how he was able to innovate and add comedy to his send-up of the talk format, but also comedian and actor Bill Hader, actor Kevin Pollak and producer Judd Apatow, among others.
During the first run of “The Phil Hendrie Show,” which aired from 1990 to 2006 in major markets across the U.S., Hendrie acted as both a calm host and as a variety of outrageous guests such as “Bobbie Dooley,” “Larry Grover,” and “Ted Bell,” who would argue with him and the show's live callers. When Hendrie returned to radio in 2007, his Talk Radio Networks-syndicated show initially did not include his characters, until he brought them back in 2009. The on-air show ended in 2014, when he switched to an all-digital format of the weekday show, which evolved into a podcast.
“What a gift it’s been to swim around in the insane mind of Phil Hendrie these past years,” “Hendrie” filmmaker Patrick Reynolds tells Deadline.com. “He’s a one-of-a-kind creative force, and I’m still floored that I got to run around talking to people about how cool Phil Hendrie is.”
“Hendrie” co-producer Jordan Brady adds, “Hearing guys like Bill Hader and Judd Apatow speak with such reverence about Phil Hendrie is eye-opening. “For instance, when 'The Simpsons' writer Dana Gould talks about how everyone in [the] writer’s room would speak in awe about Hendrie’s show, we understand what a massive talent he is.”
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