Pat Postiglione: Becoming a TV Personality
Are you a producer? Or do you see yourself as on-camera talent? Either way, it’s important to realize the challenges and realities of becoming a TV personality. Pat Postiglione is in the throws of that journey right now. He’s the star and host of the new Investigation Discovery series Deadly Recall – something he still can’t believe. Pat never even considered working in television during his 25+ years as a homicide detective in Nashville. Now, he’s appearing on shows like Dr. Oz, popping up in media everywhere, and carrying a highly rated new TV series for a top cable network. What’s it like? How has life changed? What should producers know when working with first-time talent? And what should potential on-camera talent know about what it’s really like to step into the spotlight? Today, we explore it all in an in-depth conversation, and give behind-the-scenes info to help you in your career…whether you’re a producer or on-camera talent. Pat Postiglione Never Chased Television In past episodes, there’s one thing we’ve always preched. TV shows built around real people require great unscripted characters whose primary goal is NOT television, but rather is working at a high level in their field. In other words, some of the best unscripted television characters are real people who care more about their job or mission in life than they do about stardom. That is Pat Postiglione in a nutshell. For over two decades he helped solve hundreds of homicides in Nashville. Known for his photographic memory (which, by the way, was the second hook of Deadly Recall) Pat never forgot one clue, never forgot one grieving family member who needed his help. Deadly Recall – A Long Time In The Making As Pat discusses today, getting the series on air was a long journey. Not only in the time it took to go from pitch tape to TV series, but even after the series was ordered. The show was first hinted at in the Joke Productions RealScreen Article all the way back in July of 2018 (where we couldn’t yet say what the show was). So you can see that even once we knew we had a series, it was a long trek to air. Now, you can catch Deadly Recall on Investigation Discovery Wednesday nights at 10pm, or anytime on the Investigation Discovery IDGo app. Today we’re having an honest conversation with Pat Postiglione, and he’s an open book. Pat shares the entire journey from homicide detective to TV personality…and all the surprises in between. Just some of what we cover today: * How Pat felt about the development process before the show sold * The long journey from pitch tape to TV series * How Pat’s life has changed since Deadly Recall started airing * Handling media appearances * Stepping onto set for the first time * Dealing with crews, cameras, and the filmmaking process * What was important to Pat when it came to making this series * Dealing with the pressure of carrying a TV series * …and lots more! Hit that giant PLAY button above to listen now to an honest conversation about the unscripted TV business, stardom, and what you need to know. Helpful and Related Links Our must-listen episode on second hooks (for Deadly Recall it was Pat’s photographic memory.) Here’s a deep dive on how second hooks work.