The Richard Crouse Show Podcast

JESS GIBSON + NICK FRADIANI

On the Saturday May 16, 2026 edition of The Richard Crouse Show we’ll meet Jess Gibson. She is a Canadian-born writer (daughter of Margaret Atwood and the late Graeme Gibson), art historian with a Yale PhD, who has lived all over the world. Her first book "The Good Eye" is already generating buzz as a sharp, original, and "bewitching" debut. The stories explore themes like perception vs. reality, the limits of what we "see," betrayal, revenge, and everyday life tilting into the strange or magical. Then, we get to know Nick Fradiani. He rose to national fame in 2015 as the winner of Season 14 of American Idol. His debut album Hurricane featured the hit single “Beautiful Life,” and he has since built a thriving independent career with albums like Past My Past, multiple tours, and heartfelt original music. He is currently bringing Neil Diamond to life in A Beautiful Noise – The Neil Diamond Musical, now playing at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto until June 7. See Mirvish.com for more details.

JASMEET RAINA + SHAMIER ANDERSON + NICHOLAS BRAUN

On the Saturday May 9, 2026 edition of The Richard Crouse Show we meet YouTuber, actor, screenwriter, comedian, and musician Jasmeet Raina. His series “Late Bloomer,” a dramedy about a millennial Sikh content creator balancing online ambitions, family expectations, community pressures, and personal growth, is in its third season on Crave right now. Critics call it funny, heartfelt, and eye-opening. He rose to fame in the late 2000s/early 2010s on YouTube with sharp, satirical sketches about growing up in a Punjabi immigrant family in Guelph, Ontario. His irreverent humor on culture, family, and identity earned him millions of views and a loyal following but he stepped back from YouTube around 2018, to created, write, produce, and star in the semi-autobiographical “Late Bloomer.” Then, we’ll meet actor Shamier Anderson. He’s best known for roles like Deputy Marshal Xavier Dolls in Wynonna Earp, Trevante Cole in Invasion (Apple TV+), and the memorable Mr. Nobody / The Tracker in John Wick: Chapter 4. He’s also involved in initiatives supporting Black Canadian talent, like co-founding awards and events with his brother, actor Stephan James. Today we’re talking about how he made the switch from law enforcement to acting, studying kung fu and his latest role, playing controversial Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson. “Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story” is a satirical comedy miniseries for Paramount+ and GameTV that focuses on Johnson’s 1988 Seoul Olympics 100m gold medal win (and world record), the subsequent doping scandal that stripped him of it, and a “definitely-not-biased” retelling that explores the legacy, the pressure, and perhaps the bigger picture of athletics in that era. Finally, we spend some time with Nicholas Braun. You’ve seen him in supporting roles in films like “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” “How to Be Single” and “Zola,” although the  6'7" actor is best known as the awkward, ambitious Cousin Greg Hirsch on Crave’s “Succession,” a role that earned him three Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. Today, we’re talking about his latest project, “The Sheep Detectives,” a new, all-star whodunnit comedy now playing in theatres, about a flock of sheep attempt to solve a murder mystery. You heard me right. This bizarre but crowd-pleasing murder mystery for the whole family that could have been titled “CSI: Livestock.” Murder, talking sheep and philosophy intertwine to create echoes of “Babe: A Pig in the City” and “Old Yeller.” Nicolas Braun plays Tim, the only, and rather clumsy, police officer in a small town, who investigates the murder of the local shepherd played by Hugh Jackman, as a flock of crime-solving sheep try to crack the case first.

NICK MANNA + JAY FRANCO + THE ROADHAMMERS

On the Saturday May 2, 2026 edition of The Richard Crouse Show we’ll meet Jay Franco, the author of the Star Wars tie-in book “Star Wars: Be More Boba Fett.” As every Star Wars fan knows, bounty hunter Boba Fett was selected by Empire magazine as the 79th greatest movie character of all time, and is included on Fandomania's list of The 100 Greatest Fictional Characters. IGN ranked Boba Fett as the eighth top Star Wars character, due to his fan-favourite status. Boba Fett is also the favourite Star Wars character of my guest Jay Franco. Drawing inspiration from the bounty hunter to offer advice on embracing a freelance, entrepreneurial lifestyle, adaptability, getting the job done no matter what, and being your own boss all while weaving in Star Wars lore and humor. Then, we’ll meet New York Actor/Singer Nick Manna. On and off Broadway you may have seen him in Shrek The Musical, Avenue Q or as Ben Franklin in 1776. Today we’ll talk about his career and touring in the lead role of Dog Man in Dog Man: The Musical, a family-friendly stage adaptation of Dav Pilkey's popular book series playing at the CAA Theatre in Toronto from May 6 to June 14. Check Mirvish.com for more details.

TOM HOWE + RICK MOFINA

On the Saturday April 18, 2026 edition of The Richard Crouse Show we’ll meet USA TODAY, Globe and Mail, and Toronto Star bestselling author Rick Mofina. He’s the author of more than thirty crime fiction thrillers that have been published in nearly thirty countries. A former journalist, he has interviewed murderers on death row, flown over Los Angeles with the LAPD and patrolled with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police near the Arctic. He is a two-time winner of the Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence, and a multiple finalist for the International Thriller Writers Awards and the Shamus Award, presented by the Private Eye Writers of America. Library Journal calls him "one of the best thriller writers in the business." His latest novel, “One Second Away” is a high-octane global thriller that begins with a parent’s desperate search and rapidly escalates into an international investigation involving the FBI, uncovering a far-reaching web of secrets and lies. Set across multiple cities, the story delivers relentless suspense while exploring the emotional fallout of life-altering decisions made in an instant. Then, we’ll meet Tom Howe, the British-born (now LA-based) film and TV composer known for his versatile work across dramatic scores, animations, documentaries, and feel-good series. He's scored over 100 projects, including major highlights like Ted Lasso, Shrinking, The Great British Bake Off and many more. We talk music and Ted Lasso with Tom.

ELYSE AERYN + MATT JOHSNON + JAY MCCARROL

On the Saturday April 25, 2026 we’ll meet we’ll meet Elyse Aeryn, a roots-rock singer-songwriter from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. She spent nearly a decade in the pulp and paper industry—then, in her late 20s, walked away to chase the music that’s always burned inside her. Her roots-rock sound fuses Stevie Nicks-inspired soul, with some Alanis, and memorable melodies. Her 2023 debut Joy State of Mind put her on the map with nominations and awards, and now, after overcoming a devastating motorcycle crash in 2025, she’s back. Her sophomore album Everybody Loves You… is10 tracks of bold, emotionally resonant rock that features radio-toppers like ‘Unstoppable.’ Then, Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol of “Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie.” The movie, which blends footage from the 2007–2009 web series of the same name, begins with unemployed musicians Matt and Jay (Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol) hatching a plan to land a gig at the legendary Rivoli on Queen Street West in Toronto. Without contacting the club, writing any songs or practising, they decide to parachute off the CN Tower into the Skydome during a baseball game to announce the show in front of a stunned crowd. What could go wrong? Well, lots. No spoilers here, but when their skydiving stunt doesn’t get them the Rivoli gig, they (along with their camera guy Jared Raab) find themselves accidentally traveling back to the year 2008, and struggling to find a way back to the future.