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‘Quiz Show’ With Bill Simmons and Brian Koppelman

October 21, 2025 · Quiz Show (1994) · Biography · Drama · History · 1:36:23

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 35:33Multiple scenes including Stemple's first scene, Herbie's dead scene, Van Doren interview, Totoro flipping out, Van Doren beating Stemple, the montage, and Charlie versus dad
Brian Koppelman▶ 35:49Discusses Rob Morrow buying the Chrysler scene and mentions having another argument for most rewatchable scene but doesn't specify it

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 40:05The chocolate cake, unless you want to give it to Geritol

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:01:41If this movie comes out one year later, it wins best film and best director
Brian Koppelman▶ 59:55Rob Morrow should have become one of the world's biggest movie stars after this movie

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:22William Baldwin — Discusses Redford winning role, William Baldwin considered for Van Doren, Paul Newman turning down Mark Van Doren role, Levinson originally attached as director, Soderbergh allegedly with Tim Robbins as Charles Van Doren
Brian Koppelman▶ 1:02:57Paul Newman — Agrees Paul Newman would have been perfect for Mark Van Doren role ('it's a Paul Newman role, even the Connecticut of it all'), confirms Soderbergh directing would have been incredible but uncertain about Tim Robbins part

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:50Ralph Fiennes — Redford directing: Ordinary People over A River Runs Through It; Ralph Fiennes: around Quiz Show/English Patient timeframe when he had the most juice; Chris McDonald: Happy Gilmore; Quiz show movies: yes, this is apex; Rob Morrow: no, was 1992 hosting SNL with Nirvana
Brian Koppelman▶ 1:15:46Robert Redford — Redford directing: prefers A River Runs Through It but acknowledges Ordinary People won Best Picture; Ralph Fiennes: Amon Goeth in Schindler's List is his high point performance

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:24:01Discussed how quiz shows evolved from educational content to pure money-focused entertainment, and noted historical inaccuracies like the Reuben sandwich question and lack of cigarette smoking depicted for the 1950s era
Brian Koppelman▶ 1:23:23Contestants had side deals and really got appearance fees (like 25K-35K) rather than the full prize money shown, which was fictional

Teddy KGB Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:26:09John Turturro — Herb Stemple

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:26:43Paul Attanasio — Screenplay by Paula Tanassio
Brian Koppelman▶ 1:26:46Paul Attanasio — Screenplay by Paula Tanassio (agrees), with Schofield as number two choice

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:26:54What was Geritol? (already answered - apparently made blood stronger, for fatigue, basically a caffeine pill)
Brian Koppelman▶ 1:27:04What would Charles Van Doren's life have been like if he never went on that game show?

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:28:43Speculation in our society has a way of becoming fact
Brian Koppelman▶ 1:28:48Not till you have a kid of your own

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:28:58Donnie Brasco — Suggested both Brasco and The English Patient as potential double feature pairings
Brian Koppelman▶ 1:29:05Donnie Brasco — Brasco (because of the Maddox thing)

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:29:13Robert Redford — Redford - this was the last really cool thing he directed and marked the end of his 1990s renaissance
Brian Koppelman▶ 1:31:39Paul Attanasio — Paul Attanasio the screenwriter - praised him as one of the titans of screenwriting who should be more famous, comparing him to Goldman and calling him underrated

Movies Referenced (39)

Pulp Fiction (1994)

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Brian Koppelman▶ 3:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Forrest Gump (1994)

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Brian Koppelman▶ 3:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Lighthouse (2019)

5 mentions · Brian Koppelman▶ 30:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Firm (1993)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:21:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A House of Dynamite (2025)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 35:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dazed and Confused (1993)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:13:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Donnie Brasco (1997)

2 mentions · Brian Koppelman▶ 8:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Goodfellas (1990)

2 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons▶ 1:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ordinary People (1980)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 16:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rain Man (1988)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A River Runs Through It (1992)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 16:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Almost Famous (2000)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 2:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (7)

Barry Levinson

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Brian Koppelman · Known for Rain Man, Wag the Dog▶ 23:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David O. Russell

6 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons · Known for American Hustle, Three Kings, Silver Linings Playbook▶ 4:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Steven Soderbergh

3 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons · Known for Traffic▶ 1:03:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Curtis Hanson

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for L.A. Confidential, In Her Shoes, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle▶ 1:22:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Douglas McGrath

2 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons · Known for Bullets Over Broadway▶ 23:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Kennedy

2 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons▶ 5:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mel Gibson

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Braveheart, Conspiracy Theory▶ 1:01:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (55)

Robert Redford

31 mentions · Bill Simmons, Brian Koppelman · Known for The Natural, Ordinary People, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid▶ 1:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rob Morrow

23 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons · Known for Quiz Show▶ 4:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Hanks

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Brian Koppelman · Known for Cast Away, Big, Forrest Gump▶ 48:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Hank Azaria

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Brian Koppelman▶ 22:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ralph Fiennes

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Brian Koppelman · Known for The Constant Gardener, Schindler's List, The Grand Budapest Hotel▶ 13:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jack Barry

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Brian Koppelman▶ 57:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jennifer Aniston

5 mentions · Brian Koppelman · Known for We're the Millers▶ 52:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mira Sorvino

5 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons · Known for Mighty Aphrodite, The Replacement Killers▶ 10:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Newman

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Brian Koppelman · Known for Road to Perdition, The Verdict▶ 1:02:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert De Niro

4 mentions · Brian Koppelman, Bill Simmons · Known for Cape Fear, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver▶ 11:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tim Robbins

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Brian Koppelman · Known for Mystic River, The Player, Howard the Duck▶ 1:03:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Christopher McDonald

3 mentions · Brian Koppelman · Known for Quiz Show, Happy Gilmore▶ 22:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (5)

Roger Ebert

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 33:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brian Koppelman

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Runaway Jury, Runner Runner, Michael Clayton▶ 53:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Frank Darabont

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, The Mist▶ 32:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Scott Frank

1 mentions · Brian Koppelman · Known for Logan, Out of Sight▶ 1:32:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tony Gilroy

1 mentions · Brian Koppelman · Known for Michael Clayton, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story▶ 1:32:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗