Episode 110: Alan Eisenstock

" Did I do that? " Yes, in fact, he did. After a successful career as a writer on hit sitcoms like "Mork and Mindy," "The Nanny," and "Married with Children," podcast guest Alan Eisenstock managed to step from television writing rooms and reinvent himself as one of the publishing industry's most sought-after collaborators. His most recent books include New York Times best-selling memoir Life's Too Short , written with Darius Rucker; Hang Time: My Life in Basketball , with NBA legend Elgin Baylor; the crime novel Flipping Boxcars , with Cedric the Entertainer; and the just-published memoir Arsenio , with comedian and pioneering talk show host Arsenio Hall—an immediate New York Times best-seller. "It was great, it was lucrative," he writes of his television career, which included a memorable turn behind the scenes of the ABC sitcom "Family Ties," where he came up with one of the most famous catch-phrases in television history—delivered in almost every episode by the show's breakout character Urkel, played by Jaleel White. "But I longed to return to my first love, writing prose, seeing my words in print, full-time." Join us for a conversation on what it takes for a writer to leap from the top of the Nielsen ratings to the New Releases table at the local bookstore, and to give enduring voice to some of our leading artists, athletes, newsmakers, and influencers. Learn more about Alan Eisenstock: Website Raiders: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made Please support the sponsors who support our show: Gotham Ghostwriters' Gathering of the Ghosts Ritani Jewelers Daniel Paisner's Balloon Dog Daniel Paisner's SHOW: The Making and Unmaking of a Network Television Pilot Heaven Help Us by John Kasich Unforgiving: Lessons from the Fall by Lindsey Jacobellis Film Movement Plus (PODCAST) | 30% discount Libro.fm (ASTOLDTO) | 2 audiobooks for the price of 1 when you start your membership Film Freaks Forever! podcast, hosted by Mark Jordan Legan and Phoef Sutton Everyday Shakespeare podcast A Mighty Blaze podcast The Writer's Bone Podcast Network Misfits Market (WRITERSBONE) | $15 off your first order Film Movement Plus (PODCAST) | 30% discount Wizard Pins (WRITERSBONE) | 20% discount

You can listen to Episode 110: Alan Eisenstock online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Episode 110: Alan Eisenstock is an episode from As Told To by Daniel Paisner.

This episode is 01:05:21 long.

This episode was published on Apr 21, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from As Told To when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.