Netflix passed, then came crawling back - Joe DeRosa

After more than two decades in comedy, Joe DeRosa spent three years making “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden.” Netflix, Hulu and HBO passed. He released it himself on a new YouTube channel with almost no audience, took it through the comedy podcast circuit and watched the views climb. Eight months later, Netflix called back and licensed the same special it had rejected. Joe tells Luke Girgis what happened when his role on the CBS sitcom “Living Biblically” disappeared two weeks before production, why “Taste Buds” changed his financial life and how writing for “Tires” led to a recurring role. He also talks about becoming a frequent “Kill Tony” guest, rebuilding after COVID and why artists need to make demand visible instead of waiting for permission. This is a conversation about rejection, ownership and what changes when the numbers become impossible to ignore. Watch “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXQR_eqfFUg