When a washed-up podcaster and his SNL ex-wife are forced to co-host after going viral, their on-air chemistry reignites both their careers and old wounds.
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TRENDING lives at the intersection of sharp comedy and raw emotional truth. Here's the DNA.
The tone
The emotional grounding
The interpersonal tension
The kinetic energy
TRENDING isn’t just a show about social media — it’s a mirror held up to the way we perform our lives online.
Kristian Harloff & Martinique Paratore
Creators & Executive Producers
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“I cried several times and I laughed a ton. That's when I knew we had to make this.”
— Kristian Harloff, Creator & Host
“When it comes to podcast culture and going viral, there's no six degrees of separation. It's one degree. Everybody knows.”
Martinique Paratore
Writer & Co-Creator
Creators & Executive Producers
The driving forces behind TRENDING — built from a decade of entertainment experience and a shared obsession with how we perform online.
“TRENDING has the kind of chemistry you can't fake—sharp, messy, and deeply human.”
Andrew Fried
Executive Producer
TRENDING
written by
Kristian Harloff & Martinique Paratore
INT. DANNY'S BEDROOM - WEST HOLLYWOOD - MORNING (2025)
A once-cool Hollywood party house, long past its prime. Sunlight cuts through dusty blinds, catching framed posters of DANNY LYONS in his 2007 stand-up glory days.
Danny (late 40s) sprawls across the bed, auditioning for rock bottom. His phone alarm blares:
MUSIC CUE: “Mic Checka” by Das EFX
He groans himself up and grabs deodorant from the messy nightstand. A worn photo booth strip of him and KELLY EVANS, making funny faces in 2007, hides in the clutter.
QUICK CUTS: Swipes deodorant. Brushes teeth. Black T-shirt. Faded jeans. Sneakers. Waffle pops out of toaster. Bite. Sunglasses. Out. Back in. Keys.
TITLE CARD: TRENDING
EXT. RON'S HOUSE - VALLEY - MOMENTS LATER
Ron's wife, RENEE (late 40s), struts out wearing a weighted walking vest with her tiny dog, as Danny's unwashed '09 white Escalade pulls up and bumps the curb. He parks crooked and confident. Then hops out, with a to-go tray of coffees.
Renee
Are you capable of parking like an adult, Danny?
Danny
It's called parking with personality.
Renee
Your personality's blocking my mailbox.
Danny
Are you saying the Emperor of the cul-de-sac gets her own mail like a commoner? Don't you make your husband do that?
Renee
It's Empress. And nice dad joke. Sure you don't want to try stand-up again?
Danny
(petting the tiny dog)
You think I'm funny, right?
Renee
She also eats garbage, so...
Danny
Nice Call of Duty vest. Did you unlock that at bonus level: hot flash?
Renee
(walking off)
It's for bone density, moron.
Danny
Whateves, Rambo.
Renee glances back, fighting a smile. She flips him off, playful, not mean.
Danny (CONT'D)
(smirking)
Hey, that's not nice. Your mother taught you better.
Renee
My mom thinks you died of an overdose.
Danny
(amused)
Sounds peaceful.
MUSIC CUE: “Wooly Bully” by Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs
He heads toward Ron's garage studio, past rusty lawn chairs and a table buried in take-out containers.
INT. RON'S BACKHOUSE GARAGE STUDIO – CONTINUOUS
A clean-ish shrine to faded glory. String lights frame old photos of Danny with famous people who don't return his calls.
MILO (40), an audio engineer with zero patience and an allergy to the sun, tweaks knobs like he's defusing a bomb.
JULES (25), caffeine-fueled Gen Z social-media chaos goblin, doomscrolls X, cursing at the algorithm.
An INTERN (18), snickers at an SNL “TMI TAMMY” clip starring 2007 KELLY EVANS (26) on his phone.
RON (50), grizzled producer and Danny's oldest friend, tightens a mic stand missing a screw. He clocks Danny with sunglasses on, mostly wrinkled. Doesn't look up.
Ron
You're late.
Danny
I got coffees.
Ron
(not looking up)
Terrific. Unless that cup writes checks, we're still broke.
Danny
Love the optimism. Who we got today? Cornelius?
Jules and Milo grab their cups. Ron ignores his, Danny drinks it. The intern begins quietly filming BTS footage. Danny turns his back to him.
Ron
Nope. Ghosted me after the Netflix Special.
Jules
(overly-excited)
But you're not gonna believe who we got instead...Zara!
Danny
Zara?! No way!
(beat)
Who the fuck is Zara?
Jules
Zara Glows. Vegan influencer with a digital cult. 5M across socials. She sneezes, it trends.
Danny
(faux inspired)
Oh hell yeah.
Jules
She's doing me a favor, so please be nice. Full sentences. And no ranking breakfast cereals by fuckability again.
Danny holds a fake smile. Jules exits. It melts.
Danny
You can't be serious.
Ron
You got a better plan? We're circling the drain, D. Vince is breathing down my neck, sponsors are hanging by a thread. They signed up for A-list guests that you've personally scared off one by one with your...what did you call it?
Danny
My charmingly unfiltered worldview.
Ron
Right. You said Timothée Chalamet looks like someone who apologizes for cumming, and Greta Gerwig makes feminism feel like homework.
Danny
She does.
Ron
And that's why we have Zara. At this point, we need anyone with a huge following who's never heard of you. Otherwise...we're done. And Renee turns this garage into an ADU for her mother with dementia who thinks I'm Guy Fieri.
Danny
So vegan Jesus has come to save us.
Ron gives him a look.
Danny (CONT'D)
If she tells me astrology's healthcare, I'm gonna shit in a bag and send it to you.
Ron
That's new.
INT. HOTEL - LA - SAME
A sterile livestream set-up. Ring lights blaze. A giant Love in the DMs movie poster looms with KELLY EVANS (45) grinning next to a generic heartthrob. Tagline: “Swipe Right for Like, Forever”
LINDSAY (50s), Kelly's fierce, funny, best friend and longtime manager, stands off-camera.
OLIVER (20), Gen Z influencer with pink hair and a pronounced vocal fry, faces Kelly in a relatable-cool-mom outfit.
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“We want every frame to feel like scrolling through the most beautiful feed you've ever seen — then slowly revealing what's underneath.”
Martinique
Director
3,113 votes
“The ensemble needs to feel like people you'd actually follow. Aspirational but deeply flawed.”
Wendy O'Brien
Casting Director
Wendy O'Brien has been working her magic. We've had incredible reads this week, and the energy in the room has been electric. The Danny and Kelly dynamic is everything we hoped for and more. More details soon for Creative Circle backers and above.
You did it. In just 9 days, we crossed the $100K milestone. As promised, ALL backers now have access to our first behind-the-scenes video: a look at the visual moodboard and production design concepts for TRENDING. Head to your dashboard to watch.
This is it. After months of writing, rewriting, and assembling the best team in the business, we're officially inviting you to be part of something special. TRENDING isn't just a show - it's a community-driven project where your voice actually matters.
We transform behind-the-scenes production moments into organic social storytelling — building audience relationships from the first day of production through release. This isn’t posting. It’s relationship-building.
TRENDING is a horror/comedy from creator-driven filmmakers, built for the social-first era. Think authentic behind-the-scenes content, community-powered marketing, and a genre hybrid that's optimized for shareability. Horror delivers the emotional spikes that drive reaction content; comedy delivers the clips and quotes that travel through group chats.
Yes. Creative Circle ($250) and above tiers get to vote on real production decisions like casting choices, scene tones, and creative direction. This isn't a token gesture — the Helix model is built on alignment. When the community is invested, creatively and financially, the film is stronger for it.
Your engagement data (page views, content interactions, sign-ups) builds the first-party audience pool that transforms distribution negotiations. Instead of a filmmaker saying 'please buy my film,' we say 'we have 50K engaged fans, 5 audience segments, and proven demand in 10 markets.' That leverage means better deals, which means the film actually reaches you.
Unlike Kickstarter, our platform lets you access exclusive gated content based on your pledge tier, vote on creative decisions, and stay connected as the project evolves. Your data stays with us from day one — not locked behind a third-party platform. The hub isn't just a funding page; it's the conversion layer for the entire social campaign.
TRENDING uses flexible funding — every dollar raised goes directly toward production. If we exceed our goal, stretch goals unlock additional content and experiences for all backers. The social-first model means every contribution also fuels the marketing engine that makes the film visible to distributors.
TRENDING is created by Kristian Harloff and Martinique Paratore, executive produced by Emmy winner Andrew Fried, with casting by Wendy O'Brien and produced by Shuli Harel. The social-first distribution strategy is powered by Helix Hubs, with Estrella Madia leading on-set content production.