Production note The episode says the movie was written in 1993 and went through many drafts before reality TV fully exploded.
Production note Peter Weir reportedly spent about a year storyboarding before making the film.
Production note The film earned three Oscar nominations: Ed Harris, Peter Weir, and the screenplay.
Production note The movie made about $264 million on a $60 million budget.
Production note Rob Silverman is credited with the poster art, which they admire a lot.
Production note Laura Linney studied 1950s Sears catalogs for her poses.
Production note A 'Truman syndrome' term is mentioned for people who think their lives are reality TV shows.
Production note The original script was reportedly set in Manhattan and much darker.
Production note Shooting took place in Seaside, Florida, a master-planned community.
Production note Carrie improvised some lines, including 'true mania.'
Jury Duty Used as a modern Truman Show analogue with everyone in on the joke except one person.
Windy City Heat Cited as an earlier prank-style project with the same 'one person doesn't know' structure.
The Real World Used as an early reality-TV precedent in the larger cultural arc.
Survivor Mentioned as a later reality show that helps contextualize the movie's prescience.
Big Brother Another later reality show used to frame the film's prediction of the genre.
The Challenge Mentioned as part of the reality-TV lineage the film anticipated.
Ed TV Referenced as the contemporaneous competing premise movie.
7 Up Referenced as a documentary-like life-tracking comparison.
The Matrix Suggested as a double-feature pairing.
Gattaca Suggested as a more natural double-feature pairing because Andrew Niccol wrote both films.
The Game Offered as another double feature for paranoia and manipulation themes.
Hot Fuzz Used to explain Edgar Wright's action-comedy instincts in relation to Running Man talk.
Top Gun: Maverick Discussed as a major career milestone and a delayed release story.
Twisters Used as another example of Glen revisiting a beloved movie world.
Runaway movie year 1998 slate The hosts list many 1998 releases to argue it was an exceptionally strong year.
