Unlikely duo to debut YouTube talk show

There’s no such thing as a subject too banal for the Laura and Lowell Show. 

Lowell Gallin, an Israeli actor, and Laura Leadbetter, a drama therapist living in Riverdale, say they can coax interesting tidbits out of just about anyone for their online TV talk show, which is just weeks away from its debut and will feature interviews with New Yorkers from all walks of life.  

“It has to be real. We want to talk about real issues, real problems, real successes … I don’t believe in editing. I like it raw,” said Mr. Gallin. “We’ll go into a manicure place — Laura gets a manicure. We’ll go into a studio and read lines with the actors. We’ll go into a barber shop — I’ll get a haircut.”

They will film onsite from New Yorkers’ homes, restaurants, favorite parks and street corners, they say.

Mr. Gallin and Ms. Leadbetter will then upload unedited footage to the Laura and Lowell Show YouTube channel, which has amassed nearly 3,000 views, most likely because Mr. Gallin has a similar-style TV talk show in Israel.

Mr. Gallin and Ms. Leadbetter intend to produce and publish a couple of episodes each week. They have solicited one sponsor and hope to collect enough for a $104,000 budget. 

The partnership may seem unlikely. Ms. Leadbetter, 49, is a retired cowgirl who was raised by circus families and put herself through college after her mother died in a rodeo accident. Mr. Gallin, 57, spent years organizing educational lectures in Israel after stints as a reporter, a radio producer and in public relations. 

And he’s the more eccentric of the two. When not working on the show and busy with The Root and Branch Association, which he founded to promote cooperation between Israel and other nations, Mr. Gallin keeps busy with bodybuilding, gymnastics, tree climbing, fitness modeling, writing and cartoon drawing.