Shows
The Culture Show PodcastSeptember 1, 2025 - Shark Week: Wendy Benchley, "Jaws at 50," and the life of Robert ShawWendy Benchley joins The Culture Show. She is the wife of the late author Peter Benchley, who wrote the bestselling novel “Jaws.” Since the success of the book and subsequent film, Wendy Benchley has dedicated much of her life to conservation. She is an award-winning ocean advocate and scuba diver. She is cofounder of the Peter Benchley Ocean Awards. Along with Laura Bowling, Wendy Benchley is the Executive Producer of the new film “Jaws at 50: The Definitive Inside Story.” It's a National Geographic documentary produced in partnership with Amblin Documentaries and Nedland Films. To learn more go here.From the...
2025-09-0155 min
Duologue with Leslie HeaneyJAWS at 50 - feat. Wendy BenchleyIt’s hard to believe this summer marks the 50th anniversary of Jaws—the film that launched the summer blockbuster, introduced a then-unknown Steven Spielberg, and forever changed the way we look at the ocean… and for some of us, even swimming pools!Beyond the suspense, the unforgettable score, and one of the best movie lines of all time—“You’re gonna need a bigger boat”—Jaws had some unintended side effects. It fueled a global fear of sharks, spiked shark tournaments, and contributed to decades of overfishing.Today...
2025-08-0651 min
The Corner BoxJim Shooter's Secret Wars on The Corner Box - S2Ep42John and David catch up on the comics industry news—the ripple effects of Diamond’s closure, the reminiscences pouring in after the passing of Jim Shooter, how he reshaped the entire comic book industry, the success of the Secret Wars formula, and the acid-induced comics of the 1970s, and John is terrified by X-Men.David's First Super-Power Comic is Coming!Sugar Bomb launches soon!John is at PugW!Pug WorldwideTimestamp Segments[01:21] Is this it for Dynamite?[04:26] RIP Jim Shooter.[08:47] How Jim Shooter chan...
2025-07-1548 min
Marine Conservation Happy HourNational Geographic's Jaws at 50 with Wendy BenchleyDr Craken chats to ocean advocate Wendy Benchley about the new National Geographic Documentary "Jaws at 50" - telling the story of this iconic ocean movie 50 years later. She talks about how she, with her husband Peter (the author of Jaws), became shark conservation advocates after the global sucess of the movie. "Jaws at 50: the definitive inside story" premieres on July 10 on National Geographic, and the next day (July 11) on Disney+ and Hulu Contact info@absolutelysmashingllc.com for more information about sponsoring MCHH episodes Music credits By Jolly Shore Leave "Al For Me Grog (Tr...
2025-07-1113 minThe Culture Show PodcastJuly 7, 2025 - Wendy Benchley, Mandy Barnett, and Christopher Shaw MyersWe continue our coverage of “Jaws” at 50 with Wendy Benchley. She is the wife of the late author Peter Benchley, who wrote the bestselling novel “Jaws.” Since the success of the book and subsequent film, Wendy Benchley has dedicated much of her life to conservation. She is an award-winning ocean advocate and scuba diver. She is cofounder of the Peter Benchley Ocean Awards. Along with Laura Bowling, Wendy Benchley is the Executive Producer of the new film “Jaws at 50: The Definitive Inside Story.” It's a National Geographic documentary produced in partnership with Amblin Documentaries and Nedland Films. To learn more go here.
2025-07-0755 min
Who's the Bossk?Who's the Bossk? - Episode 232: Jaws @ 50 with Laurent Bouzereau and Wendy BenchleyWho's the Bossk? - Episode 232: Jaws @ 50 with Laurent Bouzereau and Wendy Benchley Date: June 24th, 2025 (interviews recorded June 18th) Listen Topics Documentary filmmaker Laurent Bouzereau (Music by John Williams) and marine conservationist / producer Wendy Benchley (wife of the late Jaws novelist Peter Benchley) both sit down for interviews with “Who’s the Bossk?" host Mike Celestino about National Geographic’s new feature-length documentary Jaws @ 50, which is coming to Nat Geo, Disney+, and Hulu very soon.
2025-06-2421 min
Rising Tide: The Ocean PodcastWhales, Waves, and Wonders: Best Ocean Voices of 2024In this end of year episode of the Rising Tide Ocean Podcast, David Helvarg presents a compilation of some of our leading ocean voices of 2024. The episode features commercial fisherman turned journalist Nick Rahaim discussing sperm whales in Alaska, artist Ray Troll sharing HIS fish-inspired art, Dr. Sarah Frias-Torres on her marine biology journey, author Shelby Van Pelt on her octopus book’s influence, Nancy Rabalais on the Gulf of Mexico's dead zone, Rear Admiral Andy Sugimoto on Coast Guard missions, Sherri Goodman on clean energy’s military advantages, Craig Foster on tracking underwater life, and Wendy Benchley on the...
2024-12-3028 min
Rising Tide: The Ocean PodcastFrom Jaws to Jubilation: The Legacy & Return of The Peter Benchley Ocean AwardsIn this episode of the Rising Tide Ocean podcast, Vicki Nichols Goldstein discusses the return of the Peter Benchley Ocean Awards with co-founder Wendy Benchley and Rising Tide co-host and co-founder David Helvarg. After a 7-year hiatus, the Peter Benchley Ocean Awards are set to return on May 8, 2025, at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, backed by the nationwide Aquarium Conservation Partnership (ACP). Their conversation covers the origins of the awards, their impact on the ocean conservation community, and the excitement surrounding their return. Wendy and David share memorable moments from past awards and highlights t...
2024-11-1829 min
Main Street MoxieEpisode 42: Moxie by Proxy: Nat Benchley on Peter BenchleySend us a textFifty years ago, a human vs. beast thriller set in a summer beach town was published and devoured by readers. That book was Jaws, a best-selling novel that spawned a blockbuster movie the following year. Between the book and the film, we were all afraid to go back in the water. Peter Benchley, an established journalist and speechwriter, was instantly catapulted to fame as an author. Getting to that point took moxie! In this Moxie by Proxy episode, we talk with Nat...
2024-07-221h 01
Elton Reads A Book A Week"F*ck the ocean" Beast by Peter BenchleyWhen I say the word “ocean”, what do you think about? For me, it's a mix of fascination and abject terror. I'd chock that up to my innate ability to sink in almost any body of water and/or liquid...and my fear of dying in it.
That and if I go in too far and can’t feel the bottom, I freak out a little. It’s because I picture all the giant man eating monsters that definitely are swimming all around and beneath me, so, I panic and move back to shallower waters. In this episode...
2023-03-311h 11
Rising Tide: The Ocean PodcastRising Tide #51 - Blue Frontier Turns 20David and Vicki are joined by Wendy Benchley and Margo Pellegrino, both previous podcast guests and both fellow veterans of Blue Frontier, the ocean conservation group that works to give people who care about the Ocean the tools needed to protect their communities both human and wild. The four discuss two decades of Blue Vision Summits, Benchley awards, ocean adventures, marches, celebrations and mobilizations, including to link Ocean and climate solutions. And of course many media projects like Rising Tide. Listen and Enjoy. It’s a birthday party.Rising Tide, the Oc...
2022-02-2141 minRising Tide: The Ocean PodcastRising Tide #24 – Wendy Benchley’s Jaws of ConservationVicki and David talk with shark-protector, member of the Women’s Diving Hall of Fame and honored board member of Blue Frontier Wendy Benchley. Wendy shares some of her thoughts about ocean adventures she shared with her late husband, 'Jaws' author Peter Benchley (see pix) and the challenges and hopes for ocean conservation and ocean-climate action today. Also learn how it was almost Jaws – the comedy.'
Rising Tide Podcast aims to give you information, inspiration, and motivation to tackle the challenges our oceans are facing. The oceans are rising, so are we!
Learn more at b...
2021-02-1527 min
Books Connect UsWendy Benchley on the legacy of JAWS | Ep47Wendy Benchley is a marine and environmental conservation advocate, and former councilwoman from New Jersey. Her husband Peter Benchley was the famed author of JAWS, the classic suspense novel of shark versus man, which was made into the blockbuster Steven Spielberg movie. The Jaws phenomenon changed popular culture and continues to inspire a growing interest in sharks and the oceans today. Today Wendy Benchley joins our producer Pat Stango to discuss the legacy of JAWS, how its story still resonates in the events of today, and why ocean conservation is something she still fights for.
2020-09-1035 min
DeviceOnce BittenA cultural legend, the great white shark’s reputation as a man-eater is directly linked with the blockbuster story "Jaws." That's something its author Peter Benchley heavily regretted, and spent most of the decades after the book's success trying to overcome.
Wendy Benchley, Peter’s wife, called in to give us the rundown on the greatest threats sharks are facing today, and from the National Marine Service in La Jolla, Heidi Dewar explains how the shallow waters of the southern California are a nursery for our protected population.
Cover Art Title: "The King" by Nicholas DeNezzo.
A woodburned image with acry...
2019-05-0124 min
Device InterviewsWendy Benchley Shark AdvocateFull interview with Wendy Benchley, shark conservation advocate and widow of Jaws author, Peter Benchley.Links:More about the Benchleys: http://www.peterbenchley.com/Live from the White Shark Cafe, with Barbara Block: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_HsAZrjDpgVoyage to the White Shark Cafe // Schmidt Ocean Institute: https://schmidtocean.org/cruise/voyage-white-shark-cafe/Peter Benchley article in National Geographic: http://www.peterbenchley.com/sites/default/files/article-flipbooks/NatGeo_2000_April/files/assets/basic-html/page1.html
2019-05-0100 min
Shark Task ForceJaws, Fishing and Shark ConservationIn this special edition of the Shark Task Force, Dr. Guy Harvey interviews Wendy Benchley, the widow of Peter Benchley, author of Jaws. They talk about the impact of the movie 3 decades later, how shark catch and kill tournaments are becoming catch and release tournaments and why healthy oceans need sharks. For more information on the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, visit guyharvey.com. For more on sharks, check out www.sharktaskforce.com. The Shark Task Force, why wait a whole year for just one week on sharks?
2011-05-2603 min
DiveFilm Podcast VideoDiveFilm Episode10 - Peter Benchley InterviewPeter and Wendy Benchley traveled to Isla Guadalupe in the Pacific Ocean off Baja Mexico, to dive with the Great White Sharks in November of 2004 aboard the Horizon. On the transit return to San Diego, California, Peter expressed concern for the future of our oceans, and encouraged young people to get involved in marine conservation efforts.
2006-02-1300 min