THE APEX TIMES
Werk Room Weekly producers behind ‘Stop! That! Train!’ and ‘Drag Race’ discuss making comedy and drag TV
Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, co-founders of World of Wonder, sat down with Werk Room Weekly hosts to talk about their new over-the-top comedy and the long creative path that led to Drag Race.
“Werk Room Weekly” devoted a new episode to the makers of two major comedy and drag milestones, featuring World of Wonder co-founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato in a conversation hosted by Jason Cerin and Brian Faas.
The episode centers on Bailey and Barbato’s new comedy movie “Stop! That! Train!,” which they discussed as a project built to be deliberately exaggerated and theatrical, with Cerin and Faas framing the episode around the duo’s track record in turning bold concepts into screen productions.
Bailey and Barbato also revisited the decades-long development work that helped make “Drag Race” possible, describing the long arc of creating drag content that could travel from smaller platforms to a sustained, large-audience television format.
RuPaul is directly referenced in the episode’s framing, with Cerin and Faas introducing the conversation as one that connects the new movie to the broader Drag Race creation story, including how the creators approached translating drag performance for television audiences.
In the interview, the producing duo discussed their role as executives and creative leaders at World of Wonder and how their studio’s approach supported both the early steps that allowed “Drag Race” to take shape and the later efforts that broadened drag’s footprint in mainstream entertainment.
The episode comes as audience attention to drag and other performance-based entertainment continues to intersect with questions of programming, culture, and public standards, even as “Werk Room Weekly” stays focused on production history and the mechanics of making series and films.
The “Werk Room Weekly” episode, titled around “Stop! That! Train!,” is available through Page Six’s video page, where the interview is presented as a behind-the-scenes discussion of the movie and the creators’ larger “Drag Race” journey.
Why It Matters
- The conversation highlights how long-lead development and production decisions can shape whether performance-centered entertainment can move from smaller stages to major television formats.
- Because “Stop! That! Train!” is presented alongside the “Drag Race” origin story, the episode offers audiences context for how the same production team approaches different screen genres.
- The episode’s emphasis on creators and producers underscores how studio-level leadership influences casting, format, and programming choices that affect viewers and performers.
- The film and franchise connection may draw interest from families and general audiences seeking to understand what drives popular entertainment trends and studio output timelines.
Key Facts
- Werk Room Weekly hosted Jason Cerin and Brian Faas for an episode featuring World of Wonder co-founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato.
- The interview discusses the producing duo’s new comedy movie, “Stop! That! Train!.”
- The episode also addresses the creators’ decades-long journey that helped make “Drag Race” possible.
- Page Six’s description frames the conversation as connecting “Drag Race” and RuPaul with the new “Stop! That! Train!” movie.
- The Page Six video page presents the episode as a behind-the-scenes production discussion rather than a critical review.