Fabio as the Pope, Charo as the Queen of England, And Ann Coulter as the vice president: It could only happen in the "Sharknado" alternate reality.

The Sharknado film franchise has been a surprising and enduring hit on cable's SyFy network. Screenwriter Scotty Mullen, who is responsible for the upcoming "Sharknado 5: Global Swarming," shared some of the secrets of their success on Friday's "Pure Opelka."

Miller credits the laughter-filled set for keeping viewers entranced by the unlikely story of a tornado made of sharks. The creative team is encouraged to reach out to whomever they'd like to cast, from personal heroes to childhood crushes, creating a shoot that's more like a "Hollywood kegger" than work, he said.

He was blown away by "how fun and dynamic" Geraldo Rivera was in his roll as the commander of a "super powered steam punk zeppelin." He especially loved working with legendary vocalist Olivia Newton John, whom he "worshiped" as a kid.

Miller said another reason people might love the movies is because, at least from his perspective, they are "a love letter to the Indiana Jones films," crossed with casting decisions that look like "Hollywood Squares" or "Love Boat."

Mike Opelka added, "When people come together for the right reasons, the product is good."

To see more from Mike, visit his channel on TheBlaze and listen live to “Pure Opelka” weekdays 12-3 p.m. ET, “Pure Opelka Replay” weekdays 10-1 a.m. ET & “Pure Opelka” Saturdays 6–9 a.m. ET, only on TheBlaze Radio Network.