I was a big fan of John Putch for many years...unfortunately this taping was ruined by a bad connection.  I was able to save over a half hour of the interview, in which John and I discussed being on the Cold Turkey movie set; directing Dick Van Dyke thirty plus years later; appearing with his mom, Jean Stapleton on talk shows; first acting appearance on All in the Family; playing Bob Morton on One Day at a Time; the made for TV movie "Angel Dusted"; writing and directing the "Route 30" trilogy; "The Father and the Bear"; keeping a small batch of movie regulars; All in the Family trivia; his mom appearing on SNL; TV movies "You Had me at Aloha" and "A Holiday Spectacular"; directing Ann Margret; past and future guests Nat Bernstein, Charles Robinson, Jamie Rose, Jeff Kramer, and Stacey Nelkin

NewsRadio's Sesame Street; favorite episodes of Taxi; his submissions for Harvard Lampoon and SNL; the change to writing half hour; how Newsradio creator Paul Simms hired comedy writers with no sitcom experience; his first episodes was co-written with Paul Simms; Newsradio's own style of writing; the length of days at Newsradio; hours were similar to Barney Miller; Christmas Story one of my favorite TV episodes of all time; Fibber McGee & Molly always in the script; joke written for 10% of the audience; writing an episode for Johnny Cash but he never agreed to do the show; Station Sale is an example of a "gang-written" show; team re-write after some read throughs; six people credited with some episodes; jokes sometimes written for 10% of the audience; eunuch jokes on Futurama; James Caan guest stars; episode is an homage to Clockers; Tubalcain; Joe Furey; Phil Hartman; why NBC continuously messed with the series; leaving Newsradio; death of Phil Hartman; 3rd Rock; Preston Beckman programmer; Undeclared; Rob Schneider's sitcom Rob; writing Ron Schneider's Annoying Girlfriend Theatre on SNL; writing the most episodes of Futurama; which show is the most in his creative voice; Sidney Poitier Mr. Pibb joke; Brickleberry; Yucko the Clown; Family Guy; cutaways are the hardest part; Seth MacFarlane's assistants become the best writers; ever meeting the boss; Cherry Chevapravatdumrong; toughest job he ever had; he was a manatee; South Park; Beavis and Butthead; Norm Hiscock

The J. Geils Band Richard "Magic Dick" Salwitz joined me to talk about his first musical hero, Louis Armstrong; practicing his instruments; playing the cornet; getting his first harmonica at the ae of3 when he had the flu; wearing harmonicas; how long a harmonica can last; "Whammer Jammer" breaks harmonicas; meeting J. Geils and Danny Klein in 1966; bootlegs; first record deal; having the Allman Brothers as fans;  "Musta Got Lost"; 70's radio airplay and DJ autonomy; opening for the Rolling Stones; performing during an earthquake in Japan; doing SNL with Rodney Dangerfield in 1980; reaction videos to "Love Stinks"; "Centerfold"; "Land of 10,000 Dances"; punk rock; Dennis Miller uses him as a cultural reference in a joke; being introduced to Shun Ng; Shun Ng's childhood; how acoustic guitar and harmonica blend perfectly; Shun being a semi-self-taught musician; Shun's genius; being self-taught on harmonica; his attack playing of the harp; how martial arts and music relate; James Caan's martial arts career; my daughter's martial arts and music lessons; greatest rock 'n' roll front man; rhythm 'n' blues help form the sound of the J. Geils Band; 70's R & B; what he's listening to now; the two types of harmonicas and how people who play woodwind instruments shouldn't smoke.

Jeremiah Ukponrefe joined me to discuss being Canadian; not being a reader growing up; memoirs being both hard to read but also fascinating; the Percy Jackson series; The Outsiders; Of Mice and Men; writing a book; his process; "booing" candy on Halloween; his book The Hive, being Star Wars meets Starship Troopers; morals being subtly hidden in science fiction; self-publishing; his book being one in a series; describing his series' universe; his protagonist, Alex; research; stand up career; only putting crowd work on You tube; how it's hard to break in stand up in Canada; Second City; writing freelance comedy; worse response doing stand-up; bombing on a date; bombing for 35 minutes; no bringers shows in Canada; wants to be knows as a science fiction / fantasy writer and a stand-up comedian; can sell books at shows; book feedback; target audience; each book in his series is for a different demographic; still keeping a day job; producing stand-up shows; roast battles; learning to do stand-up in his voice; storyteller comedians; Ellen DeGeneres; Jay Leno After the interview is the audio of my last stand-up appearance from August 2011. To order the Hive" Hive (The Arcane Volumes): Ukponrefe, Jeremiah: 9781777332907: Amazon.com: Books

Game show legend Jim Peck joined me to talk about living in Milwaukee during the Happy Days era; favorite radio shows; the first time he saw a television; going to Marquette University; getting the performing bug; his first job as a booth announcer at WISN; Don Pardo; hosting a series called Confrontation; Jim Peck's Hotline; hard to get guests; Take it from Here from Washington DC; Big Showdown; falling down during entrance and having it be on YouTube today; emulating Johnny Carson; contestant interviews; Hot Seat; the Richard Dawson "feud": Second Cance; Peter Tomarken; going out with Monty Hall on his 94th birthday; Peter Marshall; his unaired late night pilot After Hours: The Jim Peck Special which would have featured Susan Anton, Robin Williams, and Loni Anderson; You Don't Say; Nipsey Russell; Dick Gautier; Robert Ridgely; 3's a Crowd; led to divorces and firings; originally pitched by Jess Oppenheimer as a clean game show and sexed up by Chuck Barris; Chuck realizes "no one had fun on the show"; cheating on game shows; Press Your Luck; The Price is Right; his famous perm; Confessions of a Dangerous Mind; Everything's Relative and other game show pilots; You Tube 3's A Crowd reaction video; being hired to sub for and take over for Jack Barry on Joker's Wild; Barry dying and the syndicator choosing to go with Bill Cullen; calling his mother's friend out of the audience to play game; Divorce Court; Doug Llewellyn; Judge William Keane; show was done with actors and scripts; guest lawyers including John Erlichman; Judge Keane decided case by what he saw, not original outcome; hosting the Drum Corps International on PBS; Milwaukee; retiring from WTMJ-AM in 2021 - his first radio job.

Comedian Glenn Hirsch joined me to talk about his "nickname" Gleeb Hush; the other Glenn Hirsch (The Duck Sauce Killer); meeting a third Glenn Hirsch (a doctor); a similar situation I had with my brother; growing up in Jackson Heights, Queens; his mother being an organized hoarder; old report cards; being a fan of impressionists not comedians growing up; always able to make others laugh; sixth grade teacher asks him to do a monologue; COVID helped him learn about himself; entertaining is exhausting; having several health scares including a burst appendix, sepsis; Non-Hodgkins lymphoma diagnosis; too many stand ups to keep track of; less than seventy comics when he started; no such thing as bringer shows; picking a number and getting a spot; being asked back by Budd Friedman; taking two years to get decent slots; can't make a comedian; me trying out for Last Comic Standing; my sitcom pilot; not caring if he ever got a sitcom; appearing on Evening at the Improv; comedian comradery; adding tags to friends bits; losing to Brad Garrett on Star Search; cancel culture in clubs; playing 55+ communities; Bobby Slayton; being a "New York" sports fan; drugs; having a long distance marriage; concerts he went to; seeing the Rolling Stones with his daughter; getting "spit on" by Joe Cocker and passing around a joint backstage; meeting Muhammad Ali twice; meeting Pete Rose and Willie Mays; his daughter being friends with Y.A. Tittle; guesting on Dallas; losing a part to Sam Kinison: being passed over for a part of a New York Jew and asked to read for his Irish best friend; would he of rather hosted a talk show or had a sitcom; helping John Debellis write monologue jokes; writing and producing Comedy Club Superstars; not being able to just sit and write for others; and how Tom Snyder had the best talk show format

Comedy writer D.B. Frick joined me to discuss watching the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson; George Carlin; comedians of the 1980's; baseball; John Mulaney; banging Bond babes; Herschel Walker; trying stand up; Wantagh; GPS; The Amazing Race; reality TV; Herve Villechaize; Antonio Banderas; Peter Dinklage; blackface; working at UCLA with Conchatta Farrell; Abe Vigoda; being an intern on Late Night with Conan O'Brien; writing a joke that Conan called his favorite of the year; getting the internship; Paul Schaffer; Alan Zweibel; Saturday Night Live's 50th; Lemmings Revival; Tony Hendra; Chevy Chase; sneaking in to the SNL 25th after party; sneaking into the Hayden Planetarium; raising a kid; making money by inventing or inheriting; not being in wills when promised;  Mr. T method of travel; teaching improv at Cambridge; getting scalped tickets to Monty Python; his TV show Welcome Back, America; Jackie "The Jokeman" Martling; writing a sitcom for himself pre-COVID; being taken seriously; having friends outside of show biz; borrowing money; giving to the homeless; having a wallet in 2022; putting everything in the back of your phone; crickets; being at Conan when Norm MacDonald had the greatest appearance in late night history; working for Conan O'Brien; how he thinks he blew his chance at Conan; wishing he was part of the original cast of SNL; The Blues Brothers; Bob Nelson; Christopher Guest directing Lemmings; Darrell Hammond; Don Pardo; SNL’s 50th Anniversary; Punkie Johnson; 30 Interviews in 30 Minutes

Director Paul Miller joined me to discuss appearing on TV before ever watching it; Howdy Doody; becoming a director; getting hired at the Ohio State University TV station; getting a job at KGO TV San Fransisco; Electra Woman and Dyna Girl; working freelance for NBC Sports; directing the Oscars and the Osmonds; getting the call to direct Fridays; working with KISS; directing the Hollywood Cubes sketch; how live TV makes changes up to the last minute; how Saturday Night Live uses more pre-taped segments then when he was there; directing the Gilbert Gottfried / Larry David pilot Norman's Corner; NBC urges Lorne Michaels to hire him to replace Dave Wilson as SNL's director; SNL being a writer's driven show; directing the pilot for In Living Color; appearing on camera in first SNL episode; Phil Hartman, Dana Carvey, and Jan Hooks; Sam Kinnison; being pre-empted by the World Series; Roy Orbison; directing SNL during the Technician's Strike; '88 Debate sketch; Mike Myers; coming back for anniversary shows; Damon Wayans; Jim Carrey; working on The Ben Stiller Show, Mad TV, and Not Necessarily the News; directing and being nominated for the Cable Ace Award; Dennis Miller; Kathy Griffin; directing 2 Super Bowl half Time Shows; can you win an Emmy for directing the Emmy's?; directing Charlie Brown's Christmas 50th Anniversary; where he keeps his Emmy; producing and directing The Carol Burnett Show's 50th Anniversary; and his charity work building schools in Africa.

Diana Peckham joined me on the phone to discuss watching the Wide World of Disney and The Ed Sullivan Show; "The Wizard of Oz"; her father being a wrestler in the 1956 Olympics and her grandfather being a professional wrestler in the 1930's; awareness of Andy Kaufman; seeing his challenge on SNL and writing a letter in; being one of four chosen for a "wrestle off"; taking her father and grandfather as coaches; Andy Kaufman's misogynist persona; talking to Al Franken after the show; not knowing what she was getting into in the match; not knowing the referee was Andy Kaufman's manager (Bob Zmuda); her wrestling past; her parents working as AD and assistant AD at Emerson College; offers after the much; the FBI; going to college to be an English teacher and getting a job as a P.E. teacher; having her appearance grow as legend year after year; getting the tape in 1989; showing the video to her AP Lit students; being retired in New Hampshire; getting recognized on FB when SNL started streaming; REM used a clip of her in their video for Man on the Moon; getting royalty checks and marriage proposals; being made to stay in her dressing room during the show; almost getting her shoulder broken during the match; did not fight during dress rehearsal so segment went long and bumped Mr. Bill; how she would have played it; Kaufman v. Lawler; the SNL vote; did Andy die of AIDS or lung cancer?; getting slapped at the wrestle-off; her other competitors; how Andy would wrestle his girlfriend and other plants; the movie "Man in the Moon"; teaching; her children being athletes; and wrestling in the 30's and 40's.

Melanie Chartoff joined me to discuss watching Soupy Sales and Steve Allen; being interviewed by Johnny Carson and Oprah Winfrey; living by herself in Woodstock, NY her the summer of her junior and senior years of high school; her college sweetheart; writing funny songs and putting it into an act; auditioning for the new Laugh In; moving to L.A.; being in the Proposition; working at the Improv with John Debellis; John Debellis and Larry David's love of baseball; getting Fridays; writers room at Fridays was a boys club; Brandis Kemp; "Rocky Horror Picture Show" and "Road to El Salvador" parodies; "Women Who Spit" and "Diner of the Living Dead" almost get them kicked off TV; Reagan getting elected in '80 changes the tone; Elevator Sisters; the Plasmatics; musical guests; Marty Feldman; Mark Blankfield's pharmacist; Madeline Kahn; getting her tooth knocked out on live TV; the Andy Kaufman incident; doing a movie "Doin' Time" with Mohammed Ali but not meeting him until years later; Fresno; appearing on Newhart; Parker Lewis Can't Lose; letters from prisoners; The Hollywood Autograph Show; guesting on Seinfeld; being in the finale; Tom Kramer; Tina Sinatra; being a voracious reader; writing a novel; Rugrats and its thirty years of popularity; Phil Proctor; going to England with Robin Leach; Coaching charismatzing - discovering ones unique force of personality; doing improv with therapists; being a feminist; her titles for Fridays; hot tubs; women putting their sexuality out there; Fridays director Tom Moore in the NY Times in a body suit learning how to do trapeze; classic Fridays sketches - "TV is fake"; "Door to Door Whores", and "2nd Amendment"; To Meet Melanie :https://www.hollywoodshow.com/default/main    To buy her book melaniechartoff.com  and to take her Charismatizing class: Charismatizing.com   Fan sitehttps://www.facebook.com/charismatizing   Read a review 18506.gif (630×420) (allauthor.com)

Tracy Newman joins me to discuss the first time she picked up a guitar; folk music; her favorite childhood movie "Hans Christan Anderson"; Danny Kaye; George Carlin; Jeff Altman; going to college; going to New York; The Limelighters; Italy; performing at the Bitter End; performing at the Improv; becoming a teacher at the Groundlings; Rodney Dangerfield; dating Rodney Dangerfield; The Groundlings being the feeding ground for SNL; Heidi Gardner; being a founding member; teaching improv; Phil Hartman; non-show business Groundlings; teaching Tress MacNeille, Paul Reubens, and Conan O'Brien; thinking Conan was too raw for Late Night when he got it; Promise of Love TV movie; Valerie Bertinelli & Eddie Van Halen; making an experimental short "True Bliss" with then husband James E. Dean; teaming up with Jonathan Stark; film looping; studying sitcoms to write a spec script;  getting hired on Cheers for season 11; her episodes, including, Rebecca's Lover - Not! with Harvey Fierstein; people not knowing Ellen was gay; daytime TV; writing "The Puppy Episode" where Ellen comes out; writing an Ellen for Mary Tyler Moore; winning an Emmy, a Peabody, and a PETA Award; appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson; beating Peter Mehlman for an Emmy but not a Writer's Guild Award; paying for her Peabody; Hollywood Walk of Fame; meeting famous people in LA; Lowell Ganz; being asked to show-run Hiller & Diller by him and Babaloo Mandel; writing various pilots; Bob's bad timeslot but great cast; creating According to Jim and Soul Man; hiring Jim Belushi, her song "Carpool' A performance of Carpool follows the interview. To buy Tracy Newman's albums visit Tracy Newman and the Reinforcements - I Just See You - Amazon.com Music 

Brian Levant joined me to discuss his first TV souvenir: the scripts to a defunct series Noonday; collecting box tops to get toys; still feeling the way about toys that he did when he first got them; his book "My Life in Toys"; his first word being TV related; collecting salt and pepper shakers; playing with the toys he collected and not keeping them in pristine condition; watching Leave it to Beaver and then bringing them back twenty five years later; The Flintstones; not really collecting superheroes; got the job directing The Flintstones when Stevenn Spielberg saw his Flintstones collection; how Happy Days grew him professionally; Garry Marshall's style; playing basketball while writing and softball in between tapings to create a family atmosphere; Weirdly & Creepella Gruesome; Hanna Barbera "stealing" characters; The Great Gazoo; Harvey Korman; Allan Cumming's stunts in "Viva Rock Vegas"; the book putting his collection to bed for the most part; my collection of TV artifacts; writing the classic Happy Days "A.K.A. the Fonz" and "Hard Cover"; leaving to produce Brothers and Sisters; upcoming 50 Years of Happy Days book with Fred Fox; first episode I remember watching in syndication; my favorite Happy Days joke "Mama, Papa, Sister"; the episodes "Stolen Melodies", "Letting Go"; the finale; Beethoven being a sitcom on steroids; Charles Grodin; Jingle all the Way and working with Arnold Schwarzenegger

Teri Bolo joined by to discuss the lack of Groundling representation on my podcast; her first vivid memory of seeing Peter Pan on TV; going to see Pollyanna and being told she looked like Hailey Mills; her and her aunt going to Gary Austins improv class, which became The Groundlings; what it means to teach improv or to take improv classes; the rules of improv; whether characters are created or fine-tuned in improv; Laraine Newman; "Tunnelvision"; "If You Don't Stop You'll Go Blind"; The Dating Game; The Gong Show; her role in "Carrie"; being on a big time movie set; the famous shower scene; working with George Burns and John Denver in "Oh God"; being cut out of "Animal House"; going to movie locations while on vacation; Gary Austin; Del Close; improv being collaborative and not competitive; Robin Williams; Fred Willard; "The In Laws"; "Mommie Dearest"; my dad meeting Faye Dunaway and my mom meeting the bank robber from the "7-Ups"; making out with a girl for a scene i "Scarface" that you can only see her arm in; "Pee Wee's Big Adventure"; being a stand in for Julia Duffy and The Love Boat; the Newhart episode where she and Julia Duffy played twins; Bob Newhart not getting recognized at the gate; Don Rickles visits Newhart set; 24; "Little Miss Sunshine";  when to approach celebrities;

written by Ian Fermaglich cast:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Ben Rosenfeld / waiter..........................Dylan Gottesman www.backstage.com/tal/dylan-gottesman   [email protected]                                 Ashley Martinez / Sophie / Mary ......... Phoenix Loudermilk www.backstage.com/tal/phoenix-ever  ever                                                                           Gary Rosenfeld / Todd..........................Randall Lakefish                                                                                                                                                Stage Directions...................................Ian Fermaglich                        Special Thanks to Kevin Kelton, Stu Kreisman, Tom Ruprecht, and Sam Sandora

Paul joined me to discuss being happy; Earth Angel; taking a year off from college to write a hit; his management changing his age and name; coming from a musical family; his father hating rock 'n' roll; Elvis; making demos in Nashville; Conan O'Brien; The Pointer Sisters; Brill Building; his hits "When" and "7 Little Girls"; "7 Little Girls" being banned in Boston; performing on Dick Clark's Saturday Night show; almost forgetting the words on live TV; The Beatles changing his career to jingle performer and writer; smoking; crooners trying to sing rock; Elvis' success; Col. Tom Parker; Elvis' generosity; Paul Anka; his jazz quarter made of jingle singers 5ive; learning his parts by computer; scat yodeling; his biggest hit "Roses are Red"; being paid to sing at weddings; trying to make a woman cry each time he sings it; his wife Susan; how his book came about; winning a Clio but not getting the award; Arizona uses his song and the case goes to the Supreme Court; "Hello this is Joanie (The Telephone Answering Song)"; wanting to sing a duet with Willie Nelson.

Jon Schroeder joined me to discuss his fake imdb facts; his influences Pee Wee Herman, Chris Elliot, Garry Shandling; Sledge Hammer; going to San Fransisco State; his first job, copying Fresh Prince and Family Matters episodes for syndication; writing promos for the WB; meeting and writing with Doug Benson; getting hired on The Sarah Silverman Program; her show being more cartoonish than Bob's Burgers; working on Jimmy Kimmel Live! during the hiatus; becoming friends with Chris Elliot; Susan 313 pilot; why writers stay on Bob's Burgers; trying to top past holiday episodes; Burger of the Day and Storefront; when Gene repeats things that sound "dirty"; "Sheesh, Cab Bob"; "Carpe Museum"; Regular Size Rudy; my favorite characters; episode titles; "Stand by Gene"; Nora Smith's ability to throw out the perfect line; writing songs for the show; feeling that "Something Old, Something New, Something Bob Caters for You" needed a song and Nora writing it while taking a walk; Bob's Burgers: The Movie; The Oscars; "A Few Gurt Men"; writing Linda stories; differences between Linda and Marge Simpson; age of fans of Bob's Burgers; Teddy episodes; could Bob have been played by Bob Newhart?; guest stars; Kevin Kline as Fischoeder; improv in "Sheesh, Cab Bob?"; "Video Killed the Gene-io Star"; "Dream a Little Dream of Bob" with Jon Glaser, H. Jon Benjamin, and Jack McBrayer improvs; interviewing Bob's Burgers crew or YouTube; not being a performer; writing in the characters voices; Dan Mintz; John Roberts; his podcast "Two Jon's Don't Make a Right"; making lefts are dangerous; Jon Daly's podcast of reviewing podcasts; me talking to people from SNL; going backstage and meeting Don Pardo; 

Joe Grossman joined me to discuss having no early TV restrictions; being a fan of David Letterman since 13 or 14; Chris Elliot; trying at first to be a cartoonist; finding out that Letterman has writers; Lewis & Clark College; learning standup at the American Comedy Institute for an article for Time Out NY; writing a submission packet; being passed over for the job twice; eventually getting hired by the Stangel brothers; getting stuff on the first night; meeting Dave after putting away the Late Show bear; a chance encounter with Dave before in an elevator; almost being run over by Dave in the basement; written into bits by Lee Ellenberg, Jeremy Wiener, and Tom Ruprecht; did not write himself in because he did not want to be a performer; how the annual Thanksgiving dinner for the staff gave us Sherman Grossman, the sneezing monkey; monkey handler stories; how a kangaroo ended up on the Late Show; 2008 Writer's Strike brings comradery; Joe starts appearing telling rehashed jokes about other subjects; Chris Christie; "Ox, the Wilderness Expert"; drinking urine in a lot of sketches; rules of urine drinking for young comedy writers; having Grace Helbig play a love interest in a bit; inadvertently talking like Dave; telling viewers about his birthing classes; Dave announcing his child's birth on air; puns with the Foo Fighters and Wu Tang Clan; his last appearance with a highlight reel; Norm MacDonald; going to the last show party and then watching it in a bar at 11:35; cleaning out his office and taking a few mementos; getting hired at Full Frontal with Samantha bee; having to learn a new voice to write to; and adjusting to a new schedule

Roger Eschbacher joined me to talk about his early influences; Romper Room; Monty Python and original SNL, making videos with high school classmates including Tom Kramer; going to college to study communications; getting a job as a PA on Fridays; working with Andy Kaufman; getting a job on Not Necessarily the News; having Conan O'Brien tell him about the Groundlings; working there with Lisa Kudrow and Will Ferrell; working on a George Carlin special; Sunday Comics; Candid Camera; Cheers; Please Watch the Jon Lovitz Special; writing a story for Star Trek: The Next Generation; "Wagon's East"; writing for Aah, Real Monsters;  The John Larroquette Show; Detention; Friends; Wendy's commercials; writing for Scooby Doo; Tracy Newman; wrote two books for children; writing young adult science fiction novels; reading them as a kid; the difference between hard sci-fi and soft sci-fi  Amazon.com: Dragonfriend: Leonard the Great, Book One eBook : Eschbacher, Roger: Kindle Store   Amazon.com: Ghost Star (Ghost Star Adventures Book 1) eBook : Eschbacher, Roger: Kindle Store Road Trip: Eschbacher, Roger: 9780803729278: Amazon.com: Books

Tommy Kovac, podcaster and comedian, and I discuss what bought us to our podcast, favorite guests, favorite moments and all sorts of fun stuff.

Boyd joined me to talk about watching Love American Style with his mom, and being inspired by Steve Martin and The Goodies; going to Oklahoma Christian University; sending samples of his work to Letterman head writer Steve O'Donnell; being chosen for the job over Conan O'Brien; realizing he doesn't know the show that well; feeling like he was in over his head the entire time he was there; getting let go after two years; Pirate Television for MTV; Garth Brooks; writing a spec Roseanne that got him Full House; writing the Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen tv-movie "To Grandmothers House We Go"; Merlin Olsen; OJ Simpson; Little House on the Prairie; getting the job on Nurses; Anson Williams and the Heimlich maneuver; how Nurses saved lives; David Rasche; Sledge Hammer; Robert Wuhl; "Hollywood Knights"; Loni Anderson; WKRP in Cincinnati; Ada Maris; What A Country! with Yakov Smirnoff; getting scared by the made-for-TV movie "Adam"; favorite television shows and the cast and crews love; still hanging out with people from Nurses and Full House today; David Letterman's new show; Lenny Ripps; creating a sitcom for Fox, Rewind; quitting before the pilot was shot; having Rewind cancelled before airing its first episode; writing the Chris Farley film "Almost Heroes"; Chris Farley dying before the movie came out; working with Bette Midler on her eponymous sitcom; Dolly Parton; his art career; Basquiat; everyone should create; Keith Haring; podcasts are a creative outlet; this episode was a back and forth; Harlan Williams hated being around other comedians;

Andrew Nicholls joined me to talk about taping The Tonight Show; early English children's TV; The Flintstones; Monty Python; meeting Darrell Vickers; writing The Blob as a musical; trying to write a book depicting the real life of a comedy writer; how TV is like any other job in some ways; TV being a collaboration - both good and bad; We're Only Joking; how working in Canada gave him and Darrell a full tool kit for writing comedy; the many jobs in comedy he had; Alan Thicke buys some jokes but uses all that were sent; Thicke of the Night; teaming up writers to save money; Wayne Kline; how poorly the show was run; SCTV's parody; babysitting a young Robin Thicke; didn't sit in the audience of the shows he worked on so he has a different experience; writing for Mickey Rooney; working on the pilot Apartment 2C with George Carlin; finding scenes from the Canadian sitcom  Flappers co-starring Martin Short on You Tube; SCTV still holds up; Jimmy Neutron's notes flummox fans; sending a first draft away being like sending finely crafted sausage to a pack of dogs; network notes and suits; David Birney on St. Elsewhere; writing a sample package for Johnny Carson that two agents said wasn't good enough but got them the job; how Shelly Cohen got their package to Johnny; 13 week cycles of firings; Johnny saw their output and they stayed; Johnny firing everyone but them after 1988 Writers strike; meeting at Johnny's home in Malibu weekly; Check it Out; Don Adams; Art Fern, Telescam, Aunt Blabby; Teresa Ganzel; show only stopped tape twice; Overlaying Billboards; my favorite episode from 1990; George Carlin; people who died jokes; Johnny's theory, "If people laugh, it's funny"; Roget's Eulogy; two sketches that were nixed: Tongue Twister Magazine and Limerick Bank Robbery; doing remotes from Kentucky; Dominoes Deliverymen Falling; Sniveling Weasel Awards; Worlds Longest Limo; Johnny did not want to do remotes; remotes dubbed over by Johnny; George Carlin Show; Pearl; consulting on sitcoms; The Magic Hour and Howard Stern; British TV

Gabe joined me to talk about growing up a block away from George Carlin and knowing his mother; doing stand up and later talking on the phone and meeting him; his early act; studying under Lee Strasberg at NYU; explosion in number of comedians; open mic nights; doing improv with Robin Williams; not getting bumped back in the day; writing for Bill Maher; becoming a faxer for David Letterman then head monologue writer; being the head monologue writer when the biggest news was Monica Lewinsky; how Dave constructs his monologue; writing for Tom Green; his famous Dave back from the quintuple bypass joke; 9/11 and things Letterman would not joke about after; George W. Bush jokes; moving to write for Craig Kilborn; writing for Tom Green and Jay Leno; do stand ups make better monologue writers?; writing with Snoop Dogg; 3 lines or less monologue jokes; Weekend Update; Instant Recall with WInk Martindale; performing mentalism on Behind Closed Gates; The Amazing Randi; critiques my Johnny Carson jokes I wrote at 17; today's lazy monologue writing; a joke I can't tell anymore; my late night packet mistakes; why some people teaching comedy and writing are scammers; performing stand up on TV; looking at the audience while performing; switching to mentalism; learning mentalism; does a demonstration of mentalism for me; how you have to limit choices to do mentalism correctly; odd phenomena; "fake" psychics

Franne talked to me over the phone and discussed her first love being clothing; being sent home in high school for wearing jorts; seeing Guys & Dolls with her parents; not being married to Eugene Lee; her first productions in Philadelphia with Danny Aiello; touring with Alice in Wonderland; where she keeps her awards; how Lorne Michaels talked her into coming to SNL; drawing and creating the costumes for the Bees; her father engineering the antennae; Lorne not letting her copy write them which led to knockoffs; her typical work week; working with Gilda Radner; lack of budget actualy helped the show; Weekend Update blazers; $1500 budget made them work harder and smarter; today's SNL can do things the original could not; at 40th anniversary Franne could not believe the costume budget; most of SNL is shopped; as show progressed sketches got longer and took more time; Brooks van Horn costume house; Raquel Welch; Mick Jagger; not having much to do with hosts or musical guests; Dan Aykroyd; creating the Coneheads but not being able to apply them because they were classified as wigs; SNL versus NBC departments; being impressed with Christopher Reeve and Angela Lansbury; friendship with Laraine Newman; working with Garrett Morris; being serenaded by Chevy Chase; getting hospitalized with a collapsed lung the same week Chevy injured his groin in September 1976; working on SNL at the same time as Sweeney Todd and Gilda Live; how she helped save "Sweeney Todd"; costuming black and white sketches; appearing in the Bee Capades because she was one of the few on staff who could skate; teaching; painting; still designing sets; being out on Saturday nights

Tom Ruprecht joined me to talk about Woody Allen and David Letterman as his comedy influences; getting an internship during the writers' "golden era"; 1990 writer exodus; working at the Tony Awards; being segment coordinator for "human interest guests"; the Farrah Fawcett episode; moving on to researcher; finding a clip of a Jackson 5 special with Dave that he wouldn't let on; selling comedy pieces to other venues and that getting him on staff; his first joke - Monica Lewinsky and cigar; Nashville episode; Dave's heart attack: guest hosts and emotional return; how a sleeping kid during a Pres. Bush speech turned into "Great Moments in Presidential Speeches"; being on the road taping a remote with Biff on 9/11; John McCain bails on Dave in 2008; Dave uses Johnny Carson's faxed in jokes for his monologue in 2005; Sarah Palin gets "riled up" after joke; meeting Paul Westerburg and U2; pitching Ben Bradlee as a guest; the Courtney Love incident; Paul Shaffer tells a story about hanging out with James Brown and Siegfried and Roy; writing oral histories for George W. Bush and J.D. Salinger; Elaine Joyce; Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando on a road trip after 9/11; Biff enjoys gas station Vienna sausages as 3 am in North Dakota; writing for How I Met Your Mother; how not knowing a TV execs birthday cost The Goodwin Games; Alpha House; becoming head writer of The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore; leaving to join a Jon Stewart animated news parody that was too ahead for its time; staying on Letterman because Steve Martin was the guest and working with him on a piece; "The Whitely Show" segment of The Nightly Show and Jay Leno's bewilderment; writing The People's Mayor pilot for Tom Segura; being hired to bring "the late-night sensibility" to Good Morning America; writing a short story for a website; creating a series How to Steal an Election for AMC. Link for Tom Ruprecht and Tom Segura's The People's Mayor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhrhbnbkI6A

Andrew Guerdat joins me to talk about growing up in Birmingham, Alabama;  loving cowboy shows; Andy Griffith; Ed Scharlach teaches comedy writing and introduces him to his partner Stuart Kreinberg; MASH script got them representation; wrote an episode of The Jeffersons that turns up in the background of Basic Instinct; writing an episode of the forgettable comedy Me and Maxx; moving to Mork & Mindy; ABC ruined a hit by adding too many characters; Robin shoots a scene, does improv, shoots a scene, does improv; all lines were written; particular favorite episode "Mindy, Mindy, Mindy"; moving to Archie Bunker's Place; silly vs grounded comedy;  pitching to Carroll O'Connor; Denise Miller; Celeste Holm; Anne Meara; writing the controversial episode "The Red Herring"; "Death of a Lodger" with Don Rickles; "Bunker Madness"; Whiz Kids and McGruder & Loud allowed him to work while sitcoms "were dead";  streaming allows his daughter to find a Sister, Sister she was in in minutes; It's A Living; Paul Kreppel; Marian Mercer; Richard Staahl; TV movie "Dance 'Til Dawn"; Head of the Class hard because cast was too large but smart in that it taught a fact every week; 5th season adding Billy Connolly; "Dead Men Don't Wear Pocket Protectors" - Arvid brings a gun to school; Brian Robbins; Rain Pryor; gets a job running Saved by the Bell: The College Years after never seeing original; tries to grow it up and and is told not to; tapings are out of control; idea for Herman's Head comes to Andrew and his partner in 1983; having it be picked up in 1991 and not allowed to really be involved; how finished product, while funny, was not what he and partner intended; the similarities between "Inside Out" and Herman's Head; Empty Nest; Richard Mulligan allows supporting cast to get the laughs; writing for The Parent 'Hood and Boy Meets World; transitioning to animation with The World of Tosh; Higglytown Heroes; Sherriff Callie's Wild Wild West; Paw Patrol

Scott Jacobson joined me to talk about growing up and being influenced by Letterman, SNL and English comedy; wanting to be in entertainment but not knowing how to get there from Fayetteville, North Carolina; his high school comedy zine; UNC Chapel Hill radio station; interning on the Howard Stern Show; his father's chance golf game gets him an internship at UCB; meets writing partner Rich Bloomquist; being a writers assistant at Strangers with Candy and meeting Stephen Colbert being hired onto the Daily Show; a typical day on the Daily Show; what happens when news events change; sneaking Thomas Pynchon onto the set; leaving The Daily Show after the Writer's Strike; keeping himself busy for a couple of years; being offered Bob's Burgers; "The Mama Pest Hotel" episode; being a real emotion animated series; quilt thief joke; "Ambergris"; Felix Fischoeder; writing for Kevin Kline; Regular Size Rudy; Teddy; how he came to love the characters and understand Tina; "Y Tu Ga Ga Tambien"; 

Larry Jacobson joins me and Luigi from the Married with Children podcast to discuss opening remarks; Gerard Mulligan, his daughter becoming a TV writer; how jokes can backfire; comedy influences; listening to classic comedy movie dialogue; W.C Fields; Grouch Marx; Woody Allen; Jack Benny; Richard Pryor; starting standup; having Paul Rodriguez tell you you're a better writer than comedian; selling jokes to George Wallace, Wil Shriner; Jay Leno; Jay brings a packet of Larry's to Dave; Larry is hired on a trial basis; first Dave joke kills; PA who writes down Larry's jokes adds his to the list; inventing the "Hookers in Time Square . . ." formula; appearing as Bobby Rahal; death of Tom Carvel; monologue originally called "opening remarks" and were 2 to 3 jokes; Larry overstays in the Late Night guest hotel; Larry re-meets his wife in 1983 and gets married in 1991; being a UCLA ball boy for the 1970-71 NBA championship team; going to the Letterman dressing room to meet Bob Hope, Richard Pryor, and Don Rickles; writing the "I didn't know toast had bones joke" for Rodney Dangerfield; Wil Shriner's 50th birthday party; working for Jimmie Walker and Rodney Dangerfield; moving around NYC; writing for the NBC Bookmobile sketches; "Dial the most Immature person in the Donner party"; being asked to play Bobby Rahal at a convention; the great writing staff; "Biff Henderson's Whatever Happened to?"; "Anton Figg guesses the expiration date"; Jimmy the Greek's Heart Attack Saga; Dave's pre-game pep talk for writer's going on air; Dave calls hacky jokes "Bob & Dolores"; writing two bits for Carson - Carson faxes in a joke (1990) and brings Dave a Publishers Clearing House check (1991); Larry writes a "blue" joke for Wil Shriner that gets them in hot water with Johnny Carson; Garry Shandling; Milford Plaza episode; the show in the office episode; how lucky he felt to be on Letterman at that time with that writing staff; writer's assistants go to have major careers; Larry writes Dave a joke when he hosts the Emmys; Dave pranks staff; playing softball in Central Park and Yankee Stadium; Dave was still accessible; Dave introduces Larry to Tommy Lasorda; Larry goes to Indy 500 with Dave's tickets but Dave can't make it; Dave's wedding gift; Martha Raye joke almost gets a lawsuit; Jack Rollins, Bill Wendell, and Peter Lassally; 1995 Oscars; great guests; working for Jay Leno for 17 years; Jay was at his wedding, both parents funerals, and daughters bat mitzvah; Jay is one of the nicest guys; Larry gets to tell a joke about Passion of the Christ on Leno; Jay Leno's "No Power" Episode; Larry brings New Books to Jay; writing for Gilbert Gottfried & Fred Willard; getting Zac Effron & Vanessa Hudgens to wish his daughter Happy Bat Mitzvah; Jay Leno intros daughters Bat Mitzvah tape; Crew shocks Larry on last day of Tonight Show; Dave's there when mother is sick; Larry realized stand up was not as good as writing; how fortunate his career was

Gerard Mulligan joined me to discuss growing up in Rhode Island; early TV influences such as Milton Berle and Groucho Marx; Steve Allen's Westinghouse Show and its help in creating the Letterman show; high school writing; learning sensitivity in comedy; being an English teacher; moving to San Francisco and being a notary public in City Hall; meeting a homeless man who had the plan for the country; telling off color jokes in Catholic school; trying stand up for the first time; becoming friends with Merrill Markoe who introduced him to David Letterman; Dave hiring him to write Tonight Show monologue jokes when he guest hosted; the morning show; his love for Family Circle; wasting Edwin Newman; the morning show was NBC taking a chance, unlike now; Chicago; his daughter's art; his son's a novelist; theme nights (Harmon Killebrew), Dave says no a lot; Lou Rawls week; Joe Toplyn invents the Velcro Suit; Will it Float; Stupid Pet Tricks; Dave repeats punch lines to dirty jokes as non-sequiturs; "Where's my Bad Credit People At; What If everybody was named Phil?"; Levon Helm doesn't show up; Joan Collins and Willie Nelson decline the show; his hometown paper Narragansett News lobbies to be on "Small Town News"; "working" with Chris Elliot and Adam Reznick; Steve Young laughs so hard he falls off a chair once a year; Dave tried a teleprompter, hired Tony Mendez instead; he, Dave, and Tony go to meet Al Gore; hanging out with old writers at barbeques; Larry Jacobson needing a Japanese rabbi; discussing "Born Again" Bob Dylan with Rich Hall; our favorite musician Elvis Costello; Gerry pre-interviews Elvis in London and he "blows the roof off the dump"; Dave fires Gerry bit; not repeating bits too much unlike SNL; Kristen Wiig's Gillie; Keenan Thompson; Pete Fatovich in the control room when Elvis Costello signs "Radio, Radio"; coming on as Batman; how a joke he wrote and Dave nixed was told on Leno because it was so obvious; accidentally telling one of David Brenner's jokes; love of George Carlin and Rodney Dangerfield; using his town of Nutley, New Jersey in remotes; writers coming up with the idea of doing something funny when their names were announced at the Emmys; James Gandolfini nixes turkey wrestling; The Eurythmics want to get "arrested" as a prank during an appearance; Andy Kaufman wants to commit suicide during a 1980 appearance on the morning show; people who died on stage; largest vase; Gerard impersonates leaders, stars, athletes in the "Ask Who segment"; became a notary on the morning show; Bob Sarlatte becomes a contributor to the morning show; being a big Red Sox fan; being reticent to meet idols Ted Williams and Van Morrison; anti-Semitic, racist and transphobic comments made by Morrissey, Roger Waters, and Ricky Gervais; Jews in comedy and other aspects of life.

Mitchell Laurance joined myself and James Stephens to discuss Alan Zweibel getting him a job as Lornes gofer; being an extra in "Dancing in the Dark"; "Hollywood Bingo"; being in a Jerry Lewis sketch with Robert Klein as Steven Klaven; playing Eric Idle's nurse, Chevy Chase's model' and Kirk Douglas' leg man; being in Bill Murray's first sketch "Execution Rehearsal"; "Hey You" with Gilda Radner; his jobs as associate director and associate producer; the genius of Davey Wilson; the arduous work a Saturday Night Live director must do; the comedic mind of Davey; the NAATPE strike that cancelled the Madeline Kahn episode; appearing in an Imperial Margarine commercial with his twin brother; moving to Los Angeles; living in Penny Marshall's guest house; being given a guest starring role (and a SAG card) on Laverne & Shirley for his birthday; difference between taped and live TV; feeling "out of his body" while taping the episode; being able to do another take; auditioning for Not Necessarily the News; producers have to decide between Mitchell and Danny Breen; Mitchell's brother auditions reluctantly; pilot shot; HBO decides to keep Mitch and Danny; guest starring on Brothers & Night Court; matching screen time with John Larroquette; we play the $25,000 Pyramid; memories of Betty White; working on Matlock with Andy Griffith and In the Heat of the Night with Carroll O'Connor; being in "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" and parodying it with Jim Carrey on In Living Color; his brother fills in for him on Santa Barbara; golf; and SNL's legacy.

Blaine joined me to talk about his first time doing stand up; favorite comedians; his new wave band; Elvis Costello; Fridays; Darrow Igus; Ted Wass; not being allowed to watch certain shows; Andrew Dice Clay; bonding with your dad over comedy; Red Skelton; Patton Oswalt; Small Doses pilot; Mad TV; Artie Lange; Spishak; writing the Claymation sketches; Bea Arthur; Mark Hamill; Donny Most; Martin Short Show; Jimminy Glick; Kevin McDonald, Beat the Geeks; game show hosts; That's Incredible; Lucha Va Voom; Los Angeles Derby Dolls; Mind of Mencia; Nerd Poker; Uno; working on Louie; Gilbert Gottfried; Bobcat Goldthwaite; Emo Phillips; Top 70's/80's sitcoms; Chico & the Man horrible upon rewatch; cheap look of 70's TV; obscure 70's sitcoms; Moe Howard on Mike Douglas Show; Jamie Farr; Mad TV sketch "Vague"; Martin Short makes his writers watch The Chevy Chase Show; Rollergirls; Rhonda Bates; Whodunnit?; Salvage I; Makin' It;Robert Hays; Will Ferrell; Apple Pie; BJ and the Bear; CB Trucking & Monkey Craze of the 70's; Waverly Wonders; Buck Rogers; New Adventures of Flash Gordon; Quark; House Calls; Ray Buktenica; Rhoda; Saturday Night Live; Norm MacDonald

Bill Oakley joined me to talk The Steamed Hams Society and Food Discovery Club; foreign 7-11’s; favorite burger; McRib; Shamrock Shake; best fast food chicken; best fast food pizza; Roy Rogers; Fuddruckers; Jollibee; early TV favorites; Green Acres; SNL and Letterman; met Josh Weinstein at 14; St. Albans School; Harvard Lampoon; Sunday Best; Simpsons - Marge Gets a Job; Treehouse - making nicknames the hardest part; Lisa v. Malibu Stacey; Bart v. Australia; Coriolis effect; Michael Fay; 22 Short Films - Steamed Hams; Superintendent Chalmers; Frank Grimes; tourettes joke; Bart Sells His Soul; King Size Homer; Bart on the Road; The Day the Violence Died; Brian McConnachie; Hurricane Neddy; Itchy Scratchy & Poochie; Lou Gehrig of the Simpsons; My Sister, My Sitter; Homer’s Enemy; Mad About You; censor hates Homer’s Phobia; Homer Simpson v. The City of New York, the Simpsons predictions; Spinoff Showcase Link for The Steamed Hams Society and Food Discovery Club https://www.patreon.com/steamedhamssociety

Peter Mehlman joined me to discuss It's Like You Know; his pursuing stand up; Seinfeld and my coincidences; college; Shirley & Maury Povich; being a Yankee's fan, MLB's disclaimer; both of us having dogs named Izzy; Howard Cosell; hypocrisy in sports; NFL anti-trust; sports fans in the US: Detroit Lions; Knicks; Lakers; Lifetime's Attitudes; Dick Cavett; Woody Allen; meeting Larry David; using an article as a spec script; trying to go to all 50 states; writing the "Costanza - Lord of the Idiots line"; length of episodes; Jerry's stand up interstitials; Larry saves the show in editing; Don Adams; Bruce Kirschbaum; "get out"; Teri Hatcher; Courtney Cox; "The Chiese Woman"; Estelle Harris; Liz Sheridan; Taxi; favorite episodes, characters; "The Sponge"; "The Yada Yada"; working on stand up; meeting your idols; Seinfeld's writers credit; networks try to get around quality; reality shows sink scripted shows; the big three networks barely staying alive; Gilbert Gottfried

Mr. Vance joined James Stephens and I to discuss the ubiquity of "Eddie and the Cruisers"; his early influences; Alan Freed; rock 'n' roll; Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers; buying 45's; being one of the first modern "teenagers"; singing doo wop on the corner; Brill Building; doo wop and rap being music movements that started on the street; Jay and the Americans opens for The Beatles and The Rolling Stones; Jay and the Americans were one of three American bands that survived the British invasion (with The Beach Boys and The Four Seasons); "This Magic Moment", their biggest hit was in 1969; Steely Dan started as their backup band; performed as musical guest on SNL in 1977 singing "The Performer"; hiring Leon Pendarvis to the band; writing the new opening and closing themes; putting together a new SNL band; Eric Mercury; performing on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson in 1962; Captain Beefheart; James Brown; Woody Allen; Tracey Ullman; Rachel Sweet and Hairspray; Animal House, recording "Louie, Louie" with John Belushi

Phil and Tom talk about early influences (Phil - Marx Brothers, Preston Sturges, Tom - Little Rascals, Bob Newhart, Johnny Carson, Woody Allen); Tom's father being head of ABC; taking ratings books to school; having Elizabeth Montgomery over for dinner); Phil gets the acting bug in high school and becomes a playwright in San Fransisco; Tom breaks his leg and watches Johnny Carson every night and dreams of being a writer; Tonight Show position opens up; Johnny's writers are  not segregated; Tom writes desk pieces; Phil wrote for Hollywood Squares; Phil on having to write for each character; infamous lunch break; Saturday night is biggest night for TV; Tom writes for Cos; Phil writes for Perry Como & Andy Williams; both write for Rock 'n' America; Tom writes for Richard Pryor Show; Richard throws out all sketches written in pre-production; working with Richard Pryor; various sketches; Paul Mooney; Thicke of the Night; Ralph the runner; writer Jeremy Stevens car gets crushed by Robin Thicke; massive ton of unused sketches; Arnie Kogan; Alan Thicke make sure theme song plays in and out of commercials to get royalties; Fernwood Tonight; Norman Lear; Fred Willard; being head writer for 7 episodes of Saturday Night Live; Charles Rocket; small staff and budget hinders show; Michael O'Donoghue; Tom writes a sketch for Eddie Murphy; Phil and Tom officially become a writing team on The Redd Foxx Show (1986); Sinbad, Pamela Segall Adlon, recurring cast changes; learning about writing a sitcom on the fly; writing on of the most popular episodes of My Two Dads; Dick Butkus; Hooperman; John Ritter; writing their best script - Hooperman episode "Who Do You Truss"; Doogie Howser, MD; Mayim Bialik's first tv role; Drexell's Class; introducing America to Tupac, Jason Biggs, and Brittany Murphy; Drexell getting canceled and moving on to the show that replaced it, Martin; working with Martin Lawrence; The Wayans Brothers; "Detroit" John Witherspoon; Phil teaches pilot writing at UCLA Extension Campus; why writers need to create show Bibles today; Tom being retired; the famous Pat McCormick helicopter and streaking stories; 

Steve and I talk about his early influences (classic comedians and cartoons); meeting his partner, Karl Tiedermann in Horace Mann High School; his college radio show; sending his best bits to the National Lampoon Radio Hour; working with Doug Kenney and Sean Kelly; his first piece Silly Puddy Destroys the World; kids newspaper parody; MOMA Fun Book; King of the Z's a documentary about a cheap 40's film studio; discovering Calvert DeForest (Larry "Bud" Melman)"; film wins at Telluride Film Festival; aired on Showtime; getting a call form Letterman's management two months before Late Night premieres and asking for a job interview; bombing the interview out of excitement but getting the job anyway; Larry "Bud" Melman introduces the first episode ala Frankenstein; pre-production; test shows; being a guest the first week; getting a lot of stuff early; 40th anniversary of inventing the glass breaking sound when Dave throws a blue card; Jim Downey joins as head writer; Gammill & Pross; Andy Kaufman & Jerry Lawlor; Larry "Bud" Melman's Christmas Carol; Bob Hope talks to Larry; Larry had to choose between his job as a receptionist at a methadone clinic and Late Night; Don Giller; Was Jerry Seinfeld bumped by Dick Cavett?; how most Letterman writers stop watching after they leave; Gerry Mulligan; his contract not being renewed; Jim Downey brings SNL hours to Letterman; writing for Robert Klein' segments of TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes; Robert Klein's talk show producer Joe Cates; Robert Klein documentary; King of the Z's on Youtube; being offered to be headwriters of the New Mickey Mouse Club because they were thought of as hip by Disney; how not caring about the job got him the job; writers and crew all became friends; Left after 4 seasons; Keri Russell and JC Chasez; his kids were just as talented as the more famous ones; Annette Funicello; Tiffany Hale; Party Kids; My Little Pony ad; still has a big following; Disney told him not to be too much like the 70's New MMC; too many music rights to get on Disney +; the Don Giller interview that will never be; Steve & Hillary Rollins write an episode of Doug that was considered too funny and he thought was never made; working with his idol Dick Van Dyke; Nastassja Kinski; Bill Murray shows up two weeks before the first show to get writers drunk to get good material; Bill performs 'Let's Get Physical' on first shoiw and almost injures a staff member; Alan Alda: A Man and His Chinese Food; the Criterion Collection

Wayne Kline talks about growing up with a Methodist minister as a father; Max Schulman; reading because his family couldn't afford a TV; Woody Allen; John Oliver; Alfred Hitchcock; Get Smart; Gilligan's Island; Ginger v. Mary Anne; Dobie Gillis; becoming an Army reserve; selling jokes to George Kirby; never being able to imitate Ed Sullivan; writing The Ed Sullivan Show to sell jokes; reading about the Improv in a newspaper; going on vacation to New York to sell jokes to comedians; Walter Alston; selling a routine to Freddie Prinze; leaving NY for LA; joke structure; winning enough to live off for two years on a gamed show; Ed Bluestone introduces him to Henry Bear & Doug Kenney; writing for the National Lampoon Radio Hour; losing on getting SNL to Alan Zweibel; writing for Jimmy Walker; Rodney Dangerfield; punching up a Doc script leads to his first sitcom; Byron Allen; Helen Kushnick; David Letterman's writing ability; how Wayne saw the talent of Robin Williams on Laugh In; Lenny Schultz; Fernwood Tonight; Fred Willard; One in a Million; Norman Paul; room written shows; Jay Leno's Tonight Show was a feed the hopper show; how Bill Scheft and the Underwear Bomber got Wayne a job with Letterman; being advised by Ross Abrash; trying to beat Mulholland and Barrie for jokes in the monologue; head writer Steve Young; submitting for Bill maher; Curb Your Enthusiasm; Larry David getting him a job copying documents; writing a spec scene for Seinfeld and being told it was too sitcommy; Larry Charles; the horror that was Thicke of the Night and Late Show with Joan Rivers; Joan is replaced by Arsenio Hall; Wayne gets fired then hired by Jay Leno with jokes from a monologue he was going to use; being hired as a full time Tonight Show writer working when Jay Leno guest hosts; Joe Toplyn; how to get into show business; Christopher and David Lloyd; loses jobs to Twitter users; Alan Thicke stories; Jay v. Dave: personalities

Mike Sacks joined me to talk about his comedy idol, Chris Elliot; his books being autobiographies of characters he's assuming; Andy Kaufman; how his books fooled his father; Tulane; his magazine writing; self publishing "Stinker Lets Loose"; "And Here's the Kicker"; Buck Henry; Jack Handey; Robert Smigel; mean comedy; Jesse Watters; his character, Skippy Battinson; Don Rickles; right wing comedy; Dennis Miller; comedy nerds; co,edy throughout time does not punch down; comedians as comedy writers; "Sex:Our Bodies, Our Junk"; Poking a Dead Frog; Mel Brooks; Jim Downey; talking about writers personal favorite wprk; The New Show; perking up interviewees; cold calling interviews; Peg Lynch; loneliness of writers; his tough time getting women to respond to an interview; Anne Beatts; novelizations; seeing early drafts; Paul Feig; audio version of "Stinker Lets Loose"; being prolific; "method" writing; OCD; Donald Trump; Mel Brook's helping young writers; Alan Spencer; George Meyers; Arthur Meyer; Chris Elliot

Randy Cohen joins me to talk about the creation of the Top 10 List; growing up in Reading, Pennsylvania; going to Cal Arts to study music and having little talent for it; betting on Johnny Carson's monologues; being a Knicks fan; the solitary life of a writer; first article about Japanese game shows; Modest Proposals a book of satirical letters; meeting the Pope; his first two books; not working with Steve Martin; wanting to end being a freelancer; staying up to watch Letterman; submitting a packet to NBC; not liking Small Town News; having fun appearing on camera; Steve O'Donnell always making him play a doctor; Merrill Markoe's brand of humor; lack of diversity in the writing room; Merrill's structure of pieces lasted after she did; "Late Night in Tokyo"; "Monkey Cam Show"; Dr. Ruth objects to the monkey; "The English Dub Show"; Randy's attempt to do an episode recast; Bad Phone Calls segment; G.E. Handshake; the crew made your piece funnier; man who's; Chris Elliot; leaving in 1990; TV Nation; The Ethicist; most of his writing is under 1000 words; his play The Punishing Blow; being the head writer for the first year of The Rosie O'Donnell Show; his radio show Person Place or Thing

Steve Young joined me tot talk about his Emmy; his influences; watching Letterman as a teenager for the first time; going to Harvard; Conan O'Brien and the Harvard Lampoon; the Lampoon Castle; his submission; first National Lampoon piece; not  being a comedy nerd; Not Necessarily the News; The Rachel Sweet Show; sending a submission packet to Late Night in 1990; being the utility guy; man who's; writing Alan Kalter's coming ups; have Dave affected my memory; Steve teaching at NYU and bringing David Letterman as a guest; Massapequa and Joey Buttafuoco; Jerry Seinfeld; the move to CBS; the constantly changing nature of the show; show becomes more political; Paul Shaffer; his Simpsons episode; ave's Record Collection; finding industrial musicals - musicals written for company functions; his book Everything's Coming Up Profits; documentary Bathtubs Over Broadway; new records collected since documentary; his families reaction; how the documentary was seen by critics, family, and David Letterman; that many people have seen one of these shows; John Roarke does Dave at conventions; why the industrial shows stopped; short films he wrote and starred in; his beard; how Letterman hired from within All clips thanks to the generosity of Mr. Young himself. The book: https://www.amazon.com/Everythings-Coming-Up-Profits-Industrial/dp/0922233446/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=everything+coming+up+profits&qid=1646004646&s=books&sprefix=everythings+coming+u%2Cstripbooks%2C63&sr=1-2  Bathtubs over Broadway on Amazon Prime

Anson Williams joins me to talk about drowsy driving and his invention Alert Drops; his uncle Henry Heimlich and getting his Heimlich maneuver on the Merv Griffin Show; the shooting on Alec Baldwin's set; his famous McDonald's commercial; Happy Days v. Good Times ratings battle; favorite episodes of Happy Days ("Fonzie's Friend", "And they Called it Potsie Love"); the difficulty of performing Pumps Your Blood; his 1977 hit "Deeply"; the theme to Laverne & Shirley; Milwaukee & the Bronze Fonz; being nominated for a Golden Globe; Henry Winkler winning an Emmy for Barry after many years of not getting one for Happy Days; dating Susan Ford (Gerald Ford's daughter); his autobiography Singing to a Bullfrog; his teenage mentor, Willie Turner; teenage groupies; Harvest Time; Hollywood Squares at the Hollywood Museum; guesting on Hollywood Squares; $10,000 Pyramid, and the Magnificent Marble Machine; directing career of 300 television episodes; The Secret Life of the American Teen with Shailene Woodley; Harvest Times; and his variety show pilot Anson & Lorrie. 

Norm Hiscock joins me to talk about his comedy influences: Bugs Bunny, Monty Python, SNL, and the Mary Tyler Moore Show; liking comedy but not performing; meeting Mark McKinney and forming an improv group; Bruce McCulloch joins; the group goes to Toronto; Bruce and Mark joining SNL writing staff in 1985, launching Kids in the Hall; running out of material and Norm joining; favorite Monty Python sketch; King of Broken Promises; To Do List; writing Brain Candy while on SNL; Mark McKinney playing Lorne as the bad guy in Brain Candy; Norm joins SNL; not writing The Paradox car commercial; bringing Mark McKinney's characters Darrill and Melanie (in a controversial sketch) to SNL; his first sketch on his first show; Hi-C & Turkey; David Koechner's character T-Bone; Naked Trucker and T-Bone Show; The Fops; Bob Newhart; Norm MacDonald; Dan Aykroyd; Denver Airport Sketch; Martha Stewart's Topless Christmas; moving to King of the Hill; "And they Called it Bobby Love" wins an Emmy; "Bobby Goes Nuts"; King of the Hill not being another Simpsons; different comedy rhythms; Alice, I Think; The Altar Boy Gang; Corner Gas; other Canadian sitcoms; walking on eggs; re-watching Mary Tyler Moore & Andy Griffith Show; Green Acres; Parks and Recreation; Jerry Gurgich; Audrey Plaza; the best cast he ever worked with; Brooklyn 99; Scully & Hitchcock; Trailer Parker Boys, Kids in the Hall reboot; Space Force; not going to SNL 40

Jeff and I talk about the "Atomic Shakespeare" episode of Moonlighting; Night Court memories; the origin of Duckman; writing 7 days a week for 6 months (Duckman and Radioland Murders); getting Jason Alexander to play Duckman; why he loved writing it; a possible reboot; the writing staff; how he and Ron have kept a 40+ year partnership; how they work; Mork & Mindy yearly reunions; Gina Hecht; CNN History of Sitcoms; Meet Joe Black written as a screwball comedy for Tom Cruise and Gene Hackman; Bo Goldman lengthens it, takes out humor, becomes three hour epic with Brad Pitt and Sir Anthony Hopkins; Cupid; writing second episode and being show runners; Jeremy Piven's bad behavior gets them fired; The West Wing; meeting with Aaron Sorkin; agreeing to run writer's room; Aaron Sorkin's micro-managing cause Jeff & Ron to quit; working on a pilot for John Cleese; working with Larry Gelbart on a TV version of Network with James Garner; being told single cam's won't work; being asked to inject comedy into She Spies; being told the comedy is hurting She Spies internationally; writing a pilot like Succession in 2003 with characters based on Ted Turner and Rupert Murdoch; Jason Alexander in a Hart to Hart reboot; script doctoring Just My Luck for Lindsay Lohan & Chris Pine; current proijects; great pilot scripts vs. star driven "ok" pilots; weirdness of Duckman vs. family of The Simpsons

John joins me to talk about his book Stand Up Guys and making it like the book the Last Laugh; how comedians "learned" their craft; Elaine Boosler; his mentor comedy mentors; Ronnie Shakes; Larry David; Richard Lewis; auditioning for the Improv; Bill Maher; crowd work; dealing with hecklers; Rita Rudner; Gilbert Gottfried; Andy Kaufman; not watching Man in the Moon; Richard Belzer; his Strat 'O' Magic Srand Up League; Bob Costas; Drew Carey; Max Alexander; Dennis Wolfberg; having strangers give Gilbert Gottfried a dollar; Saturday Night Live - Joe Piscopo, Gilbert Gottfried, Eddie Murphy & Hal Wilner; writing Weekend Update; The SNL/Fridays rivalry tries to hurt John and Larry David's friendship; Billy Crystal Comedy Hour; Into the Night starring Rick Dees; DC Follies; John Roarke; Steve Barker; The Good Life with John Mendoza; writing a dark take on The Flintstones for Billy that was nixed by censors;  Make Me Laugh; comedy today; Jackie Martling; his travel schedule; Joe Piscopo

Michael Short talks to me about how the "attic" comedy tapes he made with his brother Marty led to him being hired on SCTV; joining the show in series 3; writing the Earl and Floyd segments; Stretch Your Arm; getting hired by John Candy to write on Big City Comedy the Monday after SCTV wrapped; Margaret Trudeau; returning to SCTV for the second US cycle; pitching Great White North Palace and winning the Emmy; playing Mike the Bartender on the Cinemax season; the anonymity of working for SCTV;  Jim Carrey almost joins the Cinemax cast; working with Jonathan Winters; Speed Zones; Dave Thomas Show; how working for the former Christian Broadcast Company (then Family Channel) let some things by on Maniac Mansion; NBC executives ruin the Martin Short Show; the evolution of Jiminy Glick; working with Jan Hooks; having to make sure he was fired from the Bonnie Hunt Show; casting Bonnie for an unaired Dave Thomas pilot; working on Mad TV with Artie Lange; being too edgy for Wayne Brady; pitching "Pimp My Outhouse" for Blue Collar TV; reality TV; being the first writer hired for Schitt's Creek and being (with Dan Levy) the only one who was there for the whole series; winning the Emmy for best comedy, but COVID keeping him away

Arthur and I discuss being able to name the host and musical guest for SNL by date; our love of SNL; the Presidential Bash of 1992; the first episode he ever saw; why he loves SNL; his audition in 2018; Dick Van Dyke Show; George Carlin; Norm MacDonald; Meyers Kids Night - his show he and his sisters put on in front of their parents; Wilmette, Illinois; Jim Downer; Robert Smigel; working on Jimmy Fallon's bit for the SNL 40th Anniversary Opening and being a seat filler; he and I tell Brush with Sudeikis stories; MLB Umpires; ugly ballplayers; Panagea 3000; coming up with First Drafts of Comedy for Jimmy Fallon; my late night packet; working with Steve Martin; Shaquille O'Neal; favorite cast members; who wrote what sketch; underrated cast member; '94 - '95 season; getting to use the "vomit hose"; SNL trivia; Lorne Michaels; singing the Beatles with Bridey Elliot; running a Kinks email project; host/musical guest combos on Twitter; Don Pardo trivia; rare SNL episodes; being nervous going bad to 30 Rock; process of creating Thank You Notes and Superlatives; his Comedy Central pilot

Ilene Graff joined me to discuss going to grade school and high school with my parents and Lowell Ganz; Queens; Mays Department Store; getting a job on Broadway right after college graduation; Promises, Promises; Jill & Jenny O'Hara; Grease with co-stars Jeff Conaway, Barry Bostwick and occasionally John Travolta; not getting to audition for the movie because she was thought of as too old and then have an older actress get the job; working on I Love My Wife with Joanna Gleason and Lenny Baker; moving to Hollywood; guest starring on Brothers & Sisters; getting cast in the ill-fated Supertrain; there is many Supertrain podcasts but not one Mr. Belvedere; Mr. Belvedere's fans; Lewis & Clark; Wendy Holcombe; 13 13th Avenue; Bob Uecker makes Belvedere a go; Ilene's favorite episodes - singing with Robert Goulet; Belvedere's Very Special Episode; libraries; ratings; disastrous move to Saturdays; Rodney Dangerfield; her and her husbands class Making the Song Your Own; her annual holiday concert; watching Mr. Belvedere with my daughter; Brice Beckham's comic timing; adults on Belvedere creating a family atmosphere; what her TV kids are doing now; performing with her grandniece and Lora Tu-Chan from Awkwafina is Nora from Queens.

Brian McConnachie joined me to talk about early influences; Kukla, Fran & Ollie; Catholic prep school discipline; going to NY to sell his cartoons; Kit & Kaboodle; Alcoholic's Christmas; Heading for Trouble; Cochise at Oxford; Neglectful Mother Magazine; Guns & Sandwiches; Weight Waddlers; Tell Debbie; National Lampoon Radio Hour; Moby Dick; parodying Broadway shows; leaving the National Lampoon; watching the first SNL; doing a live PBS presentation of Rhapsody in Blue (with lyrics); his first wee, at SNL; getting a sketch on; Frank Zappa; a lost Emily Litella sketch; Name Those Bats; Veterans of Foreign Hairstyles; appearing on camera; Mr. Mike's Mondo Video; Lorne almost cancels a piece making fun of a sponsor; Caddyshack leads Brian not to come back for the 5th season; being over-payed by Caddyshack; Rodney Dangefield; SCTV v. SNL; winning an mmy and having Milton Berle mispronounce your name; Vikings & Beekeepers; Strange Brew; Max von Sydow; an unaired SCTV sketch parodying Harold Pinter; Woody Allen; Shining Time Station; regretting not meeting George Carlin; Bill Murray; how he wrote an episode of The Simpsons and one written about him; and his humor magazine American Bystander.

Harry Shearer joined me to talk about radio as a default outlet; doing all parts of his Le Show; having a studio in his homes; Apologies of the Week; Randy Bass; Colin Powell Tribute Show; talking to whistle blowers; his impressions of Presidents Reagan, George HW Bush, Donald Trump, and George W. Bush; only seeing the Godfather last year and never seeing Titanic or Star Wars; Tom Leopold's Conversion Roast and how he created his rabbi character for it; how 9/11 changed Le Show; lack of censorship; radio stations; Credibility Gap's Tonight Show parody "Where's Johnny?"; Night the Lights Stayed on in Pittsburgh; "Cracking Up"; "Who's On First"; Fernwood Tonight; Fred Willard; K-Time; Synchronized Swimming; The Day the Clown Cried v. Thicke of the Night; Tom Snyder; the infamous Cougerand sketch on SNL; OJ Simpson and the creation of the term "the n word"; Dr. Hibbert; "Excellent"; Laverne & Shirley; The Credibility Gap teaches statistics; Private Secretary; first paycheck