David Misch joins me to talk about directing Tales from the Darkside and Monsters; written humor; the Marx Brothers; being a funny folk singer; Sommerville; being managed by Rollins & Jaffe; Piper Houser; Jay Leno; Andy Breckman; Mork & Mindy; writing his first episode; Robin's ad-libs; writing the scenes on Happy Days for the Mork pilot; "Mork Gets Exposed", Jeff Altman; writing a pilot for a late night talk show with David Letterman; Letterman and Raquel Welch guest star on Mork; "The Mork Syndrome"; Gina Hecht & Jay Thomas; Exxidor; Police Squad comes from M Squad; "Ring of Fire"; Callahan; his two weeks as a guest writer on SNL; Larry David; smoking pot in the offices; Ed Bluestone; John Belushi's cameo on Police Squad; Jerry Lewis; Muppets Take Manhattan; Little Shop of Horrors; Funny the Book; the comedy rule of 3; comedy not getting its due; Robert Wuhl; Rick Moranis; Oscars; Duckman;

Tom Tenowich joined me to talk about Jack Benny; writing jokes in high school; meeting and writing for Jackie Vernon and Jackie Mason; Rodney Dangerfield; writing for The Dom DeLuise Show and the Jackie Gleason Show; doing Tiny Tim on Gleason; leaving to write for The Golddiggers; joining The Dean Martin Show; Vernon's Viewing Room; Bob Newhart; writing the roasts; Jack Benny's 1st Farewell Special; Tom not being intimidated but impressed by the personas of Gleason and Dean Martin; Dean's rehearsals; Phyllis; The Bob Newhart Show; Mork & Mindy "Mork's Mixed Emotion"; critics and Robin diss Mork as a kiddie show; Robin and ad-libbing; Robin going over studio time; "The Night They Raided Minky's"; moral at the end of the show; Exidor; Foster Brooks; Dorf; Jay Leno; Davd Letterman; Tom's daughter Amy becomes a semi-regular; Lewis  & Clark; Check it Out; Perfect Strangers; Cheers; John Cleese; Bob Ellison;  Barney Miller; Saved by the Bell being inspired by Ferris Bueller; creating the character of A.C. Slater; casting Tiffany Amber Thiessen, Elizabeth Berkeley, and Mario Lopez; "Jessie's Song"; using the show to talk about environmentalism; Casey Kasem; Tom's wife's unfortunate accident, misdiagnosis and subsequent changing of marital roles; and writing a book about the experience.   The book Crutches Tipped Banana Peels Laugh can be purchased here: https://www.amazon.com/Crutches-Tipped-Banana-Peels-Laugh/dp/1734952407/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=tom+tenowich&qid=1631389367&sr=8-1

Lowell Ganz joined me to discuss how watching classic sitcoms was his "college"; his parents reaction to his constant TV watching; meeting Mark Rothman; Mark Rothman's dad giving a script they wrote to Jack Klugman and Tony Randall who gave it to Garry Marshall; getting hired, fired and rehired by The Odd Couple; "The Ides of April" and "Fear of Flying"; moving to Happy Days; writing the experimental three camera episode "Fonzie Gets Married"; going to # 1; introducing Laverne & Shirley; not realizing these characters could be spun off; test pilot scene; favorite episodes; meeting Michael McKean and David L. Lander and sneaking Lenny & Squggy past ABC; Busting Loose; giving new writers their first jobs; Cindy Begel; his skill at joke memory; The Ted Knight Show; The Lovebirds; The Rita Moreno Show; directing; going back to Happy Days; Ron Howard talks about directing; burning down Arnolds; how he personalized the news article that turned into "Night Shift";  Babaloo Mandel; "Splash"; changing Bruce Jay Friedman's original script; Oscars; Writer's Guild Lifetime Achievement Award; Red Buttons; Garry Marshall puts older writers in the room; Danny Thomas; A Happy Days episode gets Tom Hanks "Splash"; Working Stiffs gets Michael Keaton "Night Shift"; "Spies Like Us"; George C. Scott; Lowell's roles in "Splash" & "Parenthood"; Bpb Hope; Phil Silvers; "realness" of "Parenthood"; closes movie to him; unsurity of box office appeal; "City Slickers"; Rick Moranis has to drop out; Bruno Kirby will play either role; David L. Lander; "A League of their Own"; a bad review; ballplayers love it; Penny Marshall's directing"; 5 TV shows from his movies; how his characters are done to him after the movie finishes; "City Slickers II"; "Fever Pitch"; making like less misogynistic than book; ending changing to mirror real life; Mr. Saturday Night the Musical; Garry Marshall's Memorial Service"

Arnold Margolin joined me to discuss his upbringing; favorite radio shows; first time watching TV; working as an office boy on Broadway; being an understudy in a William Saroyan play and going on; Garson Kanin offering him a role in the original Diary of Anne Frank; moving to LA; Garry Marshall offers him a job and a partner; My Mother the Car; Hey Landlord; Andy Griffith Show; He & She; writing Disney movies; Love, American Style; Star Spangled Girl; writing an episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show which was a backdoor pilot for Bill Dailey; a pilot with Don Knotts & Eve Arden; trying to salvage the McLean Stevenson Show; pilot- The Dooley Brothers with Shelley Long; problems with Eileen Brennan on Private Benjamin; Growing Pains; One Big Family; That Girl; drug problems on Webster; working with a young Sally Field and Michael Constantine; how Joey Bishops not liking a friends script lead to him writing roast jokes that Garry Marshall saw; writing the Adventures of Mary Kate and Ashley; Between Love & Honor about Crazy Joe Gallo.

John Roarke and I discussed early impressionists; Vaughn Meader; audio taping impressions off TV; his stand up act; old vs. young Groucho; getting Fridays; playing Woody Allen in his first sketch; how voices stay in your head and supplant your voice; "Diner of the Living Dead"; "Brotherhood of Men Who Hum Between Words"; his Reagan; Johnny Carson wants his wig when Fridays is cancelled; Three Stooges on Drugs; "A Night in Teheran"; "Road to El Salvador"; "Star Wars Memories"; musical guests; Peter Fonda; Ruth Buzzi; guest hosts; having enough material to withstand the 1981 writer's strike; Dick Ebersol tries to poach the cast; "Ronnie Horror Picture Show"; tape trading episodes vs. Shout Factory release; my crew jacket; "Altered Statesman"; his Bob Hope; riffing with Dave Thomas; Johnny Carson impersonations; Out of This World; DC Follies; Off the Wall; Naked Gun 2 1/2; corporate shows; retirement

Bruce talks about working with Bob Odenkirk; the agony of writing (and getting credit for) Back to the Beach; Frankie Avalon;  pitching for Seinfeld and Larry David; working at Seinfeld; coming up with the idea that George Costanza would work for the Yankees; and connecting the dots that lead to Curb Your Enthusiasm`

Shelly Zellman joined me to talk about being influenced by The Mary Tyler Moore Show; writing for Donny & Marie; James at 16; Baby I'm Back; Barney Miller; the episode "The Harris Incident"; Jack Soo; When the Whistle Blows; Semi-Tough; It's a Living; Three's Company; John Ritter; Don Knotts; Nichols, Ross, & West; Jeffrey Tambor; Charles in Charge; Eisenhower & Lutz; FM' Allan Burns; Newhart; Ann Jillian Show; Dear John; William Sanderson's good luck charm; Bob Newhart & John Ritter; Don Rickles

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Fred Fox Jr. joined me to discuss his father, comedy writer Fred S. Fox; Bob Hope; working for Hertz; writing a spec All in the Family with Garry Shandling; working as a writer's apprentice on Laverne & Shirley; leaving for Happy Days; specific episodes: "A Shot in the Dark", "Hollywood Part III (The Jump the Shark episode)", "Potsie Gets Pinned", "Kid Stuff", "Mechanic", acting in "Stolen Melodies", "Hot Stuff"; Henry Winkler growing a beard over the summer; "RC & LB Forever", "A Little Case of Revenge" (Tom Hanks v. Fonz); "Welcome Home", and "Passages, Part II" (final episode); writing for Presenting Susan Anton; The Bad News Bears; Here's Boomer; Joanie Loves Chachii; Imps; Webster; It's Your Move - episodes "Dregs of Humanity", "Pajama Party" and "Dad and Me"; He's the Mayor; Sandy Veith vs. Northern Exposure; New Leave it to Beaver; My Secret Identity; Family Matters - Happy Days comparison, Stefan Urqel; Myrtle Urkle; Son the Beach; ageism; Broadway musical "Merry Go Round"; boos "Through Francesca's Eyes" and "You Know You're 50 When...."

Ed Scharlach joined me to talk about his sixty plus years in show business telling stories about his stepfather Harry Crane; being Jerry Lewis' assistant, writing a spec Honeymooners at 14; Please Don't Eat the Daisies; That Girl; Hey, Landlord; Captain Nice; Good Morning, World; The Ghost & Mrs. Muir; The Dean Martin Show; Odd Couple; Love, American Style; Happy Days; Chico & The Man; 3 Girls 3; Bob Hope; Mork & Mindy "Mork's Mixed Emotions", "The Night They Raided Minski's"' Tom Poston; Tom Sullivan; Lewis & Clark; George Burns Comedy Week; meeting his wife; Robert Mitchum; Duckman; Scooby Doo; his memoir; Starring! To get Ed's book: https://www.amazon.com/STARRING-Really-Famous-People-Stumbled/dp/B095LFNRCP/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=ed+scharlach&qid=1626543753&sr=8-3

Barry Rubinowitz joined me to discuss his comedy influences; writing a sketch for a competition with Lowell Ganz and Mark Rothman; being brought out by them to Hollywood; his first Happy Days; how the change from one to three camera affected the show; his episode "Tall Story"; writing for Laverne & Shirley; his favorite episode "Bachelor Mothers"; change of the Laverne & Shirley characters when they got their spinoff; Busting Loose; The Ted Knight Show; difference in professionalism between Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley; "Ah Wilderness" (HD episode); his Taxi episode "The Apartment"; Down to Earth; creating the Sanchez rule for the Writer's Guild; Rocky Road; writing for Diff'rent Strokes, Webster, and Throb; getting Marjorie Gross a job on Newhart; why it is important to have women in the writer's room; appearing on Jeopardy!; Jeopardy!  tricks; his love for the New York Mets

Eva Almos joined me to discuss TV she watched growing up; starting voice over in Canadian radio; Rick Moranis; loving voice acting the best; re-writing a line on an audition; moving to L.A. for voice overs; studying writing with Ed Scharlach and becoming his partner; Night Heat; Tony Roasto; ALF; creating a voice; Donita Donata; Swamp Thing; Larry Sanders Show; Duckman - Jason Alexander; Secret Service Guy; Michael McKean; An American in Canada; The Blobheads; Howard Busgang; What's New Scooby Doo; Uncle Joe's Cartoon Show; mentoring future animated writers and actors; taping animated programs is better in a group; Joe Flaherty; Wild Kratts; current projects; celebrities who try their own animated series

Fred Graver joined me to talk about tricking his parents into watching more TV; The Dick Van Dyke Show; going to Notre Dame; getting a job as a typist at National Lampoon; getting hired on Late Night with David Letterman; Merrill Markoe; William Wegman; 360 degree show; writing the Top 10 List; Chris Elliot; remotes; Arnie Barnes; Airplane Anniversary Show;  meeting Pete Townshend; best guests; Harvey Pekar; Crispin Glover; Sonny & Cher; working for Norman Lear on Sunday Dinner; getting hired for In Living Color; writing a Hey Mon!; writing Men on Film; Jim Carrey; writing and shooting the episodes; Super Bowl Halftime episode; Night Court; Dick Van Dyke spec script; Cheers last season and Tonight Show wrap up party

Mert Rich joined me to talk about his Emmys; growing up in Detroit; Soupy Sales; Bill Kennedy; Milton Berle; Jackie Gleason; Carl Reiner; being in one of the last Bob Newhart Shows and meeting Mary Tyler Moore at the wrap-up party; Wayne State; going into advertising; joining Second City; doing industrial films with Steven Kampmann; 1/2 Hour Comedy Hour; side jobs; auditioned for Taxi; doing a Quincy; joining SCTV Network 90; being a Juul Haalamayer Dancer; Jake LaMotta's Raging Bull BBQ; Dr. Tongue's 3D House of Beef; meeting partner Brian Pollack at the Hollywood Square - Match Game Hour; writing a parody of Footlose; writing a What's Happening Now! and a Love Boat; working with Al Jean & Mike Reiss; working on Hulk Hogan's Rock n Wrestling; learning how to use a computer on Sledge Hammer!; Jackie Cooper; episode "Dori Day Afternoon"; creating the character of Cliff's girl friend Margaret O'Keefe on Cheers; episode "What's Up, Doc?"; hanging out with Woody Harrelson; Roger Rees; writing the episode that earned Kirstie Alley an Emmy; You've Lost that Loving Feeling; Bill Medley; Roc; firing Jamie Foxx from pilot; difficulties of Roc Live!; Kurt Rambis; episode "The Stan Who Came to Dinner"; writing a pilot for John Ratzenberger; working on the George Carlin Show; Sam Simon; Brian Doyle-Murray; Sister, Sister; Sherman Helmsley; Secret Dairy of Desmond Pfeiffer; Boat Trip; The Simpsons; Sir Roger Moore; Cheers finale; On the Verge of a Wig - Out; Kirstie Alley; COVID 19;

Canadian treasure Ron James talked to me about coming to L.A.; becoming a stand up comedian; Second City cast mates; My Talk Show; Bob Tischler; Texas; George Carlin; Richard Pryor; John Cleese; having funny friends; getting advice from Lorne Michaels; Americas influence in his Canadian childhood; Nova Scotia; opening for the Martin Scorcese SCTV reunion; corporate gigs; tough crowds in Alberta; guns; January 6th; Justin Trudeau; clean water on Canadian Native American reservations; Robin Duke; knowing a show is not going well by caterer and guest stars; Chubby Checker;  a bad gig in Cancun; The Bear Pit in Edinburgh; Dennis Miller; joke context; people who think they could "try" stand-up; Nova Scotia being his tuning fork; his parents; stand up in person vs. on tv vs. sketch comedy troupes

Ron Osborn joined me to discuss his childhood as a horror fan; Art Center College of Design; giving blood for a living; meeting Jeff Reno; getting the job on Mork & Mindy and throwing up every morning; pitching stories; writing 12 Angry Appliances; 17 writers in the writers room but Robin gets credit for ad-libbing series; Robin never forgetting a joke; a typical week at Mork; Tom Poston; Too Close for Comfort; youngest writers on a staff of 6; Ted Knight; my favorite episode of Too Close; ABC tries to hip it up; Jm J. Bullock; Audrey Meadows; freelancing a Silver Spoons; Goodnight Beantown; decent ratings but still cancelled; pitching to Night Court; freelance episode leads to them getting hired; great writers room; creating the characters of Phil and The Wheelers;Selma Diamond; Ellen Foley; I Had Three Wives; having to write one more Night Court right before wedding; how I Had Three Wives led to Moonlighting; coming up with scenes on the fly; commenting on being a TV show; Bruce Willis gets the job because Rick Dees turned it down; making a scene longer to give Bruce & Cybill a day off; Allyce Beasley & Curtis Armstrong; "Atomic Shakespeare" pitch; claymation scene; writing & shooting "Atomic Shakespeare"; Paul Sorvino; Charles Rocket; 3 episode arc "Sam & Dave"; adding Curtis Armstrong; "Casablanca" homage episode; Cybill Shepherd's pregnancy changes the series; working with Eva Marie Saint; Dennis Dugan; leaving the show; Goldie and the Bears - the lost Hulk Hogan pilot; selling a Charlies Angels story; working with George Lucas on Radioland Murders;

Marc Sotkin and I discuss his books The Comatose Adventures of Lenny Rose and With Time Off for Bad Behavior; the final season of Laverne & Shirley; Larry Breeding; coming to LA and joining the Off the Wall comedy troupe; getting hired for Sirota's Court and moving to Laverne & Shirley; Phil Foster; Blansky's Beauties; Working Stiffs; I'm A Big Girl Now; working with Danny Thomas; having a bit part on Laverne & Shirley; writing two specials with Garry Shandling; It's A Living; Ann Jillian; Crystal Bernard; Sheryl Lee Ralph; how not gelling with Bill Maher on a pilot script led to getting The Golden Girls; how working with the ladies was different than on Laverne & Shirley; episodes he wrote: Ebb Tide; Bill Dana; favorite jokes; Golden Palace; replacing Alexei Sayle with Cheech Marin; Don Cheadle and the episode Camp Town Races Aren't Nearly as Much Fun as They Used to Be; The Sinbad Show; Platypus Man; First Time Out; You Wish; Charles in Charge; his internet series Boomer Alley; his graphic novel The Improbables; his short film, The Decision; and what he's working on now. His books, TV scripts, and The Improbables cartoon can be found on marcsotkin.com

Ellen Foley discusses her early career; The National Lampoon Show; Jim Steinman; Paradise by the Dashboard Light; 3 Girls 3; Hair; Night Out; Kenny Everrett Video Show; Spirit of St. Louis; Tootsie; Night Court; Married to the Mob; teaching in the School of Rock; and her new album, Fighting Words. PS: Sorry for the interference on Ms. Foley's IPhone.

Patrick Harburgh talks about his upbringing in Buffalo' being a ski instructor in Aspen; learn how to write a script; getting hired on Greatest American Hero; creating the character name BA Baracus for the A-Team; creating Hardcastle and McCormick, Destination America; 21 Jump Street (tv and movies); working with young Johnny Depp, George Clooney and Brad Pitt; Aspen Extreme; Sea Quest; The Net; his two books Aspen Pulp and Pirata; not knowing who Steven J. Cannell was when he hired him; 

Dean Friedman joined me to discuss his musical influences; "Ariel";  "Company"; "Lucky Stars"; "S & M";  "McDonald's Girl"; "Hey Larry"; Complete Guide to Synthesizers, Sequencers, and Drum Machines; virtual reality; creating the game Eat-A-Bug and 12 others for Nick Arcade; doing the scores for the UK TV show Boon, I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle, and Eerie Indiana; "Son of Abraham"; crowd-sourcing albums; making money in the music industry; "The Bastard Son of Dean Friedman" and "A Baker's Tale; playing music with your children; All request Zoom concerts; 

Dennis Danziger discusses when he went one on one against Kobe Bryant; studying play writing in the University of Texas at Austin; moving to NY; being a sports junkie; writing an episode of The White Shadow; not remembering Open All Night; how a one act play with Rhea Perlman led to a job on Taxi; writing a pilot After George for Susan St. James; writing an episode of Empire; Kate & Allie; Homeland; and Foley Square; writing a Melba; the unorthodox story of "Daddy, Diary of an Expectant Father"; writing for My Sister Sam and the People Next Door; Antonio Sacre; being one of George HW Bush's Points of Life for his volunteerism; the Pops Club; "The Short History of the Tall Jew"; The Good Men Project; inequality between majority white, black and Hispanic students in LA; The Richard Nixon Sex Tapes - a series of one act plays; Shalom Vietnam

Chris Butler joined me to talk about Devil's Glitch, the world's longest song; seeing The Who on Shindig changing his life; how Broadway showtunes showed him how to write a song; being in an integrated band in the 1960's; going to Kent State; The Kent State Massacre; playing college clubs; 3 one hour sets anight; being friends with Devo, Joe Walsh, and Terry & Chrissy Hynde; writing "I Know What Boys Like" as a member of Tin Huey; recording "I Know What Boys Like"; touring; "Christmas Wrapping" and its surprise success; reacting to reaction videos of "I Know What Boys Like" and  "Christmas Wrapping"; writing the theme song and appearing on the pilot of Square Pegs; being the bandleader on One Drink Minimum; living in Jeffrey Dahmer's childhood home; and "aging" out of New York

Jay Kogen joined me to discuss his father comedy writer Arnie Kogen; making his TV debut on the Dean Martin Show; apearances on The Bob Newhart Show & Newhart; being a recurring character on The Bronx Zoo; being a production assistant on It's Garry Shandling Show with writing partner Wallace Woolodarsky; pitching sketches for The Tracey Ullman Show; he and Wally get hired for The Simpsons; writing "Homer's Odyssey"; how "Krusty Gets Busted" had to have a good mystery; the first "Treehouse of Horror"; watching the Simpsons now; George Meyers; Audrey Meadows; writing "Like Father, Like Clown" for Jackie Mason; creating the 1st Annual Montgomery Burns Award; Dental Plan - Lisa Needs Braces; writing for Sibs, The Single Guy; writing The Wrong Guy; winning a Humanitas Award for an episode of Frasier; Henry Danger; School of Rock; Punky Brewster, and his son's music

Shelly Clark White joined me to talk about her musical parents; being on Broadway at 7; touring with Cab Calloway; studying opera; being an Ikette; working for Little Richard; singing backup on "MacArthur Park" and with Dusty Springfield; the origins of Honey Cone; hedging her bet by joining the Jim Nabors Show; "Want Ads" goes to #1; Ray Parker Jr.; performing on the first episode of Soul Train; singing with George Burns on The Tonight Show; performing on Sonny & Cher; Hot City; meeting and eventually marrying her husband Verdine White of Earth, Wind and Fire; working for Eddie Murphy Productions of the pilot to the "Coming to America" tv series and "What's Allen Watching?" pilot; 2014 Soul Train Cruise; honors and Awards; reforming the Honey Cones. Web Site https://www.thehoneycone.com/

Bruce joins me to talk about the beginning of his career writing for "Donny & Marie" and "Fridays" as well as being head writer for "The Ben Stiller Show"

Bobby Rydell joined me to talk about being from Philadelphia; Kissin' Time; Wild One; reaction videos; Perry Como; his and the other Golden Boys of Bandstands affect on women; The Ed Sullivan Show; A World without Love; Bye, Bye, Birdie; Australia; impressions; George Burns; Sammy Davis Jr.; Michael Buble; My Way; The Great American Songbook; Buddy Rich; Dick Clark; touring after COVID;  his near death experience; and singing Happy Mothers Day to You to my mom. Note - Unfortunately, Mr. Rydell's mike cut in and out during the beginning and end of the interview. For his tour dates visit www.bobbyrydell.com

Howard Gewirtz joined me to talk about his name; Oliver Beene; growing up in Rego Park, NY; working for the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's television station; writing a spec script for a George Carlin sitcom; writing for Busting Loose; We're on Our Own; Co-Ed Fever; writing a spec script for Taxi and getting hired; Taxi episode "Shut it Down Part I & II"; writing a Three's Company; writing for Latka; Mr. Personalities; using a UCLA psychologist for research and getting Dr. Joyce Brothers to play the psychologist; casting his and Ian Praiser's mothers in "Sceneskees from a Marriage"; his favorite Latka episode "Latka the Revolutionary"; Carol Kane as Simka; working with Tom Hanks on the episode "The Road Not Taken" and Martin Short on The Associates and "Jim Joins the Network"; J. Alan Thomas; him guest starring in "Of Mice and Tony"; creating Domestic Life with Ian Praiser, Steve Martin & Martin Mull; working with Sylvia Sidney; Down and Out in Beverly Hills; his Simpsons episode "Homer Defined"; Sibs; The Larry Sanders Show; Wings; and his upcoming novel.

Simpsons legend Al Jean joined me to talk about Get Smart; his  submission for the Harvard Lampoon; getting hired to the National Lampoon; Airplane II; Not Necessarily the News; writing for The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson; Carnac jokes; bitch McNuggets; Charles in Charge; the dangers of being on Alf; Sledge Hammer; It's Garry Shandling's Show; getting hired on The Simpsons; the "classic" writers room; becoming show runner in season 3; episodes: The Way We Was; Uncut Femmes; Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington; Tell-Tale Head; Lisa's Sax; hot water heaters; being renewed for season 33 & 34; Daddicus Finch; Homer;'s Barbershop Quarter; the Simpsons getting a Kennedy Center Honor; second choice's being better - Leonard Nimoy, Phil Hartman, Lionel Richie, Steve Sax; possible return of Uncle Herb (Danny DeVito); Sideshow Bob; Kelsey Grammer; Joe Mantegna; Jon Lovitz; The Critic; Doris Grau

Stacey Nelkin joined me to talk about her upbringing; Stuyvesant High School; being cut from Annie Hall, Celebrity, and Deconstructing Harry; Bullets Over Broadway; CHiPS; Like Mom, Like Me; Triangle Factory Fire Scandal; The Chisholms; California Dreaming; The Last Convertible; Serial; Martin Mull & Bill Macy;  Up the Academy; Children of Divorce; Wonderful World of Disney; John Putch; her talent with dialects and languages; Going Ape!; Jessica Walter (who passed away the day before); Halloween III: Season of the Witch; Yellowbeard; dating Peter Cook; getting propositioned by David Bowie; Sunset Limousine; hanging out with John Ritter, Paul Reiser, and Martin Short; Joyce Hyser & Ellen Barkin; The Jerk, Too; TLC; The A-Team; Murder She Wrote; 1st and Ten; OJ Simpson & Marcus Allen; how writing a book about relationships led to her being a relationship and parenting expert on Fox News; her addictions; how her fathers death from an overdose led her to give back to the addicted,

"Cosby Show" producer and "Home Improvement" creator Carmen Finestra joined me to talk about his comedy upbringing; his first job filling in for Herve Villechaize; Joe Cates; making funny fire warnings; Johnny Cash & Friends; his first sketch is ruined when Johnny reads the cue cards wrong; meeting Steve Martin & Jim Varney; Sha Na Na; Chico & The Man; The Harvey Korman Show; Joe & Valerie; Mel & Susan Together; The King of Kensington; The Love Boat residuals; working with Johnny Cash & Andy Kaufman; Good Times; Highcliffe Manor; writing with Steve Martin & Jack Handy; Angie; Hank Aaron; Ladies Man; Harvey Miller; Twilight Theater; Pat Proft & Neal Israel; It's Not Easy; Punky Brewster; how Brandon was trained; getting hired for The Cosby Show; how Cosby worked; President Reagan learns not to preempt Cosby; how Cosby led to the success of Family Ties, Cheers, and Night Court; the Slumber Party episode and Peter; Danny Kaye; Red Buttons; Say Hello to Goodbye set a ratings recordhe guest stars; Anthony Quinn; Sammy Davis, Jr.; Earle Hyman, Roscoe Lee Browne, and Christopher Plummer do Shakespeare; The Muppets ; Sonia Braga; Tim Allen gets Carmen and Matt's idea for a sitcom; Home Improvement is cast and cast again; Carmen re-imagines Thunder Alley for Ed Asner, Buddies for Dave Chapelle and Soul Man for Dan Aykroyd;

Mark joined me to discuss Al Franken; growing up in Buffalo; moving to LA; quitting his day job; his stand up material; meeting Dennis Miller; how finding your voice is difficult when you're writing for someone else; getting The Dennis Miller Show; Bob Odenkirk; Mum & Shanz; Herb Sargent; being brought on to The Chevy Chase Show; Chevy farts on FOX execs; performing in front of 12 people including Richard Lewis & Albert Brooks;his SNL showcase; his parents take on his material; screwing with Adam Sandler right before he was to go on; helping Will Forte out of his contract to go to SNL; Robert Smigel; David Letterman; meeting Bonnie & Terry Turner; getting hired for 3rd Rock; creating Mr. Rhodes and  having to stay there; how TV portrays teacher; tech schools; demographics should not supercede poverty; old textbooks; racism in the US; the Royal Family; Bernie Sanders; casting Topher Grace; casting Mila Kunis; guest stars Betty White, Tom Poston, Charo, Tanya Roberts and the one that got away; chickening out on meeting Aerosmith; having to write George Harrison''s acceptance speech with him; Chris farley; Eric, Donna & Hyde triangle he hated; trying to "Urkel" Fez; women in America; his mom suffers discrimination; cancel culture; The Birth of A Nation vs. Birth of a Nation; Betsy DeVos; the old Republicans; Bill Clinton becomes corporatist; the Capitol defecation; Republican swingers; humiliation is funny; my favorite scene from That 70's Show; lasting friendships; what he watches now; sports; The Simpsons; being held accountable for what you did as a teenager; forgiveness; Kevin Spacey; cancelling Dancing with the Stars;  Lab Rats; Grateful Dead jokes; Drake Sather; meeting and working for your heroes

Rich Halke and William Lucas Walker joined me to talk about their influences (William - Dick Van Dyke & Gilligan's Island and Rich HBO Comedy Hours); family members and friends who are funnier than you; Rich Rosenstock; David Lloyd & Jay Sandrich; how writing for The Jackie Thomas Show got William a job on Roseanne; Norm MacDonald; the Gilligans Island - Roseanne mash up; starting Sundays at 7; Rich meets Carmen Finestra; Eddie Maxwell; Fred Fox Sr,; George Balzer; Sidney Resnick and the importance of family; bringing a baby to the Friars Club; Leonard Stern; Carl Reiner tells many stories, one about Danny Simon's sons head size; Treva Silverman; the genesis of The Mary Tyler Moore Show;  Treva saves the day on MTM many times and gives great notes; Bob Carroll and Marilyn Pugh Davis; Korby Siamis & Tom Fontana influence Bill; Rich helps start the Television Academy Interview webpage; William talks about working with June Lockhart & Milton Berle; William's Frasier episode Roz's Krantz & Gouldenstein Are Dead; James Earl Jones; Irma Kalish writes Maude's abortion, Bob Newhart nixes one on his show; Garry Marshall; Michelle Pfeiffer's hands; Ed Asner; David Lloyd saves Frasier; Allan Burns, Treva Silverman saves Kathleen Turner; Home Improvement's pilot; casting decisions; Michael Fishman; Glenn Quinn; how to write a spec script; what these dinners mean to them.

Vic Kaplan joined me to talk about going to NYU, working at World News Tonight, Three's Company pilot; Dick Clark Live Wednesday; Fridays; producing stand up specials for Billy Crystal, Garry Shandling, and Robin Williams; It's Garry Shandling Show; Out of this World; doing comedy specials with Harry Anderson, Dennis Miller, Richard Lewis & Penn & Teller; Lookwell; Roc; Get Smart '95; joining Ellen for the Puppy Episode, working with Mary Tyler Moore, Ron White, and Louis CK; KC Undercover

SNL writers David Mandel, Lew Morton, and Steve Koren joined SNL archivist James Stephens and myself to discuss being the SNL era wrote about least; Al Franken mentoring Dave; learning how much politics to put in a sketch; Ross Perot; Steve Koren's progression to writer; Morwenna Banks; being in a sketch with Bill Murray; Honker meets Canteen Boy; Farley writes a sketch; Lunch Lady Land; being an extra in a monologue; NBA  sketch with Martin Lawrence; Red Hooded Sweatshirt; Joe Dicso; February 1993 star-studded lineups; sneaking into Paul McCartney's rehearsal; Herb Sargent; Weekend Update writing breakfast; Norm MacDonald; Jim Downey; Swayze v. Farley Chppendales; Jack Handey; Tuesday night stress; Wednesday read-through; producing your sketch; watching your sketch live; trimming lines; rewriting a monologue between dress and air; Eddie Vedder pitches Operaman's evil twin; You put your weed in there; Musicians to Explain Whitewater; Michael McKean; Taxi Driver: The Musical; Bob Evans Show; the nightmare Sarah Jessica Parker episode; Massapequa Goodfellas; Ian Maxtone-Graham; Jim Carrey: Hot Tub Lifeguard; Elevator Etiquette;  Bob Newhart; Monday pitch meetings; It's a Wonderful Newt; Quentin Tarantino's Welcome Back Kotter; John Travolta episode; Grease Goodnights; Planet of the Apes (Charlton Heston); Bob Newhart Goodnights; George Foreman as Hulk; Q & A monologues; George Wendt / Francis Ford Coppola episode; Charles Grodin episode; sketches that never got on; watching the show now; watching with your kids; leaving the show; hearing your jokes or bits repeated;Perspectives; Rock for Michael; celebrity impersonations; story first

Carl Gottlieb spoke to me about childhood radio and TV memories;  growing up in post WWII Manhattan; going to Syracuse University with Larry Hankin and Frank Langella; joining the Committee; making A Session with the Committee; writing for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour; winning the Emmy for a great sketch involving David Frye and Liberace; Music Scene with Groucho Marx; The Ken Berry WOW show; Flip Wilson specials; writing commercial parodies for the first three SNL's; Sammy & Company; The Absent Minded Waiter gets Carl an Oscar nomination; The Jerk; Mork & Mindy; Dr. Detroit; working with Dan Aykroyd and Howard Hesseman; The George Burns Comedy Week; being on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson; Morton & Hayes; Carl's Rules for Life

Actor, writer, producer, comedian Michael Elias joined me to discuss his new book, You Can Go Now; his fifty year friendship with Steve Martin; collaborating on Steve's stand up act and The Jerk; how Mike Nichols was supposed to direct The Jerk; how Carl Reiner changed The Jerk; Steves ad libs; Bernadette Peters; Bill Macy; a cut scene; childhood watching TV through a shop window; working as a busboy in the Catskills in the summer; forming a comedy team with Frank Shaw; appearing with The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson; how that shot got him a writing job; appearing on Playboy After Dark with Jerry Garcia; Head of the Class; The Frisco Kid; Black Bart; All's Fair; Szynyck; why Ned Beatty and Howard Hesseman were tough to work with; ABC demanding a change in Head of the Class cast in order to get fifth season; Billy Connolly; Tall Hopes with Terrence Howard; getting bumped from the Ed Sullivan Show; working with Milton Berle, Bob Hope, and George Burns; Strother Martin; Co-Ed Fever; Scared Silly; The American Snitch; Beaches; Garry Marshall; Young Doctors in Love; Hector Elizondo; Serial; performing in The Living Theater; being in The Brig off-off Broadway and in the film; Mark Lane; Dick Gregory; Dave Davies; Harry Shearer; Bob Einstein's Another Fine Mess; Lush Life; Mr. Elias book can be purschased at https://www.amazon.com/You-Can-Go-Home-Now/dp/0062954164/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=you+can+go+now&qid=1621023854&sr=8-2

Sean Kelly talked with me about Between the Lions; comic books; radio comedy; being on early TV in Canada and making him jaded to TV; being on Saturday Night Live for two weeks; Jean Doumanian; Michel Choquette getting him on the Lampoon; Bruce McCall; Canada: The Re&$2!&! Neighbor on Your Doorstep; Beaverton: Canada's humor magazine; Canadian jokes; Son O'God Comix; Zimmerman; his son, writer Chris Kelly; Matty Simmons believing tits sell magazines; National Lampoon Radio Hour; John Belushi, Brian McConnachie, George Trow, and Christopher Guest join the Radio Hour; Well Intentioned Blues; writing Lemmings with Tony Hendra; hiring Chevy Chase; Zal Yanovsky tries to kill Chevy; Chevy permanently disfigures Alice Playten; Doug Kenney; Henry Bear; Michael O'Donoghue; Tony Hendra; Brian McConnachie; at a certain age everyone's Jewish; Paul Jacobs; growing old; seeing Christopher Plummer at 17 and working with him 30 years later; Harvey Weinstein; Robert Downey Sr; Jim Downey; Sam Gross; Al Jean & Mike Reiss; Fred Graver & Kevin Curran; Ted Mann & Tod Carroll; Disco Beaver from Outer Space; Steve Martin: All Commercials; Paul Reubens & Gilbert Gottfried's SNL auditions; Ferris Butler, and some anecdotes of the problems of Saturday Night Live '80.

Andy Breckman joined me to guess whether I was a vaginal of Casearean birth; his early childhood; only being allowed to watch one show a week on TV; realizing re never had to go to school again and leaving BU; going to LA and becoming a funny folk singer; transitioning into writing; Kevin Kelton;writing Hot Hero Sandwich; being turned down by SNL in 1980; how the SNL audition packet got him the attention of Merrill Markoe; pulling an all-nighter for his Letterman packet; going through his 13 week cycle without getting anything on the air; first joke that got on Letterman; writing a bit that bombed with Jim Downey; leaving Letterman for SNL after a year and a half; writing Dutch Couple for Eddie Murphy; why its bad for writers to get credit for sketches; Larry's Corner with milk through the nose; Winston University; The Bulge; White Like Me; Mr. Monopoly; Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, and Jan Hooks' first sketch - Andy's Psychic on a Game Show sketch; Mike Myers joins the Crips; Japanese Game Show; his feud with Don McLean; his song Railroad Bill; The Misery Index; Monk; Tippy Turtle;

Denny Johnston joined me to talk about starting out as a folk singer; writing his first act; early insights on Letterman, Robin Williams, and Michael Keaton; The Merv Griffin Show; him doing the funniest thing I ever saw on panel on The Jim Nabors Show; getting on The Tonight Show but not with Johnny; Chevy Chase & Friends; All Commercials . . .A Steve Martin Special; Dirty Dirty Jokes; retiring from stand up and the Moderna vaccine

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Bob joined me to talk about his favorite TV shows growing up; not being a TV addict; USF leading to a job in news, The Guiding Light, working at Radio City Music Hall; writing a telenovela in Mexico; Night Court: writing the episodes "Death of A Bailiff" and "Hart of Stone", writing for Roz, Dan Fielding, John Astin (Buddy) and Will Utay; writing the episode "Crossroads"; writing of Good & Evil; how thirteen episodes were written and only 11 filmed; how Mark Blankfield's character angered the sightless; how comedy can hit close to home; working with Don Rickles on Daddy Dearest; Boogies Diner; Kirk; today's ratings; Social Studies and working with Julia Duffy; Night Stand with Dick Dietrich (Tim Stack); The Wrong Coast; Quackerz; bringing Married..with Children to Russia; Scorpions; and working with Stan Lee for over 20 years on The Last Resort.

Dan Vitale joined me and discussed social media presence; attention he got from Marc Maron's podcast; Lorne Michaels seeing him; his audition for The New Show; his fluctuating weight from 1986 - 1991; Cobra Kai; streaming services give more content; Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Bill Burr & Louis CK; being Lorne Michaels protege; being funnier now than when he was "hot" in the '80's because he's off alcohol and drugs and older; being listed above Norm MacDonald as a SNL cast member in Rolling Stone; growing up in Island Park, Long Island; other famous Island Park residents including Al D'Amato and the basis for Tony Soprano; where he did stand up pre Covid; living through Covid and protests; going back to college and feeling like Johnny Lawrence from Cobra Kai; IPhones; Dave Attell, memories of Don Novello and Randy Quaid; wanting to know who from his cast was invited to the 40th anniversary; Joan Cusack; Anthony Michael Hall; Damon Wayans; Jon Lovitz; Nora Dunn; Dennis Miller; Danitra Vance; Terry Sweeney;  A Whitney Brown; Jim Downey; Franken & Davis; remembering the Madonna episode and the horrible week working with Chevy Chase; being with world's largest man Michael Hebrank (1100 lbs.) at the Brookhaven Rehabilitation Center; intermittent fasting; coming back for the Ron Reagan Jr. episode; residuals; current SNL; Baldwin's Trump vs. Carrey's Biden; Taran Killam; Darrell Hammond making SNL a civil service job; Alan Zweibel; and John Murray

Entertainer, comedian, and podcaster Mark Malkoff joined me to talk his early influences; Norm Macdonald; Andy Kaufman; our fanaticism for Saturday Night Live; being in the audience for Letterman and Conan; Don Novello; Carl Reiner; Mel Brooks; Biff Henderson; working for the Late Show with David Letterman; Donick Cary; the trials of being head writer; Rich Hall; guests he's still working on; Dyan Cannon and Angie Dickinson; how he does a family friendly podcast; the work that goes into his show; being ghosted by a guest; how you never know why a guest can't make it, the "Will Ferrell curse"; Loni Anderson; how mistakes aren't aired anymore; Isabella Rossellini; Daljit Dhaliwal; K-Marr the Discount Magician; Otero; how Letterman hit the ground running; Carson guests who were never asked back; Carson v. Letterman guests; Letterman doing the show for himself vs. Leno doing it for NBC; guest hosts; Johnny's legacy; trial by fire of hosting a podcast

Jeff Abraham talked to me about the clients he had as a comedy publicist including The Amazing Jonathan, Pam Stone, Jeff Foxworthy, George Carlin, David Brenner, Andrew "Dice" Clay, Bill Maher and George Lopez; His book The Show Won't Go On - which chronicles the deaths of performers onstage including J.I. Rodale, Dick Shawn, and Parkyakarkus, The National Comedy Center, and his upcoming book on the Ritz Brothers.

We discuss Cheers using the perspective of two guys from the UK who were just born when it went of the air and me, a guy who watched it from when he was eight until it ended when he was fifteen.

Alan Safier joined me and we discussed the things we have in common; his first exposure to theater in kindergarten ; his 4th grade play; a summer camp play; Ohio University; his performance in the 30th anniversary of New Faces of 1952; working with Eartha Kitt; starring in Stop the World, I Want to Get Off with 10 year old Rob Lowe; playing John Adams in 1776; performing in Merchant of Venice and Romeo & Juliet; playing Charles Guitenau in Assassins; doing West Side Story with Tony Dow and Barrie Youngfellow; tying James Whitmore for most consecutive one man shows with three: Say Goodnight Gracie, A Christmas Carol; and Joseph - about Jesus' father; other comedians whose lives could have been one man show; meeting Rupert Holmes; getting into character as George Burns and Albert Einstein; Ethel Merman; Tom Wopat; and the Cleveland baseball team

Dennis joined me to talk about books he didn't write, the first time he watched SNL, Dan Aykroyd and the Blog Diet sketch; his sketch group Kamikaze Radio; seeing Mr. Mike and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir; the Brer Rabbit Mr. Mike sketch; Michael O'Donoghue's third season; Attack of the Atomic Lobsters; Mr. Mike's Mondo Video; Hugh Fink; Mr. Mike returns for SNL's 7th season; Dennis has Michael O'Donoghue's files; At Home with the Psychos; Fridays and how hard it is to find cast members; Rich Hall; The New Show

Dennis Blair joined me to talk about originally being a musician; his love for Steve Martin; the first time he got laughs at a gig; auditioning at Dangerfield's; opening for Rodney; writing two specials with him; helping to write Easy Money; his fallout with Rodney; starting to open for Joan Rivers; working with Garry Shandling; getting back in Rodney's graces to be in Rover Dangerfield; what to do if an audience member picks an obscure singer; what to do if a "crap" song is picked; bombing; improvising a whole show; his month long slump while opening for Carlin; Carlin premieres The Modern Man to him; parodying Paul Anka & Eminem in front of them; warming up sitcom audiences; forgetting some gigs and appearances; being in Billy Joel's tell her about it video; rescuing a drunk Rodney for a Tonight Show appearance; being a plant to yell  how tall was he; being a sounding board for Rodney's new jokes; his wife comes home and remembers some appearances