Allan Havey joined me to talk about early comedy influence; studying drama in college; coming to New York as part of a comedy team; doing stand up in New York at the time of the comedy boom; The New Show; Young Comedians; doing David Letterman; Night after Night; HBO's One Night Stand; the success of Jerry Seinfeld & Larry David; Louie; Mad Men, and Billions

Robin Duke joins me to discuss how her friendship with Catherine O'Hara led to her career in comedy; getting into Second City; SCTV - her characters Edna Hydecker, Mollie Earle and Shelley Winters; getting SNL when Catherine O'Hara bowed out; her first episode before and after the writers strike; Paulette Clooney, "Be a Ho", "Mrs. T", The Girls of Saturday Night Live; the PTSD of SNL; her Christmas Bonus courtesy of Michael O'Donoghue; Hairem Scarem; JFK sketch; The Last Polka; Club Paradise; Harold Ramis; Man Seeking Woman; Schlitt's Creek

The delightful Mary Gross talks about her love for Carol Burnett; her high school history club musical with Marilu Henner;  attending improv classes; getting on  main stage at Second City; working with Sid Caesar; Nuns on the Beach; hosting SNL Newsbreak; Marilyn Monroe singing Downers Are a Girls Best Friend; At Home with the Psychos; the Christmas bonus that wasn't,  Spitting Mad Mary Gross; Dr. Ruth; playing Mary Tyler Moore in three different sketches; The Girls of Saturday Night Live; playing Pee Wee Herman; being a guest on the Tonight Show. (Some audio was "crunched" and portions had to be cut out)

Jon and I meet to discuss all things SNL on this special episode.

Neil Levy talks abut getting the job on SNL as its 1st PA; smoking extremely strong pot; the generosity of Dan Aykroyd; the first show; George Carlin's monologue; Jane Crowley, the censor; being an extra in a jury sketch; meeting President Ford; booking Miles Davis; Frank Zappa; Louise Lasser; injuring himself as an extra in a sketch; being a Killer Bee with Elliot Gould; writing the promos, coming up next and audience captions; impressing Mr. Mike with a sketch; being a writer on the third season; Funeral Magician; booking and un-booking Carroll O'Connor; Yvonne Hudson; Paul Reubens 1979 audition; finding and getting Jean Doumanian to hire Eddie Murphy; how Eddie saved SNL; A Fiddler Be on the Roof; Altered Walter; Eddie Atari; the afterparties; Charles Rocket, Prince and the f bomb; Dick Ebersol takes over;  Dick gets Lorne's blessing; Dick hires Bob Tischler and Michael O'Donoghue; Denny Dillon bag lady sketch; Captain Beefheart and Jack Bruce & Friends; Rod Stewart; booking fear; Catherine O'Hara; Sunken Submarine; leaving the show; Rude Awakening; Lemmings Inc.

Actor-comedy writer-composer Tom Leopold

Craig Richard Nelson joined me to talk about his movie debut in The Paper Chase; Blood Sport; Marty Hartman, Mary Hartman; Maude; Fernwood Tonight; Stick Around; Barney Miller; Square Pegs;  working in 3 Robert Altman movies; Night Court; Get a Life; Another You, and Stark Trek

Ken Reid, host of the podcast TV Guidance Counselor, discusses the origin of his podcast; his theme song; childhood fears of the Incredible Hulk and Mr. Bill; meeting the original Not Ready for Prime Time players; SCTV; Fridays; New York / Massachusetts; WPIX; WSBK; Gimme A Break; and a lot more

Comedy great Hugh Fink joined me to discuss his comedy act; Silent Night Deadly Night 4; being on the last Rodney Dangerfield Special; getting SNL and writing Spade in America; working with Norm Macdonald on the Larry King sketches; sketches he's proud of; working with Tracey Morgan; his Comedy Central Present special; getting heckled by David Wells; being head writer of Late Show with Craig Ferguson; his course for aspiring sketch writers; trying to get O.J. Simpson as a correspondent for The Showbiz Show with David Spade; Parental Discretion with Stefanie Wilder-Taylor; and his current endeavor, writing sketches for corporations with and starring David Koechner. For information on Hugh's class go to www.hughfink.com

Leonard "Lenny" Rips joined me to talk about comedy as self defense; Joan Rivers giving him his first break; The Mac Davis Show; George Burns; Van Dyke & Company; Bob Einstein; Andy Kaufman; Redd Foxx; Star Wars Holiday Show; Angie; Goodtime Girls; Bosom Buddies; Rodney Dangerfield; 13 13th Avenue, Frankenweenie; What A Country; Full House; Top of the Heap; Me and the Boys; Can't Hurry Love; Blues Brothers Animated Series; Payne; Fast Food Films; The Lot; Holland Taylor; I'm With Her; the generosity of Joan Rivers

Bobby and I discuss his formative years; 60's TV; winning Best Actor for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest; Smokey Bites the Dust; Laugh Trax; The New Battlestars; 1/2 Hour Comedy Hour; Joan Collins; Jan Hooks; Dick Clark; Real Trivial Pursuit; Ted Knight and the fart machine; Dennis the Menace and being friends with Phil Hartman; The New Truth or Consequences;  Up Your Alley; The Gong Show; Murray Langston; Linda Blair; the making and killing of Repossessed; Meatballs 4 and the tragedy of Jack Nance; Count deClues Mystery Castle; Mr. Logan's current project- the biography of Rollen Fredrick Stewart, 1 Day $99 Film School. Visit his sites Bobbyworks.comQuietTime.com    LoganWolf.com    

Phil Proctor joined me to discuss his Amish roots; being a young actor; hanging with Brandon deWilde and Peter Fonda; reuniting with Peter Bergman; joining Radio Free Oz, Waiting for the Electrician or Someone Like Him; Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers; , I Think We're All Bozos On This Bus; having Steve Jobs as a fan' and his friendships with Harry Anderson, Fred Willard, and Jonathan Winters. Links Phil's autobiography https://www.amazon.com/Wheres-Fortune-Cookie-Phil-Proctor/dp/138970503X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=phil+proctor%27&qid=1606767943&sr=8-1                                                                                                                                                                His podcast https://sexyboomershow.com/                                                                                                                                                                                               Firesign's New Album https://www.amazon.com/Dope-Humor-Seventies-Firesign-Theatre/dp/B08KPYC9SY Email [email protected]       Website: planetproctor.com

Kevin and I discuss Face the Music; Fridays; Twilight Theater; Laugh Trax; No Soap, Radio; The Jeffersons; getting SNL; Eddie Murphy's showcase; getting stuff on his second show; Subliminal Advertising Sketch, Lie Detector Sketch; Chess Club Coach sketch; Trivial Pursuit sketch; being locked in Dick Ebersol's office to write Eddie Murphy's Christmas 1984 show; Christopher Guest Auctioneer Sketch, I Am Also the World, Prison Rape Sketch; Women in Prison tv show; Night Court and favorite episodes; Boy Meets World and the genius of Will Freidle; Townsend TV; Boogies Diner; Girlfriend Guy; BIFL; and what he's doing now.

Jeff Richards joined me to talk about his love and impression of David Letterman, work on Mad TV and Saturday Night Live and his briiliant deep  fake podcast  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJBnwz5JYloiL9KpaPkAWgg http://thejeffrichardsshow.com

Actor, writer, and improviser Mel Green joined me for a chat about his early life, meeting his comedy partner, his year (1980-1981)  at Saturday Night Live, working on From Cleveland and his brilliant book Marker. https://www.amazon.com/Marker-Mel-Green/dp/1452893705

I had the opportunity to interview Gary Kroeger along with friend and fellow podcaster Andrew Dick of "That Week in SNL" Gary talks about his pre-SNL days, his work on SNL, and his work afterwards

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Kimiko Gelman and I discuss her growing up on Long Island; Loving; getting cast on Rags to Riches; working on the pilot; becoming friends with Tisha Campbell; Joe Bologna; Baby Jessica; Freddy's Nightmares with Page Hannah; Baghdad Cafe with Whoopi Goldberg; The Pickle and working with Shelley Winters and Danny Aiello; getting cast in Mother and working with Albert Brooks and Debby Reynolds; The Pretender; The West Wing; CSI: Miami; The Hunger Games; filming lags and meeting Donald Sutherland in the laundry; working with Jennifer Lawrence; How to Get Away With Murder and 13 Reasons Why, The Glorias and working with Julianne Moore, Bette Midler, and Janelle Monae.

Charlie Robinson talks about his early career in music;  his stage work; early film and TV roles; Fences; Buffalo Bill and its famous (#57 all time TV show by TV Guide) Jerry Lewis episode; being added to Night Court; the concept of Mac's character; Mac's sweaters; singing and hanging out with the Rivingtons;  when Richard Moll's car broke down; directing four episodes of Night Court and 1 Love & War; and working with Mary Tyler Moore.

Margaret Oberman spoke with me about her rise to working on Saturday Night Live, writing for Eddie Murphy, Joe Piscopo and Rick Moranis; her favorite sketches; writing for Andrea Martin; writing a special that starred 21 year old Chris Rock; meeting Sammy Davis Jr.; writing Kim Kardashian's favorite movie Troop Beverly Hills; writing the original script for The Man; writing the BBC series Too Much Sun; and writing Hallmark films

Diana and I discuss The Bellinis;  Lenny (Luca Brasi) Montana; Hollywood High; auditioning for Marni Nixon Feast, Ozzie's Girls; guest starring in a memorable Happy Days, Chico and the Man, Medical Story, The First Nudie Musical, Starsky & Hutch; Paul Michael Glaser; The Love Boat pilot;  Soap; audition; cast becomes family; Hollywood Squares, Dinah!;  Perry Como’s Early American Christmas; Barney Miller; Steve Landesburg; I’m A Big Girl Now; Danny Thomas; Martin Short; People's Choice Award;  American Bandstand "Who You Foolin'?"; All Star Salute to Mother's Day; Bob Hope; Bobbie Gentry; Don Rickles; finding out her show got cancelled while On Broadway; Peking Encounter; A Foot in the Door, Night Partners; Yvette Mimieux; Patti Davis Reagan; Hotel;  No Complaints;  Harold Gould, Murder She Wrote and friendship with Angela Lansbury; Trapper John, MD ; St. Elsewhere; Throb playing Paul Walker's Mom; success in Germany; The Bruce Diet; Home Free; Matthew Perry, Marian Mercer; Maggie Roswell, Carolyn Omine; One True Thing; teaching voice at Manhattanville College remotely 

Meco and I discuss her modeling career; how the Cheetah Girls Movie inspired her; songwriting; trying out for The X Factor, The Lost Resort and the jungles of Costa Rica; the therapies that she did or did not take part in; her webseries about forming a girl group; and her website, everythingmeco.com

In a lengthy interview, Bob Illes and I discuss his early years; starting a radio comedy show at USC; Digby Wolfe; winning a contest to write for Tennesse Ernie Ford; Mike Ovitz; writing monologues for Bill Cosby; meeting Groucho Marx and Peter Sellers; writing for the Lily Tomlin special and winning an Emmy; The Super Emmy; writing the Sanford & Son episode, "Lamont, Is That You", The Smothers Brothers NBC reboot; Mickey Rose; Chevy Chase; Don Novello; Joe & Sons, One Day at a Time, getting dressed down by Norman Lear and his mea culpa; What's Happening!!, Captain and Tenille Show, Fernwood Tonight, winning another Emmy for the last year of The Carol Burnett Show, America 2-Night; Peeping Times; The Mary Tyler Moore Hour;       Steve Allen Comedy Hour; Catherine O'Hara, Flo, Private Benjamin, No Soap, Radio; Silver Spoons; Jason Bateman, John Houseman; The Cracker Brothers; Milton Berle; Double Trouble, Sylvan in Paradise, Jim Nabors; Courtney Cox; Jackie Bison Show; Harry Shearer, Stan Freberg; Amen; Sherman Hemsley; favorite episode; getting cancelled by NBC because Johnny Carson retired; age ranges in sitcoms

Steven Kampmann talks Cook & Moore; Second City; The Cisco Kid; WKRP in Cincinnati; Newhart; Back to School, Club Paradise,  The Richest Cat in the World; The Couch Trip; Clifford; Stuart Saves His Family; For the Boys; Multiplicity; Analyze That; Special Delivery; Buzzkill; Maurice!; and teaches me improv.

This is a list of the performers I would most like to interview on the podcast.  If any body has a lead or if they themselves are listening please email me at [email protected] The list: In alphabetical order: Julie Brown (Just Say Julie)                             Dana Carvey                           Jennifer Crittenden                         Chris Eliot                                                                   Melissa Fumero                                                  Merrill Markoe                       Martin Mull                                        Bernadette Peters                                                       Martin Short                                                        Alan Spencer                          Charlene Tilton                                 Henry Winkler                     Also: Tiffany Haddish                                        Gabriel Iglesisas                     Tim Minchin (AU)                           Amber Ruffin                                     

Blues Brothers

Actor-producer-director Paul Kreppel joined me to talk about growing up in Kingston, New York; early TV; going to Emerson College with Henry Winkler and Andrea Martin; being a guest at Winkler's home during "Fonziemania", The Proposition; Fred Grandy; Judy Kahan; being on David Frost and Mike Douglas, Godspell, Don Scardino, Paul Shaffer; working with Ted Danson and Danny DeVito, auditioning for SNL,  Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, moving to LA; Laverne & Shirley; doing a scene with Tony Curtis, It's A Living's cast and first season; retooling, second season and cancellation; Fantasy Island and Bob Denver, tuxedos; Night Court, working with Jay Sandrich on the Cosby Show, It's a Living reboot, adding Crystal Bernard, directing 6 episodes; Ann Jillian; Sheryl Lee Ralph; J.D. LoBue; game show anxiety, Doogie Howser and the unconscious salute; Murder, She Wrote; Edgar Lansbury; Diana Canova; Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh! At this moment, Tropical Storm Isaias  knocked out power but we continued talking about: directing The Apartment, Thea, and Simon, Yahrzeit, Promises, Promises with Jason Alexander, Barney Martin, Charlie Robinson,  Fred Willard, and Jean Smart; moving back to NY; That 70's Show; Jay Johnson doing a benefit, The Two and Only; his partner Murphy Cross and the effort it took to launch a one man show; Jay getting into the zone of one of his ventriloquist helpers

Rich Hall talks about being a street performer; Harry Anderson; moving to NYC in 1978 and doing stand-up with Jerry Seinfeld, Paul Reiser and Gilbert Gottfried;  writing for the David Letterman (Morning) Show; doing The Tonight Show with Letterman as a guest host; Fridays; writing and performing on Saturday Night Live; moving to England; QI; Otis Lee Crenshaw; BBC documentaries; Blazing Saddles

Unfortunately, Sy Rosen was talking to me during Tropical Storm Fay and the first thirty minutes were erased, but we talked about: growing up in the Bronx, Winky Dink and You, college, going in the reserves, not working on a Joan Baez in Sing Sing special, writing a spec script for the Mary Tyler Moore Show and getting a template back from Allan Burns; selling an episode of The Bob Newhart Show about Carol, joining the writing staff and writing "Death Be My Destiny", the 50th best episode of a TV show according to TV Guide, writing a couple of Tony Randall Show episodes but remembering one; writing a Rhoda; We've Got Each Other; Maude; Free Country as a show that should have done better; Taxi and how Stan Daniels added to the script in the writing room; The Jeffersons and Now You Seen it, Now You Don't; bring Redd Foxx back as Sanford We return with: Gimme A Break not being about an interracial relationship; the talent of Nell Carter; the adding of Grandpa in season two; writing what is considered the best episode of Best of the West; writing an Open All Night for Patchett & Tarses; doing a pilot with Don Ameche; Spencer with Chad Lowe being one of his favorite shows; Anything for Love; Roomies; The Robert Guillaume Show being about an interracial relationship; Northern Exposure; The Wonder Years episodes being Wayne-centric; writing the episode The Nose and being nominated for a Humanitas Prize; The Home Court; Frasier; Lost on Earth; Working; 2Gether; playwriting; writing comedy for retirement magazines; working with Dean Cameron and Robert Romanus

My guest tonight was an original writer for Saturday Night Live, a short film maker with over 50 to his credit and is known for directing one of the most famous movies you have never seen.  He also was a protege of documentarian Robert Snyder and was befriended and mentored by Henry Miller. 

Fridays

Gary Murphy and I discuss 50's TV, The Dick Van Dyke Show, meeting his partner Larry Strawther, Butch Whacks & The Glass Packs, moving to LA, working on Merv Griffin, writing spec scripts, getting hired on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson, meeting Johnny, working two weeks and going to the Anniversary party, the classic Reagan Who's on First routine, getting fired and then rehired, leaving for Thicke of the Night, the inherit problems, Gilbert Gottfried, writing a Happy Days and a Charlie & Co., Gladys Knights' comedy chops, writing "The Pope's Roadie" sketch for That Was the Week that Was, Without A Clue - an overlooked Sherlock Holmes film, My Sister Sam, Night Court - "Dan the Walking Time Bomb", Reinhold Weege and John Larroquette, the writer's strike and "Danny's Got His Gun" three-parter, Acting Sheriff and working with GOULET, The Sinbad Show, CBS kills The Boys are Back, The Faculty, choosing to work on Men Behaving Badly over Everybody Loves Raymond and quitting mid-season, Union Square, Caroline in the City and Lea Thompson, God the Devil and Bob - unnecessary controversy, working with Alan Cumming, James Garner, French Stewart, Laurie Metcalf, and Nancy Cartwright, Linwood Boomer and Malcolm in the Middle, great pilot, Bryan Cranston, Jane Kaczmarek, Carpoolers, Notes from the Underbelly, TV Land kills The Exes, Alexa & Katie, and his current series Sydney to the Max and the cast Ruth Righi, Ian Reed Kessler, and Caroline Rhea. 

Larry Arnstein talks about growing up on Park Avenue but in an apartment in the back, going to prep school in the middle of nowhere, using the girl to boy ratio as a way to pick a college, meeting his funny and brilliant partner Matt Hurwitz, writing for the Chicken Little Show, writing a short film Purient Interest, writing for Eight is Enough and having to service all ten characters, getting recommended for SNL's 6th season, working 9 am to midnight, his forgiving wife, Peter Tauber and the Rockettes, how Gilbert Gottfried was always laugh out loud funny, Commie Hunting Season, Gail Matthius, Ann Risley, is Gilbert & Sullivan hip, the sobriety of David Carradine and Ray Sharkey, Charles Rocket and the f-bomb, getting fired, writing  a Love, Sidney, Not Necessarily the News, watching hours of B-roll and seeing things politicians did not want the public  to see, working with the Kroft puppets on DC Follies, You Asked to See It, Again, how Jimmy Brogan was funnier as the warm up comedian than most shows he warmed up for, This Just In , how his books are perfect for AM radio, what he's working on now. The Dogma of Rufus: A Canine Guide to Eating, Sleeping, Digging, Slobbering, Scratching, and Surviving with Humans                                                      The Bad Driver's Handbook: Hundreds of Simple Maneuvers to Frustrate, Annoy, and Endanger Those Around You                                                              The Ultimate Counterterrorist Home Companion: Six Incapacitating Holds Involving a Spatula and Other Ways to Protect Your Family                         The Dog Ate My Resume: Survival Tips for Life After College                                                                                                                                                                     Cleopatra's Confessions: A Feline Guide to Coping with Dogs, Humans, and Other Pointless Interruptions to a Good Nap

Comedy writers and Second City legends Jim Fisher and Jim Staahl joined me via Zoom. We discuss Fish's early days in a stand up comedy duo, joining Second City as David Steinberg's understudy, being groomed as the next David Steinberg, Jim Staahl's college career, being called a "funny" Hamlet, auditioning and understudying all five male performers (Fisher, David Blum, Joe Flaherty, Brian Doyle Murray and David Rasche), Fisher unionizing Second City giving the performers a week off and Staahl having to sub for all the men, Fisher passing out from mono at intermission and Staahl going from eating dinner to onstage before Act II, corporate gigs, leaving Second City with Tino Insana and forming The Graduates, going to the Comedy Store and filming a special with Robin Williams, Staahl joining the cast of Mork & Mindy when Robin crashed his auditioned and they improvised together, being a go-between for Mork & Mindy execs for Robin and Jonathan Winters, Tom Poston, Jay Thomas, the practical joking of former guest Stu Kreisman, the Osmonds poo poo a wine taster sketch, writing and performing with Steve Martin in a special, the menschness of Martin Short, creating, writing and performing in Laugh Trax with Howie Mandel, Gail Matthius, and Lucy Webb, writing "Sledge Hammer", jokes that wouldn't fly today, and their Magnum force parody episode Magnum Farce.

In a 30 year career, Tom Reeder wrote for some of the best sitcoms of his generation: Barney Miller, MASH, Cheers, and Frasier as well as my personal favorite, Night Court.  His episodes are known for their quotability as well as its character explorations. We talk about his days as an usher for the Carol Burnett Show, getting his job on Barney Miller, writing for Danny Arnold, "Hash", Fish, "Atomic Bomb", A.E.S. Hudson Street, Don Calfa, the difference between writing for Barney Miller and M*A*S*H*, the hard work of running Benson, Phyl & Mikhy, "Possession", Cheers and not knowing episode titles would someday be known, the fist two seasons of Night Court, cast changes, writing the Mac episodes, the Steve Landesburg myth, Michael Richards on "Take My Wife Please", Albania, Albania, you border on the Adriatic, writing the episodes of Cheers and Night Court that aired concurrently, "Cliff, what color is the sky in your world?, Stand by Your Man, Rosie O'Donnell, Nurses, The Boys Are Back, An Affectionate Look at Fatherhood, Dave's World and the fun set, Cosby, Frasier and the evolution of Kelsey Grammer, retiring from TV, becoming a travel blogger, his daughter's journalism career, and Rep. Tom Reeder (R-Wa.)

Darin Patterson is a stand-up comedian and writer who's performed at the Boston Comedy Arts Festival and the Park Slope Comedy Festival.  He is the host of the SNL Nerds podcast.  We talk about: the first time he saw SNL, our all time casts, Phil Hartman v. Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy, Jan Hooks, blue collar real life comedy, my 2010 trip to SNL, and what's next on his podcast.

Kevin Bartini is one of the most sought after audience warm-up comedians, warming up crowds for The Daily Show, The Colbert Report,  The Nightly Show as well as headlining comedian across the United States.  He also is the only guest to see me do stand up. Kevin spearheaded the drive to turn West 121st street into George Carlin Way.  He talks about the positives and negatives of that experience, Gilbert Gottfried's performance at the post-unveiling comedy show, Lewis Black, Rodney Dangerfield, Vaughn Meader, Jon Stewart, and Bill Cosby. Kevin's albums can be bought here: https://www.amazon.com/Unintentionally-White-Album-Kevin-Bartini/dp/B07CXNLJM1 https://www.amazon.com/Western-Masshole-Explicit-Kevin-Bartini/dp/B08BJD9DCM https://www.amazon.com/Western-Masshole-Explicit-Kevin-Bartini/dp/B08BJD9DCM

My guest today created the character with the second most appearances on Saturday Night Live with twenty-seven, Mr. Bill..  Over his more than forty-five years in entertainment, he has been a writer, producer, director, voice-over artist, and even podcaster. He has also been active in environmental causes such as the destruction of Louisiana's coastline

Mark Rothman is best known for having been involved with the creation and production of Laverne and Shirley. He was also the head writer and show runner of numerous other shows including Happy Days and a writer for the Odd Couple. He  created Busting Loose and The Ted Knight Show. He also composed the theme song for Busting Loose. He was also writer, theme tune composer and executive producer for The Lovebirds, which used my last name as a laugh line.  In 2013 he had his first novel, "I'm Not Garbo," published. It is a fable about Hollywood in the 1930's.  if you would like to buy a copy of the book go to [email protected] For Mark's blog http://markrothmansblog.blogspot.com  For Busting Loose https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeEPUFhW6Kw&list=PLQU82Z2BymwNeWcxuZnYtLBWLXihccFg1&index=6&t=0s

For over 45 years, my guest has been writing comedy in all assets of the media; from National Lampoon magazine to TV specials, variety series, sitcoms highlighted by Cheers, Newhart, and as my listeners will know, my favorite sitcom “Night Court”.  He wrote a book Dick Cheney’s Diary in 2008 and is a frequent contributor to the Huffington Post. Dick Cheney's Diary https://www.amazon.com/Dick-Cheneys-Diary-Stuart-Kreisman/dp/1606933558/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=stuart+kreisman&qid=1592486298&sr=8-4

On a special Ian Talks Comedy, I talk to my eight year old daughter, Alexa.

For over 45 years, Marty Nadler has been making people laugh in television (Odd Couple, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley), film (Pretty Woman, Princess Diaries, Valentines Day), stand-up (in the Improv in the 1970's and today), and on my podcast today. 3 episodes of Marty's 1979-1980 CBS series Last Resort https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMj2trx1E8c&t=4197s Look for Marty's new movie I, Mordecai starring Judd Hirsch, Carol Kane, and Sean Astin.

My guest tonight is a real Renaissance woman.  She has been an actress on stage, screen, and television.  She writes, produces, improvs, acts, sings, dances, and teaches and best of all she’s here with me today.

Larry Strawther got into show business as a gofer for the Merv Griffin Show.  He went on to write for Laverne & Shirley, Happy Days, My Sister Sam, The Sinbad Show and Night Stand. His Most Extreme Elimination Challenge is still a cult classic among 20 and 30 year olds. But for me, he is best known as the executive producer (1989 - 1990), producer (1988-1989) and writer (1987 - 1990) for my favorite sitcom, Night Court.  He also wrote my all-time favorite episode of television Night Court's "Another Day in the Life" and tries to stump me with his copy of the script. He also talks about working with Marion Ross, Harry Anderson, Dianne English, Reinhold Weege and Robert Goulet.

Lane Sarasohn is a pioneer in television satire.  He, along with Ken Shapiro, Chevy Chase and Richard Allen launched Channel One in 1967 and released their greatest hits  in the 1974 hit film the Groove Tube (which grossed $104 million in today's money), which influenced much of  the comedy that followed.  In this supersized   episode,  he discusses the genesis of the Groove Tube, working with Chevy Chase and Susan Anton on their TV specials, pilot that should of hit and those that shouldn't have, and working on Not Necessarily the News. Links http://lanesarasohn.com/ - Lane's personal webpage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JljrU7_RxPY&t=257s - One Armed Bandit Sketch http://www.ironictimes.com/    - Lane and show #1 guest Matt Neuman's hilarious take at the news Special thanks to Carol Hatfield Sarasohn (Lane's wife of 51 years) for being so gracious with me taking her husbands time.