Ian Talks Comedy

Marc Sheffler joined joined me to discuss watching 50's children's TV; his father getting The Three Stooges for his tenth birthday; seeing Jerry Lewis in a movie and his dad telling him "Why not you?"; his dad getting him him a limo to the premiere of "The Last House on the Left"; going to college with David Duke; his dad sending sending him to the Catskills; working for comedian London Lee; having to pretend to be a conductor; selling a script to NBC; watching Dick Van Dyke and partnering with Sam Denoff; becoming stand up and throwing out his Catskills material; getting a spot at the Comedy Store; becoming friends with George Miller, David Letterman, and Andy Kaufman; Tony Clifton; writing How Bugs Bunny won the West; working on Co-Ed Fever and becoming life long friends with Heather Thomas; her intelligence; writing the pilot for Lewis & Clark but not getting hired on the series; having Johnny Carson apologize; writing for Sanford; Robin Williams; the Comedy Store being an orphanage for talent; creating his stand up character El Yid

Ellie Barancik came on and discussed her last name; her father being the last surviving Monuments Men; growing up with Bozo the Clown & getting to go to the studio with Bonnie Hunt; Clutch Cargo; watching Carol Burnett and surprising her with a tribute thirty years later; finding SNL and crushing on Dan Aykroyd; meeting him on the set of Dr. Detroit; discovering Letterman; dating Steve Koren when he was trying to get on SNL staff; meeting Dan Aykroyd again in 1991; going to BU with Greg Fitzsimmons and John Henson; being an NBC page; not getting fall 1990 SNL desk gig because they wanted to give her it in the longer spring gig; being hired by Jim Pitt and Michael Shoemaker; Letterman pages can become celebrities; taking messages for cast members; Adam Sandler; Herb Sargent took Steve Koren under his wing; typing up scripts for read through; Robert Smigel; Al Franken's in show changes; asked to move to Update in 1993; seeing the staff at SNL 50 ; last SNL was 92-93 season finale; Claire Shirey; going to Conan; embarrassingly meeting Conan in 1991; getting hired by Jeff Ross; reading writer submissions; the pressure of the daily show; being at the party after the first show and realizing they have nothing for the the rest of the week; Conan didn't want to do remotes; coming up with the Mr. T apple picking remote; getting to become a writer under apprentice rules; putting the show together with Jeff Ross; creating Conan & Andy's slideshow; writing for The Bonnie Hunt Show; watching the Bachelor; working with Steve O'Donnell

Tom Dreesen joined me to discuss his half white / half black comedy team and the racism they encountered; how he and Tim Reid started as an anti-drug program; first saw TV at 17 (Honeymooners); being a pin boy, caddie, insurance salesman but wanting to be a comedian; The Tonight Show; getting bumped four times; his first appearance; working with Sammy Davis, Jr.; game shows; the exhilaration of working in front of 20,000 people not there to see you; Frank Sinatra always being on time, rising for women, and being a gentleman; how people always ask about the mob and not to have them do you a favor; Jules Podell; would stay at Sinatra's house; became friends; a saloon saloon singer and a saloon comic; Don Rickles; George Burns trying out new material at 95; the new Pope; Sinatra's charity; The Magnificent Obsession; materials own you; David Letterman vs. Jay Leno in love of stand up; Freddie Prinze; bat boy for the Cubs; introducing friends to their idols; Bobby Rydell; Wrigley Field is frozen in time; his one week as a talk show host; the Chicago Blackhawks

1. Fridays - Michael Richards as "Frank Zappa" (1/8/82) 2. New Show - Scabs Meeting (4/23/84) 3. Fridays - 2nd Amendment Debate (4/10/81) 4. Fridays - The Ronnie Horror Picture Show (12/12/80) 5. New Show - Roy's Food Repair (1/13/84)PlusAndy Kaufman and Kathie Sullivan (9/18/81)

Mike Chisholm joins me to discuss how his curiosity leads to conversations; Steve O'Donnell; our first time watching Letterman; meeting Letterman guests on twitch; Rick Sheckman; intern stories; becoming friends with Rupert Jee and speaking at his retirement; Steve Young; Paul Shaffer; swooning over Barbara Gaines;; Steve Weiner; learning how to podcast; Calvert DeForest; Matt Roberts does a three hour episode; editing, PC culture; censoring episodes; the r word; Midget Wrestling Warriors; saying something is gay; Don Rickles; Andrew "Dice" Clay; Howard Stern; blackface; Jjimmy Hat, Andy Kaufman, and Jerry Lawler; Merrill Markoe; befriending Jeff Altman and Dick Cavett; how my OCD affects my show; his ailing father; season 2 and being my Tony Randall

Chris Kelly joined me to discuss his dad and his love of lesson plans; living in Canada and having having one US TV station; Little Rascals; other comedy hubs beside Canada; his influence; improv; his dad writing for SNL; Harry Shearer; every TV show having its own process; Letterman's reaction to being passed by Politically Incorrect in the ratings; having structure even in lunch orders; writing for the Village Voice; getting hired on HA!'s After Drive and Comedy Channels Sports Monster; being told Sports Monster had no viewers in Philadelphia; being the first to write about sports in National Lampoon; getting to NL when they got rid of the nudity, and having it shut down; the letters; the "prefect game" in Late Night; Tom Gammill & Cathy; writing VO's for Penn Jillette; meeting Bill Maher and discussing the Politically Incorrect should have a Johnny Carson like monologue; Bills early TV appearances; Buffalo Bill, Geena Davis and Jay Tarses; Slap Maxwell; Richard Mulligan; Arianna Huffington; Christine O'Donnell; moving to ABC; writing with Bill his New Rule on football streaming; Roseanne vs. OJ jury episode; great talk show guests; Charles Grodin; Dom Irrera makes a host look good; Andrew Smith on Johnny Carson and getting his job by "whipping it out"; Bill Scheft; Reese Witherspoon; having to write 100's of jokes on the same topic; Top 10 list; calling to congratulate Bill on 9/11 episode that got him fired; all desk show bits were created by Bill except New Rules written by Billy Martin; The Kardashians; Regis Philbin; what's Bill like; best and worst guests; Scott Carter's tremendous fingerprints on the show; his cat book, Downton Tabby

Andy Cowan joined me to discuss his Seinfeld episode, "The Opposite"; his book and chapter on rejected Seinfeld plots; Danny Thomas; his idol, Jack Benny; Leave it to Beaver & The Honeymooners; going to Boston University; loving Letterman & VCR's; Nancy Sinatra and Seinfeld finale; jazz; how he tricked Lorne Michaels into a meeting; how he would "fix" SNL; Rick Moranis & SCTV; being a pre-interviewer on the Merv Griffin Show; writing spec Taxi's; ore-interviewing Orson Welles the day before he died; Whitney Houston; Ethel Merman; writing for Cheers and The Pat Sajak Show; Jerry Lewis; 60 Minutes then and now; Andy Rooney; Howie, a comic strip, cartoon, and sitcom stuck in development; Up & Down Guys; his podcast the Neurotic Vaccine; his new episode which which he considers his best

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, and teaching at Manhattanville College

Samantha Harper Macy joined me to discuss watching Perry Mason as a teen with her family; going to Ole Miss with James Meredith; being seen as a racist in Chicago because she is from the south; auditioning with Woody Allen; being shown around the city by strangers; modeling; taking acting classes from Lee Strasberg; hippies; sees Oh! Calcutta and for it; her sketch; meeting her husband, Bill Macy; Oh! Calcutta banned in her home town; Bill guests on All in the Family; Bill gets Maude and Samantha guest stars; her guest starring on Hot L Baltimore leads to Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman; working with Victor Killian, Louise Lasser, and Mary Kay Place; playing a hooker on Hill St. Blues; her husband's work in The Jerk, Movers & Shakers, Bad Medicine and The Late Show; working with Robin Williams on Mork & Mindy and Terry Bradshaw and Mel Tillis on a TV pilot; being directed in two films by Hal Ashby; her memoir, Naked in Oh! Calcutta and other Stories; and her play Two Sisters Cafe

Jerry Minor joined me to discuss his first memory of seeing Johnny Cash TV; the Detroit Lions; playing Michael Jackson's glove; being a Jehovah's Witness; proselytizing; leaving the Church and starting comedy; going to a show to try stand up; going to his first comedy show; working in Second City Detroit, Chicago, and Toronto and the similarities and differences; Mr. Show; being hired on SNL in 2000 and moved to cast when Tim Meadows leaves; Grandmaster Rap; working with Eminem on first show; impressions of Billy Dee Williams and Al Sharpton; working with Dana Carvey; the Tom Green episode, Mena Suvari; XFL delays Jennifer Lopez episode; Conan O' Brien; playing Sharpton to Darrell Hammond's Jesse Jackson; being let go; the problem of being the new guy; writing and the song "Somebody's Fucking My Lady" with Craig Robinson; Rodney Dangerfield; Martin Short Show; Anchorman; Abbott Elementary; Beer League; Lucky Louie; working with Louis CK; being in Funny People by Judd Apatow; guys named Jerry; being on the 1st season of Bob's Burgers; Brickleberry: Howard Stern; Yucko the Clown and JD; directing at Second City; SNL's 50th anniversary; David Cross inspires new podcasrt "Playing to the Back of the Room"

Kres Mersky and I discussed her name; starting acting at a local park at 14 and getting the bug; going to Beverly Hills High with Rob Reiner, Richard Dreyfus, and Julie Kavner; TV debut on Virginian; doing three episodes of Ironside; working with Carl Reiner in The Comic & Oh God!; working with Rob Reiner on the TV show which birthed Spinal Tap; doing a B motorcycle movie; skating in Holy Rollers and Charlies Angels; being in Won Ton Ton, the Dog that Saved Hollywood as Theda Bara; having most of her Charlies Angels scenes with Farrah Fawcett; having Richard Pryor discover her one woman show and putting an excerpt on his NBC variety show; appearing in Husbands, Wives and Lovers; guest starring on two classics, Taxi & Barney Miller; Stephanie a 1981 pilot starring Stephanie Faracy; being in the last movie directed by George Cukor; appearances on Open All Night and Ryan's Four; her most famous role as Wormser's mom in Revenge of the Nerds; guesting on Facts of Life and St. Elsewhere; focusing on family; writing and starring in a one woman play about Isadora Duncan; going back to do a Murder, She Wrote; writing and starring in a one woman play about Einstein's secretary; Nuts and Chews her many character play a la Lily Tomlin; doing Einstein research at Cal Tech; making a short film Rope, with her husband editor Paul Geretsen; and his making many commercials during COVID

Rick Mitchell joined me to discuss Carol recognizing him from TMZ; writing a performing speeches in his past ; it really not being that hard to write a good speech; giving a good speech requires you know your audience; this book can help save you from listening to bad speeches; differences in different religious weddings; worst speeches are graduation and bar mitzvah; not being Jewish and everyone thinking he is; taking a DNA test to find he's half Jewish; attending UC Davis; working at Second City and Improv Olympic; SNL being a big impetus; Norm MacDonald, Rodney Dangerfield, Mitch Hedberg, and George Carlin; his style; writing for Yakov Smirnoff; trying stand up after killing at his high school graduation; corporate gigs; his career at TMZ; writing monologues for Ellen; having her voice before being hired; her being from New Orleans; backstage gossip; what hurt her was always saying "be nice"; telling stories; guest hosts; Eugene & Dan Levy were hard; Wanda Sykes & Jennifer Anniston were easy; Robert Downey Jr, his favorite and Jason Sudeikis

Trace Baeulieu joined me to discuss his last name; riffing on teachers and film strips; his quick stint at Univ. at Minnesota; stand up; having a day job; being an opener; meeting Frank and Joel; joining for the second episode; all original episodes done in one day; not as many jokes in early days; Frank's an old soul, makes history and baseball references; Ground Zero; jokes for the group; audience feels smarter for getting jokes; Ed Platt; Peabody Award; Dennis Miller; Trace's cell phone; Jetsons; Comedy Central execs only came to Minnesota once; not having Comedy Central himself; Crow tattoos; my name; Freaks & Geeks; working with Joe Flaherty; SCTV; writing for Americas Funniest Home Video; being a fun job; Silly Rhymes for Belligerent Children; JD Salinger; Cinematic Titanic; conventions; Atheist convention; Sklar Brothers; not riffing on good movies; Godfather; Godfather III; Unforgiven; North by Northwest; slapstick comedy; Pee Wee's Big Adventure; Dr. Strangelove; Groucho; Jack Benny; doing a radio play in Chicago; his podcast; the Oscars; Inside Out; Harry Shearer; Harry Potter; Crow's voice; David Frye; Mads are Back

Stu Kreisman joined me to talk about stalking the original cast of SNL; writing for National Lampoon and Alan King ; SCTV; his two tours with Night Court (1984 - 1986, 1990 - 1992); Cheers; Newhart; Homeboys in Outer Space; Harry Anderson's and 1985 SNL monologue

Andy Goldberg & Wendy Cutler of the improv group Off the Wall joined me to discuss the founder, Dee Marcus; how they met her; the original members, Chris Thompson, Judy Pioli, and Joie Madigow; having four women and two men; Marc Sotkin and Robin Williams join; improv games; characters; Paul Willson, David Ruprecht, Phil Lamar, and John Ritter join and leave; Maryedith Burrell; Completely Off the Wall pilot loses to Fridays; appearances on The Dating Game, The Goodbye Girl, and Fernwood Tonight; Norman Lear's compliment; voiceover acting and looping; Super Loopers; Diary of a Young Comic with Richard Lewis; hanging out at Cantor's Deli; Garry Shandling, Bernadette Birkett, Archie Hahn, Tom Tully, and Harry Murphy join and leave; Ken Levine takes classes; 1985-1986 sketch comedy Off the Wall not affiliated even though Susan Elliot was a cast member; George Wendt; Laverne & Shirley; Dance Night; celebrity fans Bruce Willis, Sam Shepard, and Gene Hackman; appearing on An Evening at the Improv; having a monthly guest, including Chevy Chase; Wendy & Bob Perlow due gags on People Do the Craziest Things; Candid Camera; Edinburgh Festival; Puppetry of the Penis; Groundlings cross-pollination; his book, Improv Comedy and teaching Bryan Cranston

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

Andy Hoglund joined me to discuss finding out about SNL through Wayne's World and Comedy Central reruns; my getting tapes mailed from Canada by Bronwyn Douwsma; going to Boston University; studying film; doing a term paper about how the original cast of SNL embodies the baby boomers; working for Sen. Ted Kennedy; writing an article about SNL movies and it going viral; his copy of the Shales / Miller SNL book being autographed by almost 100 cast members; first, by Dan Aykroyd, second by Colin Quinn; writing for Vulture; being asked to recap SNL's episodes for Entertainment Weekly; Don Pardo; Johnny Gilbert; meeting a lot of ex-cast members through stand up; Christopher Guest only one to not sign; Harry Shearer; Steve Martin & G.E. Smith only non cast members to sign; season 6 cast members Denny Dillon, Patrick Weathers, Matthew Laurence; Don Novello's friendship with Francis Ford Coppola; Peter Aykroyd; Mark McKinney and his work on Studio 60; KITH Brain Candy; Season 11; Fridays; Robin Duke, Jim Belushi, Mary Gross, and Kevin Kelton; Billy Crystal was the only time he sent the book away to be signed; Dana Carvey; Robert Carradine; Michael Davis; MST3K and Joel Hodgson; Anne Beatts; Yvonne Hudson; Brian Doyle-Murray; Adam Sandler; how Lorne Michaels has changed; me getting my picture with him; Colin Jost & Michael Che; Shari Lewis; and our friendships with the late Dan Vitale

Chris Regan joined me to discuss growing up in Central NY; 70's TV; enjoying black & white comedy movies; loving Monty Python; SNL; UK comedy; auditioning for David Frost; comedy aging poorly; Michael Davis; going to Ithaca College; being in a sketch troupe with Andy Daly and the Stangel Brothers; being a NYC comedian and mostly topical; going to a comedy club for the first time at 14; coming advertising; working for Nickelodeon; getting jokes on Weekend Update; Colin Quinn vouching for him to get a job on The Daily Show; political affiliation of late night writers; Gen X not getting a President; teaching; working on Talk Show with Spike Feresten and FOX's bungles; Lopez Tonight almost making him quit show business; Chuck Sklar; poker playing and pai gow; writing for Anthony Jeselnik and Greg Giraldo; first Family he worked on was the Simpsons crossover; his episode "Girl Internetted"; "Send in Stewie"; "Yacht Rockers"; Marjo Gortner; "Teacher's Heavy Petting"; the fun of writing for Chris Griffin; his relationship with Seth MacFarlane; Harry Shearer; the three Family Guy writing rooms; Family Guy references; new season; TV ratings and his new episode "Bring Up Brady" with Tom Brady coming next season

Elaine Aronson joined me to discuss 60's TV; growing up in Newton, Mass; going to college for dance; graduating from UCSB with a degree in dramatic arts w/o talking a drama class; teaching dance; being a secretary at Empire Pictures; writing scenes for child actors; getting Ron Zimmerman as a mentor; writing a spec Molly Dodd; getting hired on It's the Garry Shandling Show; first episode is Gilda Radner episode; strike happens and goes back to being a waitress; "Save Mr. Peck's" an all guest star episode; "Worry Wort"; how an episode doesn't start with tricks; moving to Night Court; Phil / Will; meeting Bill Clinton; writing the final episode and 30 Rock redoing it; doing Doogie Howser, MD; the Bochco method; having an ear infection and not being able to hear when having to interview deaf actresses; meeting her husband, Curtis Armstrong; Gilbert Gottfried; Clinic Defense Alliance; working on Good Advice & Cybill; Christine Baranski; the failure of The Gregory Hines Show; Maggie; The Weber Show; That 80's Show; The Game; Mystery Girls; Project MC2; You, Me, Her; how mini rooms are not leading to young writers being able to later run shows; her pilot Kitty's Dish; long hours currently on The Gilded Age; Long Island sets; Curtis' taping American Dad; Moonlighting

Michael Curtis joined me to talk Saturday Morning cartoons; going to SDSU Film Corps; having a local Emmy nominated public access sketch show; working on Return of the Killer Tomatoes; being a PA for many films, then an AD; meeting his partner Greg Mahlins; pitching and an episode of Dream On; a story for The Wonder Years; joining the writing staff of Great Scott with Tobey Maguire; writing The Making of ... and God Spoke, a cult classic; writing for Don Rickles on Daddy Dearest; Diane English being out of touch on Double Rush; play a cop in Who's Harry Crumb; working with Peter & David Paul and Martin Mull; getting a PhD from the Universal Life Church; getting hired on Friends; The Super Bowl episode with Jean Claude Van Damme and Brooke Shields; writing "The One Where Ross & Rachel. ...You Know"; writing the Ms. Chanandler Bong joke; Tom Selleck; how hard it was to write the "Rachel Smokes" episode; Princess Leia episode has a fan in George Lucas; a censored joke; Young Tony Danza; leaving due to exhaustion; going to Work with Me with Kevin Pollack; sneaking on to The Grinch set; The Weber Show; Nikki; writing the Joe Schmo Show; writing a pilot for Dane Cook; Love, Inc.; making three pilots for the Jonas Brothers Show; working with the boys; Fred Savage; moving to Italy; Italian health care system; People learning English from Friends; seeing the talent in Olivo Rodrigo; working with Jake Paul

Rosie Shuster and Marilyn Suzanne Miller join me to talk about MSM's love of the musical Peter Pan; Rosie loving her dad's joke books, West Side Story, and being in the audience of the Ed Sullivan Show; Rosie meets Lorne Michaels and Howard Shore; MSM goes to work for James L. Brooks & Garry Marshall; Rosie writes for Canadian children and crime game shows; sends a monologue for Laugh In that Lorne submits and gets on; Lorne uses Rosie's fathers (Frank Shuster of Wayne & Shuster) CBC specials as a blueprint for SNL; MSM turns down SNL, changes mind; work together on a Lily Tomlin special; cast goes on Tom Snyder; Rosie writes New Dad and creates the Bees; Rosie writes first Emily Litella Update piece; MSM writes Slumber Party for Madeline Kahn; Hard Hars w/ Lily Tomlin and Mommy Beer; Laraine (as Shirley Temple) sings and dances with Garrett and Elliot Gould; The Nerds; The Festrunk Brothers; Uncle Roy; Let's Kill Gary Gilmore for Christmas; Fred Garvin, Male Prostitute; how SNL wanted to make itself laughs and everyone in the production was on top of their game; Lunch Counter Reunion; Lorne encourage differet comic sensibilities; Child Psychologist; coming back in 1981; Eddie Murphy; Adam Sandler; Rosie helping to craft the Church Lady sketches with Dana Carvey; The Taboosters; writing sketches more graphic to bargain for what you really want; MSM goes to the Tracey Ullman Show; Sarah Silverman; MSM on lack of artistry on television; Rosie works on Larry Sanders; MSM writes for Carol Burnett; Rosie is a fan of Arte Madrid; watching SNL today; ageism in Hollywood; Paul Shaffer's genius; being "middle-aged"

Gary Seith & Brad Robinson join me to discuss the A-Team; Mr. T's cartoon; 80's sitcoms; Alf; Pulp Fiction; high school journalism turns to making short films; college; Gary working for Fox Philadelphia and Clerks the Animated Series; Brad AD's his professor's films at Penn State; working on Hack, Always Sunny; Gary meets his wife on the set of The Push; Brad works on Ted & Blues Jasmine; Alec Baldwin and Woody Allen stories; Brad's film, Public Interest; getting Robert Curtis Brown & Stuart Pankin; first time they each watched SNL; doing an SNL cast draft on a road trip; Brad hangs out with Mitch Glazer & Bill Murray; during COVID maps out a Blues Brothers doc; Brad gets idea for the pod; hanging out with Jim Belushi; other sketch shows; best episodes from each season; Deep Thoughts; Tournament Talk; My SNL Stories; Dave Thomas and From Cleveland

Stuart Pankin joined me to discuss his first TV role; watching Winky Dink & Howdy Doody; Pats v. Geno's; Dickinson College English major; early off-Broadway and Broadway roles; San Pedro Beach Bus; Next Stop, Greenwich Village; Scavenger Hunt; Barney Miller; Alex Henteloff; Magic on Love Island; No Soap, Radio; Not Necessarily the News; no trailer had to use bathroom; playing different character; winning a Cable Ace Award; The Pyramid; Markie Post; Night Court appearances; Cinemax Comedy Experiment; Family Ties; Nearly Departed; Stephen Furst; playing Orthodox Jews; Dinosaurs, last episode and issues of the day; Nick Freno; pilot that didn't make it; San Pedro Beach Bums considered lost media; Curb Your Enthusiasm; Public Interest; Girl Meets World; Sabrina Carpenter; Suite Life of Zach & Cody; being married for 50 Years.

Peter Gaulke joined me to discuss seeing Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and It's A Wonderful Life recently in theatres; no new comedy films premiering; became bored in gymnastics, did comedy bits; tried to get on Gong Show but goes to Comedy Store to practice and tries out; comedy influences; Showtime Special; starting in LA stunts his progress; meeting Fred Wolf and making videos to sell to Dick Clark; having his ideas stolen; writing a Married with Children; sending a sketch to Fred at SNL; they buy sketch but doesn't ai due to cost; hire him as a writer; leaves to do Strange Wilderness, a film based on short movies he made; remade in 2008 as a stoner comedy; his documentary (first half) / fake documentary (2nd) film We Gotta Get Buscemi; writing another sketch too expensive to get made; talking with hosts Quentin Tarantino and Elle McPherson; Say It Isn't So; rewriting Black Knight for Martin Lawrence; studio cuts first 15 minutes out and wonders what's wrong; they put it back; writing Max Fernsby and the Infinite Toys for Harper Collins; self publishing fake travelogues; new YA sci-fi series; writing a Trump animal book with Fred Wolf; having many projects in the works

Chuck Sklar joined me to discuss his birth town; the Cubs and Blackhawks; his first memory of watching the 1968 Democratic National Convention; Captain Nice; Iowa comedians / comedy writers Harper Steele, Higgins Boys & Gruber; writing sketches for Toby Huss's comedy troupe; starting standup; being introduced as a great writer; moving to Boston from Chicago; callbacks; appearing on Evening at the Improv; writing for Friday Night Videos and Bill Maher; getting hired on Conan and becoming head monologue writer; writing for the Oscars and not knowing the movies; Chris Rock's bit about black people not caring about Oscar films; Chris's "accountants"; the Sean Penn - Jude Law dustup; playing David Copperfield; playing Osama bin Laden on "Louie"; writing for Saturday Night Special; getting hired on The Chris Rock Show; bringing his dry humor; famous sketches; his sketches with Mario Joyner; doing stand up on Conan; doing it now; his film script and the difficulties getting it made; going to SNL with Chris in 2014; working on the monologue and pitching a script that died at readthrough; working on tonight's monologue; Everybody Still Hates Chris

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"

SNN's Jon Schneider joins me to unbox an awesome assemblage of Saturday Night Live memorabilia sent to me by Eileen O'Brien including over 40 episode rundowns, 3 full scripts, tickets to after parties, and a graphic novel depicting the 2/2/85 Alex Karras / Tina Turner episode

Chris DeLuca joins me to discuss the Staten Island / Long Island dichotomy; the Magic Garden; WPIX; Milford Plaza; first laugh in 3rd grade; writing in college; being a Letterman fan; Letterman's making comedy out of nothing vs. Conan's style; Conan product placement sketches; SNL internship; 1st week Chevy Chase / Robbie Robertson; Tom Hanks pacing back and forth trying to imitate Joe Pesci; eating a chili burger and grossing out Mike Myers; Jerry Seinfeld episode; coming back as a page in 1995; cast was friendlier; watching the Foo Fighters rehearse; playing basketball with the cast; Norm MacDonald; being allowed to "fax" jokes to Update; working on Conan; DB Frick; writing sample was used Update jokes; working on Conan and submitting jokes for Craig Kilborn; getting hired by Craig six months before he leaves; writing for guest hosts and then staying for Craig Ferguson; Lori Nasso's Scottish stalker character; bits he wrote; Video Game Awards bits on video game violence and Gamer Hall of Fame; doing a Master Class in putting up with your wife during quarantine; Trump Talk: the American Emperor, his podcast

Peter Montagna joined me to discuss the pronunciation of his last name; TV tubes; being a fan of monster movies; his goal of being a painter; graduating with a degree in nutrition; working at NYU; seeing SNL shoot a sketch near his job gives him the itch; reads Corsair's makeup book; quits his job; takes a class and then teaches with Burt Roth; corresponding with Dick Smith; not getting the ABC makeup apprenticeship; getting the NBC apprenticeship; working with Kevin Haney and being a floater from 1981 to 1984; being Makeup Department head from 1984 to 1989; turning Eddie Murphy white for the "White Like Me" sketch; turning Billy Crystal & Christopher Guest black for "Negro League Memories" sketch; turning Billy into Sammy Davis, Jr., and Yul Brynner's niece; the blooper with Billy's wig and Martin Short; a typical week; his Saturday 10:30 meeting with Department heads; working with Phil Hartman on Frankenstein; working with Billy Crystal on Princess Bride; working with Don Rickles; on Mr. Saturday Night; the work on Robot Repair causing Phil Hartman to give him a writing credit; working on Quick Change with Bill Murray; working on Cold Case; My Fellow Americans with Dan Aykroyd and James Garner; working with Robin Williams; retiring except to help out Billy Crystal.

Don McEnery joined me to discuss knowing how to ask where the library is in Spanish; It's a Wonderful Life; attempting to be a singer-songwriter; a panic attack makes him decide to pursue standup; starting Long Island; observational humor; touring with Howie Mandel; worst gigs; comedy condos; working clean; working with Glenn "Mr. Bullhorn" Super and Sinbad; Dry Bar Comedy; getting on Evening on the Improv; how Seinfeld stories come from real life; meeting his partner Bob Shaw; going to the Emmys; working for George Carlin; co-writing Hercules and A Bug's Life; writing the pilot The Eligible Dentist for Gene Wilder; Punchline; moving to North Carolina; retiring; Denny Johnston; performing for 10,000 people and never getting nervous

Eddie Feldmann joined me to discuss growing up in Saugerties, NY; comedy albums and cartoons being his entree into comedy; a 3rd grade Catholic school essay gone awry; working in his families deli; getting a criminal justice degree from SUNY Oswego; trying an open mic in Virginia; moving to Virginia Beach to pursue comedy; Bob Saget & Joe Bolster get him to come to NYC; not getting passed at Comic Strip b/c booker was attacked while he was performing; political humor; meeting Dennis Miller in 1984 when Dennis was practicing for Letterman debut; opening for Dennis on the road; tossing out a Clarence joke that Dennis used on Letterman and killed; Dennis asking him to submit jokes to his new Tribune talk show; Norm quits to go to Roseanne, Eddie moves to LA to join Dennis's staff; a typical day at the Dennis Miller Show; playing the "science guy" on Dennis Miller Show; the other writers; Larry Jacobson gets him and Peter Gaulke a freelance Married with Children; Fred Wolf hires him on Chevy Chase Show for 14 weeks, lasts 6; he joins Dennis Miller live as head writer for 10 years; my favorite rant; crafting the rant; how it was a once weekly show written as a daily show; Dennis telling writers not to watch other talk shows; freelancing his Law & Order; being a fan of Jerry Orbach; his episodes including Harm & Faccia y Faccia; being EP of The Showbiz Show with David Spade; working on Norm MacDonald is trending; how he would give Norm monologue jokes every day and Norm checking the ones he liked and they were all prison rape jokes; what he's working on now; attempting to reboot Comic Relief; and how Dennis Miller made his references.

Jon Beckerman joins me to discuss watching the UK "Friday Night Dinner" and adapting it for the US; Three's Company; writing farce; Michael Watkins; casting Carol Kane; Dayenu scene; playing full contact Jeopardy; Julia Louis Dreyfus gives helpful note on the DL; growing up near Mr. Rogers; writing for the Harvard Lampoon; getting on as an artist; writing on a pilot called Dirty Laundry; writing Harvard Education in a Book; Michael Ian Black; being Paul Sims guest for the Late Night 10th Anniversary special and writing there in less than six months; getting his packet to Steve O'Donnell; being a fan of Chris Elliot; moving to Brooklyn and working in 30 Rock; skating with Bill Murray; Buttafuoco jokes; Clinton's pasty white thighs; being portrayed by Tony Randall in a sketch; becoming head writer with Donick Cary; winning an Emmy; creating Fun with Rupert; groomsmen parody it in a video for wedding; Madonna; eating fast food with Zsa Zsa in L.A.; Dave works Taco Bell; saving Rupert; Manny the Hippie; Mo, the Bad Ass Meat Slicing Man; making Dave the "Bar" a Boston University star; Dave hosts Oscars and his pilot for a sitcom called Adam & Eve

Dawna Kaufmann joined me to discuss writing jokes for JFK, Khruschev, and Phyllis Diller as a child; JFK assassination; working for Don Kirschner's Rock Concert; her stage roles in the late 60's / early 70's; working on game shows for Allen Ludden & Grant Tinker; writing for Weekend Update; being the impetus for Phil Hartman's Anal Retentive Chef; Herb Sargent; Chris Farley being scared to "fly" as Bennett Brauer; Matt Foley; jumping to the Chevy Chase show; being told by Chevy that women can't be comedy writers and subsequently fired; Dean Martin; her crime book Final Exam; how OJ switched her career to true crime; Mad TV; Artie Lange; appearing as a regular on Wall George's Hot Seat; writing for the WWF; Menendez Brothers; don't believe Netflix documentaries; RFK and JFK assassinations; Bib Netanyahu's speech; Carol Wayne; still watching late night monologues; Kirk Douglas; possible Trump abortions; Dick Van Dyke; Carol Burnett; Bill Cosby; her and Chris Rock telling Adam Sandler about it in 1993; Epstein's two sides; Dennis Hastert; Lindsay Graham; crime and comedy; Charlie Chaplin; Alec Baldwin; still watching SNL and loving Dana Carvey

Dan O'Keefe joined me to discuss growing up in Chappaqua: writing for the Harvard Lampoon; joining the National Lampoon; writing letters from the editors; favorite pieces; writing for MTV and Comedy Central; writing for Cracked Magazine; submitting packets for Letterman & Conan; getting hired by Jay Leno; Jay-walking; Sprang (Spam and Tang); late night ghetto; grew up without TV; read a lot of books; Norm MacDonald; Michaell O'Donoghue; working on Married with Children; faxing ideas to Seinfeld; them liking the toothbrush in toilet and adopting a highway ideas; combining food and sex; milk baths; "The Frogger" and someone's quest to beat George Costanza's high score; Marx Brothers; can remember who pitched what in writers room; Joyce DeWitt and Three's Company; Puerto Rican Day Parade episode; Drew Carey Show; Drew's surprise cruise; episode "Drew and the Gang Law"; wanting to hang out with Joey Ramone but work had to be done; Brian Scully; Jerry Belson; Sam Simon sitcom Shaping Up; episodes "Racial Tension Play", "Cain and Mabel", "Good Vibrations" - director Gerry Cohen put a vibrator in Drew Carey's bag; "Tw Days of the Condo" episode; trying to produce a sitcom with UK comedian Al Murray; Elvis Costello; The League; Chelsea Handler; Beavis & Butthead

Mike Teverbaugh joins me and discusses his names pronunciation; his new play, The Mostly True Story of a Common Scold; his other play, The Dugout; watching Captain Kangaroo as a child; Batman 66; going to UCLA to become a sportswriter; meeting his wife and future co-writer; writing spec scripts; joining an entertainment softball team; that leading to working on Who's the Boss; Billy; working on Getting By; going to Roc for season 3; being thankful they didn't write for the live show; Almost Perfect and the resort episode; being writing partners with your wife; getting Drew Carey and not having to worry about being cancelled every year; huge writer's rom; mistakes episode; working with Jerry Belson & Sam Simon; Drew Carey's surprise end of season cruise and Mike gambles against Sam; Life on a Stick and being proud of writing for "one of the 25 worst sitcoms of all time"; Twenty Good Years; working with Marsh McCall & John Lithgow; choosing Sullivan & Son over a Bill Burr animated project; he and his wife writing on Dreamwork Dragons; Dreamworks interference leads to them leading; Last Man Standing; retiring from TV and writing ten minute plays with his wife.

T. Sean Shannon joined me to discuss his YouTube series "Baseball Card Theatre"; his favorite cards; going to the Astrodome with his six brothers and sisters for a whole day in the '70's; O-Pee Chee; his idol, his brother Charlie; having a funny mom; doing standup at 18; starting in club that Kinison, Hicks, and Andy Huggins started at; being influenced by Jack Douglas and Charles Bukowski; getting his first writing job on Paul Provenza's Comics Only; writing with Fred Wolf and others; writing for Comic Strip Live and In Living Color; sharing an office with Colin Quinn and Nick Bakay; writing the Dirty Dozens; going to all the baseball stadiums; not getting a scalped ticket to a game in the Tokyo Dome; heckling Gary Carter before he died; writing for MTV's Loveline before Adam Carolla; writing on Jay Leno allows him to cast Fred Willard in sketches; becoming friends with him and his wife; going to Italy with the Willards and portraying ugly Americans; Magic Hour; submitting to SNL and getting hired by Adam McKay; originally thought less than for being a Leno writer; writing a phone commercial wins respect of McKay and staff; Colin Quinn is his rabbi; writing topical cold opens with McKay; Lorne's rule to SNL's writers: you'll never be truly happy; Bill Paxton, Lucy Lawless; Monday pitch meetings ruined his Sunday football; JB Smoove funniest pitcher; Gwynneth Paltrow talks faster on a sketch to make sure all jokes get in; Tobey Maguire episode; Trampus was his wife's yoga teacher; naming an Ellen DeGeneres character his wife's name; Wade Blasingame; John McCain sings Streisand; Mccain real cool backstage; Derek Jeter; my packet; Bill Murray; asking about Chevy fight; Norm MacDonald, George Carlin, Jerry Seinfeld, Britney Spears, Dana Carvey & Queen Latifah; in audience for Paul Reiser; his dad came to dress and could not believe what was cut; Hugh Jackman making sure Christmas Kangaroo isn't cut; Barenaked Ladies have performance of "One Week" cut; watching the show at 11 and working their twenty years later; Tom Davis, Jim Downey, and Drake Sather

Rob Ulin joins me to discuss watching Gilligan's Island and Dick Van Dyke Show as a kid; wanting to be an actor; going to Harvard and being on Lampoon with Conan; writing a letter to Norman Lear who mentored him; writing the teleplay for a Married with Children; writing an episode of Hard Times on Planet Earth; how Ferris Bueller the TV series almost made him quit writing; Chloris Leachman; writing Dinosaurs made him enjoy writing; doing episodes poking fun at the elderly, religion; an episode in which homosexuality and vegetarianism are parallelled; "New Leaf" about drugs; and dancing as a metaphor for masturbation and wet dreams; joining the writing staff of Roseanne; writing emotional episodes that still had jokes; winning a Humanitas Prize; Ned Beatty; the famous writers T-shirt story; trying to edit the lesbian kiss episode; Shelly Winters; trying to get Shirley Jones & Florence Henderson for a TV mom's episode; getting fired; working with Dave Raether; going to Veronicas Closet and then Stressed Eric; working with Norm MacDonald on Norm; Norm was not able to be an exaggerated version of himself but could act; Jack Warden; Frank Sebastiano; working on Andy Richter Controls the Universe and George Lopez; tackling race on Roseanne; working on Malcolm in the Middle; writing a pilot, My Boys; writing Aliens in America the first post 9-11 sitcom featuring a Muslim cast member; working on The Middle, Anger Management with Charlie Sheen, The Carmichael Show & Young Sheldon; working on The Kids are Alright; Rami; writing his first play Judgement Day starring Jason Alexander; and future projects

Bruce Handy joined me to discuss how to write picture books; children's literature; his book on the subject Wild Things; Goodnight Moon, Judy Blume, Willy Wonka; his first TV memories of the JFK assassination and Romper Room; reading Mad Magazine and starting his own at 10 years old; writing for the Stanford Chaparral; All the President's Men; National Lampoon; college humor mags; starting at Vogue; his Spy articles on Yuppie porn, Eric Breindel and the Playboy Mansion; Spy Magazine's 1990 tv special; most likeable Americans in 1990; Harry Shearer; The Day the Clown Cried; Jerry Seinfeld; Paul Simms; working on a Spy Prank show with Kevin Nealon; Nealon gets him an interview with Lorne Michaels to help write Update; not knowing he was hired until seeing his name in the credits; writing Mr. Subliminal for Kevin; writing jokes and a Looney Tunes desk piece for Rob Schneider; did not understand how SNL works and it leading to that piece not working; a cut bit where Kevin Nealon shows a clip of him doing Weekend Update in the 50's; Herb Sargent; Weekend Update bagel breakfasts; his affection for Norm MacDonald, Michael Che, and Colin Jost; meeting Luke Perry as a host; his wife being excited by seeing Mick Jagger perform; writing the promo for Alec Baldwin / Paul Mccartney episode; Paul's legendary Thursday rehearsal; being in the read through for Matt Foley and Unfrozen Cave Man Lawyer; how he loved to use his imagination on read through; COVID vs. WWII rationing

Mary Jenifer Mitchell and I discussed her early Tv favorites Liberace and Oral Roberts; going to NY after high school graduation; spending the summer of '66 in NYC; going to college in Colorado and dropping out; moving to NYC to be an actress in 1967; becoming friends with Michael O'Donoghue; not trying out for SNL b/c she was visiting her injured sister; being part of the Tom Eyens Eye Repertory Company; being naked in The Dirtiest Show in Town; getting cast in Milos Formans' Taking Off; performing Ode to a Screw in the film; being in Oh, Calcutta; getting fired when she asked to be paid the same; being nude on stage; working with Carly Simon and Kathy (then Bobo) Bates; being in National Lampoons Foto Funnies; her friendships with Anne Beatts, Sean Kelly, and Brian McConnachie; Lemmings; Alice Playten; breaking her foot and getting fired; combative nature of production; playing Joan Baez; Christopher Guest being hard to work with but a great friend after; Chevy Chase and John Belushi; being an extra in SNL sketches Bee Capades and Hey You!; the film Foreplay; Pat Paulsen; Terry Southern; appearing in Manhattan Cable Access in 1977; the film Pelvis; the play Playing with Fire were she plays a mute prostitute; John Belushi's funeral; her love for Leon Russell; a documentary about her; finding out she's allergic to Quaaludes with John Belushi; and her surgeries.

Lori Nasso joined me to discuss watching Twilight Zone as a kid and SNL as a teenager; loving to play characters; going to college to study theatre; joining Second City and auditioning for SNL; getting hired as a writer and only knowing Cindy Caponera; being scared by the New York Magazine article; helping Will Ferrell with Get Off the Shed; writing the Rita Delvecchio sketches with Cheri Oteri; Laura Leighton psychic sketch; Blizzard of 1996; pitch meetings; dying singer sketch with Christine Baranski; writing monologue for Rosie O'Donnell; her and new writer Tina Fey saying we have to make fun of the View being invited backstage; Tom Hanks; Pamela Anderson; seeing Robert DeNiro hit on Scary Spice backstage; writing commercial parody Lobitol; Gwyneth Paltrow; Tina Fey as a head writer; working on the Sally O'Malley character with Molly Shannon and her husband Jerry Collins; leaving to do Hype on the WB; voice work on King of the Hill, The Goode Family, and Beavis and Butthead; Mike Judge; making Life Inside Out with Maggie Baird and Finneas O'Connell; writing for Nickelodeon; impressions; read through; working with hosts Dan Aykroyd, Bil Murray, Chris Farley, and Chevy Chase; celebrity watching at SNL 40; meeting Peyton & Eli Manning; sneaking in to watch Joni Mitchell play on Rosie O'Donnell; musical guest memories of Tina Turner; Ricky Martin; Courtney Love, Pavarotti, and Whitney Houston; souvenirs from the show

Norman Stiles and I discuss watching Howdy Doody and having a friend on Mr. Wizard; being a welfare worker and writing jokes for Allen & Rossi; writing for the Merv Griffin Show; getting into the Childrens Television Workshop and then Sesame Street; how Sesame Street is taped in chunks; creating Count von Count; Jim Henson not being around; the TV special Out to Lunch; working with Christopher Cerf; writing on the Muppet Show pilot; leaving to create When Things Were Rotten and why the series was cancelled; writing the Space Force pilot for Fred Willard; writing for The Captain and Tenille Show, Fernwood Tonight, and America Tonight; pitching a show for Aaron Spelling called Invisible Reporter; going back to Sesame Street; writing the "Death of Mr. Hooper" episode; the Sesame Street curriculum; guest stars including Phil Donahue; Between the Lions; and living in Hoboken.

Marc Warren & Dennis Rinsler joined me to discuss their childhood influences; meeting in college; becoming teachers in NYC in the 70's and writing a script based on it; getting it sold and moving to L.A.; working arduous hours on Madame's Place; working on 1/2 Hour Comedy Hour, the pilot for Putting on the Hits, and FTV; Fast Times the TV show; Together We Stand / Nothing is Easy; Frank Mula; getting hired at Full House in 1988; famous episodes - Beach Boys, Kity Crispies, Lake Tahoe; being parents helped them come up with ideas; very special episode on Alzheimer's, death, and anorexia; moving to the WB's The Parent Hood after Full House ends; creating Nick Freno Licensed Teacher; it failing due to creative differences; moving to Disney Channel with Even Stevens; Disney gives them free reign; going on to That's So Raven and Cory in the House; Dennis retires; Marc works on Bizardvaark with Olivia Rodrigo; Saget always had a fowl mouth; Coulier loved to fart; and Stamos was a class act; teaching now and banning cell phones

Eileen O'Brien joined me to discuss going to college to be a teacher; taking a job that led her to a South Carolina PBS station; discovering the world of production; becoming a PA on Great Performances; working as a PA for George Carlin; the hamburger story; getting started at SNL; Kevin Kay; doing cue cards for the Eddie Murphy showcase in September 1983 and messing up; Robin Williams; Audrey Peart Dickman; having to quit cue cards because of the toxic ink; Al Siegel and Raquel Welch; Al Siegel as mentor; helping Gary Kroeger get into the after party; doing cue cards for Madonna at 1st MTV Awards and later at SNL; Julia Louis-Dreyfus always being perfect; keeping Brandon Tartikoff on cue cards; Francis Ford Coppola terrified of cue cards; Christopher Guest; Michael Palin; Billy Crystal; Harry Dean Stanton and the Replacements; not realizing Spinal Tap is a joke; Tina Turner freaks out in dress; Sam Kinison; Ringo Starr; Charlton Heston; Jim Belushi and Robert Downey Jr.

Adam Lapidus joins me to talk about using his initial; being 6' 9"; Conan O'Brien; NYC real estate; his father being childhood friends with Dave Davis and then reconnecting; meeting James L. Brooks and being asked to be a PA on Taxi at 16; going to NYU; getting a PA job on the Ellen Burstyn Show; Norman Steinberg; Megan Mulally; Jim Burrows secret of TV directing; writing freelance for Charles in Charge, It's a Living, and Who's the Boss; first staff job on Throb; pitching a Simpsons to Dave Davis who pitched it to James L. Brooks; Sam Simon being against it; favorite jokes in it; writing Brooke Shields in to meet her; doing the commentary track; getting a job on Full House; writing the Rigby the Rhino episode and his theme song; Cleghorne; writing Secret Service Guy, which never aired; writing a Weird Science; working on a Smart Guy; WB wanted to turn it into Dawson's Creek; it's creepy very special episode; Much Ado About Nothing for MTV; The Jersey for Disney; Tripping the Rift; Fatherhood; Phil of the Future and having an episode rejected because "children don't get irony"; Xiaolin Showdown; Suite Life of Zach and Cody; Brenda Song; easy to discuss line readings with child actors; "Cooking with Romeo and Juliet" favorite episode; Suite Life on Deck; Debbie Ryan; Jesse; using your daughter for stories; Bunk'd; Team Kaley; Disney micromanagement vs. Netflix freedom; quitting writing to teach at Boston University; winning Professor of the Year Award.

John C. Larrochia joined me to discuss growing up watching Dean Martin's Roasts and Johnny Carson; his funny family members; opening up in high school; joining FDNY; forming his foundation; touring Dallas; mechanical bulls; holding an Almost Gala; his TV show on You tube and Optimum; joining hazmat team; D.B. Frick; the charities sponsor: Barish & McGary; working in the Hazmat division; how 9/11 affected him and his family; his health; playing pickleball; Pete Davidson; much help from Joe Piscopo; working with Jon Stewart; making a widow laugh during trying times; teachers; people whose first day at work on 9/11

Jay Moriarty joins me to discuss how "All in the Family" changed TV; he and his partner writing a spec AITF and getting turned down; writing the "IQ Test" episode of Good Times; pitching "Louise's Daughter" to The Jeffersons"; getting a staff job; his 2 favorite episodes about MLK's death and the KKK; writing Jeffersons episodes about age discrimination and suicide; the fight to make "Florida's Problem"; how his book, Honkey in the House" is a behind the scenes look at Norman Lear's sitcoms and how to write them; not liking writer's rooms; how writer's thought writing would be like The Dick Van Dyke Show; writing for three camera sitcoms; spec scripts vs. spec pilots; not liking the clip show or the disco episode; the creation of the "Sorry, Wrong Meeting" episode about the KKK; remaking "The Draft Dodger" live in 2021; Bill Cosby not being a writer; every show must have a problem, complication and solution using George's kidney episode as an example; Chuck Lorre writers rooms; using The Jeffersons to educate about CPR and the Heimlich maneuver; James Karen; abilities of the Jeffersons cast; Zara Cully; Louise vs. Mother Jefferson and George v. Florence; the problem with "Checking In"; trying to get Steve Martin; Archie says "God damn"; Joe Biden comes to Norman Lear's shiva; writing for Norman Lear is like a religion; Dear John; Jere Burns; there should be books on writing other shows, such as Taxi or Cheers; Modern Family has two writers rooms; Cheers writers spend hours topping each other on jokes, but not as much goes to story; Back to the Future: The Musical

Jay Madison joined me to discuss growing up in Madison, Wisconsin; watching superhero shows an d old movies; Al in the Family; Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and Fernwood 2Night; WC Fields; starting stand up in San Diego and moving to Minnesota; meeting Louie Anderson, Roseanne, and Tom Arnold; starting to write with Judd Apatow; rewriting a movie with Judd; getting hired at Roseanne; appearing at Evening at the Improv and Star Search; writing "Bird is the Word", the Vegas episodes and the episodes about Dan's father on Roseanne; Ned Beatty & Shelley Winters; Barry Rubinowitz; writing the Chris Farley ep of Jackie Thomas; working with Chuck Lorre & Bonnie Bramlett; making the show more authentic; nobody can be poor on TV; UPN made Malcolm & Eddie rich; doing Jackie Thomas, Herman's Head and Greg Kinnear in a three-year stretch; working on Fresh Prince; creating Malcolm & Eddie; Richard Pryor guest stars; "Strike" episode of Jackie Thomas with Norm MacDonald, Bill Maher, and Seinfeld bashing; Tom Arnold's great at playing dumb guys; picking up Gary Coleman; ABC wanted to renew but balked when Tom & Roseanne wanted to control slot; Tom's role on show was larger than supposed to be; Phil Leeds; Jackie Thomas writers based on real people; Michael Boatman's character was based on William Lucas Walker; Red Buttons; his acting career; Naked Gun 33 1/3; being on Fresh Prince; Bridesmaids; writing for Americas Funniest Home Videos; My Big Redneck Wedding and its spinoffs; doing stand up for fun; comics who don't change with times; when reality doesn't need punching up; stand up is a night time game; knowing when to hang it up; his writing disability which made it hard to type scripts before computers; Franken & Davis

Jerry Rannow discusses his love of old-time comedy and book about Mabel Normand; his comedy writer detective series; his first book on how to write for TV; growing up in Wisconsin in the 50's; meeting the head of Love American Style at a party and pitching; dropping out of UW Milwaukee to be in Bye, Bye, Birdie; his TV debut on Channing; guesting on My 3 Sons and The Beverly Hillbillies; being a regular and writer on the Jonathan Winters Show; his current play in production; Wisconsin; writing an All in the Family about Mike donating his sperm that CBS would net let on; The Doors guesting on Jonathan Winters; working with Red Skelton; The Masters Club: Percy Helton; having lunch with John Wayne; his play has been compared to The Purple Rose of Cairo; losing laughter in life; Fatty Arbuckle; Room 222 and his favorite episodes; writing for Love, American Style; Welcome Back Kotter - favorite episode Hotsy Totsy gets pregnant; writing with his wife; real life entering episodes; Kotter's opening joke; Travolta ad libs; he and Robert Hegyes write a Marx Brothers movie; his Happy Days ep where Richie becomes a DJ mirrored his life; Harper Valley PTA; Barbara Eden; George Gobel; freelancing on The Love Boat, What a Country!. Throb, Small Wonder, Check it Out; working in Canada on Snow Job and The Baxters for Norman Lear; pitching to Norman Lear; writing for Head of the Class; not going to Moscow; too many kids in the cast; Dan Frischman and Charles Fleischer; Pat Morita; leaving Hollywood and going to Wisconsin and opening up an ad agency; continuing to write every weekday

Ray Stewart joined me to discuss his love of movies, especially the Road Pictures; seeing a real life movie star in person; acting as far back in first grade; his mother who wanted to be an actress but directed all the towns productions with Ray coming along; going to the University of Texas; befriending Rip Torn; studying under Sanford Meisner; taking eight years to make a living from acting; his 1st off-Broadway job at the Cherry Lane Theater; his first Broadway show, Cry of Players; doing commercials; his plays Mary Stuart, The Lincoln Mask, and Postcards; Tv appearances on Dark Shadows, Ed Sullivan Show; guest starring on Bob Newhart and his role on Barney Miller; favorite episode; being brought back for the ending; AES Hudson Street; being on a Charo special; Silent Movie, comedy; losing his accent; playing the reporter who announced the shooting of Jr. on Dallas; The Vals; Space Raiders; Days of Our Lives; retiring; touring with Fantastics in Japan

George Beckerman joined me to talk about early TV, his first writing job, 1983's NBC Yummy Awards; Paul Winchell and Pinky Lee; growing up in Forest Hills; going to high school with Jerry Springer; going into the textile business; getting his suits on the cover of GQ; selling his business and moving to LA; writing a screenplay "Beverly Hills Shrink" for Fred Weintraub; writing a special "Blondes vs. Brunettes" directed by Steve Binder; seeing Joan Collins sans makeup and working with Don Novello; pitching 30 episode ideas to the producers of Alice; getting a job on TBS sitcom Safe at Home with pissed off cast; hiring Dan O'Shannon and Tom Anderson; an arrest during rehearsal; pitching for Head of the Class and a movie for Gene Wilder; first head of the Class "The Russians are Coming"; the problems and greatness of multi-cam comedies; writing "Child of the 60's" and meeting Lori Petty; writing "Parent's Night" and having 23 characters to write; writing Trouble in Perfectville for Robin Givens and having it changed; working with Tannis Vallely and her father on two different shows; Howard Hesseman; becoming friends with Robin Givens and her mother and needing to get Mike Tyson off the set; Leslie Bega and Khrystyne Haje; creating and leaving "Molloy"; becoming friends with Mayim Bialik; Jennifer Aniston; fighting with Bill Bixby on the set of "Man of the People"; Monty has great cast including Henry Winkler, David Schwimmer, and China Kantner - daughter of Grace Slick and Paul Kantner, but was short lived; The Jackie Thomas show was the most fun he had; trying to turn Jackie Thomas into a modern day Dick Van Dyke; playing tennis with Norm MacDonald; working with Chris Farley; meeting his wife Geraldine Leder writing for "Secret Service Guy" a show that never aired; having his film script optioned by Ben Stiller and not getting a budget; writing a Lifetime movie for Kirstie Alley; a Hallmark time travel movie; writing for children's television; making a short film "Autocowrecked"; writing a song with a member of Foster the People; the current state of TV as a business; Adam I. Lapidus and the Simpsons

Dave Hackel joined me to discuss growing up in Delaware, Ohio; being kept busy by TV; working in radio at 14; doing everything for a cable channel in Columbus for three years; moving to LA and getting a job that supplied prizes for game shows; Turtle wax; writing in the same building as game show writers; getting first break, on Fish; working with Abe Vigoda; getting staff jobs on Shirley, a Shirley Jones sitcom; writing the made-for-TV movie, The Great American Traffic Jam; writing a Love Boat; Harper Valley PTA; 9 to 5 and meeting with April Kelley; doing Webster and working with Bruce Johnson; problems on the set; Alex Karras & Susan Clark vs. Emmanuel Lewis & producers; Out of this World; writing for Dear John; an episode he writes wins Cleavon Little an Emmy; Bill Asher (Bewitched) was a fan of Becker; being a consultant on Frasier; writing #2 Wings fan favorite "Stand Up Kind of Guy"; the story behind it; Wings being a show the meant something to him professionally and personally; working with Al Franken on Lateline; Becker having come from a previous pilot; making him a doctor and casting Ted Danson; test pilot script read; Ian Gurvitz's contributions; trying to make Becker dramatic and showcase issues and still be funny; retirement; travelling the US with his wife, Peter Casey and his wife; Detroit; Motown Museum; Kansas City; Minneapolis; becoming a Padres fan late in life; game show writers; Markie Post; Monty Hall; guests over 90; meeting Carl Reiner; Shawnee Smith; teaching in NYC; teenage political apathy; April Kelly's memory and not knowing who the hosts and musical guests on SNL anymore.