Take Me Through It

TV weatherman Spencer Christian had it all:  A great job, a great family, a great life.  But he nearly lost everything to compulsive gambling, before he found the courage to change his life.  BJ and Spencer discuss Spencer's new book, "You Bet Your Life: How I Survived Jim Crow Racism, Hurricane Chasing, and Gambling."

BJ attends the annual commemoration for the USS San Francisco, which was involved in one of the most hellacious, courageous battles  in American military history 76 years ago at Guadalcanal.

Benjamin Zander, Founder, Music Director and Conductor of the Boston Philharmonic and Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestras, discusses the world's greatest music; how it uplifts mankind and teaches us all about love, life and humanity.

Former NFL player and now local news anchor Vai Sikahema recounts his transition from the NFL to TV, coming to America at the age of 8, and the important role religion plays in his life. Second of two parts.

Vai Sikahema forever won the hearts of Philadelphia Eagles fans more than two decades ago.  He's now a television news anchor, whose front row seat to history includes an impending nuclear attack heading right for him (well, not really) and the incredible and improbable Super Bowl Run by the Iggles. BJ talks with his old pal Vai about the attack that wasn't, the championship that was, and his jarring introduction to live TV news during an infamous chase on the freeways of Los Angeles.

Bill Finch has spent his most of his life in public service; State Senator, Mayor of Connecticut's biggest city, Executive Director of the New York State Turnpike Authority.  But now, Bill is using his love of science and optimistic view of the future to lead the Discovery Museum and Planetarium in Bridgeport, a place where kids age 1 to 100 can experience the thrill of the daily miracles around us.

Training teenagers to be ready for the next disaster my not be part of a regular school curriculum, but two Connecticut high schools are doing just that. Fox 61 reporter Jim Altman joins BJ to talk about an extraordinary program at one school and an extraordinary gift to another. Plus, being the hockey heads that they are, BJ and Jim can't help but throw in a third (and unrelated) story; how Hartford Whalers fans are keeping hope alive, 20 years after the Whale shoved off for Raleigh, NC.

Fires. Murders. Corruption. Bad Weather.  Each among the storylines we expect every day when we tune into the local television news. But the TV news operations that stand out, take the time and make the effort to also tell stories of human triumph and hope in a memorable and impactful way.  BJ sits down with Fox 61 reporter Jim Altman to listen to and discuss three of Jim's recent stories.

FDR was one of our great presidents.  Eleanor was our greatest First Lady. In many ways, it all started when Franklin's mother built them a grand home in midtown Manhattan, a home that still stands today, not just as a museum, but as a beacon of education, freedom, and human rights.

Should we return to the Moon?  Plan a mission to Mars? What is the impact and risks of long term human space travel? In this Best of 2017 episode of Take Me Through It, B.J. and Mike (producer of the movie "Inner Space") go deep into the galaxy for a probing interview with Dr. Mark Shelhamer, NASA's former chief scientist for human research.

One of the greatest Christmas movies of all time has a back story as funny and interesting as the film itself.  Check out the story behind "Gremlins" in a Take Me Through It episode from the 2017 archives.

B.J. continues his Best of 2017 episodes with a look back to summer, and the story of how a young boy raised in the heart of Red Sox Nation became (gasp!) a fan of the New York Yankees.

"Decency Wins."  That two-word tweet from a Republican U.S. Senator reacting to Democrat Doug Jones' victory in the Alabama U.S. Senate race, brought to mind one of our favorite 2017 episodes of Take Me Through It.  How the word "decency" changed the course of history more than six decades ago.

B.J and the Take Me Through It team count down to 2018 by looking back at some of the more memorable episodes from 2017.  This time, B.J. recounts the time he bumped into the President of the United States on his 145th birthday.

B.J. talks with four journalism students from the University of Connecticut to get their take on the future of their chosen profession. In this era of the Great American Polarization, can the truth prevail in an atmosphere of mistrust, lies, ignorance and mis-information? 

BJ visits the campus of the University of Connecticut at Avery Point, and talks to author Gail B. MacDonald about her new book, "Morton F. Plant and the Connecticut Shoreline: Philanthropy in the Gilded Age."

BJ and Mike continue their conversation with Dr. Mark Shelhamer of Johns Hopkins University and NASA's former Chief Scientist for Human Research.  Mark looks into the future and discusses the challenges and the reality of the next space frontier: a trip to Mars.

What is the impact of long term space travel on humans, and can we make it to Mars in the next 20 years? BJ and Mike (producer of the movie classic "Inner Space") go deep into the galaxy for a probing interview with Dr. Mark Shelhamer, NASA's former chief scientist for human research.  This episode is out of this world.

BJ and Joan visit Fenway Park for the star-studded launch party for "The Ice Bucket Challenge: Pete Frates and the Fight Against ALS," a new book by Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge. We learn firsthand  how several generations of a family facing a terrifying disease come together to make a permanent difference in the world.

B.J. takes a time out from today's non-stop news cycle, to go back in time, to the moment when a "gentle man" stopped a tyrant in his tracks, not through violence, but with words.

BJ talks to New York Times bestselling author Casey Sherman, who has co-authored a new book about the Ice Bucket Challenge, the social media explosion that has raised hundreds of millions of dollars in the fight against ALS. The focus of the story is a young man, his wife, and their family, who have turned their battle against this devastating disease, into a world wide awareness and fundraising campaign that is already paying dividends.

How does a kid, born and raised in Red Sox Nation become a fan of the (gasp!) New York Yankees? All it takes is an aging superstar in pinstripes, a ball thrown into the stands, and an egg hurled from the upper deck. We also learn how one day in the Bronx led this boy to the love of his life ten years later in the wilds of eastern Connecticut.

B.J. visits Manhattan's Theater District, and ends up having a howling good time at Broadway Barks. The stories of these wonderful animals and the people who adopt them give us all a renewed sense of hope and happiness.

B.J. travels to Plymouth Notch, Vermont to celebrate the 4th of July and the 145th birthday of President Calvin Coolidge.  From a stirring naturalization ceremony to a surprise encounter with the President himself, B.J. shares the unique story of how a small town boy from the hills of Vermont became the 30th President of the United States.      

Movie Producer Mike Finnell tells the inside story of what it took to produce a sequel to his box office smash "Gremlins." 

Movie producer Mike Finnell shares the story of how an out-of-the-blue call from Steven Spielberg set in motion one of Hollywood's most unlikely success stories.  It started with an unworkable script, and ended with a box office smash that has kept audiences rolling in the aisles for more than three decades.

Movie producer Mike Finnell (Rock N' Roll High School, Gremlins, Matinee, Inner Space, The Burbs, Newsies) tells the personal and often hilarious story of how he got started in Hollywood.  From a fateful phone call from a priest to nearly getting killed by punks at the Whiskey A Go Go, Mike takes us behind the scenes of Hollywood in the 1970s.