The ALL NEW Big Wakeup Call with Ryan Gatenby

Send us Fan MailComedy Legend Tommy Davidson joins the show for appearance #4 and is only one visit away from a voluminous quantity of The Big Wakeup Call merchandise! Tommy is at the Chicago Improv on Sunday, April 12, for two shows benefitting  Omega Phi Psi Fraternity.  Tickets here.

Send us Fan MailTom Papa called in for a fun chat about his new book Your Dad Stole My Rake...and Other Family Dilemmas. We discussed why he wanted to put down his thoughts into convenient book form, writing for a specific audience, dealing with "wacky" morning radio shows, and the eternal dilemma of juggling work and family. (From 6-7-18)

Send us Fan MailFormer major league infielder, Emmy-award winning MLB Network analyst, and proud “old school” baseball guy, Bill Ripken wants you to get off of his lawn. Kidding…maybe.Today's Major League Baseball lives and dies by its “new school” numbers. Over the last few decades, newly established statistics and on-field measurables have become so influential that they have infiltrated front offices, baseball operations departments, player development and scouting, and have significantly changed the game's landscape. Major League Baseball measures everything now and relies less and less on baseball experience and the wisdom established over years of playing and coaching. The power dynamic has changed. Stats are now king. This shift is the root of Major League Baseball's growing culture war and the impetus behind Ripken's new book “STATE OF PLAY: The Old School Guide to New School Baseball”   (From 4-2-20)

Send us Fan MailIn HEAD BALL COACH, Steve Spurrier, college football legend, shares his story of a life in football: from winning the Heisman Trophy to playing and coaching in the pros to leading the Florida Gators to six SEC Championships and a National Championship to elevating the South Carolina program to new heights -- all by coaching like nobody else. He's been called cocky, arrogant, brash, pompous, egotistical, and hilarious, but, mostly, he's known as the Head Ball Coach, a self-ordained term introduced to the lexicon of football by none other than the man himself, Steve Spurrier. (From 9-1-16).

Send us Fan MailIn addition to being a "Dancing With The Stars Champion," Donald Driver played 14 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, went to four Pro Bowls, and caught 64 touchdowns (I think 62 of them against the Bears).  Donald called in to discuss his book The 3D Body Revolution.  I tried talking Donald out of retirement since the Bears could use a wideout, but I failed.  Still, I had to ask. (From 9-20-17)

Send us Fan MailBaseball legend Mookie Wilson called into talk about his memoir. MOOKIE is the inside story behind the man, the franchise, and a golden age of a sport; a story that can only be told by Mookie Wilson himself. In this stunningly honest memoir, Mookie provides insight into the minds of other players both on his team and elsewhere that season; his feeling about the decisions of the franchise regarding his career and the careers of Mets veterans over the past few decades; his time in Toronto and with the Mets as a coach and Ambassador; and the current state of Major League Baseball. (From 4-2-15)

Send us Fan MailNick Selby is a police detective with more than 20 years of experience fighting cyber criminals.  He's also the author of "The Cyber Attack Survival Manual."  We discussed the dark web, the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to protecting their identities, how hacking is not just a kid in a basement anymore, and why you maybe shouldn't have a smart adult toy. (From 10-24-17)

Send us Fan MailBrett Tutor is the newest member of the crew on "Trading Spaces," which has returned to TLC with new episodes Saturday nights at 8/7c.  Brett talked about hazing the newcomer, how his career as a singer, stuntman, survival specialist, and Air Force veteran led him to the show, and handling surprise requests from Ty Pennington. (From 4-13-18)

Send us Fan MailSports betting expert Chad Millman called in to reminisce wistfully about the '85 Bears and share his thoughts on when the Bears might actually be competitive again, plus talked about the latest Super Bowl odds, prop bets, and the prospects of national legal sports betting in the NFL and NBA. (From 1-25-18)

Send us Fan MailJake Borelli called into talk about the fall finale of Gray's Anatomy, which we tried to do tactfully without revealing any spoilers if it's still awaiting you on your DVR. We discussed Levi's character development, how he portrays the perfect combination of strength and vulnerability, and his decision to come out publicly around the same time as Levi and Nico finally acted on their feelings. (From 11-16-18)

Send us Fan MailNew York Times national security correspondent David Sanger called in to talk about his new book The Perfect Weapon: War Sabotage and Fear in the Cyber Age. We discussed how security struggles to keep up with technology, how the iPhone truly changed the world, and whether or not he had to write the book longhand or on a manual typewriter to protect the manuscript. (From 6-27-18)

Send us Fan MailEmmy and Tony Award-winning actor Hal Linden gave us a call to talk about his critically-acclaimed film "The Samuel Project." We also discussed his concert tours and how it's never too late to chase a dream. (From 10-2-18)

Send us Fan MailIan Doescher, author of the "William Shakespeare's Star Wars" series, called in to talk about his new series of "Pop Shakespeare" books, beginning with "Get Thee...Back to the Future!" (From 4-23-19)

Send us Fan MailShould-be Hall-of-Famer David Cone called in to chat about his new book "Full Count: The Education of a Pitcher." I learned so much about pitching talking to David, a self-confessed "pitching nerd."  I also invited David for a game of Wiffle Ball in my backyard and he accepted.  Looking forward to it the next time he's in Chicago and we can compare Wiffle Ball sinkers.  (From 5-23-19)

Send us Fan MailJeff Benedict is the co-author, along with Armen Keteyian, of the new biography "Tiger Woods." Jeff discussed the lengthy process of researching and writing the book, how a biographer needs to remain both immersed in and detached from his subject, and Tiger's performance at the 2018 Masters. (From 4-5-18)

Send us Fan MailHarry Lloyd called in to discuss his role in "Counterpart." We discussed the challenge of playing an espionage agent in two different worlds, working with the amazing J.K. Simmons, and why British actors can sound more American than actual Americans. (From 1-18-18)

Send us Fan MailEmma Gray is the Executive Women's Editor at HuffPost and the author of "A Girl's Guide to Joining the Resistance," which is the best and most impactful book I've read all year. A very important work from an outstanding writer. (From 3-1-18)

Send us Fan MailTommy Davidson is one of our all-time favorite guests who is returning to the area to play the Chicago Improv this weekend December 12-14.

Send us Fan MailFrom multiple New York Times best-selling author Jeff Pearlman comes the rollicking, outrageous, you-can't-make-this-up story of the USFL—Football for a Buck: The Crazy Rise and Crazier Demise of the USFL. (From 9-18-18)The United States Football League—known fondly to millions of sports fans as the USFL—was the last football league to challenge the NFL while causing its owners and executives to collectively shudder. It spanned three seasons, from 1983 to 1985, secured multiple television deals, drew millions of fans, and launched the careers of legends. But then it died beneath the weight of a particularly egotistical and bombastic owner—a New York businessman named Donald J. Trump. The league featured as many as eighteen teams, and included such superstars as Steve Young, Jim Kelly, Herschel Walker, Reggie White, Doug Flutie, and Mike Rozier. In Football for a Buck, dogged reporter and biographer Jeff Pearlman draws on more than four hundred interviews to unearth all the salty, untold stories of one of the craziest sports entities ever to have captivated America. From excess drug usage in the '80s to airplane brawls and player-coach punch outs, to backroom business deals, to some of the most enthralling and revolutionary football ever seen, Pearlman transports readers back in time to this crazy, boozy, audacious, and unforgettable era of the game. He shows how fortunes were made and lost on the backs of professional athletes and how, even thirty years ago, Trump was a scoundrel and a spoiler.

Send us Fan MailTom Brady. Serena Williams. Michael Phelps. Shalane Flanagan. LeBron James. Carli Lloyd. Roger Federer. Everywhere you look, athletes well past so-called peak age are not just staying competitive but dominating. It's a new era for older athletes. Through fascinating profiles and first-person experiences, journalist Jeff Bercovici illuminates the science and strategies behind the art of longevity in sports in “Play On: The New Science of Elite Performance at Any Age." (From 5-1-18)

Send us Fan MailNina Burleigh is the national politics correspondent at Newsweek and a best-selling author. She called in to talk about her new book Golden Handcuffs: The Secret History of Trump's Women, which examines the relationships he has with all of the women in his life, including his mother, grandmother, wives, and daughters. (From 10-24-2018)

Send us Fan MailBurleigh Drummond is the drummer and a founding member of Ambrosia. Burleigh was promoting the band's show at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles.(From 9-25-18)

Send us Fan MailCleo Abram & Christophe Huabursin are two of the hosts of a new YouTube series "Glad You Asked," where they will tackle unknown mysteries, anomalies, and unexplained phenomena big and small.  (From 10-8-2019

Send us a textA fun chat with comedian and actor ARIES SPEARS, who is performing at The Improv in Schaumburg this weekend with 7 and 9:30 shows on Friday, 3:30, 7, and 9:30 on Saturday, and 6:00 on Sunday.ARIES SPEARSBiographyEver since New York native Aries Spears was 14 years old, he has been a force to be reckoned with in the comedy scene throughout America. His quick wit, charisma and ferociously aggressive style of comedy have earned him critical acclaim, high accolades, and above all, a busy schedule. From being a regular on Fox's Mad TV, starring in feature films, appearing on a number of national talk shows, and continually touring the country where he continually sells out each and every city, Aries' talents are widespread as he just passed the 3 million spins played on Pandora and his podcast is one of the "Musts" in the US. This past summer, Aries guest starred in CNN's “See It Loud” new summer series on the history of Black Television which was one of their hit docuseries of 2023, alongside Amanda Seales, Da'Vinchi, Debbie Allen, Deon Cole, Desus & Mero, Gabrielle Union, Jimmie Walker, Judge Greg Mathis, Kevin Frazier, Loni Love, Lynn Whitfield, Mo'Nique, Naturi Naughton, Omari Hardwick, Ray J, Ruben Studdard, Sherri Shepherd, Tatyana Ali, Tiffany Pollard, Tisha Campbell, Vivica A. Fox and many more. Trailer: https://tinyurl.com/AriesCNNSeeItLoudAs a principal cast member on Fox's hit sketch comedy show Mad TV, Aries brought a fresh, hip style to the already-edgy program from the third through the tenth season. The producers made full use of many of Aries's talents by calling on him frequently to create new hilarious characters and write sketches where he thrived for eight seasons.Some of the many recurring characters that Aries is famous for on the show include: Belma Buttons, Bill Cosby, Jesse Jackson, Mike Tyson, Walter (Crackheads), Reggie (Erascist), Dollar Bill Montgomery, Shaquille O'Neal, The Klumps, Michael Jackson, Sisqo, Evander Holyfield, El Diablo Negro and more. Aries also boasts a number of uproarious impersonations on the show that include James Brown, Al Pacino, and his childhood idol Eddie Murphy. The Aries-branded sketch “Talkin' American” was Mad TV's most popular bit, keeping fans tuned in and boosting Mad's ratings impressively on Saturday night.Aries has also found great success in the world of feature films. At the age of 17, after being spotted in a comedy club, Aries landed a part in the movie Home of Angels which eventually led to a starring role alongside John Leguizamo in TriStar's The Pest followed by the notable role as Cuba Gooding, Jr.'s brother in Columbia's blockbuster hit, Jerry Maguire.Aries maintains a strong connection to his African roots and is involved in many charitable events, including a number of organizations that help abused women. He feels blessed to have been able to achieve everything that he has, but he in no way intends on stopping there. Given the extreme growing success rate of action comedies coming out of Hollywood, it's safe to say that Aries Spears will be in demand for quite some time.   https://www.ariesspears.com 

Send us a textSandra Magsamen returns to the show for a chat about her new book Silly Witch along with her career writing for children.SANDRA MAGSAMEN is the author and illustrator of many books for young children, including the picture book When I Grow Up I Want to Be Me, as well as a number of bestselling novelty titles, including Everybody Goes Nighty-Night, named a Best Board Book of 2018 by The Children's Book Review; Baby Love; I Love You, Little Pumpkin; and Peek-a-Boo, I Love You. As an artist, an art therapist, and a mom, she uses her creativity to remind people to express themselves and connect with others. Her lifestyle brands, products, and books are sold worldwide. Visit her at sandramagsamen.com.

Send us a textNation gifting expert Lindsay Roberts, founder of TheGiftInsider.com, discusses entertainment options and deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Learn why entertainment tops the list of smart gifts that bring family and friends together this holiday season, from streaming services and sports packages to mobile upgrades. 

Send us a textMILLIE FLEUR SAVES THE NIGHT is Christy Mandin's entertaining sequel to her New York Times bestseller Millie Fleur's Poison Garden that encourages readers to find beauty in the darkness. Millie Fleur is a character that embraces age-appropriate dark comedy for kids. This charmingly macabre story is perfect for Halloween reading but also can be enjoyed all year-round.Christy Mandin is the author and illustrator of multiple picture books. She's grown many interesting plants in her garden over the years but, so far, none with teeth or tentacles. She currently lives in Georgia with her husband and four children. Visit Christy online at christymandin.com or Instagram @christymandin 

Send us a textYou may know Olivie Blake is the New York Times bestselling author of speculative fiction for adults, including The Atlas Six trilogy, Alone with You in the Ether, Masters of Death, the short story collection Januaries.  Her new book is Girl Dinner, a darkly fun novel about power, lust, and eating your fill, as wealthy moms and sorority girls practice a sinister new wellness trend. OLIVIE BLAKE is the New York Times bestselling author of sci-fi and fantasy for adults, including The Atlas Six trilogy, Alone with You in the Ether, Masters of Death, the short story collection Januaries, and her most recent novel, Girl Dinner. With Little Chmura, she is the co-creator of the graphic series Clara and the Devil. As Alexene Farol Follmuth, she is also the author of the young adult novels My Mechanical Romance and Twelfth Knight. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son.

Send us a textHGTV star Matt Blashaw joins us for the 5th time (5-Timers Club!) with practical tips from smarter home design to how propane can keep the heat and lights on when the grid goes down.Licensed contractor Matt Blashaw is everything you want in a versatile handyman and then some. His home improvement company once used the slogan “One Call Fixes It All” and Matt made a point of always delivering on that promise. So how does a guy this young get to be this good? Easy — he grew up in a lumberyard! A native of Orange County, California, Matt spent his teen years working at his father's lumberyard before graduating from Chapman University. He then moved on to a variety of jobs in the construction and entertainment industries. A stint with the technical services group at Disney taught him about show effects and electrical installation. Today, when he's not sharing his expertise with DIY Network viewers, Matt works as a Realtor and develops and builds homes in Orange County. Matt takes a fearless approach to home remodeling and says he's never afraid to make mistakes. After all, that's often when he learns the most. If you're thinking about taking on a do-it-yourself project, take his advice and just go for it. Matt hosts HGTV's Professional Grade in addition to DIY Network's Money Hunters, Deconstruction and Project Xtreme. 

Send us a textDigital safety expert Kristin Lewis shares some great advice on staying safe online during Cybersecurity Awareness Month.Kristin Lewis is Chief Product Officer at Aura, where she oversees the company's suite of products that keep families safe online—from parental controls and child digital wellness tools to identity protection, data removal from brokers, and online security features. She leads the development of technology that empowers consumers to take control of their digital privacy and protect themselves from fraud and data misuse.

Send us a textBrian “Uncle John” Boone returns to the show for a fun chat about the 38th Edition of "Uncle John's Know-It-All Bathroom Reader."There are almost as many adventures both personal and professional in the life of Brian “Uncle John” Boone as there are fun facts in the average Bathroom Reader volume, the series to which he has been a contributor for more than two decades. Brian picked up a lot of fascinating knowledge and stories about the world around him from an early age, with a childhood spent reading voraciously, traveling, and watching lots of TV. He continued to absorb and retain interesting information when he learned how to share it in amusing ways as he studied journalism and went on to publish books of jokes, music, sports, and literature, as well as hilarious stuff for the likes of Funny or Die, Vulture, Mad, The New Yorker, The Onion, and Some ecards. He even wrote a couple of stage musicals and a wacky sci-fi novel, developed major podcasts and radio shows, and showed off his Uncle John cred as a contestant on Jeopardy! He's authored thousands of articles in the Uncle John's Bathroom Reader series and edited offshoot titles including Fake Facts, Germophobia, Robotica, and Beer-Vana. 

Send us a textTravel expert and chief meteorologist Jennifer Broome discusses fun getaway ideas for National Thrive Outside Day.Jennifer Broome is a multimedia travel and environmental journalist documenting her journey in the Swept Away With JenniferBroome YouTube channel focusing on adventure travel, solo travel, national parks, road trips, weather, climate, and sustainable tourism.  She is also a television meteorologist and on-camera travel and outdoors expert, host, and reporter with over 30 years of live television experience. She was one of the first female chief meteorologists in the United States and has visited all 50 U.S. states and 253 National Park Service units including 48 national parks. 

Send us a textAuthor J.L. Spears talks about AI and its chilling possibilities in his new thriller "Daemon Protocol."J.L. (Joseph) Spears is a software engineer and author with over 25 years of experience in the technology industry. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Indiana University and a Master of Science in Computer Science from the University of San Francisco. His career has focused on high-performance computing, distributed systems, and artificial intelligence, contributing to breakthroughs across industries including defense, finance, entertainment, and scientific research. Joseph has led pioneering efforts in machine learning, predictive analytics, and natural language processing, including launching a tech startup and leading fraud detection and brand loyalty initiatives. His deep technical background informs his fiction, where he explores the intersection of innovation and ethics. Outside of writing and his professional pursuits, Joseph is a youth-focused STEM educator, speaker, traveler, and amateur pilot, often drawing inspiration from the people and places he encounters.

Send us a textClaribel A. Ortega, New York Times bestselling author of Ghost Squad and the Witchlings series, and Pura Belpre and Eisner Award-winning author of the graphic novel Frizzy, is a former reporter who writes middle grade and young adult fantasy inspired by her Dominican heritage. When she's not busy turning her obsession with pop culture, magic, and video games into books, she's co-hosting her podcast Bad Author Book Club and coaching authors on how to navigate publishing. Claribel has been featured on BuzzFeed, NPR, Good Morning America, and Deadline. You can find her on social media at @Claribel_Ortega and on her website at claribelortega.com.

Send us a textNaeem Bari is Co-Founder & President of Linxup. Linxup provides easy-to-use tracking and dash cam solutions for vehicles, tools, and workers. Trusted by 20,000+ businesses since 2004, Linxup delivers reliability, flexibility, and live US-based support across industries like field service, construction, and logistics. Prior to Linxup, Naeem founded two technology startups and steered them from early stages through profitable maturity and eventual exits. He has served on several boards and participated in M&A activity at executive management and board levels. 

Send us a textRyan La Sala is a bestselling and award-winning author known for his genre-defying, queer-centered horror and fantasy, including The Honeys and Beholder. His work has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, Entertainment Weekly, and more. He writes to you from New York, overseen by his cat, Haunted Little Girl. He can hold his breath for one minute and three seconds. You can ping him on his shell phone at ryanlasala.com.  Ryan discussed his new book The Dead of Summer.

Send us a textFormer Newsweek legal affairs editor and best-selling author David A. Kaplan called in to discuss his new book "The Most Dangerous Branch: Inside the Supreme Court's Assault on the Constitution."  It's too bad the Supreme Court wasn't top of mind for most of us as we talked about his book.(From 9-5-18)

Send us a textStand-up comedian Dan Crohn called in to talk about his appearance on a new compilation comedy album, "Valentine's Day is for Suckers."  Dan also has a solo comedy album called "It's Enough Already." We discussed whether or not a comedy show is good for a first date, dealing with second show Friday, the Boston and Chicago comedy scenes, and how teaching 4th graders has provided him with almost endless material.(From 2-6-20)

Send us a textCaity Weaver from the New York Times called in for a lively chat about her article taking a look behind the scenes (and on the actual boat) at Bravo's "Below Deck Mediterranean."  (From 7-2-20)

Send us a textWidely recognized as a two-time All-Pro NFL veteran, Ovie played nine seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and Atlanta Falcons. He called in to share fantasy football tips for the new season.

Send us a textEmily Schultz is the co-founder of the influential "Joyland" magazine and author of "The Blondes", an international bestseller named a Best Book of 2015.  She dialed us up for a lively chat about her newest book, "Little Threats."(From 11-11-20)

Send us a textAnnie Duke is a best-selling author, former professional poker player, and an sought-after consultant in the decision-making space.  Her new book is “How To Decide: Simple Tools for Making Better Choices.” (From 10-22-20)

Send us a textElisha Cuthbert joined the show way back when (how is this interview 10 years old already?) to talk about the season finale of "One Big Happy."(From 4-28-15)

Send us a textJuliette Faye is the bestselling author of 8 novels, including City of Flickering Light and the USA TODAY bestseller The Tumbling Turner Sisters. We discussed her new book, The Harvey Girls, including how the book has a Chicago connection.

Send us a textDylan Thuras, cofounder and creative director of Atlas Obscura, and Jennifer Swanson, an award-winning children's author of more than forty-five nonfiction and fiction books, called in for an entertaining chat about their new book The Atlas Obscura Explorer's Guide to Inventing the World.

Send us a textAs we find ourselves in the middle of another serious heatwave, with temperatures in the mid-90s and high humidity, I'm joined by Dr. Andie Lee Gonzalez, a registered dietitian with nearly 15 years of nutrition and public health experience. Dr. Gonzalez shared important summer hydration tips and resources.

Send us a textIt's almost back-to-school time! Tucker Perkins, president and chief executive officer for the Propane Education & Research Council, returned to the show to chat about how students can have a safer, healthier ride to school that also benefits teachers, parents, and the community.

Send us a textCandace Bushnell joined the show for a chat about her new book "Is There Still Sex in the City?" (From 8-30-19)

Send us a textGavin Edwards is the author of “Kindness and Wonder:  Why Mister Rogers Matters Now More Than Ever.” We discussed what Mr. Rogers meant to us growing up and why its timeless messages can (and should) reach a new generation of kids...and adults.(From 10-31-19)

Send us a textMark Bego is a best-selling author who has written books about Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, and the Supremes. Mark called into the show to discuss his book "Rocket Man: The Life of Elton John."  (From 1-28-20)

Send us a textKatherine McNamara is an award-winning actress you know from her role as  Mia on “Arrow.”  The complete eighth and final season is out now on Digital, DVD and Blu-Ray. (From 4-22-20)