The Great TV Podcast with Jim Harold

Marc Cushman joins us to discuss his series of books on Star Trek and the latest that covers Star Trek during the 70s. These Are the Voyages: Gene Roddenberry and Star Trek in the 1970s, Volume 1 (1970-75) Thanks Marc! --- Note from Jim: I love this podcast so much and had a chance to do a show on Star Trek so I thought I'd throw it into the feed...enjoy and who knows what other shows may show up!

NBC's Land of the Lost was a Saturday morning favorite for kids of the 70s. Today, we interview none other than Holly...Kathy Coleman. We talk about Kathy's journey. What a great lady. I think you'll enjoy this edition of The Great TV Podcast! You can find her book at Amazon.com: Run, Holly, Run!: A Memoir by Holly from 1970s TV Classic "Land of the Lost" Thanks Kathy!

Author Scott Ryan talks to us about the classic TV series Thirtysomething as it celebrates its 30th Anniversary. You can find his five-star reviewed book on the show at Amazon.com: thirtysomething at thirty: an oral history Thanks Scott!

TV legend Corbin Bernsen and his wife, accomplish actress Amanda Pays are also superstars of making great living spaces. They talk about their book on the subject and their 30 year marriage. Open House: Reinventing Space for Simple Living Thanks Corbin and Amanda!

She played Olivia Walton on The Waltons.  Michael talks about her career and being a part of one of the most beloved TV series of all time. It was lovely to speak with her. Thanks Michael!

Loretta Swit portrayed Margaret "Hotlips" Houlihan on the iconic TV series MASH. We talk to Loretta about MASH, her other acting work and the good work she is doing on behalf of animals today. You can find her recent book at Amazon.com: SwitHeart: The Watercolour Artistry & Animal Activism of Loretta Swit Thanks Loretta!

He is perhaps best known as the voice of KITT from Knight Rider but William Daniels is so much more. An Emmy for his work on St. Elsewhere, a movie career including The Graduate, and his stellar work on Broadway. We are so glad to talk to this living legend and his wife actress Bonnie Bartlett! You can find William's recent autobiography on Amazon.com: There I Go Again –SCOTTeVEST– I am a gadget guy, the only problem is where do you carry them all? That's not a problem once you are introduced to SCOTTeVEST products. You'll love the power of pockets. CLICK HERE AND use my special discount code JIMHAROLD to get 20% off of your SCOTTeVEST purchase. You'll love it!  

Scott Ryan and John Thorne join us to talk all about Twin Peaks, both the 90s version and the new version that will air this month on Showtime. Excuse me, I suddenly have a hankering for a damned fine cup of coffee!

This week's show is all about Seinfeld. Our guest is author Jennifer Keishin Armstrong. You can find her book on the "show about nothing" at Amazon.com: Seinfeldia: How a Show About Nothing Changed Everything Thanks!

The legendary Ed Asner join us this week. We talk about his iconic role as Lou Grant, working with Mary Tyler Moore, his long career and why he has been so active in the political arena. Jim's note: It was an awesome honor to spend some time with Mr. Asner, I hope you enjoy our talk. You can find information on Ed's production of A Man and His Prostate at amanandhisprostate.com Thanks Mr. Asner!

You may know him as the iconic villain Victor Newman from The Young and the Restless, but you probably don't know the amazing journey Eric Braeden took to become a soap opera legend. He shares some of that journey with us on this edition of TV You Grew Up With. You can find his book at Amazon.com: I'll Be Damned: How My Young and Restless Life Led Me to America's #1 Daytime Drama Thanks Eric! P.S. Eric is one of those guests I could have talked with for hours...an amazing man!

Jim Henson was a legend and a one of a kind. We talk to his biographer, Brian Jay Jones, about the man and his amazing work. You can find Brian's book at Amazon.com: Jim Henson: The Biography Thanks Brian!

Twilight Zone expert Martin Grams joins us to discuss the classic series. You can find his book at Amazon.com: The Twilight Zone: Unlocking the Door to a Television Classic Here is a link to the Blu Ray of the complete series, now released, that we discussed: The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series Blu-ray Thanks Martin!

The Mary Tyler Moore Show was groundbreaking in so many ways plus it was just plain great television. We talk to author Jennifer Keishin Armstrong about the classic TV series and it's star, the late great Mary Tyler Moore. You can find Jennifer's book at Amazon.com: Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted: And all the Brilliant Minds Who Made The Mary Tyler Moore Show a Classic Thanks Jennifer!

Charlotte Stewart was Miss Beadle on Little House On The Prarie, Betty Briggs on Twin Peaks and has many stories of rubbing elbows with Hollywood legends. We had a great talk on this episode of TV You Grew Up With. You can find her autobiography at Amazon.com: Little House in the Hollywood Hills: A Bad Girl's Guide to Becoming Miss Beadle, Mary X, and Me Thanks Charlotte!

He played "The Soup Nazi" on Seinfeld! Larry Thomas joins us and talks about playing New York's meanest restaurateur, his career beyond the iconic role and his own lifelong fascination with cooking. And, by the way. If you don't listen to this episode, "no soup for you!" You can find Larry's book at Amazon.com:  Confessions of a Soup Nazi: An Adventure in Acting and Cooking Thanks Larry!

Stephen Tropiano and Holly Van Buren join us to discuss the endings of classic TV shows. You can find their book at Amazon.com: TV Finales FAQ Thanks Stephen & Holly!

We talk to Home Improvement's Taran Noah Smith and his Mom Candy Bennici about the rewards and challenges of child stardom. You can find their book on the subject at Amazon.com: Stardom Happens: Nurturing Your Child in the Entertainment Business Thanks Taran & Cindy!

Gene Rayburn is remembered today for his work as the hilarious emcee of Match Game, the classic 70's game show, but he was much more. Author and game show expert Adam Nedeff join us to talk about one of our favorite classic TV personalities and his many successes. You can find Adam's book on Gene at Amazon.com: The Matchless Gene Rayburn Thanks Adam!

We talk with Mike Pipher who is in charge of the Rod Serling Archive at the Bundy Museum in Binghamton, NY (Serling's hometown). We discuss the master of mystery, and his career before, during and after The Twilight Zone. Submitted for your consideration on TV You Grew Up With… Serling's most celebrated TV series at Amazon.com: The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series [Blu-ray] The Twilight Zone: The Complete Definitive Collection (DVD) Night Gallery: Season 1 Night Gallery: Season 2 Night Gallery: Season 3 This program was recorded in October 2015. Thanks Mike!

The Andy Griffith Show is one of the iconic series in the history of television. Pulitzer prize winning author Daniel de Visé joins us to talk about the relationship that created it. . .that between Andy Griffith and Don Knotts. A great guest and book. You can find Daniel's must-read book at Amazon.com: Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American Thanks Daniel!

She played Cissy from the iconic sitcom Family Affair. She shares insight on working with greats like Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot, her accomplished career afterward, and we chat about her recent autobiography. You can find her book on Amazon: Surviving Cissy: My Family Affair of Life in Hollywood You can find the entire series on DVD here: Family Affair: The Complete Series Thanks Kathy!

  Linda Gray talks to us about her life and on portraying Sue Ellen Ewing in the iconic TV series, Dallas. You can find Linda's new autobiography at Amazon.com: The Road to Happiness Is Always Under Construction What a great lady Linda is, thanks Linda!

We talk to Alan Stevens and Dr. Fiona Moore about this iconic, mind bending 60s TV series, The Prisoner. They have written the ultimate guide book to the program. We also discuss their books on Battlestar Galactica. Here are Amazon links to some of the books we discussed: Fall Out: The Unofficial and Unathorised Guide to The Prisoner By Your Command: the Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to Battlestar Galactica: Original Series and Galactica 1980 Volume 1 Liberation – A Complete Guide to Blake's 7 Thanks Alan and Dr. Moore!

Ken Osmond and his co-author Christopher J. Lynch join us to talk about Ken's life and the experience of playing an iconic character like Eddie Haskell. Chris and the Leave It To Beaver star have written a book on the subject: Eddie: The Life and Times of America's Preeminent Bad Boy Thanks Ken & Chris!

We talk to legendary game show host Wink Martindale. In addition to his stellar hosting career on shows such as Gambit and Tic Tac Dough plus his radio work, Wink has a special connection to two of the greatest pop artists in history, Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. We also talk about Wink's latest online efforts which have extended his career into yet another medium. Thanks Wink!

We speak to the woman responsible for the terrific “Don Draper is DB Cooper” theory that has taken the ‘net by storm. Of course, we are talking about the ending of an instant classic TV series, Mad Men. Two years ago, Lindsey M. Green wrote this blog post first offering the theory. Going into the series finale, her theory is looking very plausible. Take a listen. NOTE: This show is full of spoilers if you are not caught up with the series! Thanks Lindsey! P.S. I hope she's right!

Comedian and host of The Carson Podcast, Mark Malkoff guests on TV You Grew Up With to talk about the all-time King of Late Night, Johnny Carson. Check out his fantastic podcast at CarsonPodcast.com Thanks Mark!

Cindy Williams joins us to talk about her new book, American Graffiti and, of course, her legendary TV series Laverne & Shirley. You can find her new book at Amazon.com: Shirley, I Jest!: A Storied Life You can find Laverne & Shirley on DVD at Amazon.com: Laverne & Shirley: Complete Series Pack Thanks Cindy!

Alison Arngrim who played nasty Nellie Oleson on Little House On The Prairie says she's been called a b**** everyday of her life since she was 11. She has embraced it with tongue firmly in cheek. Big secret: She is actually very nice…check out this episode of TV You Grew Up With. You can find her book on Amazon.com: Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated Thanks Alison!

Dawn Wells joins us to talk about starring as Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island. Plus, she shares her thoughts on the lessons that Mary Ann can teach today's society. You can find her recent book on the subject at Amazon.com: What Would Mary Ann Do?: A Guide to Life Thanks Dawn! P.S. She's just as nice in real life!

If you were a geek like me in the late 90's and early 2000's you probably watched TechTV, a cable network dedicated to all-tech 24/7. One of the most popular personalities on TechTV was Kate Botello. She hosted programs like The Screen Savers with Leo LaPorte and Extended Play with Adam Sessler and was the darling of everything geek. She went onto the New York stage, and now is a successful morning-drive Classical radio host. We talk about yesterday and today, with the delightful Kate Botello. Listen to Kate Botello at Interlochen Public Radio Thanks Kate!

The Waltons was THE iconic family drama of the 1970s. Judy Norton was Mary Ellen for the run of the series. We talk to Judy about the classic series, and the many things she has done since in acting, writing, directing, and singing. Thanks Judy! Judy's Website at JudyNorton.com  

Bruce Weitz of Hill Street Blues fame joins us on this edition of the show. An Emmy-award winner, Bruce talks about his decades long career, playing Mick Belker and his latest chapter which is quite a departure from his time in front of the camera and on the stage. Thanks Bruce!

Richard Hatch is best known as Captain Apollo on the original Battlestar Galactica, but his history and future are much deeper than that. The actor, speaker, writer, teacher, and director joins us to talk about Battlestar, how he lost and regained his excitement about acting and his thoughts on why BG has so much staying power. You can find his website at RichardHatch.com Thanks Richard! Photo Credit: Wikipedia/Jeff Hitchcock You can find the original and new Battlestar Galactica series at Amazon.com: 1978 Series (available for pre-order) Battlestar Galactica: The Definitive Collection [Blu-ray] 2000s Series Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series [Blu-ray]

Don Most played Ralph Malph on the iconic 70's TV series, Happy Days. We catch up with Don and chat about the show, his career afterward and his latest chapter — music. A great guy and conversationalist, it was a real honor to spend some time with him. You can keep up with his latest gigs at DonMost.net and on his Facebook page HERE. Thanks Don!  

Dick DeBartolo is not only “Mad's Maddest Writer” and “The GizWiz” but he was the creative genius who made Match Game a smash hit game show in the 1960s and 70s. On this first episode of TV You Grew Up With, we talk to him about Match Game, Mad Magazine and his latest chapter as The Giz Wiz! You can find Dick's website at GizWiz.biz and his TWiT podcasts HERE