TV CONFIDENTIAL: A radio talk show about television

TVC 738.2: Via remote from the Hollywood Museum: TV Confidential brings you coverage of the recent opening night ceremonies for From Norma Jean to Marilyn Monroe: A Centennial Celebration, a new exhibit at the Hollywood Museum that features, among other items, an exclusive look at never-before-published photographs from George Barris' last photo sessions with Marilyn Monroe, which occurred in mid June and July 1962, just a few weeks before her death. For tickets and more information, go to TheHollywoodMuseum.com. This segment includes remarks from Donelle Dadigan, founder and president of the Hollywood Museum, prior to the re-dedication of the Museum's famous Blondes Only Room (the legendary makeup studio where Monroe was transformed from a brown-haired beauty into a blonde bombshell), plus remarks from guest speakers Traci Park, Los Angeles City Council member; actress Alisha Soper, who played Monroe in two Ryan Murphy television productions (including Feud); and George Barris' daughter, Caroline Barris. Monday, June 1, 2026 marked the centennial birthday of the screen legend.

TVC 738.3: Via remote from the Hollywood Museum: TV Confidential brings you more highlights of the opening night ceremonies for From Norma Jean to Marilyn Monroe: A Centennial Celebration, a new exhibit at the Hollywood Museum that commemorates the 100th birthday of the beloved screen legend. For tickets and more information, go to TheHollywoodMuseum.com. This segment includes remarks from guest speakers Ruta Lee, who shared a poignant memory of her one encounter with Marilyn Monroe; Morgan Fairchild, who discusses why Monroe is forever part of the zeitgeist of the Golden Age of Hollywood; and author Luke Yankee, son of Eileen Heckart (who played Monroe's close confidante friend in Bus Stop).   

TVC 738.3: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with Hall of Fame radio broadcaster Don Sainte-Johnn, author of San Francisco's Last Top 40 Disc Jockey, a memoir of Don's life and career behind the microphone. Topics this segment include how KFRC transitioned from Top 40 radio to big band in 1986—a successful format change that continued for seven years; why Don chose to stay at KFRC as part of the new format; why one benefit of the Magic 61 rebrand was that it allowed Don to interview some of his favorite artists from that genre (including Tony Bennett, Nancy Wilson, and Lionel Hampton); and how baseball Hall of Famer Lou Brock helped Don get a good deal on a new car one day while Don was a radio host in St. Louis. San Francisco's Last Top 40 Disc Jockey is available through Amazon.com.

TVC 738.4: Ed welcomes back actor, comedian, voice artist, and impressionist Jim Meskimen (Landman, Gaslit, Welcome to Chippendales, The Big Door Prize). Topics this segment include how Jim's early background acting in commercials provided a training ground for delivering a full performance, even when doing a one-line, one-scene, five-second bit (such as his recent appearance as the "cranky diver" in the new commercial for AppleWatch); why a good actor is also a good listener; and how the book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Modern Health helped Jim refocus his career path. Jim's latest movie, the action thriller Hungry, becomes available for viewing on demand on all streaming platforms beginning Tuesday, June 23.

TVC 738.5: Actor, comedian, voice artist, and impressionist Jim Meskimen talks to Ed about when he first discovered his gift for mimicry; how his repertoire includes voices that most people probably wouldn't think of as impressionist material (such as actor Paul Giamatti); and how he determines when to add a new voice to his arsenal. Jim's latest movie, Hungry, becomes available for viewing on demand on all streaming platforms beginning Tuesday, June 23.

TVC 737.1: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with David Spencer, award-winning musical dramatist, author, critic, musical theatre teacher, and the author of The Novelizers, a deep dive into the world of media tie-in writing that not only introduces readers to many of the people who have adapted film and TV screenplays into original tie-in novels, while also making the case that tie-in writing is an honorable tradition with artistry of its own. The Novelizers is available through Bear Manor Media as well as Amazon.com. Topics this segment include a discussion of the Rockford Files tie-in novels written by Stuart Kaminsky in the mid-1990s (and how they reflect the older Jim Rockford, as portrayed in the CBS reunion movies of the same era), and the difference between "high context" dialogue and "low context" dialogue.

TVC 737.2: David Spencer, author of The Novelizers, talks to Ed about how he came to write Passing Fancy: Alien Nation, Book 6 (Pocket Books, 1994), the tie-in novel based on the Alien Nation television series (FOX, 1989-1990). Also in this segment: the Three Most Common Misconceptions About Tie-In Novels, plus three examples of tie-in novels that were unauthorized. The Novelizers: An Affectionate History of Media Adaptations and Originals, Their Astonishing Authors, and the Art of the Craft is available through Bear Manor Media as well as Amazon.com.

TVC 737.3: Ed welcomes Hall of Fame radio broadcaster Don Sainte-Johnn. For more than twenty years, Don was one of the voices heard every day on KFRC, The Big 610 in San Francisco, the powerhouse station that not only shaped a generation of listeners in the San Francisco Bay Area, but was one of the most successful radio stations anywhere in the U.S. throughout the 1970s. Don's memoir, San Francisco's Last Top 40 Disc Jockey, not only takes you behind the scenes of KFRC and the world of Top 40 radio, but is filled with many great stories about a career that also took him to Chicago, St. Louis, San Diego, and other media markets. San Francisco's Last Top 40 Disc Jockey is available through Amazon.com. Topics this segment include how Don fell in love with radio from a very young age; the important role that angels, sponsors, and mentors played in his path to becoming a broadcaster; and how he helped develop his vocal muscles early in his career by reading aloud with a cork in his mouth.

TVC 737.4: Hall of Fame radio broadcaster Don Sainte-Johnn, author of San Francisco's Last Top 40 Disc Jockey, talks to Ed about how he came to choose his radio name; the importance of show prep in the course of a daily broadcast; and the role that Joe Adams, Ray Charles' manager, played early in Don's career. San Francisco's Last Top 40 Disc Jockey is available through Amazon.com.

TVC 737.5: Hall of Fame radio broadcaster Don Sainte-Johnn, author of San Francisco's Last Top 40 Disc Jockey, shares a few of the crazier moments that went on behind the scenes and on the air at KFRC-AM, The Big 610. San Francisco's Last Top 40 Disc Jockey is available through Amazon.com.

Please enjoy this special preview of our upcoming conversation with Cindy Mitchum, youngest daughter of legendary character actor John Mitchum and the niece of screen legend Robert Mitchum. Cindy has just rereleased Them Ornery Mitchum Boys: The Adventures of Robert and John Mitchum, a rollicking look at the lives and careers of her famous dad and famous uncle as they move through decades of adventure, war, celebrity, vice, loyalty, and loss, while also crossing paths with such legends as John Wayne, Marilyn Monroe, Burt Reynolds, Charles Bronson, Clint Eastwood, John Carradine, Joi Lansing, and many, many others. Them Ornery Mitchum Boys is available in hardcover and in paperback through Henry Gray Publishing, Amazon.com, and JohnMitchum.com. Our complete conversation with Cindy will air in a few weeks on TV Confidential.  Cindy Mitchum is scheduled to appear at the annual National Day of the Cowboy weekend celebration in Tombstone, Arizona from July 23 through July 26.

Please enjoy this special preview of our upcoming conversation with Perry Hibner, author of Centennial Revisited: An Oral History of the Epic TV Miniseries that includes exclusive interviews with more than thirty members of the original cast of Centennial (NBC, 1978-1979), including Gregory Harrison, Barbara Carrera, Cristina Raines, Cliff DeYoung, Mark Harmon, William Atherton, Glynn Turman, Les Lannom, executive producer John Wilder, and many, many others. Centennial Revisited is available in hard cover, paperback, and as an eBook from DorrancePublishing.com, Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and wherever books are sold online. In this clip, Perry and Ed talk about how Centennial remains a point of pride for just about every actor who appeared in it, both at the time they filmed the miniseries in 1978 and when they look back on the experience today. Our complete conversation with Perry will air in a few weeks on TV Confidential.

Please enjoy this special preview of our coverage of last night's opening night ceremonies for From Norma Jean to Marilyn Monroe: A Centennial Celebration, the new exhibit at The Hollywood Museum that is now open to the public and which features, among other items, an exclusive look at never-before-published photographs of the screen legend. Monday, June 1 marks the 100th birthday of Marilyn Monroe. We will bring you more highlights of the festivities in a few weeks on TV Confidential.

From December 2021, via remote from the Hollywood Museum: Five-time Emmy Award-winning writer and producer John Barbour, creator of NBC's Real People, tells Ed the story of how he acquired the moniker "The Godfather of Reality TV." John Barbour passed away Sunday, May 10, 2026 at the age of ninety-three. Please join us the weekend of May 29 for a special program length tribute to John Barbour that will include highlights from several of our conversations with John over the past five years. 

TVC 736.1: Ed welcomes David Spencer, award-winning musical dramatist, author, critic, musical theatre teacher, and the author of The Novelizers: An Affectionate History of Media Adaptations and Originals, Their Astonishing Authors, and the Art of the Craft, a deep dive into the world of media tie-in writing—novels that are not only based on existing movies, TV series, made for TV movies, and TV miniseries, but which, in many instances (such as the Diagnosis Murder novels and the Monk novels written by Lee Goldberg), tell original stories based on the characters of those movies and TV series. David's book introduces readers to many of the people who have adapted film and TV screenplays into original tie-in novels, while also making the case that tie-in writing is an honorable tradition with artistry of its own. The Novelizers is available through Bear Manor Media as well as Amazon.com. Topics this segment include why the subject of TV tie-in writing is deeply personal to David, and why tie-in writing, in many respects, is itself a form of literature.

TVC 736.2: David Spencer, author of The Novelizers, uses Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962), the 1984 made-for-TV adaptation of A Christmas Carol starring George C. Scott, and Harry Sinclair Drago's novelization of The Champ (1932) as examples of the kind of choices that an adapting writer will make when presenting characters from the source material in a way that is unique to prose. The Novelizers: An Affectionate History of Media Adaptations and Originals, Their Astonishing Authors, and the Art of the Craft is available through Bear Manor Media as well as Amazon.com.

TVC 736.3: David Spencer, author of The Novelizers, talks to Ed about how writing, in some respects, is another form of acting, insofar as novelists or screenwriters will often inhabit the lives of the characters they create. The Novelizers: An Affectionate History of Media Adaptations and Originals, Their Astonishing Authors, and the Art of the Craft is available through Bear Manor Media as well as Amazon.com.

TVC 736.4: While we're on the subject of TV tie-in novels, we thought we'd bring you an encore presentation of our August 2011 conversation with New York Times bestselling novelist and Edgar Award-nominated television writer and producer Lee Goldberg (Spenser: For Hire, Diagnosis Murder, Monk). Lee's latest novel, Murder by Design, becomes available in bookstores everywhere on Monday, June 1 and has been described as "James Bond meets Adrian Monk." At the time we spoke to Lee in 2011, he had just released the latest in his series of original tie-in novels based on the Monk television series. Tony Figueroa co-hosts.

TVC 736.5: From August 2011: New York Times bestselling novelist Lee Goldberg talks to Ed and Tony about the popularity of his Monk novel series; why he ended the Diagnosis Murder novel series after eight books; and how he and William Rabkin came to write Successful Television Writing. Lee's latest novel, Murder by Design, becomes available in bookstores everywhere on Monday, June 1 and has been described as "James Bond meets Adrian Monk."

TVC 735.3: From May 2014: Tony, Donna, and Ed take us back to May 6, 1959, the night on which Raymond Burr won his first Emmy Award as Best Dramatic Actor in Perry Mason (CBS, 1957-1966).

TVC 735.4: Ed welcomes Emmy Award-winning producer Charles Floyd Johnson (The Rockford Files, Magnum, p.i., Quantum Leap, JAG, NCIS, Red Tails, John Lewis: Get in the Way). Charles is also one of the six authors whose work is featured in A Gathering of Voices: The Longwood Writers Workshop, an anthology of vibrant, introspective, lyrical, and personal stories that provide a full, rich, and multidimensional look at life in Black America in the 20th and 21st century. All of the stories told in A Gathering of Voices resonate with memories of struggles waged, battles won and lost, and experiences that illuminate the collective wisdom learned by each author and their hard-won resilience. A Gathering of Voices is available through BookBaby.com, Amazon.com, and LongwoodWritersWorkshop.com. In this segment, Charles talks to Ed about the formation of the Longwood Writers Workshop, and how that eventually led to the publication of A Gathering of Voices. He also discusses some of his mentors in television (including Roy Huggins, Stephen J. Cannell, and Don Bellisario), and how his experience contributing stories for Rockford and Magnum early in his career reflected his longtime desire to become part of the "creative" side of television writing and production.

TVC 735.5: Emmy Award-winning producer Charles Floyd Johnson talks to Ed about his successful battle against cancer in 2020, and how his journey, in many ways, makes him a "poster child" for early detection. He also discusses the importance of learning how to allow himself to become vulnerable on the page when writing about other difficult moments in his life (which he does in each of the six stories that he wrote for A Gathering of Voices). A Gathering of Voices: The Longwood Writers Workshop is available through BookBaby.com, Amazon.com, and LongwoodWritersWorkshop.com.  

TVC 735.6: Emmy Award-winning producer Charles Floyd Johnson talks to Ed about how he came to work on the groundbreaking PBS documentary John Lewis: Get in the Way; why Red Tails, the award-winning feature motion picture about the Tuskegee Airmen (which Charles produced, along with George Lucas), took twenty-three years to make; and why Stephen J. Cannell remains a seminal influence in his life. Photo of Charles Floyd Johnson courtesy Military.com Charles Floyd Johnson is one of the six authors—along with Denise Nicholas, Denise Billings, Otto Stallworth, Jr., GW Williams, and Hattie Winston—featured in A Gathering of Voices: The Longwood Writers Workshop, an anthology of vibrant, introspective, lyrical, and personal stories that provide a full, rich, and multidimensional look at life in Black America. A Gathering of Voices is available through BookBaby.com, Amazon.com, and LongwoodWritersWorkshop.com

Please enjoy this preview of our upcoming conversation with Barry Weitz, co-creator and co-executive producer of Movin' On (NBC, 1974-1976), and Kathy Bird, author of Sundance Turns 50: The Amazing Legacy of Movin' On. In this segment Barry discusses his initial inspiration for Movin' On; how he originally envisioned the series as a 10pm show that would cater specifically for adults (and how NBC curtailed that strategy when it moved the show to Tuesdays 8pm); and the many ways in which the earlier time slot proved to be a blessing in disguise.  Our complete conversation with Barry Weitz and Kathy Bird will air in a few weeks on TV Confidential.

Please enjoy this preview of our upcoming conversation with David Spencer, the author of The Novelizers: An Affectionate History of Media Adaptations and Originals, Their Astonishing Authors, and the Art of the Craft—a deep dive into the world of tie-in fiction that not only introduces readers to many of the people who have adapted film and TV screenplays into original tie-in novels, but makes the case that tie-in writing is an honorable tradition with artistry of its own. The Novelizers is available through our friends at Bear Manor Media as well as Amazon.com. Our complete conversation with David Spencer will air in a few weeks on TV Confidential. 

Please enjoy this preview of our upcoming conversation with Hall of Fame radio broadcaster Don Sainte-Johnn. For more than twenty years, Don was one of the voices heard every day on KFRC, The Big 610 in San Francisco, the powerhouse station that not only shaped a generation of listeners in the San Francisco Bay Area, but was one of the most successful radio stations anywhere in the U.S. throughout the 1970s. Don's memoir, San Francisco's Last Top 40 Disc Jockey, not only takes you behind the scenes of KFRC and the world of Top 40 radio, but is filled with many great stories about a career that also took him to Chicago, St. Louis, San Diego, and other media markets. San Francisco's Last Top 40 Disc Jockey is available thorugh Amazon.com. Our complete conversation with Don Sainte-Johnn will air in a few weeks on TV Confidential.  

Please enjoy this preview of our upcoming conversation with Emmy Award-winning producer Charles Floyd Johnson (The Rockford Files, Magnum, p.i., Quantum Leap, JAG, NCIS, Red Tails, John Lewis: Get in the Way). Charles is also one of the six authors whose work is featured in A Gathering of Voices: The Longwood Writers Workshop, an anthology of vibrant, introspective, lyrical, and personal stories that provide a full, rich, and multidimensional look at life in Black America in the 20th and 21st century. All of the stories told in A Gathering of Voices resonate with memories of struggles waged, battles won and lost, and experiences that illuminate the collective wisdom learned by each author and their hard-won resilience. A Gathering of Voices is available through BookBaby.com, Amazon.com, and LongwoodWritersWorkshop.com. Our complete conversation with Charles Floyd Johnson will air the weekend of May 8 on TV Confidential.  Photo of James Garner and the production staff of The Rockford Files by Gene Trindl/TV Guide and is from the personal collection of host Ed Robertson Top row (L to R) Stephen J. Cannell, David Chase Middle row (L to R) Charles Floyd Johnson, Meta Rosenberg, Juanita Bartlett Bottom row James Garner 

TVC 734.1: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with music journalist A. Scott Galloway about the life and legacy of producer, composer, arranger, and musician Quincy Jones. Scott not only interviewed Jones at the time of the release of Jones' album Q's Jook Joint, but also wrote the liner notes for three other Jones music releases (including The Reel Quincy Jones, a compilation of scores from Jones' early years as a composer for film and television), plus he crossed paths with Q on many other occasions during the last thirty years of Jones' life. Quincy Jones passed away on Nov. 3, 2024. Topics this segment include how Jones, Burt Bacharach, and Charles Fox were among the many composers who studied music in France under legendary teacher and conductor Nadia Boulanger; what made Jones a "people groover"; and the full-circle moment when Scott was able to introduce his father to Q, many years after Scott's dad had introduced the music of Jones to him.

TVC 734.2: From May 2012: An encore presentation of our conversation with Mike Pingel, author of Channel Surfing: Wonder Woman, everything you wanted to know about the classic TV series starring Lynda Carter and Lyle Waggoner. April 2026 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the premiere of Wonder Woman (ABC/CBS, 1976-1979).

TVC 734.4: Ed welcomes back Kathleen Bradley, the first African-American model to join ranks with Barker's Beauties on The Price is Right, and the actress known around the world as the voluptuous Mrs. Parker in the 1995 cult comedy Friday. Kathleen can currently be seen in the highly anticipated two-part episode of E!'s Dirty Rotten Scandals that not only explores the good, the bad, and the ugly behind the scenes of The Price Is Right, but is partly inspired by Kathleen's memoir, Backstage at The Price is Right. Topics this segment include how, both in her memoir and in the docu series, Kathleen presents both sides of the Bob Barker that she knew and worked with for more than ten years; how she joined the show at a time when culture in the workplace was beginning to change; and why The Price is Right still represents the happiest years of Kathleen's professional life.   Dirty Rotten Scandals is available for viewing on demand on YouTube TV, the E! app, and other online platforms. Backstage at The Price is Right is available both at Amazon and at KathleenBradley.tv

TVC 734.5: Kathleen Bradley shares a few memories with Ed about performing all over the world with The Love Machine, the popular female soul group of the 1970s (including the night when she experienced a wardrobe malfunction on live TV while performing the song "Rock Steady"). She also talks about how difficult it really is to sing and dance at the same time, plus she shares a few of her personal health tips. Kathleen can currently be seen in the two-part episode of E!'s Dirty Rotten Scandals that not only explores the good, the bad, and the ugly behind the scenes of The Price Is Right, but is partly inspired by Kathleen's memoir, Backstage at The Price is Right. Dirty Rotten Scandals is available for viewing on demand on YouTube TV, the E! app, and other online platforms. Backstage at The Price is Right is available both at Amazon and at KathleenBradley.tv

TVC 733.1: From March 2014: Kimberly Johnson, daughter of Russell Johnson, joins Ed, Tony, Donna, and guest co-host Bill Funt as TV Confidential remembers the life and career of the actor known around the world as The Professor on Gilligan's Island. Kim shares a few memories of her dad, plus she talks about her dad's favorite episodes, her favorite episodes, and her dad's take on the whole Gilligan's Island pop culture phenomenon. The son of Candid Camera originator Allen Funt, Bill Funt first came to know Kim Johnson and other Gilligan's Island personnel (including series creator Sherwood Schwartz) as part of an effort to bring the three Gilligan TV-movies from the late 1970s to DVD. We learned last week via Facebook that Kimberly Johnson passed away on Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026. We are replaying this program in her memory.

From March 2014: Kimberly Johnson, daughter of Russell Johnson, joins Ed, Tony, Donna, and guest co-host Bill Funt as TV Confidential remembers the life and career of the actor known around the world as The Professor on Gilligan's Island. Kim shares a few memories of her dad, plus she talks about her dad's favorite episodes, her favorite episodes, and her dad's take on the whole Gilligan's Island pop culture phenomenon. The son of Candid Camera originator Allen Funt, Bill Funt first came to know Kim Johnson and other Gilligan's Island personnel (including series creator Sherwood Schwartz) as part of an effort to bring the three Gilligan TV-movies from the late 1970s to DVD. We learned last week via Facebook that Kimberly Johnson passed away on Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026. We are replaying this program in her memory.

TVC 733.4: Music journalist A. Scott Galloway joins Ed for a special appreciation of the life and legacy of Grammy Award-winning, Emmy Award-winning, and Tony Award-winning producer, composer, arranger, musician, and Renaissance man Quincy Jones. Scott interviewed Jones at least once (at the time of the release of Jones' album Q's Jook Joint). He also wrote the liner notes for three other Jones music releases (including The Reel Quincy Jones, a compilation of scores from Jones' early years as a composer for film and television), plus he crossed paths with him on many other occasions during the last thirty years of Jones' life. Quincy Jones passed away on Nov. 3, 2024. Topics this segment include how much the music of Quincy Jones has always meant to Scott on a personal level; Jones' facility for bringing people together; why Jones was the "Zelig" of music, in that he always seemed to be in the right place at the right time; and why Jones always looked for a "sound hook," especially when he composed for movies and television.

TVC 733.5: Music journalist A. Scott Galloway talks to Ed about the collaboration between Quincy Jones and Oliver Nelson on the film score for The Pawnbroker, the first film for which Jones composed music (the conversation particularly focuses on the piece "Rack 'em Up");  the circumstances that led Jones to produce Off the Wall and Thriller for Michael Jackson; and how Jones developed his eclectic tastes in music.

TVC 732.4: Ed welcomes Denise Nicholas, the Golden Globe-nominated actress known to television audiences for her starring roles in Room 222 and In the Heat of the Night, and the author of Freshwater Road, the critically acclaimed novel that was largely drawn from Denise's experience as a working actress with the Free Southern Theater in the Deep South in 1964, at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. Denise's new memoir, Finding Home, is a moving look at her lifelong search for who and what she is—a search that that not only navigates the intersections of love and identity, but which sees Denise endure many traumatic events throughout her life, including nearly being killed several times while performing with the Free Southern Theater; overcoming her volatile marriage to singer Bill Withers; and trying to unfathom the tragic murder of her younger sister, Michele Burgen, in 1980 (a case that is still unsolved). Finding Home is available wherever books are sold through Agate Publishing and Amazon.com. Topics this segment include how Denise has always had the soul of a writer, even when she began her career as an actress; how her experience with the Free Southern Theater not only ignited Denise's lifelong commitment to social justice and activism, but served as the backdrop to the struggles and achievements that marked her path as an artist; how Denise based Liz McIntyre (the guidance counselor she played on Room 222) on her aunt Fanette, a guidance counselor in the Detroit public school system; and the emotional difficulty that Denise often faced in writing about some of the most traumatic moments in her life, including the murder of her sister.

TVC 732.5: Actress and novelist Denise Nicholas (Room 222, In the Heat of the Night, Freshwater Road) talks to Ed about working with Sidney Poitier as a director three times (and how she particularly relished the comedic roles she played opposite Poitier and Bill Cosby in Let's Do It Again and A Piece of the Action); how she first met Carroll O'Connor long before they starred together in In the Heat of the Night (and before O'Connor came to mentor Denise as a writer); why she enjoys writing literary fiction among all other genres; and how Denise has "a little Norman Lear in her" as a writer. Denise's memoir, Finding Home, and her novel, Freshwater Road, are available wherever books are sold through Agate Publishing and Amazon.com. Denise Nicholas is also one of the six authors—along with Denise Billings, Otto Stallworth, Jr., GW Williams, Hattie Winston, and Charles Floyd Johnson—whose work is featured in A Gathering of Voices: The Longwood Writers Workshop, an anthology of vibrant, introspective, lyrical, and personal stories that provide a full, rich, and multidimensional look at life in Black America. A Gathering of Voices is available through BookBaby.com, Amazon.com, and LongwoodWritersWorkshop.com

TVC 732.6: Ed welcomes director and producer Nick Leisure. Known for crafting grounded, character-driven thrillers with strong visual language with performance-driven storytelling, Nick developed his cinematic style combines from his experience directing hundreds of commercials for such major brands as Toyota, Nike, Ray-Ban, and the Sacramento Kings, as well as many music videos for such artists as Babyface, After 7, Too Short, and Kurupt. Nick's latest movie, the action thriller Golden, stars Brian Austin Green (Beverly Hill 90210, Knots Landing) as a struggling print shop worker who discovers that he can create flawless counterfeit money, only to be pulled into a dangerous cross-border criminal world that he cannot escape. Based on a true story, Golden is now available for viewing on demand on Amazon Prime Video and other streaming platforms.

TVC 731.1: TV Confidential commemorates the recent passing of Chuck Norris by bringing you an encore of our conversation with Wayne Péré, the actor known to fans of Walker: Texas Ranger as the villainous Victor LaRue. At the time we spoke to Wayne in November 2018, he was starring as Dr. Emerson in the hit Sony/Marvel feature Venom, while his many other film and television credits include Friends, That 70s Show, Tracey Takes On…, The Practice, Third Rock from the Sun, Nip/Tuck, Star Trek: Voyager, NCIS, SpiderMan: Homecoming, Out of Sight, The Limey, Galaxy Quest, Trumbo, Ocean's Thirteen, and Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down The White House. Topics in this segment include the appeal of Walker: Texas Ranger; how Wayne did some of his own stunt work on Walker while filming an episode in New Mexico; and his experience riding a horse while filming the miniseries Roots.

TVC 731.2: From November 2018: Actor and director Wayne Péré talks to Ed about his approach to playing villains in movies and on television (including a few more memories of playing Victor LaRue on Walker: Texas Ranger); his approach to playing characters movies that are based in the Marvel Comics universe; and how he became a director.

TVC 731.3: From November 2018: Actor and director Wayne Péré talks to Ed about how he sometimes creates his own back story for the characters as he prepares to play them; and the difference between playing a fictional character and a character based on a real person.

TVC 731.4: TV Confidential commemorates the recent passing of Chuck Norris by bringing you an encore of our conversation with actress and producer Sheree J. Wilson (Dallas, Walker: Texas Ranger). At the time we spoke to Sheree in September 2013, she had just produced and starred Easy Rider: The Ride Back, a sequel (and prequel) to the groundbreaking cult classic that explores the lineage of Wyatt "Captain America" Williams while also remaining true to the core values and basic themes of the original 1969 film. Easy Rider: The Ride Back is available for viewing on demand through Amazon Prime. Topics include a brief history of the various lawsuits over the previous few decades that had prevented a sequel to Easy Rider from being made; how Larry Hagman was originally set to play "Wild Bill Hickok" Williams in Easy Rider: The Ride Back, but had to pull out of the project because of litigation that delayed the start of production for three years; plus Sheree shares a few memories of working with Hagman, Patrick Duffy, and director Michael Preece on Dallas. Photo of Sheree J. Wilson courtesy ShereeJWilson.com.

TVC 731.5: From September 2013: Sheree J. Wilson shares a few memories of starring with Chuck Norris on Walker: Texas Ranger, including how the series had struggled to find its footing early on, including several changes in production staff and crew, until Sheree convinced Norris to hire Michael Preece (Dallas, The Streets of San Francisco) as Walker's regular director. Easy Rider: The Ride Back is available for viewing on demand through Amazon Prime. Photo of Chuck Norris and Sheree J. Wilson courtesy Facebook.

TVC 731.6: From September 2013: Sheree J. Wilson talks to Ed about her close friendship with Larry Hagman in the twenty years after Dallas left the air, including traveling with Hagman and his family on many occasions, and spending quality time with Hagman just a few days before he died in November 2012. Easy Rider: The Ride Back is available for viewing on demand through Amazon Prime. Photo of Sheree J. Wilson and Larry Hagman courtesy ShereeJWilson.com

TVC 731.7: TV Confidential concludes its remembrance of Chuck Norris by bringing you a clip of our 2012 conversation with longtime television director Michael Preece (Dallas, Walker: Texas Ranger, The Streets of San Francisco, MacGyver). Preece directed about eighty episodes of Walker; prior to that, he helmed more episodes of Dallas than any other director. Topics this segment include how Preece first came to helm Walker: Texas Ranger, including a few memories of  "Blue Movies," an episode of Walker from 1995 that also featured Dallas stars Howard Keel and Cathy Podewell.

TVC 730.4: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with two-time Emmy Award-winning writer and producer Robert Illes (The Carol Burnett Show, Sanford and Son, Fernwood Tonight, Lily, Silver Spoons, Sister, Sister). Bob's memoir, Funny is Money, is a humorous, irreverent, deeply personal, and often moving look at his forty-two-year career writing and producing comedy for network television. Topics this segment include "Lamont, Is That You?", the episode of Sanford and Son that marked Bob's first sale to a network sitcom; Joe and Sons (CBS, 1975), the first network series that Bob created (along with his longtime writing partner, James Stein); and Bob and Jim's experience writing for Fernwood Tonight (Synd., 1977) and America Tonight (Synd., 1978). Funny is Money is available in hardcover, paperback, and as a eBook through Bear Manor Media and Amazon.com.

TVC 730.5: Emmy Award-winning writer and producer Robert Illes talks to Ed about working with producer Alan Thicke behind the scenes of Fernwood Tonight; writing for Toni Tennille, Daryl Dragon, and John Byner on the Captain and Tennille variety series; and writing for Dick Van Dyke on what turned out to be the final season of The Carol Burnett Show. Bob's memoir, Funny is Money, is available in hardcover, paperback, and as a eBook through Bear Manor Media and Amazon.com.

TVC 730.6: Emmy Award-winning writer and producer Robert Illes talks to Ed about meeting and sometimes writing for many of the iconic performers that he grew up watching on TV as a kid; working on his own for the first time after a twenty-five year partnership with James Stein; and how Bob's solo career began with Sister, Sister and continued for another seventeen years. Bob's memoir, Funny is Money, is available in hardcover, paperback, and as a eBook through Bear Manor Media and Amazon.com.

TVC 729.1: Ed welcomes two-time Emmy Award-winning writer and producer Robert Illes (The Carol Burnett Show, Sanford and Son, Fernwood Tonight, Lily, Silver Spoons, Sister, Sister). Bob's memoir, Funny is Money, is a humorous, irreverent, deeply personal, and often moving look at his forty-two-year career writing and producing comedy for network television—a career that not only included such meteoric highs as winning those two Emmys in a span of four years, but which often had moments that left Bob wondering how to find his piece of ground in an industry that always seemed to be shifting. Funny is Money is available in hardcover, paperback, and as a eBook through Bear Manor Media and Amazon.com. Topics this segment include how Bob broke into TV writing (along with his longtime writing partner, James Stein) by working with George Schlatter and Digby Wolfe on Sing America Beautiful, a star-studded variety special headlined by Tennessee Ernie Ford; how Bob and Stein began their comedy career in radio, hosting a popular weekly show on KUSC-FM, the campus radio station for the University of Southern California; and why writing comedy for television is often a two-person job.

TVC 729.2: Emmy Award-winning writer and producer Robert Illes talks to Ed about how he and James Stein got their first big break in television when they wrote the weekly monologue for comedian Bill Cosby on The New Bill Cosby Show (CBS, 1972-1973); working with Tom and Dick Smothers on The Smothers Brothers Show (NBC, 1975) and with legendary comedy writer Pat McCormick on several TV shows; and how a funny moment with writer Stanley Ralph Ross when he and Bob worked together on The New Bill Cosby Show later became the inspiration for one of the Grandfather Stratton episodes of Silver Spoons (NBC, 1982-1987). Bob's memoir, Funny is Money, is available in hardcover, paperback, and as a eBook through Bear Manor Media and Amazon.com.

TVC 729.3: From March 2016: Tony, Donna, and Ed discuss the influence of comedian George Burns on two generations of TV comedy writers. George Burns died on Mar. 9, 1996 as part of This Week in TV History.