TV CONFIDENTIAL: A radio talk show about television

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.

TVC 729.4: Ed welcomes back renowned actress, author, and conservationist Stefanie Powers (Hart to Hart, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., One from the Hart). The United Nations recently honored Stefanie as an Agent of Change in recognition for her work with the William Holden Wildlife Foundation, the nonprofit organization that Stefanie established in 1982 in memory of her longtime life partner that continues and furthers the conservation work of William Holden in East Africa. Topics this segment include how Stefanie's passion for protecting animals and preserving wildlife stems from her early childhood; how Holden was never afraid to back from a challenge, when he was a young man; how Holden came to form the first-ever game ranch for the preservation of species in East Africa in 1950, long before the general public ever knew about conservationism; and the circumstances that led Stefanie to be cast as April Dancer in The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. Calendar year 2026 marks the sixtieth anniversary of the premiere of The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. March is Women's History Month, while Wednesday, Apr. 22 is Earth Day. Stefanie Powers is also profiled in Vision for the Future: Capturing Inspiring Stories from Leaders and Changemakers, a new anthology eBook that profiles twenty-five visionaries who not only are making a significant impact in their respective fields, but are dedicated to making the world a better place through hope, action, and lasting change. Vision for the Future is available for free at visionforthefuture.ai.

TVC 726.5: From March 2016: Tony, Donna, and Ed remember the premiere of the Emmy Award-winning drama Family (ABC, 1976-1980) as part of This Week in TV History.

TVC 726.6: From February 2014: Ed and guest co-host Phil Gries welcome Joe Franklin, the legendary TV talk show host whose popular weekday talk show, Joe Franklin's Memory Lane, not only aired every day on New York television for more than forty years (1950-1993), but was also broadcast nationally for many years on superstation WOR and syndicated in many other markets. This past Thursday, Mar. 12, 2026 would have been Franklin's 100th birthday.

TVC 726.7: Ed and guest co-host Phil Gries play more of their conversation with legendary TV talk show host Joe Franklin. Our conversation with Joe originally aired in February 2014, eleven months before his passing in January 2015. Thursday, Mar. 12, 2026 would have been Joe Franklin's 100th birthday.

TVC 728.1: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with authors, playwrights, and producers Anthony Wynn and Robert Wood. Tony and Bob's latest book, Two for the Road, chronicles the lifelong love story of Barry Morse and his wife of sixty years, actress Sydney Sturgess, as told through the many cards, letters, and audio recordings that Barry and Sydney sent to each other in the course of their marriage. Topics in this segment include Morse's lifelong friendship with playwright George Bernard Shaw; how he always took his work seriously, but never himself seriously; and his genuine affection and compassion for people. Two for the Road: The Lives and Love of Actors Barry Morse and Sydney Sturgess is available for purchase at Amazon.com in the U.S., Amazon.ca in Canada, and Amazon.co.uk in the UK, as well as many other online retailers. Anthony Wynn and Robert Wood also produced the short film The Return of Victor Bergman, which was recently released on Blu-ray by Anderson Entertainment as part of their Space 1999: Super Space Theatre Collectors Edition Blu-ray package. Barry Morse filmed this piece just before his death in 2008.

TVC 728.2: TV Confidential remembers Neil Sedaka, the Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and pianist who sold millions of records worldwide and who wrote or co-wrote more than five hundred songs for himself and other artists in a career that spanned nearly seven decades. Neil Sedaka passed away Friday, Feb. 27 at the age of eighty-six. Because of the often symbiotic relationship between music and television, Neil Sedaka has been the subject of many conversations on TV Confidential, including this segment from June 2012 with Rich Podolksy about Aldon Music, the song publishing firm formed by Don Kirshner in 1958 that published more than two hundred hit records in a five year span, while also launching the careers of such artists as Bobby Darin, Connie Francis, Carole King, Howard Greenfield, and Neil Sedaka. Rich Podolsky's books on music history include Don Kirshner: The Man with The Golden Ear and Neil Sedaka: Rock 'n' Roll Survivor.

TVC 728.3: Our remembrance of Neil Sedaka continues with clips from our conversation from March 2024 with legendary music manager Harvey Lisberg about "Is This the Way to Amarillo," the Sedaka-penned song that became a huge hit in 1971 for British singer Tony Christie; from April 2016 with Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Toni Tennille about "Love Will Keep Us Together," the Sedaka tune that made superstars out of Captain and Tennille while also winning the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1975; and from September 2025 with Ruta Lee about one of Sedaka's final public appearances, a surprise performance at Ruta's ninetieth birthday celebration in May 2025. Neil Sedaka passed away Friday, Feb. 27 at the age of eighty-six. Photo of Neil Sedaka courtesy Facebook.

TVC 728.4: Ed welcomes back actor, author, and documentary filmmaker James Rosin. Jim wrote, produced, and directed Philly Hoops, a deep dive into the early years of one of the NBA's most storied franchises, The Philadelphia Warriors (now the Golden State Warriors), that also traces the rise of professional basketball in the City of Brotherly Love, including the history of the Philadelphia SPHAs, the first professional basketball team in Philadelphia, and a look at the life and legacy of Eddie Gottlieb, the man who not only owned and operated the SPHAs, but was the original owner and coach of the Philadelphia Warriors franchise, not to mention one of the founders of the NBA. Philly Hoops is available on DVD through Amazon.com as well as MovieZyng.com.  

TVC 728.5: Actor, author, and documentary filmmaker James Rosin talks to Ed about Wilt Chamberlain's historic 100-point game for the Philadelphia Warriors, which occurred on Mar. 2, 1962 in Hershey, Pennsylvania (the Warriors beat the New York Knicks that night, 169-147); how many of the Warriors players during the first sixteen years of the franchise, including Chamberlain, had direct ties to the city of Philadelphia; and the sale of the Warriors to San Francisco in 1962. Jim's documentary Philly Hoops is available on DVD through Amazon.com as well as MovieZyng.com. Photo of Wilt Chamberlain by Paul Vathis and courtesy Wirephoto Archives.

TVC 728.6: Actor, author, and documentary filmmaker James Rosin talks to Ed about how the Philadelphia SPHAs, the first professional basketball team in Philadelphia, were also one of the best teams on the East Coast during the first part of the twentieth century, competing against—and often beating—some of the best teams in the country, including the Harlem Globetrotters; and how the SPHAs eventually morphed into the Washington Generals, the traveling exhibition team that became the Globetrotters' permanent perennial opponent. Jim's documentary Philly Hoops is available on DVD through Amazon.com as well as MovieZyng.com. Photo of the SPHAs courtesy Encylopedia of Greater Philadelphia.

TVC 727.1: Tony Figueroa and Donna Allen join Ed for an expanded edition of This Week in TV History that remembers Rob Reiner, the Emmy Award-winning actor and writer and Academy Award-nominated director and producer who died tragically on Dec. 14, 2025. Reiner was born on Mar. 6, 1947. The segment begins with Tony sharing a story about the circumstances that led him to spend an afternoon with Reiner about thirty years ago. Photo courtesy Newsday

TVC 727.2: Tony, Donna, and Ed discuss Rob Reiner's experience as a staff writer for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (CBS, 1967-1969), as well as some of Reiner's notable "non-Meathead" roles on television, including his guest appearances as Myrna's boyfriend Sheldn on The Odd Couple in September 1974 (in the episode that also marked Penny Marshall's final appearance as Myrna) and as second-rate pro football quarterback King Sturtevant in "The No-Cut Contract," an episode of The Rockford Files that originally aired in January 1976. Rob Reiner was born Mar. 6, 1947 as part of This Week in TV History.

TVC 727.3: Tony, Donna, and Ed discuss Rob Reiner's production company, Castle Rock Entertainment, which produced, among other things, the long-running sitcom Seinfeld; the role that Reiner played in bringing Michael McKean and David L. Lander to the attention of Garry Marshall, which led to Marshall casting McKean and Lander as Lenny and Squiggy on Laverne & Shirley; and Reiner's marriages to Penny Marshall and Michele Singer. Rob Reiner was born Mar. 6, 1947 as part of This Week in TV History. Photo courtesy Embassy Pictures

TVC 727.3a: Tony, Donna, and Ed discuss some of the lighter moments between Mike and Archie on All in the Family; why it was notable that many episodes of All in the Family took place on a Sunday; and how Rob Reiner created Norman Lear with recognizing that he could be funny on camera, even before his dad, Carl Reiner, did. Rob Reiner was born Mar. 6, 1947 as part of This Week in TV History.

TVC 727.4: Ed welcomes back authors, playwrights, and producers Anthony Wynn and Robert Wood. Tony and Bob worked closely with actor Barry Morse on numerous projects during the last thirteen years of Barry's life, including the publication of his memoir, Remember with Advantages, as well as two stage productions of A.R. Gurney's Love Letters featuring Barry Morse. Tony and Bob's latest book, Two for the Road, chronicles the lifelong love story of Barry Morse and his wife of sixty years, actress Sydney Sturgess, as told through the many cards, letters, and audio recordings that Barry and Sydney sent to each other in the course of their marriage. Two for the Road also includes the publication of the play that Tony and Robert wrote about Barry and Sydney (also called Two for the Road), which was first presented as a staged reading in 2017. Topics this segment include how Two for the Road, both the play and the book, is essentially the play Love Letters, tailored for Morse and Sturgess. Two for the Road: The Lives and Love of Actors Barry Morse and Sydney Sturgess is available for purchase at Amazon.com in the U.S., Amazon.ca in Canada, and Amazon.co.uk in the UK, as well as many other online retailers.

TVC 727.5: Barry Morse biographers Anthony Wynn and Robert Wood talk to Ed about how Morse helped start PAL, the Performing Arts Lodges of Toronto (the Canadian equivalent of the Motion Pictures Actors Home in Woodland Hill, CA), shortly after his wife, Sydney Sturgess, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, as well as Morse's many efforts to raise funding for PAL throughout the last two decades of his life. Tony and Bob's latest book, Two for the Road: The Lives and Love of Actors Barry Morse and Sydney Sturgess, is available for purchase at Amazon.com in the U.S., Amazon.ca in Canada, and Amazon.co.uk in the UK, as well as many other online retailers.

TVC 727.6: Barry Morse biographers Anthony Wynn and Robert Wood share some behind-the-scenes stories about the benefit productions of Love Letters from 1995 (featuring Barry Morse and June Lockhart) and from 1999 (with Morse and Barbara Bain). Other topics this segment include how Morse considered the fans of Space: 1999 to be his "honorary grandchildren." Tony and Bob's latest book, Two for the Road: The Lives and Love of Actors Barry Morse and Sydney Sturgess, is available for purchase at Amazon.com in the U.S., Amazon.ca in Canada, and Amazon.co.uk in the UK, as well as many other online retailers. Tony and Bob also produced the short film The Return of Victor Bergman, which was recently released on Blu-ray by Anderson Entertainment as part of their Space 1999: Super Space Theatre Collectors Edition Blu-ray package. Barry Morse filmed this piece just before his death in 2008.

TVC 726.1: From February 2016: Tony, Donna, and Ed discuss the final episode of Shindig (ABC, 1964-1966) on Jan. 8, 1966, the premiere of Third Rock from the Sun (NBC, 1996-2001) on Jan. 9, 1996, and the premiere of Sam 'n' Henry on Chicago radio station WGN on Jan. 12, 1926. Created by and starring Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll, and considered by many to be the first situation comedy, Sam 'n' Henry was reworked two years later as the long-running but controversial series Amos 'n' Andy.

TVC 726.2: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with Hal Eisner, the multiple award-winning broadcast journalist who covered the news every day for fifty-eight years, including fifteen years at various radio stations in Texas and Louisiana and the last forty-three years on television in Los Angeles. Hal's memoir, An Accidental Career, is available through Amazon.com. Topics this segment include how Hal's encounters with such celebrities as Ed Asner and Roy Scheider; how news reporting is another form of storytelling; and how living in retirement can be like floating in a bowl of Jell-o. For our listeners in the Greater L.A. Metro area, Hal Eisner will appear at Vroman's Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena, CA on Wednesday, Mar. 4 beginning at 7pm.