TV CONFIDENTIAL: A radio talk show about television

TVC 717.1: Ed welcomes back Mark Shaw, investigative journalist, former criminal defense attorney, onetime legal analyst for CNN, ESPN, and USA Today, and the author of nearly thirty books, including The Reporter Who Knew Too Much: The Mysterious Death of What's My Line TV Star and Media Icon Dorothy Kilgallen. Mark's latest book, Abuse of Power, includes new information about the mysterious nature of Kilgallen's demise in November 1965 that, Mark believes, links the death of Kilgallen to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy. Abuse of Power, The Reporter Who Knew Too Much, and all of Mark's books are available through Post Hill Press and Amazon.com.

TVC 717.2: Mark Shaw, author of Abuse of Power: Connecting Robert Kennedy's Assassinaton with the Murders of JFK and Dorothy Kilgallen, talks to Ed about a recently released YouTube video about John Shear (pictured above, left), a longtime paddock captain at Santa Anita Racetrack in Southern California who hired Sirhan Sirhan (pictured above, center) as a "hot walker" several months before Sirhan was arrested for the assassination of RFK in June 1968. According to Mark, Shear's comments in that video not only lend credence to the possibility that Sirhan may have been used as a fall guy by the mob for the assassination of RFK, but make the case that Sirhan should receive a new trial in light of these new revelations. (Though John Shear died in December 2023, Mark interviewed Shear's son, Michael, in December 2024; Michael Shear provided confirmation of his father's account.) Both Abuse of Power and The Reporter Who Knew Too Much are available through Post Hill Press and Amazon.com.

TVC 717.3: From December 2011: Tony, Donna, and Ed send birthday wishes to film and television legend Dick Van Dyke (The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mary Poppins, Diagnosis Murder) as part of This Week in TV History. Dick Van Dyke turns 100 on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025.

TVC 717.4: Ed welcomes back Ellen Geer, daughter of Will Geer and the artistic director of Theatricum Botanicum, the outdoor amphitheatre in Topanga Canyon, California that Will Geer founded in 1973. Theatricum's fifth annual Holiday Family Faire will take place on Saturday, Dec. 13 from 11am to 5pm, followed by a special live production of It's a Wonderful Life featuring Beau Bridges, Wendie Malick, Joe Mantegna beginning at 5pm. Tickets for the live production of It's a Wonderful Life are available as an "add-on" to Faire admission. Please visit Theatricum.com/holiday-family-faire for more information. Theatricum Botanicum is located at 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga CA 90290, midway between Pacific Coast Highway and the Ventura Freeway.

TVC 717.5: Ed welcomes back actress and author Alison Arngrim (Little House on the Prairie, Confessions of a Prairie Bitch). Alison has news about several events coming up over the next few weeks that will celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the premiere of Little House on the Prairie (NBC, 1974-1983), including the recent Live Before a Studio Audience edition of The Little House 50th Anniversary Podcast featuring Alison, Dean Butler, and Pamela Bob that took place on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 1pm; the world virtual premiere of Little House Homecoming, the new documentary by Jonathan Parker that, to quote Alison, "really gets what Little House means to so many people around the world" (now streaming at LittleHouseHomecoming.com); the huge three-day Little House cast reunion at Strathearn Historical Park in Simi Valley, CA beginning Friday, Dec. 12 thru Sunday, Dec. 14 (click here for tickets and more information); and a joint book signing featuring Alison and Dean Butler that will take place Saturday, Jan. 17 at Chili John's Restaurant in Burbank, CA (for more details, call 818 846-3611 or go to ChiliJohnsofCA.com).

TVC 716.5: From February 2014: Prolific television director Ralph Senensky takes listeners behind the scenes of "Grandma Comes Home," the episode of The Waltons from March 1978 that marked Ellen Geer's return to the series after she had suffered a stroke the year before. Other topics this segment include how Corby and Will Geer were "the salt and pepper of The Waltons," plus Ralph shares a few memories of working with John Ritter, Richard Thomas, Mickey Rooney, and Bill Quinn. Ralph Senensky passed away on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025 at the age of 102.

TVC 716.6: From February 2014: Prolific television director Ralph Senensky talks to Ed about directing Shirley Jones, Ray Bolger, and Rosemary DeCamp in the "Forty-Year Itch" episode of The Partridge Family (ABC, 1970-1974), as well as how he first worked with actress Jennifer Raine at the Pasadena Playhouse. Raine is the mother of Brian Forster, the second actor who played Chris Partridge on The Partridge Family.  

Please enjoy this special preview of our upcoming conversation with Mark Shaw, investigative journalist, former criminal defense attorney, onetime legal analyst for CNN, ESPN, and USA Today, and the author of more than thirty books, including The Reporter Who Knew Too Much: The Mysterious Death of What's My Line TV Star and Media Icon Dorothy Kilgallen. Mark's latest book, Abuse of Power, not only links the death of Dorothy Kilgallen in November 1965 to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy, but includes new information about the mysterious nature of Kilgallen's demise. Our complete conversation with Mark Shaw airs the weekend of Dec. 5-8.

Please enjoy this special preview of our upcoming conversation with Ellen Geer, daughter of Will Geer and the artistic director of Theatricum Botanicum, the outdoor amphitheatre in Topanga Canyon, California that Will Geer founded in 1973. Theatricum's fifth annual Holiday Family Faire will take place on Saturday, Dec. 13 from 11am to 5pm, followed by a special live production of It's a Wonderful Life featuring Beau Bridges, Wendie Malick, Joe Mantegna beginning at 5pm. Tickets for the live production of It's a Wonderful Life are available as an "add-on" to Faire admission. Please visit Theatricum.com/holiday-family-faire for more information. Our complete conversation with Ellen Geer will air during the weekend of Dec. 5-8. Theatricum Botanicum is located at 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga CA 90290, midway between Pacific Coast Highway and the Ventura Freeway.

TVC 715.1: Ed welcomes back author, essayist, novelist, and TV historian Mitchell Hadley (The Electronic Mirror, ItsAboutTV.com). Mitchell's latest book, Darkness in Primetime: How Classic-Era TV Foresaw Modern Society's Descent into Hell, is a series of essays that shows how certain episodes of such classic series as The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, Star Trek, and The Prisoner, as well as some of the live dramas that originally aired on Studio One, Playhouse 90, and Kraft Television Theatre—all of which were originally written and broadcast in either the 1950s or 1960s—not only envisioned a society of 24/7 surveillance, thought control, disinformation, persecution, and loss of freedom, but portrayed those realities in ways that are disturbingly similar to the world that we currently occupy. Darkness in Primetime is available wherever books are sold through Throckmorton Press and Amazon.com.

TVC 715.2: Mitchell Hadley, author of The Electronic Mirror and Darkness in Primetime, talks to Ed about how "The General," Episode 6 of The Prisoner (ITC, 1967-1968), the classic allegorical series created by Patrick McGoohan, discusses the dangers of rapidly accumulating a vast amount of knowledge—without any understanding of what that knowledge really means. Also in this segment: Mitchell discusses One, the dystopian novel by David Karp from 1953 that Karp subsequently adapted for television in 1955 as an episode of Kraft Television Theatre. Darkness in Primetime is available wherever books are sold through Throckmorton Press and Amazon.com.

TVC 715.3: Ed welcomes Arnie Holland, president and CEO of Lightyear Entertainment, and executive producer of Heaven, the acclaimed feature-length documentary from 1987 that also marked the directorial debut of Academy Award-winning actress Diane Keaton. Recently re-released and digitally remastered, Heaven is a free-wheeling, offbeat pastiche of original interviews by Keaton that, combined with clips from such films as Metropolis, Green Pastures, and Stairway to Heaven and songs like "Endless Love," all explore different ideas of what paradise may have to offer. Heaven is now playing in select theaters across the United States; click here to see if it's coming to a theater near you. Heaven is also available for streaming on demand through Wednesday, Dec. 31; click here for information on how to rent it.

TVC 715.4: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with Les Lannom, the actor known around the world as Lester Hodges on Harry O (ABC, 1974-1976). Topics this segment include a few behind-the-scenes anecdotes about filming "Mister Five and Dime," Les' favorite episode of Harry O, including a funny story about an ad-lib in a scene near the end of the episode that originated with Les, but which David Janssen appropriated.

TVC 714.5: Actor and musician Les Lannom talks to Ed about learning how to play the bagpipes when he was age forty; why one needs strong stomach muscles and a strong neck to play the bagpipes; the upcoming audiobook project about explorers Lincoln Ellsworth and Raold Amundsen in which Les will provide the voices; and the events leading up to Les' guest appearance on Kung Fu in December 1972—a role led to Les being cast in the first pilot of Harry O in early 1973. Les not only wrote the foreword for The Harry O Viewing Companion by Steve Aldous and Gary Gillies, but contributed many behind-the-scenes anecdotes about production of the series. The Harry O Viewing Companion is available wherever books are sold through McFarland Books.

TVC 714.6: Actor and musician Les Lannom shares a few memories about working with Peter Falk in Columbo Goes to College (ABC, 1990), with James Garner in the miniseries Space (CBS, 1985), with Henry Fonda in the acclaimed made-for-TV movie Gideon's Trumpet (CBS, 1980), and with Dennis Weaver in the epic miniseries Centennial (NBC, 1978-1979).

Please enjoy this special preview of our upcoming conversation with Alison Arngrim (Little House on the Prairie, Confessions of a Prairie Bitch) with news on several events coming up over the next few weeks that will celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the premiere of Little House on the Prairie (NBC, 1974-1983), including a special Live Before a Studio Audience edition of The Little House 50th Anniversary Podcast featuring Alison, Dean Butler, and Pamela Bob that premieres Saturday, Nov. 22 at 1pm ET 10am PT (click here for tickets and more information); the world virtual premiere of Little House Homecoming, the new documentary by Jonathan Parker that, to quote Alison, "really gets what Little House means to so many people around the world" (streaming Wednesday, Nov. 26 at LittleHouseHomecoming.com); and the huge three-day Little House cast reunion at Strathearn Historical Park in Simi Valley, CA beginning Friday, Dec. 12 thru Sunday, Dec. 14 (click here for tickets and more information). Our complete conversation with Alison Arngrim will air during the weekend of Dec. 5-8 on TV Confidential. NOTE. If you purchase a ticket for the Little House live stream event on Saturday, Nov. 22, your link will remain available for thirty days after the event, so you can relive the prairie magic anytime over that thirty-day period.

TVC 714.1: TV Confidential remembers Ralph Senensky, longtime member of the Directors Guild of America and one of the most prolific directors in TV history (particularly when it comes to episodic television) with an encore presentation of a conversation that originally aired in February 2014. Ralph Senensky passed away on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025 at the age of 102. Topics this segment include a look at Ralph's early career in television on such live dramas as Playhouse 90, as well as his work with casting directors Marion Dougherty and John Conwell on shows like Route 66 and Naked City.

TVC 714.2: From February 2014: Prolific television director Ralph Senensky talks to Ed about working with Ralph Waite, Will Geer, Ellen Corby, and Michael Learned on The Waltons, and with Richard Thomas on "Game of Terror," an episode of The FBI that aired in 1971, one year before the premiere of The Waltons. Ralph not only helmed twelve episodes of The Waltons, many of which rank among the very best episodes in the history of that series. Ralph Senensky passed away on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025 at the age of 102.

TVC 714.3: Ed welcomes Les Lannom, the actor known around the world as Lester Hodges on Harry O (ABC, 1974-1976), and a man who has worked with such movie and TV legends as Lee Marvin, Gene Hackman, Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, Joe Don Baker, Sissy Spacek, Dennis Weaver, Pat Hingle, James Garner, David Carradine, and David Janssen in the course of his career. Topics this segment include the appeal of the smell of a good pipe, the merits of pipe smoking versus cigar smoking, and the bad experience that Les had while smoking a cigarette in 1971 during production of Prime Cut, his first film credit as an actor.

TVC 714.4: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with Louise Sorel (Days of Our Lives, Santa Barbara). Louise's new book, If There Were No Dogs: Musings and Mutterings, is a collection of prose pieces and poems drawn from her life, childhood, and career that reveals how Louise navigated a sometimes difficult childhood with emotionally distant parents by discovering the theatre at a young age and through her lifelong love of animals. Topics this segment include the surreal, almost sitcom-like way in which she first met Dame Judith Anderson, one of her co-stars on Santa Barbara (and an accomplished stage actress who was one of Louise's idols long before Santa Barbara); how the works of Shakespeare become easier to understand once you realize that The Bard wrote in language that actors could perform; plus Louise shares a few memories of her marriage to actor Herb Edelman. If There Were No Dogs is available wherever books are sold online through Book Baby and Amazon.com.

TVC 714.5: Les Lannom talks to Ed about how his penchant for performing cold readings stems from his longtime passion for reading out loud; how his youthful appearances has sometimes worked in his favor (and sometimes not); and how a guest appearance on Kung Fu in 1972 not only put him on the radar of producers Jerry Thorpe, Alex Beaton, and Robert Dozier, but paved the way for his being cast in Such Dust as Dreams Are Made Of, the first pilot for Harry O.

TVC 714.5: Les Lannom talks to Ed about how he and David Janssen bonded almost immediately when they worked together on Harry O, partly because they shared an ability to laugh at themselves and not take themselves too seriously. Les not only wrote the foreword for The Harry O Viewing Companion by Steve Aldous and Gary Gillies, but contributed many behind-the-scenes anecdotes about production of the series. The Harry O Viewing Companion is available wherever books are sold through McFarland Books.

TVC 713.1: TV Confidential remembers June Lockhart (Lassie, Petticoat Junction, Lost in Space) with an encore presentation of our conversation from June 2014 with the beloved actress. June Lockhart passed away on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025 at the age of 100. At the time we spoke to June in June 2014, she had just been honored by NASA with its Exceptional Public Achievement Medal for inspiring the public about space exploration. Topics this segment include June's longtime interest in both space travel and air flight; the back story of the famous TV Guide cover from September 1965 featuring June and Guy Williams; plus June shares a few memories of working with Edgar Buchanan on Petticoat Junction and with Jon Provost on Lassie.

TVC 713.2: From June 2014: June Lockhart talks to Ed about some of the many TV game shows on which she appeared throughout her career, including Who Said That? (NBC, 1948-1955), a show that also began June's long association with the White House press corps, and Take My Word For It (Synd., 1982-1983), a show hosted by Jim Lange that was filmed at the studios of KGO-TV in San Francisco. June Lockhart passed away on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025 at the age of 100.

TVC 713.2a: From November 2015: Tony, Donna, and Ed remember the premiere of F Troop (ABC, 1965-1967) in September 1965. Topics this segment include how the influence of Buster Keaton can be seen in many of the pratfalls that Ken Berry performed when he played Captain Parmenter on F Troop; the on-screen chemistry between Forrest Tucker and Larry Storch, and how they recaptured that ten years later, when they starred in the Saturday morning series The Ghost Busters (CBS, 1975-1976); and how the switch to color in F Troop's second season may have hurt the series.

TVC 713.3: As long as we're in an F Troop frame of mind, we thought we'd bring you an encore presentation of our conversation with Ken Berry (F Troop, Mayberry, R.F.D., Mama's Family) from January 2018. Topics this segment include the role that Leonard Nimoy played early in Berry's career, and how Ken learned both how to be a straight man and how to deliver a punch line when he worked with Abbott and Costello in Las Vegas in the early 1950s. Ken Berry passed away on Dec. 1, 2018. Our conversation with Ken was one of the last, if not the last, interviews he ever gave.

TVC 713.4: From January 2018: Ken Berry talks to Ed about his early years as a dancer with the Billy Barnes Revue; his friendship with Buster Keaton (not to mention the major influence the silent film star had on his career); and the important role that Carol Burnett played throughout Ken's career. Ken Berry passed away on Dec. 1, 2018. Our conversation with Ken was one of the last, if not the last, interviews he ever gave.

TVC 713.5: Ed welcomes back actress and author Louise Sorel (Days of Our Lives, Santa Barbara). Louise's new book, If There Were No Dogs: Musings and Mutterings, is a collection of prose pieces and poems drawn from her life, childhood, and career that not only shares memories of her working with Art Carney, Charles Boyer, George C. Scott, Walter Pidgeon, Rita Moreno, Dame Judith Anderson, Don Rickles, and many others, but reveals how Louise navigated a sometimes difficult childhood with emotionally distant parents by discovering the theatre at a young age and through her lifelong love of animals. Topics this segment include the unlikely assist that Louise received from her father, film producer Albert Cohen, shortly after she had moved to New York at age twenty to study acting at the venerable Neighborhood Playhouse. If There Were No Dogs is available wherever books are sold online through Book Baby and Amazon.com. Louise Sorel is scheduled to appear at United Solo, the world's largest solo theatre festival, in New York City on Saturday, Nov. 15 beginning at 2pm. She'll read passages from If There Were No Dogs, followed by a Q&A session. Click here for tickets and more details.

TVC 713.5: Louise Sorel (Days of Our Lives, Santa Barbara) talks to Ed about why she enjoys writing about some of the many canine companions she has had in her life, including a poem that she once wrote from the point of view of her dog Jiggs. Louise's new book, If There Were No Dogs: Musings and Mutterings, is available wherever books are sold online through Book Baby and Amazon.com. Louise Sorel will read passages from If There Were No Dogs at United Solo, the world's largest solo theatre festival, in New York City on Saturday, Nov. 15 beginning at 2pm. Click here for tickets and more details.

TVC 712.1: From January 2013: Phil Gries joins Ed for a special edition of The Sounds of Lost Television honoring John Zacherle, the popular New York TV personality known as The Cool Ghoul. At a time when horror movies were a staple of local late-night television, Zacherley set himself apart from his contemporaries with an array of zany antics that were usually far more entertaining than the films he introduced, including sound effects, props, and cleverly inserting himself into the movie (usually just before the cutaway to a commercial). Topics this segment include Zacherle's start hosting horror movies in Philadelphia (where his on-screen persona was known as "Roland"); how Zacherle adapted his onscreen persona on WABC-TV in New York from an undertaker character he'd played on Action in the Afternoon, a daily Western soap opera that aired on WCAU-TV in Philadelphia in 1953; and Phil's own association with Zacherle, which lasted many years.

TVC 712.2: From January 2013: Phil Gries plays more audio highlights from the early television career of legendary New York TV horror movie host John Zacherle, as well as a clip from Phil's own interview with Zacherle from October 1997, in which Zacherle discusses how he came up with many of the routines that he did on-camera. Other topics this segment include Zacherle's other work in local television, including hosting the afternoon dance party show Disc-o-Teen; his long association with Dick Clark; and Zacherle's popularity with many music artists, including Ringo Starr and Jerry Garcia. John Zacherle passed away on Oct. 27, 2016 at age ninety-eight.

TVC 712.3: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with Joseph Dougherty, Tony Figueroa, and Dan Farren about some of our favorite local TV horror movie hosts from the 1960s and '70s. This segment particularly focuses on Bob Wilkins, the erudite host of Creature Features on KTVU Channel 2 (Oakland-San Francisco) who was known for his trademark cigar, horn rim glasses, and the catchphrase "Keep America Strong. Watch Horror Movies." Unlike most other local TV horror movie hosts, Wilkins never dressed up as a zany character on Creature Features, but instead kept the viewers tuned in every week by bringing them long-form interviews with the likes of George Lucas, Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, Vincent Price, and Christopher Lee in between movie segments. Wilkins was also the first to air Night of the Living Dead on local television.

TVC 712.4: Emmy Award-winning writer, producer, director, and author Joseph Dougherty (thirtysomething, Pretty Little Liars, The First Cylinder, Comfort and Joi, Rod Serling at 100) joins Ed, Tony, and Dan Farren for some more thoughts on local TV horror movie hosts hosts from the 1960s and '70s. Topics this segment include how part of the appeal of watching horror movies on late night television was that it marked the first time that many of us were allowed to stay up late by ourselves.

TVC 712.5: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with Paul Myers, author of John Candy: A Life in Comedy, a heartwarming portrait of the beloved actor, improv comedian, and box office star who, had he lived, would have turned seventy-five on Oct. 31, 2025. Topics this segment include how Candy and his fellow cast members of SCTV all embodied the spirit and philosophy of Second City, a "model society for improv" in which all actors sees themselves as talented peers who could help make each other better; why Dave Thomas and Joe Flaherty are the two linchpins behind the story Paul tells in John Candy: A Life in Comedy; and Candy had an unerring knack for always making choices in comedy that he knew were both real and right. John Candy: A Life in Comedy is available wherever books are sold through House of Anansi Books, as well as Amazon.com.

TVC 712.6: Paul Myers, author of John Candy: A Life in Comedy, talks to Ed about two instances in the film career of John Candy in which art imitated life—the scene in Stripes in which Candy's character, Dewey Oxburger, reveals his motivation for joining the Army; and Dell Griffith's "I like me" speech in Plains, Trains, and Automobiles—and how the latter particularly illustrates how director John Hughes understood who Candy was as a person like few others. John Candy: A Life in Comedy is available wherever books are sold through House of Anansi Books, as well as Amazon.com. Paul Myers has several appearances in both the U.S. and Canada over the next several weeks. For details on these and other upcoming events, go to Houseof Anansi.com and type in John Candy A Life in Comedy Book Tour

TVC 711.1: From October 2015: Tony, Donna, and Ed remember the premiere of My Three Sons (CBS/ABC, 1960-1972), one of the few series that enjoyed long runs on two different networks, back in the three-network universe. Topics this segment include why the ABC episodes of My Three Sons, which were filmed in black and white, were rarely seen in syndication until Nick at Nite acquired the rights to them in the 1980s; the various Walt Disney connections among My Three Sons cast members; and how certain stipulations in Fred MacMurray's contract allowed him to continue his motion picture career, even while the show was in production.

TVC 711.2: Emmy Award-winning writer, producer, director, and author Joseph Dougherty (thirtysomething, Pretty Little Liars, The First Cylinder, Comfort and Joi, Rod Serling at 100) joins Ed, Tony, and Dan Farren for a roundtable discussion about some of our favorite local TV horror movie hosts—a staple of television that began in the late 1950s and continued into the 1980s and which, for many of us, was an indelible part of our growing-up years. Topics this segment include how the genre began circa 1958, when Universal released its entire library of horror movies from the 1930s and '40s to local TV stations; why part of the charm from these local TV productions comes from their threadbare production values; and the many ways in which John Zacherle (pictured) set the standard for local TV horror hosts, first in Philadelphia, then in New York.

TVC 711.3: Joseph Dougherty, Dan Farren, Tony Figueroa, and Ed remember Chilly Billy Cardille, Sir Graves Ghastley, Moona Lisa (pictured), and other local TV horror movie personalities from the 1960s and '70s—including Count Floyd, the character played by Joe Flaherty on SCTV that was both a parody of and a homage to the genre.

TVC 711.4: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with actress, comedienne, author, and entrepreneur Rhonda Shear (Up All Night, Rhonda Shear Intimates, Up All Night: From Hollywood Bombshell to Lingerie Model, Life Lessons From An Accidental Feminist). Topics this segment include the famous “mannequin” act with Rhonda early in her career, along with Kenny Ellis; her many collaborations with game show impresario Chuck Barris, including appearances on The Dating Game and The $1.98 Beauty Show; and how Rhonda came up with the high-pitched “Up!” in Up All Night that is part of her trademark. Rhonda Shear Up All Night premieres Saturday, Oct. 25 at 10pm ET, 7pm PT at KingsofHorror.com, with additional specials scheduled to premiere Saturday, Nov. 22 and Saturday, Dec. 20 (same time, same channel). The series will then expand to twice a month beginning in January 2026. For more details, go to RhondaShearAllUpNight.com. For more on Rhonda Shear Intimates, go to RhondaShear.com.

TVC 711.5: Ed welcomes musician, author, and comedy historian Paul Myers (Kids in the Hall: One Dumb Guy). Paul's latest book, John Candy: A Life in Comedy, is a heartwarming portrait of the beloved actor, improv comedian, and box office star who would have turned seventy-five this coming Friday, Oct. 31. John Candy died tragically of a heart attack in April 1994 at the age of forty-three. Topics this segment include how Paul's book explores a fundamental question: What was it about Candy that made so many people feel the loss of his life sp deeply, even if they only knew him from his movies. John Candy: A Life in Comedy is available wherever books are sold through House of Anansi Books, as well as Amazon.com.

TVC 711.6: Paul Myers, author of John Candy: A Life in Comedy, talks to Ed about Candy's impact in the movies, particularly at a time when many major comedy stars were also huge box office stars. John Candy: A Life in Comedy tells the full story of the man behind the laughs from the people who knew him best, including Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Tom Hanks, Ron Howard, Steve Martin, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Short, Jennifer Candy, John Hughes III, James Hughes, Robert Crane, Mike Myers, and many, many others. The book is available wherever books are sold through House of Anansi Books, as well as Amazon.com. Paul Myers has several appearances in both the U.S. and Canada over the next several weeks. For details on these and other upcoming events, go to Houseof Anansi.com and type in John Candy A Life in Comedy Book Tour

TVC 710.1: Ed welcomes back Rich Podolsky, longtime journalist, onetime beat writer for the Miami Dolphins, onetime staff writer for CBS Sports and ABC Television, and the author of several books, including You Are Looking Live: How The NFL Today Revolutionized Sports Broadcasting. Rich's latest book, Madden & Summerall: How They Revolutionized NFL Broadcasting, takes a deep dive in the twenty-one-year broadcast partnership of John Madden and Pat Summerall—two stalwarts of the NFL who each, separately, left their own mark on the game, but, once they were paired together in October 1981, revolutionized how NFL games were broadcast on television while also becoming the greatest broadcast team ever. Topics this segment include how the rise of Madden and Summerall also marked the rise of the NFL as America's TV spectacle; how each man understood instinctively the other's love and understanding of the NFL; how Madden prepared for each television broadcast in much the same way as he approached every game that he coached; Madden's insatiable curiosity about people; and how Madden's dual career in radio (and, particularly, his early partnership with KSFO radio personality Gene Nelson) helped him hone his timing for his work in television.  Madden & Summerall is available wherever books are sold through Lyons Press.

TVC 710.2: Rich Podolsky, author of Madden & Summerall: How They Revolutionized NFL Broadcasting, talks to Ed about the so-called “contest” between Pat Summerall and Vin Scully in the early weeks of the 1981 NFL season over who would welcome John Madden's permanent on-air partner on CBS; how the commercials Madden did for Lite Beer from Miller helped sell then-CBS president Van Gordon Sauter on Madden's appeal to audiences;  how the introduction of the Telestrator (aka the CBS Chalkboard) allowed Madden to become “America's nutty football professor”; and how Rich's personal connection with Madden—which began in the early 1970s, when Rich was a beat writer for the Miami Dolphins, and which developed further when Rich worked for ABC and CBS—gives Madden & Summerall tremendous depth and insight. Madden & Summerall is available wherever books are sold through Lyons Press.

TVC 710.3: From October 2015: Tony, Donna, and Ed remember the premiere of The Phil Silvers Show (CBS, 1955-1959), aka You'll Never Get Rich (the original title of the series), aka Sergeant Bilko and Bilko (as the show was both known once it went into reruns). The series not only made a star of Phil Silvers, but established Nat Hiken as a creative force in television.

TVC 710.4: Ed welcomes back actress, comedienne, author, and entrepreneur Rhonda Shear (Up All Night, Rhonda Shear Intimates, Up All Night: From Hollywood Bombshell to Lingerie Model, Life Lessons From An Accidental Feminist). Rhonda is bringing back Up All Night—by popular demand—as a series of specials, in partnership with the Kings of Horror channel on YouTube, that will spotlight all kinds of indie horror movies, from grassroots DIY to festival standouts, cult classics, and world premieres, while also featuring Rhonda's trademark comedy sketches and blackout segments and such celebrity guests as legendary scream queen Linnea Quigley. Rhonda Shear Up All Night premieres Saturday, Oct. 25 at 10pm ET, 7pm PT at KingsofHorror.com, with additional specials scheduled to premiere Saturday, Nov. 22 and Saturday, Dec. 20 (also at 10pm ET, 7pm PT each night at KingsofHorror.com). The series will then expand to twice a month beginning in January 2026. For more details, go to RhondaShearAllUpNight.com. For more on Rhonda Shear Intimates, go to RhondaShear.com.

TVC 710.5: Rhonda Shear talks to Ed about studying improvisation from Harvey Lembeck when she first came to Los Angeles, and how Lembeck taught her to become fearless as a comedienne; why learning improv is a good skill to have, no matter what your profession; how the perception of women in comedy has changed considerably since Rhonda began her career; and Rhonda's approach to writing comedy. Rhonda Shear Up All Night premieres Saturday, Oct. 25 at 10pm ET, 7pm PT at KingsofHorror.com, with additional specials scheduled to premiere Saturday, Nov. 22 and Saturday, Dec. 20 (same time, same channel). The series will then expand to twice a month beginning in January 2026. For more details, go to RhondaShearAllUpNight.com. For more on Rhonda Shear Intimates, go to RhondaShear.com.

TVC 709.6: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with Emmy Award-winning actress, producer, and author Mariette Hartley (The Incredible Hulk, Goodnight, Beantown, Breaking the Silence, Law and Order: SVU). In this segment, Mariette talks to Ed about “Cotter's Girl,” the classic episode of Gunsmoke from 1963 whose storyline is reminiscent of Pygmalion; her frequent appearances on shows produced by Quinn Martin; and her association with Rod Serling, which began when Mariette asked Serling to speak at her school after she had watched Requiem for a Heavyweight on television, and which culminated about ten years later, when Mariette appeared in “The Long Morrow,” one of the final episodes of The Twilight Zone. Mariette Hartley co-stars, co-wrote, and co-produced, along with her husband Jerry Sroka, in Our (Almost Completely True) Love Story, a charming romantic comedy that is available now for streaming on demand on Amazon Prime and other major platforms; it is also available on DVD and Blu-ray.

TVC 709.1: From October 2015: Tony, Donna, and Ed remember the premiere of Captain Kangaroo (CBS, 1955-1984) and its impact on other children's television programs, including Romper Room and Bozo the Clown.

TVC 709.2: From October 2015: Tony, Donna, and Ed continue their look at the broadcast history of Captain Kangaroo (CBS, 1955-1984), including a few word about The New Captain Kangaroo, the reboot starring John McDonough, which ran on the Fox Family Channel from 1997-2000.

TVC 709.3: Part 2 of the conversation that began last week with Howard Smith, author of My Friend Johnny, a memoir of Howard's twenty-year friendship with Johnny Carson, which began in 1985 when Howard found himself living four doors down the street from Carson in Malibu, and which continued until the end of Carson's life. Topics this segment include a look at some of the other celebrities from business, sports, politics, and entertainment that Howard came to know during his career as a tech mogul, including NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton and President Gerald Ford. My Friend Johnny is available at MyFriendJohnny.com. Calendar year 2025 marks not only the twentieth anniversary of Carson's passing, but the 100th anniversary of his birth.

TVC 709.4: Howard Smith shares a poignant memory of the last time he and his wife had dinner with Johnny Carson, just before a few days before Carson's death in January 2005. Also in this segment: Howard shares a few memories of his friendship with actor Lloyd Haynes, which began a few years before Haynes became a star on Room 222 (ABC, 1969-1974), and which continued until Haynes' death in December 1986. Howard's new book, My Friend Johnny, is now available at MyFriendJohnny.com.