TV CONFIDENTIAL: A radio talk show about television

TVC 745.1: Ed welcomes Michael Tove, writer and producer of Yale Saleing, a thirty-minute short with elements of Alfred Hitchcock and The Twilight Zone about a young couple that find themselves embroiled in a twenty-year-old mystery after purchasing a strange box at a yard sale. Directed by Tom Logan, and starring Eric Roberts, Yale Saleing was making the film festival circuit at the time this interview was recorded; you can watch the film online at EmeraldOakProductions.com. Topics this segment include filming Yale Saleing on location in San Diego, California; the inclusive environment behind the scenes on the set; and the surreal experience Michael had hearing actors performing the words he had written.

TVC 745.2: Actor, writer, and producer Michael Tove shares a few stories about his early experiences working as an extra on The Handmaid's Tale (1990), including his encounters with Aidan Quinn, Natasha Richardson, Elizabeth McGovern, Amy Aquino, and Gregory Peck. Yale Saleing, the new short film written and produced by Michael Tove, can be viewed online at EmeraldOakProductions.com.

TVC 743.3: Tony, Donna, and Ed discuss the life and career of Ted Turner, the legendary businessman, producer, media mogul, sports team owner, and philanthropist who founded CNN, TNT, Turner Classic Movies, superstation WTBS, and many other platforms. Ted Turner passed away on May 6, 2026 at age eighty-seven.

TVC 745.4: Ed welcomes Martha Reeves, the legendary Motown powerhouse who is also one of the most influential voices in American music. Searching, Martha's first new album in twenty-two years, is a blend of jazz, gospel, blues, R & B, and lived experience that was recorded in New Orleans, alongside acclaimed trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis, and co-produced by Marsalis and Martha's longtime manager, Chris Roe. Chris also appears with Martha during our call. Searching becomes available wherever you find music beginning Friday, Aug. 14. Topics this segment include how the making of Searching was very much a collaborative experience; how Martha's mother taught her never to sing a song unless she understood it and could feel it; meeting Stevie Wonder for the first time when he was eight years old, in Berry Gordy's office at Motown; why the release of Searching is an answered prayer; and why purple is Martha's go-to color.

TVC 744.1: Tony, Donna, and Ed discuss the life and career of Emmy Award-winning director and producer James Burrows (Cheers, Frasier, Taxi, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Will and Grace) in the first in a series of segments that commemorate notable TV actors and behind-the-scenes personnel who passed away earlier in 2026. James Burrows died Friday, June 19 at age eighty-five. Topics this segment include how Burrows approached directing TV sitcoms as if they were thirty-minute stage plays; his early career directing shows for MTM Studios; and his track record for directing pilots that eventually went to series. 

TVC 744.2: Tony, Donna, and Ed discuss James Burrows' impact on Taxi and Cheers (including the famous "What does a yellow light mean?" scene in the Taxi episode in which Reverend Jim takes his driving test), and why laughter is his legacy as a producer and director. James Burrows died Friday, June 19 at age eighty-five.

TVC 744.2a: Tony, Donna, and Ed discuss the TV work of noted film critics Gene Shalit and Rex Reed. Shalit passed away on June 12, 2026, a few weeks after turning 100, while Reed died on May 12, 2026 at age eighty-seven. Photo of Gene Shalit courtesy IMDb.com

TVC 744.3: Tony, Donna, and Ed discuss the life and career of actor, comedian, and voice artist Ronnie Schell (Gomer Pyle, USMC, Good Morning, World, That Girl, The Cat from Outer Space, Gus), including his many appearances on the popular morning show hosted by L.A. radio personality Rick Dees. Ronnie Schell passed away on June 12, 2026 at age ninety-four. Photo courtesy B. Harlan Boll Public Relations

TVC 744.4: Ed welcomes Christopher Martini, stepson of actor Stuart Margolin (the Emmy Award-winning actor known around the world as Angel Martin on The Rockford Files) and an award-winning filmmaker in his own right. Chris is the director of Everybody's Angel, a forthcoming feature length documentary that will celebrate Stuart's remarkable life and career. There is a crowdsourcing campaign going on right now at Indiegogo to help cover some of the various costs related to production of the documentary. If you're a fan of Stuart Margolin and would like to help contribute to the Indiegogo campaign, go to TinyURL.com/EverybodysAngel for more information. Every contribution helps preserve Stuart's incredible legacy for future generations. Topics this segment include growing up with Stuart; how Chris' passion for filmmaking stems from his experience being directed by Stuart in the movie The Glitter Dome; how Stuart's experience as a writer helped him as an actor, and how his experience as an actor helped him as a director. 

TVC 744.5: Christopher Martini, director of the forthcoming documentary Everybody's Angel: The Stuart Margolin Story, talks to Ed about why James Garner was the important person in Stuart's life; how their long association began after Jim discovered Stuart performing in one of the blackout sketches on Love, American Style, which led him to cast Stuart in Nichols (and, later, in The Rockford Files); and the many ways in which Garner mentored Stuart, both in front of and behind the camera. If you're a fan of Stuart Margolin and would like to contribute to the crowdsourcing campaign to help underwrite some of the production costs related to the documentary, go to TinyURL.com/EverybodysAngel for more information. Every contribution helps preserve Stuart's incredible legacy for future generations.

Please enjoy this preview of our upcoming conversation with Christopher Martini, stepson of Stuart Margolin and the director of Everybody's Angel, a forthcoming feature length documentary that will celebrate the remarkable life and career of the actor known around the world as Angel Martin on The Rockford Files. Topics this segment include the many ways in which James Garner mentored Stuart before, during, and after Rockford. Our complete conversation with Chris will air next week on TV Confidential. There is a crowdsourcing campaign going on right now at Indiegogo to help cover some of the various costs related to production of the documentary. If you're a fan of Stuart Margolin and would like to help contribute to the Indiegogo campaign, go to TinyURL.com/EverybodysAngel for more information. Every contribution helps preserve Stuart's incredible legacy for future generations.

TVC 743.1: Ed welcomes Mary Hampton, widow of beloved character actor Jim Hampton (F Troop, The Longest Yard, Sling Blade, Teen Wolf), and an accomplished actress in her own right. Mary is also the driving force behind What? And Give Up Show Business?, the story of Jim's life and career as a working actor, which was published just before Jim's death in 2021. What? And Give Up Show Business? is available in hardcover through TCU Press and Amazon.com. Topics this segment include how Jim and Mary first met; how Jim was very much a bridge between old Hollywood and new Hollywood; Jim's many appearances on the Johnny Carson Tonight Show; and how Jim nearly had a network talk show of his own. Mary Hampton will appear, along with Cindy Mitchum and Julie Rogers Pomilia, at the annual National Day of the Cowboy weekend celebration in Tombstone, Arizona from July 23 through July 26.

TVC 743.2: Actress Mary Hampton, widow of Jim Hampton, talks to Ed about how Jim enjoyed playing golf and backgammon with James Garner; the pivotal role that Casa Manana, the venerable theatre in Fort Worth, Texas, played early in Jim's career; and how Jim landed the role of Michael J. Fox's dad in Teen Wolf. What? And Give Up Show Business?, Jim Hampton's memoir, is available in hardcover through TCU Press and Amazon.com. Mary Hampton will appear, along with Cindy Mitchum and Julie Rogers Pomilia, at the annual National Day of the Cowboy weekend celebration in Tombstone, Arizona from July 23 through July 26.

TVC 743.3: Actress Mary Hampton, widow of Jim Hampton, talks to Ed about how Burt Reynolds provided a vital assist behind the scenes during the episode of Gunsmoke that also marked Jim's very first television appearance, and how Jim helped Burt many times in return, including the night when Burt guest-hosted the Johnny Carson Tonight Show shortly after posing for Cosmopolitan magazine; and how Jim nearly missed his audition for F Troop. What? And Give Up Show Business?, Jim Hampton's memoir, is available in hardcover through TCU Press and Amazon.com. Mary Hampton will appear, along with Cindy Mitchum and Julie Rogers Pomilia, at the annual National Day of the Cowboy weekend celebration in Tombstone, Arizona from July 23 through July 26.

TVC 743.4: Ed welcomes Jane Seymour, the Emmy Award-winning and Golden Globe Award-winning actress known around the world as Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and, more recently, as the star and executive producer of Acorn TV's hit Irish mystery series Harry Wild. Season Five of Harry Wild recently premiered on Acorn TV and is marked by the highly anticipated on-screen reunion between Jane and her longtime co-star on Dr. Quinn, Joe Lando. New episodes of Harry Wild air Mondays exclusively on Acorn TV. Topics this segment include how Joe came to join the cast of Harry Wild this season; the family-like atmosphere among cast and crew; how Jane, like Harry, has reinvented herself more than once throughout her life and career; why Jane enjoys breaking glass ceilings (as she did on Dr. Quinn as well as on Harry Wild); how Jane approaches playing historical figures, which she has done many times in her career; and why Harry Wild continues to be such a fan favorite.

TVC 743.5: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week 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, her dad's raw, funny, and unforgettable memoir about growing up with his older brother—before fame, during fame, and through all the chaos in between. Them Ornery Mitchum Boys is available in hardcover and in paperback through Henry Gray Publishing, Amazon.com, and JohnMitchum.com. John Mitchum's Unabashed Love of Country, Cowboys, and God, the two-CD tribute to the music and poetry of John Mitchum, featuring performances by more than fifty than celebrity colleagues and admirers, is available at CD Baby, Amazon.com, and JohnMitchum.com. Topics this segment include how Bob and John first became known as "them Ornery Mitchum boys"; the spiritual side of John Mitchum; and why the world "can use a little Mitchum now." Image courtesy Henry Gray Publishing.  Cindy Mitchum will appear at Side Show Books, 1639 South La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA on Monday, July 20, beginning at 8pm. Cindy will sign copies of Them Ornery Mitchum Boys, followed by a screening the original Cape Fear (1962) starring Robert Mitchum. Cindy will also appear, along with Julie Rogers Pomilia and Mari Deese Hampton, at the annual National Day of the Cowboy weekend celebration in Tombstone, Arizona from July 23 through July 26.

TVC 743.6: Cindy Mitchum, youngest daughter of John Mitchum and the niece of Robert Mitchum, talks to Ed about the time when her dad helped his friend Father Latimer Garrett, an Episcopal priest, raise the money needed to build Father Garrett's Boys Ranch, a foster care facility in Acton, California. Them Ornery Mitchum Boys is available in hardcover and in paperback through Henry Gray Publishing, Amazon.com, and JohnMitchum.com. John Mitchum's Unabashed Love of Country, Cowboys, and God is available at CD Baby, Amazon.com, and JohnMitchum.com. Photo of John Mitchum courtesy MitchumMedia.com Cindy Mitchum will appear at Side Show Books, 1639 South La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA on Monday, July 20, beginning at 8pm. Cindy will sign copies of Them Ornery Mitchum Boys, followed by a screening the original Cape Fear (1962) starring Robert Mitchum. Cindy will also appear, along with Julie Rogers Pomilia and Mari Deese Hampton, at the annual National Day of the Cowboy weekend celebration in Tombstone, Arizona from July 23 through July 26.

TVC 742.1: Ed welcomes back 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. John Mitchum's Unabashed Love of Country, Cowboys, and God, the two-CD tribute to the music and poetry of John Mitchum, featuring performances by more than fifty than celebrity colleagues and admirers, is available at CD Baby, Amazon.com, and JohnMitchum.com. Topics this segment include how Them Ornery Mitchum Boys is an unusual memoir that will sometimes remind you of the works of Mark Twain; how the book is as much a celebration of character actors as it is about John and Bob's careers; the unique bond both John and Bob; and how both Mitchum brothers had a joie de vie that came across in everything they did. Cindy Mitchum will appear at Side Show Books, 1639 South La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA on Monday, July 20, beginning at 8pm. Cindy will sign copies of Them Ornery Mitchum Boys, followed by a screening the original Cape Fear (1962) starring Robert Mitchum. Cindy will also appear, along with Julie Rogers Pomilia and Mari Deese Hampton, at the annual National Day of the Cowboy weekend celebration in Tombstone, Arizona from July 23 through July 26.

TVC 742.2: Cindy Mitchum, youngest daughter of John Mitchum and the niece of Robert Mitchum, talks to Ed about how both her dad and her uncle became actors by accident; how John was an accomplished prize fighter who could also handle himself in a street brawl if necessary; and the many ways in which Them Ornery Mitchum Boys is like a family album. Them Ornery Mitchum Boys is available in hardcover and in paperback through Henry Gray Publishing, Amazon.com, and JohnMitchum.com. John Mitchum's Unabashed Love of Country, Cowboys, and God is available at CD Baby, Amazon.com, and JohnMitchum.com. Cindy Mitchum will appear at Side Show Books, 1639 South La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA on Monday, July 20, beginning at 8pm. Cindy will sign copies of Them Ornery Mitchum Boys, followed by a screening the original Cape Fear (1962) starring Robert Mitchum. Cindy will also appear, along with Julie Rogers Pomilia and Mari Deese Hampton, 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 Jane Seymour, the actress known around the world as Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and, more recently, as the star and executive producer of Acorn TV's hit Irish mystery series Harry Wild. Season Five of Harry Wild recently premiered on Acorn TV and is marked by the highly anticipated on-screen reunion between Jane and her longtime co-star on Dr. Quinn, Joe Lando. New episodes of Harry Wild air Mondays exclusively on Acorn TV. Our complete conversation with Jane Seymour will air next weekend on TV Confidential.

TVC 741.4: Ed welcomes Perry Hibner, author of Centennial Revisited, a deep dive into the epic length, twelve-part, twenty-six hour miniseries that originally aired on NBC at various times throughout the 1978-1979 season. Centennial was ambitious in scope, majestic to watch, and almost universally praised by television critics for its quality production values and stellar acting performances. And yet, due to erratic scheduling and poor promotion, Centennial never received the audience or recognition it deserved. Centennial Revisited is available in hardcover, paperback, and as an eBook from DorrancePublishing.com, Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and wherever books are sold online. Topics this segment include 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; why novelist James Michener felt that Centennial was the best adaptation of his works ever; and how Universal's decision not to promote Centennial hurt the series (and actor Robert Conrad in particular).

TVC 741.5: Perry Hibner, author of Centennial Revisited, discusses some of the differences between Centennial the miniseries and the original James Michener novel; howthe tragic death of actor Richard Kelton affected production of the miniseries; how Andy Griffith saved the life of Sharon Gless during filming of the final episode; and how executive producer John Wilder originally wanted James Garner to narrate the series, instead of David Janssen. Centennial Revisited is available in hardcover, paperback, and as an eBook from DorrancePublishing.com, Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and includes exclusive interviews with more than thirty cast members of the epic miniseries, including Gregory Harrison, Barbara Carrera, Cristina Raines, Cliff DeYoung, Mark Harmon, William Atherton, Glynn Turman, Les Lannom, and executive producer John Wilder.

TVC 741.5a: Perry Hibner, author of Centennial Revisited, discusses some of his favorite characters in Centennial and shares a few final thoughts about both the miniseries and the legacy of James Michener. Centennial Revisited: An Oral History of the Epic TV Miniseries is available in hard cover, paperback, and as an eBook from DorrancePublishing.com, Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and wherever books are sold online.

TVC 741.1: Phil Gries joins Ed for Part 2 of our special Independence Day-themed edition of The Sounds of Lost Television that looks back at how network television covered the Bicentennial celebration of July 4, 1976, including a few clips from In Celebration of US, the sixteen-hour CBS special, hosted by Walter Cronkite, that aired on July 4, 1976. Highlights this segment include coverage from the opening of the National Air and Space Museum on June 30, 1976; Cronkite and Danny Kaye discussing the history of jazz music in Storyville, the famous red light district of New Orleans; and Cronkite and New York Metropolitan Opera soprano Beverly Sills discussing patriotic music. Audio courtesy Archival Television Audio.

TVC 741.2: Phil Gries of Archival Television Audio plays a few more audio highlights of In Celebration of US, the day-long CBS special that aired on July 4, 1976, including Johnny Cash performing at the Pageant of Freedom festival in Washington, D.C.; coverage of the air show in St. Louis commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of Charles Lindbergh's flight across the Atlantic in 1927; Charles Kuralt's profile of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson; and "Reflections of America," a music and spoken-word performance by violinist Isaac Stern. Audio courtesy Archival Television Audio. Image of Johnny Cash courtesy Facebook.

TVC 741.3: Phil Gries of Archival Television Audio and Ed discuss some of the other television offerings on the days and weeks leading up to July 4, 1976, including audio highlights of The Today Show's weeklong series of programs from Philadelphia. Audio courtesy Archival Television Audio.

TVC 741.6: Phil Gries of Archival Television Audio and Ed discuss Sing, America, Sing, the PBS special from March 1976 written by Oscar Brand (pictured above) that originated from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and a rarely heard Bicentennial Minute featuring Burgess Meredith. Audio courtesy Archival Television Audio. Also in this segment: Phil discusses the upcoming Blu-ray release of Harlem School: 1970, the "direct cinema" documentary that he wrote, produced, directed, and filmed when he was an elementary school teacher in Harlem, New York. Harlem School: 1970 will become available on Blu-ray through Kino Lorber on Tuesday, Aug. 25.

TVC 740.1: Phil Gries joins Ed for a special Independence Day-themed edition of The Sounds of Lost Television that looks back at how network television covered the Bicentennial celebration of July 4, 1976. Audio, as always, is courtesy Archival Television Audio. Highlights this segment include the first few minutes of In Celebration of US, a sixteen-hour, day-long special produced by CBS News and hosted by Walter Cronkite, that included a cornucopia of festive events that day from venues across the country.

TVC 740.2: Phil Gries, founder and owner of Archival Television Audio, and Ed discuss how In Celebration of US, the sixteen-hour CBS special hosted by Walter Cronkite that aired on July 4, 1976, not only was inclusive in tone and presentation, but marked the first time that a network had devoted day-long coverage to a single event since the moon landing of July 20, 1969.

TVC 740.3: Phil Gries of Archival Television Audio plays a few more audio highlights of In Celebration of US, the day-long CBS special, hosted by Walter Cronkite, that aired on July 4, 1976, including coverage of the largest naturalization ceremony in U.S. history and of the massive parade in Philadelphia that included representatives from the forty-eight continental states plus several other countries. Audio courtesy Archival Television Audio.

TVC 740.4: Phil Gries of Archival Television Audio plays more audio highlights of In Celebration of US, including coverage of the jazz festival held on July 4, 1976 that also commemorated the 100th birthday of jazz great Louis Armstrong, plus a few minutes of the Major League Baseball game that day between the Houston Astros and the Cincinnati Reds.  Audio courtesy Archival Television Audio. Image of Louis Armstrong courtesy Britannica.com Harlem School: 1970, the "direct cinema" documentary that Phil Gries originally filmed, produced, and directed in 1970, will become available on Blu-ray through Kino Lorber on Tuesday, Aug. 25

TVC 740.5: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with Barry Weitz, co-creator and co-executive producer of Movin' On (NBC, 1974-1976), and Kathy Bird, author of Sundance Turns Fifty: The Amazing Legacy of Movin' On, a fun new book that not only takes you behind the scenes of the production of Movin' On, but introduces you to many of the people who are responsible for keeping the show alive today. Sundance Turns Fifty is available in paperback and as an eBook through Amazon.com. Proceeds from sales of the book will help support the efforts of the Duke Cancer Research Institute in Durham, North Carolina. Topics this segment include how production of Movin' On was as close to the quality of a feature motion picture as you could get on network TV at the time; how the Movin' On museum came to be; and why the series meant a lot to the childhood of many male viewers.

TVC 740.6: Barry Weitz, co-creator and co-executive producer of Movin' On, and Kathy Bird, author of Sundance Turns Fifty: The Amazing Legacy of Movin' On, discuss the circumstances that resulted in NBC canceling Movin' On at the end of its second season, and how the NBC programming executive who made that decision, Marvin Antonowsky, got his comeuppance in a very public way. Sundance Turns Fifty is available in paperback and as an eBook through Amazon.com.

Please enjoy this special preview of our upcoming conversation with Martha Reeves, the legendary Motown powerhouse who is also one of the most influential voices in American music. June is Black Music Month, and to celebrate the occasion Martha is releasing "To Know You is to Love You," the leadoff single for Searching, Martha's first new album in twenty-two years. Both the single and the video for "To Know is to Love You" become available on Spotify, Apple Music, and all digital platforms on Friday, June 26, while the entire album Searching will be released on Friday, Aug. 14. Our complete conversation with Martha Reeves will air in a few weeks on TV Confidential.

TVC 739.4: Ed welcomes Barry Weitz, co-creator and co-executive producer of Movin' On (NBC, 1974-1976), the classic TV series starring Claude Akins and Frank Converse as independent truck drivers that, in many ways, was a modern-day Western, and Kathy Bird, author of Sundance Turns Fifty: The Amazing Legacy of Movin' On, a fun new book that not only takes you behind the scenes of the production of Movin' On, but introduces you to many of the people who are responsible for keeping the show alive today. Sundance Turns Fifty is available in paperback and as an eBook through Amazon.com. Proceeds from sales of the book will help support the efforts of the Duke Cancer Research Institute in Durham, North Carolina. Topics this segment include how Barry came up with the concept for Movin' On; how the show's move to an 8pm time slot in the second season not only introduced the series to younger viewers, but paved the way for the resurgence of interest in Movin' On that continues to this day; how Barry came to cast Frank Converse and Claude Akins; and how Movin' On inspired many viewers to become truck drivers themselves.

TVC 739.5: Barry Weitz, co-creator and co-executive producer of Movin' On, and Kathy Bird, author of Sundance Turns Fifty: The Amazing Legacy of Movin' On, talk to Ed about how Movin' On was an unusual series not only because it was filmed entirely on location in different states throughout the continental U.S., but also insofar as Barry's production team scouted the locations first, then wrote each episode based on that location. This segment also includes a discussion of some of the notable guest stars on the series, including Michael J. Pollard, John Ritter, and Samuel L. Jackson. Sundance Turns Fifty is available in paperback and as an eBook through Amazon.com.

TVC 739.6: Barry Weitz, co-creator and co-executive producer of Movin' On, and Kathy Bird, author of Sundance Turns Fifty: The Amazing Legacy of Movin' On, talk to Ed about how it would be impossible to make Movin' On today in the same way that Barry and his production partner, Phil D'Antoni, made the series when they produced it together in the mid 1970s. Also in this segment: Barry shares an anecdote about "Good for Laughs," the first-season episode, filmed in Oregon, that features Frank Gorshin and Jonathan Goldsmith. Sundance Turns Fifty is available in paperback and as an eBook through Amazon.com.

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.