TV CONFIDENTIAL: A radio talk show about television

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.

TVC 709.5: Ed welcomes Emmy Award-winning actress, producer, and author Mariette Hartley (The Incredible Hulk, Goodnight, Beantown, Breaking the Silence, Law and Order: SVU). Mariette stars, along with her husband Jerry Sroka (who we also hear from in this segment), in Our (Almost Completely True) Love Story, a romantic comedy about two people of a certain age who meet online, strike up an unlikely romance, and weather the storm when an untimely illness threatens to tear them apart. Mariette and Jerry co-wrote the film, as well as produced it, while the cast includes such other film and TV favorites as Tess Harper, Bernie Kopell, Morgan Fairchild, Peter Onorati, Peter MacNichol, Stuart Pankin, John Rubinstein, Jack McGee, Sam McMurray, Don Scardino, and many, many others. Our (Almost Completely True) Love Story is available now for streaming on demand on Amazon Prime and other major platforms; it is also available on DVD and Blu-ray.

TVC 709.6: Emmy Award-winning actress Mariette Hartley talks to Ed about some of her other movie and TV roles, including the back story of the long-running, highly successful series of commercials that she did with James Garner for Polaroid cameras—and how the chemistry between her and Garner was so natural, many viewers believed that they were actually married. Mariette co-stars, co-wrote, and co-produced, along with her husband Jerry Sroka, in Our (Almost Completely True) Love Story, a 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. Photo of James Garner and Mariette Hartley courtesy Polaroid.

TVC 708.1: From October 2015: Tony, Donna, and Ed remember the premiere of The Flintstones (ABC, 1960-1966), the first animated series development for prime time, along with the various spinoffs and reimaginings of The Flintstones over the ensuing decades.

TVC 708.2: From October 2015: Tony, Donna, and Ed look back to Game 1 of the 1955 World Series between the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers, the first time that a World Series game was broadcast in color. Mel Allen and Vin Scully covered the game for NBC. Photo courtesy National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

TVC 708.3: From October 2015: Tony, Donna, and Ed remember the premiere of Baywatch Nights (Synd., 1995-1997), the spinoff of Baywatch starring David Hasselhoff, Gregory Alan Williams, Angie Harmon, and Donna D'Errico, the premise of which was more or less “Mitch Buchannon, private detective.”  

TVC 708.4: From October 2015: Tony, Donna, and Ed look back at how the print and television media covered the death of Rock Hudson. The legendary actor and screen heartthrob died from complications on Oct. 2, 1985. Photo of Rock Hudson courtesy People magazine

TVC 708.5: TV Confidential pays tribute to Academy Award winner Robert Redford by playing highlights from conservations we've had with actors who either co-starred with Redford or were directed by him, including Hank Garrett (Three Days of the Condor), Basil Hoffman (The Electric Horseman, Ordinary People, All the President's Men, The Milagro Beanfield War), and Dinah Manoff (Ordinary People). Also in the segment: special tributes from Stefanie Powers and Joan Van Ark, courtesy of B. Harlan Boll. Robert Redford passed away on Tuesday, Sept. 16 at age eighty-nine.

As long as we're in a Robert Redford frame of mind... please enjoy this special preview of our upcoming conversation with Louise Sorel (Days of Our Lives, Santa Barbara). Louise's husband Herb Edelman starred with Redford in both the original 1963 Broadway production of Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park as well as the 1967 film adaptation. Louise's new book, If There Were No Dogs: Musings and Mutterings, is now available through Book Baby, Amazon.com, and wherever books are sold online. Our complete interview with Louise Sorel will air later in October. Photo of Herb Edelman and Robert Redford courtesy Getty Images. 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 708.6: Ed welcomes Howard Smith, a retired tech mogul who not only found himself living four doors down the street from Johnny Carson in 1985, but became tennis buddies and, later, best friends with the legendary King of Late Night for the next twenty years. Howard shares many stories of the Johnny Carson he knew—a funny, kind, generous, modest, shy, yet deeply complex man that he knew simply as John—in My Friend Johnny: The Last 20 Years of a Beautiful Life with Johnny Carson and Friends, which you can find right now at MyFriendJohnny.com Calendar year 2025 marks not only the twentieth anniversary of Carson's passing, but the 100th anniversary of his birth.

TVC 708.6: Howard Smith talks to Ed about the five characteristics that Johnny Carson, Sidney Poitier, Clint Eastwood, Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, and many other successful people from business, sports, politics, and entertainment have all embodied throughout their life and career. Howard's new book, My Friend Johnny: The Last 20 Years of a Beautiful Life with Johnny Carson and Friends, is now available at MyFriendJohnny.com

We've been away for a few days, but we'll have a brand new edition of TV Confidential ready for you later this week. In the meantime, please enjoy this special preview of our upcoming conversation with Emmy Award-winning actress Mariette Hartley (Goodnight, Beantown, Law and Order: SVU). Mariette stars, along with her husband Jerry Sroka, in Our (Almost Completely True) Love Story, a romantic comedy that also includes a cast of such other film and TV favorites as Tess Harper, Bernie Kopell, Morgan Fairchild, Peter Onorati, Peter McNichol, and many, many others. Our (Almost Completely True) Love Story is available now for streaming on demand on Amazon Prime and other major platforms. Our complete interview with Mariette will air later in October.

Paul Myers, author of John Candy: A Life in Comedy, talks to Ed about the famous "I like me" speech that John Candy delivered as Del Griffith in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987) and how director John Hughes understood the essence of Candy as few others did. John Candy: A Life in Comedy becomes available wherever books are sold Tuesday, Oct. 7 through House of Anansi Press, as well as Amazon.com. Listeners in the San Francisco Bay Area can meet Paul Myers at Mrs Dalloway's Literary and Garden Arts, 2904 College Avenue in Berkeley, CA on Tuesday Oct. 7 beginning at 7pm. Paul will also appear on stage at the 4 Star Theatre, 2200 Clement Street in San Francisco, CA on Saturday Oct. 11 beginning at 7pm; Paul's appearance that night will be immediately followed by a screening of Uncle Buck. For details on these and other upcoming events, go to Houseof Anansi.com and type in John Candy A Life in Comedy Book Tour. Our complete interview with Paul Myers will air later in October on TV Confidential. 

From September 2015: Tony, Donna, and Ed look back at the broadcast history of The Wild, Wild West (CBS, 1965-1969), which originally premiered on CBS in September 1965.

From September 2015: Tony, Donna, and Ed remember the premiere of The Smothers Brothers Show (CBS, 1965-1966), a short-lived sitcom starring Tom and Dick Smothers that is mostly remembered today for being part of Nick at Nite's weekend lineup in the late 1980s. The failure of The Smothers Brothers Show spurred the Smothers (and Tom in particular) to take more creative control when CBS gave them a second chance in January 1967, with the premiere of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (CBS, 1967-1969).

TVC 707.1: From September 2015: Tony, Donna, and Ed discuss the legacy of Get Smart (NBC/CBS, 1965-1970), which premiered on NBC on Sept. 18, 1965.

TVC 707.2: From September 2015: Tony, Donna, and Ed remember the premiere of Hogan's Heroes (CBS, 1965-1971) on Sept. 17, 1965.