What is ruining the future of our young people? Television? Tory Champagne, choice us right now, director, filmmaker, friend of Gary, ESPN Superstar. What's going on? Tory?
What a segue? Ruiner of education? I hope really as a filmmaker and director, we're trying to enlighten people. Hopefully that's the conversation to bring to the table.
I love TV, I love streaming whatever it is, and I just think I just talked about an hour about how we need to support our teachers and how our kids have to be smarter and so forth. And I just have this memory of my dad saying, are you are you watching a damn boob tube again?
Yes?
I am, and I love every minute of it. Okay, we're going to talk about some cool shows that are going on right now. And I can't. I can't wrap my hand my head around this one. Actually, Rob, can we roll that? Do we have this?
Lets?
Can we roll the seventh Spike? Let's do that, mister Scout.
I know you're still weighing whether to return to Newman That the mark I've come to the happy Hello?
Is anyone there is the born on Marcus macrit.
I'm just too dumb to understand. Can you explain you love the show? Can you explain it to me?
Yeah? Well, I think, you know, I think, uh, you know, I think we talked before. You know.
It's it's a you know, sad with the passing of David Lynch, you know, an American icon and filmmaking who was kind of known for his surrealism and as noir and everything else. So it's kind of a fitting thing with the return of The Severance on Apple Plus kind
of coming back for a second season tomorrow. Now, the show's been on hiatus for three years and when it came out, uh is you know it was written by a relatively unknown and almost literally unknown guy named Dan Erickson, and he had sent it into Ben Stiller's company, and
Ben Stiller loved it and decided to direct it. Now that the series itself, what I love about it the most, and kind of talking about different eras of television, is it kind of harkens back to the era of Lost in a show that ABC debuted, and it was something that everybody could understand, being trapped on a desert island, but it got progressively weirder and stranger and more mysterious and Severns has a very similar thing, but it's kind of told through the lens of what it's like to
be trapped at work or in your daily life. And the premise of the series is there's a company called lumin Industries where to get a job there you have to sever and have a procedure where they basically you can only live your life and work and when you're at work, everything happens at work, and when you leave, you're going to live your regular life, but you're kind of trapped inside work and trapped on the outside and the two can never connect, so this procedure, so it's
really it's this really interesting look at the split or the kind of human existence inside the workplace versus your regular life and how those two can affect each other without even kind of realizing it. And the series does a really great job, kind of in the David Lynch vein of feeling very twin Peaks and then you know again, Adam Scott is.
The main actor.
There's a great cast, and there's a lot of hype leading into the second season for Apple.
Explain to me why that's a bad thing.
I think it's a good thing, you know, I think it's a good thing for streaming, and I think it's a good thing that, you know, much like Stranger Things has done for Netflix, where it's this must see kind of television experience and a streaming platform where you know, there is this long window as you're waiting and anticipating. So they kind of have stumbled upon something in streaming that I think it's the anticipation of a film. Like you wait for a summer blockbuster, you're kind of waiting
for your you know, blockbuster series to come back. So I don't, you know, the hiatus, So I don't know exactly the reason why three years, but I do think it actually, maybe intentionally or unintentionally helped with people rewatching the series. It gave a longer window for people to kind of pick up on it because when it came out, it was it was heralded for being great and won awards,
but the general public didn't pick up on it. In mass it kind of kept growing and growing growing, So again, it's it's really interesting to see a series that has that kind of Twin Peaks vibe or that lost vibe that is more of an adult kind of serious dark drama, kind of dark comedy kind of take the forefront and Apple,
who has a smaller footprint in the streaming space. You know, they really have kind of stumbled onto maybe their thing that's gonna that's really going to open up the aperture for them.
Yeah, it's their bear, you know, like the bear. Yeah, yeah, but no, I should have been more clear. Why is it a bad thing that if I go home, I don't remember work, or I've found that work I don't remember home. I mean, I understand what you're saying. I get the premise. It's in a little creepy, but I would be much more effective at work if I wasn't getting emails or phone calls from home, and I would be much more happier at home if I didn't no work existed.
Right, So I think the interesting thing in the kind of the duality that they show is like, that's the great thing about the series is in theory, that sounds great, But what you experience as you're watching it and you're watching this character go through this is they're kind of ostracized, like on the outside world for being people that are doing something kind of unethical, you know, and they can't tell you anything about work because they can't remember it,
so they're kind of their outside life kind.
Of becomes drained. And then at.
Work every day, every day you kind of wake up and you're there. So once you get there from the outside world, you're inside world. You never really sleep, you're always just awake at work, so your work life just never ends, and you're outside life never ends. It's just you're never sleeping, you're always kind of awake.
And he's two spacey people. People know that's your job. So other people are living a normal life and they know you're fed up.
Yeah, pretty much, pretty much. It's like, why why would you why would you choose to have a procedure where you can't remember who you are once you go in that place, and uh, and that's kind of the interesting thing. But again, I don't want to be the spoiler guy on your show. I just encourage people to watch it. It's really fascinates, really well done.
You know, well, did you see the pop up they did? And I get was it? It was in was it in New York? Where they had a pop up. They had a big glass enclosure of the office, you know, the office where they all say up the computers and Ben Stiller was videotaping with his phone the actors doing a scene within the glass.
Yes, I did see it, and it's funny.
It's it's actually something I was talking about with some of the producers on my team today. It was just like, what a brilliant marketing thing. As they're filming for season three, you know, their marketing return to office, right, Like that's the big thing. Everybody's returning to the office so this season. And then additionally, the thing that's really brilliant that they
also did. If you are a fan of the show or if you're getting trying to understand the show, it's you know, the show has a lot of Easter eggs again that.
Lost kind of crossover.
They put out a podcast with Ben Stiller and Adam Scott reviewing the first season.
And giving you kind of explaining the Easter eggs. So it's like they really kind of found.
The formula, I think, And I think that's what's really impressing me about the show is something that's really, like I said, left of center, kind of hitting the mainstream. And then additionally, everybody that's behind it really buying in and doing everything to promote it this time. So it's a really interesting approach.
I'm a huge Adam Scott fan.
I mean, who doesn't love him in Stepbrothers when he's the jerk brother.
I mean, come on, he's amazing.
He's amazing, He's and I heard him on a podcast and the reason I I've always loved I love his word. I've always thought he has been great. But then I really became a fan when he said, yeah, I just stay inside and watch TV and eat snacks. I was like, that's my guy, and he goes, I don't really have any desire to go out and get sun or and I don't feel guilty about it. You know, everybody says it's a beautiful day. Yeah, I'm gonna watch a movie. I'm like, dude, I am okay with that. Anything else.
We're going to get to SNL coming up in the next segment, but anything else going on on your horizon as far as television.
You know, for me at ESPN right now, you know, it's college football season. So you know, over at ESPN Original we have our Inside the College Football Playoff series that we're currently working on, and there's weekly episodes and you know, we're just all awaiting the National Championship Between OSU and Notre Dame.
You know, we'll be.
Filming there behind the scenes, and then I have another episode. The final episode drop next on the twenty fourth.
So have you watched The louder Milk I'm not okay, I'm gonna tell people. Louder Milk is created by Bobby Moore and our friend Pete Fairley and our friend Bob Fairly. Bobby Fairley has directed some of the episodes. Oh, Netflix, and it was it was buried somehow on the Dish network when it first came out. It was I don't I don't understand how it wasn't seen. Okay, but it's really funny, it's really creative. Will Sasso's in it. Ron
Livingston's in it. He's great as louder Milk. And what he plays is he plays a guy that's been sober for four years and he runs an AA meeting right now from a writer's perspective. And Jackie Flynn of Boston is in it. Oh my god, and there's another Boston comic. I'm sorry, I got to look at his name. I looked him up the other day. I feel so bad that i've But anyways, h when you have number one I'm a huge Livingston fan, right, I just his deadpan and he's like he's just an angry, dry drunk and
he used to be a rock critic. So you love it stright up your ally. But like from a content perspective, if you put a bunch of great character actors in an AA meeting, I mean, you can't fail. I mean you can't. I mean you just can't fail. I mean, and you get the fairlies writing it. I mean, god, you you just can't fail. The stuff that these guys say and the stuff that they talk about is like, I mean, they even and you know, they push the envelope and they're just you got to give it, give
it a try. When you get done your college football season, you definitely you definitely have to give it a try. Also Brian Regan, Brian Reagan, Brian Regan, Brian Reagan, Boston Guy, and Jackie Flynn. So I wanted to give those guys a shout out. Discover it. It's on Netflix. All right. We got to talk about SNL, Tory Share Painters, our guests from the ESPN and also my television buddy that's next on WBC.
Now back to Dan Raddy Mine from the Window World night Side Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Look, my name is Lauren Michael's on the Crucier Saturday Night.
The whole night.
Yeah, the whole night, Chevy j skild A reader Dan, I got, how do you pronounce this?
Really?
You know, I was thinking, why don't we punt?
We should run the dress vessel and claw back and win next Saturday.
We can't, Dick, it's a live show.
We're just not ready.
It doesn't matter that we're ready, it matters.
That's eleven thirty, that's when we go on.
That was terrific. I love it. Tory Champagne's joining us here. Tory, It's fog friend of Gary Loves TV works at ESPN. So that's what we're doing here. The Saturday Night Live movie, which I think it definitely helps if you're in television, because it was a little long, like if somebody's not in television, I could see or it could get a little monotonous.
You Yeah, I mean, I think, I think, yeah, definitely.
Working in the industry gives you a different perspective and appreciation for what the film is about.
In kind of that moment, for sure, for sure.
So Jason Rightman directed it, and the first thing I got a who's the guy I'm looking up his name from from Nicholas Braun plays Jim Henson and Andy Kaufman. Yeah, phenomenal. I mean he plays both guys to a t plays Coffin to a t h And I thought he was I thought he stole the show.
I thought he was fantastic.
I think the thing about this film that I actually loved Gary from a casting perspective is it's a bunch of relatively unknowns that are probably about to break in Hollywood and be part of the next generation. You know, You've got Cooper Hoffman, son of you know, you know, playing Dick Embersol, you have of Corey Michael Smith playing Chevy Chase, and then you have Gabriel LaBelle, who was in The Fableman's kind of taking the lead as Lord Michael's.
And it was just kind of poetic that here's this young cast of up and coming new Hollywood stars playing a bunch of relatively unknowns that went on to be household names. So I thought it was just like a brilliant kind of choice to do it that way.
Yeah, I mean, you mentioned Cooper Hoffin, Philip Seymour Hoffman's son the Late Yes, thank you, Yeah, oh no, no, no problem, And you can see the resemblance. But it was a terrific film and if you haven't seen it, it's worth it, at least if you're a TV junkies like us. It's the ninety minutes leading up to eleven thirty, right, and they do it in real time, and that's the way SNL is, I mean the way they they are
flying by the seat of their pants. And I'm sure there was some creative license in there, you know, like founding Alan the writer, finding him last minute at the bar Allen's I believe, who was legendary and went on to write City Slickers with with Billy Crystal and so forth. There was definitely some creative license in there, but it was It was a great ride, like you said, and relatively and a bunch of unknowns as well.
Yeah, and I think you know, it's interesting, you know, for me, I kind of grew up with SNL, and then later in my career I had the opportunity to work with the Embersalls and continue to have have a great relationship with Willy Eversaw some of Dick Eversall so, uh, it was It was kind of a kick for me, you know, going into the film. It was kind of like,
I knew obviously that was part of the storyline. I've heard the story from Dick personally about that night, and then I've obviously, you know, heard stories about it through Willie. But it was just it was kind of a cool moment to be able to text Willy and be like, I'm watching Cooper Hoffman play your's son, I mean, play play your dad on on this in this film. Uh and you know, how how how did they get it?
You know, did they get it right? He was you know, he was very honest, and he was just kind of saying yeah, you know, like Dick was kind of the network executive that did believe while he had this other group of network executives trying to you know, destroy the show essentially that night in favor of Johnny Carson Getting's
contract re upside. It kind of put Dick Eversol on the map as this executive producer type with NBC at that time and was just kind of stood by his guy through the chaos and more and Michael's being kind of delusionally, you know, confident in what he was doing to bring this late night show together. And that's what
I loved about the film. To your point about the chaos, the energy, the pacing of the film, you really kind of get the experience of it's not always figured out in live TV, and sometimes the clock is your master, and that you're going to go live at some point and you're going to have to figure it out. And I thought, rightman did a really good job of kind of capturing that energy.
Yeah, no doubt. You just gotta you get a letter rip because you don't have a choice. I also thought they did a great job paying tribute to Garrett Morris, I believe because he was sort of the lost cast member. There was a lot of obviously racial issues, and I thought they did they did a great job of bringing attention to his back. I didn't know he was Shakespeare and trained.
Yeah, I think I didn't know that either, And I think to your point, you know, they highlight that in the film in a way in that scene that kind of leads up to, you know, kind of the famous moment that he has in the in the film, I mean in that first episode. But to your point, they really did and kind of showing this character that was
kind of like, why am I here? I am this you know, trained actor amongst you know, this guy that's basically drunk on the floor and John Belushi and they can't control them in that juxtaposition of showing him for who he try really was and how he was able to kind of transcend in that moment and become part of it and really, you know, be kind of part of the catalyst that evening to kind of get everybody rallied.
Together to be brave enough to go out there and just do the damn thing.
So fifty the Saturday Night Live on Netflix. Did did you see any of the documentary? Because I think there's a four part documentary.
Yeah, there is a fourth part documentary and I believe Brightman directed that as well, so.
Right, and it focuses on four different sections of the show, like four different Yeah, so that I gotta got to check that out too. I mean, and even you know, YouTube has definitely extended it. You know, Lord Michael said, our skits are perfect for YouTube because that's how my kids see it.
I mean, take take the victory, lablare and you were ahead of your time by about fifty years and favorite, I.
Mean, we had a chance to meet him, Norm Norm McDonald, you and I hung out with him a little bit. What's your favorite news anc because the guys right now, Jost and Chay are hilarious, but.
You know, yeah, Norm's still your guy or I mean Norms just like the classic bravest kind of uh, you know, kind of comedian and yeah, and you and I had the opportunity to sit down with him and talk to him, and you know, I mean he kind of set the tone.
I mean, Dennis Miller was obviously like the other other kind of iconic guy. But you know, over the years, I think that that is you know, it's kind of the the hallmark of the show, right, it's the center point, it's the halftime. And yeah, jose and Chay are great, but yeah, Norm's kind of probably the guy you know.
Well well Norm and I mean in his writer too. I mean when they went after OJ, I mean it was and they didn't care. They got fired because of it. They he did not care. Yeah, Jim Downey, the legendary head writer, worked in that with Norman. But the thing about Joseph Chay is when they swapped they write each other's material. Yes, Oh my god, I mean and they can get away with I mean yeah, I mean, I
mean they have a field. I mean, did you see the one where Joe wrote Chay's material about being a ditty's party?
You know?
Yeah, I mean I think I think it just speaks to like the show's staying power and kind of the bravery of Lorne Michaels right like in the cast and understanding what they're doing right, Like they're having fun, they know that they're towing a line, they do it well, and like it's kind of why the show's stayed for all these years is they've they've they've kind of always been able to kind of zero in on the zeitgeist and say we're going all in on this, and it
just kind of speaks to the power of why it stayed all these years.
You know, Uh, Steved Framerham, dude, you're up with Tory Champagne. Make it quick, buddy, we got to roll what's on your mind?
No, no, I just I'm enjoying the show and Gary always enjoyed you on TV. I was just going to say that I am looking forward to watching the documentary. I get Peacock and Prime video, but I don't want to get hooked on everything else. I was just going to say, I really enjoyed I had time during Christmas to some time off. I get to watch The Sticky on Prime, which was that that was really good.
Oh and Margo Margot, she's awesome. What's your last name, Marco?
I can't remember, but that was good.
And then and then you were talking about like shows that you're really looking forward to. I'm looking forward to Reacher coming back in February. I really enjoyed that on Prime, you know, the Big Guy. Yes, and then uh, and the other thing I got to watch that was an older show from a few years ago. I'd heard about Daisy Jones and the six I'm a huge rock and roll fan, and that was basically, uh, similar to I guess the Fleetwood Mac story. And I really enjoyed that.
Was any good? Is that worth a watch?
I thought it really liked it. I don't know, yeah, liked it.
Yeah, I mean, I mean it's funny you brought that one up because it's one that kind of flew under the radar, and I thought it was really good. Again, I'm kind of a sucker for you know, that era of kind of entertainment. Anyways, but Uh, yeah, I'd recommend it. It's it's a it's a sleeper.
Steve called Margot Martindale on the I got to give that.
I was going to say to on On on Peacock. I got to watch David Jackal and I really like that one too.
I got to give that one a world. Oh that's all right, thanks buddy, appreciate it, Thank you, you got it. Steve. Uh, I'm terrible with names. Dan the Jackal is Eddie Redmain, I believe.
Yeah, pretty good.
Speaking of old bastards, mister Shaughnessy joined me. I can say that because he's a little older. We're going to talk about Bob Uker passed away today, just a bit outside the great thing about you. Did you ever meet him, Torri?
I did I have I I did get to meet him once a couple of years ago.
He was great. He was great.
Yeah, he was just kind of like Tommy Heins a little bit where there are like two generations that didn't know he actually played.
An He's iconic, I mean major leagues iconic.
He was iconic before that, but it's cemented them and everybody's mind.
My favorite one. We're gonna play sound bites the miller like commercials where he goes must be in the front row. And then the old one, of course, is just a bit outside. I mean just a bit outside. There wasn't a little league game or any pick up baseball game where kids didn't say that.
Yeah, I mean, I've definitely uttered it and probably will a thousand more times, you know, over and watching sports.
So there you go, watching that, Tory.
What's coming up? What do we need to be on the lookout for ESPN Plus and all those different platforms you got?
Yeah, no, uh, you know, like I said, right now inside the College Football Playoffs behind the scenes, look at the CFP and it's a five part series that's on ESPN Plus and Disney Plus right now.
And like I said, check out the series.
It gives you a look of what's been going on through the playoff and our final episode comes out on the twenty fourth that will highlight the national Championship taking place Monday in Atlanta. So that's what we got right now.
And Tory always has some good stuff cooking top secret Tory. I'll talk to you, Bud, Thanks.
For coming on, Thanks for having me. Let'll talk to you soon.
By Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe In the Life of Bob Yucker, one of the Greats, Two greats, Dan Shannison and Yuke Coming up next on WBZ