From March 2018: A special roundtable discussion in which Tony, Donna, and Ed tackle the question What Exactly Constitutes a Classic TV Series? How would you define it? What are the markers: Is it the era in which the show originally aired, such as the Golden Age of Television? Does it have to do with the show's impact on television, then and now? What about shows that were maligned when they originally aired, but are appreciated today? Can a show that premiered over the past decade be considere...
Jan 08, 2024•21 min
From March 2018: Part 2 of our special roundtable discussion with Tony and Donna about what makes a classic TV series "classic." If you have your thoughts on this topic, feel free to join the conversation by emailing us, talk@tvconfidential.net , or posting a comment on our Facebook page or via Twitter . We will work your comments into a future edition of TV Confidential. Want to advertise/sponsor our show? TV Confidential has partnered with AdvertiseCast to handle advertising/sponsorship reques...
Jan 08, 2024•21 min
From March 2018: Part 3 of our special roundtable discussion with Tony and Donna about what makes a classic TV series "classic." Topics this segment include shows such as Gilligan's Island , which were panned by critics at the time they originally aired, but which have been become classic subsequent generations have either embraced the show or recognize its quality and impact on other TV programs. If you have your thoughts on this topic, feel free to join the conversation by emailing us, talk@tv...
Jan 08, 2024•14 min
TVC 632.1: Part 3 of our three-part conversation with music and television historian Chuck Harter on the legacy of The Monkees television series (NBC, 1966-1968). Chuck interviewed Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork, and many other key Monkees personnel for Hey, Hey, We're The Monkees , the excellent Disney Channel documentary, written by Chuck, that explores the history of The Monkees, both the group and the series, and the ongoing impact of the Monkees phenomenon. In this se...
Dec 18, 2023•23 min•Season 16Ep. 632
TVC 632.2: Music and television historian Chuck Harter talks to Ed about the Monkees' successful tour of Japan in 1968 ; why Peter Tork left the group in December 1968, after completing production of their NBC special, 33-1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee ; and how the disastrous reception to Revolutions marked the beginning of the end of the Monkees on television. Chuck wrote Hey, Hey, We're The Monkees , the excellent Disney Channel documentary that explores the history of The Monkees, both the group...
Dec 18, 2023•20 min•Season 16Ep. 632
TVC 632.3: Music and television historian Chuck Harter shares some final thoughts on the the legacy of The Monkees television series (NBC, 1966-1968), including the revival of interest in both the group and the series in 1986 (following the MTV marathon); the mid 1990s revival, including the tour in England featuring all four Monkees; Mike Nesmith's insight into why all four members gelled, despite their different backgrounds and interests; and why Davy Jones was the only Monkee who truly unders...
Dec 18, 2023•14 min•Season 16Ep. 632
TVC 632.4: Film and television actor James DuMont talks to Ed about his upcoming one-man show, My Life as a DJ , and his plans to develop a biopic about his great-uncle, Allen DuMont, inventor of the Cathode tube ray and the founder of the DuMont television network. James can currently be seen opposite Eddie Murphy and Tracee Ellis Ross in Candy Cane Lane , the new Christmas movie now streaming on Amazon Prime. Want to advertise/sponsor our show? TV Confidential has partnered with AdvertiseCast ...
Dec 18, 2023•19 min•Season 16Ep. 632
TVC 632.5: Actor James DuMont talks to Ed about filming some of his scenes for Candy Cane Lane at the famous "Schlemiel! Schlimazel!" bottling plant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where Laverne & Shirley took place; how director Reginald Hudlin likens James' work as an actor to being a closer in baseball; developing his skills in improvisation while playing Danny McBride's right-hand man on The Righteous Gemstones ; and the popular "white elephant" party that James' family traditionally throws arou...
Dec 18, 2023•20 min•Season 16Ep. 632
TVC 631.4: George Schlatter, creator and producer of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and Real People , discusses why Turn-On (ABC, 1969), the surreal sketch comedy series that was canceled fifteen minutes into its first and only network TV broadcast, was ahead of its time. The first two episodes of Turn-On are now available for viewing on demand, for free, on the Clown Jewels channel on YouTube . The print edition of George's memoir, Still Laughing: A Life in Comedy , is wherever books are sold, w...
Dec 11, 2023•22 min•Season 16Ep. 631
TVC 631.5: George Schlatter, creator and producer of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and Real People , talks to Ed about casting Robin Williams for the 1977 revival of Laugh-In; his hopes for launching a contemporary edition of Laugh-In in the near future; and why his friend Ernie Kovacs likely would've been proud of Turn-On , had he lived to see it. George's memoir, Still Laughing: A Life in Comedy , is the story of how a kid from Missouri forged his way out of the rough and tumble world of Las V...
Dec 11, 2023•11 min•Season 16Ep. 632
TVC 631.5a: Part 2 of our conversation with music and television historian Chuck Harter about The Monkees television series (NBC, 1966-1968) and why it still holds up today. Chuck interviewed Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork, and many other key Monkees personnel for Hey, Hey, We're The Monkees , the excellent Disney Channel documentary, written by Chuck, that explores the history of The Monkees, both the group and the series, and the ongoing impact of the Monkees phenomenon....
Dec 11, 2023•16 min•Season 16Ep. 631
TVC 631.6: Music and television historian Chuck Harter talks to Ed about some of the ways in which the second season of The Monkees (NBC, 1966-1968) differs from the first (to the point where the second season is almost an entirely different series), and how the success of the Monkees tour in 1967 changed the group's attitude about doing the show. Chuck wrote Hey, Hey, We're The Monkees , the excellent Disney Channel documentary that explores the history of The Monkees, both the group and the se...
Dec 11, 2023•14 min•Season 16Ep. 631
TVC 630.1: Actor, comedian, and impressionist Jim Meskimen talks to Ed about his interest in charcoal sketch drawings; his early background as a cartoonist and work in animation; how he first discovered his gift for mimicry; and the online course he teaches, The Working Actor Method . Jim recently played talk show legend Phil Donahue in Welcome to Chippendales ; he can also be seen in Gaslit , The Big Door Prize , and Hunter . Want to advertise/sponsor our show? TV Confidential has partnered wit...
Dec 04, 2023•27 min•Season 16Ep. 630
TVC 630.2: Ed welcomes back Don Most , the actor known around the world as Ralph Malph on Happy Days , and an accomplished singer whose vocal style pays homage to the Swing Era and the music of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Bobby Darin. Don's new album, New York High , is a collection of contemporary jazz standards (including covers of "Smoke from a Distant Fire," "Fly Me to the Moon," and "The Look of Love"), while the title track, "New York High," is an original tune written by Mike Reed, "t...
Dec 04, 2023•19 min•Season 16Ep. 630
TVC 630.3: Singer/actor Don Most gives Ed and his listeners an idea of the thought process behind putting together both a live show and an album such as New York High . Don's latest album, New York High , is available wherever music is sold. Want to advertise/sponsor our show? TV Confidential has partnered with AdvertiseCast to handle advertising/sponsorship requests for the podcast edition of our program. They're great to work with and will help you advertise on our show. Please email sales@adv...
Dec 04, 2023•11 min•Season 16Ep. 630
TVC 629.5: Ed welcomes back singer/actor Robert Davi ( License to Kill, The Goonies, Profiler , Davi Sings Sinatra ). Robert will perform his music show, Robert Davi: My Kind of Town, an evening of music that pays tribute to both the Great American Songbook and his idol and mentor, Frank Sinatra, at the Black Box Center for the Arts , 8221 Glades Road, Suite No. 10, in Boca Raton, Florida on Sunday, Dec. 3 . Want to advertise/sponsor our show? TV Confidential has partnered with AdvertiseCast to ...
Nov 27, 2023•22 min•Season 16Ep. 629
TVC 629.6: Ed welcomes TJ Lubinsky, director and co-executive producer of Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme: Memories of My Mom and Dad , a two-hour special, hosted by David Lawrence, that takes a joyful look at how television helped Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme become the most successful husband-and-wife singing duo of all time. Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme: Memories of My Mom and Dad premieres the weekend of Saturday, Dec. 3 on PBS stations across the country. Want to advertise/sponsor our sh...
Nov 27, 2023•23 min•Season 16Ep. 629
TVC 628.1: From November 2013: Part 2 of our special joint edition of The Sounds of Lost Television and This Week in TV History featuring Phil Gries, Tony Figueroa, and Donna Allen that looks back at how network television news covered the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963—a seminal moment in U.S. history and in the lives of many Baby Boomers and a seminal moment in the history of network TV news. In this segment, Phil plays audio from Aaron Brown's interview with Walte...
Nov 20, 2023•22 min•Season 16Ep. 628
TVC 628.2: From November 2013: Phil Gries of Archival Television Audio discusses some of the various films and documentaries that have been made over the years about the assassination of President John K. Kennedy. Also in this segment: How the JFK assassination left a stigma on the city of Dallas for many years, and how that started to changed in the late 1970s with the emergence of the Dallas Cowboys as "America's Team" and the popularity of the TV series Dallas . Want to advertise/sponsor our ...
Nov 20, 2023•18 min•Season 16Ep. 628
TVC 628.3: From November 2013: Phil Gries of Archival Television Audio shares some final thoughts on how network TV news covered the assassination of President Kennedy on 11/22/63, as well as how the 8mm color motion sequence shot by clothing manufacturer Abraham Zapruder became one of the most scrutinized pieces of film ever. Want to advertise/sponsor our show? TV Confidential has partnered with AdvertiseCast to handle advertising/sponsorship requests for the podcast edition of our program. The...
Nov 20, 2023•13 min•Season 16Ep. 628
TVC 628.4: Ed welcomes back John Barbour , five-time Emmy Award-winning talk show host , comedian , critic at large , and co-creator of Real People ; author of Your Mother's Not a Virgin , the story of his life and career in show business; and the only man who has produced three films on the JFK assassination, including John Barbour's and William Shakespeare's Last Word on the Murder of JFK , a 90-minute docu-presentation that will have its world premiere the Laemmle Town Center 5 in Encino, CA ...
Nov 20, 2023•27 min•Season 16Ep. 628
TVC 628.5: Five-time Emmy Award-winning talk show host John Barbour talks to Ed about some of his heroes and mentors, including Redd Foxx, Dick Gregory, Earl "Fatha" Hines, and Jim Garrison, the Louisiana district attorney known for his investigation into the JFK assassination. John's latest film, John Barbour's and William Shakespeare's Last Word on the Murder of JFK , is a 90-minute docu-presentation that is essentially a one-man show in three acts, with Act I recounting John's efforts to allo...
Nov 20, 2023•22 min•Season 16Ep. 628
TVC 628.6: Five-time Emmy Award-winning talk show host John Barbour talks to Ed about he came to be Frank Sinatra's personal writer for many years, and the circumstances that led to John's appearance in what turned out to be the most-watched episode of Breaking Bad . John's latest film, John Barbour's and William Shakespeare's Last Word on the Murder of JFK , will have its world premiere at the Laemmle Town Center 5 in Encino, CA from Wednesday, Nov. 22 through Tuesday, Nov. 28. For tickets and ...
Nov 20, 2023•15 min•Season 16Ep. 628
TVC 627.1: From November 2013: A special joint edition of The Sounds of Lost Television and This Week in TV History featuring Phil Gries, Tony Figueroa, and Donna Allen that looks back at how network television news covered the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963 and the events that followed over the next three days—a seminal moment in U.S. history and in the life of Phil Gries and many other Baby Boomers; a seminal moment in the history of network TV news; and, in many r...
Nov 13, 2023•23 min•Season 16Ep. 627
TVC 627.2: From November 2013: Phil Gries of Archival Television Audio recalls the moment, circa 1988, when he realized that he had something that NBC did not have—the audio of the first four minutes of the network's national news coverage of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963—and his decision to go public with that discovery, first to NBC News, then to the Library of Congress. Audio highlights this segment include the first news bulletin, read by Don Pardo (then-boo...
Nov 13, 2023•20 min•Season 16Ep. 627
TVC 627.3: From November 2013: Phil Gries of Archival Television Audio plays audio of the first national news bulletin for NBC News, read by booth announcer Don Pardo at approximately 1:47pm ET on Nov. 22, 1963, announcing that President Kennedy had been "cut down by an assassin's bullet." Due to the technical limitations of TV broadcasting at the time, NBC had no tape of this bulletin or the first four minutes of its own news coverage. Those first four minutes were considered lost for more than...
Nov 13, 2023•13 min•Season 16Ep. 628
TVC 627.4: Ed welcomes back legendary singer, actress, and philanthropist Ruta Lee ( High Rollers, Witness for the Prosecution, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Consider Your Ass Kissed ). Earlier this year, the former president of Lithuania, Valdas Adamkus, presented Ruta with Lithuania's highest honor at a magnificent ceremony in the Vilnius Presidential Palace in Lithuania, while the current president of Lithuania, Gitanas Nauseda, presented Ruta with another high honor during a visit to Ruta...
Nov 13, 2023•23 min•Season 16Ep. 627
TVC 627.5: Entertainment legend Ruta Lee shares a few memories from her life and career, including the epic story of how she helped her grandmother emigrate from Lithuania in 1963, and how Darren McGavin put down a deposit in Ruta's name for a home in Palm Springs, early in Ruta's career. Ruta's memoir, Consider Your Ass Kissed , not only is the story of how a young girl—the daughter of Lithuanian immigrants—became one of the most legendary entertainers in Hollywood history through hard work and...
Nov 13, 2023•23 min•Season 16Ep. 627
TVC 627.6: From November 2013: Phil Gries of Archival Television Audio plays excerpts from his May 1998 interview with longtime NBC announcer Don Pardo in which Pardo recalls the chaos that permeated the NBC newsroom on Nov. 22, 1963, in the moments immediately following the news that President John F. Kennedy had been shot, and how he was pressed into becoming an interim news anchor, reading AP news bulletins hot off the wire, until the usual network news team of Chet Huntley and David Brinkley...
Nov 13, 2023•20 min•Season 16Ep. 627
TVC 626.1: Music and television historian Chuck Harter joins Ed for an in-depth look at The Monkees television series (NBC, 1966-1968) and why it still holds up today. Chuck interviewed Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork, and many other key Monkees personnel for Hey, Hey, We're The Monkees , the excellent Disney Channel documentary, written by Chuck, that explores the history of The Monkees and the ongoing impact of the Monkees phenomenon. Want to advertise/sponsor our show? T...
Nov 06, 2023•28 min•Season 16Ep. 626
