TV Guidance Counselor

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TV Guidance Counselor Episode 526: Jono Zalay May 30, 2022

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May 15-21, 1982

This week Ken welcomes old friend, and man behind the new comedy album "Midnight Oil", Jono Zalay.

Ken and Jono discuss when Jono lives in Boston, his PhD, surfboards, how Jono is a California guy, Marco Polo, hair, An American Family, TV the week Jono was born, Divorced Dad technology circa 1982, how much video recorders were, projection TVs, the fourth branch of government, how politics becoming entertainment is bad for us all, The Diceman, Gerri Jewell, our first stand up shows as an audience member, self deprecating roast jokes, Jono's heavy drinking, Marsha Warfield, Starship Trooper, Rollerball, Harold and Maude, Love Boat, mini-series, television events, Alice, Spaghetti Westerns, TV budgets, getting hooked on soaps, Puff the Magic Dragon, Australian Rules Football, the horror of submarines, depressing TV movies, Country Emotions, immediate gratification, Nick Nolte, the plague of hypnosis, the Red Chinese, Hawaii, getting Japanese history wrong, Aliens, Ken recommending Fringe again, Barney Miller, sitcom books, James Garner, Lilly Tomlin specials, punk rock scare media, Jodie Foster, teen pimps, Captain Kirk the other one, the world's most incredible Maxipad ad, and the magic that is David Horowitz's FIGHT BACK!

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 525: Dave Thomas May 23, 2022

Show notes

After more than 8 years of doing the show Ken finally speaks to a beloved member of the SCTV cast as he welcomes, writer, producer, actor, and director, Dave Thomas to the show.

Ken and Dave discuss growing up in Durham, NC in the 1950s despite being Canadian, Tex and Edna Boyle's Organ Emporium, giving away free pets with purchases, buying cowboy guns and becoming an arms dealer in the eyes of the Canadian government, working in Radio, Rick Moranis, Westerns, TV theme songs, the explosion of advertising jingles, working for the college newspaper, the Godspell production that changed comedy forever, running the Coca-Cola account, King of Kensington, Second City, SCTV, going to college with Doug Henning, CBC Radio, Tim Conway, writing jingles, leaving a high paying job for a career in the arts, working in ads, selling TV shows, Harvey K-Tel, SCTV Network 90, being the head writer, careers from match books, Brandon Tartikof, the birth of Bob and Doug McKenzie, three minute segments, anonymous writers, John Candy, producing your own wrap arounds, realizing what people can do and encouraging it, the secret of SCTV's parodies, impressions of Spielberg, getting a letter from Spielberg, getting pushed by Richard Harris, directing "The Experts", B-Men, unkillable bikers, stunts, his new book The Many Lives of Jimmy Leighton and how everything is bullshit in the best way.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 524: Greg Stevens May 16, 2022

Show notes

March 31- April 6, 1979

This week Ken welcomes the man behind the Pop Arena YouTube Channel and the force behind Nick Knacks, Greg Stevens to the show.

Ken and Greg discuss Idaho, the I states, growing up in CA but moving to the midwest, the birth of Nickelodeon, MTV, the cutthroat nature of the cable business in the 1970s, cigarettes, shared experience, the 80s and 90s boom of VCR driven television preservation, the lost media of the 21st Century, prescient and haunting articles about Robin Williams on Mork and Mindy, the news, After School Specials, The Baby with Four Fathers, Filmation Live Action, Roller Derby, Saturday Mornings, Hollywood Teen, how the Bad News Bears TV series is the best Bad News Bears, LA's Channel 18 KSCI owned by The transcendental Medication Movement, positive programming, Dynaman, Night Flight, hatred of 80s teen comedies, Delta House, love boat, Easter programming, Kraft Food Hints, demon fruit plates, Space Junk Yard Men looking for scrap, Andy Griffith, Conversations with Charlie Lutes, WKRP, the mystery of "Slim Skins", Cliffhangers, Dracula, offensive pulp images, Taxi, Disney Cartoons, Lucha Libre, Police Woman, Night Gallery, Dear Detective and how Mr. Wizard shows you how to make giant turtles attack people.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 523: Michael C. Maronna May 09, 2022

Show notes

June 13-19, 1992

This week Ken welcomes the "Mike" of the Adventures of Danny and Mike and the "Big" of The Adventures of Pete and Pete himself, Michael C. Maronna.

Ken and Mike discuss Italian foods, mutual love of seltzer, Galco's Soda Pop Stop, Yelp Reviews, adult businesses, assimilation, movies with popular soundtracks and eh movies, Judgement Night, The Bodyguard, The Bill Chill, SFW, SLC Punk, Frankenguitars, a love of solder, Nebraska, Los Punks: The Documentary, the music on Pete and Pete, Boston, MTV, Nickelodeon, Katherine Dieckmann, Kate Peirson, LL Cool J, Iggy Pop, King Kongs made of Legos, Hawaiian Punch, toilet paper commercials, being IN the TV Guide you picked, Bob Saget, single Dads, divorced Dads, Wayne's World, Repo Man, our punk rock awakening, What Reba watches, the name "Narvel", creepy LA Gear commercials, British Knights, Space Camp, Double Dare, how John Madden would be the pitch man for just about anything, Dream On, Lorenzo Lamas hosting Evening at the Improv, Quantum Leap, reality TV, Morton Downey Jr, The A-Team, the Gilmore Girls spin off that never happened, the Pete and Pete finale, Mickey Rooney, The Hollywood Museum, correcting people on the name of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Ed O'Neil, The French Connection, To Live and Die in LA, The Choice Hotels International Special Presentation of Batman Returns: The Bat, The Cat and the Penguin hosted by Robert Urich, Jason Priestly, "Teen Priest", the weirdest episode ever of Drexel's Class, The Driver, how weird Bruce Dern can be, The Home Alone reunion, the secret origins of Snow Day, Chris Koch, the Sony Watchman, Swamp Thing, roller skating parties, not ever roller blading despite your character being fingered for a murder due to roller blading, the helmet panic, what to show your kids, moving from in front of the camera to behind it and vice versa, and paying Thundercats forward.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 522: Rob Stone May 02, 2022

Show notes

This week Ken welcomes writer, director and former Mr. Belvedere actor Rob Stone to the show.

Ken and Rob discuss how Ken has now had all THREE actors who played the kids on Mr. Belvedere on the show, Rob growing up in Dallas Texas, loving movies growing up, feeling a million miles away from the Entertainment industry, working in theater, not growing up in the business, wanting to be a stunt man, directing part I of the Mr. Belvedere finale, the family atmosphere on set, Bob Uker, the strange origins of Mr. Belvedere, Noam Pitlik, writing and directing short films, being fascinated with the behind the scenes. documentary films, The Blue Angels, going to USC, Very Special Episodes, doing a play every week, Facts of Life, 21 Jump Street, meeting guest stars, mid-season replacements, Jason Priestly, realizing later how important very special episodes were to the culture, having communal experiences, how the internet allows your kids to watch your most embarrassing moments, The Revenge of the Nerds pilot, Robbie Rist, Kay Lenz, The Infinity War of Sitcoms- Crash Course, BD Wong, one of the few things Rob didn't have to audition for, loving Family Ties, IMAX, the improving technology of filmmaking, how documentaries have become very mainstream, Filmmakers Journey, George Stevens, The Who in concert, being a drummer, Midnight Movies, The Sidewalk Motel, Max Weinberg, getting Bruce Springsteen to donate a song to you, filming in the same studio as It's Gary Shandling's Show!, Dolly Parton's variety show, loving Henry Winkler, THE urban legend or not Mr. Belvedere question, having Doug Benson as a roommate and beating Lorenzo Lamas during the Battle of the Network Stars.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 521: Caitlin McGurk Apr 25, 2022

Show notes

April 5-11, 1997

This week Ken welcomes , Curator of Comics and Cartoon Art, and Associate Professor, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum and co-host of the Found Footage Festival's Shaterday Morning Cartoons, Caitlin McGurk.

Ken and Caitlin discuss being a transplanted New Yorker, calling from Ohio, living in a small town, Ken's near death experience in Vermont, growing up on Long Island, never going into "the city", the danger of the big city, Commack LI, Rosie O'Donnell and Bob Costas being famous alum of your High School, The Muppets, going to a taping of Rosie's talk show, Another Stakeout, losing your mom at a young age, the importance of representation, next door neighbors having an amusement park in their back yard, childhood injuries, Jon Stewart's ill fated talk show, SNICK, Kablam!, Nickelodeon magazine, underground cartoonists, Liquid Television, Southern Fried Fugitives, collecting comic book cards as a kid, Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot, The Tick, black boxes, watching alien pornography by accident, The X-Files, Killer Garage Doors, Unsolved Mysteries, Ticketmaster, Ken's hot inside tip for buying concert tickets in the 1990s, cable access teaching Ken the difference between hardcore and softcore sex, Unsolved Mysteries Haunted Bunk Bed, Cropsey, urban legends, Biodome, Pauly Shore, the hidden evil behind Biosphere II, Dana Carvey and how his comedy special was EVERYTHING, loving Mimi on Drew Carey, the tragic loss of Phil Hartman, newsradio, when John Lovitz was a jerk to Ken, learning from ER, generational obsession with Topanga, TGIF, TV Guide's vocabulary, the Hunchback lawsuit, sad kids telling Oprah sad stories about being sad, and how The Adventures of Pete and Pete is the greatest TV show of all time.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 520: Marly Halpern-Graser II Apr 18, 2022

Show notes

July 23 - August 5, 2007

This week Ken welcomes old friend, animation writer Marly Halpern-Graser back to the show.

Ken and Marly discuss the last time he was on the show, SEVEN years ago, Marly's new MCU podcast with his brother, Thai food, Ken and Marly's tradition of getting Italian food in L.A., the influence of Sleeping Beauty on Italian Horror films, Aquaman, how much people get paid in Hollywood, pitching shows, when Marly first moved to L.A., Heroes, Lost, the 2007 Sci-Fi TV boom, I Hate My 30s, VH1's original programming, BBC America showing Star Trek, Doctor Who, getting into Tom Baker, how Ken was the "put together" stand up in the 00s, Zebro, Chocolate Cake City, making online content in the early days of the internet, Shark Week, Snakes on a Plane, Back to the Future/Brokeback Mountain mashups, San Diego Comic Con, Emerson College, Kevin Bright, Hulu, how much it costs to set somebody on fire, making Nazis the heroes, The Gifted, watch parties, the weird sad end of Stan Lee, the mystery of why Ken has never been on the Warner Bros lot, Loonatics, Legion of Superheroes, The Batman, living in an apartment building for child actors, being more open minded about TV, Ken re-writing the New Mutants movie, Siskel & Ebert, confusing Batman '89 and Batman '66, Ken never watching the Jon Stewart era of The Daily Show, Steven Segal movies, when Jeremy Piven got punched in the dick at a comedy club in Boston, why videos of bad people getting hurt are always funny, the grape stomping news blooper, when Superboy fought Spider-Man, The Greatest Open Mic in the History of the World, Right Now Kapow, feeling thrilled and then instantly embarrassed when Graham Linehan gave you a compliment, Buckaroo Banzai, how there are five new Spongebobs this week, Code Monkeys, Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, The Naked Brothers Band, real life superheroes, The Simpsons, MoreMAX, HBO II, Entourage, Flight of the Conchords, how hard Joey failed, and how Ken is probably responsible for The Mighty Boosh airing on Adult Swim.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 519: Jeff May Apr 11, 2022

Show notes

January 20-26, 1996

This week Ken welcomes former Boston, now L.A., based comic and fellow comic book lover Jeff May to the show.

Ken and Jeff discuss technology, selling your soul, Wizard of Bard, long sleeve vs. short sleeve shirts, sweat shirts, weird bodies, Blast from the Past, comic book stores, buying TV Guides, Burbank, That's Entertainment, Sci-Fi Issues, sports and fantasy, Shatner as Michael Meyers mask, Arizona, the weirdness of time zones, Mountain Time, space station astronauts doing Tim Allen's grunt, Galaxy Quest, Tony Robbins, Leeza Gibbons fake infomercial, Robocop, not believing in ghosts, Celebrity Horroscope, giant soda, Diet Rite Chocolate Soda, Delta Burke, Polar Seltzer, Worcester MA, SNICK, Mary Tona-Cocaine, Table Talk Pies, Frozen Pizza, The Golden Globes, Weird Science the TV series, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, hating Dean Caine, The Adventures of Lois and Clark, bootleg grandma VHS, Renaissance Man being two stars, The Babysitter's Seduction, Collector's Plates, Dr. Crusher slapping your ass, BMG mail fraud, The Drew Carey Show, Montell Williams, Nowhere Man, It Could Happen to You, The Valley, Mario Van Peebles, hating friends, how offensive Ferengi are, Star Trek, appreciating Data, Tank Girl, pre-2000s Comic Book movies, the Punish with Dolph Lundgren bootleg, Judge Dredd, Demolition Man, Lucy Lawless vs Kevin Sorbo, terrible comics in Boston who continue to get booked, transphobia, Ken writing for Richard Roundtree, the Cheers Robots, using antennas, TBS, network TV, The Jeff Has Cool Friends Podcast, California Dreams, Thomas Dolby, cell phone ring tones, Nokia, and the mystery of Huey Lewis and The News.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 518: Dan Larson Apr 04, 2022

Show notes

January 18 - 24, 1986

This week Ken welcomes the man behind the Toy Galaxy YouTube empire and fellow pop culture obsessed New Englander Dan Larson to the show.

Ken and Dan discuss how you can never leave New England, Night Court, NBC, Ken's broken Toaster Oven/TV Week theory, original artwork, Hulked out Teletubbies, How TV doesn't rot children's minds, the pitfalls and negatives of The Internet, IS IT CANON!?, Jim Henson, finding out that Piggy and Kermit are not actually married, A Muppet Family Christmas, Cigarette Ads, how Sprocket's owner is different in every country, The Temptations and sort of the Temptations, treating her like a lady, Bill Buckner, Red Sox Mascots, The San Diego Chicken, Gimme a Break, The Facts of Life, Stand Up Comedy, talent scouts, why America is too young to die, The Twilight Zone, Love Boat, Cherie being trapped in the refrigerator, not knowing CPT, teen pregnancies on Silver Spoons, pretending to be married in High School, Erin Grey, Amazing Stories, Tron with a gun, David Horowitz FIGHT BACK!, being held at gunpoint live on TV, The Prince of Bel-Air, short shorts, Mark Harmon, Club Med: The Movie, taping things, The Muppets A Celebration of 30 Years, A-Team, Moonlighting, Spenser for Hire, Amish people, MacGuyver, being a fan of old airplanes, avoiding Hot Air Balloons, Stewart Pankin, Not Necessarily The News, Rescue 911, Divorce Court, Cosby Show, why Cheers and the Cheers-verse is the greatest ever, Wesley's Friend, AIDS on TV, kidnapping Danny Cooksey on Diff'rent Strokes, Simon LeBon in the deep blue sea and why all magicians are EVIL.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 517: Brian Salisbury Mar 28, 2022

Show notes

October 2-8, 1999 This week Ken welcomes BACK to the show, one half of the Junkfood Cinema and Replay Per View podcasts Brian Salisbury.

Ken and Brian discuss doing it backwards, going remote, selling shows, Videodrome becoming TV, The Red Sox, Pedro Martinez, growing up in Indiana and being regional free agent, growing up in Boston not a Boston Sports fan, the 1986 World Series, how Ken sometimes doesn't care, Dan Duquette, Mitt Romney's bathroom habits, sexing up Melissa Joan Hart, Melissa Ethridge's Glamor Shots, Shasta McNasty, Homeboys in Outer Space, UPN, people who secretly have more than one family, Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot, Dark Horse Comics, Double Dragon, Halloween H20, Pay Per View movies, the weird era of the internet, Ken's love of Ruby Wax, Cops, Relic Hunter, 1:30 am advertising, The Outer Limits, The Simpsons, Futurama, Celebrity Death Match, H..E..Double Hockey Sticks!, how annoying it is to hear Ken drop names of former guests, WWE, the worst era of graphic design ever, Ladies Man, CBS Monday Night Comedy, Canadian shot Sci-Fi series, Cindy Margolis, Vern Troyer, Red Dwarf, Ken listening to WMFO 91.5 for the Industrial music show "Goddamn Governed by Electronics", Doctor Who, Scream, Kevin Williamson, Dirty Work, Norm, funny adult film titles, Drew Carey, Dark Skies, Roswell, WHERE'S ROSWELL?, Who's Line Is It Anyway?, Tourette's, The Adventures of Pete and Pete, MaxX (Maximum Exposure), Mission Hill, Dinner and a Movie, a full Cheers about Emmy's, Jeers within Jeers and Brian's personal Jeer to Ken for making him remember MTV's Say What Karaoke.

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