TV Guidance Counselor

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TV Guidance Counselor Episode 460: Mike Mignola Apr 01, 2021

Show notes

In this BONUS! episode Ken welcomes artist, writer and creator of Hellboy, the one and only Mike Mignola to the show.

Ken and Mike discuss doing homework for interviews, television moments that burn into your brain, the early 1970s, talking about TV in the schoolyard, TV movies, Sole Survivor, when VCRs were sci-fi, remembering everything, never seeing things again, setting your alarm to watch a movie in the middle of the night, Frankenstein vs the Wolfman, Bride of Frankenstein, being starved for monsters, The Munsters, The Adams Family, not getting UHF stations, 1970s Monster Movie Books, being a big reader, Dracula, Creature Features, The Evil of Frankenstein, adapting Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula for comics, hoarding images, having a New England/England aesthetic and being a California guy, Lovecraft, the sadness of horror, Ghosts in a Toys R Us, The Fog, Dead and Buried, Chariots of the Gods, emotional impact of Batman '66, Channel 2, Dark Shadows, heads in boxes, Werewolves, curses, The Vulture (1966), being a physical media die hard, asking Stephen King and Guillermo Del Toro to solve the mystery of The Attack of the Puppet People, being a KISS and The Partridge Family Fan, Jenny Agutter, Jack Kirby, being a Marvel fan, The Thing, the lack of imagination of Hollywood, why money shouldn't drive creative endeavors, character moments, how Terminator 2 meant movies could do anything, the lack of superhero stuff in the 1970s, the 1960s Marvel Superheroes cartoon, Captain Satellite, feeling soothed by Boris Karloff's voice, film noir, Vera, loving British Murder Mystery shows, Jim Thompson, hating cross-over large universe wide events, the constant reboot of comics, forcing people to buy comics they don't want, Dark Night of the Scarecrow, Gargoyles, Trilogy of Terror, running into Harlan Ellison, and the Dark Shadows/Partridge Family shared universe.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 459: Dom Joly Mar 29, 2021

Show notes

This week Ken welcomes comedian, haver on impeccable musical taste, travel writer, and UK Television personality Dom Joly.

Ken and Dom discuss The Cotswolds, 1990, 70s TV, growing up in Lebanon, French and Arabic subtitles, Benny Hill, Eight is Enough, visa schemes, Dom' Joly's Excellent Adventure, Happy Hour, The Hezbollah Hiking Club, scripted reality shows, 90 Day Fiance, Below Deck, ad libbing, showcasing beautiful places, being arrested in Syria, Mr. Bean, going to school with Osama Bin Laden, sweeps week, assassinations, JFK, Elvis, Racquet Ball, getting never told no, Alice Cooper fighting Elvis with a gun, the greatness of The Sound and Adrian Borland, how The Sound is Ken and Dom's band, Twitch channels, stumbling upon things, The Young Ones, Mad Men is a show about assholes, COPS, Imperialism, Empire building, WWII, The World at War, Hiroshima, chaos, the random nature of living, conspiracy theories, America's Most Wanted, bad recreations, The Death of the Incredible Hulk, Alien Nation, The Wonder Years, Vietnam, "Better Red than Dead Week", The Woman in Red, Moonlighting, Trigger Happy TV, living next door to Miss Moneypenny, Night Life, and why Heathers is the greatest film of the 1980s.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 458: Catherine Mary Stewart Mar 22, 2021

Show notes

This week Ken welcomes actor and all around great human Catherine Mary Stewart (Night of the Comet, Weekend at Bernies, The Apple) to the show.

Ken and Catherine discuss snow, generational genital snow art, TV in the UK, sheep hearing championships on television, ITV, studying dance, growing up in Canada, The Apple, traveling to East Berlin, having older brothers, growing up in academia, dangerous winter sports, traveling the world, TV Guide ads, mis-identifying Roger Ebert, Judy LaMarche, sneaking the soaps, being on soaps, Days of our Lives, Knight Rider, how hard it is to memorize things, The Last Starfighter, being the girl next door, Hollywood Wives, CGI, moving from TV acting to movie acting, watching your work alone, being self conscious, Robert Beltran, Eating Raoul, Mary Woronov, Night of the Comet, star quality, The Beachcombers, indie studios, Canadian Government Film subsidies, Telefilm, Mr. Dressup, The Friendly Giant, The Hardy Boys, going on a date with Parker Stevenson, All in the Family, naivete, singing, foreign films, The Man from Atlantis, wanting to go offline, Larry Holmes boxing, SCTV, Reach for the Top, living in Las Vegas, parental support and pride, dance troupes, the importance of chemistry, the changes in fame, having to have social media, the isolation of remote auditions, reality TV, horses, writing scripts, streaming, silent films, having access to the history of film, women directors, what we miss during COVID, and the benefits of being a loner.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 457: Tom DeTrinis Mar 15, 2021

Show notes

February 22-28, 1997

Today Ken welcomes writer, actor, director and chef Tom DeTrinis to the show.

Ken and Tom discuss Tom's delight, butts, Chuck Norris, prescription drugs, the Telecommunications Act of 1996, playing evil when you're a former child star, Candance Cameron, Poison Ivy, reruns, The Grammys, No Doubt, adults, LeeAnn Rhymes, Schindler's List, Ellen, very special episodes, Dirty Dancing, not being allowed to watch Married...with Children, You Can't Do That on Television and the Simpsons, Hollywood jerks, hazing, having no nostalgia, being forced out of the closet, Cybill, lunatics, SAG debates, ska, the death of syndication, Howard Stern on E!, Troop Beverly Hills, The Bodyguard, Savannah, Jamie Luner, bloopers, OOPS! World's funniest outtakes, tickle me Elmo, Night Sins, Ink, Steven Webber, Stephen King, the Shining, Elizabeth Taylor's brain tumor, She Said No, Hilary Swank, Suddenly Suan, regaining your sanity, murder made for tv, ER, Life Goes On, old footage, Disney, Millennium, and living in a four Cheer week world.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 456: Blaze Mancillas Mar 08, 2021

Show notes

December 17-23, 1994

This week Ken welcomes comedian, fellow podcaster, actor and all around good dude Blaze Mancillas to the show.

Ken and Blaze discuss NYC vs SF, ships, ghosts, pervy ghosts on ships, Don Johnson, Nash Bridges, video albums, Kathy Lee's crazy life, Dave Chapelle's backdoor Home Improvement pilot, Blown Away's huge explosion, Deep Space Nine, pandemic episodes, easy payment for collector' plate, coin collection, plate you can't eat off of, Bobby's World, Camp Candy, Life with Louie, how therapists are out to get you, Woody Allen's Made for TV movie, The George Carlin Show, Roseanne, 90210's Christmas reality show, MTV's Sex in the 90s, AIDS, urban legends, Rescue 911, UFOs, Bigfoot, The Making of Richie Rich, Basketball cards, E!, The Dream Team, not coming out of the closet, a craving to shoot hoops, ER, Grand Mama, Christmas, Tom Poston, Family Matters, Christmas Unsolved Mysteries, Lion taming, Circuses, fake Unicorn, Pen15, Jeer heavy, lying on Rikki Lake, Jimmy Smidt, NYPD Blue, bookies, Notre Dame and not messing with Boston's team mascots.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 455: Ed Solomon Mar 03, 2021

Show notes

In this special BONUS! Episode Ken welcomes writer of such amazing fare as Bill & Ted, Men in Black, and Laverne and Shirly, the fantastic Ed Solomon.

Ken and Ed discuss being plagued by Ed Sullivan, Paul Lynde, the lie of Hollywood Squares, 1972, Laverne and Shirley, the Big Ragu, scars, forgetting the 1950s, college finals, cryogenics, eating yourself, Alive!, cutting out syllables to save time, failure, how Ed is NOT the Night Stalker despite being the Prime Suspect for a moment, Punky Brewster, meditation, "nap time", cocaine, legal advice, entrapment, the long game, improv, It's Gary Shandlings Show, making story from a truth vs a gag, not breaking your own rules, time travel, tubes, stumbling into deconstructive inspiration due to ignorance, embracing ideas, genre, noir, Gary Shandling, Mike Nesmith, wearing a costume, mustaches, Yosemite Sam, Ken's cape wearing, desperately wanting David Cassidy hair, and realizing that you and your curly hair are the actual magic the whole time.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 454: Abbi Crutchfield Mar 01, 2021

Show notes

April 19-25, 1986

This week Ken welcomes comedian, TV host, and nail polish enthusiast Abbi Crutchfield to the show.

Ken and Abbi discuss snow, growing up in Indiana, Hooser vibes, Boston anger, accents, wanting to leave where you grew up, speaking other languages, New York vs. LA, stand up, local commercials, the best looking Men in Hollywood circa 1986, Murder She Wrote, being 50 forever, Pierce Brosnon, your James Bond, Don Johnson, Dallas, Robert Urich, Vegas, looking at things as an adult vs as when you were a kid, being a parent, Remington Steele, Magnum PI settling down, Heartbeat, Friday Night video store trips, creepy dudes hitting up the back room, nail polish, Small Wonder, child actors, Jim Davis, Garfield in Paradise, Tom Bosley, watching the stock market on TV, M&Ms, The Trix rabbit finally getting Trix, TV commercials, entering contests, being at a test screening of Milk Money, The Secret Garden, Columbo, murder, autopsies, Patrick McGoohan, Luke Thayer subjecting Abbi to Mr. Boogedy, John Astin, Home Alone, interviewing celebrities for People magazine, Ken's amazement at Todd Oldham, and being Up Early Tonight.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 453: Dan Hirshon and Micah Sherman Feb 22, 2021

Show notes

January 1-7, 2000

This week Ken welcomes old friends and new creators of the sketch comedy album The Break Up, Micah Sherman and Dan Hirshon.

Ken, Dan and Micah discuss how Micah has been on the show before but Dan hasn't, Micah moving to Florida, Dan being in Chicago, how the women are there, Florida Men, vestibules, COVID, time changes, blowing up the bathroom, Crazy people, Dangerous Dan the Bongo Man, being hit by lightning, Deep Dish P*ssy, Elvis, the formative years of college, living in Boston for three years, stand up, tax crimes, playing cruel pranks, cigarettes, all the people we lost in 1999, sleeping in each others beds, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, disposing of dog dirt, Joe Wong, QVC's new host, Bob Bowersocks, giving away the magic, cassingles, throwing bars, The X-Files, The Simpsons, watching things out of order, 20/20, John Stossel, Geraldo, Dennis Miller, Third Rock from the Sun, not having cable, Veronica's Closet/Just Shoot Me/Caroline in the City/Suddenly Susan, wolf men, Micah's quest for reality, Buff the Vampire Slayer, Star Trek, scanning TV Guides, TV critics, feeling ok, not having a Winter depression beard, Ken's gray hair, aging, Who's Line Is It Anyone?, who is the best, improv, regional accents, TGIF, Dinosaurs, Fuck you Hippies, Chicago Hot Dogs and the new (not real) Bodyguard watch along podcast.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 452: Michael Shaw Feb 15, 2021

Show notes

March 16-22, 1968

This week Ken welcomes Cartoonist and co-author of the new book (along with friend of the show and future guest Bob Eckstein) "The Elements of Stress and the Pursuit of Happy-ish in this Current Sh*tstorm", Michael Shaw to the show.

Ken and Michael discuss MST3k, Wisconsin, The Mid-West, Ken's scholarly attempts, the sweet spot of 1968, growing up outside of St. Louis, Three Stooges, hurting your eyesight, The Flying Nun, TV Service Man talking back, bananas, writing letters, The Prisoner, Hollywood Palace, Nick at Nite, My Three Sons, Hogan's Heroes, Gitmo: The Sitcom, Don Knotts, Wild Kingdom, statutes of Monkey and Man, Eve Arden, vintage radio shows, the greatest of Merrill Markoe, poodles, Danny Thomas, Burlesque, Sam Jones, Andy Griffith, Maybury RFD, Baloney, Swedish Sex documentaries, preferring the replacement casts, I Dream of Jeanie, the weirdest Larry Hagman stories, Matlock vs. Ironsides, homages, English Gardens, not discussing the Beverly Hillbillies as much as you'd think, breaking the 4th wall, the genius of Green Acres, Jonathan Winters, vanilla ice cream, Dragnet, Harry Morgan, Leave it to Beaver, Tarzan, Gomer Pyle, Jerry Van Dyke's performance anxiety, murderers, variety shows, Mary Tyler Moore, Richard Deacon, avoiding dark TV and watching shows you've never watched but should watch.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 451: Kim Noble Feb 08, 2021

Show notes

September 1-7, 1984

This week Ken welcomes comedian, man of Mystery and host of the Futile Attempts podcast Kim Noble.

Ken and Kim discuss the greyness of London, having a Boston asshole landlord, hating TV, disappointing the listeners, having a bad memory, squeaky chairs, calling random law firms for advice, just how annoying Kim Noble is, getting a bad review in the New York Times, not being allowed into the country, wanky art, mental people, acid rain, being confused, Channel 4, alt comedy, pranks, social experiments, the legal issues around comedy, art school, panel shows, having James Corden, sexest letters to TV Guide, contacting local news celebrities, hook handed villains, Airwolf, Big Wednesday, Gandhi, comedy not traveling well, Jerry Lewis telethons, Cagney and Lacey, thinking of Meg Foster, contacting Clint Howard for his snowglobes, Double Trouble, Cheers, St. Elsewhere, Hill Street Blues, Magnum P.I., Airplane II, being a bit English, Monty Python, overwatching The Young Ones, separating art from the artist, marathoning the Bourne films, Bill Hicks, the monsters of comedy, seeing Woody Allen live and hating it, and being staunchly against pedophilia.

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