TV Guidance Counselor

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TV Guidance Counselor Episode 391: Allee Willis Tribute Jan 13, 2020

Show notes

Ken revisits a 2016 talk he had with the great Allee Willis who sadly passed away on Christmas Eve 2019.

Ken and Allee discuss The Color Purple on Broadway, hating theater, swearing, having a TV in every room on every wall, growing up in Detroit, TV as a babysitter, a diet of candy, the sophistication of Health Bars, CHiPs, Erik Estrada's tight beige uniform, disco scores, writing songs for Earth Wind and Fire, Wonder Woman's disco devil, American Bandstand, Soul Train, Hullabaloo, Shin Dig, the invention of the teenager, cutting edge Variety, The Smothers Brothers, Laugh In, counter culture, Columbia Records, falling in love with Los Angeles, Freaks and Geeks, falling in love with cable news, Car Chases, 30,000 hours of footage, Just Say Julie, Allee's amazing wonderful house of treasures, rooftop drums, The Breakfast Club, being a music video production designer, The Cars "You Might Think", Tom Petty's "Don't Come Around Here No More", painting, combining music with art, writing "I'll Be There For You" the theme from Friends, returning the AFI Women's Directing Award in 1991, Kevin Bright, hating the Memphis school's bastardization of mid-century modern, storage spaces filled with treasure, Storage Wars, Sid & Marty Kroft, HR Puffnstuff, Electrawoman and Dynagirl, collecting lunch boxes, Greatest American Hero, the loss of the theme song, R&B, "Friends" at sporting events, a sea lion's love of "Boogie Wonderland", the wonders of the internet, Vice TV, enjoying The Principal's Office, hating foreign real housewives, and having a brand identity.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 390: Jo Bozarth and April Bowlby Jan 06, 2020

Show notes

October 19-25, 1985

This week Ken welcomes the hosts of the 75Reads Podcast, Jo Bozarth and April Bowlby.

Ken, Jo and April discuss jacuzzin', Ken's bad jokes, growing up in California, no bedtimes, screen time, The Furchester Hotel, Star Track star makers, Hollywood, Universal Studios, The Best of Times, Robin Williams, Mork, Taxi, the dark 70s, the perfection of the 1980s, dating baseball players and musicians, loving Niles, fat camp, pregnancy on TV, Cheers, Ted Danson, Golden Girls, Facts of Life, Backdoor pilots, roommates later in life, spin-offs, The Tortellis, 227, Designing Women, how kids hate being tricked, Hunks, beefcake Calendars, Glim Glim, Monsters, Tales from the Darkside, The Twilight Zone, the cotton candy defense, murder, The Brady Bunch, Three's Company, The Regal Beagle, filming locations, visiting the A-Team van by accident, Barney Miller, Night Court, After School Specials, having a fake baby in school, egg babies, Erin Grey, Wait Til Your Father Gets Home, Nick at Nite, Patty Duke, Valley of the Dolls, Dragnet, Westerns, loving basketball, Gidget, Back to the Beach, Kate & Allie, Cagney and Lacey, the Lakers, boxing, Red Vines vs Twizzlers, Alec Baldwin TV movies, bad kissing, the Red Sox blowing it, TV series based on movies, the mystery of Hunk Block, Pat Sajak, Mr. Belvedere, and the wonder of Judith Light.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 389: Lucia Fasano Dec 30, 2019

Show notes

June 10-16, 2000

This week Ken welcomes actor, comedian and musician Lucia Fasano to the show.

Ken and Lucia discuss the Manson Murders, knives, OJ, monsters, Monster Kids, masks, Butch Patrick, Sid and Marty Kroft, Shirley Temple, Kid actors, watching TV with your family, growing up in the industry, The Simpsons, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Disney, Rugrats, Children's Shows, autograph conventions, respecting your elders, Hollywood creeps, not being impressed by normal kid things, designing Halloween decorations for target that then cameo on adult videos, Brendan Cruz, Ben Stiller, Brimstone, 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo, A to Z, shows that never make it to the end, SNICK, All That, being disappointed by creeps, The Weakest Link, Who Wants to be a Millionare?, pretending to be Regis, Buffy, The X-Files, Ricky Jay and his 52 Assistants, Succession, accents, Kratt Brothers vs. Property Brothers, New York accents, Chariots of the Gods, Roswell, alien autopsy, History Channel, Highway to Heaven, loving James Marsters, being terrified of sea monsters, Jennifer Love Hewitt's "Let's Go Bang", The Flintstones, Fruity Pebbles, snow days, 90 Day Fiance, and appreciating Friends.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 388: 2019 Year End Year in Review Dec 23, 2019

Show notes

Ken goes solo on this Year End Round up of 2019 including guests, behind the scenes, what's been going on in Ken's life and New (I know right??!) shows he watched and enjoyed this year.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 387: Felicia Michaels Dec 15, 2019

Show notes

December 29, 1979 - January 4, 1980

Today Ken welcomes fellow comedian Felicia Michaels to the show.

Ken and Felicia discuss B.Y.O.W., Burbank, The Liar's Club, people's nerves, Charlie's Angels, fashion photography, OJ Simpson, Encyclopedias, growing up in Germany, missing cultural TV references of the 50s-70s, the Farrah poster, the hair, Mustangs, being a Kate Jackson, innovative technology, answering machines, car phones, Triads, working at a strip club, Sam Kinison, videophones, Sony Watchmen, Blade Runner, Y2K, Grizzly Adams, growing up in Colorado, collecting lunch boxes, The Monkees, Magnum PI, Hee Haw, stand up on TV, Star Search Wet T-Shirt contests, lace fingerless gloves, 80s comics on cocaine, Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Barney Miller, Disney Sunday Night/Wonderful World of Disney, marine biology, dolphines, horseshoe crabs, Goldie and the Boxer, multi-show crossovers, Mork and Mindy, Blanford's Beauties, Happy Days, bringing things back on ice, seeing Robby Benson, being an extra, Fever Pitch, Dune Buggies, head shops, smoking pot, SNL, popcorn, Rocky Horror, Drive-Ins, and what to watch on New Year's Eve

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 386: Anita Flores Dec 08, 2019

Show notes

May 7-13, 1994

This week Ken welcomes fellow comedian and podcast host (I'm Listening: A Frasier Fan Podcast) Anita Flores.

Ken and Anita discuss being live via satellite, The Stand, Sweeps Week, Rob Lowe's sex tape, play a deaf mute, GrapeVine, Mrs. Fields, Michael Chiklis, being programmed to, The Mommies, Mother's Day, classic TV Moms, Ken and Anita running Peacock and becoming very rich, ice skating, geeking out over celebrities, Nurses, Loni Anderson, Adam West, Nancy Kerrigan, Colbert, crying in public, the upfronts, not growing up with cable, Dollman Vs. Demonic Toys, Married...with Children in 3D, dysfunctional families, 30 Rock, Arrested Development, Bob's Burgers, Rip Torn, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Diagnosis Murder, Robin Leach, Tales from the Crypt, Dateline, fear of Ecstasy, To Catch a Predator, Melrose Place, Seinfeld, Pluto TV, The Boston Strangler, serial Killers, Must See TV, Frasier, Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love, Smell-o-Vision, Garth Brooks, David Copperfield, Helen Hunt, Trancers, Jack Deth, magicians and models, going to Heaven and meeting god, and Jeering AND Cheering Andy Rooney at the same time.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 385: Sovereign Syre Dec 01, 2019

Show notes

This week Ken welcomes fellow comedian and podcaster Sovereign Syre to the show.

Ken and Sovereign discuss having issues, SoapNet, shameful teenage love of Soap Operas, gameshows, talk shows, evening news, Generation X, growing up digital, stumble upon culture, The X-Files, missing Friends, Too Close for Comfort, Star Trek The Next Generation, conspiracy theories, Mad TV, Fox as the working class network, mainstream society catching up with how sex bomb Gillian Anderson is, being very very horribly old, Heavy Metal Magazine, sci-fi, Beverly Hills 90210, the trouble with True Crime, procedurals, the danger of people you know, medical problems, and anxious society, worst case scenarios, Drag, GLOW, Maron, biopics, period pieces, unnecessary boning in media, underdogs, fashion shows, the appeal of confidence, dealing with depression, Manhunter, Chris Elliot, the freeing nature of nihilism, how outfits affect your mood, murder, rebooting Murder She Wrote, why Living Single only works in the 90s (in a good way), Stranger Things, how technology is the new monster, wrestling with identity, trying to reverse engineer a handbook for life, being ok with being alone and independent, retreating to a place with simpler definitions, the beauty of restoration shows and Bronson Pinchot's love of Greek revival architecture.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 384: Jane Seymour Nov 25, 2019

Show notes

SURPRISE! It's a Holiday bonus episode of TV Guidance Counselor.

This week enjoy an hour of content packed into 30 dense minutes as Ken welcomes start of stage and screen Jane Seymour to the show.

Ken and Jane discuss being a TV actor vs a movie actor, James Bond, East of Eden, Winning Golden Globes, Battle of the Network Stars, Steven Spielberg, Captains and the Kings, McCloud, Robert Conrad's fury, ballet, Kurt Russell's Tug-o-War injuries, Battlestar Gallactica, It's a Knock Out, avoiding a series, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Lorne Greene, Amadeus, Emmy nominations, Time After Time, winning despite everything, Oh Heavenly Dog!, Head Office, period pieces, being a character actor, Lawrence Olivier, studying acting, the importance of hair, playing a real historical figure, guesting starring as a version of yourself on The Nanny, Morphine Woman, Funny or Die, Jimmy Kimmel, living a well rounded life, writing, painting, the connection with Open Hearts, and living a kind, purposeful life.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 383: Paul Michael Glaser Nov 23, 2019

Show notes

This week Ken welcomes actor, director, poet, author and painter Paul Michael Glaser to the show.

Ken and PMG discuss getting lost in L.A., going to grad school, avoiding Vietnam, Boston Winters, doing theater in New York, tending bar, the CBS Milk Barn, under fives, Fiddler on the Roof, "Death at an Early Age", 1968, Charley, The Night James Brown Saved Boston, the union problem, Miami Vice, Starsky and Hutch, Running Man, Amazons, made for TV movies, playing Houdini, almost drowning in the water torture chamber, playing historical figures, the massive fame that came with a hit network TV show in the 1970s, Tevia, doing art for you, how boring film sets can be, re working stunt scenes, the nature of stories, shock humor, stand up comedy, social media, robbing society of our interpersonal skills, the book "Perfume", Band of the Hand, Richard Dawson, The Cutting Edge, casting Moira Kelly, painting, writing poetry, trying to get back to oneness, Kazaam!, working Shaq, consciousness, trying to find an understanding of why we're here, The Edge of Wimsey, and the power of contradiction.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 382: Nancy Valen Nov 18, 2019

Show notes

December 2-8, 1978

This week Ken welcomes producer/actor Nancy Valen (Heavenly Kid, Hull High, Baywatch) to the show.

Ken and Nancy discuss Ken's great creative idea, being a latchkey kid, learning from television, growing up in NYC, moving to Florida, Queens, Sesame St, Mr. Rogers, culture shock, Miami Vice, Heavenly Kid, Loverboy, SOAP, Richard Mulligan, Fonzie, being able to suppress being starstruck, Ryan's Hope, Garth Brooks, being on Jay Leno, TV Land, Farrah Fawcett, Dick Van Patten,Windmill Entertainment, Black Scorpion, Baywatch, Tim Van Patten, directing, Hull High, musicals, Riverdale, Welcome Back Kotter, Cheers, Rhoda, Good Times, Love Boat, All in the Family, Brandon Tartikoff, Little House on the Prairie, The White Shadow, Made for TV movies, Cindy Williams in Suddenly Love, divorce, Lou Grant, Newhart, video vs. film, to binge or not to binge, Knotts Landing, Dallas, storytelling, Q*Bert, Space Invaders, being obsessive, Three's Company, Taxi, John Ritter, The Jetsons, living in the future, Bing, Charlie's Angels, transcending your time, Friends, The Valentine's Day episode, Saved by the Bell, Kathy Ireland, Variety Shows, The Brady Kids, Barney Miller, checking in on Abe Vigoda, HBO's quality television, committing to a show, and using your connections to binge 24.

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