TV Guidance Counselor

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TV Guidance Counselor Episode 181: Tracy Newman Oct 11, 2016

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Today Ken welcomes musician, writer Tracy Newman to the show.

Ken and Tracy discuss pre-interviews, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Ricky Jay, card magic, telling a story in 20 minutes, Ed McMahon, false confidence, knowing a performer, being yourself on stage, improv, The Groundlings, The Three Stooges, Abbot and Costello, Laurel and Hardy, Betty White, live TV, Phil Silvers, Ernie Kovacs, Don Knotts: Love God, Sid Caesar, growing up in LA, Tom Poston, playing cards on the set of Bob, writing for Cheers, helping Ellen come out of the closet, According to Jim, having no apologies, High School Reunions, UK TV licenses, Phil Hartman, Paul Reubens, Lisa Kudrow, winning an Emmy, the dangers of wearing heels on TV, calling James Arness, Gunsmoke, calling Kelsey Grammar "Fraiser", Have Gun Will Travel, and writing a TV theme song.

TV Guidance Counselor 180: Tawanda Gona Oct 05, 2016

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October 17-23, 1998

Today Ken welcomes Boston comedian Tawanda Gona to the show.

Ken and Tawanda discuss Tawands'a first trip to Ken's home, thesuburbs, Hyde Park, Wilmington North Carolina, being born inZimbabwe, Fast 5, African bootlegs, never having a real birthdayparty, Atlanta, having parents who are super smartbio-statisticians, Smart Guy, molestation, Ken's Comedy Centraldebut, the wonders of gentrification, Maya Angelou vs. Tupac, whyJanet Jackson is too good for Tupac, Halloween parties, Blackchurches with Koreans, Dirty Skype, long distance cheating, GrowingPains, Tawanda's Leo Theory, Tales from the Hood, Rusty Cundieff,Hulk Hogan, Mad TV, SNL, forging checks to buy Scholastic books,Star Trek, sci-fi, King of the Hill, Hunchback of Notre Dame, SimonSez, Selena, the state of hip hop, Biggie Smalls, rap murder,African homophobia, OJ the Juiceman and Guchi Man, Tawand's worshipof criminals, keeping it real, moral ambiguity, Tawanda's whiteguilt, Spider-Man, fighting, punk rock pasts, Breaking Bad, livingthe life, 50 Cent, being selfish, and the power of lifeexperience.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 179: Diane Franklin Sep 30, 2016

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April 9-15, 1983

Today Ken welcomes author and actor Diane Franklin (Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Better Off Dead, The Last American Virgin) to the show.

Ken and Diane discuss Diane's compliments for Ken, bringing your own TV Guides (BYOTVGs), Long Island, modeling, Soap Opera acting, That Girl, being a first generation American of German descent, Lawrence Welk, size vs. time, Valerie Bertonelli, not knowing actors' personal lives, One Day at a Time, commissioning art, Better Off Dead, St. Elsewhere, "it was all a dream", Amnityville Horror, As the World Turns, Made for TV Movies, Deadly Lessons, Donna Reed, Summer Girl, Cable, being before your time, The Excellent Adventures of the Last American, French Exchange Babe of the 80s, One Crazy Summer's Better Off Dead connection, How I Got Into College, being a TV actor vs being a movie actor, taking your time, TerrorVision, The Final Interview, Waking Nightmare, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, seeing life through your children's eyes, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, sci-fi, the importance of physical media, curls, and how to best spend your $2.00.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 178: Erica Rhodes Sep 28, 2016

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April 23-29, 1994

Today Ken welcome actress, comedian and fellow Massachusetts native Erica Rhodes to the show.

Ken and Erica discuss Boston accents, Newton Pedigree, Prairie Home Companion, The Nutcracker, Jason Alexander's clothes, Hollywood, Robert Altman, PT Anderson, Pee Wee's Playhouse, TV Contests, not having a TV until you're 7, the horror of Alice in Wonderland on TV, being scared of horror films, Modern Family, New England impressed, Family Matters vs. Blossom, Punky Brewster, shopping at Delia's, Baywatch, Classical Music, Oldies 103.3, Come Baby Come, America's Most Wanted, the Sound of Music, Zoom, Julia Child, Pam Grier as Phillips old flame on The Fresh Prince, John Candy's directorial debut, SCTV alum cartoons, Full House, Made for TV Movies, John Ritter as Frank L. Baulm in The Dreamer of Oz, Roseanne, The Witches vs. Hocus Pocus, 30 year old teenagers, Million Dollar Mystery, finding treasure, Home Improvement, mid-season replacements, Mad About You, The Simpsons, Seinfeld, Cheers, Kenny Rogers as Hannibal Lector, Step by Step, David Gregory, zombie children in Ireland, and judging a book by its cover.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 177: John Hodgman Sep 23, 2016

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January 14-20, 1978

Today Ken welcomes comedian, actor, writer and fake internet judge John Hodgman to the show.

Ken and John discuss John's love of the Wilbur Theater, how good cold marble feels on your armpits, The Combat Zone, tunnels, nudie bars, questing for a Quest for Fire, Brookline as The Vatican, Videosmith, Doug Loves Movies, Jim Gaffigan's wasteful performance rider, washing dishes in a gay restaurant, throwing your parents out of the house, Strawberries, Filene's Concert secrets, Detroit airport secrets, The Westin, Werewolves as Football Players, Charles Addams, The Superbowl, drawing Tippy, the sadness of your grandmother writing disco songs, Venus Flytraps, Toyota Celica, The Muppets, Edward Gorey's words of wisdom, self taught clarinet mysteries, nightmare inducing basements, Spenser for Hire, imported beer, the class system of Cheers, the completely illogical motivations of Daredevil, Tabitha, latch key Bewitched, WLVI TV56, WSBK's The Movie Loft, TV38 sadness, We Don't Knock, uncut movies, Petticoats, Plenty Uptopp, Tony Randall, Chesty Morgan, Love Sydney, Love Boat, cliffhangers, Super Night at The Super Bowl, variety shows, Pearl Bailey, Colombo pigskin, cannibal cruise ships, Friends as the new Brady Bunch, 00s nostalgia speculation, and hunting Sha-Na-Na.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 176: Ann Magnuson Sep 20, 2016

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September 11-17, 1971

Today Ken welcomes actress, writer, musician, artist Ann Magnuson to the show.

Ken and Ann discuss Ann's interesting history with TV Guide, literally keeping up with the Joneses, the importance of The Fall Preview issue, The Psychotronic Video Guide, Club 57, The Cramps, PBS, educational through television, The Space Lady, YouTube holes, anti-Hippie Scare Films, LSD, Dragnet, Diane Linkletter, when Timothy Leary isn't dead but instead at a BBQ with you in Malibu, having no desire to try Ayahuasca, TV forming your view of New York City, Lance Loud, American Family, how Glam Rock Begat Punk Rock, the golden age of talk shows, the High Brow arts and intelligence of New York, Steve Allen, Gore Vidal, The Vietnam War on TV, the nature of Dreams, Carl Jung, Keith Herring, David Bowie, The Hunger, CBGB's, revisiting West Virginia annually, the corrupting influence of Fox News, reality television, the perfection of The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, "sur-rualism", Ann's Made for TV, being at the center of important cultural movements, living in London '76-77, seeing Sid & Nancy in person, The Damned, Nick Kent's Apathy for the Devil, Anything But Love, playing Lillian Munster, variety shows, Bat Masterson : First Crush, The Midnight Special, Carol Burnett, Ed Sullivan, Julie Andrews, being forbidden to watch James Bond, John Ritter, Mark Harmon, respect for Corey Feldman, the celebrity as modern day blood sacrifice, meaning vs. matter, the three forces of live, and the search for meaning in the 21st Century.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 175: Mark Valley Sep 14, 2016

Show notes

Today Ken welcomes actor/comedian Mark Valley (Keen Eddie, Fringe, Human Target) to the show.

Ken and Mark discuss the nature of leaf blowing, the mid 70s, the premier of Barney Miller, upstate New York, taping TV on audio cassettes, Soap Opera exposition, earning cue cards, Marlon Brando, how a military career being stationed in Germany leads to becoming an actor, growing up with CBC and Canadian media without being Canadian, German Method acting, Hasselhoffin', All in the Family, Vietnam on TV, The Gulf War, The Macy's Parade, Spin City, Charlie Sheen, musical theater, The WWII Model, Keen Eddie, ER, Alexie Sayle, meeting the owls from Harry Potter, movie vs. TV, acting, working in the UK, the Queen, Alan Partridge, Boston Legal, acting against William Shatner and James Spader, Fringe, being starstruck, the difficulty of walking and then talking, George C. Scott, and wanting to be an old miserable actor someday.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 174: Ryan Shores Sep 07, 2016

Show notes

March 15-21, 1997

Today Ken welcomes comedian and loyal listener Ryan Shores tothe show.

Ken and Ryan discuss Ken's "Very Special Episode" One man showfrom 2008, Mr. Belvedere, AIDS, The Hogan Family, Orange County,Goosebumps, Elmo, Wishbone, America's Most Ticklish Toddler, MMA,ESPN 2 Strongest Man in the World Competitions, America's MostWanted, COPS, Scottish Fiddle, Joe Dante's Second Civil War, I LoveLucy, Tales from the Crypt, Howling II, boobs, strange extinctAustralian animals, sadness over the Tasmanian Tiger, Shark Nerds,Beatlejuice the cartoon, 3rd Rock from the Sun, celebratingmediocrity, Glen Danzig, X-Files, Odd Couple, calling Ken out, WWF,James Remar, St. Patrick's Day, Newhart, Secret World of Alex Mack,Unsolved Mysteries, Fraiser, Marlee Matlin, Baywatch Nights, JimCarey, Newsradio, Mad About You, Debi Mazar, Wings vs. Drew Carey,loving Amy Yasbeck, "the pickle chills", NCAA killing Seinfeld,Rocky, gambling life lessons, bookies at wakes, Brando, FamilyMatters, killer bikers, Millennium, Timmy Baterman, Pet Semetaryand the best Stephen King adaptations.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 173: Musetta Vander Aug 30, 2016

Show notes

Today Ken welcomes actress Musetta Vander to the show.

Ken and Musetta discuss proper name pronunciation, beingfascinated by America, being a second generation professionaldancer, being ruled by fate, hosting a video show on South AfricanTV, Blade Runner, having no TV in South Africa until the mid-70s,the value of radio dramas, the intimacy of television, CarolBurnett, the shock of American happiness, Telemusic, being in a RodStewart video, Tina Turner, SABC, childhood discipline, Kojak,converting Beta Sp tapes to PAL to send to your parents, AndieParker, Hawaii, the audition process, being the wrong kind ofAfrican American, Apartheid, Red Scorpion, Cannon Pictures, Alienfrom LA, American Ninja 2, accents, the beauty of sci-fi, ChrisIsaak, Amy Grant, banned videos, Alice Cooper, Oblivion, whipskills, filming in Romania, replacing horses with Romanian grips,Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Trek, Sean Connery, VIP, Wild WildWest, Breaking Bad, House of Cards, Mr. Robot and loving the worldof marathoning TV.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 172: Ryan Lambert Aug 24, 2016

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