TV Guidance Counselor

Latest Episodes:

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 162: Steve Binder and Dr. Mary Beth Leidman Jul 15, 2016

Show notes

Today Ken welcomes the authors of the new book Fade Up: 26 The Movers and Shakers of Variety Television Steve Binder and Dr. Mary Beth Leidman.

First up Ken speaks with producer/director Steve Binder. Ken and Steve discuss proper pronunciations, Col. Tom Parker, KABC TV LA, going from the mail room to the control room, Soupy Sales, Vampira, the timelessness of television, preserving the past, loving Lucy, the talent, Variety Shows, The T.A.M.I. show, music on TV, "Elvis" the 1968 special, happy accidents, breaking the color barrier with Harry Belafonte and Petula Clark, Ernie Kovaks, Edie Adams, The Rolling Stone 10th Anniversary Special, Patti LaBelle and Cyndi Lauper, knowing how to step back, Steve Alan, Pee Wee's Christmas Special and capturing an undiscovered generation and their worth ethic.

Next up Ken speaks with broadcaster and educator Dr. Marty Beth Leidman. Ken and Mary Beth discuss academia vs. Hollywood, audience engagement, shared experience, loving television from birth, new technology, narrow casting vs. broadcasting, late night TV, the definition of variety shows, Saturday Night Live and not understanding the Walking Dead.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 161: Guy Branum Jul 13, 2016

Show notes

September 12-18, 1987

Today Ken welcomes comedian Guy Branum to the show.

Ken and guy discuss the tease of the Fall Preview issue, Rags toRiches, TV Musicals, Cop Rock, mid-season replacements, ChickenSoup, Ted Harbert dating Chelsea Handler, Jamie Tarses, G4, MTV's IWant to be a VJ contest, childhood love of crossing over into theTV world, MTV's invention of modern reality TV, the fame drug, theHollywood Poor, being frozen in a successful year, the move from TVreflecting real life to being totally aspirational, Life Styles ofthe Rich and Famous, PM/Evening Magazine, Operah's trashy past,SNL's Silver Age Cast, the wonders of Ed Grimley, Prime TimeCartoon Preview Specials, Once a Hero, The Days and Nights of MollyDodd, Northern Exposure, prime time animated series, Frank's Place,Moonlighting, Clueless, My Two Dads, Living Dolls, Just the Ten ofUs, Growing Pains, Thicke of the Night, Family Ties very specialepisodes, Justine Bateman, burning off pilots, Dolly, pranksreplacing variety, live TV bloopers, Everything's Relative, Jakeand the Fatman, Twin Peaks, Baby Boomer revulsion, Sacramento's bignames, Julia Duffy, the illogical Emmys, Elvis on TV, Hooperman,Dabney Coleman, Benson, loving Grand, Maude, 100 Questions, beingstuck in the 90s, Facts of Life, Ken's love of Pippa, failed showsbased on comedians, Werewolf, Clip Shows, Writer's Strike, OurHouse, Spenser for Hire, My So-Called Life, the sadness of PunkyBrewster, Duet, Tracey Ulman Show, The Young Ones, Girls on Top,hugged by Dawn French, Ruby Wax, The Gena Davis Show, ALF, Kate& Allie, The Golden Girls, Valerie, It's Your Move, SquarePegs, Will and Grace, The Boogens, Designing Women, Who's the Boss,Mark Harmon, Highway to Heaven, Wiseguy, A Year in the Life,Sledgehammer, Bob Hope, Night of the Creeps, loving Max Headroomand Baby Jessica ruining everything.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 160: Olivia d'Abo Jul 08, 2016

Show notes

Today Ken welcomes actress, singer, songwriter, Olivia d'Abo to the show.

Ken and Olivia discuss the origins of the show's title, Bolero, French as a first language, TV Guide, The Wonder Years, being in Mad Magazine, Electric Boogaloo, New Mexico, being the eternal outsider, having an ear for accents, dirty little gypsies, Bo Derek, the disappointment of cornrows, biblical floods, Conan: The Destroyer, Grace Jones, Wilt Chamberlain, The Coreys, Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney, experiencing old Hollywood, Simon & Simon, Sarah Douglas. Tracey Walter, Land of the Lost, Greedy, Wendy Richard, Essex. Growing Pains, working at the World of Burgers, SCTV, Really Weird Tales, Martin Short, Karen on the Wonder Years, studying the 60s, method acting, Hollywood Premieres, The Boston vs. Australian accent, bittersweet sitcoms, The Wonder Years' final episode, Robotic Playboy Bunnies, Joe Flaherty, Spin City, Michael J. Fox, Bob Balaban, "The Last Good Time", The Single Guy, Kirk Douglas, Spirit of '76, David Cassidy, Olivia's Music, The Jeffersons, Justice League, the wonders of technical voice acting, The Big Green, Tarzan and Jane, Vincent D'Onofrio's secret acting mash ups, how Gumby connects to Vampire's Kiss, and walking down memory lane.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 159: Cheryl Pollak Jul 06, 2016

Show notes

Today Ken welcomes writer/director/producer and former actressCheryl Pollak (Pump Up the Volume, The Heights, Hull High, My BestFriend's a Vampire)to the show.

Ken and Cheryl discuss Cheryl's surprise at Ken's fandom, HullHigh, being ahead of the times, The Heights, Cop Rock, My BestFriend's a Vampire, What's Alan Watching?, Live Shot, Alien Nation,wanting to be fired, Roomies, Jordache Jeans, Mama's Family,growing up in Texas, being the youngest, lawless households, TVsign offs, Davey and Goliath, modeling, the difficulty of comedy,Head of the Class, losing your accent, Night Life, working withJohn Astin, not watching yourself, CHiPs, Cross and theSwitchblade, pickle danger, The Hardy Boys, crushing ParkerStevenson, Sanford and Son, The Rockford Files, replacing castmembers, death on TV, Gilligan's Island as Cheryl's all timefavorite TV show, being creeped out by Alf, Back to the Beach, theSkipper's real name, RuPaul's Drag Race, Hogan's Heroes, RichardDawson, James Kirk and James West's odd similarities, Green Acres,Melrose Place, The Dallas Genie connection, educational shorts,weenie roasts, Larry Hagman, made-for-TV Movies, Swimsuit TheMovie, Perfect People, Dialing for Dollars, Three's Company, afterschool specials, Real People, relying on brain power, a characterabout to lose their virginity at any moment, saying "condom" onthirtysomething, Alicia Witt on Real People, and Ken's Pump Up theVolume tradition.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 158: Monique Powell (Save Ferris) Jun 29, 2016

Show notes

November 23-29, 1991

Today Ken welcomes Save Ferris front woman and occasionalactress Monique Powell to the show.

Ken and Monique discuss the worst weather Los Angeles has everhad, MTV, Remote Control, Orange County, The Golden Girls, SaturdayNight Live, The Go-Go's, Save Ferris, The World is New video, KROQ,Oingo Boingo, punk rock stabbing, Hepcat on the Flash, Dance HallCrashers, 10 Things I Hate About You, going to the Pretty in Pinkprom, how growing up in LA can sometimes ruin movies, Maps to theStars Homes, Brady Bunch house stake out, the theory of whyeveryone in Hollywood is hot, how fashion has changed, New WaveTheater, Pee Wee's Playhouse, Mama's Family, the fascination ofJewish youth with Jerry Falwell, Tammy Faye Baker, Christian punkrock, The Day My Kid Went Punk, The Young Ones, college radio, TheQueers, Roseanne, American Bandstand, Perfect Strangers, how we'reall Cousin Larry Appleton, the power of theme songs, Alan Thicke:Master Songwriter, living in a post-Richard Marx world, how Moniqueis Ken's dreamcatcher, The Facts of Life, Dolly Parton, Alice vs.Flo, tv based on movies, Shakespeare inspired teens, Mork &Mindy, Laverne and Shirley, DEVO fan mail, Cindi Lauper's secrets,Police Academy, National Lampoon, and a disbelief in hunky SteveGutenberg.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 157.5: Ted Danson Jun 25, 2016

Show notes

On this very special birthday edition of the show Ken welcomes actor and Boston legend Ted Danson to the show.

Ken and Ted discuss Ted's lack of childhood television access, the mythical TV Guide use at Ted's cousins' house, Creepshow, Basketball, getting into acting for the sake of a date, Cheers, Taxi, Best of the West, getting that Lone Ranger look, being bilked by comic book ads, Dick Van Dyke, Leslie Nielsen, MTM Productions, Your Show of Shows, Carnegie Mellon, Jimmy Burrows, NBC's The Good Place, the practical genius of Brandon Tartifkof, Cheers little watched first season, the train wreck that was The Cheers Live finale post show in Boston, Magnum P.I., acting with The Muppets, being on the cover of TV Guide, why Sam Malone is a perfect character, being a life long basketball fan, Ink, Jonathan Katz, Becker, three camera sitcoms vs. single camera sitcoms, Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm, how hard it is to watch yourself, Becker's 9/11 episode, why the best humor is sad and the best drama is funny, the horrors of watching the US Election, HGTV as calming viewing, The Voice, Game of Thrones, Bloodline, Damages, CSI, Fargo, having Dick Van Dyke play your father, and the difficult problems faced by the blessed in filling their time.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 157: Casey Malone Jun 22, 2016

Show notes

May 19-25, 2001

Today Ken welcomes comedian Casey Malone to the show.

Ken and Casey discuss gangsters, forgetting 9/11, The West Wing,miserable jerk Doctors, 19th Birthdays, the wonders of being overage 18, buying pornography, comic book stores of ill repute, StarTrek, Marvel Cards, Comedy Central, a life without cable, SNL,gamers, Mortal Kombat, Dan Ackroyd, Neighbors, Cops, Columbo, classwarfare, Sheena, screen used/worn items, The Simpsons, Submarines,The Phantom Gourmet, the post-Simpsons Annimation boom, Malcom inthe Middle, Clerks: The Animated Series, Home Movies, Se7en vs.Anne Frank, X-Files, Jessica Biel, Biography, Cheers film careers,finding Roswell, Friends of Eddie Coyle, The Facts of Life, sexyteens, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Dark Angel, Jessica Alba, TheInvisible Man, Nowhere Man, Ed and the $10 bet, Drew Carey, Jesusshows, celebrating your birthday with the Gilmore Girls, newsbloopers, Charmed, Comedy Central Presents..., Little Monsters, andhating Sting.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 156: Joe Bob Briggs, Frank Conniff and Trace Beaulieu Jun 16, 2016

Show notes

Summer Scare-A-Con Special!

Today Ken speaks with legendary Exploitation movie scholar Joe Bob Briggs and the Mads of MST3k Trace Beaulieu and Frank Conniff.

First up Ken talks to Joe Bob Briggs (TNT's Monstervision, Joe Bob's Drive In Theater). Ken and Joe Bob talk about the horrors of Springfield, classic sleazy neighborhoods, Help Reviews, being introduced to The Howling 7, anonymous oddities, Samurai Cop, Robert Z'Dar, Joe Bob's Media Blssters commentary tracks, the missteps of modern social media movie promotion, growing up in Texas/Tex-Arcana, Little Rock, going to a Drive-in as a family, Saturday Night at the Movies, The Three Stooges, terrifying children's TV show Slam Bang Theater, Ghoulardi's pyromania, Ernie Anderson, Zacherly, becoming a scholar of the un-scholarly, Roger Corman, the secret origin of the Drive In Totals, how The Intruder actually truly never lost money, mining talent, Angie Dickinson, putting TV actors in movies, little Ronny Howard, The Movie Channel, Robert Osborne, sitting on the Honeymooners set at the DuMont Network, Bette Davis, TNT's Monstervision, guesting on The Tonight Show, how WCW almost had the first gay wedding, post-pub TV, being popular in prisons, infomercials, the exciting emerging world of streaming networks, big money in TV sports, Variety Shows, the TV mini-series, and the impressive skill set of today's TV writers.

Next up Ken chats with MST3k's Mads Trace Beaulieu (Crow, Dr. Clayton Forester) and Frank Conniff (TV's Frank). Ken, Trace and Frank talk the female McHale's Navy, watching things because they are on, network sign offs, the Patriotic nature of shutting down, terrifying PSA's, smoking in bed, memorizing TV shows, being a repository of information in the pre-internet age, Frank's guilty feelings of sneaking Garrison's Gorillas behind a curtain, the wonders of Color TV, Batman '66, the retirement of Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp, Sgt. Bilko, the genius of Nat Hiken, Latin lessons, ass learnin', shared experience leading to life long friends, SCTV, the continuity of MST3k, having to love the worst movies, The Mads tour, Rifftrax reunion, made for TV movies, Jack Davis, the wonders of Mad Magazine, and loving UK TV.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 155: Troy Slaten Jun 15, 2016

Show notes

Today Ken welcomes former actor, current lawyer Troy Slaten tothe show.

Ken and Troy discuss Troy's work clothes, legal issues,stenographer tidbits, being a talking head on 24 news channels,Parker Lewis Can't Lose, Melanie Chartoff, Cagney & Lacey, the"lost" Cagney, learning on the set, growing up in Calabasas, Beta,The Revell Funster Funbird, Reese's Pieces, commercials, Grandma'scard came leading to Hollywood success, Diff'rent Strokes, Who'sthe Boss, Greatest American Hero, My Sister Sam, Simon & Simon,Roseanne, The Wonder Years, Step by Step, Superhuman SamuraiCyber-Squad, Saturday Morning TV, Sid & Marty Kroft, ElectraWoman and Dyna-Girl, no Sleestack fear, The A-Team, Netflixnepotism, Billy Jayne/Jacoby, Brian Spicer, Rob Bowman, being thenerd, method acting Swatch Synchronization, Jerry's Jacket, 90210,hearing yourself in German, the Ferris Bueller issue, Three O'ClockHigh, Tim Stack's Night Stand, Harry Anderson, the 90s Talk showboom, the late great John Pinette, on set teachers, The Crucible,connecting to Winona Ryder, L.A. Law, Stacey Keenan, being in lovewith Alissa Milano, Jack The Bear, disastrous dates with ReeseWitherspoon, Troy as alternate Leonardo DiCaprio, date vomit, stuntJerrys, Walking Dead, the comfort of Emergency, being starstruck byAnthony Perkins, Goonies, not wanting to be an entertainmentlawyer, and the magic of criminal defense.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 154: Elizabeth Crane Jun 08, 2016

Show notes

July 6-12 , 1974

Today Ken welcomes author Elizabeth Crane to the show.

Ken and Elizabeth discuss when Cambridge was cool, New York editions of TV Guide, having life time subscriptions to TV Guide, Lucy, keeping scrapbooks, All In the Family vs. The Partridge Family, loving Danny, bus station TV, having a TV in your room, the secret origins of Ken's TV knowledge, the importance of context, The Glass Teat, The Cowsils, Union Jobs, people being out to get you at work, M*A*S*H, Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart, Pyschomania, The 4:30 Movie, inappropriate relationships with Lou Grant, being distracted by Mary Tyler Moore's dog, Alan Alda: Guest Speaker, Barney Miller, Hal Linden as Captain America, Wonderama, Bob McAllister, bootleg Romper Room, Zoom!, meeting Henry Winkler, Twosomething, working at a talent agency, 11 days as an Angelino, LA vs. NYC, Apple's Way, Leif Garrett, 42nd St, Colors in Times Square, animal slaughter, television sense memory, the comfort of television, 1977: The Coolest Year in Hell, Son of Sam, Plato's Retreat, Basket Case, Lawrence Welk, Polka Culture, Department S, Columbo, The Rookies, Johnny Seven, Kate Jackson's clothing, Book Beat, Boboquivari, Maude, Mary Hartman, Laugh-In, looking to pursue a career in impressionism, disliking the TV schedule anarchy of weekends, Jonathan Winters, Tony Orlando & Dawn, being Charo, the lost age of Variety, Wait 'til Your Father Gets Home, Kojak, Telly Savalis as the Devil, Waltons Wallpaper, Little House on the Prairie, adaptations missing the point, Herbie Day at Disneyland, Merv, Streets of San Franciso, Kung Fu's tarnished past, Dirty Sally, Sanford and Son, US remakes of UK shows, Brady Bunch, Cabrini Green, the heartbreak of burned off pilots, Marlo Thomas' personal Love American Style, the horrification of the anthology, The Odd Couple, Tony Randall, referencing Toma, Yoga on TV, and loving The Walking Dead.

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