TV Guidance Counselor

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TV Guidance Counselor Episode 117: Todd Barry Dec 02, 2015

Show notes

December 3-9, 1983

Today Ken welcomes comedian Todd Barry to the show. Ken and Todd discuss A/C removal, David Letterman, watching stand up comedy, Florida, Ft. Launderdale Spring Break, Ken's encyclopedic knowledge of 80s T&A Movies, Todd's first TV appearance in 1982, behind the scenes in showbiz, re-watching your old TV sets, having a Black and White TV way past the time it was ok to have a Black and White TV, watching the Deer Hunter uncut, watching TV in foreign lands, the wonder of international pharmacies, UK Comedy Nerds, getting a first national TV Gig on Conan via Louie CK, being a regular on Dr. Katz, being an in demand voice over artist, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Hawaii Five-O, Todd's Punk Rock Status, CHiPs, Quincy M.D., shivving, lack of comfort shows, avoiding TV comedy, Spinal Tap, Diner, Paul Reiser's musical genius, Rodney Dangerfield's car, meeting Grady from Sanford and Son, opening for Joe Bob Briggs, Richard Butler (from the Psychedelic Furs), where you are really from, Maui, the media infrastructure in Hawaii, Flipper, the slow pace of older shows, Comic Conventions, the strange world of paying for celebrity autographs, the Breaking Bad van, moving from acting into civilian jobs, Joanie loving rental cars, rerun money, singing with Donny Most, James at 15, The White Shadow of Ben Franklin, Leif Garrett, Shaun Cassidy, Happy Days, Henry Winkler, Dick Van Dyke's autograph hunts, celebrity pricing, Miami Vice, The Clash, Ellen Foley, What's Happening!!!, performing for Haywood Nelson, Barbara Walters Specials, 60 Minutes, 20/20, being both the homecoming princess and the Football QB, Barbara Walters as ABC's Marc Maron, Two Johnnies - Carson and Cash, keeping things private, interviewing Steve Martin, Michael Keaton's stand up, Twelve Years a Stand Up, Todd Playing Todd, free donuts, Richard Pryor, Pam Greir's autobiography, Kent McCord, Ralph Macchio's going rate, Trauma Center, the golden age of hospital shows, Lou Ferrigno, TV Theme songs, Orange is the New Black, picking your intro music, Devo's Uncontrollable Urge, letting Joe Jackson know you're the man, picky foodies, Anthony Bordain, auditioning for Larry David, not being pervy enough to play a child murderer, Doug the Tourguide on Spin City, Michael J. Fox, crushing on Justine Bateman, and befriending the cast of Satisfaction.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 116: Emily Heller Nov 25, 2015

Show notes

May 7-13, 1994

Today Ken welcomes comedian Emily Heller to the show.

Ken and Emily discuss eating with your mouth full, visiting Boston for the first time, sweeps week, the return of Will Smith's Dad, San Francisco, Gymastics, Breaker High, kitchen TVs, Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards, Kid empowerment, Camp Nowhere vs. Camp Cucumunga, what Joey Lawrence's love can fix for you baby, the Little Oscars, COPS, Dave Stevens, The Rockateer, comedians in serious roles, Kids in the Hall, Bachelor Mother, Nancy Kerrigan, the black TV renaissance, Thelma & Louise, Fox-O-Rama, the White Living Single, radio station format changes, The Stand, Evil Disney product placement, Ben Vereen and Zoobalie Zoo, huge orphans, making Nerds in Love for TV, Joseph Bologna, Disney TV animation, Direct-To-Video Sequels, Blossom, Prom vs. The Prom, Rip Torn's real name, baby heart transplants, made for TV madness, the myth of improv, Full House, Little Richard, Rescue 911, Phenom, LIVE! TV, JFK, Roseanne, Tales from the Crypt, JTT's retirement, learning how to have crushes, Virtual Reality, Unsolved Mysteries, The Simpsons, in-Laws getting married, buying things off TV, weird sexy baby dolls "Cute as a Butt-on", Ken's top 90s Sitcoms, secrets of the magic Castle, David Copperfield, Mystery Science Theater Hour, Seinfeld, shrinkage, Fraiser, celebrity voice cameos, TGIF, Bruce Campbell in the Adventures of Brisco County Jr., Family Matters, Boy Meets World, The X-Files, The missing Gs of the 90s, the lighting speed of TV marriage, 20/20, coming back from the dead, and ALL Cheers all the time.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 115: Gary Sohmers Nov 18, 2015

Show notes

August 12-17, 1967

Today Ken welcomes "King of Pop Culture" Gary Sohmers to the show. Ken and Gary discuss proud hoarders, a place for things, birthdays, 15 year old's lust based viewing habits, the Kennedy assassination, Chicagoland, flight path high schools, the nature of proof, being removed Antiques Roadshow history, psychic appraisals, 20th Century Pop culture antiques, Hawaiian shirts, Frank Zappa's paintings, the lack of vetted experts in the modern age, buying low and selling high, knowing the real value of things, being a human remote control, having the best TV around, Nashville TN, Get Smart, television as school yard cultural capital, Mad Magazine, Jack Webb's hatred of LSD, the beatnik to hippie transition, Serials, Wonderful World of Disney, Ed Sullivan, the heyday of Variety Shows, Penn & Teller Fool Us, It's About Time, trampolines, The Stooges at your high school, being a part of the first great moment for teenagers, Bozo, mystery WGN puppet shows, Zacherle, Chuck McCann, Mr. Terrific, The Saint, The Avengers, the exotic swingin' London, The Prisoner, Star Trek, The Invaders, Larry Cohen, Vietnam, Combat!, Ballad of the Green Berets, Antiques on TV in the 60s, antiques from the 90s, Batman '66, Adam West, Doin' Time on Planet Earth, Bob Cummings, Julie Newmar, Hollywood Palace, Lost in Space, inventing celebrity conventions, the influence of Nick at Nite, Billy West, James Hong, thanking your childhood heroes, Ken's love of Annie Potts, North East Comic Con, A Christmas Story, Computer Match Making, T.H.E. Cat, Gary's favorite show: Wild Wild West, Mailbu U, Time Tunnel, Land of the Giants, Space Travel, Ken's Vintage Motorola, 1990s The Flash, DC's TV Universe, Jim Beaver, and missing The Daily Show.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 114: Jon Rineman Nov 11, 2015

Show notes

April 17-23, 1993

This week Ken welcomes writer, comedian, Jon Rineman to the show.

Ken and Jon discuss how long they've known each other, living in New York, old souls, prom comedy, Late Night TV, monologues, combating Twitter, replacements for the Tonight Show in 1993, Alan Havey, Dana Carvey, not knowing Conan is from Mass, the Toaster/Toaster Oven theory, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, Empty Nest, Joe Izuzu, why "A League of Their Own" is the greatest baseball movie of all time, Pete's rage, TV shows based on movies, Mad About You, looking for shows that reflect your own situation, Everybody Loves Raymond, the magic of three camera sitcoms, Sisters, Wayne's World: The Best SNL Movie, Ken's intimate knowledge of New England cinemas, New Hampshire, Fresh Prince of Bel Aire, Dana Hersey's the Movie Loft, Bob Newhart, WWF, Monday Night Raw, Full House, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Soul Man, Roseanne, your parents' sense of humor, Charity Concerts Vs. AIDS, Nick at Nite, Wonder Years, disappointing endings, The Celtics, Mathew Perry's early work, Cheers, Love/Hate Wings, Fraiser, dating Seinfeld, Family Matters, strings vs. stings, loving the dumb guy, kicking the weekend off with TGIF, hating Step by Step, The Ultimate Driving Challenge and confusing President Bill Cosby with President Bill Clinton.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 113: Ted Petteingell & Christa Weiss Nov 04, 2015

Show notes

May 3-9, 1997

This week Ken welcomes his second couple to the show (not counting The Walsh Brothers and Veruca Salt), real life daters and comedians Ted Pettingell and Christa Weiss.

Ken, Ted and Christa discuss the pleasures of tandem, sad tales of dogs, bad tattoos, 'lics vs Cathys, pre-marriage counseling, Lucy Lawless, dating people younger than you, blood, SNICK, Keenan & Kel, birth order, Teddy's love of 19 year old burn outs, Cops, Providence's sordid history of institutional crime, Jumanji, insulting Reel Big Fish, dating Jewel, KaBLam!, Simpsons as autism diagnosis, The Weather with Al, April Fools Day Blizzards, Upstate New York, The Hotel Coral Essex, Third Rock from the Sun, being enraged by Beavis and Butthead, Laughing at alcoholics, sad characters, X-Files, Daria, Unsolved Mysteries, ghosts, tales of theft, living Ken's dreams, aliens, sex Tommy Pickles, Home Improvement, suppressing popculture crushes, Coolio, Comics Come Home, Homeboys in Outer Space, Spin City, favorite fashion designers, Isaac Mizrahi, Newsradio, Sister Sister, Necronomicon, Dave Barry, Ellen vs. The Waynes Brothers, The US remake of Men Behaving Badly, Arachnophobia, flaming spiders, children's love of Julian Sands, Harry Connick Jr's murder spree, Puppet Master, leeches, why "Tourist Trap" is the scariest movie of all time, West Coast Video, The Halloween series, 3-D Week, Sliders, Sabrina in Boston, Millennium, soap opera laziness, and the media covering made up stories.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 112: Dave Hill Oct 28, 2015

Show notes

February 18-24, 1984

This week Ken welcomes musician, comedian, podcaster, writer and all around personality Dave Hill to the show.

Ken and Dave discuss pizza parties, Double Tree logo issues, Hong Kong prostitutes, inviting yourself on your friend's family vacation, Cheers, Sweeps Week, letting things go, Rebecca vs. Diane, Three's A Crowd, The 1984 Olympics, Figure Skating, Hockey, barrel jumps, Silver Spoons, silent credits, Very Special Episodes, Love Sydney, Paul Lynde's Halloween Special, Variety Shows, adding Glenn Campbell, Siskel & Ebert, hating Mama's Family, Dave's beef with Vicki Lawrence, Airwolf, questioning Jan Michael Vincent's living status, Stacey Keach, Monty Python as palette cleanser, hanging out with Terry Jones, sports, evil twins on Knight Rider, questioning Ken's place on the Autism spectrum, Baywatch Nights, Craig T. Nelson, Super Nights of Rock N Roll, The Boston Bruins, The Who, Mod culture, Roger Daltrey's acting career, Black Emmanuel, scrambled soft core, The Playboy Channel, judging Gallagher, the A-Team, Dudley Moore's concept of time, The Man With Two Brains, O Madeline, The Pee Wee Herman Show, Gary Panter, Mr. Bungle's Giant Cake, Barney Miller, Jack Soo, talking to Abe Vigoda on the phone, Real People, Fred Willard, Baby I'm Back, Sandford and Son, The Facts of Life, Jerry Jehl's filthy stand up comedy, people with disabilities on TV, hot saucing, Ken's connection to the Sausage King of Cleveland, Night Court, hockey player autobiographies, WKRP, Molesting Dudley, Neptune King of the Sea, favorite Friday the 13th movies, Bloopers, Elvira, Dom DeLouise special, M*A*S*H, Cheers, Taxi, Dean Martin's celebrity roasts, the horrors of 20/20, KISS vs. Menudo, peeing the bed/couch/floor, having someone else pee your bed, Little Caesar's Pizza Pizza, the wonder of chocolate raviolis, Floyd the Barber's stroke, the advent of ironic t-shirts, Hogan's Heroes, Bob Crane, not wanting to be murdered by Willem Defoe, Dukes of Hazard mix ups, Benson, Guillome Emmanuel, Solid Gold, loving Groucho, Webster, Wet T-Shirt contests, Kitten Natividad, getting Indian food with Ronnie James Dio, Sean Penn's stripper, just resting your eyes, literal calendars, military time, and being completely destroyed by a comedy festival.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 111: Sandra Daugherty aka "Sex Nerd Sandra" Oct 21, 2015

Show notes

December 11-17, 1982

This week Ken welcomes sex educator and podcaster Sandra "Sex Nerd Sandra" Daugherty to the show.

Ken and Sandra discuss Air BnB, impromptu flea markets, Christmas Week, Ken's "One Netflix Account to Rule Them All" theory, 1930s wrestling, growing up in Santa Monica, bullying, A League of Their Own, TV Series based on Movies, Weird Science, Dirty Dancing, the business of show business, the wonderful gift of head injuries, Out of This World, teenage girls with hidden super powers, the 1980s as the new 1950s, questioning the sexual nature of The Hugga Bunch, wheel chair hatred, the creepiness of Small Wonder, Sally Struthers, why it's not all sex stuff, high school parties, Janet Jackson's "janet." as music porn, crush volumes, My So-Called Life vs. Beverly Hills 90210, sibling TV bargains, Barney and Friends, sharing bunks with siblings, Paternal hatred of David Letterman, Leno, Fallon, Ken's amazement at Mystique turning into him, hi-fivin', Dick Cavet, Graham Norton, "the News", not having cable, forbidden Simpsons, Who Shot Mr. Burns, enjoying the house on Step by Step, Ken's volume of Opinions, TGIF, porn parodies, ET and Friends, aliens, Mork & Mindy, the Red Headed kid from the Sandlot, penis breathe, Sci-Fi, keeping your interests to yourself, Doctor Who, hunting down punk rock clothing at sex shops, Hubba Hubba in Cambridge, MA, cultural hobo codes, time travel, college wrestling vs. pro-wrestling, Sex: Teenage Style, "Someone I Touched", Christmas Comes to Pac-Land, Packies, why "Family Man" may be the greatest Christmas movie, Ken's Christmas special Excel spreadsheets, Facts of Life, The Twilight Zone, why life is nothing without challenge, Deadwood, The Magic Schoolbus, PBS, BDSM, iZombie, falling off the Masters of Sex wagon and Dr. Ruth.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 110: Halloween Special 2015 with Lamont Price Oct 16, 2015

Show notes

In this second Halloween Special Ken welcomes returning guest Lamont Price back to the show by popular demand.

Ken and Lamont discuss Halloween strategies, trick or treating of years past and finally they watch the 1985 Made for TV movie "The Midnight Hour"

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 109: Matt Kirshen Oct 14, 2015

Show notes

January 18-24,1992

This week Ken welcomes UK citizen, actor, comedian and Probably Science podcast co-host Matt Kirshen to the show.

Matt and Ken discuss spring break hotels, passive aggressive maids, the difficulty of accents, growing up top left, the BBC, going to television tapings, Gamesmaster, Take That, Robbie Williams, Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive, I'm Alan Partridge, warming up sitcoms, 2 Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps with Ralph Little, Sky TV, the UK's lack of choice, Boys and Girls, UK Gameshows, The TV License, the UK vs. US TV Production system, syndication, Who's the Boss with The Upper Hand, One Foot in the Grave, UK family trips to Florida, SuperStation WTBS, reruns vs. repeats, Only Fools and Horses, Leave it to Beaver, post-WWII UK misery, soap operas, Dallas, Dynasty, Aussie Soaps, Home & Away, Neighbors, Eric Bana, Michael Crawford, Friends vs. Seinfeld, Stephanie Beacham, Trollied, Batman, Eurotrash, John Paul Gautlier, Bad Porn, outTHERE, Adam & Joe, Empty Nest, Peep Show, Tango and Cash, Dogs and Cops vs. just COPS, Two-Fisted Tales, Sundays in the UK, In Living Color, Desmond's, The Real McCoy, SNL in the UK, Paul Whitehouse, Harry Enfield, Comics Only, Drug Wars, Herman's Head, WWF, Mork & Mindy, Back-Door Pilot, Home Improvement, The Moonies, Roseanne, Look Who's Talking Too, Aliens vs. Kids in the Hall, Unsolved Mysteries, good shows made by bad people, A Different World, Cheers, Boston as Liverpool, Fraiser, Murder Mystery TV series, long UK school days, the post-pub slot, 999 vs 911, Tequila and Bennetti, TV Ventriloquism, and enduring power of Mr. Motivator.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 108: Kaitlin Buckley Oct 07, 2015

Show notes

February 2-8, 1985

This week Ken welcomes comedian, writer and improviser Kaitlin Buckley to the show.

Ken and Kaitlin discuss unfilied pieces of the Reid Archives, Cagney and Lacey, Robert Urich's magical musical background, Burn Notice, Tales of the Unexpected, Lloyd Bridges connection to rape and murder, Otherworld, Diff'rent Strokes, co-ed sleepovers, awkward creepy sex, Fashion Design, The Love Boat, watching TV with Mom, Telly Sevalis' science skills, Player's Club, Casinos, Knight Rider, the popularity of Toxic Waste, Rockford Files, Used Cars, Crazy Like a Fox, TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes, TV Horror Hosts, Kate & Allie, Martin Sheen's homosexual history, Badass Abe Vigoda, breaking the toaster oven theory, the art of collages, being a really weird kid, women's backs, sleeping with strangers, dorm room horror stories, The Sad Ballad of "Ham & Cheese", Ken's teenage pie eating habits, "Stabbas", teenage sex, Nadia Comaneci, SCTV, Magnum PI, facial hair deficiency, nudity on Thundercats, Cheers, mis-reading TV Guide, Mrs. Columbo, sitcom pot, Cambodia, Claudia Wells, DeDee Pfeiffer, the terror of Weekend at Bernie's, Jonathan Silverman Watch, Simon and Simon, being scared of Lou Ferigno, Codename: Foxfire, Streethawk, V: The Series, curable diseases, Sky Cam, the sad end of Jon-Erik Hexum, women on TV, gratuitous bondage in the Glitterdome, Stacey Keech's UK Cocaine rap, Friday Night Videos, Guiding Light, The Mexican Wave and the demise of The American Sportsman .

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