TV Guidance Counselor

October 24-30, 1981 Happy Halloween! This week Ken welcomes producer/director behind the excellent documentaries "In Search of Darkness", David Weiner. Ken and David discuss playing Star Trek, TV watching with siblings, the three ages of horror, the video store age, making friends just to watch cable, not getting a VCR until much later in life, being the person in the household who brings in technology, missing four years of television due to attending boarding school, the power of the TV Guide movie section, seeing The Omen, the Exorcist, and Amnityville Horror for the first time on television, Fall Preview love, being able to see photos and images from television, the TV version of a movie, TV series based on movies, Logan's Run, Planet of the Apes, Land of the Lost, Valley of the Dinosaurs, being a 70s kid, Famous Monsters, where you have to grow up to associate King Kong with Thanksgiving, The Crawling Eye, Monster movies, WPIX, Chiller Theater, television images burned into your brain forever, having no identity of your own, being made of exclusievely tv memories, CED Selectadisc, having a Seagram's hook up, having a Kraft food hook up, Ken's sleeping bag collection, Love Boat, Fantasy Island, The Wonderful World of Disney, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Disney's Haunted Treat, Ken's theory of Knight Rider taking place in the Halloween III universe, going to film school, all the familar locations you drive by in LA, Moby Dick, Ray Bradbury, Something Wicked This Way Comes, pre-empting shows, the baseball world series, variety shows, The Muppets, Star Wars, Private Benjamin, local variations, mail fraud, record clubs, getting to interview John Carpenter, Star Trek II Wrath of Kahn, Looney Tunes Halloween specials, Fat Albert Halloween, It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, The Brady Brides, Tom Baker Doctor Who, The Fall Guy, the first time ever network airing of Halloween on NBC, factual inaccuracies, Jaws, seeing things you are not allowed to see, watching Halloween home alone as a teen and being terrified, how you couldn't easily prove people wrong growing up, Close Encounters of the first and second kind, and making an In Search of Darkness 70s documentary. Be sure to buy the latest In Search of Darkness doc, covering the second half of the 90s, 90shorrordoc.com

March 16-22, 1991 This week Ken welcomes comedian Fabrizio Copano. Ken and Fabrizio discuss Barbara Walters love of TMNT, inappropriate turtle love, Chile, El Chino, Ninjas, Hero Turtles, Peru, Dragon Ball Z, Japanese content, Ramna, why The Simpsons were so massive in South America, prime time animation, things that aren't just for kids, Bart is forever, Lucha Libre, El Santo, WWF, how things from inside Latin America don't travel that well, El Chavo de Ocho, El Chapulin Colorado, Sabado Gigante, making it world wide, Paul Simon, Batman, Superman, Comics, being a huge movie freak, Pretty Woman, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Jessica Rabbit rocketing you into puberty, hunting down obscure VHS tapes, traveling all over the country to go to video stores, hating 2010: The Year We Made Contact, being disappointed by Barry Lyndon, the 2009 film La Nana, Machuca, El Club, Catholicism, learning English ten years ago after you've already moved to the U.S.A., how there are no Spanish shows in L.A., doing comedy in a totally different language, how jokes don't quite translate, finding your voice, MTV, Lifetime's Genecology Update, Comic Strip Live, inventing the stand up scene in Chile, The Half Hour Comedy Hour, having an empty Sunday, Indiana Jones, Daughters of Privilege, Nickelodeon animated shows, how Nick shows with humans didn't do well in Latin America, Fabrizio's American wife showing him shows from her youth, Sabrina vs Clarissa, The Lion King, Frog Girl, how only in America do student dissect frogs, Divorce Court, old people running the world, Phil Donohue, Yo! MTV Raps, America's Funniest Home Videos, Video Loco, Fabrizio's brother's journalism career, the Copano boys cable show, getting recognized in public, fame in another country but not in the U.S., recognizing the power of luck, realizing how good you have it, having to put a disclaimer on your citizenship, The Wizard of Oz, Jesus of Nazareth, Titanic, and the insanity of the TV Guide cross word tip line 900 number.

March 2-8, 1996 This week Ken welcomes comedian behind the comedy special "Bougie on a Budget", Denise Winkelman. Ken and Denise discuss pouring rain in New England, growing up in Minnesota, Ken confusing Minnesota with Michigan, the coldest spot in the country in the Winter, growing up in a very rural town, the magic of cable bringing Pro Wrestling to your home, Wrestling magazines, local wrestling, mad scientists, how Wrestling is basically an improv group, NYPD Blue, nudity on television, Dennis Franz, CSI, David Caruso, Christine Baranski, the legend of The Marlboro Man, ads that work with any tag line, the 90s trend of "one of the guys" girl who smoke cigars, creepy mail order dolls, American Girl Dolls, Empty Nest, American shows CBC ran, The Kids in the Hall, WKRP, Walker Texas Ranger, wrestling alligators, Powers Booth and Peter Coyote, forbidden love, why everyone can't be the wacky neighbor, High Incident, when the whole neighborhood watches you, communist Russia, Eastern Europeans, comedians who become politicians, Hallmark Entertainment on Fox presenting In the Lake of the Woods, Bette Midler, John Travolta, French and Saunders, Joanna Lumley, the US phenomenon of Ab Fab, The Comedy Awards, Richard Pryor, The Jim Henson Hour, trying to do the Muppets without Jim Henson, Michelle Pfeiffer, selling your soul for the corporate dollar, The Babe with John Goodman vs Babe with a pig, 1996, roided baseball hits, Siskel and Ebert, and how it's never appropriate to Jeer Bob Balaban.

November 2-8, 1991 This week Ken welcomes writer, performer and Cleavland television stalwart Zachariah Durr to the show. Ken and Zachariah discuss bunkers, loving the smell of gasoline, BYOTVG, Jim Henson, owning only two copies of TV Guide, Michael Jackson, The Muppets, Ken spending the day with John Cleese, The Ten Commandments, true fame, how nobody has world wide fame anymore, Sherman Williams bloody world domination, TV Guide editorial directives, the premiere of Black Or White, TV snobs, never capturing the magic of Thriller again, Moonwalker, Sega Genesis, 4 Non Blondes, Ken's Lair of the White Worm derived lust for Amanda Donohoe, Wings Hauser not doing stunts, letters to the editor, trying to make it to the side of the lunch box, basic cable, Roger Corman's Poe Adaptations, The Terror, P.S. I Luv U, Shock Jocks, The Adventures of Mark and Brian, Eerie Indiana, Eerie Indiana The Other Side, Pan Am, America's Funniest Home Videos, Ken's teenager Comedy Central stand up debut, French Stewart, The NEW WKRP in Cincinnati, Unsolved Mysteries Diabolical Minds special, The Jackalope, Christopher's First Smile Collectable Doll, Merlin, MacGyver, UK video/film weirdness, Doctor Who, Sherlock Holmes, UK Union rules, The Gambler, Anne Heche, I'll Fly Away, Brooklyn Bridge, the magic of posing for Playboy, Night Court, Seinfeld, MTV's Liquid Television, thinking you'll get in trouble for watching things, The Simpsons, Mystery, how white Kevin McHale is, Lisa Hartman and Bruce Greenwood faking Dennis Farina's death hosted by Telly Savalas, and Beyond Reality's powerful drama and true experiences.

This week Ken welcomes showrunner (Bones), author (The Driver, The Seminarian) and all around amazing human Hart Hanson. Ken and Hart discuss Canadian advertisements of dogs who want milk, milk bags, thinking you were Canadian your whole life until you find out you were actually secretly American, Dave Thomas, not being one of those show business living guys in show biz, always wanting to be a novelist, having TV as your fall back, the Canadian 80s TV landscape, Toronto TV vs. Vancouver, interning at the CBC, The Beachcombers, Buffy, faxing your way to fun and profit, The Outer Limits, Poltergeist: The Legacy, Road to Avaonlea, The Kids in the Hall, winning Canadian Emmys, Traders, Sarah Polley, reasons Hart was intimidated to be on the show, Matt Nix, The Kings, Cupid, being told you are too old, general meetings, Rob Thomas, Bones, how to survive in show biz, being assigned work, the late 90s -10s, how studios don't even know what they own, finance and ratings, crazy decisions, streaming hammock shows where nobody watches the middle four, Fringe, telling long form stories without knowing how long you have to tell them, hating serial killers, crime dramas, P.I.s, always having a sense of humor in your work, The Royle Family, how stand ups are used in the UK, panel shows, Taskmaster, Ken's fury at when stand ups always need to be holding a mic when they appear on television, owing the network, back when we had seasons, feeling bad about shows that didn't go, not making CSI, learning the lesson of Moonlighting, working on very dark, serious shows, gallows humor, the way humor helps people cope, Joan of Arcadia, Barbara Hall, Judging Amy, bonding with Dave Thomas, writing for people you want to meet, Billy Gibbons, Cyndi Lauper, ZZ Top, being a bad guitar player, Michael B Jordan, casting people before they were stars, bringing back teen idols, Manhunter, the writers' strike, The Finder, being the victim of executive arguments, feeling like you let Rainn Wilson down, and how we're the FBI, idiot.

October 30 - November 5, 1999 This week Ken welcomes comedian and host of the podcast "Could be the Move", Bobby Dolan to the show. Ken and Bobby discuss LA's West Side, Ken's life hack driving tips, San Diego, Montgomery County Baltimore, going to college in Maryland, John Waters, Ken's punk rock band, John Butler Trio, when a venue doesn't have a stage, Halloween, Ken not having the original issue Bobby asked for, Pokemon, collecting non-sports cards, rippin packs, living the scratch ticket lifestyle, when 30s is ancient, Sela Ward, Ken's crush on Sela Ward, Once and Again, actors who aren't Jason Bateman, Billy Campbell, The Rocketeer, Basic cigarettes, The Ace of Basic, frozen concentrated fruit juices, Five Alive, Bobby's marveling at TV Guide's color scheme, the official light of the new millennium, the wonders of being knocked out by Nyquil, Simon Rex, possibly the strangest quote in TV Guidance Counselor history, "the guy version", Sting, Wrestling, being disappointed by Goldberg, legendary college football games, Father vs Son head coach rivalries, 1999 FSU Football team, Tyson, incriminating photographs made at a mall, Early Edition, The World Series, pre-FOX World Series games, hating the Yankees, 7th Heaven, everyone's crush on Jessica Biel, Jennifer Love Hewitt's Party of Five spin off, Ally McBeal, horror flicks, The Shining, Monster Mania, Major League III being a two star movie, Roasts before they got really impersonally personal and hateful, Two Guys and a Girl, Who's Line is it Anyway?, Joshua Jackson followed by Luscious Jackson, Chicago Hope, the most 90s awards show ever, stealing sperm from the dead, Y2K, H2O, It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, tasting like somebody loves you, sport commentary, being completely outraged by people not wearing helmets, stepping into the bucket, and people confusing Godzilla with Gorgo.

This week Ken welcomes legendary warm up comic, and author of the essential memoir "Warm Up Guy", Bob Perlow to the show. Ken and Bob discuss the side of Rhode Island, Night of the Comet, Gary Marshall, being conscripted into warming up the audience, Newhart, falling into writing on Laveren and Shirley, discovering audiences want T-shirts, the power of sound queues, America's Host, the sequestered audience of a sitcom taping, how Friends tapings could take up to 8 hours, Dream On, the three hour limit, trying to keep the energy up, Full House, the unique weirdness of multi-cam sitcoms, being one of the elite few warm up comics, the 1978 -2008 sweet spot, Cheers, Night Court, Taxi, writing for Who's the Boss, Danny Arnold, being an extra on Barney Miller, torturing Jerry Lewis, Jimmy Stewart, Kirk Douglas, Ernest Borgnine, Vanity Plates, the horror of being famous and poor, seeing a former star now bartending, shows filmed outside during COVID, Oh! Madeline, the best sitcoms and the worst, The Single Guy, the classic mistake of not coming out and saying hello to the audience, how great Bob Newart is, the power of Robin Williams, how Tony Danza was absolutely the boss, photo mats, prank shows, getting hired as a writer having never written anything, being a tour guide, Angie, offering your services for free to get established, Robert Hayes, Makin' It, LA traffic, warming up the Tonight Show, Jay Leno, doubling up on gigs despite traffic, having a video to play if you're running late, Harry Anderson, getting fired from Home Improvement because Tim Allen is insecure, warming up a Michael Jackson video, warming up Susan Powter videos, 9 to 5, Major Dad, when actors take the part too seriously because they are wearing a uniform, Candid Camera, wanting to see some people get their competence, Grace Under Fire, Brett Butler, Cybill, getting photos with celebrities, aspirations to be on screen, how performers are not shy, Andy Kauffman on the set of Taxi, Annette Funicello, Growing Pains, Let Bob Do It, treating your audience with respect, Coach, Bob Saget, why you DO want to meet your heroes, why it's best to stay in a warm up gig for the long haul, being so you nobody can steal it, keeping souvenirs, giving away swag, keeping the diner sign from the Laverne and Shirley episode you wrote, running into people on the studio lot, Roseanne's late night show, how hard it is to make a living, being in Robin Williams improv group, The Larry Sanders Show, and getting out at the right time.

In this episode, comedian and film buff Josh Fadem dives deep into 1950s television and film noir. He shares his obsession with the genre, detailing his pandemic binge of classic noirs and the influence of this era on TV shows like 'Dragnet.' They explore the competitive relationship between film and television during that time and chuckle over quirky vintage ads from the period. Fadem also examines how live performances shaped entertainment, with memorable references to renowned acts like Ernie Kovacs and Ed Sullivan.

This week Ken welcomes artist, all around coolest human, and writer/illustrator of the Minky Woodcock comic series, including the newest volum "The Girl Called Cthlulu", Cynthia Von Buhler. (yes I know I called it "Mindy" Woodcock a couple times instead of "Minky". It's Minky) Ken and Cynthia discuss Ken's fandom, art, coming up in Boston, the Boston Phoenix, growing up in Western MA, Children's Books, illustrating, noir, alternative history, HP Lovecraft, Tesla, Alestair Crowley, going to Art School, living in London, people missing the joke, tongue in cheek, Women of Sodom, parody, Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Sid & Marty Kroft, immersive theater, Illuminati Ball, Land of the Lost, Jem, Crime Story, Faces of Death, extreme video nasties, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, I Spit on Your Grave, Japanese weirdness, Pee Wee's Playhouse, Letters to Cleo, appearing in the Macy's parade, being a free range child, consuming things more deeply because they are harder to get, being shocked you have no tattoos, James Bond, how society's pop culture has caught up with the underground, Gumby, Archie, Hubba Hubba, Davey and Goliath, Christian Shows, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, how all kinds are hard wired to love monsters, Squid Games, Patchinko, loving foreign television, subtitles, Korean Culture, Mad Men, the difficulty of telling stories in ongoing TV series, knowing when a story is done, trauma induced nightmares, and the weird legacy of HP Lovecraft.

This week Ken welcomes academic, fellow middle aged punk, and author of the new book "Hardcore Punk in the Age of Reagan: The Lyrical Lashing of an American Presidency ", Robert J. Fitzgerald. Ken and Robert discuss Robert's favorite TVGC episodes, Jane Seymour, Ted Danson, his love of House of Pain, Ken's high school punk band, Goonies, doing your research, The Pogues, Mike Watt, living in the UK from Summer of '75-77, being a Military kid, Fort Mead MD, living in Seoul Korea as a young kid in the early 80s, living two hours south of Chicago, getting a new job, being a skater kid, second tier cities, the DC/LA/NYC hardcore trinity, Naked Raygun, Ronald Reagan, suburban kids, post-Vietnam, boredom, the ridiculousness of punk culture Presidents, when white suburban kids ruin punk scenes, all dude affairs, Wasted Youth, Only in America, the correct use of saxophone, Throb Throb, Bad Religion, Dead Kennedys, the death of Mall Culture, Fast Times, The Elks Lodge Riot, Black Flag, police brutality, Plugz, metal vs. punk, Bones Brigade, the hip hop connection, Anthrax, appocalyptic Boston, Discharge, Nuclear War, appocalypse anxiety, The Cold War, Threads, The War Game, Big Black, Steve Albini, being out of phase, The Business, cosplay, being a musical civil war reenacter, Motorhead, Battalion of Saints, Taang! Records, how DIY punk kids were actually living the capitalist American Dream, Alternative Tenticles, SST Records, The Laffer Curve, real time populist grass roots resistance, distribution, touring, writing off certain sub-cultures, academic looks at punk rock, tape trading, the mainstreaming of alternative culture, Quincy Punks, Yo! MTV Raps, Rap City, BET, finally getting cable, watching reaction videos on YouTube, Living Colour, Bad Brains, explaining things to teenagers, the love of the hunt, record shopping, buying bad records, 7"s, Fishbone, late night underware tai chi, Youth of Today, spiritual journies, Boise Idaho's State of Confusion, pretentious record collectors, Naked Raygun's hiatus, growing up, sticking to your ideals, phone calls from Ian MacKaye, Minor Threat, playing guitar for children, heroes of the no heroes movement, being an Assistant Principal, being a historian, Riot Fest, Jake Burns, Stiff Little Fingers, playing in bands, the cringe of many 80s hardcore songs, homophobia, The Descendents, MOD, context, writing character songs, Pegboy, and cultural connections.