TV Guidance Counselor

Last month (March 9, 2024) Ken moderated a chat with Growing Pains cast members Tracey Gold, Jeremy Miller and Julie McCullough at the spring North East Comic Con in Boxboro Mass. Enjoy!

May 25-31, 1991 This week Ken welcomes author Jason Brant and his wife and co-host of the EXCELLENT YouTube show, "So Bad It's Good", Erin Brant to the show. Ken, Jason and Erin discuss the risk of Erin and Jason wrecking the show forever, loving bad movies, how horrible a person Steven Segal is, vanity project, Neil Breen, how 1991 was the hangover of the 1980s, being barred from watching South Park, growing up in rural Western PA, Hershey, Pittsburgh, cigarettes, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, Kevin Costner, Waterworld, T2, Transformers, childhood movie trauma, Space Camp, National Geographic, Boston mobsters, vomit bags, how amazing Steven Webber is, Wings, the wonder of Roy Biggins, America's Funniest People, Kidney Magazine, Prog Rock, Goblin, surgery on TV, Blossom, Joey Lawrence's music career, MacGyver, Murphy Brown, how great Hunter is, Collector's Plates, renting movies, Unsolved Mysteries, Sightings, Skullets, Hooker's Girls, The Hulkster, field trips, Cheers, bad investments, American Ninja, Totem Poles, traveling to Boston, Silence of the Lambs, The Mothman Prophecies, George Romero, understanding a minute, Wes Craven's Made for TV Movies, Babes, TGIF, The Naked Gun, Alexander Graham Bell, Babygirl Scott, the horrors of Testament, the cancelation of Hunter, and complaining about Manhunter.

This week Ken welcomes director Michael Pressman (The Great Texas Dynamite Chase, Some Kind of Hero, Doctor Detroit, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II The Secret of the Ooze) to the show. Ken and Michael discus COVID binging, The Bear, Slow Horses, The Crown, Call My Agent, having a comedy background but gravitating towards drama, having difficulty knowing when TV Comedy is working, Bad News Bears, working for Roger Corman, Picket Fences, how executives don't understand funny, indie cinema, directing Vanilla Ice, special FX, non-Union shoots, Golden Harvest, Michael's father being blacklisted, David Pressman's directing career, The Actor's Studio, visiting Hollywood sets after the blacklist was lifted in the 60s, the early days of live TV, Cosmopolitan Theater, New York vs L.A., westerns, Car 54, Where Are You?, Phil Silvers, Bonanza, directing theater, how much ratings have changed, the strange nature of streaming, soap operas, Law and Order SVU, Grey's Anatomy, Chicago Hope, Dick Wolf, Richard Boone, loving Hitchcock, being a 70s film snob, art house cinema, French New Wave, cults to flops, studio interference, made for TV movies, Ingmar Berman, the studio system, how in person viewing returns, when tech companies want to be the movie business, shared experiences, midnight movies, Netflix, the gimmick of going live, the origins of TV Guide, Ken's collection, ten years of the podcast, the lost age of shows and hunting down Michael's father's work.

February 12-18, 1977 This week Ken welcomes comedian, co-host of the Woo Woo Podcast, and woman behind the new stand up comedy special, "Sweetie", Irene Bremis. Ken and Irene discuss growing up in Boston, racism, being Greek, living in New York, having a braided perm, getting picked on at school, trying to pass a Puerto Rican, Kojak, strong family ties, not smoking, good parking spaces, lollipops, how handsome Ken is, when everyone smoked, Kraft Singles, kissing grits, ventriloquism, meeting Carol Burnett, Ken big upping Irene, being a Trekkie, Leather Tuscadero, Happy Days, strong women leads in television shows in the 1970s, Valerie Harper, being fired from your own show, cruel producers, loving horror movies, Don't Go to Sleep, Carrie, The Exorcist, growing up religious (culturally or otherwise), Wonder Woman, Golden Girls, loving Bea Arthur, pros and cons of boob jobs, Bruce Campbell, Burt Offerings, One Day at a Time, Van Halen, Wrestling, girl crushes, celebrity murderers, Bionic People, Barney Miller, Fish, how the 70s could be more progressive than today, Soap, gay characters on television, Tony Randall, when Johnny Carson screwed over Joan Rivers, Red Fox, Cher, and the ballad of the Guidette.

July 16-22, 1994 He was one of the very last in person guests pre-COVID, and this time he's back via satellite, please welcome writer of his second graphic novel, Youth Group (out 7/16/24 from First Second Books! Available for pre-order NOW!) , comic, and podcaster Jordan Morris back to the show. Ken and Jordan discuss NASA, Dave Thomas (Wendy's), Popeyes, KFC, In and Out Burger, when all cartoons became babies, Yo Yogi!, Jellystone, the most obscure Hanna Barbara characters, Ken's love of Frankenstein Jr., the impossible Impossibles, Sex with Cindy Crawford, the moon landing, Summer Shows, Sex in the 90s, House of Style, Steven Banks Show, paddy whacks, what Alec Baldwin watches, PBS Sitcoms, Yank Yucks, the "YouTube Thumbnail face", Pat Riley, TV Nation, the glory of the early teen years Summers, learning pop culture references, Hot Shots, The Mad Magazine phenom, Ren & Stimpy, the sweet Nicktoons, Rocko's Modern Life, Dream On, boobs on cable, Weekend at Bernie's II, MTV, Dead at 21, Good Morning Mr. Hitler, Vanessa Angel on Time Trax, unethical Anti-Gravity Belts, Chained Heat II, erotic Thrillers, Pam Anderson in Snapdragon, massive Tom Beringer fans, Blossom, Joey Lawrence's music career, music video drops, Michael Jackson Black or White, Ashton Drake's weird dolls, mold breaking, heist movies, Game Gear, Three Ninjas, Running Man, Tales from the Crypt, Arnold Schwarzenegger's directorial debut, William Hickey, Body Double, The Critic, Grace Under Fire, Seinfeld, In Living Color, Fraiser, Christmas in July, Pieces : It's Exactly What You Think It Is, AIDS calendars, Flashdance, Boogaloo Shrimp on Family Matters, Cliff Hanger, Terry O'Quinn, Samurais, and loving Hangin' with Mr. Cooper.

February 1-7, 1997 This week Ken welcomes author of the excellent new novel Mother Doll (signed copies can be purchased here: https://www.skylightbooks.com/pre-order-signed-copies-mother-doll-katya-apekina), Katya Apekina. Ken and Katya discuss living in LA, raining in LA, snow in New England, the nature of our stories, how technology can make us more isolated, displacement, Russia, speaking your native tongue, raising your kids bi-lingual, translating literature, having a strong Moscow accent, only knowing 70s slang, Cheburashka, accordion playing crocodiles, not being allowed to watch TV, Party of Five, reading War and Peace as a kid, WBCN, cool music, being cool by middle school, only watching one show a week, dating shows, Elimidate, Viy, going to Russian video stores in Allston, not wanting things up your nose, Singled Out, Jenny McCarthy, the death of the Maytag Repairman, Star Trek Voyager, Basketball Wizard Dennis Rodman, The Magic Castle, The Amazing Randi, Groundhog Day, North by Northwest, photography, making your own 8mm films, The Coolidge Corner Cinema, Early Edition, 3rd Rock from the Sun, being a comedy snob, The Simpsons, Mad About You, reboots, hate watching Melrose Place and 7th Heaven, Mystery, Into the Arms of Danger, Roseanne, watching the Presidential Debates for School, Burning Zone, burying your wife alive, the greatness of Ally Sheedy, The Nanny, Covid driven Nanny, office work, Drew Carrey, comforting murder, Murder She Wrote, Sister Sister, always wanting to be a twin, fooling people, TGIF, magical shows, psychics, Unsolved Mysteries, the death of Kurt Cobain, how strange it is to the young that over the air TV exists, the horrors of Disney kids sitcoms, offending religions to sell Snickers, cleavage cams, risqué tones, and learning the truth about Santa Claus from Jamie Lee Curtis.

December 7-13, 1985 This week Ken welcomes writer, producer, professor, director and all around good guy Allan Arkush to the show. Ken and Allan discuss Allan's cool office, Allan's record collection, Roger Corman, Emmy Nominations, directing or directing and producing over 400 episodes of TV, the path from 70s exploitation to 80s mainstream TV, having a high batting average of sold TV pilots. Fame, Summer pilot, Rock N Roll High School, telling stories through music, how popular Fame was in Israel, residuals, 80s NYC, directing videos for Elvis Costello, Bette Midler and Fleetwood Mac, the ones you turn down, why 1985 was a huge TV year for Allan, St. Elsewhere, Moonlighting, being able to be a style chameleon, being a cinema fan, having Scorsese teach you film, growing up in NJ, making whatever movie you want as long as it's the movie Roger wants, how hard it is to make good TV, coverage and lighting, how execs are not funny or creative, how bad studio notes are, King Kong, Micky Mouse Club, serialized stories, loving the theme songs from Westerns, Rocky and Bullwinkle, The Loan Ranger, Circus Boy, Abby Singer, The Twilight Zone, Soupy Sales, using rock music in movies, Get Crazy, Zacherly introducing the Grateful Dead at the Filmore East, I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners bump, being a nerd, how some things don't hold up, The Dick Van Dyke Show, working with Ron Howard, Doris Day movies, Family Affair, Father Knows Best, Leave it to Beaver, the importance of empathy, the transitional time of the 70s and 80s, East Side West Side, The Bronx Zoo, Hill St. Blues, the importance of casting, working for Bruce Paltrow, Crossing Jordan, ER, police procedurals, the time Ken ruined a shot in the pilot of Crossing Jordan, having to rush home and watch Saturday Night Live, SCTV, Catherine O'Hara's total character commitment, film noir, the zeitgeist of relationships between men and women, the dancing baby on Ally McBeal, Heroes, Duck Soup, The Shining, Lemony Snicket, showing The TAMI Show to young people, and how the future is female.

June 13-19, 1970 This week Ken welcomes legendary bass-man, and all around punk rock royalty, Mr. Mike Watt to the show. Ken and Mike discuss San Pedro, first meeting D. Boon, moving to San Pedro in 1967 from Navy Housing, living in the projects, saying no to Alameda, George being from Brocton, strong accents, how all the Minutemen were transplants to San Pedro, D. Boon's mom, how trippy the Summer of 1970 was, Blue Oyster Cult, UHF stations, Wild Wild West, Star Trek, Mission Impossible, not having a color TV, how The Prisoner is Mike's favorite show, M*A*S*H, All in the Family, D. Boon's love of Johnny Carson because his dad was from Nebraska, WWII movies, T. Rex, local horror hosts, the origin of "D." in D. Boom, Steve McQueen, The Sand Pebbles, B-Movies, Svenghouli, Elvira, The Stooges, Vampira, local kid shows, LA's Seymour, Fright Night, opening for The Butthole Surfers, how Gibby Haynes' father was a children's TV Show host called Mr. Peppermint, the JFK assassination, Gumby, Alan Watts, Alex Cox's book about The Prisoner, Ice Station Zebra, Patrick McGoohan, The Honeymooners, Green Acres, stupid characters, My Favorite Martian, Non coms, The Phil Silvers Show, F Troop, punk rock, Ed Sullivan, Robert Mitchem, The Space Race, Mad Magazine, Star Trek The Motion Picture, subscriptions to Scientific America, the importance of learning, serious topics, drunks, Johnny Cash, variety shows, Kirk Douglas, Edward G. Robinson, Two Weeks in Another Town, Carol Kaye's Wild Wild West bass line, Mission Impossible, Hal Blaine, Earl Palmer, Director's control, Kubrick, watching YouTube, The Outer Limits, Soldier, Demon with a Glass Hand, and loving Offbeat Cinema.

March 17-23, 1990 This week Ken welcomes old friend, comedian Esther Ku. Ken and Ku discuss how long it has been since they've talked to each other, starting comedy in Boston, moving to NYC, how we all have a different path, working in marketing, growing up in Chicago, Last Comic Standing, how dues are different, hosting the AVN Porn Awards, working blue, dirty jokes, not taking advice, how what you talk about on stage is way racier than how you live your life, playing piano, growing up in an evangelical home, Sharpie, The Simpsons, Simpsons stuffed animals, St. Patrick's Day, The Franklin Mint, bootleg Jesus, manipulation, Foxy Boxing, Readers Digest and Time magazine, Loveline, The Real World, The Jamie Foxx Show, Once Bitten, being an extra, not talking to Jim Carrey, improv lessons, Micah Sherman, interviewing writers from the Simpsons, loving Lisa Simpson's feminism, pitching an animated show, writing dirty songs on your ukulele, Religious outrage of big budget movies, Titanic, Love & Lies, Ken's tape trading year, Rock Em Sock Em Robots, Hungry Hungry Hippos, The Rock a Fire Explosion, Roller Blades vs Quads, Ken's time on Sex Life, Real Sex, America's Funniest Home Videos, 90 Day Fiancé', and way too much about K-Y Jelly.

Somehow it's been ten years! Ken goes solo on this one and does a year in review, for 2014. How has it been ten years??