TV Guidance Counselor

Ken and Paul discuss illegal Burbank tattoos, jaywalking, Unsolved Mysteries, growing up in Orlando, being scared of the dark, Gremlins, being into astronomy, The Discovery Center, Ernest Saves Christmas, pizzeria arson, second run cinemas, Polyester, 3M Stage blood, Beetlejuice, the 80s Gross Out fads, Garbage Pail Kids, stumble upon culture, how access was taste, Nick Drake, having Bugs Bunny as your mom, mix tapes, Twin Peaks, binge culture vs. week to week viewing, The Wacker Family, haunted bunk beds, the gift of fear, ghosts, Updates, People's Court, Divorce Court, Forensic Files, the Van Dykes, Diagnosis Murder, the Millennial re-discovery of 80s murder mysteries, how autopsy TV changed the world of media, House of Games, TV's Bloopers and Practical jokes, second hand oral R-Rated movies, Len Cella's Silly Cinemas, musicals, Hull High, Ken's crush on Nancy Valen, The Flash, the terrifying "Max Headroom" incident, Golden Girls, Barbara Crampton, soaps, Family Feud, aspiration, the change in marketing, Roseanne, infomercials, little people real estate moguls, Dead of Night/Deathdream, anthology shows, Tales from the Darkside, Monsters, Glim Glim, Retribution, the weird late 80s early 90s horror aesthetic, The Willies, Garbage Pail Kids: The Movie, living in a department store, Today's Special, having a crush on Muffy, Christopher Lee, Faerie Tale Theater, Nick at Nite, SCTV, Love Connection, Serial Killers on dating shows, Blind Date, Manuunter, Tom Noonan, Peeping Tom, haunting images, Police Sketch artists, why Victor Salva shouldn't be allowed to work again and is human garbage, Woody Allen's transgressions, people being forced to confess to murders they didn't do so cops could close cases, why it's not the grue that haunts you with a dead body, You Can't Do That on Television, David Bowie's acting career, Highway to Heaven, confusing Lean on Me and Stand and Deliver, and the lasting influence of Blackboard Jungle. Paul is a writer and researcher who contributed to and helped finish his friend Michelle McNamara's book "I'll Be Gone in the Dark" after her tragic and untimely death. The book is now an upcoming HBO docuseries on which Paul is co-executive producer and will be appearing,

November 2-9, 2001 This week Ken welcomes producer, director and all around coolest person Charlotte Stein to the show. Ken and Charlotte discuss Harry Potter, Charlotte's TV Guide shoplifting, X-Files, cryptic spines, helping teach in Summers, Jeri Ryan, Star Trek, Philosophers vs. Sorcerers, King of the Hill, Sightings, Luke Wilson, Roshomon, Halloween, Butterfinger, The Simpsons, elaborate Trick or Treating rituals, costume changes, John Steed, The Avengers, inappropriate Catwoman costumes, The Faculty, USA vs. TBS, Friday the 13th Part 5, Savage Streets, New York Sleaze, cartoon C.O.P.S vs Cops, feeling mature, Jennifer Love Hewitt's "Let's Go Bang", Denise Richards, Wild Things, Kevin Bacon's bacon, Josh Hartnet's bedhead, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, Kiefer Sutherland in Dark City, The Blair Witch Project, Hammer vs. Tigon vs. Amicus, why Templars are for dorks, Eddie Furlong as Tracy Gold's husband, the Dog Soldiers formula, "Greeking", Blast from the Past vs. Pleasantville, Dave Foley, Millenium, Allie McBeal, Boston Public, David E. Kelly, when Ken ruined Crossing Jordan, Mad TV, Queer Eye, disliking Frank Sinatra, Eagleheart, everyone's favorite Nightmare on Elm St movie, candy based super powers, Greg Nicotero, not being into Mr. Boogedy, The Monroevill Mall, visiting your favorite filming locations, Hidden Camera comedy, Argento cuts, and the tv turmoil immediately after 9/11.

This week Ken welcomes writer, producer, showrunner and childhood hero Tim O'Donnell (Growing Pains, Clueless, Uncle Buck, Just the Ten of Us) to the show. Ken and Tim discuss The Mommies, being on the #1 show and the #100 show, Gloria, working in TV News, adapting movies into TV shows, basing a show around a stand up comedian, the Sandy episode of Growing Pains, Matthew Perry, Very Special Episodes, Valerie/The Hogan Family, working in radio, P.A. ing on The Carol Burnett Show, working on The Glenn Campbell Show, the pitfalls of multi-cam shot on video shows, how film look took over, Newhart, Cheers, Clueless, Paul Rodriguez, warm up comics, the writers' room system, watching actors learn to be writers, pitching jokes, Dog Weddings, being an ex-Seminarian, Just the Ten of Us, Catholic Jokes, breaking the 4th Wall, Rich Reinhart, Rock N Roll Fantasy, The Lubbock Babes, Mr. Belvedere, Ken's college age anthrax shield job, Dick Van Patton as a bigot on Growing Pains, Heather Graham, The Dewy High Hooters, Dance Fever Part 1, clip shows, Free Spirit, busted pilots, high concept shows, Brad Pitt, I Married Dora, Exporting Raymond, translating American sitcoms into Russian sitcoms, how Growing Pains became the first American sitcom to air in China, being mistaken for Alan Thicke, John Candy being the greatest guy ever, Clueless, James at 15, how great "Action" with Jay Mohr was, being told "there's nobody in America who wants to be Latino who currently isn't", stand up comedy showcases, network notes, why stand up comics are pre-disposed to not be great actors in an ensemble, being a showrunner, an alternate universe where Joss Whedon writes for Growing Pains, and the long discussed definitive origin of clip shows.

Today Ken welcomes actor Emma Dumont (The Gifted) to the show. Ken and Emma discuss Emma's Golden Girls fandom, The Facts of Life, being a Jo, The Facts of Life reunion, loving private school uniforms, roller skates, RollerReid, Roller Derby, Whip It!, being very tall, getting good at something through sheer will and hard work, Ken's failure at practice, Magic, learning Mandarin, doing ballet in Russia, regional oddities, "bubblahs", Seattle, underground cities, being Shanghai'd, vintage airplanes, Brownie uniforms, James at 15, virginity loss on TV, NYC vs. LA, why Americans dress badly now, learning empathy, Eastland Academy, presenting disabilities on TV, Lisa Whelchel's christian dance pop album, sitcom tone, Very Special Episodes, the teenage prostitute FoL, Rose Red, Rock n Rollergames, American Gladiators, G.L.O.W., which FoL girl Ken is, weirdness about Jo's boyfriend, failed backdoor pilots, Pam Adlon, Nurses, spin off of spin offs, Jocko, America's obsession with Australia, Ken's crush on Sherrie (Austin) Krenn, Ten Little Indians, Maurice LaMarce as Rod Serling, tough girls, McKenzie Astin, "Sexy Lingerie", Lisa Whelchel's ventriloquism skills, bunheads, Poison Ivy, Alex Rocco, Jo's Dad, Betty White, TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes, cool Summer jobs, Ken's job history, martial arts, Emma's quest for mystery robots at the end of an off brand Pinocchio tape, Will Wonka, being a diehard iPod owner, and the horrors of made for TV movies in the 90s.

Today Ken welcomes fellow Massachusetts escapee and until very recently the showrunner of the excellent and criminally non-renewed "Busy Tonight", the great Caissie St. Onge. Ken and Caissie discuss Busy Tonight, leaving Massachusetts, New England rage, why "it must be nice", Fitchburg state college, being David Letterman's assistant, 30 Rock, writing letters, being in the trenches of the Late Night Wars, mid 80s TV, WLVI TV56, WSBK TV38, growing up on a farm, how reception drove your viewing habits, Creature Double Feature, watching MTV at your grandparent's house, double featuring Jaws and the Exorcist on HBO, Ken's grandfather, The Outsiders, Red Dawn's dirty joke...maybe?, The Day After, how reading leads to drug addiction, Wacky Races, diverting from the course, Tennessee Tuxedo, Ben McKenzie, having your children discover The OC on their own, Best Week Ever, discovering the world via TV, New York City and all it's separate neighborhoods, Rosie O'Donnell, making googly eyes at Frank Oz, working with the Sesame St Muppets, Wonder Pets, Judy Gold, playing in the school band, gorging on fund raiser chocolate, soda machines in the teacher's lounge, surviving embarrassing school incidents, being an only child, Bonnie Hunt, women in television, Tina Fey, Carol Burnett, why women don't get to be eccentric, Laverne and Shirley, Gilmore Girls, Townies, watching things that just look nice, Boardwalk Empire, The Chevy Chase Show, shared experience, Big Mouth, hope for the future, how difficult it is to plug things in the time shift future, Saturday Morning cartoon previews, the pleasure of not binge watching, investing in things, how too much choice can be overwhelming, Pizzeria Uno, and Ken and Caissie's pact to re-unite in 20 years and do a Part II.

March 15-21, 1997 Today Ken welcomes comedian Maylin Pavletic to the show. Ken and Maylin discuss condemned properties, neighborhood politics, Somerville, drug fronts, pee pee/poo poo vs. poo poo/pee pee houses, uncomfortable sexual situations at work, veterinarians, dogs, Matt Smith, prostitute loving soccer players, bad statues, monkey jesus, brunch, Lord of the Flies businesses, Ren & Stimpy, Frank Zappa: Pope, The Head, MTV Oddities, Oddville, Nicktoons, The Maxx, Goosebumps, Strangers with Candy, Wishbone, Strip Mall, Julie Brown, PBS, Ghostwriter, Clarissa Explains It All erotica, Second Civil War, That Reagan Woman, Taxi, X-Files, The Real World, Jenny McCartney, Larry: Thief, news bloopers, Weather with Al, things that wasn't not funny, the scratch tickets of alcohol, sneaking booze in, Ken's creepy comforts, WWF, surprising wrestling writers, Baywatch, Mark Paul Gossler in Mad for TV movies, hurtful garbage pseudo-science, weird kids, docudramas, Carmen Elektra, Singled Out, Dennis Rodman, town liars, bikini girls, propaganda, Greg Louganis and his love of Mario Lopez, Silk Stalkings, "I'm Dangerous Tonight", the world's greatest movie that never was "Rub Down", sports on the silver screen, North Dallas 40, Blue Chips, water polo, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Tyson v. Hollyfield, having a big dump in your pants, Not of This Earth, Blind Date, Roger Lodge, Traci Lords, Studs, Blind Date, Ken's hatred of lionization of serial killers, American Psycho, sleazy Sweeps Stunts, and Chevy Chase getting destroyed by Steven Bochco.

April 19-25, 1997 Today Ken welcomes make up artist, cosplayer and podcaster Misti Dawn to the show. Ken and Misti discuss Glendale, Hollywood's creepy underbelly, red light districts, the combat zone, JFK losing his mind, Kentucky, not wanting to leave the house, angry letters, being in Good Will Hunting, Catholic Schools, staring at a dead body as punishment, a cultural removal from the physics of death, Return of the Living Dead, growing up in a video store, Mormons, crushing on Jim Carrey, Once Bitten, the early days of the internet opening the world to you, Video Power, Johnny Arcade vs. Stivvy Poninski, Mel Gibson, having your first Halloween costume be before you were born, cosplay, Comic Conventions, Vamp, DTLA, Grace Jones, hating Dr. Phil, Jenny McCartney, Baywatch, big hair, Popeye, Xena, Lucy Lawless, Robert Altman's Gun, TV Version jackets, Linnea Quigly's Barbie Doll piece, Night of the Demons, pet psychics, sleeping to crime reenactments, Unsolved Mysteries, Ghoulies, movie tag lines, Angry Beavers, Nicktoons, visiting the Halloween shooting locations, magic shows, David Copperfield, ghosts, Misti calming Ken's issues with the new "It", representation in media, Castle Ghosts of England, Weekend at Bernie's, The Frighteners, Tales from the Crypt, Billy Zane, Quantum Leap, Full Moon Pictures, The Rocky Horror fan club, JTT, Hellraiser, Flash Drive Head, Waxwork, Valley Girl, being confused by the Marquis de Sade, smelling David Bowie, NIN, Blue Velvet, Loveline, the magic being gone, loving Danny DeVito, Leprechaun making you sad, Wishmaster, Netherworld, New Orleans, Halloween in Salem, pizza, and being committed to the Walking Dead despite everything.

Today Ken welcomes actor/comedian/involuntary investigational journalist Tom Arnold to the show. Ken and Tom discuss Hirshfeld's of yourself, The Honeymooners, Jackie Gleason, getting paid $1 million to not be in the Honeymooners, The June Taylor Dancers, how sexy Florence Henderson was, autograph shows, peeing next to "Sophia Loren", growing up without a Mother, Loni Anderson, The Partridge Family, David Cassidy, Bill Cosby, the Me Too Era, Roseanne, context and intent, The Break, the horrors of Steve Bannon, supporting trans gender people, always learning, trying to be a good person, trying not to hurt people, why regrets can make you a better person, Barney Miller, playing poker with Alex Trebek, life lessons from Hal Linden, Judd Apatow asking for a raise, Norman Lear, Jane Fonda, being harassed by the Secret Service, being in physical fear, Iowa, small towns, the encouragement of teachers, WPIX, Festus from Gunsmoke, wanting to be on TV just once, working on a kill floor, meeting Andy Kaufman, loose meat sandwiches, Happy Joe's Pizza, how kids are the worst, fighting, blue collar shows, gallows humor, Joss Whedon, Spago, punching paparazzi, writing for yourself, True Lies, being for and against, Ken's beautiful Superman head, not ending on a suicide, meeting Gregory Peck, and finding an excuse not to drink that Frank Sinatra will buy.

December 20 - 26, 2003 This week Ken welcomes Pop Culture Professor Dr. Rebecca Housel to the show. Ken and Rebecca discuss cheesecake, bar pizza,being an outdoor kid, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Golden Girls, entertainment dynasties, Roseanne, Wonder Woman, anti-antisemitism, Gal Godot, the weird sexual history of Wonder Woman, Donna Reed, variety shows, cutting out commercials from your life, on demand, Alice, Charlie's Angels, Bionic Woman, 50 Shades of Grey, Anne Rice, Interview with the Vampire, Twilight, Comic Con, Baby Boomers vs. Gen X, Millennials, fascination with monsters and rules, trophy culture, video games, open worlds and their disturbing nature, Fallout 4, Poltergeists, odd coincidences, selfish lack of consequences, Gary Shteyngart, cyborgs, I Am Legend, magic words, saying it outloud, male oriented thinking, business as sociopaths, accomplishment, allegory, The Twilight Zone, honesty in art, David Cronenberg, spirit animals, having a boner for the Creature from the Black Lagoon, pornography, She-Devil, Smallville, Charmed, mixed families, Rome, Christmas, why there are not a ton of great Hanukkah specials, Lauren Holly, Power Rangers, James Marsters, meeting Stan Lee, Nickel Nips, poor people "juice", Say Anything, A Christmas Story, Sex in the City, 8 Crazy Night, While You Were Sleeping, Queen of the Damned, Cruel Intentions, and watching anything with Sarah Michelle Gellar.

This week Ken welcomes Boston comedian Shawn Carter to the show. Ken and Shawn discuss visiting Ken's house every two years, getting hugged by TV, assuming everyone is older than you, losing your hair, Shawn watching sports, getting off the Patriot's wagon, Ken's hatred of Gronk, Rockland MA, Plymouth Rock, clubbin', Skinemax Comedy, Boobs vs. Boobs after Midnight, HBO, running schoolyard gags, Mr. Walls, Mr. Enis, white suburban hip hop, Roseanne, Star Jones, ads with attitude, Michael Douglas and Val Kilmer battling man eating lions, Baywatch, Good Riddance(Time of Your Life), Limp Bizkit, college radio, getting into fights, TVGC guests Ken has turned down, Al Pacino, yelling as acting, Nicholas Cage, confusing Suddenly Susan and Veronica's Closet, people Ken has on his "to punch" list, PR firms, Mad About You, Diner, Joe Rogan, Newsradio, Body Builders, Home Improvement, Fraiser, strip clubs, bachelor parties, divorce, Wishbone, Dharma and Greg, Ken not looking like Thomas Gibson, Townies, Drew Carey, NBC, video games, working at Market Basket supermarket, Friday Night sadness, the KenCade, X-Files, Millennium, Summer School, Joe Torrie Curveballs Along the Way, The Bruins, Boston Comedy Softball, John Larroquette, why Ken will never be asked to perform in the Montreal Just for Laughs festival, the first re-runs of the year, and Ken's desire to see actual Dolphins play football.