TV Guidance Counselor

Today Ken welcomes author, podcaster Scott Ryan to the show. Ken and Scott discuss Scott's new book, Thirtysomething at Thirty, an oral history of Thirtysomething, Twin Peaks, My So-Called Life, Special Bulletin, Picket Fences, Fringe, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the return of Twin Peaks.

February 9-15, 1991 Today Ken welcomes comedian Josie Long to the show. Ken and Josie talk about coming from the UK, American misperceptions of Royalty, how Hollywood couples like Roseane and Tom Arnold keep it together. The Radio & TV Times, why Darlene is so cool, Kevin James' Rich White guy support of Donald Trump, how cocaine explains most things, BBC Three, UK Play, Twin Peaks, Iraq War, Operation Desert Storm, The Damned, The Young Ones, Fist of Fun, tough guy dry tea, multiple channels having the same network, why America is a big weird country, Austin City Limits, hanging out in a shed playing guitars on a Saturday night, why the UK keeps sex and cuts out violence, pro-bowling on television, The League of Ordinary Gentlemen, Surrey Quays, Dog Soldiers, playing hidden camera pranks on Stevie Wonder, the talk show boom: Rickie Lake, Jenny Jones, Sally Jesse Raphael, Morton Downey Jr, Jerry Springer in The Ringmaster, The Kids in the Hall, John Waters movies, the wonders of Designing Women, Josie starring in a UK remake of Gabriel's Fire, War as Entertainment, how Nationalism = Racism, Encino Man aka California Man, The Ben Stiller Show, Tom Hanks early TV roles, Bosom Buddies, Moonlighting, 2001, Murder She Wrote, The Fresh Prince, Blossom and the acting career of Jerry Hall.

Ken welcomes writer/actor Terry Sweeney to the show. Ken and Terry discuss corporal punishment, Texas, living in the South, growing up in Long Island, old dirty scary NYC, "Do what now", Terry's Sicilian Mother, hunting for TV Guide, Dinah Shore, being "excited" by Jim Morrison, Bones, crime shows, Miss Marple, Sherlock Holmes, Jeremy Brecht, Mr. Ball, Joan Rivers, Mad TV, Tripping the Rift, being in a hot tub with Madonna, Bruce McCullough, Mark McKinney, and television networks fear of desks.

December 23-29, 1961 Today Ken welcomes writer, artist Stephen Bissette (Swamp Thing, Video Watchdog) to the show. Ken and Steve discuss tips to get through governmental checkpoints, Swamp Thing, dinosaurs, Comic Cons, Doctor Who, Ultraman, Canadian TV, Vermont, Fear No Evil, Made for TV movies, Monster Kids, 8mm Castle movies, Ray Harryhausen, Outer Limits, taking notes while watching TV, Carnival of Souls, turning roof antenna, color TV, the Bus Stop controversy, Fabian, Senate investigations into television, Lost in Space, Batman '66, growing up in a military family, Eyes Without a Face, realizing there are different edits of movies in different places, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Ray Bradbury, going to the Kubert School, Chiller Theater, Mario Bava, Blood an Black Lace, renting B movies on 16mm at college, the golden age of local TV, CBC, David Cronenberg, Watchmen, The Fly, Twilight Zone, George Romero working on Calgon commercials, Ducati, Jim Henson on Ed Sullivan, Bring Em Back Alive, Jungle Comics, The Phantom, quicksand, The Architects of Fear, the BBC's Ghost Story for Christmas, Mark Gatiss' Crooked House, Amicus Pictures, The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T, Salem's Lot, the horrors of Barlow, The Night Stalker, Kolchak, Mondo Movies, Route 66, In Search Of..., Bigfoot footage, zine culture, Godzilla, Heavy Metal, getting Billy Mumy's autograph, Constantine, Supernatural, Dellamorte Dellamore (Cemetery Man), Don't Open Until Doomsday, The Emir, the wonders of modern special FX, Stan Winston, Gargoyles, needing to watch movies on a big screen, not loaning out your media, TV Holy Grails, David Susskind, The Devil and Daniel Webster with Edgar G. Robinson, The Portrait of Dorian Gray, Way Out, and the hunt for Robert Altman's Nightmare in Chicago.

January 20 - February 1, 1991 Today Ken welcomes comedian, podcaster and television personality Jonah Ray to the show. Ken and Jonah discuss mannequins in car dealerships, The Superbowl, how sports leads to day drinking, Sportsball, human Guess Who, Kevin Meaney, Steven Webber in The Shining, Frank from Murphy Brown, Wings, Tracy Ullman, Oceanic Cable, Hawaii, Tales from the Crypt, Dawn of the Dead, Hidden America, when pranks become assault, horror bros, the golden age of VHS, customizing a Mall Madness game into a Dawn of the Dead game, SNL, when Fox TV owned Sundays, Parker Lewis Can't Lose, Bud Bowl, In Living Color, Pump Up the Volume, surprise boobs, Kube, Get a Life, getting lost in the parody, Cosby, moving to CT in a van with Tony Danza, why Jonah unfollows Ken on Instagram often, crew jackets, stunt men bars, Horror in Hawaii, The Wonder Years, Daniel Stern, meeting Fred Savage, Whip It, Growing Pains, Boston's constant aggression, meatball fights, Doogie Howser's theme song, San Pedro, punk bands, F.Y.P., The Flash vs. Beverly Hills 90210, Full House, Perfect Strangers, Mel Brooks, David Cronenberg, Seinfeld, JV Award Shows and Jonah's reboot of Renegade.

Today Ken welcomes writer, special make up FX master and pseudo-Mad Scientist Steve Johnson to the show. Ken and Steve discuss making the television Ken talks about, moving to CA from Texas at age 18, Merv, Steve's book Rubberhead, Rick Baker, An American Werewolf in London, John Landis, Stephen King, Hammer Horror, Universal Monsters, Tom Savini, the birth of Gore, holographic contact lenses, Innocent Blood, Joe Hill, Max Landis, Tom Atkins, The Stand, Stephen King on Television, The Shining TV mini-series, Steven Webber, Maximum Overdrive crew shirts, Friedkin's Bug, Danse Macabre, The Incredible Shrinking Man, old school studio employee make up fx guys, Dick Smith, matching the age spots on the Exorcist, Freaked, Screaming Mad George, covering A-List actors in character make up, Tales from the Darkside, Monsters, Organ Donor parts, German versions, Glim Glim, The Horror Hall of Fame, making frogs for Magnolia, Ernie Anderson, working on Ghostbusters, Slimer, ending the debate of the Zombie cab driver, CGI, puppeteering, and how Spinder-Man 2 can put gas in your car.

March 25 -31, 1978 Today Ken welcomes comedian Wendy Liebman to the show. Ken and Wendy discuss L.A. rain, growing up in Long Island, low tolerance for New England snow, inventions, Walk-Muffs, Shark Tank, inventions, Steven Wright, appearing on Late Night TV, Ding Ho, Boston Comedy, seeing "Match Game '74" taped live, seeing Madonna at the Danceteria, The Midnight Special with Wolfman Jack, Maytag vs. Friends, Bob Newhart, Stitches, following the rules of stand up, "Ass Blank", To Tell the Truth, Let's Make a Deal, Plinko, Hollywood Squares, Tom Bergeron, Celebrity Feuds, Dick Van Dyke Show, Carl Reiner, Phyllis Diller, Kojak, Love Boat, Bud Friedman, The Improv, Bluefish, Mary Tyler Moore, Robert Blake's murderous intent, Banachek, Burn Notice, Milton Berle, Opening for Bob Hope, Dr. Theater, Marlo Thomas in That Girl, St. Jude, The Monkees, Mickey Dolenz, Austin City Limits, Norman Lear, Dick Cavett, CBS, All in the Family, opening for Jerry Seinfeld, Carol Burnett, the wonders of live to tape and horror stories about George C. Scott.

Today Ken welcomes TV Coach, Actress, singer, and former MTV VJ, Idalis Deleon. Ken and Idalis discuss being nerdy TV Guide Collecting Kids, growing up in the Bronx while it burned, movin on up to Brooklyn, Seduction, how it feels to have Madonna rip your pants off,New Media, the birth of Hip Hop, living The Get Down, having three top ten singles, Marky Mark, Papi with Hector Alejandro, wanting to be Aaron Spelling, Charlie's Angels, bartending, when MTV came around to Hip Hop, industrial revolutions, Ted Demme, NYC, Martha Wash, Milli Vanilli, appearing on Soul Train, Vanilla Ice, Showtime at the Apollo, Heartbeat, Mariah Carey, Brenda K. Starr, Living Single, Queen Latifa, Michael Bay, Dante Ross, training people to host TV, Entertainment Tonight, QVC, E!, ethics in media, Boston Swagger, Regional accents, New Kids in the Block, Marky Mark, MTV Beach House, sportscasting, cutting the cord, I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, Friends, Six Feet Under and not re-watching things.

January 22-28, 1994 Today Ken welcomes actor and comedian Petey Gibson to the show. Ken and Petey discuss the nature of excitement, anxiety, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, Winter Previews, Mid-Season replacements, Ed Bagley Jr, Borne in Born, Cape Cod, Friendly's, flaming dice, hating Guy Fieri, hating change and surprises, Nanas, rituals, the darkness of the 90s, Saved By The Bell: The College Years, Empty Nest, Nurses, VO5 Hot Oil Treatments, Ben Vereen, Eve Plumb, Masterpiece Theater, falling in love with a murder suspect, Married...with Children, The George Carlin Show, Labyrinth, Henson Studios, strict parents banishing sexual content, growing up Catholic, Donovan Scott, being nicknames Mantis, Donna Mills, Danny Bonaduce, Full House, COPS, Rescue 911, Unsolved Mysteries, how sexy Angela Lansbury is in Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Spring Break, This Old House, Home Improvement, why JTT is a safe lesbian crush, transcription services, Ken's touch typing super powers, Willie Nelson coming out of the ice, Seinfeld, Adam Ruins Everything, UCB Classes, taking the Fun Wah Bus, Rimmers, Mr. Show, appearing on and WINNING The Price is Right, and the wonders of Judith Light.

October 25-31, 1980 Today Ken welcomes comedian Greg Fitzsimmons to the show. Ken and Greg discuss Ken's puberty voice, slow dancing, the horrors of teenage girls, Boston University, the gentrification of Boston, John Waters, The Combat Zone, Patti Smith, how far away Boston is, Ken's nerdiness, McMob movies, Cheers, how social media ruins womanizing celebrities game, classic Boston lies, fighting Marky Mark, phone calls from Greg's wife, Boston Stand Up Comics cameoing in movies, Deli Haus, The Rat, having to get through a parental gatekeeper to talk to someone of the opposite sex, having only one TV in the house, a nice stabbing, Barney Miller, The Love Boat/Fantasy Island power two hours, being in jail, Tom Hanks, Bosom Buddies, D&D panic, the golden age of Guest Stars, one hour dramas with two cast members, Jacques Cousteau, watching TV on the floor, 60 Minutes, Kojak, golfing with OJ Simpson, "If I Did It", Clint Eastwood's stunt man, living a life before working in television, comedians who are secret rapists, The White Shadow, shell shocked Vietnam Vets, and a generation missing context and intent.