Media Path Podcast

At the dawn of the singer/songwriter era, there was a time when the genre was dominated by men. Then, along came Melanie. With but one minor hit charting at one radio station, she took the stage at Woodstock. Just Melanie. Her guitar and 500,000 peace loving new friends, holding candles in the rain. The experience inspired Melanie’s anthem, Lay Down, landing her new album in the collection of every aspiring hippy girl the world over.The hits kept coming. Ruby Tuesday, What Have They Done To My Song, Ma? And Brand New Key. Melanie was everywhere. Writing, touring and creating a soundtrack that inspired young girls to grow into women who went after their dreams.Melanie Safka has raised a family but she’s never stopped making music. Her story-telling is as epic as her songs. She shares how she defied her parents’ debutant dreams for her and followed her passions, how she quite accidentally met her producer/manager/husband, Peter Schekeryk, her out of body Woodstock experience, featuring a pot of tea sent over by Joan Baez, her spiritual collaboration with The Edwin Hawkins Singers,  how fasting, hallucinating and McDonald’s inspired the roller skate song, Brand New Key and her recent backyard duet with super fan, Miley Cyrus.Plus Fritz and Weezy recommend I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy and A Spy Among Friends.Path Points of Interest:A Spy Among Friends - AmazonI'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdyiCarly on NetflixiCarly on NickelodeonMelanie SafkaMelanie on YoutubeMelanie on WikipediaLay Down (Candles in the Rain) with the Edwin Hawkins singersMelanie on PatreonMelanie on FacebookMelanie on TwitterMelanie with Miley CyrusSurprise Duet with Todd Rundgren at Darryl's HouseMelanie's son Beau Jarred Schekeryk Melanie's daughter Leilah Hayman Melanie's daughter Jeordie SchekerykUpcoming Signing at Chiller Theatre in Parsippany, NJ

Filmmaker David Millbern’s award winning and Emmy-nominated documentary TV Special called 100 Years of Men in Love: The Accidental Collection tells 100 love stories that were almost lost forever to history. Based on a collection of vintage photos found at antique stores and flea markets, dating from 1850 into the 1950s and curated by Hugh Nini and Neal Treadwell in their book, Loving: A Photographic History of Men in Love, this moving and masterful documentary shines a light on the joy, romance and tenderness shared between male couples, in a time when their love was forbidden. David joins us to talk about how the collection, and the film, came together, the possible origins of the photos and stories of their subjects, what they tell us about the century and the particular generations they represent, how audiences have been receiving the film and what he most hopes the viewer will take away from watching it. Plus David shares insight into his additional LGBTQ-themed work at Here TV.We open as always with recommendations, Weezy's is Shrinking on Apple TV+ and Fritz's is the PBS Frontline documentary Country Boys now streaming on Prime.Path Points of Interest:David Millbern100 Years of Men in Love on Roku100 Years of Men in Love on Here TV through Prime100 Years of Men in Love TrailerLoving: A Photographic History of Men in Love 1850s-1950s by Hugh Nini & Neal TreadwellHere TVShrinking - Apple TVCountry Boys - Amazon Prime

Adam Schiff is a public servant who is devoted to his country, his duty and his local, podcasting constituents such as Fritz Coleman. Congressman Schiff carved out some time in his democracy saving day to speak with us about his bipartisan childhood, grabbing Fox “News” by the green, his Senate run and the threat he appears to be posing to Tucker Carlson.Then, Dee Wallace has much to share. She’s got many projects about to land, including the new version of Fatal Attraction from Lizzy Caplan. Dee enlightens us on the healing energy of horror movies, her travels with “her boys,” Henry Thomas, Robert McNaughton and Danny Pintauro, celebrating important E.T. and Cujo anniversaries and her canine connection with Adam Schiff. They both co-star with their dogs in the photo book, In Good Company.  Dee also continues to shine her bright light, as she writes, teaches, lectures and coaches her life affirming and goal attaining principals.Plus Fritz and Weezy are recommending Aftersun and Daisy Jones & The Six.Path Points of Interest:Adam SchiffMidnight in Washington by Adam SchiffDee WallaceDee Wallace on TwitterFatal AttractionDee Wallace BooksIn Good Company: Notable People With Their Pets by Johanna SiegmannAftersunDaisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins ReidDaisy Jones and The Six - Prime Series

If you’ve wandered around Los Angeles and you swear you’ve spotted Frau Farbissina from Austin Powers or Miss Francine Briggs from iCarly or Linda Schwartz from The Goldbergs then you may have experienced a genuine Mindy Sterling encounter!Mindy’s IMDB is vast and deep and it includes The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, A.N.T. Farm, Desperate Housewives, Captain Underpants, 2 Broke Girls and That’s So Raven. Many millennials have accidentally called her Mom.Mindy shares her experiences growing up as a showbiz baby with a comedian dad and a showgirl mom, how she made her mark on the industry and how she then poured herself into raising a son on the Autism spectrum.Mindy is Groundlings royalty and she elaborates on the history, discipline and legacy of improv comedy. Plus, she has worked extensively in children’s TV, including alongside Jennette McCurdy from iCarly whose best selling book, I’m Glad My Mom Died is a cautionary tale on the dangers of mixing kids with show business. Mindy shares her experiences working with Jennette and her fellow child actors.All this plus anticipation on the Austin Powers front. Will there be another sequel…? Mindy has clues.We're also joined by Journalist/Mental Health Advocate/Author Janeane Bernstein, EDd. Her books 'GET THE FUNK OUT! $%^& Happens, What to Do Next!' and the upcoming 'Better Humans: What The Mental Health Pandemic Teaches Us About Humanity' are changing the ways in which we look at mental and emotional health.Janeane joins us to talk about the inspiration behind her talk show and books which explore how setbacks can become successes and how we can all better handle the inevitable challenges we face in life. All this plus we are recommending Hollywood on Netflix and Fire of Love on Hulu and Disney.Path Points of Interest:Mindy Sterling - Groundlings Alumni PageGroundlings COOKIN' WITH GAS 30th ANNIVERSARYMindy Sterling on IMDBMindy Sterling on WikipediaJaneane Bernstein Get The Funk Out! $%^& Happens, What to Do Next!Better Humans: What The Mental Health Pandemic Teaches Us About HumanityGet The Funk Out on KUCIOutside The Box: Mental Health Initiative Hollywood series on NetflixFull Service: My Adventures In Hollywood And The Secret Sex Lives Of The Stars by Scotty BowersScotty and the Secret History of Hollywood on Hulu Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood on PrimeFire of Love on Hulu Fire of Love on Disney Fire of Love on Prime

Michael Learned is remarkable in her entirety. Growing up in Vienna, Austria, she despised her masculine name, developed nervous shakes and discovered that her “diplomat” father was a CIA spy. Her mother swore her to secrecy and sent her to a British boarding school where she developed a love and talent for acting.Theater work led to an invitation to audition for a part as the mom to a brood of depression era children in a show that was not given much hope of lasting beyond half a season. She drove down from San Francisco and landed the iconic role of Olivia Walton which earned her three Emmys. The Waltons premiered in 1972 and quickly became a piece of our American cultural fabric.And in an impressive demonstration of range, Michael recently won much acclaim for her portrayal of Jeffrey Dahmer’s grandmother in the Netflix original series, Monster. With much to discuss, Michael joins us to talk about juggling her real-life kids with her TV family, she takes on a round of Waltons Trivia, shares her favorite Waltons episode, and divulges her authentic love for TV husband, Ralph Waite.We also welcome Charity Buzz winner Susie Mains who talks about her experiences as a child actor talent rep. In recommendations: Weezy's pick is Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano, now an Apple+ series and Fritz suggests the Hulu doc series, Stolen Youth.Path Points of Interest:Michael Learned on WikipediaMichael Learned on IMDBMichael Learned on FacebookThe WaltonsThe Waltons on PrimeMonster Netflix SeriesDear Edward novel by Ann NapolitanoDear Edward Series on Apple +Dear Edward TrailerStolen Youth - Hulu

DO pay some attention to the man behind the curtain - in Wicked, he’s played by Richard Kline and he’s brimming with  hilarious anecdotes and intriguing stories, spanning six show biz decades, and going strong!Richard Kline played Jack Tripper’s pal, Larry Dallas in Three’s Company. And he’s the only cast member besides John Ritter to appear on the show and both of its spin-offs. Richie fills us in on the backstage skinny, the controversies, the antics, the friendships, the female co-stars’ struggles, the roughhousing with Ritter, the trip to Vegas with Don Knots and he tops it off with a spot on Norman Fell impression.Richie goes on to talk about his first love, theater, including his Broadway moments with Wicked and Waitress, his life on the road in touring companies and his acting workshops.Richard Kline is Media Path family, having directed the Fritz Coleman one-man shows that Weezy produced, It’s Me, Dad and The Reception so fair warning: reminiscing does ensue.We round things out with some Three’s Company Trivia and a discussion on the disturbing nature of this year’s Oscar frontrunners!Plus, Fritz recommends Women Talking (2022) in theaters and Weezy's pick is Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over, the documentary currently streaming on HBO Max and Amazon Prime.Path Points of Interest:Richard Kline on WikipediaRichard Kline on IMDBRichard Kline - Acting WorkshopsWomen Talking Don't Make Me Over on PrimeDon't Make Me Over on HBOShelter PartnershipBroadway RisingBroadway HD

Iconic comedic character actor Paul Dooley carved out a role as Hollywood’s go-to movie Dad while his own children were missing. Paul played dad to Julia Roberts, Mia Farrow, Toni Collette, Dennis Christopher in Breaking Away and Molly Ringwald in Sixteen Candles, all as his ex-wife was on the run with his kids.The pandemic pause compelled Paul to chronicle his story in the new book, Movie Dad: Finding Myself and My Family, On Screen and Off. Paul joins us to share his casting secrets, his encyclopedic joke memory, his improv inspirations, his clowning history and his journey from small town West Virginia, to Greenwich Village to Broadway, to Hollywood and a proud place in movie dad history.Paul has stories about Mike Nichols, Neil Simon, Carol Burnett, Don Knotts, Alan Alda, Lin Manuel Miranda and so many more. Was Walter Matthau a scene hog? Turns out, yes!Plus, Fritz and Weezy are recommending Poker Face on Peacock and The Bear on Hulu.

Warning: Listening may result in an overwhelming compulsion to read! First, Diane Bay finally received her birth mom’s name from the state of Illinois. She nervously typed it into Google… Her birth mom is New Hollywood darling and cult movie queen, Karen Black, who starred in Easy Rider, The Graduate, Five Easy Pieces and so much more!Diane’s journey to self discovery pulls her from elation to despair when she learns that her mom is dying. Their heart wrenching year together is chronicled beautifully in Diane’s book, Finding Karen Black. Joining us for the episode is Karen’s best friend, actor Lee Purcell who is uniquely positioned to provide us with Karen’s emotionally wrenching perspective.Then we welcome finance insider Richard E. Farley who is winning our favorite book title of the year award with: Gonzo Wall Street: Riots, Radicals, Racism and Revolution - How the Go-Go Bankers of the 1960s Crashed the Financial System and Bamboozled Washington. Richard takes a long look at Wall Street in the 1960s, and finding that the precident for the 2008 bailouts was set when the corrupt Wall Street investment banks of the 1960s held Congress over a barrel and got an outrageous taxpayer-funded bailout of what THEY owed their customers.Plus, Fritz and Weezy are recommending Jon Meacham's And Then There Was Light - Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle  and  Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.Path Points of Interest:Finding Karen Black by Diane BayDiane BayFinding Karen Black WebsiteDiane Bay on Social Mediainstagram.com/dianebaydesign/facebook.com/dianebayartistwww.FindingKarenBlack.comfacebook.com/findingkarenblackKaren Black WikipediaKaren Black on IMDBLee PurcellLee Purcell on IMDBLee Purcell on Social Mediahttps://www.facebook.com/leepurcellfanpage/https://www.instagram.com/theleepurcell/Carol of the Bell's TrailerLee Purcell & Andrea F. Friedman in Office Scene From "Carol of the Bells”  Donna Mills & Lee Purcell in scene from Joey Travolta's "Carol of the Bells” The Making Of "Carol of the Bells" PromoHollywood Radio PlayersHollywood Radio Players on YoutubeMake a tax deductible donation to Hollywood Radio PlayersRichard E. FarleyRichard E. Farley on AmazonGonzo Wall Street: Riots, Radicals, Racism and Revolution How the Go-Go Bankers of the 1960s Crashed the Financial System and Bamboozled Washington by Richard E. FarleyGonzo Wall Street ArticleLessons in Chemistry by Bonnie GarumsBonnie Garmus's Amazon Author PageAnd Then There Was Light - Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle by Jon Meacham

Kelly Lange began her trailblazing TV career when women in broadcasting were treated as a “novelty.” But armed with brains and ingenuity, Kelly carved out a career path which led to her becoming the first female news anchor in Los Angeles and a nightly fixture at KNBC.Kelly and our cohost, former KNBC weatherman Fritz Coleman are back together at long last, recounting story after memorable story which weave into a brilliant retrospective of broadcasting in the Los Angeles market and primetime news through the decades. Take, for example, Kelly’s plucky resolve to become the KABC traffic copter girl, “Dawn O’Day” and the only-in-Hollywood tale of how she landed her anchor spot at KNBC.Kelly and Fritz were broadcasting nightly into the homes of L.A.’s most notable citizens, prompting calls from Bette Davis and Marlon Brando and fanboys like Jimmy Stewart and Orson Wells!Did you know that Jane Fonda shadowed Kelly for a week in training for her role as a newscaster in The China syndrome?We learn how Kelly began her latest chapter as a mystery writer and we even get to hear about her boyfriend Jim's TV writing career as Kelly switches smoothly from interviewee to interviewer! Plus, our recommendations this week are the autobiography Spare by Prince Harry and the movie All Quiet On The Western Front on Netflix.Path Points of Interest:Kelly Lange on WikipediaKelly Lange on IMDBKelly Lange BooksKelly Lange Books on AmazonKelly Lange on What's My LineSpare by Prince HarryAll Quiet On The Western Front

We welcome the new year with a rich buffet of guests, starting with husband and wife filmmaking team, Anayancy and Jess Thomas whose project, God & Salsa tells the story of a grieving therapist and a troubled teen who save each other. The film explores suicide, depression, divorce, parental alienation, narcissism, hope and healing.Next, we are joined by Dr. Logan Westbrooks a groundbreaking black music executive and industry veteran with over 50 years of experience launching careers, making history and positively changing our music and civil rights landscapes.Dr. Westbrooks joins us to talk about his newest book, 'Power 101: The Harvard Report, Soul Music, and The American Dream', which examines the controversial 1972 Harvard Report which studied and forcast how black folks would be consuming music. Dr. Westbrook’s journey took him from a childhood in Memphis to the boardrooms of major record labels. He was assigned to oversee The Harvard Report by Clive Davis and CBS Records and he helps us understand how black music and our nation’s trajectory were impacted by one another, pulling us towards a greater understanding of race and destiny in America.Plus, Fritz and Weezy recommend Babylon, now in theaters and If These Walls Could Sing on Disney+ and Hulu.Path Points of Interest:Logan WestbrooksPower 101: The Harvard Report, Soul Music, and The American Dreamby Dr. Logan H. Westbrooks and Schuyler C. TraughberGod And SalsaJess and Anayancy ThomasBabylon - In TheatersIf These Walls Could Sing Children's Burn Foundation