Best Edrobertson Podcasts (2025)

1
Jack Paar and the “Water Closet Joke” controversy 21:00

4d ago21:00

21:00

TVC 677.1: An encore presentation of an edition of The Sounds of Lost Television that originally aired in February 2012 in which Phil Gries plays audio highlights from the Feb. 11, 1960 broadcast of The Tonight Show, the night when host Jack Paar walked off the air after NBC had edited out a joke that Paar had told the night before without his cons…

1
Hugh Downs on the impulsive nature of Jack Paar 22:44

4d ago22:44

22:44

TVC 677.2: From February 2012: Phil Gries shares more audio highlights from the Feb. 11, 1960 edition of The Tonight Show, including on-air reaction from co-host Hugh Downs and guests Orson Bean and Shelley Berman in the moments after host Jack Paar had walked off the air to protest NBC’s decision to edit out a joke that Paar had told on the previo…

1
Behind the Scenes of Russ Meyer’s Vixen! 19:14

4d ago19:14

19:14

TVC 677.3: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with Erica Gavin, the actress known around the world as the star of Vixen! (1968), the satiric sexploitation movie produced, directed, and co-written by Russ Meyer that none other than Roger Ebert once described as "the quintessential Russ Meyer film." Topics this segment how Erica initially …

1
Erica Gavin, Russ Meyer, and Roger Ebert 13:42

4d ago13:42

13:42

TVC 677.4: Actress Erica Gavin talks to Ed and guest co-host Chuck Harter about the time when she and Russ Meyer both met film critic and future Meyer collaborator Roger Ebert for the first time while doing promotion for Vixen! (1968), how Erica had earned Meyer’s trust by convincing him to let her break the fourth wall while filming the final shot…

1
Laurence Luckinbill on finding the motor that drives the narrative of a book, play, or any kind of story 20:11

4d ago20:11

20:11

TVC 677.5: Ed welcomes actor, author, playwright, and Emmy Award-winning producer Laurence Luckinbill (The Boys in the Band, The Delphi Bureau, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Lyndon, Hemingway, Teddy Tonight!, Clarence Darrow Tonight!). Larry's autobiography, Affective Memories: How Chance and The Theater Saved My Life, is a page-turning, brutall…

1
Laurence Luckinbill on how he first learned not to laugh at words 20:30

4d ago20:30

20:30

TVC 677.6: Actor and author Laurence Luckinbill (The Boys in the Band, The Delphi Bureau, Star Trek V, Affective Memories: How Chance and The Theater Saved My Life) shares a few memories of his years in Oakland, California, where he moved to be with his family in the 1950s; the many mentors in his life, including the Catholic nun who taught him to …

1
Khigh Dheigh and the Short, Strange History of Khan! 10:25

7d ago10:25

10:25

We'll be back with a brand new edition of TV Confidential later this week. In the meantime, please enjoy this clip from February 2015 in which Tony, Donna, and Ed remember Khan! (CBS, 1975), the short-lived yet controversial series starring Khigh Dheigh as a contemporary private eye who is reminiscent of Charlie Chan. Khan! premiered Feb. 7, 1975 a…

1
Jackie Gleason and The Biggest Bomb in Network TV History 19:14

11d ago19:14

19:14

TVC 676.1: An encore presentation of an edition from The Sounds of Lost Television that originally aired in September 2011 in which Phil Gries plays audio highlights from Jackie Gleason, the short-lived CBS prime talk show that The Great One hosted for two months in early 1961, and a show that was borne out of necessity following the demise of You'…

1
Jackie Gleason, Bobby Darin, and Stage Show 12:11

11d ago12:11

12:11

TVC 676.2: From September 2011: Phil Gries plays a clip from Jackie Gleason’s interview with Bobby Darin on the Mar. 17, 1961 edition of Jackie Gleason, the short-lived prime talk show (CBS, 1961) that was borne out of necessity following the demise of You're in The Picture, the infamous game show hosted by The Great One that CBS canceled after its…

1
Erica Gavin of Russ Meyer's Vixen! 26:33

11d ago26:33

26:33

TVC 676.3: Ed and guest co-host Chuck Harter welcome Erica Gavin, the actress known around the world as the star of Vixen! (1968), the satiric sexploitation movie produced, directed, and co-written by Russ Meyer that esteemed critic Roger Ebert once described as "the quintessential Russ Meyer film." Despite numerous attempts at censorship (includin…

1
Lucie Arnaz and Jeffrey Sitcov on the healing power of music and the arts 20:11

11d ago20:11

20:11

TVC 676.4: A return appearance by Jeffrey Sitcov, founder and president of Doors of Change, the non profit organization that uses arts and music to help keep teenage homeless youths off the streets (and, in many cases, find safe forever homes), and Lucie Arnaz, one of the celebrity spokespeople for Doors of Change. Topics this segment include the m…

1
Lucie Arnaz, Neil Simon, and Marvin Hamlisch 14:48

11d ago14:48

14:48

TVC 676.5: Jeffrey Sitcov, founder and president of Doors of Change, and Lucie Arnaz, one of the celebrity spokespeople for Doors of Change, talk to Ed about the annual Concert of Hope that will benefit Doors of Change, and which is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 6 in San Diego. Also in this segment: Lucie shares a few memories of working with Neil …

1
Julie Rogers Pomilia on the legacy of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans 20:38

18d ago20:38

20:38

TVC 675.1: Ed welcomes back Julie Rogers Pomilia, granddaughter of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans and the author of Your Heroes, My Grandparents: A Granddaughter’s Love, the storybook tale of a little girl who just happened to have two famous relatives and who cherished every moment that she spent with them. Julie also worked very closely with Steve Nyc…

1
Why Roy Rogers was the original Rhinestone Cowboy 16:51

18d ago16:51

16:51

TVC 675.2: Julie Rogers Pomilia, granddaughter of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans and the author of Your Heroes, My Grandparents: A Granddaughter’s Love, talks to Ed about how why Roy Rogers and Dale Evans came to adorn their costumes with rhinestones; Dale’s prolific writing career, which included thirty songs and many songs (including “Happy Trails” an…

1
The Ethos of Ryan’s Hope 22:53

18d ago22:53

22:53

TVC 675.3: Ed’s guests are Emmy Award-winning actress, screenwriter, and novelist Louise Shaffer (Ryan’s Hope, Search for Tomorrow, The Edge of Night, All My Suspects, Talked to Death) and film and television historian Tom Lisanti (Talking Sixties Drive-In Movies, Carol Lynley: Her Film & TV Career in Thrillers, Fantasy and Suspense, Trippin’ with …

1
Louise Shaffer, Tom Lisanti, and the Oral History of Ryan’s Hope 24:05

18d ago24:05

24:05

TVC 675.4: Emmy Award-winning actress Louise Shaffer (Ryan’s Hope) talks to Ed and guest co-host Tom Lisanti about the instrumental role that Ryan’s Hope co-creator Claire Labine played in helping Louise transition from acting to writing, and why Maeve Ryan, Helen Gallagher’s character on Ryan’s Hope, was the hardest character on the series for Lou…

1
Charlotte Stewart, David Lynch, and Neil Young 15:45

18d ago15:45

15:45

TVC 675.5: From June 2016: Actress and author Charlotte Stewart (Little House on the Prairie, Twin Peaks, Little House in the Hollywood Hills) shares a few memories about working with David Lynch on both Twin Peaks and Eraserhead, plus she talks to Ed about the “David Lynch-like” approaching to directing that Neil Young took when Charlotte worked w…

1
Michael Schlesinger and The Back Story of Biffle and Shooster 26:22

25d ago26:22

26:22

TVC 674.1: TV Confidential remembers Michael Schlesinger, the film executive and champion of classic movie restoration who was also the writer, producer, and director of The Misadventures of Biffle and Shooster, a collection of 1930s-style comedies—all starring Will Ryan and Nick Santa Maria—that pay homage to The Three Stooges, Abbott and Costello…

1
Pat Boone on The Spiritual Hunger of Elvis Presley 20:54

25d ago20:54

20:54

TVC 674.2: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with singer, actor, producer, and entertainment legend Pat Boone. Pat stars, along with Michael Learned, Kevin Sorbo, Tom Wopat, and Dean Cain, in the biopic Our Crossroads, a true story of family and faith that is scheduled for release in July 2025. Pat and Kevin Sorbo also both play Thomas …

1
Pat Boone, Shirley Jones, and Barbara Eden 17:54

25d ago17:54

17:54

TVC 674.3: Pat Boone talks to Ed about working with Shirley Jones in April Love, with Ann-Margret in State Fair, and with Barbara Eden in All Hands on Deck. Pat can currently be seen in Reagan and Miracle in the Valley, both of which are available now for viewing on demand through Amazon Prime, while Pat’s latest movies, Our Crossroads and The Amer…

1
The Legacy of The Simpsons on Television 7:10

1M ago7:10

7:10

We'll be back with a brand new edition of TV Confidential later this week. In the meantime, please enjoy this clip from January 2015 in which Tony, Donna, and Ed look back at the legacy of The Simpsons on television and on pop culture in general. The first regular episode of The Simpsons originally aired on Jan. 14, 1990.…

1
Knight Rider: A 1980s Version of The Lone Ranger 18:23

1M ago18:23

18:23

TVC 673.1: Part 2 of a conversation that began just before the holidays with Nick Nugent, author of The Knight Rider Companion: Abridged Edition, everything you wanted to know about the classic TV series starring David Hasselhoff, Edward Mulhare, and the voice of William Daniels. Topics this segment include how series creator Glen Larson originally…

1
Why Knight Rider Continues to Endure 12:27

1M ago12:27

12:27

TVC 673.2: Nick Nugent, author of The Knight Rider Companion: Abridged Edition, discusses some of the new material available in his book. The Knight Rider Companion Abridged Edition is available from Black Pawn Press.By Ed Robertson

1
Pat Boone on Our Crossroads, The American Miracle, and Miracle in the Valley 25:34

1M ago25:34

25:34

TVC 673.3: Ed welcomes back Pat Boone, the legendary singer, actor, and all-around entertainer who not only celebrated his ninetieth birthday a few months back, but also recently marked his seventieth year in show business. Pat Boone and Michael Learned star as Bob and Barbara Fraley in the biopic Our Crossroads, a true story of family and faith th…

1
Dawn Moore and The True Legacy of Clayton Moore 18:13

1M ago18:13

18:13

TVC 673.4: Ed welcomes Dawn Moore, one of the top marketing and branding professionals in the luxury retail industry, and the daughter of Clayton Moore, the actor known to three generations of television viewers as The Lone Ranger. The 2024-2025 television season marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of the premiere of The Lone Ranger (ABC, 1949-1957…

1
Dawn Moore, Clayton Moore, and The Lone Ranger Creed 21:44

1M ago21:44

21:44

TVC 673.5: Dawn Moore, daughter of Clayton Moore, talks to Ed about the origins of the Lone Ranger Creed; how her dad embodied the words of the Creed every day for the last fifty years of his life; and how Dawn displayed quotes from some of the tenets of the Creed on the window of the Harry Winston jewelry store on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills to h…

1
Why James Garner Ended The Rockford Files in 1980 11:01

1M ago11:01

11:01

We'll be back with a brand new edition of TV Confidential later this week. In the meantime, please enjoy this clip from January 2015 in which Tony, Donna, and Ed look back at the circumstances that led to James Garner to end The Rockford Files (NBC, 1974-1980)in the middle of the show's sixth season. The final episode of The Rockford Files aired on…

1
The Life and Times of Norman Lear 22:11

1M ago22:11

22:11

TVC 672.1: Ed welcomes entertainment journalist and comedy historian Tripp Whetsell. Tripp’s latest book, Norman Lear: His Life and Times, is the first comprehensive biography of the legendary, Emmy Award-winning producer of All in the Family, Maude, Good Times, The Jeffersons, The Fact of Life, and many other series that helped elevate the America…

1
The Many Fathers of All in the Family 19:55

1M ago19:55

19:55

TVC 672.2: Tripp Whetsell, author of Norman Lear: His Life and Times, talks to Ed about how the latitude that Norman Lear often gave his actors and his writers on his television shows was often a double-edged sword; Lear’s years as a motion picture producer in the 1960s; and the events that led to the premiere on All in the Family on CBS in January…

1
Penny Singleton, Harry Cohn, and Rod Serling 15:35

1M ago15:35

15:35

TVC 672.3: Part 2 of a conversation that began just before the holidays with Steve Randisi, author of Penny Singleton: A Biography, a comprehensive look at the life and career of the actress who not only achieved worldwide fame in the 1930s and ’40s as the star of the Blondie movie series from Columbia Pictures (and, later, to TV audiences as the v…

1
The original Good Morning, America 8:48

1M ago8:48

8:48

We're taking a few days off for the holidays, but we'll be back with brand new editions of TV Confidential in the new year. In the meantime, please enjoy this Blast from the Past clip from January 2015 in which Tony, Donna, and Ed look back at the premiere of A.M. America, the precursor to Good Morning, America, on Jan. 6, 1975. An offshoot of Ralp…

1
Alan Hale, Gilligan's Island, and The Lobster Barrel 9:36

1M ago9:36

9:36

We're taking a few days off for the holidays, but we'll be back with brand new editions of TV Confidential in the new year. In the meantime, please enjoy this Blast from the Past clip from January 2015 in which Tony, Donna, and Ed celebrate the life and legacy of Alan Hale, the actor known around the world as The Skipper on Gilligan’s Island. Alan …

1
Hullabaloo: NBC's answer to Shindig 4:47

1M ago4:47

4:47

We're taking a few days off for the holidays, but we'll be back with brand new editions of TV Confidential in the new year. In the meantime, please enjoy this Blast from the Past clip from January 2015 in which Tony, Donna, and Ed look back at the premiere of Hullabaloo, NBC's answer to Shindig, on Jan. 12, 1965.…

1
The Tragic Death of Pete Duel 9:42

2M ago9:42

9:42

We're taking a few days off for the holidays, but we'll be back with brand new editions of TV Confidential in the new year. In the meantime, please enjoy this Blast from the Past clip from January 2012 in which Tony, Donna, and Ed look back at the tragic death of Alias Smith and Jones star Pete Duel on Dec. 30, 1971.…

1
Charles Fox and the Theme to The Love Boat 6:10

2M ago6:10

6:10

We're taking a few days off this week, but we'll be back with a brand new edition of TV Confidential next week. In the meantime, please enjoy this Blast from the Past, featuring an excerpt from our October 2010 conversation with Emmy and Grammy Award-winning composer Charles Fox. Charles' book, Killing Me Softly: My Life in Music, not only walks re…

1
Regis Philbin and The Disney Christmas Parade 14:55

2M ago14:55

14:55

We're taking a few days off for the holidays, but we'll be back with brand new editions of TV Confidential in the new year. In the meantime, please enjoy this Blast from the Past, featuring an excerpt from our August 2020 tribute to Regis Philbin in which our colleague Greg Ehrbar shares some memories of working with Regis, Joan Lunden, and Mayim B…

1
Dragnet and "The Big Little Jesus" 5:59

2M ago5:59

5:59

We're taking a few days off for the holidays, but we'll be back with brand new editions of TV Confidential in the new year. In the meantime, please enjoy this Blast from the Past clip from December 2013 in which Tony, Donna, and Ed discuss "The Big Little Jesus," the second of two Christmas episodes that Jack Webb produced for Dragnet, which aired …

1
How Ed Asner Approached Playing Santa 6:29

2M ago6:29

6:29

We're taking a few days off for the holidays, but we'll be back with brand new editions of TV Confidential in the new year. In the meantime, please enjoy this Blast from the Past clip from October 2020 in which Ed, Tony, and Donna ask eight-time Emmy Award winner Ed Asner how he approached playing both Santa Claus and God.…

1
Jimmy Durante, Jackie Vernon, and Frosty the Snowman 4:02

2M ago4:02

4:02

We're taking a few days off for the holidays, but we'll be back with brand new editions of TV Confidential in the new year. In the meantime, please enjoy this Blast from the Past clip from December 2010 in which Tony, Donna, and Ed remember the premiere of the Rankin-Bass animated special Frosty the Snowman (CBS, 1969).…

1
How Rankin-Bass Helped Create the Legend of Santa 13:00

2M ago13:00

13:00

We're taking a few days off for the holidays, but we'll be back with brand new editions of TV Confidential in the new year. In the meantime, please enjoy this Blast from the Past clip from December 2018 in which Greg Ehrbar and Ed discuss the then-new DVD release of Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town; how the various mythologies that screenwriter Romeo …

1
Dragnet and "The Big .22 Rifle for Christmas" 9:29

2M ago9:29

9:29

We're taking a few days off for the holidays, but we'll be back with brand new editions of TV Confidential in the new year. In the meantime, please enjoy this Blast from the Past clip from December 2013 in which Tony, Donna, and Ed discuss "The Big .22 Rifle for Christmas," an episode of Dragnet that originally aired on Dec. 18, 1952. An adaptation…

1
Why Dick Van Dyke Embodied Everything About Rob Petrie 7:42

2M ago7:42

7:42

We're taking a few days off for the holidays, but we'll be back with brand new editions of TV Confidential in the new year. In the meantime (and in light of Dick Van Dyke's 99th birthday last week), please enjoy this Blast from the Past featuring an excerpt from our September 2016 conversation with Vince Waldron, author of The Official Dick Van Dyk…

1
Knight Rider: A Show About a Character That Happened to Be a Car 22:18

2M ago22:18

22:18

TVC 670.1: Ed welcomes Nick Nugent, author of The Knight Rider Companion: Abridged Edition, everything you wanted to know about the classic TV series starring David Hasselhoff, Edward Mulhare, and the voice of William Daniels. Topics this segment include how series creator Glen Larson’s original concept for Knight Rider was much different from what…

1
Steve Randisi, author of Penny Singleton: A Biography 21:16

2M ago21:16

21:16

TVC 670.2: Ed welcomes back film and television historian Steve Randisi (The Merv Griffin Show: The Inside Story, Behind the Crimson Cape: The Cinema of George Reeves). Steve’s latest book, Penny Singleton: A Biography, chronicles the life and career of the actress who not only achieved worldwide fame in the 1930s and ’40s at the star of the Blondi…

1
How Dorothy McNulty Became Penny Singleton 13:53

2M ago13:53

13:53

TVC 670.3: Steve Randisi, author of Penny Singleton: A Biography, talks to Ed how about Singleton came to adopt her screen name; why Singleton had a lot of the Blondie character as a person; and why the Blondie movies continue to endure after ninety years. Penny Singleton: A Biography is available from Bear Manor Media.…

1
Stefanie Powers: Rebel, Visionary, and An Agent of Change 23:48

2M ago23:48

23:48

TVC 670.4: Ed welcomes back Stefanie Powers, the actress known around the world as Jennifer Hart on Hart to Hart (ABC, 1979-1984), and the founder and president of the William Holden Wildlife Foundation, a nonprofit organization that Stefanie established in 1982 in memory of her longtime life partner that continues and furthers the conservation wor…

1
Stefanie Powers, Harold Gould, and St. Pope John Paul II 24:31

2M ago24:31

24:31

TVC 671.5: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with Stefanie Powers, the actress known around the world as Jennifer Hart on Hart to Hart (ABC, 1979-1984) and the founder and president of the William Holden Wildlife Foundation (WHWF.org). Topics this segment include Stefanie’s work as chair of the Seasoned Performers Committee for both the…

1
Why The Sopranos is a Work of Art 21:28

2M ago21:28

21:28

TVC 670.5: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with Ray Richmond, author of The Sopranos: The Complete Visual History, a twenty-fifth anniversary celebration of the multi-Emmy Award-winning drama that not only broke new ground in television when it premiered in 1999, but launched the current Golden Age of dramatic television on cable and …

1
What James Gandolfini Brought to The Sopranos 16:17

2M ago16:17

16:17

TVC 670.6: From June 2013: Jennifer Armstrong, former staff writer for Entertainment Weekly and the author of many books on popular television, joins Ed, Tony, and Donna for a roundtable discussion on the career of James Gandolfini and the impact of The Sopranos on popular culture. This segment with Jennifer was recorded on June 20, 2013, one day a…

1
Rod Serling, Mike Wallace, and Dick Cavett 21:22

2M ago21:22

21:22

TVC 669.1: Part 2 of a conversation that began on our last program with Emmy Award-winning writer, producer, director, and author Joseph Dougherty (thirtysomething, Pretty Little Liars, A Screenwriters Companion: Instruction, Opinion, Encouragement). Joe’s latest book, Rod Serling at 100: One Writer’s Acknowledgment, takes a deep dive into the lega…

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