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TV CONFIDENTIAL: A radio talk show about television brings you lively conversations every week with the stars, writers, directors and other creative people behind the scenes of some of America's most popular shows. An engaging blend of talk and entertainment, TV Confidential often compares today’s programs with those of the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s and ’80s.
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TVC 654.1: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with music journalist and music historian Jon Burlingame (Music for Prime Time: A History of American Television Themes and Scoring). Jon’s latest book, Dreamsville: Henry Mancini, Peter Gunn, and Music for TV Noir, is a combination history of Peter Gunn (NBC/ABC, 1958-1961) on television; bi…
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TVC 653.2: Music journalist Jon Burlingame (Music for Prime Time, Dreamsville: Henry Mancini, Peter Gunn, and Music for TV Noir) talks to Ed about how Blake Edwards came to develop Mr. Lucky (CBS, 1959-1960) for television, including how Edwards originally wanted Ricardo Montalban to play the title character and how Ross Martin wasn’t signed to pla…
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TVC 654.3: Music journalist Jon Burlingame (Music for Prime Time, Dreamsville: Henry Mancini, Peter Gunn, and Music for TV Noir) talks to Ed about the strange, but true broadcast history of Mr. Lucky (CBS, 1959-1960), including how the ill-conceived mandate from the show’s sponsor, Lever Brothers, to change the concept of Mr. Lucky midseason ultima…
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TVC 654.4: Music journalist Jon Burlingame (Music for Prime Time, Dreamsville: Henry Mancini, Peter Gunn, and Music for TV Noir) talks about Henry Mancini’s work in motion pictures, including how Mancini proved that a great composer could also be a great songwriter (which he did, with “Moon River”). Dreamsville: Henry Mancini, Peter Gunn, and Music…
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TVC 654.4: Music journalist Jon Burlingame (Music for Prime Time, Dreamsville: Henry Mancini, Peter Gunn, and Music for TV Noir) talks about Henry Mancini’s work in motion pictures, including how Mancini proved that a great composer could also be a great songwriter (which he did, with “Moon River”). Dreamsville: Henry Mancini, Peter Gunn, and Music…
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TVC 653.1: Bruce Dern biographers Robert Crane and Christopher Fryer talk to Ed about Dern’s famous appearance in The Cowboys (in which he played the man who kills Wayne’s character halfway through the picture) and the actor had to navigate a schedule conflict over production of another movie, Silent Running, so that he could film that pivotal scen…
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TVC 653.2: Bruce Dern biographers Robert Crane and Christopher Fryer talk to Ed about why Dern worked frequently in television in the 1960s—even when he was making movies like The War Wagon with John Wayne—because casting directors from both industries always knew to keep an eye on him. Other topics this segment include the nearly fatal lung injury…
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TVC 653.3: Robert Crane and Christopher Fryer tell Ed how Bob’s experience working with director Paul Schrader on Auto Focus (Schrader’s depiction of the Bob Crane murder case) spurred Bob to work with Chris in telling his own account of what happened in their book Crane: Sex, Celebrity, and My Father’s Unsolved Murder. Other topics this segment in…
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TVC 654.5: Ed welcomes back esteemed music journalist and music historian Jon Burlingame (Music for Prime Time: A History of American Television Themes and Scoring). Jon’s latest book, Dreamsville: Henry Mancini, Peter Gunn, and Music for TV Noir, is a combination history of Peter Gunn (NBC/ABC, 1958-1961) on television; biography of Grammy Award-w…
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TVC 654.6: Music journalist Jon Burlingame (Music for Prime Time, Dreamsville: Henry Mancini, Peter Gunn, and Music for TV Noir) discusses some of the many innovations that Blake Edwards and Peter Gunn brought to network television (including “night for night” shooting, one year before Quinn Martin would make that into an art form), and how the rom…
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TVC 652.1: Ed welcomes Joel Thurm, former Vice President of Talent and Casting for both Paramount Television and NBC, and one of the most accomplished and most respected casting directors in the film and TV industry. Joel’s memoir, Sex, Drugs, and Pilot Season: Confessions of a Casting Director, provides both a backstage look at the boardrooms of N…
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TVC 652.2: Legendary casting director Joel Thurm shares a few stories about his experience working with CBS executive Ethel Winant in the early 1970s, including how he discovered Georgia Engel for The Mary Tyler Moore Show; how he lobbied both CBS and MTM to cast Farrah Fawcett-Majors to play Bill Daily’s girlfriend on The Bob Newhart Show; and how…
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TVC 652.4: Ed welcomes back Robert Crane and Christopher Fryer, co-authors of Jack Nicholson: The Early Years (the first authorized filmography of Oscar winner Jack Nicholson, covering Nicholson’s early film career through 1974), Bruce Dern: Things I’ve Said, But Probably Shouldn’t Have: An Unrepentant Memoir (a three-way collaboration between Dern…
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TVC 652.5: Film historians Robert Crane and Christopher Fryer talk to Ed about how they first connected with Bruce Dern while researching Jack Nicholson: The Early Years and how that led to a series of subsequent interviews with Dern for various publications over the ensuing thirty years, culminating with their collaborating with Dern on his memoir…
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TVC 652.6: Bruce Dern biographers Robert Crane and Christopher Fryer talk to Ed about “Dernseys,” a phrase that Jack Nicholson coined to describe Dern’s unerring knack for knowing what a character might say, or might think, in any given scene, regardless of whether it’s in the pages of the script. Jack Nicholson: The Early Years and Bruce Dern: Thi…
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TVC 651.1: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with Marc Cushman, author of Long Distance Voyagers: The Story of The Moody Blues, a two-volume, total-immersion experience into the six-decade career of The Moody Blues, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group that not only was the first rock group to champion the “concept album,” but influence…
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TVC 651.2: Marc Cushman, author of Long Distance Voyagers: The Story of The Moody Blues, talks to Ed about the many contributions of Ray Thomas to the sound of the Moody Blues (including his trilogy of songs at the end of the Long Distance Voyager album), and why the Moody Blues took a hiatus from each other around 1974. Volumes 1 and 2 of Long Dis…
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TVC 651.3: Marc Cushman, author of Long Distance Voyagers: The Story of The Moody Blues, talks to Ed about some of the many parallels between Ray Thomas of The Moody Blues and George Harrison of The Beatles (particularly with regard to the albums of their respective bands) and how Keys to the Kingdom, the Moody Blues album released in 1991, both ma…
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TVC 650.1: Ed welcomes award-winning screenwriter, director, producer, and documentary maker Marc Cushman, author of These Are the Voyages, a three-volume history of Star Trek: The Original Series. Marc’s latest book, Long Distance Voyagers: The Story of The Moody Blues is a two-volume, total-immersion experience in the six-decade career of The Moo…
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TVC 650.2: From June 2014: Tony, Donna, and Ed look back at June 17, 1994, the night of the famous low-speed white Bronco police chase that captivated television audiences, and how TV news coverage of the O.J. Simpson murder case continues to impact us today Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…
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TVC 650.4: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with trailblazing actress, author, and designed Irene Tsu (Flower Drum Song, Paradise Hawaiian Style, Take Her She’s Mine, The Green Berets, Caprice, How to Stuff a Wild Bikini, Down and Out in Beverly Hills). Topics this segment include how Irene got her independent spirit from her mother; w…
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TVC 650.2: From June 2014: Tony, Donna, and Ed look back at June 17, 1994, the night of the famous low-speed white Bronco police chase that captivated television audiences, and how TV news coverage of the O.J. Simpson murder case continues to impact us today Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…
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TVC 650.5: Actress and author Irene Tsu shares a few memories of working with Raymond Burr on both Perry Mason and Ironside and with James Garner on “Irving the Explainer,” the famous episode of The Rockford Files that was also directed by James Colburn. Irene’s memoir, A Walter Color Dream: The Many Lives of Irene Tsu, is available now through Bea…
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TVC 650.6: Marc Cushman, author of Long Distance Voyagers: The Story of The Moody Blues, talks to Ed about the emergence of FM radio circa 1972 helped the Moody Blues surge in popularity (and, particularly, the success of “Nights in White Satin,” four years after its original release in 1968. Volumes 1 and 2 of Long Distance Voyagers: The Story of …
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TVC 649.1: From November 2011: Greg Ehrbar discusses the Sherman Brothers’ many contributions to Walt Disney Records (above and beyond their Oscar-winning music for Mary Poppins), including how they helped composer Tutti Camarata develop “the Annette sound” for Annette Funicello, the back story behind “It’s a Small World,” and, later, their work on…
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TVC 649.2: Greg Ehrbar discusses the recent Kino Lorber Blu-ray release of Flower Drum Song, the 1961 film adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein starring Nancy Kwan, Jack Soo, Miyoshi Umeki, James Shigeta, Juanita Hall, Benson Fong, Reiko Sato, Patrick Adiarte, Kam Tong, Victor Sen Yung, and Irene Tsu. Want to adve…
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TVC 649.3: Ed welcomes trailblazing actress, author, and designed Irene Tsu (Flower Drum Song, Paradise Hawaiian Style, Take Her She’s Mine, The Green Berets, Caprice, How to Stuff a Wild Bikini, Down and Out in Beverly Hills). Irene not only worked steadily in movies and television for more than four decades, but in many instances broke ground for…
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TVC 649.4: Actress and author Irene Tsu talks to Ed about how composer Oscar-winning Bronislaw Kaper (Lili, The FBI) became a lifelong father figure when she first came to Hollywood; what she uses for inspiration when she creates a new water color painting; and why Frank Sinatra was always a much better host than he was a guest. Irene’s memoir, A W…
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TVC 649.5: From January 2012: Tony, Donna, and Ed discuss the life and career of film and television icon Dabney Coleman (9 to 5, Tootsie, Buffalo Bill, The “Slap” Maxwell Story, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman) on the occasion of his eightieth birthday. Dabney Coleman passed away on Friday, May 17 at age ninety-two. Want to advertise/sponsor our show? …
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TVC 648.1: May 1939 marks the eighty-fifth anniversary of the publication of Issue 27 of Detective Comics, the issue that marked the debut appearance of the Batman character. TV Confidential marks this occasion by playing highlights of some of our conversation with actors who appeared in the Batman television series from 1966. Want to advertise/spo…
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TVC 648.2: Nick Santa Maria, co-author of The Annotated Abbott and Costello: A Complete Viewer’s Guide to the Comedy Team and Their 38 Films, joins Greg and Ed for a look at the ClassicFlix.com Blu-ray release of The Abbott and Costello Show, Season 2. Want to advertise/sponsor our show? TV Confidential has partnered with AdvertiseCast to handle ad…
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TVC 648.3: Nick Santa Maria, co-author of The Annotated Abbott and Costello: A Complete Viewer’s Guide to the Comedy Team and Their 38 Films, talks to Greg and Ed about some of the many famous character actors who appear in the second season of The Abbott and Costello Show, including Phyllis Coates, Joan Shawlee, Hillary Brooke, Adele Jurgens, Perc…
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TVC 648.4: Ed welcomes back actress, author, and teacher Dee Wallace (E.T: The Extraterrestrial, The Howling, Born: Giving Birth to a New You). Topics this segment include what led Dee on the path of self-creation, and how the challenge we all face is creating ourselves consciously, versus by default. Dee’s latest book, Born: Giving Birth to a New …
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TVC 648.5: Actress and author Dee Wallace (E.T: The Extraterrestrial, The Howling, Born: Giving Birth to a New You) talks to Ed about some of her acting mentors, which include Charles Conrad, Uta Hagen, and Jeff Corey, and how the acting method taught by Conrad differed from most other approaches to “The Method.” Also in this segment: Dee shares so…
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TVC 648.6: Nick Santa Maria, co-author of The Annotated Abbott and Costello: A Complete Viewer’s Guide to the Comedy Team and Their 38 Films, talks to Greg and Ed about how the Abbott and Costello cartoon series in 1965 was a boon for Bud Abbott, given his failing health at the time. The Abbott and Costello Show, Season 2 is now available on Blu-ra…
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TVC 647.1: Ed welcomes back sixties movie historian Tom Lisanti (Talking Sixties Drive-In Movies, Dueling Harlows: The Race to Bring the Actress’s Life to the Silver Screen, Trippin’ with Terry Southern: What I Think I Remember, Ryan’s Hope: An Oral History of Daytime’s Groundbreaking Soap). Tom’s latest book, Carol Lynley: Her Film & TV Career in …
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TVC 647.2: Sixties movie historian Tom Lisanti (Carol Lynley: Her Film & TV Career in Thrillers, Fantasy and Suspense, Ryan’s Hope: An Oral History of Daytime’s Groundbreaking Soap) talks to Ed about how Carol Lynley always brought a depth to her characters that resonated with audiences; how Lynley did a lot of her own stunt work in The Poseidon Ad…
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TVC 647.5: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with Johnny Whitaker, the actor known around the world as Jody Davis on Family Affair, Johnny Stuart on Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, and Tom Sawyer in Disney’s musical adaptation of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1973).Topics this segment include the role that John’s family played in helping …
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TVC 647.6: Johnny Whitaker talks to Ed about his recent visit to the Mark Twain Cave Complex in Hannibal, Missouri, and how he was given the honor of being among the few people allowed to leave their mark in the caves; how thrilling it was to work with Elizabeth Montgomery on Bewitched; and the story of how Eva Gabor wanted to “adopt” John followin…
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TVC 647.7: Susan Silver, one of the first female television comedy writers and the author of Hot Pants in Hollywood: Sex, Secrets, and Sitcoms, brings her popular series of three-minute reviews and commentaries, Susan Says, to TV Confidential. This week: Susan shares a few thoughts on her relationship with her mom during this Mother’s Day weekend. …
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TVC 646.4: Ed welcomes Johnny Whitaker, the actor known around the world as Jody Davis on Family Affair, Johnny Stuart on Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, and Tom Sawyer in the classic Disney musical adaptation of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1973). Sigmund and the Sea Monsters is among the many classic shows from Sid and Marty Krofft th…
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TVC 646.5: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with five-time Emmy Award-winning writer, producer, and cultural critic John Barbour (Real People) and Carol Hoenig, the collaborator on John’s memoir, Your Mother’s Not a Virgin. Carol’s latest book, The Greatest Reviews I’ve Ever Read, is a collection of some of John’s many film reviews for…
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TVC 646.6: Five-time Emmy Award-winning writer, producer, and cultural critic John Barbour (Real People, Your Mother’s Not a Virgin) recalls the circumstances that led to Bob Hope’s appearance on John’s talk show John Barbour’s Half-Hour in December 1972, including the touching story of how Hope came to the studio that day by himself and applied hi…
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TVC 645.1: Ed welcomes Tony Award-winning actress, director, and novelist Dinah Manoff (I Ought to Be in Pictures, Grease, Soap, Ordinary People, Empty Nest). Dinah’s new novel, The Real True Hollywood Story of Jackie Gold, gives readers a fast-paced, authentic look at life behind the red carpet while also asking the eternal question, “Does fame re…
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TVC 645.3: From April 2012: Tony, Donna, and Ed look back at how television covered the riots that broke out in Los Angeles on Apr. 29, 1992. Because Tony and Donna did not live far from the flashpoint of the riots (the intersection of Florence and Normandy in Los Angeles), they had a first-hand view of the chaos that broke out, as it happened. Wan…
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TVC 645.3: From April 2012: Tony, Donna, and Ed discuss how TV news in Los Angeles has never been the same since coverage of the riots that broke out in Los Angeles on Apr. 29, 1992. Topics this segment include Rodney King’s famous “Can we all get along?” speech, calling for peace; why then-L.A. mayor Tom Bradley insisted that KNBC Channel 4, the N…
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TVC 645.4: Tony Award-winning actress, director, and novelist Dinah Manoff chats with Ed about being directed by Robert Redford in the Oscar-winning movie Ordinary People (and how she dramatized some of that experience in her novel, The Real True Hollywood Story of Jackie Gold); how Dinah herself became a director while starring in Empty Nest; and …
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TVC 645.5: Ed welcomes back five-time Emmy Award-winning writer, producer, talk show host, and cultural critic John Barbour (Real People) and Carol Hoenig, the collaborator on John’s memoir, Your Mother’s Not a Virgin. Carol’s latest book, The Greatest Reviews I’ve Ever Read, is a collection of some of John’s many film reviews for Los Angeles magaz…
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