Media Path Podcast

We’ve got Linda Blair! Pioneer Scream Queen, 70s and 80s Hollywood Trailblazer, Golden Globe Winner, cult classic icon, animal rights activist and humanitarian, Linda joins us for an exclusive conversation about her path to self discovery in a terrifying lane she navigated solo, carving her way towards light and purpose.  Linda and Fritz share a history in philanthropy. They catch up on The Linda...

Randy Newman is one of the most misunderstood and under-celebrated musicians of the modern era. Reknowned Music Journalist/Author Robert Hilburn’s new book, A Few Words in Defense of Our Country is the definitive Randy Newman biography and Bob joins us to spotlight the genius and the legend of a great American musician and storyteller. Robert Hilburn was the music critic for the Los Angeles Times...

These children of showbiz legends are ensuring that their fathers’ memories and legacies live on.  We speak with James Tormé and Melissa Tormé-March about their Velvet Fog of a dad, Mel Tormé, as we approach the 80th anniversary of his incomparable contribution to the holiday music canon, 'The Christmas Song'.  Then Joel Brokaw joins us. His new book 'Driving Marilyn: The Life and Times of Legenda...

We sit down with actor Bruce Davison. With almost 300 IMDB credits, shelves full of awards and a slew of illustrious co-stars and stories about A-listers whom he befriended pre-fame-and-fortune, Bruce is brimming with fantastic tales that feature some of the most influential figures in visual media history. Bruce joins us to talk about his career, from his start in the '60s, all the way to current...

Are Hollywood's youngest stars in any less danger now than those of past eras? We pose this question to Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman’s Claudia Lamb. At age 11 she was cast as Mary’s daughter Heather Hartman in the groundbreaking Norman Lear soap parody. Claudia offers a front row view to her traumatic life as a 70s child star, at the mercy of her abusive parents and insight into how she gnawed throu...

Are you looking for comfort, distraction, hope or optimism? We are serving it up with recommendations to soothe, calm and quiet your spirit, plus two inspirational guests! Andrew Jameson is a writer/producer/director who brings his skillset to his advocacy work and Norman Lear biographer Tripp Whetsell joins us to celebrate a life and a body of work that continues to inform, inspire and amuse gene...

Harry Shearer has been delivering groundbreaking comedy that's the stuff of legend for decades, starting off strong as a child actor on The Jack Benny Program, then cutting off every edge in The Credibility Gap, pioneering the mockumentary with This Is Spinal Tap, bringing us over 20 voices in the most culturally relevant animated series of all time, The Simpsons and continuing to revolutionize ra...

John Paizis is the creative force behind Performing Arts Studio West whose focus is elevating the talents of performers with intellectual and physical disabilities. Together with friends of the studio, Mindy Sterling and Debra Wilson, John joins us to talk about their latest project, a storybook which puts a dark, new twist on age old fairytales, Mother Goose Reanimated.  John shares his extensive...

The Walton family saga so deeply moved us that scores of devoted fans are now sharing the show with their children and grandchildren.  Set in Depression era Virginia, The Waltons invited audiences to watch a family overcome adversity through their love, perseverance and the opening of their minds and hearts.  During its nine year run, we watched the Walton kids grow up right along with us. Between...

Happy Days is the iconically classic 70s TV sensation about the 50s. Its legacy is unparalleled, its popularity ongoing. The show  launched a character who remains the embodiment of cool, Fonzie, and it cemented its cast into icon status in perpetuity.  That cast includes Donny Most, who played wise-cracking Ralph Malph, who, complete with his own catchphrase, “I still got it!” took a minor role a...

You may know William Atherton from Day Of The Locust, The Hindenburg, Looking For Mr. Goodbar, and Real Genius or you may better remember him for vigorously questioning the environmental safety of ghost busting or for receiving a blow to the face which rings in a very Merry Christmas in Die Hard.    Bill began his career on the stage, performing in Broadway plays by David Rabe, John Guare and Arth...

In the '90s, a group of legendary rock and pop artists banded together, blending inspirations, genres, influences and styles to form a uniquely collaborative sound. The Bangles, The Cowsills, REM, The dBs, and Hootie And The Blowfish were all represented in The Continental Drifters.  Author and musician Sean Kelly has written the definitive Drifters tomb, White Noise & Lightning: The Continent...

The fall of the Soviet wall and the opening of the iron curtain presented ample space for hope, optimism and opportunity for westerners eager to share culture, creativity, business and democracy concepts with the citizens of the former Soviet Union. David Junk leapt at the chance to work for Polygram/Universal Records in a country hungry for music and freedom. David’s 15 years in Russia were a uni...

Golden Globe-nominated actor, action movie star, martial artist, helicopter pilot, heartthrob, thrill seeker and  Hollywood royalty, Lorenzo Lamas joins us for an exhilarating ride through decades of entertainment history, from the Golden Age through the non-stop 1990's and beyond! Lorenzo is the son of classic era movie-making duo Arlene Dahl and Fernando Lamas. Lorenzo came into his own playing...

Geri Jewell is a Comedian/Actor/Motivational Speaker/Author and (thanks to Norman Lear) the trailblazing first person with a visible disability to appear as a TV show regular! Geri went straight from special ed to special treatment as a Facts of Life cast member, portraying Blair’s Cousin Geri and providing essential representation for kids growing up and living with Cerebral Palsy.  Geri's life a...

Rich Little has boldly done impressions of presidents for presidents! The man of a thousand voices is a show biz legend who has been delighting audiences for decades. His new one-man show is a multi-media event that includes TV highlights, his spectacular sketches and, of course, his phenomenal impressions! Rich joins us to give voice (often not his own!) to his unique show biz history! Rich Littl...

Words like 'legend', 'icon' and 'star' were created to describe Mae West! Our guest, Michael Gregg Michaud has written his third Mae West book, Mae West And Her Adonises which focuses on her revolutionary 50s nightclub act featuring a chorus line of muscle men. Mae set the stage for the male revue, now a staple of Vegas bachelorette parties and girls’ nights out!  Michael’s book is packed with pho...

Illeana Douglas is an avid student of the movies who grew up, stepped onto a set and entered the big screen of her childhood dreams. Her deep interest and knowledge of film legend and lore provided her with rich opportunities to engage in meaningful conversations with the stars and directors she has imagined meeting and then encountered along her way, including Robert De Niro, Robert Redford, Marl...

You may know and love Patrika Darbo’s face from one or all of her 121 IMDB credits. She’s been in The Burbs, Line of Fire, Days of Our Lives, Seinfeld, Step By Step, The Bold and The Beautiful, and, if you’re doing the math 115 others. Patrika played Dan’s dream girl (Roseanne’s look-alike) so convincingly on Roseanne that she was soon cast to play Roseanne in the TV pic, Roseanne and Tom: Behind...

We celebrate the importance of film to entertain, fascinate and illuminate us. Our guest is filmmaker Meredith Yinger whose latest work is called Scars Unseen. It takes us into the worlds of three inspiring women who have survived domestic violence and terror and are now thriving in their efforts to pave a path forward for others.  Meredith is a filmmaker, Documentarian, and the Owner of She TV Me...

Susan Anton is a small town Yucaipa, CA girl who became Miss California and conquered the 70s and 80s media landscape. A triple threat, Susan sings, dances and acts and she quickly made her way into commercials, talk and variety shows, TV series, movies, and Broadway. And she opened for Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. Tom Jones and Kenny Rogers.  Susan joins us with legendary show biz stories about...

Bonnie Bartlett’s impressive career spans half a century beginning with three starring years on the 50s soap, Love of Life and building towards guest starring parts in Gunsmoke, The Waltons, Kojak, The Rockford Files, Home Improvement, and starring turns in St. Elsewhere, Little House on The Prairie and Boy Meets World. Additionally, she played the infamous Barbara Thorndyke on The Golden Girls. ...

Veronica Cartwright is the queen of classic era genre film and TV. Every role iconic. Every story spine-tingling. Veronica joins us for a deep dive into her decades of action packed history making roles beginning with child actor turns on The Twilight Zone, The Birds, Daniel Boone and The Children’s Hour. Her early screen scream training prepared her for legendary grownup parts in Alien, Invasion...

Little House on the Prairie takes us back to a time when modern distractions were stripped away and life was pared down to the values which define us: kindness, community, compassion and collaboration. Without the miracle of time travel, we do get to huddle together and gather ‘round the warmth of a streaming episode of Little House.  Dean Butler played the man who put the “Wilder” in Laura Ingall...

George Schlatter is living a life full of legendary firsts and remarkable adventures because he embraces innovation. George’s captivating career path is documented in his book, Still Laughing: A Life In Comedy. It’s a hilarious page-turner that serves as a showbiz primer and history lesson. It’s also self-improvement manual for anyone in search of creative inspiration. One of George’s key mottos i...