Ian Talks Comedy

Howard Gewirtz joined me to talk about his name; Oliver Beene; growing up in Rego Park, NY; working for the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's television station; writing a spec script for a George Carlin sitcom; writing for Busting Loose ; We're on Our Own ; Co-Ed Fever ; writing a spec script for Taxi and getting hired; Taxi episode "Shut it Down Part I & II"; writing a Three's Company ; writ...

Simpsons legend Al Jean joined me to talk about Get Smart ; his  submission for the Harvard Lampoon; getting hired to the National Lampoon; Airplane II ; Not Necessarily the News ; writing for The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson ; Carnac jokes; bitch McNuggets; Charles in Charge ; the dangers of being on Alf ; Sledge Hammer ; It's Garry Shandling's Show ; getting hired on The Simpson...

Stacey Nelkin joined me to talk about her upbringing; Stuyvesant High School; being cut from Annie Hall, Celebrity, and Deconstructing Harry ; Bullets Over Broadway ; CHiPS ; Like Mom, Like Me ; Triangle Factory Fire Scandal ; The Chisholms ; California Dreaming ; The Last Convertible ; Serial ; Martin Mull & Bill Macy;   Up the Academy ; Children of Divorce ;  Wonderful World of Dis...

"Cosby Show" producer and "Home Improvement" creator Carmen Finestra joined me to talk about his comedy upbringing; his first job filling in for Herve Villechaize; Joe Cates; making funny fire warnings; Johnny Cash & Friends ; his first sketch is ruined when Johnny reads the cue cards wrong; meeting Steve Martin & Jim Varney; Sha Na Na ; Chico & The Man ; The Harvey Korman Show ;...

Mark joined me to discuss Al Franken; growing up in Buffalo; moving to LA; quitting his day job; his stand up material; meeting Dennis Miller; how finding your voice is difficult when you're writing for someone else; getting The Dennis Miller Show ; Bob Odenkirk; Mum & Shanz; Herb Sargent; being brought on to The Chevy Chase Show ; Chevy farts on FOX execs; performing in front of 12 people inc...

Rich Halke and William Lucas Walker joined me to talk about their influences (William - Dick Van Dyke & Gilligan's Island and Rich HBO Comedy Hours); family members and friends who are funnier than you; Rich Rosenstock; David Lloyd & Jay Sandrich; how writing for The Jackie Thomas Show got William a job on Roseanne ; Norm MacDonald; the G illigans Island - Roseanne mash up; starting Sunday...

Vic Kaplan joined me to talk about going to NYU, working at World News Tonight , Three's Company pilot; Dick Clark Live Wednesday ; Fridays ; producing stand up specials for Billy Crystal, Garry Shandling, and Robin Williams; It's Garry Shandling Show ; Out of this World ; doing comedy specials with Harry Anderson, Dennis Miller, Richard Lewis & Penn & Teller; Lookwell; Roc; Get Smart...

SNL writers David Mandel, Lew Morton, and Steve Koren joined SNL archivist James Stephens and myself to discuss being the SNL era wrote about least; Al Franken mentoring Dave; learning how much politics to put in a sketch; Ross Perot; Steve Koren's progression to writer; Morwenna Banks; being in a sketch with Bill Murray; Honker meets Canteen Boy; Farley writes a sketch; Lunch Lady Land; being an...

Carl Gottlieb spoke to me about childhood radio and TV memories;  growing up in post WWII Manhattan; going to Syracuse University with Larry Hankin and Frank Langella; joining the Committee; making A Session with the Committee ; writing for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour ; winning the Emmy for a great sketch involving David Frye and Liberace; Music Scene with Groucho Marx; The Ken Berry WO...

Actor, writer, producer, comedian Michael Elias joined me to discuss his new book, You Can Go Now; his fifty year friendship with Steve Martin; collaborating on Steve's stand up act and The Jerk ; how Mike Nichols was supposed to direct The Jerk ; how Carl Reiner changed The Jerk; Steves ad libs; Bernadette Peters; Bill Macy; a cut scene; childhood watching TV through a shop window; working a...

Sean Kelly talked with me about Between the Lions ; comic books; radio comedy; being on early TV in Canada and making him jaded to TV; being on Saturday Night Live for two weeks; Jean Doumanian; Michel Choquette getting him on the Lampoon; Bruce McCall; Canada: The Re&$2!&! Neighbor on Your Doorstep; Beaverton: Canada's humor magazine; Canadian jokes; Son O'God Comix; Zimmerman; his son, w...

Andy Breckman joined me to guess whether I was a vaginal of Casearean birth; his early childhood; only being allowed to watch one show a week on TV; realizing re never had to go to school again and leaving BU; going to LA and becoming a funny folk singer; transitioning into writing; Kevin Kelton;writing Hot Hero Sandwich ; being turned down by SNL in 1980; how the SNL audition packet got him the a...

Denny Johnston joined me to talk about starting out as a folk singer; writing his first act; early insights on Letterman, Robin Williams, and Michael Keaton; The Merv Griffin Show ; him doing the funniest thing I ever saw on panel on The Jim Nabors Show ; getting on The Tonight Show but not with Johnny; Chevy Chase & Friends ; All Commercials . . .A Steve Martin Special; Dirty Dirty Jokes ; re...

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Bob joined me to talk about his favorite TV shows growing up; not being a TV addict; USF leading to a job in news, The Guiding Light, working at Radio City Music Hall; writing a telenovela in Mexico; Night Court: writing the episodes "Death of A Bailiff" and "Hart of Stone", writing for Roz, Dan Fielding, John Astin (Buddy) and Will Utay; writing the episode "Crossroads"; writing of Good & Evi...

Dan Vitale joined me and discussed social media presence; attention he got from Marc Maron's podcast; Lorne Michaels seeing him; his audition for The New Show ; his fluctuating weight from 1986 - 1991;  Cobra Kai ; streaming services give more content; Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Bill Burr & Louis CK; being Lorne Michaels protege; being funnier now than when he was "hot" in the...

Entertainer, comedian, and podcaster Mark Malkoff joined me to talk his early influences; Norm Macdonald; Andy Kaufman; our fanaticism for Saturday Night Live ; being in the audience for Letterman and Conan; Don Novello; Carl Reiner; Mel Brooks; Biff Henderson; working for the Late Show with David Letterman ; Donick Cary; the trials of being head writer; Rich Hall; guests he's still working o...

Jeff Abraham talked to me about the clients he had as a comedy publicist including The Amazing Jonathan, Pam Stone, Jeff Foxworthy, George Carlin, David Brenner, Andrew "Dice" Clay, Bill Maher and George Lopez; His book The Show Won't Go On - which chronicles the deaths of performers onstage including J.I. Rodale, Dick Shawn, and Parkyakarkus, The National Comedy Center, and his upcoming book on t...

We discuss Cheers using the perspective of two guys from the UK who were just born when it went of the air and me, a guy who watched it from when he was eight until it ended when he was fifteen.

Alan Safier joined me and we discussed the things we have in common; his first exposure to theater in kindergarten ; his 4th grade play; a summer camp play; Ohio University; his performance in the 30th anniversary of New Faces of 1952 ; working with Eartha Kitt; starring in Stop the World, I Want to Get Off with 10 year old Rob Lowe; playing John Adams in 1776 ; performing in Merchant of Venice an...

Dennis joined me to talk about books he didn't write, the first time he watched SNL , Dan Aykroyd and the Blog Diet sketch; his sketch group Kamikaze Radio; seeing Mr. Mike and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir; the Brer Rabbit Mr. Mike sketch; Michael O'Donoghue's third season; Attack of the Atomic Lobsters; Mr. Mike's Mondo Video ; Hugh Fink; Mr. Mike returns for SNL 's 7th season; Dennis has Mic...

Dennis Blair joined me to talk about originally being a musician; his love for Steve Martin; the first time he got laughs at a gig; auditioning at Dangerfield's; opening for Rodney; writing two specials with him; helping to write Easy Money; his fallout with Rodney; starting to open for Joan Rivers; working with Garry Shandling; getting back in Rodney's graces to be in Rover Dangerfield; what to d...

Donick Cary joined me to talk about interning and then writing (and head writing) Late Night / The Late Show with David Letterman, his character A Guy in a Bear Suit, working with Mujibur and Sirajul and Rupert Jee; The Simpsons, writing D'ohing in the Wind, The Last Temptation of Krust; producing and writing The New Girl, Parks and Rec, and A.P. Bio

William Ham joined me to talk about Mad magazine; his 1st SNL ; Chevy Chase; George Carlin; our SNL streaks; Fridays is the Cracked to SNL 's Mad; SCTV ; favorite SNL writers Michael O'Donoghue, Marilyn Suzanne Miller and Tom Schiller; Dan & Peter Aykroyd; Bill Murray; Phil Hartman; Dana Carvey; Eddie Murphy; Bill Hader; Will Ferrell; Jane Curtin; Gilda Radner; Joulia Louis-Dreyfus; Jan Hooks;...

Allan Havey joined me to talk about early comedy influence; studying drama in college; coming to New York as part of a comedy team; doing stand up in New York at the time of the comedy boom; The New Show; Young Comedians; doing David Letterman; Night after Night; HBO's One Night Stand; the success of Jerry Seinfeld & Larry David; Louie; Mad Men, and Billions