Ian Talks Comedy

Jeff and I talk about the "Atomic Shakespeare" episode of Moonlighting ; Night Court memories; the origin of Duckman ; writing 7 days a week for 6 months ( Duckman and Radioland Murders); getting Jason Alexander to play Duckman ; why he loved writing it; a possible reboot; the writing staff; how he and Ron have kept a 40+ year partnership; how they work; Mork & Mindy yearly reunions; Gina...

John joins me to talk about his book Stand Up Guys and making it like the book the Last Laugh; how comedians "learned" their craft; Elaine Boosler; his mentor comedy mentors; Ronnie Shakes; Larry David; Richard Lewis; auditioning for the Improv; Bill Maher; crowd work; dealing with hecklers; Rita Rudner; Gilbert Gottfried; Andy Kaufman; not watching Man in the Moon; Richard Belzer; his Strat 'O' M...

Michael Short talks to me about how the "attic" comedy tapes he made with his brother Marty led to him being hired on SCTV ; joining the show in series 3; writing the Earl and Floyd segments; Stretch Your Arm; getting hired by John Candy to write on Big City Comedy the Monday after SCTV wrapped; Margaret Trudeau; returning to SCTV for the second US cycle; pitching Great White North Palace and winn...

Arthur and I discuss being able to name the host and musical guest for SNL by date; our love of SNL ; the Presidential Bash of 1992; the first episode he ever saw; why he loves SNL ; his audition in 2018; Dick Van Dyke Show; George Carlin; Norm MacDonald; Meyers Kids Night - his show he and his sisters put on in front of their parents; Wilmette, Illinois; Jim Downer; Robert Smigel; working on Jimm...

Ilene Graff joined me to discuss going to grade school and high school with my parents and Lowell Ganz; Queens; Mays Department Store; getting a job on Broadway right after college graduation; Promises, Promises; Jill & Jenny O'Hara; Grease with co-stars Jeff Conaway, Barry Bostwick and occasionally John Travolta; not getting to audition for the movie because she was thought of as too old and...

Brian McConnachie joined me to talk about early influences; Kukla, Fran & Ollie; Catholic prep school discipline; going to NY to sell his cartoons; Kit & Kaboodle; Alcoholic's Christmas; Heading for Trouble; Cochise at Oxford; Neglectful Mother Magazine; Guns & Sandwiches; Weight Waddlers; Tell Debbie; National Lampoon Radio Hour; Moby Dick; parodying Broadway shows; leaving the Nation...

Harry Shearer joined me to talk about radio as a default outlet; doing all parts of his Le Show; having a studio in his homes; Apologies of the Week; Randy Bass; Colin Powell Tribute Show; talking to whistle blowers; his impressions of Presidents Reagan, George HW Bush, Donald Trump, and George W. Bush; only seeing the Godfather last year and never seeing Titanic or Star Wars; Tom Leopol...

Rosie Shuster and Marilyn Suzanne Miller join me to talk about MSM's love of the musical Peter Pan; Rosie loving her dad's joke books, West Side Story, and being in the audience of the Ed Sullivan Show ; Rosie meets Lorne Michaels and Howard Shore; MSM goes to work for James L. Brooks & Garry Marshall; Rosie writes for Canadian children and crime game shows; sends a monologue for Laugh In that...

Nat Bernstein joined me to talk bout guest starring on The Golden Girls; early TV memories; going out to LA after college on a whim; getting a PA job on Angie ; taking acting class with Gordon Hunt; early appearances on Bosom Buddies , Taxi , Mork & Mindy and Hill Street Blues ; getting s free hairpiece for Hill Street ; appearances on Newhart and Night Court ; different ways people get into s...

David Misch joins me to talk about directing Tales from the Darkside and Monsters; written humor; the Marx Brothers; being a funny folk singer; Sommerville; being managed by Rollins & Jaffe; Piper Houser; Jay Leno; Andy Breckman; Mork & Mindy ; writing his first episode; Robin's ad-libs; writing the scenes on Happy Days for the Mork pilot; "Mork Gets Exposed", Jeff Altman; writing a pilot...

Tom Tenowich joined me to talk about Jack Benny; writing jokes in high school; meeting and writing for Jackie Vernon and Jackie Mason; Rodney Dangerfield; writing for The Dom DeLuise Show and the Jackie Gleason Show ; doing Tiny Tim on Gleason ; leaving to write for The Golddiggers ; joining The Dean Martin Show ; Vernon's Viewing Room; Bob Newhart; writing the roasts; Jack Benny's 1st Farewell Sp...

Lowell Ganz joined me to discuss how watching classic sitcoms was his "college"; his parents reaction to his constant TV watching; meeting Mark Rothman; Mark Rothman's dad giving a script they wrote to Jack Klugman and Tony Randall who gave it to Garry Marshall; getting hired, fired and rehired by The Odd Couple ; "The Ides of April" and "Fear of Flying"; moving to Happy Days ; writing the experim...

Arnold Margolin joined me to discuss his upbringing; favorite radio shows; first time watching TV; working as an office boy on Broadway; being an understudy in a William Saroyan play and going on; Garson Kanin offering him a role in the original Diary of Anne Frank; moving to LA; Garry Marshall offers him a job and a partner; My Mother the Car ; Hey Landlord ; Andy Griffith Show ; He & She ; w...

John Roarke and I discussed early impressionists; Vaughn Meader; audio taping impressions off TV; his stand up act; old vs. young Groucho; getting Fridays ; playing Woody Allen in his first sketch; how voices stay in your head and supplant your voice; "Diner of the Living Dead"; "Brotherhood of Men Who Hum Between Words"; his Reagan; Johnny Carson wants his wig when Fridays is cancelled; Three Sto...

Bruce talks about working with Bob Odenkirk; the agony of writing (and getting credit for) Back to the Beach; Frankie Avalon;  pitching for Seinfeld and Larry David; working at Seinfeld; coming up with the idea that George Costanza would work for the Yankees; and connecting the dots that lead to Curb Your Enthusiasm`

Shelly Zellman joined me to talk about being influenced by The Mary Tyler Moore Show ; writing for Donny & Marie ; James at 16 ; Baby I'm Back ; Barney Miller ; the episode "The Harris Incident"; Jack Soo; When the Whistle Blows ; Semi-Tough ; It's a Living ; Three's Company ; John Ritter; Don Knotts; Nichols, Ross, & West; Jeffrey Tambor; Charles in Charge; Eisenhower & Lutz; FM' Alla...

must edit

Fred Fox Jr. joined me to discuss his father, comedy writer Fred S. Fox; Bob Hope; working for Hertz; writing a spec All in the Family with Garry Shandling; working as a writer's apprentice on Laverne & Shirley ; leaving for Happy Days ; specific episodes: "A Shot in the Dark", "Hollywood Part III (The Jump the Shark episode)", "Potsie Gets Pinned", "Kid Stuff", "Mechanic", acting in "Stolen M...

Ed Scharlach joined me to talk about his sixty plus years in show business telling stories about his stepfather Harry Crane; being Jerry Lewis' assistant, writing a spec Honeymooners at 14; Please Don't Eat the Daisies ; That Girl ; Hey, Landlord ; Captain Nice ; Good Morning, World ; The Ghost & Mrs. Muir ; The Dean Martin Show ; Odd Couple ; Love, American Style ; Happy Days ; Chico & Th...

Barry Rubinowitz joined me to discuss his comedy influences; writing a sketch for a competition with Lowell Ganz and Mark Rothman; being brought out by them to Hollywood; his first Happy Days ; how the change from one to three camera affected the show; his episode "Tall Story"; writing for Laverne & Shirley ; his favorite episode "Bachelor Mothers"; change of the Laverne & Shirley characte...

Eva Almos joined me to discuss TV she watched growing up; starting voice over in Canadian radio; Rick Moranis; loving voice acting the best; re-writing a line on an audition; moving to L.A. for voice overs; studying writing with Ed Scharlach and becoming his partner; Night Heat; Tony Roasto; ALF ; creating a voice; Donita Donata; Swamp Thing ; Larry Sanders Show ; Duckman - Jason Alexander; Secret...

Fred Graver joined me to talk about tricking his parents into watching more TV; The Dick Van Dyke Show ; going to Notre Dame; getting a job as a typist at National Lampoon; getting hired on Late Night with David Letterman ; Merrill Markoe; William Wegman; 360 degree show; writing the Top 10 List; Chris Elliot; remotes; Arnie Barnes; Airplane Anniversary Show;  meeting Pete Townshend; best gue...

Mert Rich joined me to talk about his Emmys; growing up in Detroit; Soupy Sales; Bill Kennedy; Milton Berle; Jackie Gleason; Carl Reiner; being in one of the last Bob Newhart Shows and meeting Mary Tyler Moore at the wrap-up party; Wayne State; going into advertising; joining Second City; doing industrial films with Steven Kampmann; 1/2 Hour Comedy Hour ; side jobs; auditioned for Taxi ; doing a Q...

Canadian treasure Ron James talked to me about coming to L.A.; becoming a stand up comedian; Second City cast mates; My Talk Show ; Bob Tischler; Texas; George Carlin; Richard Pryor; John Cleese; having funny friends; getting advice from Lorne Michaels; Americas influence in his Canadian childhood; Nova Scotia; opening for the Martin Scorcese SCTV reunion; corporate gigs; tough crowds in Albe...

Ron Osborn joined me to discuss his childhood as a horror fan; Art Center College of Design; giving blood for a living; meeting Jeff Reno; getting the job on Mork & Mindy and throwing up every morning; pitching stories; writing 12 Angry Appliances; 17 writers in the writers room but Robin gets credit for ad-libbing series; Robin never forgetting a joke; a typical week at Mork; Tom Poston; Too...