Ian Talks Comedy

Marc Sotkin and I discuss his books The Comatose Adventures of Lenny Rose and With Time Off for Bad Behavior; the final season of Laverne & Shirley ; Larry Breeding; coming to LA and joining the Off the Wall comedy troupe; getting hired for Sirota's Court and moving to Laverne & Shirley ; Phil Foster; Blansky's Beauties ;  Working Stiffs ; I'm A Big Girl Now ; working with Danny...

Ellen Foley discusses her early career; The National Lampoon Show; Jim Steinman; Paradise by the Dashboard Light; 3 Girls 3; Hair; Night Out; Kenny Everrett Video Show; Spirit of St. Louis; Tootsie; Night Court; Married to the Mob; teaching in the School of Rock; and her new album, Fighting Words. PS: Sorry for the interference on Ms. Foley's IPhone.

Patrick Harburgh talks about his upbringing in Buffalo' being a ski instructor in Aspen; learn how to write a script; getting hired on Greatest American Hero ; creating the character name BA Baracus for the A-Team ; creating Hardcastle and McCormick , Destination America ; 21 Jump Street (tv and movies); working with young Johnny Depp, George Clooney and Brad Pitt;  Aspen Extreme ; Sea Quest...

Dean Friedman joined me to discuss his musical influences; "Ariel";  "Company"; "Lucky Stars"; "S & M";  "McDonald's Girl"; "Hey Larry"; Complete Guide to Synthesizers, Sequencers, and Drum Machines; virtual reality; creating the game Eat-A-Bug and 12 others for Nick Arcade ; doing the scores for the UK TV show Boon, I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle, and Eerie Indiana ; "Son of Abraham"...

Dennis Danziger discusses when he went one on one against Kobe Bryant; studying play writing in the University of Texas at Austin; moving to NY; being a sports junkie; writing an episode of The White Shadow ; not remembering Open All Night ; how a one act play with Rhea Perlman led to a job on Taxi ; writing a pilot After George for Susan St. James; writing an episode of Empire ;  Kate &...

Chris Butler joined me to talk about Devil's Glitch, the world's longest song; seeing The Who on Shindig changing his life; how Broadway showtunes showed him how to write a song; being in an integrated band in the 1960's; going to Kent State; The Kent State Massacre; playing college clubs; 3 one hour sets anight; being friends with Devo, Joe Walsh, and Terry & Chrissy Hynde; writing "I Kn...

Jay Kogen joined me to discuss his father comedy writer Arnie Kogen; making his TV debut on the Dean Martin Show; apearances on The Bob Newhart Show & Newhart ; being a recurring character on The Bronx Zoo ; being a production assistant on It's Garry Shandling Show with writing partner Wallace Woolodarsky; pitching sketches for The Tracey Ullman Show ; he and Wally get hired for The Simps...

Shelly Clark White joined me to talk about her musical parents; being on Broadway at 7; touring with Cab Calloway; studying opera; being an Ikette; working for Little Richard; singing backup on "MacArthur Park" and with Dusty Springfield; the origins of Honey Cone; hedging her bet by joining the Jim Nabors Show ; "Want Ads" goes to #1; Ray Parker Jr.; performing on the first episode of Soul Train;...

Bruce joins me to talk about the beginning of his career writing for "Donny & Marie" and "Fridays" as well as being head writer for "The Ben Stiller Show"

Bobby Rydell joined me to talk about being from Philadelphia; Kissin' Time; Wild One; reaction videos; Perry Como; his and the other Golden Boys of Bandstands affect on women;  The Ed Sullivan Show ; A World without Love; Bye, Bye, Birdie ; Australia; impressions; George Burns; Sammy Davis Jr.; Michael Buble; My Way; The Great American Songbook; Buddy Rich; Dick Clark; touring after COVI...

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...