Ian Talks Comedy

Robin Duke joins me to discuss how her friendship with Catherine O'Hara led to her career in comedy; getting into Second City; SCTV - her characters Edna Hydecker, Mollie Earle and Shelley Winters; getting SNL when Catherine O'Hara bowed out; her first episode before and after the writers strike; Paulette Clooney, "Be a Ho", "Mrs. T", The Girls of Saturday Night Live; the PTSD of SNL; her Christma...

The delightful Mary Gross talks about her love for Carol Burnett; her high school history club musical with Marilu Henner;  attending improv classes; getting on  main stage at Second City; working with Sid Caesar; Nuns on the Beach; hosting SNL Newsbreak; Marilyn Monroe singing Downers Are a Girls Best Friend; At Home with the Psychos; the Christmas bonus that wasn't,  Spitting Mad...

Jon and I meet to discuss all things SNL on this special episode.

Neil Levy talks abut getting the job on SNL as its 1st PA; smoking extremely strong pot; the generosity of Dan Aykroyd; the first show; George Carlin's monologue; Jane Crowley, the censor; being an extra in a jury sketch; meeting President Ford; booking Miles Davis; Frank Zappa; Louise Lasser; injuring himself as an extra in a sketch; being a Killer Bee with Elliot Gould; writing the promos, comin...

Actor-comedy writer-composer Tom Leopold

Craig Richard Nelson joined me to talk about his movie debut in The Paper Chase; Blood Sport; Marty Hartman, Mary Hartman; Maude; Fernwood Tonight; Stick Around; Barney Miller; Square Pegs;  working in 3 Robert Altman movies; Night Court; Get a Life; Another You, and Stark Trek

Ken Reid, host of the podcast TV Guidance Counselor, discusses the origin of his podcast; his theme song; childhood fears of the Incredible Hulk and Mr. Bill; meeting the original Not Ready for Prime Time players; SCTV; Fridays; New York / Massachusetts; WPIX; WSBK; Gimme A Break; and a lot more

Comedy great Hugh Fink joined me to discuss his comedy act; Silent Night Deadly Night 4; being on the last Rodney Dangerfield Special; getting SNL and writing Spade in America; working with Norm Macdonald on the Larry King sketches; sketches he's proud of; working with Tracey Morgan; his Comedy Central Present special; getting heckled by David Wells; being head writer of Late Show with Craig Fergu...

Leonard "Lenny" Rips joined me to talk about comedy as self defense; Joan Rivers giving him his first break; The Mac Davis Show ; George Burns; Van Dyke & Company ; Bob Einstein; Andy Kaufman; Redd Foxx; Star Wars Holiday Show ; Angie; Goodtime Girls; Bosom Buddies ; Rodney Dangerfield; 13 13th Avenue, Frankenweenie; What A Country; Full House; Top of the Heap; Me and the Boys; Can't Hurry Lov...

Bobby and I discuss his formative years; 60's TV; winning Best Actor for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest; Smokey Bites the Dust; Laugh Trax ; The New Battlestars; 1/2 Hour Comedy Hour ; Joan Collins; Jan Hooks; Dick Clark; Real Trivial Pursuit ; Ted Knight and the fart machine; Dennis the Menace and being friends with Phil Hartman; The New Truth or Consequences ;  Up Your Alley; The Gong Show...

Kevin and I discuss Face the Music ; Fridays ; Twilight Theater ; Laugh Trax ; No Soap, Radio ; The Jeffersons ; getting SNL ; Eddie Murphy's showcase; getting stuff on his second show; Subliminal Advertising Sketch, Lie Detector Sketch; Chess Club Coach sketch; Trivial Pursuit sketch; being locked in Dick Ebersol's office to write Eddie Murphy's Christmas 1984 show; Christopher Guest Auctioneer S...

Phil Proctor joined me to discuss his Amish roots; being a young actor; hanging with Brandon deWilde and Peter Fonda; reuniting with Peter Bergman; joining Radio Free Oz, Waiting for the Electrician or Someone Like Him ; Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers ; , I Think We're All Bozos On This Bus ; having Steve Jobs as a fan' and his friendships with Harry Anderson, Fred Willard, and Jonatha...

Jeff Richards joined me to talk about his love and impression of David Letterman, work on Mad TV and Saturday Night Live and his briiliant deep  fake podcast  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJBnwz5JYloiL9KpaPkAWgg http://thejeffrichardsshow.com

Actor, writer, and improviser Mel Green joined me for a chat about his early life, meeting his comedy partner, his year (1980-1981)  at Saturday Night Live , working on From Cleveland and his brilliant book Marker. https://www.amazon.com/Marker-Mel-Green/dp/1452893705

I had the opportunity to interview Gary Kroeger along with friend and fellow podcaster Andrew Dick of "That Week in SNL" Gary talks about his pre-SNL days, his work on SNL, and his work afterwards

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Kimiko Gelman and I discuss her growing up on Long Island; Loving ; getting cast on Rags to Riches ; working on the pilot; becoming friends with Tisha Campbell; Joe Bologna; Baby Jessica; Freddy's Nightmares with Page Hannah; Baghdad Cafe with Whoopi Goldberg; The Pickle and working with Shelley Winters and Danny Aiello; getting cast in Mother and working with Albert Brooks and Debby Reynolds; The...

Charlie Robinson talks about his early career in music;  his stage work; early film and TV roles; Fences ; Buffalo Bill and its famous (#57 all time TV show by TV Guide) Jerry Lewis episode; being added to Night Court ; the concept of Mac's character; Mac's sweaters; singing and hanging out with the Rivingtons;  when Richard Moll's car broke down; directing four episodes of Night Court a...

Margaret Oberman spoke with me about her rise to working on Saturday Night Live, writing for Eddie Murphy, Joe Piscopo and Rick Moranis; her favorite sketches; writing for Andrea Martin; writing a special that starred 21 year old Chris Rock; meeting Sammy Davis Jr.; writing Kim Kardashian's favorite movie Troop Beverly Hills ; writing the original script for The Man; writing the BBC series Too Muc...

Diana and I discuss The Bellinis;   Lenny (Luca Brasi) Montana; Hollywood High; auditioning for Marni Nixon Feast, Ozzie's Girls ; guest starring in a memorable Happy Days, Chico and the Man, Medical Story, The First Nudie Musical, Starsky & Hutch; Paul Michael Glaser; The Love Boat pilot;   Soap; audition; cast becomes family; Hollywood Squares, Dinah!;  Perry Como’s Early Amer...

In a lengthy interview, Bob Illes and I discuss his early years; starting a radio comedy show at USC; Digby Wolfe; winning a contest to write for Tennesse Ernie Ford; Mike Ovitz; writing monologues for Bill Cosby; meeting Groucho Marx and Peter Sellers; writing for the Lily Tomlin special and winning an Emmy; The Super Emmy; writing the Sanford & Son episode, "Lamont, Is That You", The Smother...

Meco and I discuss her modeling career; how the Cheetah Girls Movie inspired her; songwriting; trying out for The X Factor , The Lost Resort and the jungles of Costa Rica; the therapies that she did or did not take part in; her webseries about forming a girl group; and her website, everythingmeco.com

Steven Kampmann talks Cook & Moore; Second City; The Cisco Kid; WKRP in Cincinnati; Newhart; Back to School , Club Paradise ,   The Richest Cat in the World ; The Couch Trip ; Clifford ; Stuart Saves His Family ; For the Boys ; Multiplicity ; Analyze That; Special Delivery ; Buzzkill; Maurice!; and teaches me improv.

This is a list of the performers I would most like to interview on the podcast.  If any body has a lead or if they themselves are listening please email me at nycarter8@aol.com The list: In alphabetical order: Julie Brown (Just Say Julie)                           ...

Blues Brothers