Media Path Podcast

We are fully stocked on Steves! Legendary, luminary Late Show and Late Night Letterman writers Steve O’Donnell and Steve Young join us for an insider’s look at behind-the-scenes life within the Late Night and Late Show Letterman eras.  And in the waning weeks of Dave’s CBS years, Steve Young was in full production on the documentary which celebrates his deep dive into corporate and industrial musi...

Rock Journalist and Music Critic Tim Riley is steeped in Beatles lore and history. He’s written the definitive John Lennon bio, Lennon: The Man, The Myth, The Music, plus Beatles books, What Goes On: The Beatles, Their Life and Their Time and Tell Me Why: The Beatles, Album by Album, Song by Song. Tim is an NPR and print journalism Critic, an Emerson College Professor and he is this week’s guest,...

NPR/PBS’s Steve Mencher took in so much of SXSW he simply must offload some of it to us. Steve’s festival strategy did not include pacing himself. Steve saw films, heard talks and attended concerts by Dolly Parton, Ron Howard, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Gabby Giffords, Magic Johnson, Richard Linklater, and beyond. He returned with photos and interviews and the scoop on all of the wonderful media...

“First dance. First love. The time of your life,” read the posters in 1987, as the words “Dirty Dancing” came to mean, that sweet little movie that brings a smile to your heart and a tap to your toe. Back then, the only way to see the film was to keep returning to the theater. And that is exactly what fans did. Over and over and over again. The only piece of that goodness  that you could possess w...

Joyce Bulifant’s path has led her from orphanages to Broadway stages. From dyslexia to alcoholic husbands, from co-dependency to The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and from travels with her mother-in-law Helen Hays to ultimately marrying the love of her life! It’s all revealed in her wonderful book, My Four Hollywood Husbands, and she’s here to talk about it. Plus, journalist Liane Bonin Starr joins us to...

Larry Grobel has been called by Playboy, “The interviewers’ interviewer,” by Joyce Carol Oats, “The Mozart of interviewers” and by J.P. Donleavy, “The most intelligent interviewer in the United States.”  Larry has written for The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, Playboy and many more magazines and newspapers. He’s published 29 books including biographies, fiction and non-fictio...

Cathy Ladman possesses one of the keenest minds in standup comedy. She has appeared on The Tonight Show nine times, and on Craig Ferguson’s Late, Late Show four times. She has won the American Comedy Award for Best Female Standup Comic and starred in her own HBO special, One Night Stand. An acclaimed actor, Cathy’s credits include:  “Charlie Wilson’s War,” “The Aristocrats,” "White Oleander,” “Mad...

Butch Patrick was Hollywood’s dependable, go-to kid actor and as such he guest starred in Gunsmoke, The Monkees, Bonanza, My Three Sons, Adam-12, General Hospital, I Dream of Jeanie, Family Affair, The Real McCoys, My Favorite Martian, Mr. Ed, and Daniel Boone with stars such as Judy Garland, Sidney Poitier, Henry Fonda, Eddie Albert, Andy Griffith, Fred MacMurray, Bobby Darin, Goldie Hawn, Burt L...

Come closer and worship the goddess that is Judy Tenuta. Judy joins us with her divine comedic origin stories, revelatory wisdom and magnificent accordion odes of exaltation.  Crawl for it.  Plus, Fritz and Weezy are recommending and discussing LBJ: Triumph and Tragedy on CNN, Mrs. Maisel on Prime and Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom on Netflix. Path Points of Interest: Judy Tenuta Judy...

Danuta Pfeiffer’s stunningly beautiful memoir, Chiseled joins Educated, The Glass Castle and Angela’s Ashes in that rare class of memorable books by authors who have triumphed over nearly impossible childhoods.  Danuta’s latest work is Libertas, the first in a trilogy, following the flight for freedom of two runaway slaves and their trek across 19th Century America, seeking liberty. Danuta joins u...

Adam Schiff’s work and words have served as ballast for our balance of power against the chaotic headwinds of the trump administration. Congressman Schiff’s best selling book, Midnight In Washington places you in his shoes and thoughts as he journeys from young, idealistic dreamer to prosecutor, to congressman to an individual uniquely prepared to meet our nation’s moment of crisis as Lead (first)...

Why did the world lose the King of Rock & Roll at the age of 42? The institutionalized answer has been drugs and decadence. Author and Elvis scholar Sally Hoedel begs to differ. She posits that Elvis was born with disease and/or dysfunction in nine of the eleven bodily systems and that his legendary drug use was an effort to self medicate. She proves her thesis with painstakingly sourced resea...

Hag, by Marc Eliot is the definitive biography of country legend Merle Haggard. Marc has penned best selling books on Cary Grant, The Eagles, Jimmy Stewart and so many more. His latest work explores the complex and conflicting personality forces that push and pull Merle Haggard both to the brink of destruction and to indelible greatness. Marc shines a light on the charismatic and mysterious man be...

Peter Noone has been delighting audiences all of his life. A born entertainer, Peter went global with Herman’s Hermits when he was just fifteen years old, selling more than 60 million records and scoring seven gold records. Peter served proudly on the front lines of The British Invasion, with The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Tom Jones, Cream, The Rolling Stones, Dusty Springfield and so man...

Fritz and Weezy celebrate the lives and careers of Sidney Poitier and Bob Saget with friend, neighbor and Pitbull of Comedy, Bobby Slayton. Bobby has spent the last 30 years owning audiences with his relentless brand of offensively hilarious standup. He has unapologetically stolen scenes in Get Shorty, Ed Wood, Dreamgirls and Bandits, played Joey Bishop in The Rat Pack movie and stared in his own...

Kelly Conway’s book is called My Dad's Funnier Than Your Dad: Growing Up with Tim Conway in the Funniest House in America. We won’t contest her on that title. Kelly’s warm, loving, raucus childhood in the San Fernando Valley with her five little brothers and her tight and trusted relationship with her father prepared her for the fight of her life which would be protecting him as he once had her. K...

The pandemic has challenged many of us to dig deep and discover that we may have options and opportunities that we were too busy to recognize. Best Selling Author and Motivational Keynote speaker Laura Gassner Otting helped create the  AmeriCorps program under President Bill Clinton, and her new book Limitless aims to help you shape a future that is in better alignment with your true purpose. Laur...

Suzan Johnson Cook is an inspired blend. I paella, if you will of Reverend, Doctor, Diplomat, Author, Academic, Theologian, Activist, Show Host and presidential advisor, who served as a policy advisor to President Clinton and in the Obama Administration as Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom. “Ambassador SuJay” has written 17 books, including My Fabulous Fifth Chapter for women...

What do comedians know about what you should watch and read and consider? They know a lot. We are joined by comedians, sages, thinkers Eric Schwartz and Cynthia Levin and we are talking about artistic pursuits, bundling your talents, turning a mistake into a meaningful moment, and owning the stage. Plus Fritz and Weezy are recommending the American Radical Podcast, The Mixtape series from Radio La...

Shirley Feeney was not just Laverne’s best friend. Cindy Williams made us feel like she was our bestie too. Cindy’s career has taken her from American Graffiti to The Conversation to Broadway and beyond. She’s worked with Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, Garry Marshall, Penny Marshall, Ron Howard, Harrison Ford, Henry Winkler, Gene Hackman, Dame Maggie Smith, Gene Kelly, and she’s written a boo...

Barry Kibrick’s storied career has taken him from The Iditarod dog sled race to the halls of NBC, The Ellis Island Medal of Honor and three Emmy awards. AND he produced Fritz’s groundbreaking variety show, It’s Fritz! Barry’s famed PBS show Between the Lines is now a podcast! He’s conducted thousands of fascinating interviews with extraordinary luminaries, so there is much to discuss. Plus Fritz a...

We are joined by bestselling author Marlene Wagman-Gellar whose specialty is sharing the real-life stories of famous, infamous, notorious and celebrated women. Marlene’s books include Women of Means, Women Who Launch and Still I Rise and she’s with us to share stories about Maya Angelou, Gloria Vanderbilt, Patty Hearst, Sunny Von Bulow, Hattie McDaniel, Mrs. Gandhi, Mrs. Einstein and so many more!...

Singer/Actor/Tennis Player Mark Arthur Miller was the only white boy growing up in his south side Chicago neighborhood, only to discover that his estranged father, Ron Miller was the only white songwriter at Motown. The two reconnected when Mark was 16 and were able to share 20 years of connection, forgiveness and love. Mark has fashioned his story into a musical stage show that audiences are find...

Best known for her roles in E.T., Cujo and Critters, Actor Dee Wallace has been passionately practicing and teaching the art of self creation since her husband suddenly passed away at the age of 50. Her key message is that we must love ourselves so much that all of our purposeful endeavors only support that love. Dee has authored five books and hosts a weekly radio show, all designed to help, enha...

Mom, Mentor and dream chaser Marion Ross set her destination at an early age on becoming an actor. She always knew that chasing a dream requires effort, determination, resiliency and tenacity. Marion Ross caught that dream and lit up all of our lives as Mrs. C. On Happy Days. Her new book, My Days: Happy and Otherwise shares all of her wonderful secrets and she is right here to talk about  all of...