TV Guidance Counselor

This week Ken welcomes director Michael Pressman (The Great Texas Dynamite Chase, Some Kind of Hero, Doctor Detroit, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II The Secret of the Ooze) to the show.  Ken and Michael discus COVID binging, The Bear, Slow Horses, The Crown, Call My Agent, having a comedy background but gravitating towards drama, having difficulty knowing when TV Comedy is working, Bad News Bears,...

February 12-18, 1977 This week Ken welcomes comedian, co-host of the Woo Woo Podcast, and woman behind the new stand up comedy special, "Sweetie", Irene Bremis. Ken and Irene discuss growing up in Boston, racism, being Greek, living in New York, having a braided perm, getting picked on at school, trying to pass a Puerto Rican, Kojak, strong family ties, not smoking, good parking spaces, lollipops,...

July 16-22, 1994 He was one of the very last in person guests pre-COVID, and this time he's back via satellite, please welcome writer of his second graphic novel, Youth Group (out 7/16/24 from First Second Books! Available for pre-order NOW!) , comic, and podcaster Jordan Morris back to the show. Ken and Jordan discuss NASA, Dave Thomas (Wendy's), Popeyes, KFC, In and Out Burger, when all cartoons...

February 1-7, 1997 This week Ken welcomes author of the excellent new novel Mother Doll (signed copies can be purchased here: https://www.skylightbooks.com/pre-order-signed-copies-mother-doll-katya-apekina), Katya Apekina. Ken and Katya discuss living in LA, raining in LA, snow in New England, the nature of our stories, how technology can make us more isolated, displacement, Russia, speaking your...

December 7-13, 1985   This week Ken welcomes writer, producer, professor, director and all around good guy Allan Arkush to the show.   Ken and Allan discuss Allan's cool office, Allan's record collection, Roger Corman, Emmy Nominations, directing or directing and producing over 400 episodes of TV, the path from 70s exploitation to 80s mainstream TV, having a high batting average of sold TV pilots....

June 13-19, 1970 This week Ken welcomes legendary bass-man, and all around punk rock royalty, Mr. Mike Watt to the show. Ken and Mike discuss San Pedro, first meeting D. Boon, moving to San Pedro in 1967 from Navy Housing, living in the projects, saying no to Alameda, George being from Brocton, strong accents, how all the Minutemen were transplants to San Pedro, D. Boon's mom, how trippy the Summe...

March 17-23, 1990 This week Ken welcomes old friend, comedian Esther Ku. Ken and Ku discuss how long it has been since they've talked to each other, starting comedy in Boston, moving to NYC, how we all have a different path, working in marketing, growing up in Chicago, Last Comic Standing, how dues are different, hosting the AVN Porn Awards, working blue, dirty jokes, not taking advice, how what y...

Somehow it's been ten years! Ken goes solo on this one and does a year in review, for 2014. How has it been ten years??

June 19 - 25, 1953 This week Ken welcomes professor, writer, producer and director Jack Solder (Nightmare on Elm St. 2, By Dawn's Early Light, The Hidden, 12:01, Alone in the Dark) to the show. Ken and Jack discuss growing up in Philly, growing up playing trumpet, being a classical musician, realizing you're good but not GREAT at something, becoming an editor, the rhythm of cuts, working at New Li...

All the way from the UK, this week Ken welcomes writer, poet, and television producer Henry Normal to the show. Ken and Henry discuss his tea just arriving, what builders drink, Baby Cow, how being a poet was essentially the same as being a stand up in the UK, The UK's alt comedy revolution, Craig Charles, selling merch, punk rock, American stand up comedy, class based society, character comedy, J...

May 16-22, 1987 This week Ken welcomes actor, magician, host of the new show "Head of the Senior Class" and all around solid dude Dan Frischman to the show. Ken and Dan discuss growing up as magic nerds, Fred Kolb, being a magician at an early age, asking how the tricks are done, Ken's mastering of mediocrity, buying magic at Macy's in New York, magic on TV, Doug Henning, Mark Wilson, Harry Blacks...

This week Ken welcomes esteemed, accomplished director and author of the field guide/memoir "Adventures in the B-Movie Trade", Brian Trenchard-Smith to the show. Ken and Brian discuss the weather in Portland, Brian's travels around the world, his appreciation for everything he's gotten to do, visiting Soviet Russian in 1968, falling in love with cinema after seeing a Hitchcock film, how you should...

February 16-22, 1980 This week Ken welcomes musician, author and man behind the new lp "Ghosts of Vroom III", Mike Doughty. Ken and Mike discuss how 1980 was a good poignant television year in Mike's life, being a military kid, how a year of no Mork & Mindy leads to a year of no TV at all, The American Forces Network, the outro credit song on WKRP in Cincinnati, finding out what music you like fro...

January 3-9, 1987 This week Ken welcomes adult entertainers, entrepreneurs, and incredibly smart hosts of the fantastic must listen "Ill Repute" podcast, Sovereign Syre and Ela Darling. Ken, Sovereign and Ela discuss time zones, mountain, Central time, the weirdness of January TV, when VHS rentals first eclipsed theatrical ticket sales, how the Adult industry innovates all entertainment technology...

In this very special BONUS episode here is the complete audio of Ken's chat with Dave Foley and Kevin McDonald of The Kids in the Hall. This was recorded LIVE last month at North East Comic Con in Boxboro MA.  If you were a patron  you would have gotten a video of this as well! Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

As is (now at least) the tradition, Ken flies solo for a warts and all, behind the scenes, stream of consciousness, week by week, episode by episode review of 2023, and anything else that pops into his head. 

November 17-23, 2001 This week Ken welcomes UK coomedian, actor and official member of the Doctor Whoverse, Sooz Kempner to the show. Ken and Sooz discuss being outside of the zones of London, Gatwick Airport, how nothing good is ever on TV on Sundays in the UK, Omnibuses, Eastenders, Gladiators, Wolf's gyms, This Morning with Richard Not Judy, Stewart Lee and Richard Herring, Richard and Judy, ge...

This week Ken welcomes podcaster, writer, and world traveler Adrien Behn to the show. Ken and Adrien discuss New York City, growing up in Western MA/NY, people who have never left their hometown, pregnant hippies, life long friends, perusing a life in creative arts, being worldly, having more chickens than neighbors, Lake George, hating touristy spots, teenage identity crisis, doing study abroad p...

March 12-18, 1983 This week Ken welcomes comedian and man behind the new Blonde Medicine Comedy lp "Ice Cream vs. Everything", Paul Morrissey. Ken and Paul discuss Paul's excitement being on the show, why he picked 1983, the early 80s mix of famous people guest stars, The Love Boat, Smokey and the Bandit, Paul Williams, Milton Berle, cocaine, 70s Variety Shows, Solid Gold, Tim Thomerson, Top of th...

October 2-8, 1999 This week Ken welcomes certified comedy superstar, and man behind the new comedy special "Slow and Steady", Joe Pera to the show. Ken and Joe discuss tiny computers, Wargames, Buffalo New York, wings, Anchor Bar, Zoomer goofs, preppers, toilet paper, Joe Pera Talks with You. Jo Firestone, Y2K, cover stories, going mobile, post-Nuke dads, 90s posture, Melissa Joan Hart, Melissa Et...

October 18-24, 1997 This week Ken welcomes author Mark Guyer. Mark and Ken discuss living in upstate/Central New York, how New York State isn't New York City, Halloween viewing, Nostalgiamares Series, Phantom Delivery, classic youth horror books, Fear Street, having your own TV, being a tween, not remembering your childhood Halloween costumes, how dressing as Darth Vader can help with bullying, Du...

October 16-22, 1999 This week we travel to Ireland to talk TV with The Try Channel's own Dermot Ward.  Ken and Dermot discuss why Dermot is even on the show, bad ideas, Dermot talking people out of liking him, Big Trouble in Little China, being a Martial Arts nerd, Ireland's national martial art, awful Boston Irish stupidity, The Streets, the origins of Corned Beef and Cabbage, The 50 Greatest TV...

November 3-9, 1973 This week Ken welcomes antiques expert, and fellow TV kid, The Antique Noman himself, George Higby to the show. Ken and George discuss George's YouTube Channel, referencing the stuff on sets, moving around a lot as a kid, living in Cleveland when this TV Guide came out, Washington State, Raytheon TVs, looking for the thing that's the same, being a car and sports guy, Philco, Cig...

August 5-11, 1978 This week Ken welcomes The Horror Timelines guy himself, author, YouTuber and fellow horror fan Josh Spiegel. Ken and Josh discuss LA heat, cats, dogs afraid of flies, growing up in Pittsburgh, working at The Monroeville Mall, George Romero, Horror Conventions, Dawn of the Dead, being born in the 1930s, being older than you look, The Jeffersons, the weird English neighbor, cable,...

March 24-30, 1979 This week Ken welcomes writer, podcaster, and lover of all things Mego, the man behind Plaid Stallions, Brian Heiler to the show. Ken and Brian discuss Canada, how long Ken has been following Brian's work, memorizing TV Guide as a kid, being the TV Oracle, late night horror and monster movies, Crestwood books, V, tourist traps, Hollywood Museum, Slim Goodbody, Mr. Rourke as devil...