TV Guidance Counselor

  November 9-15, 1985 This week Ken welcomes comedian, and haver of a new album called "Gettin' By", Liz Barrett to the show. Liz and Ken discuss the backroom of comedy clubs, CT, the invention of the hamburger, growing up in a Military Family, German Military Bases, having a much  younger sibling, 13 year olds, Lady Di, iconic sweaters, loveless royal marriages, Boy George, Ken's sister (RIP)'s M...

December 26, 1992 This week Ken welcomes old friend, now NYC based comedian Greg Johnson. Ken and Greg discuss 20 years ago, Comedy Doyles, Kenny Z, Ken's first time doing stand up in Massachusetts, Eugene Mirman, Tim McIntire's Thursday Night Fights at The Comedy Studio, growing up in Wellesley, white suburban towns, being a notable alum from your town's High School, Greg's album Greg Johnson 1,...

This week Ken welcomes the incredible actor, singer and all around impressive human being (despite famously playing an alien) Jane Badler (follow her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/janebadlerworld/) Ken and Jane discuss Australia, always being a New Yorker despite living in Australia for over 30 years, the changing nature of accents, botanical gardens, the ever traveling American, moving f...

July 7-13, 1973 EPISODE 600! By popular demand! He's BACK! This week Ken welcomes wrestler and fellow TV weirdo, RJ City. Ken and RJ discuss RJ being disappointed with Ken's year end review endorsement of his last appearance, neurosis, people giving RJ TV Guides, RJ getting the wrong date for the recording and being excited, pop culture dog whistles, Dick Cavett, Mason Reese, "The Beige Age", the...

January 23-29, 1993 This week Ken welcomes original Real World reality TV star, true story teller and country music man Jon Brennan to the show. Ken and Jon discuss fancy studio equipment, The Real World LA, being 18, the origin of Road Rules, not going back and watching old video of yourself, calling Irene Mom, people in their 20s feeling like old people, the death of Andre the Giant, WWF, watchi...

  July 7-13, 1979 This week Ken welcomes former adult actress, Howard Stern Show Hall of Famer, world's greatest Assistant movie theater manager and all around gem of a human Tabitha Stevens to the show. Ken and Tabitha discuss end of the world heat waves, Death Valley, Las Vegas, moving from Long Island NY to Las Vegas as a teenager, dressing up to go into New York for culture, Barney Miller, hav...

  April 3-9, 2006 This week Ken welcomes musician, comedian and brains behind the new Off-Broadway Show "The Writing on the Stall" (playing NOW in NYC, every weekend in September) Caitlin Cook to the show. Ken and Caitlin discuss Ken's rude dogs, surprising Ken, post 2000 media, Ken learning things, strict TV watching rules as a kid, being in love with what you can't have, being reference-less as...

November 16-22, 1985 This week Ken welcomes former NBC Page, game show royalty, and writer of the new memoir "My Peacock Tale", the great Shelley Herman. Ken and Shelley discuss North Hollywood, Allee Willis, growing up in Calabasas, ideal childhoods, The Tonight Show, Johnny Carson's son, going to tapings of The Midnight Special, working at Sears, seeing Elvis in Vegas as a teenager, the unique r...

March 4-11, 1995 This week Ken welcomes Twitch Streamer, Auction curator, and one of the world's greatest cosplayers Taffeta Darling. Ken and Taffeta discuss Texas, Dallas, the burbs, Austin, Robocop, I Like to Singa, TV Theme Songs, tattoos, video games that look like actual cartoons, Cuphead, Kids TV, violence on TV, how superheroes are good for kids, Gargoyles, Claire Danes turning down Schindl...

This week Ken welcomes writer, director and co-creator of The Adventures of Pete & Pete, among other things, Will McRobb to the show. Ken and Will discuss growing up in Ithaca NY, suburbia, Nickelodeon's "kids point of view" era, doing corporate videos for Goldman Sachs, working in the promo department at Nick at Nite, MTV Networks, Rin Tin Tin, Mr. Ed, Donna Reed, The magic four ingredients: Funn...

MATT-A-THON CONCLUDES May 9-15, 1992 This week Ken welcomes the host of the We Watch Wrestling Podcast, fellow New Englander, comedian Matt McCarthy to the show. Ken and Matt discuss Matt's rabbit holes, GWF, Killer Kowalski, Freddie Prinz Jr, Cable Access, New England, Tony Rumble, Bob Mould, self abuse based public crimes, laserdiscs, classical music, yuppies, dead formats, VHS, Justin Case, VHS...

June 20-26, 1987 THE TV GUIDANCE COUNSELOR MATT-A-THON CONTINUES! This week's Matt is fellow North Shore kid, the man behind over 25k songs, filmmaker, podcaster, it's Motern Media's Matt Farley. Ken and Matt discuss New England eccentric driven artists, the motivational power of spite, the power of novelty, putting in the work, using non-actors, making money as an artist, being a consumer, Strawb...

August 24-30, 1996 This week Ken welcomes singer/songwriter and frontman of his name sake band "Jatk", Matt Matkola, and the director of Jatk's "Don't Come Knocking", JP DiSciscio. Ken, Matt and JP discuss central Mass, rural internet, body swapping movies, rediscovering (or discovering for the first time) the 60s and 70s talk show era, Ed Sullivan, vintage technology, video cameras, building thin...

This week Ken welcomes author (Wool), showrunner (Silo on Apple Plus) and all around interesting guy Hugh Howey to the show. Ken and Hugh discuss post apocalyptic fiction, the oldest stories in the world, how America loves and Apocalypses, 70s dystopia, Ken's wish fulfillment theory, society's collapse, the evolution of the stories of the unknown, sailing, human stories, fear of God, authoritarian...

May 14-20, 1994 This week Ken welcomes comedian, podcaster and author of the upcoming new book about 90s US Sketch Comedy (which you can and SHOULD purchase at sketchcomedybook.com), Jason Klamm. Ken and Jason discuss podcasting, not making money with your art, The Vacant Lot, Exit 57, Amy Sedaris, getting turned down by a person's "people", Almost Live, The Bert Fershners, the nicest millionaire...

February 23 - March 1, 1985 This week Ken welcomes UK writer ('Sort Your Head Out - Mental Health Without All The Bollocks'), podcaster (Top Flight Time Machine, The Reset), broadcaster and all around fascinating guy Sam Delaney to the show. Ken and Sam discuss living in London, the suburbs, New Cross, violent cities, how 1985 is EVERYTHING, being the editor of Heat Magazine, the editorial decisio...

This week Ken welcomes fellow TV obsessive and the man behind the It's About TV site Mitchell Hadley to the show. Ken and Mitchell discuss Indiana, Ken's awful short term memory, growing up in Minnesota, Canadian TV, the Twin Cities, TV Guide's amazing writing, time capsules, futurism, the original source documents, why a period piece will never get it quite right, the golden age of television, sc...

August 9-15, 1980 This week Ken welcomes Australian writer, TV personality, journalist and author John Safran to the show. Ken and John discuss John Safran vs God, John's range of work, talking listeners out of liking John, documentaries, Gonzo journalism, Always Wear Sunscreen, Not the Sunscreen Song, having a hit single, novelty songs, Raspberry Cordial, High School accomplishments, Music Jambor...

This week Ken welcomes actor, writer, producer, Battle of the Network Stars Champion, Chicken Mom and all around good human being Heather Thomas to the show. Ken and Heather discuss social media, the difference in celebrity between now and the 1980s, Mercury in Retrograde, being outraged, fat penguins, always learning, not engaging, not getting purged (go to https://dontgetpurged.org/), voting, gr...

April 20-26, 1985 This week Ken welcomes host of Arne Pod (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/arne-pod/id1454163890) and purveyor of the fun TikTok account @arnepod, Chris Arneson.  Ken and Chris discuss what we did at the start of the pandemic, Chris' birthday, being born in 1993, why 1985 is one of Ken and Chris' favorite years, Back to the Future, podcasting, Manhunter, Evil Dead, horror fli...

July 30 - August 5, 1994 This week Ken welcomes actor (Succession, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, Rubicon) and all around fascinating human Natalie Gold to the show for her first ever podcast. Ken and Natalie discuss YouTuber Natalie Gold, having the same name as somebody else, social media, how Miami isn't Florida, growing up in Florida, Emerson College, Burn Notice, being a local child actor, S...

March 25-31, 1989 This week Ken welcomes old friend, new fan, writer (film blog www.film5000.com) and host/producer of The Brattle Film Podcast Ian Brownell. Ken and Ian discuss Siskel and Ebert, podcast heroes, movie freaks, the religion of cinema, growing up outside of New Bedford, Providence RI stations, growing up on a farm, not having cable, Evening Magazine, The Big Dan's Rape Trial, Big Pin...

January 29 - February 4, 2000 This week Ken welcomes fantastic fellow New England Comedian Connor McGrath (GET HIS NEW ALBUM! "KIND, BEARDED, WEIRD" OUT NOW!) to the show. Ken and Connor discuss Vacationland, Maine, growing up in Portland, The Fine Arts "Adult Theater"/Rock Club, Chyna, Pro Wrestling, human garbage Triple H, the awful sack of pus that is Vince McMahon,  Wrestlemania, The Dark Ages...

February 15-21, 2003 This week Ken welcomes comedian and man behind the solo show "Solo: A Show about Friendship", Gabe Mollica. Ken and Gabe discuss what they would be talking about anyway, not being comedians talking about comedy, how Edinburgh ruined Gabe's life but he has to go back, long form stand up, growing up on Long Island, ridding yourself of your regional accent, Ken's all time favorit...

November 14-20, 1992 This week Ken welcomes Left Handed Radio's Adam Bozarth and Anna Rubanova BACK to the show to finally (a year and a half later) do Part II of what they started. Ken, Anna and Adam discuss how tired Adam and Anna are, mosquitos, tubes in ears, having your tonsils removed, having bad gas send you to the hospital, Ken's kidney stone, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, placentas as extr...