What does it take to survive live television in the 1960s? For one production assistant named Jim Russek, it started with schlepping tongue sandwiches from the Stage Deli and ended with handling comedy legends like George Burns, Joan Rivers, and Sid Caesar. This is a hilarious, behind-the-scenes look at the golden age of variety TV, featuring a high-stakes, live-broadcast disaster involving 100 pounds of cue cards, a jazz diva, and a frantic race against the clock on The Ed Sullivan Show.

This episode of the podcast was produced and hosted by Edward McCann, with engineering help Quincy Simmons and Aaron Hekking.

If you’re new to the show, welcome; we’re so glad you’re here! Learn more at our website, WritersRead.org, and please email us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, suggestions or critiques!

Podcast # 89