Almost Live!: Still Alive

When you talk about the cast and crew of Almost Live!, you're not exactly talking about cookie-cutter versions of personnel. But if you insist on the cookie analogy, we're talking about every kind you can think of: There were ginger snaps, like Nancy Guppy. Sugar cookies, like Tracey Conway. Snickerdoodles, like Steve Wilson, Peanut Butter Keister, Gingerbread men like Bob Nelson, Ed Wyatt, and Joe Guppy - and Animal Crackers with nuts like most of the rest.

But one person - Ralph Bevins - is his own kind of cookie... a mix of ingredients - maybe some chocolate chips, butter, eggs, honey, some extracts - and, sometimes, molasses.

Ralph was the show's chief videographer, director, and editor during much of its best years. He was also an occasional producer and writer and, like his preceding camera wizard, Darrell Suto (also known as Billy Quan,) Ralph also portrayed an on-camera character you couldn't ignore.

As he began his career, he was well-traveled around the U.S. until a bit of fate landed him in Seattle. A life-long fan of all things cinema, Ralph brought a film buff's eye to Almost Live! that helped make it look and feel like a big deal TV show.

He's retired now, but he still lives in town with his wife, Beth and two kids - neither of whom is named Ralph.

Here's the indomitable, the talented, the beloved, and the incomparable... Ralph Bevins.

Like any sketch comedy show, part of Almost Live's ability to sustain week after week, came from a reliance on recurring characters and bits. Uncle Fran, Capable Woman, Sluggy, The High-Fivin’ White Guys, A Woman’s Place, Speed-Walker, the Joy of Painting guy, The Lame List, Green River Dance, The Worst Girlfriend in the World, and more.

But - and I cannot prove this - if you ask most any show fan who’s their most remembered recurring character, the winner has to be the Mind Your Manners guy, Billy Quan.

If Almost Live produced, say, 12 versions of 'The Lame List,' there were perhaps twice as many episodes of 'Mind Your Manners.' I could be wrong. I once thought that gravity was a hoax. But in any case, Billy was a mainstay at least once a month.

The guy who played the part never auditioned for it. He was, to say the least, a reluctant thespian. But like it or not, Darrell Suto became one of the most recognized figures on a show in which he was not even a formal cast member.

His story is remarkable. Born in Seattle, a third-generation Japanese American, raised as a Buddhist, now a Catholic. He earned Seven national Daytime Emmy awards - not as a performer - but as a production photographer and editor.

Hard to believe, but he is a man with no formal martial arts training. And yet, as the otherwise peaceable Billy Quan... he could kick your ass.

He now lives in Oklahoma City with his wife, Mary.

There is certainly no one more beloved among the people who worked with him back in the day, than Darrell Suto.

When ALMOST LIVE! debuted in 1984, it had several writers, more than a few cast members, a full studio crew - and plenty of critics.

But it had only a single field camera guy. But what a guy! A guy gifted enough to carry the load. His name? Mike Boydstun.

He's far more than a guy with a camera. He's a director, producer, editor, sound designer, lighting specialist, location planner - but most of all, a storyteller. He was the very first director of photography for Disney's Bill Nye the Science Guy show. And for Biz Kids on PBS. He's been the longtime senior producer for Miramar Productions, and much, much more. He's been nominated for Emmys, Grammys, you name it. Mike is amazing, opinionated, musically-inclined - and one-of-a-kind. And he's extremely fun-loving. He puts the ‘boy' in Boydstun.

There's a British cage-fighter named Mike Neun. He hits people in the face.

THAT Mike Neun is not the subject of this episode. This one doesn't hit people in the face. He just makes their face smile a lot.

The Mike Neun of this podcast has never fought a cage - and would see no reason in doing so. THIS one describes himself as having the mind of an athlete... and the body of an intellectual. He says he's "the funniest comedian you've never heard of."

The Mike Neun you're going to meet in this episode has opened for some of the biggest names in show business: From Ann-Margret to Johnny Mathis to Ann-Margret. And many more.

He has quite literally traveled the globe making people laugh. It's why he was brought in back in 1984 to bring jokes and fun to a show - "Almost Live!" - that was just beginning to find its footing.

Today, Mike lives in Thailand - yes, THAT Thailand. He's a self-confessed comedian, semi-Buddhist, golf junkie. He's retired now, but as you will discover, he's funnier than ever.

Meet the exquisitely wonderful: Mike Neun.

One of the reasons we all live where we do is because of the long line of early explorers and frontiersmen who led the way: People like Balboa, Ponce de Leon, and Hernando De Soto - inventor of the Chrysler hard-top coupe.

And Almost Live! had its pioneers too; its Lewis and Clark's, Daniel Boone's and Kit Carson's. In fact, it is little remembered today, but the early members of Almost Live! often wore buckskin and coonskin caps - and if their comedy didn't always hit the mark, maybe it's because they were using primitive muskets, not the modern rifles available today.

And now that this analogy has run its course, it's time to meet one of those first pathfinders of the show that first began in 1984: Tom Juvik.

Tom spent most of his career as a beloved South Kitsap school teacher. He's also the writer of award-winning short stories and newspaper columns. He's a graduate of the University of Washington - and a Vietnam War veteran. He was one of the very first writers for Almost Live! and later, Fox TV's Late Show. His waters run deep - and cool.

And he also happens to be one of the finest people you'll ever meet. Creative writer, funny man, teacher and family guy. Tom Juvik.

Even though some members of Almost Live! were pretty good at playing the parts of dumb people - none of them actually were stupid. Well, there was that one guy. Oh man, was he an idiot. He thought the Gates Foundation is a type of girdle. He thought the Kentucky Derby is a hat. He once tripped on a cordless phone. Yea, everybody remembers that guy.

But one of the show's pioneering members wasn't just smart. He was sharp. In fact, it's his name: Jim Sharp.

It was Sharp in 1984 - along with show host Ross Shafer - that together birthed Almost Live!, even though neither of them is a trained OB-GYN. And for four years, through growing pains, struggles to find an audience - and a paltry budget - they nonetheless created a show that won almost 40 Northwest Emmys.

Some people are just plain funny. They think funny, they talk funny. But Jim Sharp knows funny. And that talent has informed his career from Almost Live! on. Through the years, he went from producing The Late Show on Fox, to moving on as an independent writer and producer of numerous TV programs and projects - always in the comedy realm.

By the time he crossed the finish line to retirement a couple of years ago, Jim had risen to become Comedy Central's West Coast Executive Vice-President of Original Programming and Development. That's a really long title. It's also a pretty big deal. And the capper to a remarkable career. These days, Jim and his wife divide their time between homes in the Seattle area - and San Diego. Here now is Jim Sharp... in a sharp conversation... with a not so-sharp interviewer.

There was only one Keister on Almost Live. One Conway, one Nye, one Nelson, Wilson, Wyatt and Stainton. McHale was the only one with a prefix (Mc). There WERE two Guppys - Nancy and Joe - but they were married to one another so that doesn't count.

But the show's two different Shafers were unconnected, unrelated and unalike. Scott Schaefer - unlike the show's original host, Ross Shafer - was also a key member of the show nearly from the start. A native of Seattle, Scott came to the program with clever ideas, some sharp writing and actual TV production knowledge.

On a start-up local comedy show without a real precedent or blue-print, he was a big part of shaping its viewpoint, attitude and production approach.

Today, Scott runs the award-winning local news business - South King Media - covering the happenings in local towns from Sea-Tac to White Center to Burien. He also runs the hyper-local website I Love Kent - the very town that became Almost Live's number one punchline.

In 2020, Scott was named Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce's Corporate Citizen of the Year - yet another example of Almost Live being an unlikely springboard to eventual respectability.

Living now in Burien with his wife Theresa, her mom, two nearly-grown kids, a couple of chihuahuas, two cats and a lizard... let's snag a conversation with Scott Schaefer...

The town of Yakima is not only the self-proclaimed "Palm Springs of Washington State" - but it's also the hometown of some remarkable and famous people. A partial list includes the late Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas.

The great short story writer and poet, Raymond Carver, grew up there.

One of the most-admired writers for kids spent time in Yakima - and was the author of Pat Cashman's favorite books about Henry Huggins and his dog, Ribsy. She was Beverly Cleary… who died in 2021 at the age of 105.

Perhaps one of the most underrated pop vocalists of all time is from Yakima: Gary Puckett. He named his band after the nearby town of Union Gap.

Remember the big Indian guy from the movie "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"? His name was Will Sampson… he grew up in Yakima - and, frankly, could have cashed in on his gum endorsement in that ‘Cuckoo' movie. ("Juicy Fruit")

Believe it or not, the great standup comic, Sam Kinison - grew up in Yakima.

The legendary movie stuntman and actor, Yakima Canutt, took his first name from the Yakima River Valley where he grew up.

The skiiers, Phil and Steve Mahre are from Yakima.

So was Pete Rademacher… the one-time heavyweight boxer who got knocked out by Floyd Patterson at Sick's Stadium in Seattle in 1957.

And perhaps… most notable of all… Floyd Paxton was from Yakima. Who is Floyd Paxton? Only the inventor of the Kwik Lok Bread Clip.

But there's another Yakima native whose name you might not know… but should. She was, after all, the very first executive producer of Almost Live! She's Dana Dwinell.

After high school in Yakima, she graduated from the University of Washington… from which other Almost Live! alum like John Keister, Nancy Guppy, Bob Nelson and Joel McHale also graduated. It is considered a super easy college.

But after Dana graduated, she soon got her first TV gig at KING in Seattle as a part-time production assistant - eventually working her way up to be the associate producer of KING's longtime morning show, Seattle Today.

She got stuck in that gig until a new station program director came along with some new ideas. One idea was a local music video show called REV - an acronym that stood for ‘Rock Entertainment Videos. Dana became the co-producer of that - a show that introduced a new face to TV in a recurring segment called The Rocket Report. That new face? A guy named John Keister.

But the new program director had another big idea: Starting up a never-before-tried local comedy show. After a couple of not-so-good pilot shows… it eventually became Almost Live! Dana Dwinell was tapped to be the executive producer.

A couple of years later, she moved on. Really moved. To produce a morning show in Philadelphia - staying for three years. Later she went on to San Francisco for another TV opportunity.

There were other stops along the way - but she and her husband eventually made the decision to move back… to Yakima. It would be a new career - in advertising. Today, she runs her own very successful company: D2 Communications. D2, see? Because her name starts with two D's? That's a cool idea using the first letter of your first and last name to form a business acronym. Unless your name is Pete Peterson.

Find out more about the journey of the remarkable Dana Dwinell - as Pat talks to her from the D2 offices - in the Palm Springs of Washington state - Yakima.

Not far from Ellensburg - the Oxnard of Washington state...

Looking back at all the people who were part of Almost Live!, it’s notable that there are literally none of them that moved onto completely different careers after the show wrapped years ago. None of the cast members went into the clergy - or became an actuary, astronaut, statistician, pipe-fitter, cartographer, or tried their hand at dentistry. Yes, Joe Guppy DID become a psychotherapist for a while, but he also simultaneously taught comedy. The two DO go hand-in-hand after all. But most everyone moved from the show to somewhat related fields: Some on to TV work, writing projects, standup comedy, public speaking, and theater. But one former cast member has pretty much done - and continues to do - ALL of that. And she was already under sail before she ever arrived at Almost Live!

Lauren Weedman official sites

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Lauren Weedman has a performing career longer that KING KONG’s arms. Both of them. She's acted in countless movies and TV shows, from Arrested Development, to Will and Grace, from Two Broke Girls, to Masters of Sex. She played major roles in the HBO series Hung and Looking. But as you'll discover in this episode, her very first TV experience was on Almost Live!

After the show ended, she later became a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. She’s done a ton of theater, including no less than 11 solo plays she wrote herself. She’s also the host of the Moth Storytelling Slam in Santa Monica. She's a noted painter of original art. As for acting, she’s performed on stage everywhere in the country. She's also the author of two books, and you can see her more recently in HBO’s series Euphoria.

Without question one of the most accomplished talents that ever strolled into the studios ofAlmost Live! Actress, comedian, theater performer, artist, author, playwright, AND the single mom of Leo. They live together in L.A. - at nearby Santa Monica.

The guest this time is Joel McHale. Actor, comedian, author, producer, TV host... and had nothing to do with "McHale's Navy." He hosted "The Soup" for 11 years on the E! Network... and starred in the NBC sitcom, "Community" for six. He's been in dozens of movies, TV shows, commercials, and video games. He hosted the ESPY awards, the Independent Spirit Awards, People's Choice, the Webbys - and even the White House Correspondent's Dinner - remember when they used to have those? He's had Netflix shows... and is even the host of the game show reboot of "Card Sharks."

Joel McHale official sites

JoelMcHale.com/

The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale | Neflix

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Joel Edward McHale was born in Rome... the one in Italy... but grew up in Mercer Island... the one in Lake Washington. His dad is Jack - from America. His mom is Laurie, from Canada. Himself half-Canadian, Joel is 1.93 meters tall and now lives in Hollywood with his wife, Sarah, and two boys Eddie and Isaac. All people in Hollywood are required to have a swimming pool, so we catch up with Joel after he'd just completed a half-lap.