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EPISODE 40: We celebrate Fletch's 40th anniversary while exploring its enduring impact on pop culture and the uncertain future of the franchise.  

• Jake visits Fletch's apartment building in Santa Monica for his 50th birthday
• We share George Wendt's final message recorded days before his passing
• Greg Mottola confirms Fletch's Fortune film adaptation is dead at Miramax
• Matthew Perry's autobiography reveals Fletch fundamentally shaped his comedy style
• Kino Lorber releases special editions of Fletch and Fletch Lives with commentary mentioning our podcast
• Ace Ventura was originally conceived as "the Fletch of the 90s"
• Fletch appears on movie marquees in Stranger Things, Family Guy, Cocaine Bear, and Pet Shop Boys' "West End Girls" video
• We discover the brilliant connection between Fletch asking for a "record" while in the Records Room

Join us next week for a special episode about the cut hockey scene featuring a surprise guest.

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Four decades after Chevy Chase first donned the Lakers cap as Irwin Fletcher, we're celebrating Fletch's 40th anniversary by exploring its remarkable cultural footprint that continues to expand across generations.

In this episode, we reunite after a long break to share Jake's pilgrimage to Fletch's actual apartment building (still standing at 827 4th Street in Santa Monica) for his 50th birthday. We also unveil a bittersweet surprise: George Wendt's final recorded message, created just days before his passing. The beloved actor who portrayed Fat Sam shares memories of working with Chevy and delivers birthday wishes in his characteristically warm, humorous style.

The news isn't all celebratory, though. Director Greg Mottola confirms that plans for "Fletch's Fortune" starring Jon Hamm have been shelved by Miramax's new leadership despite positive reviews for "Confess, Fletch." We dive into Matthew Perry's autobiography, where he reveals how Fletch fundamentally shaped his comedic approach, declaring after seeing the film: "I'm going to talk that way for the rest of my life."

We explore Fletch's surprising connection to Ace Ventura, originally conceived as "the Fletch of the 90s," and track Fletch's appearances on fictional movie marquees across media from Stranger Thi

FletchCast is Your Ultimate source for everything Fletch: the books, the movies, & the latest news about our favorite journalistic reporter, Irwin M. Fletcher.

... making sure Fletch Lives forever!

Host: James "Laker Jim" Kanowitz (@webguy911)
Co-Host: Jake Parrish (@jakelparrish)
Co-Host: Robert "Big Bob" West


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P.S. Have a nice day.

Fletch & Fletch Lives are Copyright 1985, 1989 Universal Studios and distributed by MCA/Universal Pictures. The Fletch Soundtrack is Copyright MCA Records. Confess, Fletch is Copyright of Miramax with Paramount distribution. All images and sounds are the intellectual property of Universal Studios. They are used only with the intent of public appreciation of a great film and possible publicity for its place among the great comedies of our time. We imply no rights to the characters or intellectual property created by Gregory McDonald, Universal or Miramax and is used for educational purposes only.