Ian Talks Comedy

Rob Ulin joins me to discuss watching Gilligan's Island and Dick Van Dyke Show as a kid; wanting to be an actor; going to Harvard and being on Lampoon with Conan; writing a letter to Norman Lear who mentored him; writing the teleplay for a Married with Children; writing an episode of Hard Times on Planet Earth; how Ferris Bueller the TV series almost made him quit writing; Chloris Leachman; writing Dinosaurs made him enjoy writing; doing episodes poking fun at the elderly, religion; an episode in which homosexuality and vegetarianism are parallelled; "New Leaf" about drugs; and dancing as a metaphor for masturbation and wet dreams; joining the writing staff of Roseanne; writing emotional episodes that still had jokes; winning a Humanitas Prize; Ned Beatty; the famous writers T-shirt story; trying to edit the lesbian kiss episode; Shelly Winters; trying to get Shirley Jones & Florence Henderson for a TV mom's episode; getting fired; working with Dave Raether; going to Veronicas Closet and then Stressed Eric; working with Norm MacDonald on Norm; Norm was not able to be an exaggerated version of himself but could act; Jack Warden; Frank Sebastiano; working on Andy Richter Controls the Universe and George Lopez; tackling race on Roseanne; working on Malcolm in the Middle; writing a pilot, My Boys; writing Aliens in America the first post 9-11 sitcom featuring a Muslim cast member; working on The Middle, Anger Management with Charlie Sheen, The Carmichael Show & Young Sheldon; working on The Kids are Alright; Rami; writing his first play Judgement Day starring Jason Alexander; and future projects

Norman Stiles and I discuss watching Howdy Doody and having a friend on Mr. Wizard; being a welfare worker and writing jokes for Allen & Rossi; writing for the Merv Griffin Show; getting into the Childrens Television Workshop and then Sesame Street; how Sesame Street is taped in chunks; creating Count von Count; Jim Henson not being around; the TV special Out to Lunch; working with Christopher Cerf; writing on the Muppet Show pilot; leaving to create When Things Were Rotten and why the series was cancelled; writing the Space Force pilot for Fred Willard; writing for The Captain and Tenille Show, Fernwood Tonight, and America Tonight; pitching a show for Aaron Spelling called Invisible Reporter; going back to Sesame Street; writing the "Death of Mr. Hooper" episode; the Sesame Street curriculum; guest stars including Phil Donahue; Between the Lions; and living in Hoboken.

Marc Warren & Dennis Rinsler joined me to discuss their childhood influences; meeting in college; becoming teachers in NYC in the 70's and writing a script based on it; getting it sold and moving to L.A.; working arduous hours on Madame's Place; working on 1/2 Hour Comedy Hour, the pilot for Putting on the Hits, and FTV; Fast Times the TV show; Together We Stand / Nothing is Easy; Frank Mula; getting hired at Full House in 1988; famous episodes - Beach Boys, Kity Crispies, Lake Tahoe; being parents helped them come up with ideas; very special episode on Alzheimer's, death, and anorexia; moving to the WB's The Parent Hood after Full House ends; creating Nick Freno Licensed Teacher; it failing due to creative differences; moving to Disney Channel with Even Stevens; Disney gives them free reign; going on to That's So Raven and Cory in the House; Dennis retires; Marc works on Bizardvaark with Olivia Rodrigo; Saget always had a fowl mouth; Coulier loved to fart; and Stamos was a class act; teaching now and banning cell phones

Eileen O'Brien joined me to discuss going to college to be a teacher; taking a job that led her to a South Carolina PBS station; discovering the world of production; becoming a PA on Great Performances; working as a PA for George Carlin; the hamburger story; getting started at SNL; Kevin Kay; doing cue cards for the Eddie Murphy showcase in September 1983 and messing up; Robin Williams; Audrey Peart Dickman; having to quit cue cards because of the toxic ink; Al Siegel and Raquel Welch; Al Siegel as mentor; helping Gary Kroeger get into the after party; doing cue cards for Madonna at 1st MTV Awards and later at SNL; Julia Louis-Dreyfus always being perfect; keeping Brandon Tartikoff on cue cards; Francis Ford Coppola terrified of cue cards; Christopher Guest; Michael Palin; Billy Crystal; Harry Dean Stanton and the Replacements; not realizing Spinal Tap is a joke; Tina Turner freaks out in dress; Sam Kinison; Ringo Starr; Charlton Heston; Jim Belushi and Robert Downey Jr.

Adam Lapidus joins me to talk about using his initial; being 6' 9"; Conan O'Brien; NYC real estate; his father being childhood friends with Dave Davis and then reconnecting; meeting James L. Brooks and being asked to be a PA on Taxi at 16; going to NYU; getting a PA job on the Ellen Burstyn Show; Norman Steinberg; Megan Mulally; Jim Burrows secret of TV directing; writing freelance for Charles in Charge, It's a Living, and Who's the Boss; first staff job on Throb; pitching a Simpsons to Dave Davis who pitched it to James L. Brooks; Sam Simon being against it; favorite jokes in it; writing Brooke Shields in to meet her; doing the commentary track; getting a job on Full House; writing the Rigby the Rhino episode and his theme song; Cleghorne; writing Secret Service Guy, which never aired; writing a Weird Science; working on a Smart Guy; WB wanted to turn it into Dawson's Creek; it's creepy very special episode; Much Ado About Nothing for MTV; The Jersey for Disney; Tripping the Rift; Fatherhood; Phil of the Future and having an episode rejected because "children don't get irony"; Xiaolin Showdown; Suite Life of Zach and Cody; Brenda Song; easy to discuss line readings with child actors; "Cooking with Romeo and Juliet" favorite episode; Suite Life on Deck; Debbie Ryan; Jesse; using your daughter for stories; Bunk'd; Team Kaley; Disney micromanagement vs. Netflix freedom; quitting writing to teach at Boston University; winning Professor of the Year Award.

John C. Larrochia joined me to discuss growing up watching Dean Martin's Roasts and Johnny Carson; his funny family members; opening up in high school; joining FDNY; forming his foundation; touring Dallas; mechanical bulls; holding an Almost Gala; his TV show on You tube and Optimum; joining hazmat team; D.B. Frick; the charities sponsor: Barish & McGary; working in the Hazmat division; how 9/11 affected him and his family; his health; playing pickleball; Pete Davidson; much help from Joe Piscopo; working with Jon Stewart; making a widow laugh during trying times; teachers; people whose first day at work on 9/11