Ian Talks Comedy

Tom Tenowich joined me to talk about Jack Benny; writing jokes in high school; meeting and writing for Jackie Vernon and Jackie Mason; Rodney Dangerfield; writing for The Dom DeLuise Show and the Jackie Gleason Show; doing Tiny Tim on Gleason; leaving to write for The Golddiggers; joining The Dean Martin Show; Vernon's Viewing Room; Bob Newhart; writing the roasts; Jack Benny's 1st Farewell Special; Tom not being intimidated but impressed by the personas of Gleason and Dean Martin; Dean's rehearsals; Phyllis; The Bob Newhart Show; Mork & Mindy "Mork's Mixed Emotion"; critics and Robin diss Mork as a kiddie show; Robin and ad-libbing; Robin going over studio time; "The Night They Raided Minky's"; moral at the end of the show; Exidor; Foster Brooks; Dorf; Jay Leno; Davd Letterman; Tom's daughter Amy becomes a semi-regular; Lewis  & Clark; Check it Out; Perfect Strangers; Cheers; John Cleese; Bob Ellison;  Barney Miller; Saved by the Bell being inspired by Ferris Bueller; creating the character of A.C. Slater; casting Tiffany Amber Thiessen, Elizabeth Berkeley, and Mario Lopez; "Jessie's Song"; using the show to talk about environmentalism; Casey Kasem; Tom's wife's unfortunate accident, misdiagnosis and subsequent changing of marital roles; and writing a book about the experience.  

The book Crutches Tipped Banana Peels Laugh can be purchased here: https://www.amazon.com/Crutches-Tipped-Banana-Peels-Laugh/dp/1734952407/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=tom+tenowich&qid=1631389367&sr=8-1

Lowell Ganz joined me to discuss how watching classic sitcoms was his "college"; his parents reaction to his constant TV watching; meeting Mark Rothman; Mark Rothman's dad giving a script they wrote to Jack Klugman and Tony Randall who gave it to Garry Marshall; getting hired, fired and rehired by The Odd Couple; "The Ides of April" and "Fear of Flying"; moving to Happy Days; writing the experimental three camera episode "Fonzie Gets Married"; going to # 1; introducing Laverne & Shirley; not realizing these characters could be spun off; test pilot scene; favorite episodes; meeting Michael McKean and David L. Lander and sneaking Lenny & Squggy past ABC; Busting Loose; giving new writers their first jobs; Cindy Begel; his skill at joke memory; The Ted Knight Show; The Lovebirds; The Rita Moreno Show; directing; going back to Happy Days; Ron Howard talks about directing; burning down Arnolds; how he personalized the news article that turned into "Night Shift";  Babaloo Mandel; "Splash"; changing Bruce Jay Friedman's original script; Oscars; Writer's Guild Lifetime Achievement Award; Red Buttons; Garry Marshall puts older writers in the room; Danny Thomas; A Happy Days episode gets Tom Hanks "Splash"; Working Stiffs gets Michael Keaton "Night Shift"; "Spies Like Us"; George C. Scott; Lowell's roles in "Splash" & "Parenthood"; Bpb Hope; Phil Silvers; "realness" of "Parenthood"; closes movie to him; unsurity of box office appeal; "City Slickers"; Rick Moranis has to drop out; Bruno Kirby will play either role; David L. Lander; "A League of their Own"; a bad review; ballplayers love it; Penny Marshall's directing"; 5 TV shows from his movies; how his characters are done to him after the movie finishes; "City Slickers II"; "Fever Pitch"; making like less misogynistic than book; ending changing to mirror real life; Mr. Saturday Night the Musical; Garry Marshall's Memorial Service"

Arnold Margolin joined me to discuss his upbringing; favorite radio shows; first time watching TV; working as an office boy on Broadway; being an understudy in a William Saroyan play and going on; Garson Kanin offering him a role in the original Diary of Anne Frank; moving to LA; Garry Marshall offers him a job and a partner; My Mother the Car; Hey Landlord; Andy Griffith Show; He & She; writing Disney movies; Love, American Style; Star Spangled Girl; writing an episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show which was a backdoor pilot for Bill Dailey; a pilot with Don Knotts & Eve Arden; trying to salvage the McLean Stevenson Show; pilot- The Dooley Brothers with Shelley Long; problems with Eileen Brennan on Private Benjamin; Growing Pains; One Big Family; That Girl; drug problems on Webster; working with a young Sally Field and Michael Constantine; how Joey Bishops not liking a friends script lead to him writing roast jokes that Garry Marshall saw; writing the Adventures of Mary Kate and Ashley; Between Love & Honor about Crazy Joe Gallo.

John Roarke and I discussed early impressionists; Vaughn Meader; audio taping impressions off TV; his stand up act; old vs. young Groucho; getting Fridays; playing Woody Allen in his first sketch; how voices stay in your head and supplant your voice; "Diner of the Living Dead"; "Brotherhood of Men Who Hum Between Words"; his Reagan; Johnny Carson wants his wig when Fridays is cancelled; Three Stooges on Drugs; "A Night in Teheran"; "Road to El Salvador"; "Star Wars Memories"; musical guests; Peter Fonda; Ruth Buzzi; guest hosts; having enough material to withstand the 1981 writer's strike; Dick Ebersol tries to poach the cast; "Ronnie Horror Picture Show"; tape trading episodes vs. Shout Factory release; my crew jacket; "Altered Statesman"; his Bob Hope; riffing with Dave Thomas; Johnny Carson impersonations; Out of This World; DC Follies; Off the Wall; Naked Gun 2 1/2; corporate shows; retirement

Bruce talks about working with Bob Odenkirk; the agony of writing (and getting credit for) Back to the Beach; Frankie Avalon;  pitching for Seinfeld and Larry David; working at Seinfeld; coming up with the idea that George Costanza would work for the Yankees; and connecting the dots that lead to Curb Your Enthusiasm`

Shelly Zellman joined me to talk about being influenced by The Mary Tyler Moore Show; writing for Donny & Marie; James at 16; Baby I'm Back; Barney Miller; the episode "The Harris Incident"; Jack Soo; When the Whistle Blows; Semi-Tough; It's a Living; Three's Company; John Ritter; Don Knotts; Nichols, Ross, & West; Jeffrey Tambor; Charles in Charge; Eisenhower & Lutz; FM' Allan Burns; Newhart; Ann Jillian Show; Dear John; William Sanderson's good luck charm; Bob Newhart & John Ritter; Don Rickles

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Fred Fox Jr. joined me to discuss his father, comedy writer Fred S. Fox; Bob Hope; working for Hertz; writing a spec All in the Family with Garry Shandling; working as a writer's apprentice on Laverne & Shirley; leaving for Happy Days; specific episodes: "A Shot in the Dark", "Hollywood Part III (The Jump the Shark episode)", "Potsie Gets Pinned", "Kid Stuff", "Mechanic", acting in "Stolen Melodies", "Hot Stuff"; Henry Winkler growing a beard over the summer; "RC & LB Forever", "A Little Case of Revenge" (Tom Hanks v. Fonz); "Welcome Home", and "Passages, Part II" (final episode); writing for Presenting Susan Anton; The Bad News Bears; Here's Boomer; Joanie Loves Chachii; Imps; Webster; It's Your Move - episodes "Dregs of Humanity", "Pajama Party" and "Dad and Me"; He's the Mayor; Sandy Veith vs. Northern Exposure; New Leave it to Beaver; My Secret Identity; Family Matters - Happy Days comparison, Stefan Urqel; Myrtle Urkle; Son the Beach; ageism; Broadway musical "Merry Go Round"; boos "Through Francesca's Eyes" and "You Know You're 50 When...."

Ed Scharlach joined me to talk about his sixty plus years in show business telling stories about his stepfather Harry Crane; being Jerry Lewis' assistant, writing a spec Honeymooners at 14; Please Don't Eat the Daisies; That Girl; Hey, Landlord; Captain Nice; Good Morning, World; The Ghost & Mrs. Muir; The Dean Martin Show; Odd Couple; Love, American Style; Happy Days; Chico & The Man; 3 Girls 3; Bob Hope; Mork & Mindy "Mork's Mixed Emotions", "The Night They Raided Minski's"' Tom Poston; Tom Sullivan; Lewis & Clark; George Burns Comedy Week; meeting his wife; Robert Mitchum; Duckman; Scooby Doo; his memoir; Starring!

To get Ed's book:

https://www.amazon.com/STARRING-Really-Famous-People-Stumbled/dp/B095LFNRCP/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=ed+scharlach&qid=1626543753&sr=8-3

Barry Rubinowitz joined me to discuss his comedy influences; writing a sketch for a competition with Lowell Ganz and Mark Rothman; being brought out by them to Hollywood; his first Happy Days; how the change from one to three camera affected the show; his episode "Tall Story"; writing for Laverne & Shirley; his favorite episode "Bachelor Mothers"; change of the Laverne & Shirley characters when they got their spinoff; Busting Loose; The Ted Knight Show; difference in professionalism between Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley; "Ah Wilderness" (HD episode); his Taxi episode "The Apartment"; Down to Earth; creating the Sanchez rule for the Writer's Guild; Rocky Road; writing for Diff'rent Strokes, Webster, and Throb; getting Marjorie Gross a job on Newhart; why it is important to have women in the writer's room; appearing on Jeopardy!; Jeopardy!  tricks; his love for the New York Mets