Ian Talks Comedy

Robin Duke joins me to discuss how her friendship with Catherine O'Hara led to her career in comedy; getting into Second City; SCTV - her characters Edna Hydecker, Mollie Earle and Shelley Winters; getting SNL when Catherine O'Hara bowed out; her first episode before and after the writers strike; Paulette Clooney, "Be a Ho", "Mrs. T", The Girls of Saturday Night Live; the PTSD of SNL; her Christmas Bonus courtesy of Michael O'Donoghue; Hairem Scarem; JFK sketch; The Last Polka; Club Paradise; Harold Ramis; Man Seeking Woman; Schlitt's Creek

The delightful Mary Gross talks about her love for Carol Burnett; her high school history club musical with Marilu Henner;  attending improv classes; getting on  main stage at Second City; working with Sid Caesar; Nuns on the Beach; hosting SNL Newsbreak; Marilyn Monroe singing Downers Are a Girls Best Friend; At Home with the Psychos; the Christmas bonus that wasn't,  Spitting Mad Mary Gross; Dr. Ruth; playing Mary Tyler Moore in three different sketches; The Girls of Saturday Night Live; playing Pee Wee Herman; being a guest on the Tonight Show. (Some audio was "crunched" and portions had to be cut out)

Jon and I meet to discuss all things SNL on this special episode.

Neil Levy talks abut getting the job on SNL as its 1st PA; smoking extremely strong pot; the generosity of Dan Aykroyd; the first show; George Carlin's monologue; Jane Crowley, the censor; being an extra in a jury sketch; meeting President Ford; booking Miles Davis; Frank Zappa; Louise Lasser; injuring himself as an extra in a sketch; being a Killer Bee with Elliot Gould; writing the promos, coming up next and audience captions; impressing Mr. Mike with a sketch; being a writer on the third season; Funeral Magician; booking and un-booking Carroll O'Connor; Yvonne Hudson; Paul Reubens 1979 audition; finding and getting Jean Doumanian to hire Eddie Murphy; how Eddie saved SNL; A Fiddler Be on the Roof; Altered Walter; Eddie Atari; the afterparties; Charles Rocket, Prince and the f bomb; Dick Ebersol takes over;  Dick gets Lorne's blessing; Dick hires Bob Tischler and Michael O'Donoghue; Denny Dillon bag lady sketch; Captain Beefheart and Jack Bruce & Friends; Rod Stewart; booking fear; Catherine O'Hara; Sunken Submarine; leaving the show; Rude Awakening; Lemmings Inc.

Actor-comedy writer-composer Tom Leopold

Craig Richard Nelson joined me to talk about his movie debut in The Paper Chase; Blood Sport; Marty Hartman, Mary Hartman; Maude; Fernwood Tonight; Stick Around; Barney Miller; Square Pegs;  working in 3 Robert Altman movies; Night Court; Get a Life; Another You, and Stark Trek

Ken Reid, host of the podcast TV Guidance Counselor, discusses the origin of his podcast; his theme song; childhood fears of the Incredible Hulk and Mr. Bill; meeting the original Not Ready for Prime Time players; SCTV; Fridays; New York / Massachusetts; WPIX; WSBK; Gimme A Break; and a lot more

Comedy great Hugh Fink joined me to discuss his comedy act; Silent Night Deadly Night 4; being on the last Rodney Dangerfield Special; getting SNL and writing Spade in America; working with Norm Macdonald on the Larry King sketches; sketches he's proud of; working with Tracey Morgan; his Comedy Central Present special; getting heckled by David Wells; being head writer of Late Show with Craig Ferguson; his course for aspiring sketch writers; trying to get O.J. Simpson as a correspondent for The Showbiz Show with David Spade; Parental Discretion with Stefanie Wilder-Taylor; and his current endeavor, writing sketches for corporations with and starring David Koechner.

For information on Hugh's class go to www.hughfink.com

Leonard "Lenny" Rips joined me to talk about comedy as self defense; Joan Rivers giving him his first break; The Mac Davis Show; George Burns; Van Dyke & Company; Bob Einstein; Andy Kaufman; Redd Foxx; Star Wars Holiday Show; Angie; Goodtime Girls; Bosom Buddies; Rodney Dangerfield; 13 13th Avenue, Frankenweenie; What A Country; Full House; Top of the Heap; Me and the Boys; Can't Hurry Love; Blues Brothers Animated Series; Payne; Fast Food Films; The Lot; Holland Taylor; I'm With Her; the generosity of Joan Rivers

Bobby and I discuss his formative years; 60's TV; winning Best Actor for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest; Smokey Bites the Dust; Laugh Trax; The New Battlestars; 1/2 Hour Comedy Hour; Joan Collins; Jan Hooks; Dick Clark; Real Trivial Pursuit; Ted Knight and the fart machine; Dennis the Menace and being friends with Phil Hartman; The New Truth or Consequences;  Up Your Alley; The Gong Show; Murray Langston; Linda Blair; the making and killing of Repossessed; Meatballs 4 and the tragedy of Jack Nance; Count deClues Mystery Castle; Mr. Logan's current project- the biography of Rollen Fredrick Stewart, 1 Day $99 Film School.

Visit his sites

Bobbyworks.comQuietTime.com    LoganWolf.com