Mr. Media Interviews by Bob Andelman

From 2009: It’s 8:40 a.m. on a Wednesday morning and my guests are two of the producers of NBC’s “Today Show.” Who will be whispering in Matt’s ear when it’s time to throw it to Al Roker? How will Meredith Viera know to cut short the cooking demonstration and go to commercial? Ann Curry? I suspect she can manage on her own, right? Mary Ann Zoellner and Alicia Ybarbo are Emmy Award-winning producers. But they’re also co-authors of a new book, Today’s Moms: Essentials for Surviving Baby’s Fi

From 2009: Josh Dorfman is one smart guy. And he is pretty lucky, too. His first book, "The Lazy Environmentalist," was published in 2007. It told regular people how they could save the environment, go green and soothe their conscience with a modicum of effort. It was a success, so he embarked on a second, The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget.

From 2009: Imagine if, as a stranger, you could see a small town through the eyes of young boys. You might be privy to images and incidents that you wouldn’t otherwise know about. But because the boys aren’t a threat, they capture it all on a camera. And then imagine that this small town is not the peaceful, pristine image that the city fathers think it is. Now you’ve got the essence of the plot in the new film Dog Days of Summer starring Will Patton and directed and produced by Marc Freiburger.

From 2009: There are a lot of judges on TV these days, starting with Judge Judy and running all the way through Judge David Young. But only one of them has an Emmy Award. That lucky jurist-slash-TV personality is Judge Cristina Perez, host of the syndicated “Cristina’s Court.” She stands out from the pack because Judge Perez leaves the sensational behind. She’s a calm, empathetic presence on the bench, firm but considerate, experienced but not disinterested.

From 2009: There’s the joy of seeing your children grow and mature and then there’s the simultaneous frustration of witnessing your parents get older at the same time. Kelly Corrigan has dealt with this time, which she calls “The Middle Place.” It’s overwhelming if you’ve been in the dark, complicated place that Corrigan found herself in: malignant breast cancer for herself and late-stage cancer for her dad. She writes about all this and more—with humility, humor and grace—in the book The Mi

From 2009: Shawn Hatosy stars as gang detective Sammy Bryant in NBC's new drama series "Southland." You may have already recognized Shawn from his starring role as John McCain in the adaptation of the senator’s autobiography, “Faith of My Fathers.” This summer, he will appear in Michael Mann's Public Enemies with Christian Bale and Johnny Depp. He also filmed an upcoming remake of the 1992 cult classic Bad Lieutenant, playing Nicolas Cage's partner.

From 2009: We're celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Acme Comedy Theatre. Joining us first will be Dan Kane, the owner of the theatre. He’ll then be joined by the theatre’s founder and director, Travis Oates, who will be followed in succession by performers Julie Wittner, Kevin Small, Jen Parker, Rich Keith and Claudia Dolph.

From 2009: Here’s math that even Bart Simpson won’t need a chalkboard to figure out: “The Simpsons” is “Gunsmoke.” That’s right: thanks to a new two-year renewal, “The Simpsons” is about to blow past the ancient western as the longest-running primetime series in American television history. And my guest today, “Simpsons” executive producer Al Jean, has been there for every episode—plus a feature-length movie.

From 2009: Something’s wrong with this picture. I’m Mr. Media. I do the interviewing, right? Somehow I’ve booked an interview with LPGA Golf Hall of Famer Amy Alcott to talk about her new book, The Leaderboard—but it turns out the book is a collection of interviews she conducted. Has the whole world gone crazy? On the other hand, this could be my lucky break. I don’t know a damn thing about golf, so maybe it’s a good thing—we can talk about something I do know about.

From 2009: Jim Tusty is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Estonia whose father came here in 1924. Maureen Castle Tusty was raised in upstate New York. She and Jim met in 1986 and created a business partnership that eventually led them to teach budding Estonian filmmakers in 1999 and 2001. The Singing Revolution—the Tusty’s first documentary—tells the astounding and hardly-known story of the Estonian people who stood up for themselves armed only with unity, song and determination.