Mr. Media Interviews by Bob Andelman

Today's Guest: Actor Ryan McPartlin, who plays "Captain Awesome" on "Chuck." Ryan McPartlin (L), Sarah Lancaster, Zachary Levi One of the cool aspects of NBC’s spy rom-com “Chuck” is that it has survived on the Peacock long enough for every recurring character to get a moment to shine. Jeff and Lester have their band. Ellie has a heart. Casey has a daughter. The General has, well, okay, I’m still trying to figure that one out. Big Mike loves Subway sandwiches. Morgan is a different kind of genius. And Captain Awesome — okay, just plain ol’ “Awesome” these days — is both a big softie and a go-to spy. That’s a giant leap for Ryan McPartlin’s character on the show. RYAN McPARTLIN podcast excerpt: "We're hoping to hear this week or next if we're going to get more episodes this season. Ratings don't seem to matter; we keep coming back no matter what. That's largely due to the fans. There are so many outlets you can watch 'Chuck' on. We're such a big hit on iTunes, on Hulu, and on NBC.com."  For a long time, he was the guy who walked in and out of scenes, often shirtless, looking, well Awesome. He got credit for doing things no mere mortal—certain not Chuck — could do and always wound up smooching or in the clinch with his fiancée, now wife on the show, Ellie, played by the luscious Sarah Lancaster.Not a bad deal, but not exactly a meaty role. Last season, however, McPartlin’s patience on the sidelines paid off. He, like Chuck, became a bit of an accidental spy himself and was entrusted with the secret of Chuck’s giant brain and new physical prowess. It was one of many fun twists on a show that excels in taking viewers places we never expected and always enjoy exploring. This season, he and Ellie have a bun in the oven. You just know it’s gonna be awesome. Order 'Chuck: The Complete Series" on Blu-Ray DVD starring Ryan McPartlin and Zachary Levi, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the Blu-Ray DVD boxed set above! Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life As A Stand-up in the 1980s Comedy Boom by Ritch Shydner. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!   The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Billy Campbell, actor, The Rocketeer, "Once and Again," Meteor Order 'The Rocketeer' starring Billy Campbell and Jennifer Connelly, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the DVD cover above! No movie I can recommend captures the pure summertime wonderment of films better than The Rocketeer. It’s got action, adventure, a man with a jetpack strapped to his back and the spectacular Jennifer Connelly as Betty Page. I can watch The Rocketeer a hundred times and never get tired of it. Which brings us to today’s guest, Billy Campbell. There are two actors that Mr. Media believes cannot work enough and Billy Campbell is one of them. (Bruce Campbell—no relation—is the other.) He recently appeared opposite Ricky Gervais in Ghost Town—my 12-year-old daughter's favorite DVD of the moment. And, of course, he co-starred for too few seasons in the ABC drama, "Once and Again." Now Campbell is starring in NBC's new miniseries "Meteor" as Jack Crowe, a Los Angeles police officer who tries to protect his family fromhis crazy and corrupt ex-partner—as well as from those darn meteors falling from the sky. Jason Alexander—playing a far more serious person than he ever did as George Costanza on “Seinfeld”—introduces the advancing catastrophe that begins the NBC mini-series. “Meteor” begins on Sunday, July 12 from 9-11 p.m. and concludes next Sunday, July 19. Billy Campbell Twitter • Wikipedia • IMDB Order 'The Rocketeer: The Complete Deluxe Edition' by Dave Stevens,available from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above! Order 'Once and Again: The Complete First Season' starring Sela Ward and Billy Campbell, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the DVD cover above! Order 'Will Eisner: A Spirited Life' (2nd Edition) by Bob Andelman, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above!  The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Ronnie James Dio, lead singer, Dio, Black Sabbath Ronnie James Dio When word reached us last night (May 16, 2010) that singer Ronnie James Dio lost his battle against cancer yesterday at the age of 67, my wife said, “Didn’t you interview him?” Yes, yes, I did. It was May 22, 1986, one of my first interviews at my new job as pop music critic for the Tampa Tribune. It was a telephone interview, as so many were in those days. RONNIE JAMES DIO podcast excerpt: "I just bought a building, in Los Angeles – on Sunset Boulevard. It’s a building that was owned by Charlie Chaplin. It’s going to be a soundstage for a video. It will also be a studio for smaller bands. Again, something to ensure that, later in life, I’ll be able to produce. Because some day I’ll be too old to run around the stage. Though that won’t hopefully happen for a long while yet. I’m building something that will allow me to carry on as a musician, because that’s what I do best."  Order 'Ronnie James Dio - In Memory Of' from Amazon.com by clicking the image above! Sadly, the audio quality has been greatly diminished by the years. In fact, it may not have been very good to begin with, but I’m a pack rat, so I kept it. I can’t even prove that a story based on the interview ever ran—except that the part at the end where he talked about Christmas did appear in a story I wrote for the Orlando Sentinel: "I remember hardly any Christmases, whether as a child or an adult. Christmas is not my big one. I think it's a complete and utter waste of time for me. For some people, it's wonderful. It's wonderful for children. Christmas should be for children. It's just a shame that all the adults have to go through all the bother to make it so wonderful for them. I find it to be just a merchandising nuisance. I think that's it's just been completely and totally blown out of proportion.” I’m going to play my interview with Dio in just a moment, but I must warn you: the sound is really muffled. To increase his voice, I had no choice but to raise mine. This interview has never been heard before. If you’re a fan of Ronnie James Dio, you’ll probably be entertained; if not… I understand. And now, ladies and gentlemen, the late, great Ronnie James Dio, recorded on May 22, 1986—almost 24 years ago this week. Ronnie James Dio Website • Facebook • Twitter • Order Ronnie James Dio - In Memory Of from Amazon.com Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life As A Stand-up in the 1980s Comedy Boom by Ritch Shydner. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!     The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Jesse Ventura, former Minnesota governor, wrestler, author, American Conspiracies, DemoCRIPS and ReBLOODlicans: No More Gangs in Government   Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience of wrestling executives’ wives running for U.S. Senate in the great state of Connecticut… in the NEW new media capital of the world… St. Petersburg, Florida! Order DemoCRIPS and ReBLOODlicans: No More Gangs in Government by Jesse Ventura from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above! Jesse Ventura for President? Underestimate Jesse Ventura at your own risk. He may be an ex-wrestler and a guy who sounds on the radio a bit like Howard Stern wack packer Bigfoot, but a lot of people have gone wrong thinking the man lacked intellectual heft. Ventura, a former Navy SEAL in Vietnam, was elected governor of Minnesota in 1998 while running as an independent, a rare feat indeed. He has written 10 books, the last three with conspiracy specialist Dick Russell. Sh*t Politicians Say: The Funniest, Dumbest, Most Outrageous Things Ever Uttered By Our "Leaders" by Jesse Ventura. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above! JESSE VENTURA podcast excerpt: "Can you imagine the reaction from the Christian Right? That alone would be worth the price of admission. Howard Stern and Jesse Ventura! I think they'd be demanding a Rapture immediately!" The thing I find compelling about Ventura’s politics is similar to why I will tune in to Rachel Maddow on MSNBC periodically: while I might not agree with their opinions, I respect that the arrived at their conclusions thoughtfully and logically. In other words, the man once known as “The Body” puts that brain to work, too. Ventura made headlines last week when he kicked off the publicity tour for his latest book, Democrips and ReBloodlicans: No More Gangs in Government, on Howard Stern’s Sirius radio show and not only announced his interest in running for president in 2016 as an independent, but making a convincing argument that Stern—who once ran for governor of New York—should be his vice president. We’ll talk about that. By the way, this is the governor’s second appearance on Mr. Media.  Jesse Ventura Facebook • Twitter • WWE • Off the Grid with Jesse Ventura • Wikipedia • IMDB • Jesse Ventura for President 2016 Petition Mean Business: How I Save Bad Companies and Make Good Companies Great by Albert J. Dunlap with Bob Andelman. Order your copy now by clicking on the book cover above!     The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Governor Jesse Ventura, author, American Conspiracies Order 'American Conspiracies' by Jesse Ventura and Dick Russell from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above! Jesse Ventura sees conspiracies everywhere. He came to national prominence as a wrestler nicknamed “The Body,” took a turn on the silver screen in Predator with Ah-nuld, and even went by “Governor” for a term. Now he’s bidding for you and me to start thinking of him as “The Brain.” Don’t get me wrong; Ventura hasn’t asked anyone to call him that—yet. But reading his new book, American Conspiracies, it’s clear he’s given considerable thought to the real story behind some of this country’s most nagging unsolved mysteries. GOV. JESSE VENTURA podcast excerpt: "I took the side of the conspiracy. We brought out the facts; ultimately, it's up to the reader to decide. It's called 'learning the truth.' And if the truth causes panic, we're in big trouble." Whether you believe what he believes or think he’s nuts, a reader of American Conspiracies can’t deny Ventura has thought out his positions on everything from the Kennedy assassinations and 9/11 to the world financial collapse we’re just starting to come out from under. I should mention this is ground also covered in his new TV show, TruTV’s “Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura,” every Wednesday at 10 p.m. Not that Ventura is all drama and no fun these days. Anyone who’s caught him on the radio with Howard Stern knows he’s just as comfortable talking smack about Hulk Hogan and telling wild stories about his days as a Navy SEAL as he is discussing conspiracies. Jesse Ventura Facebook   Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life As A Stand-up in the 1980s Comedy Boom by Ritch Shydner. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!   The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Ken Davitian, actor, Borat, "Chuck"     Order 'Borat' from Amazon.com by clicking the DVD cover above Granted, the role for which everyone best—or maybe worst--remembers actor Ken Davitian is “Azamat Bagatov,” Borat’s manager in the 2006 movie Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan starring Sacha Baron Cohen. Anyone who saw it will forever have the image of Davitian and Cohen wrestling naked in a motel room scalded into their brains. But Ken Davitian has appeared in plenty of other films, fully clothed. He’s a terrific character actor and from what I’ve seen of him being interviewed elsewhere, quite a gentle soul. In other words, nothing at all like Azamat. KEN DAVITIAN podcast excerpt: "It was in Dallas I was told we were going to do this. I kept saying to Sacha Baron Cohen, 'A fat guy in boxers, that's funny. Funny, funny! No?' He said, 'I want naked.' We ran into an engineers convention, twelve o'clock in the afternoon, somewhere in the Dallas area. We started doing our schtick with each other. I looked into his eyes. I could see him looking at the audience. He stopped. He went out of character, said 'We're not getting any response. Let's go.' We walked out of there totally in character, naked." He recently played the role of “Uncle Bernie” to perfection in an episode of NBC’s “Chuck” titled “Chuck Versus the First Kill.” He was also “Shtarker” in the otherwise forgettable Steve Carrell remake of Get Smart. He’s also been seen in movies such as Soul Men, Meet the Spartans, Holes and S.W.A.T. as well as TV shows such as “The Closer,” “ER” and “Ghost Whisperer.” Coming up, his new film Prankster just got picked up for distribution and will come out in October. He also finished a feature film with former “American Idol” finalist Katharine McPhee and Dave Annable of “Brothers & Sisters” called You May Not Kiss the Bride. It also stars Rob Schneider, Mena Suvari, Tia Carrere, Kathy Bates and Vinnie Jones. Also in the pipeline is another film, Melvin Smarty. Davitian also co-owns a hot dog restaurant in Sherman Oaks called The Infield. Ken Davitian MySpace • Wikipedia • The Infield on Yelp • Order Borat on DVD from Amazon.com Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life As A Stand-up in the 1980s Comedy Boom by Ritch Shydner. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!   The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Breann McGregor, Playmate, Stacy Collins, Playboy Magazine editor   Breann McGregor, model, Playboy Special Editions Order Roll the Dice by Breann McGregor, available as an MP3 download from Amazon.com by clicking on the photo above! Guys, Stacy Collins has your dream job. As a managing editor of Playboy special editions, she spends day after day looking at the world’s most beautiful, mostly naked women. Some are in photographs, but many meet her discriminating eye in the flesh. And now that I say that out loud, it’s not hard to understand why she’s in the job and you’re not. Breann McGregor is one of the beauties Stacy works with. They actually spent a lot of time together this past year and will probably be just as inseparable in the coming year considering that Breann was named “Playboy Special Editions Model of the Year” and “Playboy’s Cyber Girl of the Year.” Breann McGregor Website • Facebook • Twitter • MySpace • YouTube • Google+ • Instagram • BreannMcGregor sings!   "Mean Business: How I Save Bad Companies and Make Good Companies Great" by Albert J. Dunlap with Bob Andelman, available in print, e-book or digital audio. Order your copy now by clicking on the book cover above!   The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Neil Budde, co-founder, DailyMe.com Neil Budde, co-founder of DailyMe.com, is now executive editor of The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky.   DailyMe.com I’m not one of those crybabies who thinks newspapers are dying. I do, however, think that the news itself is migrating to new distribution systems and that, in the future, the word “paper” will be less and less connecting with the word “news.”Okay, maybe I do think newspapers are dying. But I believe well-managed, thoughtful and provocative news organizations will always thrive in the new media order. The Huffington Post recently announced a million-dollar commitment to investigative journalism. TrueSlant.com, a news startup, has become a home to experienced journalists—including Mr. Media—who are pursuing their beats in new ways by blogging as often as they have something fresh to say on a subject. The latest entrant to the news-for-all is DailyMe.com, a start-up news gathering operation that boasts of adding 5,000 new stories daily from the most reputable of sources, including the Associated Press, Reuters, the Dallas Morning News, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune and Newsday. It’s also licensing and repackaging news product for third parties.   DailyMe.com comes to us from the minds of Eduardo Hauser and Neil Budde, who will join us in a moment. Hauser has 18 years of online and offline media experience at AOL Latin America, Venevision and the Cisneros Group of Companies. He is also a member of the board of directors of NPR (National Public Radio). As for my guest today, Neil Budde was the founding editor and publisher of The Wall Street Journal Online, having formulated the original idea for the site and developed it into one of the most successful subscription news sites around. He later built Yahoo! News. Neil Budde DailyMe.com • Facebook • Twitter • LinkedIn Mean Business: How I Save Bad Companies and Make Good Companies Great by Albert J. Dunlap with Bob Andelman, available in print, e-book or digital audio. Order your copy now by clicking on the book cover above!   The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Erica Durance, actress, "Harry's Law," "Smallville," "Saving Hope" Erica Durance guest stars on NBC's "Harry's Law" (Photo: Vivian Zink/NBC) Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience of comic book fanboys who can barely handle looking at George Perez drawings of Wonder Woman, let alone gaze for more than a fleeting moment at Erica Durance actually dressed as the Amazonian… in the NEW new media capitol of the world… St. Petersburg, Florida! If you thought Erica Durance was too hot to handle during seven years of playing reporter Lois Lane on TV’s long-running “Smallville,” wait till you get a load of her tonight kicking bad guy butt dressed as “Wonder Woman” on the latest episode of “Harry’s Law” on NBC at 9 p.m. This particular Wonder Woman costume is suspiciously similar to the one designed for David E. Kelley’s failed NBC TV pilot from last year. And, no disrespect to Adrianne Palicki, the actress who wore the suit then, but Durance will make hearts flutter wildly when you see her in it. Order 'Smallville: The Complete Tenth Season' by clicking on the DVD above! ERICA DURANCE audio excerpt: "The character does not perceive herself as making light (of domestic abuse). It's her way of getting her life back. I don't think there is a person out there who hasn't dreamed of that eye-for-eye justice." Kelley – who produces "Harry’s Law" and is best known as the creator of “Boston Legal,” The Practice” and “Ally McBeal” – obviously knows opportunity when he sees it. I have no idea how the plot of Durance’s guest starring role opposite Kathy Bates turns out. But it’s delightful to know she’s doing the opposite of putting distance between herself and the DC Universe of superheroes. Erica Durance Twitter • Facebook • IMDB • Wikipedia   Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life As A Stand-up in the 1980s Comedy Boom by Ritch Shydner. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!     The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Doug Savant, actor, "Desperate Housewives," "Melrose Place"   "Desperate Housewives - The Complete First Season." Order your copy today by clicking on the DVD cover above! Doug Savant, actor, "Desperate Housewives," "Melrose Place" Doug Savant’s real wife, Laura Leighton, is floating lifeless in the pool over at Fox’s new “Melrose Place.” Meanwhile, his TV wife, Felicity Huffman on ABC's “Desperate Housewives,” is expecting twins—again—and his character, Doug Scavo, a man whose sperm definitely swim, is in the doghouse—again—for that and so many other reasons. DOUG SAVANT podcast excerpt: "There's a picture in Entertainment Weekly, the fall television preview, where (my wife, Laura Leighton, star of 'Melrose Place") is kissing Thomas Calabro playfully on the cheek. And I gotta tell you, I don't like it! Nope! I want her kissing me, not somebody else. I love her enough to be a little possessive!" Is it any wonder the man is choosing to hide out here, on Mr. Media Radio, for the next 15 minutes, to talk about the importance of Listerine, good dental hygiene, fresh breath, and a book of laughs? Doug Savant Wikipedia • IMDB The Millionaire's Convenient Arrangementby Jane Peden. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!     The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!