Peter Tolan Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson

Oh please! That was just too much fun. Nirvana for this fan girl to catch up with 14-time Emmy Nominee, and two-time winner, Peter Tolan. In the midst of a Rescue Me re-binge, if you've never seen it or it's been years, do not pass go, run. Please. Brilliant, real, hysterical, terrifying, it's perfect TV. In my all-time top 5.

Peter, bless him, is opinionated and fearless in recounting people, events, and choices, which makes for great conversation and interweb TV.

We started with his recent collaboration with Norman Lear, Guess Who Died, which did just that. With that loaded deck, it’s crazy that NBC pulled the plug. But, it dealt with older folk… who wants to represent them. Us. Hmmm.

We talked his early days in theatre, sketch, cabaret, his early collaborations, a running theme throughout his career… from Linda Wallem, Garry Shandling, Dennis Leary, Billy Crystal, Paul Reiser, and the before mentioned Norman Lear, the man keeps good company. He earns it… and demands it. Breaking almost every rule, from his first spec script landing him a staff writing gig on that very show, unheard of, to getting producing credit before he earned it, an unearned Emmy as he calls it… to earning every one of those other 13 nods, and the nest Emmy Statue he took home.

Fascinating, fun conversation about Carole Burnet, Murphy Brown, getting The Larry Sanders Show, connecting on The Job, creating and making Rescue Me, Analyze This with an intimidating Robert DeNiro, the Mad About You update, Helen Hunt, and the creative crisis Peter found himself in, just pre-pandemic, when two of his babies were thrown out with the bathwater.

All-in-all, a lotta laughs, of course, there were… look at the man’s credits… a lot of insight, intelligence, and clarity. Damn, I had a good time. Enough of this, I have Season 3 episode 10 waiting for me.

Peter Tolan Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson

Wednesday, 11/2/22, 5 pm PT, 8 pm ET

Streamed Live on my Facebook

Replay here:

https://bit.ly/3Wq9OVk

All BROADcasts, as podcasts, also available on

iTunes apple.co/2dj8ld3

Stitcher bit.ly/2h3R1fla

tunein bit.ly/2gGeItj

Also on iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, Voox, OwlTail, Backtracks, PlayerFM, Himalaya, Podchaser, and Listen Notes

Thanks to Rick Smolke of Quik Impressions the best printers, printing, the best people people-ing. quikimpressions.com

Nicole Venables, now of Hiroshi Beverly Hills Hair Design, for the best tressed.

And, Blue Microphones