Take Me Through It

Vai Sikahema forever won the hearts of Philadelphia Eagles fans more than two decades ago. He's now a television news anchor, whose front row seat to history includes an impending nuclear attack heading right for him (well, not really) and the incredible and improbable Super Bowl Run by the Iggles. BJ talks with his old pal Vai about the attack that wasn't, the championship that was, and his jarring introduction to live TV news during an infamous chase on the freeways of Los Angeles.

Bill Finch has spent his most of his life in public service; State Senator, Mayor of Connecticut's biggest city, Executive Director of the New York State Turnpike Authority. But now, Bill is using his love of science and optimistic view of the future to lead the Discovery Museum and Planetarium in Bridgeport, a place where kids age 1 to 100 can experience the thrill of the daily miracles around us.

Training teenagers to be ready for the next disaster my not be part of a regular school curriculum, but two Connecticut high schools are doing just that. Fox 61 reporter Jim Altman joins BJ to talk about an extraordinary program at one school and an extraordinary gift to another. Plus, being the hockey heads that they are, BJ and Jim can't help but throw in a third (and unrelated) story; how Hartford Whalers fans are keeping hope alive, 20 years after the Whale shoved off for Raleigh, NC.

Fires. Murders. Corruption. Bad Weather. Each among the storylines we expect every day when we tune into the local television news. But the TV news operations that stand out, take the time and make the effort to also tell stories of human triumph and hope in a memorable and impactful way. BJ sits down with Fox 61 reporter Jim Altman to listen to and discuss three of Jim's recent stories.

FDR was one of our great presidents. Eleanor was our greatest First Lady. In many ways, it all started when Franklin's mother built them a grand home in midtown Manhattan, a home that still stands today, not just as a museum, but as a beacon of education, freedom, and human rights.

Should we return to the Moon? Plan a mission to Mars? What is the impact and risks of long term human space travel? In this Best of 2017 episode of Take Me Through It, B.J. and Mike (producer of the movie "Inner Space") go deep into the galaxy for a probing interview with Dr. Mark Shelhamer, NASA's former chief scientist for human research.

One of the greatest Christmas movies of all time has a back story as funny and interesting as the film itself. Check out the story behind "Gremlins" in a Take Me Through It episode from the 2017 archives.

B.J. continues his Best of 2017 episodes with a look back to summer, and the story of how a young boy raised in the heart of Red Sox Nation became (gasp!) a fan of the New York Yankees.

"Decency Wins." That two-word tweet from a Republican U.S. Senator reacting to Democrat Doug Jones' victory in the Alabama U.S. Senate race, brought to mind one of our favorite 2017 episodes of Take Me Through It. How the word "decency" changed the course of history more than six decades ago.

B.J and the Take Me Through It team count down to 2018 by looking back at some of the more memorable episodes from 2017. This time, B.J. recounts the time he bumped into the President of the United States on his 145th birthday.