The Front Row Network

Together as one!

The Halcyon Five were among the first to voyage on the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser which blasted off from Walt Disney World in early March. The group has come back together to discuss the trip in this first of two parts. In this episode we hear about their first experiences onboard the Halcyon!

FEATURING: Brett Rutherford, Alexa Giacomini, Brittney McLaughlin, Tyler Dobson and Beckham Stewart

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Named one of the top 50 Disney Podcasts by Feedspot! blog.feedspot.com/disney_podcasts

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Please enjoy this episode of BEYOND THE MOUSE and as always, we'll see you in the front row!

Front Row Classics is happy to welcome Scott McGee! Scott is a senior director of Original Productions at Turner Classic Movies. He joins Brandon to discuss his newest book, "Danger on the Silver Screen: 50 Films Celebrating Cinema's Greatest Stunts". The book takes a look at the storied history of stunt work and the men & women who pioneered this artform. Brandon and Scott discuss key films in the evolution of stunt work and some of the greatest stars who brought them to the screen.

"Danger on the SIlver Screen" is available from Running Press and Turner Classic Movies wherever books are sold.

Scott McGee is a senior director of Original Productions at Turner Classic Movies. He is also a programmer for TCM's annual film festival and the lead programmer for the TCM Classic Cruise, and has been a presenter at many of TCM's past festivals and other industry conventions.

We are finally back!

Craig and his family finally made it back to Walt Disney World! Anna and Craig speak about their trip overall. We also discuss recent changes to Disney Genie+ as well as discussing some new dining options throughout the park. There is also a follow up to Jordan Fisher's offer to purchase a lightsaber for Craig's son. So much fun in this episode!

FEATURING: Craig McFarland, Brett Rutherford, Anna McFarland and Vanessa Ferguson

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Named one of the top 50 Disney Podcasts by Feedspot! blog.feedspot.com/disney_podcasts

FIND US ON NPR ILLINOIS! https://www.nprillinois.org/programs/front-row-network

FIND US ON INSTAGRAM – https://www.instagram.com/beyondthemousepod

Front Row Classics is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Lady Sings the Blues. Brandon and Eric are joined by Bea Bonner from NPR Illinois' Community Voices. The hosts discuss Diana Ross' Oscar nominated performance as the legendary Billie Holliday. The peformances of Billy Dee Williams and Richard Pryor are also celebrated. Lady Sings the Blues is a heartwrenching, if not entirely accurate, biopic. We hope this episode will inspire a new generation to discover one of the most underrated films of the 1970s.

FIVE STAR POD SPLASH makes its triumphant return for the first time in over a year and we're coming out swinging with the show of shows, WRESTLEMANIA! The 38th Mania saw two nights of packed action, massive returns, some all-time great matches and some of the most surreal stuff you'll ever see in a wrestling ring. Lou and Jeremy break it all down for you!

Today marks the 110th Anniversary of the sinking of the unsinkable Titanic, and then 30 years ago the biggest movie on the 20th Century was released and teen and pre-teen girls collectively lost their minds over the romance aboard the sinking ship. Join us as we dig into behemoth of a natural disaster movie. Does the movie hold up? Is this just a mushy love story, or is there more to this movie beneath the surface? We'll get into that and more on this episode of Flashbacks!

FEATURING: Jay Hoffman, Ryan Lootens, & Erin McCabe

Front Row Flashbacks: https://linktr.ee/Flashbacks

Episode 2 of the Front Row Network's newest show, ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST, is the continuation of Gus's talk with Broadway legend Jim Walton. Gus and Jim discuss his journey to Broadway and the amazing story of Merrily We Roll Along. Join us for part 2 of this amazing interview.

On this special episode, Steve interviews Lillie Lainoff, author of the new novel, "One for All," a gender-bent retelling of "The Three Musketeers." But there's one more twist to the story: Like the protagonist in her book, Lillie has Postural orthostatic tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). Listen in as Lillie tells how her disability has challenged her personally and professionally.

FEATURING: Steve Sykes and Lillie Lainoff

View From the Back Row: https://linktr.ee/VFTBR

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Please enjoy this episode of VIEW FROM THE BACK ROW, and, as always, we'll see you in the front row!

Front Row Classics is thrilled to welcome Turner Classic Movies' host, Ben Mankiewicz. Ben has been an on-air host for the channel since 2003. Our interview covers his background in both film and politics. You'll also learn about some of his most memorable interviews during his tenure with TCM. Brandon and Ben also have fun discussing the pros and cons of classic film fandom.

Ben Mankiewicz is the primetime host of Turner Classic Movies. When he made his TCM debut in September 2003, he became only the second host hired in the network's history.

During his career at TCM, he has introduced thousands of movies on the air. Additionally, he's become one of the best interviewers in the business, leading thoughtful and entertaining long-form conversations with more than two hundred of the industry's top talents, including Mel Brooks, Bruce Springsteen, Sophia Loren, Martin Scorsese, Warren Beatty, Ava DuVernay, Annette Bening, Robert Redford, Quentin Tarantino, Jodie Foster, Brad Bird, Faye Dunaway, Lou Gossett, Jr., and Michael Douglas.

Mankiewicz is the host of TCM's first podcast, The Plot Thickens. Each of the three seasons, I'm Still Peter Bogdanovich, The Devil's Candy, and Lucy, were met with outstanding reviews and industry awards.

Since 2019, Mankiewicz has served as a contributor to the Peabody and Emmy-winning news magazine, CBS News Sunday Morning, and has hosted the American Society of Cinematographers Awards since 2018.

Prior to TCM, Mankiewicz worked as a reporter and anchor in Charleston, SC, and Miami, FL, twice being named Best Anchor in South Florida by The New Times. Additionally, he contributes to The Young Turks, an online political show he co-founded with Cenk Uygur in 2002.

Mankiewicz moved to Los Angeles nearly 75 years after his grandfather, screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz ("Mank" to his all his friends), headed west to work in the movie business. Soon after arriving, Herman cabled his friend Ben Hecht in New York, "There are millions to be grabbed out here and your only competition is idiots. Don't let this get around." His grandson is now proudly one of those idiots.

He's a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Tufts University, and Georgetown Day High School in Washington, DC, the school with the worst mascot in recorded history: the Grasshoppers.

Mankiewicz lives in Santa Monica with his beautiful wife, their beautiful daughter, one perfect dog, and one other dog, who's available for adoption at any time. Seriously, please take him.

"We failed the Bechdel test."

Sometimes the boys of the pod leave for Disney World. Sometimes that means the true foundation of BTM, Vanessa Ferguson, has to come in and make sure the show will go on. This week, Vanessa chats with her NPR Illinois Community Voices Co-host Bea Bonner about the 1998 Disney animated classic, Mulan.

FEATURING: Vanessa Ferguson and Bea Bonner

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Named one of the top 50 Disney Podcasts by Feedspot! blog.feedspot.com/disney_podcasts

FIND US ON NPR ILLINOIS! https://www.nprillinois.org/programs/front-row-network

FIND US ON INSTAGRAM – https://www.instagram.com/beyondthemousepod

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Please enjoy this episode of BEYOND THE MOUSE and as always, we'll see you in the front row!