TV Confidential with Ed Robertson

TVC 751.1: From September 2016: Ed, Tony and Donna welcome Vince Waldron, Emmy Award-winning writer and the author of The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book, Deluxe Expanded Archive Edition: The Definitive History of Television's Most Enduring Comedy Series, everything you wanted to know about the most acclaimed comedy series of TV's golden age, as seen through the eyes of the cast and crew, including Carl Reiner, Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam, Larry Mathews, and, of course, Dick Van Dyke himself. Calendar year 2026 marks the 65th anniversary of the premiere of the Van Dyke show. Topics this segment include how creator Carl Reiner originally conceived the show as a vehicle for himself; how Dick Van Dyke came to be cast as Rob Petrie; how Rose Marie and Morey Amsterdam joined the cast; and why the Van Dyke show is the best ensemble TV series ever made.

TVC 751.2: From September 2016: Vince Waldron, author of The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book, Deluxe Expanded Archive Edition: The Definitive History of Television's Most Enduring Comedy Series, talks to Ed, Tony, and Donna about the casting of both Mary Tyler Moore and Larry Mathews. Calendar year 2026 marks the 65th anniversary of the premiere of the Van Dyke show.

TVC 752.1: From September 2016: Television historian Vince Waldron joins Ed, Tony and Donna for Part 2 of our behind-the-scenes look at The Dick Van Dyke Show. Vince's book The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book, Deluxe Expanded Archive Edition: The Definitive History of Television's Most Enduring Comedy Series tells you everything you wanted to know about the most acclaimed comedy series of TV's golden age. Calendar year 2026 marks the 65th anniversary of the premiere of the Van Dyke show. Topics this segment include the controversy that ensued when Mary Tyler Moore decided to wear form-fitting Capri pants onscreen as part of her wardrobe for playing Laura Petrie.

TVC 752.3: From September 2016: Vince Waldron, author of The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book, Deluxe Expanded Archive Edition: The Definitive History of Television's Most Enduring Comedy Series, talks to Ed, Tony, and Donna about how Rob and Laura Petrie not only embody a contemporary married couple (both in 1961 and today), but are particularly symbolic of the Camelot era of American culture. (Coincidentally, the pilot for The Dick Van Dyke Show was filmed on Jan. 20, 1961, the day that President John F. Kennedy was inaugurated.) . Calendar year 2026 marks the 65th anniversary of the premiere of the Van Dyke show.

TVC 752.6: From September 2016: Ed, Tony and Donna continue their conversation with Emmy Award-winning writer Vince Waldron, author of The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book, Deluxe Expanded Archive Edition: The Definitive History of Television's Most Enduring Comedy Series, everything you wanted to know about the most acclaimed comedy series of TV's golden age. Calendar year 2026 marks the 65th anniversary of the premiere of the Van Dyke show.

TVC 753.2: TV Confidential marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of the premiere of I Love Lucy by bringing you an encore presentation of our conversation from October 2011 with James Sheridan and Barry Monush, co-authors of Lucille Ball FAQ: Everything Left to Know About America's Favorite Redhead, a dispensable look at the Original Queen of Comedy, from her life growing up, her love interests, her various inspirations, and a ton of information about her films and TV series, including I Love Lucy.

TVC 753.3: From October 2011: James Sheridan and Barry Monush, co-authors of Lucille Ball FAQ, talk to Ed about the origins of the "spider face," the now iconic facial expression (accompanied by a high-pitched, nasal "eeeew" sound) that Lucille Ball would make as Lucy Ricardo whenever something went wrong.

TVC 753.4: Ed welcomes Christopher Robinson, longtime senior editor and feature writer for Western Magazine Digest. Chris' new book, How the West was Not: Classic TV Westerns and Their Myths, is an offbeat look at many classic Westerns from the Golden Age of Television that particularly focuses on the extent to which the tropes and clichés that permeate those shows stand up to reality when compared to the facts of the real Old West. How the West was Not is available in hardcover, paperback, and as an eBook through Amazon.com. Topics this segment include why Chris believes that the Western genre is the best way to tell a story; why Westerns have enjoyed a comeback over the past two decades; and the answer to the burning question "Why do TV cowboys sip beer, but chug whiskey, when it should be the other way around?"

TVC 753.4: Christopher Robinson, author of How the West was Not: Classic TV Westerns and Their Myths, talks to Ed about his Cowboy Top 20, plus he discusses a few of his favorite TV Westerns, including Gunsmoke, The Big Valley, Stories of the Century, Tombstone Territory, and The Westerner. How the West was Not is available in hardcover, paperback, and as an eBook through Amazon.com.

TVC 752.4: Ed welcomes back actress, comedienne, author, and entrepreneur Rhonda Shear (Rhonda Shear Up All Night, Rhonda Shear Intimates, Up All Night: From Hollywood Bombshell to Lingerie Model, Life Lessons From An Accidental Feminist). Rhonda has just launched the Up All Night Network on Roku, a 24/7 channel featuring brand new episodes of Rhonda Shear Up All Night twice a month, plus uncensored cult films, classic episodes of Rhonda's Up All Night series from the 1990s, special collections, and a whole lot more. Rhonda hopes to blend nostalgia with new content, while also supporting emerging creators, and engaging multi-generational audiences. The Up All Night Network is available on all Roku devices for just $3.99 a month. For more information, RhondaShearUpAllNight.com. Topics this segment include how Rhonda came to launch the Up All Night Network, why wrestling audiences have always been fans of Up All Night, and why "paying it forward" has always been important to her. Rhonda will also be appearing at the Spooky Empire convention in Orlando, Florida on Oct. 30-31.