TV Confidential with Ed Robertson

TVC 739.6: Barry Weitz, co-creator and co-executive producer of Movin' On, and Kathy Bird, author of Sundance Turns Fifty: The Amazing Legacy of Movin' On, talk to Ed about how it would be impossible to make Movin' On today in the same way that Barry and his production partner, Phil D'Antoni, made the series when they produced it together in the mid 1970s. Also in this segment: Barry shares an anecdote about "Good for Laughs," the first-season episode, filmed in Oregon, that features Frank Gorshin and Jonathan Goldsmith. Sundance Turns Fifty is available in paperback and as an eBook through Amazon.com.

TVC 738.2: Via remote from the Hollywood Museum: TV Confidential brings you coverage of the recent opening night ceremonies for From Norma Jean to Marilyn Monroe: A Centennial Celebration, a new exhibit at the Hollywood Museum that features, among other items, an exclusive look at never-before-published photographs from George Barris' last photo sessions with Marilyn Monroe, which occurred in mid June and July 1962, just a few weeks before her death. For tickets and more information, go to TheHollywoodMuseum.com. This segment includes remarks from Donelle Dadigan, founder and president of the Hollywood Museum, prior to the re-dedication of the Museum's famous Blondes Only Room (the legendary makeup studio where Monroe was transformed from a brown-haired beauty into a blonde bombshell), plus remarks from guest speakers Traci Park, Los Angeles City Council member; actress Alisha Soper, who played Monroe in two Ryan Murphy television productions (including Feud); and George Barris' daughter, Caroline Barris. Monday, June 1, 2026 marked the centennial birthday of the screen legend.

TVC 738.3: Via remote from the Hollywood Museum: TV Confidential brings you more highlights of the opening night ceremonies for From Norma Jean to Marilyn Monroe: A Centennial Celebration, a new exhibit at the Hollywood Museum that commemorates the 100th birthday of the beloved screen legend. For tickets and more information, go to TheHollywoodMuseum.com. This segment includes remarks from guest speakers Ruta Lee, who shared a poignant memory of her one encounter with Marilyn Monroe; Morgan Fairchild, who discusses why Monroe is forever part of the zeitgeist of the Golden Age of Hollywood; and author Luke Yankee, son of Eileen Heckart (who played Monroe's close confidante friend in Bus Stop).

TVC 738.3: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with Hall of Fame radio broadcaster Don Sainte-Johnn, author of San Francisco's Last Top 40 Disc Jockey, a memoir of Don's life and career behind the microphone. Topics this segment include how KFRC transitioned from Top 40 radio to big band in 1986—a successful format change that continued for seven years; why Don chose to stay at KFRC as part of the new format; why one benefit of the Magic 61 rebrand was that it allowed Don to interview some of his favorite artists from that genre (including Tony Bennett, Nancy Wilson, and Lionel Hampton); and how baseball Hall of Famer Lou Brock helped Don get a good deal on a new car one day while Don was a radio host in St. Louis. San Francisco's Last Top 40 Disc Jockey is available through Amazon.com.

TVC 738.4: Ed welcomes back actor, comedian, voice artist, and impressionist Jim Meskimen (Landman, Gaslit, Welcome to Chippendales, The Big Door Prize). Topics this segment include how Jim's early background acting in commercials provided a training ground for delivering a full performance, even when doing a one-line, one-scene, five-second bit (such as his recent appearance as the "cranky diver" in the new commercial for AppleWatch); why a good actor is also a good listener; and how the book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Modern Health helped Jim refocus his career path. Jim's latest movie, the action thriller Hungry, becomes available for viewing on demand on all streaming platforms beginning Tuesday, June 23.

TVC 738.5: Actor, comedian, voice artist, and impressionist Jim Meskimen talks to Ed about when he first discovered his gift for mimicry; how his repertoire includes voices that most people probably wouldn't think of as impressionist material (such as actor Paul Giamatti); and how he determines when to add a new voice to his arsenal. Jim's latest movie, Hungry, becomes available for viewing on demand on all streaming platforms beginning Tuesday, June 23.

TVC 737.1: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with David Spencer, award-winning musical dramatist, author, critic, musical theatre teacher, and the author of The Novelizers, a deep dive into the world of media tie-in writing that not only introduces readers to many of the people who have adapted film and TV screenplays into original tie-in novels, while also making the case that tie-in writing is an honorable tradition with artistry of its own. The Novelizers is available through Bear Manor Media as well as Amazon.com. Topics this segment include a discussion of the Rockford Files tie-in novels written by Stuart Kaminsky in the mid-1990s (and how they reflect the older Jim Rockford, as portrayed in the CBS reunion movies of the same era), and the difference between "high context" dialogue and "low context" dialogue.

TVC 737.2: David Spencer, author of The Novelizers, talks to Ed about how he came to write Passing Fancy: Alien Nation, Book 6 (Pocket Books, 1994), the tie-in novel based on the Alien Nation television series (FOX, 1989-1990). Also in this segment: the Three Most Common Misconceptions About Tie-In Novels, plus three examples of tie-in novels that were unauthorized. The Novelizers: An Affectionate History of Media Adaptations and Originals, Their Astonishing Authors, and the Art of the Craft is available through Bear Manor Media as well as Amazon.com.

TVC 737.3: Ed welcomes Hall of Fame radio broadcaster Don Sainte-Johnn. For more than twenty years, Don was one of the voices heard every day on KFRC, The Big 610 in San Francisco, the powerhouse station that not only shaped a generation of listeners in the San Francisco Bay Area, but was one of the most successful radio stations anywhere in the U.S. throughout the 1970s. Don's memoir, San Francisco's Last Top 40 Disc Jockey, not only takes you behind the scenes of KFRC and the world of Top 40 radio, but is filled with many great stories about a career that also took him to Chicago, St. Louis, San Diego, and other media markets. San Francisco's Last Top 40 Disc Jockey is available through Amazon.com. Topics this segment include how Don fell in love with radio from a very young age; the important role that angels, sponsors, and mentors played in his path to becoming a broadcaster; and how he helped develop his vocal muscles early in his career by reading aloud with a cork in his mouth.

TVC 737.4: Hall of Fame radio broadcaster Don Sainte-Johnn, author of San Francisco's Last Top 40 Disc Jockey, talks to Ed about how he came to choose his radio name; the importance of show prep in the course of a daily broadcast; and the role that Joe Adams, Ray Charles' manager, played early in Don's career. San Francisco's Last Top 40 Disc Jockey is available through Amazon.com.