Tv Guidance Counselor Podcast

October 27 - November 2, 1990 This week Ken welcomes former MA resident and current producer of The Last Drive-In, and owner of Not a Funeral Home productions Matt Manjourides.  Ken and Matt discuss working at video stores, MA Video Stores, Video Smith, Mike's Video, Video Oasis, Live Poultry Fresh Killed, Palmer Video, buying VHS tapes,  having cable growing up, black boxes, "On Deman" video that was just 24 hours of a movie in a loop, Pay Per View, why horror almost always makes money, the video boom, PG-13 Movies with Nudity, realizing women love horror and marketing to them, the CW, Get A Life, going to school for animation, Warriors of the Wind, Fist of the North Star, the 5am Saturday morning weird local slot, 5 and 10 Store, Child World, Mr. Big's Toyland, GI Joe, Alien Nation, Return of Swamp Thing, why working with restrictions can get better results, Wes Craven, weird sleazy vibes, Day of the Dead, collecting screen used props, weird relaxing go to sleep movies, Made for TV Movies, the movie section

August 14-20, 1999 This week Ken welcomes writer, musician and comedian who has created the video podcast built on music, performance storytelling and Ai visuals, Skulk The Hulk, Steve "Skulk" Pasieka Ken and Skulk discuss Mad Magazine, Steve's Dick DiBartolo mustache, Action shows on TV, Chuck Norris, WWF (WWE), Samo Hung, WCW, Chinese action heroes, Attitude Era of WCW, defining High School by wrestling, backyard wrestling, TV Guide induced vivid dreams, growing up in Chicago, heavy Italian Chicago accents, children with strong regional accents, revolting Pepto Bismol ads, disgusting ice cream photos, Judy Garland, the 90s love of the 70s, no bake Jell-O grossness, too much PB, locking up your Klondike bars, how much smarter Samo Hung is than Kevin Sorbo and Chuck Norris, Halle Berry's comebacks, Brutus the Barber Beefcakes' MBTA "Anthrax" scare, wrestlers lying about their size, Randy "Macho Man' Savage, class action suits, the shock of a Buff Bagwell photo shoot, The Tom Green Show, The Adventures of Buck

 January 5-11, 1985 After a long time coming Ken welcomes podcast inovater, writer, video game expert and all around brother from another mother Glenn Rubenstein. Ken and Glenn discuss strange hobbies they explored during COVID, The Ratings Game with Danny DeVito, Double Trouble, It's Your Move, twins, not remember who is who, hunting down theme songs, testifying against Nintendo, The Game Genie, Galoob, holy grail toys, Inspector Gadget, PXL2000, Made for-TV Movies, The Mod Squad, recognizing the false sense of danger that sensationalized news stories have created, mentioning Bill Campbell pre-Rocketeer, being incredibly angry that the Love Skills VHS tape isn't sexy or instructional enough, shaming adults for renting adult films, CES, meeting John Eric Hexum as a kid, Voyagers, writing a heist movie, freeing digital archives, not living in the streaming future we were promised, getting into Spanish language pop music, Menudo, Dance Fever, the GOOD David Horowitz, Fight Back, avoiding Sam episodes of Diff'r

Ken and Kendall discuss The Place of Darkness, silent horror cinema, the birth of the horror movie, Kolchak the Night Stalker, how the late 80s and early 90s mirrors the silent to talkies era, basic cable TV, thirst for content, imported horror, anthology horror, radio horror, Monster Kids, Witches Tale, Tales from the Crypt, The Hitcher, Dracula the Series, Tales from the Darkside, Dark Shadows, Monsters, Friday the 13th The Series, Video Nasties, how exposure always eventually makes horror into kiddie fair, TV movies, high concept low budget films, Full Moon Pictures, arguing about the true core elements of the Halloween series, TV versions, how Dr. Loomis could be the real villain, Blood and Thunder stories, how radio shows are like a home invasion, television ghosts, Swamp Thing, Tom Noonan's adaptation of Stephen King's The Moving Finger on Monsters, one season wonders, gothic investigators, Ken Ober, the first TV adaptation of Parenthood, official sanctioned fan fiction, The Horror Hall of Fame, taking

This week Ken welcomes the astounding accomplished, TV all star, casting royalty Joel Thurm on the show.   Ken and Joel discuss his book, "Sex, Drugs & Pilot Season", the importance of caffiene, Hollywood tellalls, how to guides, judging all of the NBC pilots from 80-90 ish, the Brendon Tartikoff era of NBC, Fred Silverman, making money producing old people shows, Grant Tinker, homophobia in Hollywood, producing Elvira Mistress of the Dark, NBC Films, trusting and listening to your star, how "difficult" actresses are usually just right and standing up for themselves, getting typecast casting comedy, Bicentenial Minutes, growing up in rural Brooklyn, starting out at the top, working on high quality projects at CBS, Bob Newhart, starting on Broadway, getting Charlton Heston gas, having mentors, your grandparents having a dairy farm, befriending Pearl Bailey, the choice of being fired or promoted, always having an eye for casting, strong women, moving to LA with a job that wasn't a job, Nell Carter, the crea

December 14-20, 1991   This week Ken welcomes former preacher, home school all star and current comedian behind the new Blonde Medicine lp "Almost a Grown Man", Jeremy Alder. Ken and Jeremy discuss growing up religious, Hannibal Lecktor's cell in Manhunter, birthdays, being 12, growing up in Texas, having to sneak TV at grandparents and friends houses, TV Guide's excellent writing, parents vs teens views on Beverly Hills 90210, the genius of Jane Pratt, Car 54, Where Are You? and the awful movie, the early 90s boom of movies based on old TV shows, being totally traumatized by the Christian appocalyptic scare film A Theif in the Night, The Rabbit VCR multipier, not knowing who certain products are for, Christmas movies, It's a Wonderful Life, how Ken feels Frosty the Snowman is blasphemous, how Madonna was best gotten in touch with via TV Guide, In Living Color, America's Funniest People, National Geographic Explorer, Ken's ultimate fear of deep water animals, treasure hunting scams, Silk Stalkings, when it's

 April 7-13, 1990 This week Ken welcomes author of super cool graphic novel Von Bach, and man behind the fanstic YouTube channel Hammered Out, owenhammer.com/hammered-out.html, Owen "The Hammer" Hammer.   Ken and Owen discuss Hammered out, ABC's reputation, Twin Peaks, the premiere of Twin Peaks, David Lynch, film criticism, media review, how the actors aren't always the best person to have insight into a show they are on, Jim Belushi, Jay Larson, Twin Peaks the Return, the 4 and a half hour Twin Peaks explained Twin Perfect YouTube video, how there IS an explanation for Twin Peaks, avoiding conspiracies, artist intent, the late 80s early 90s meta fiction trend, Animal Man, Perfect Blue, the only bad movies are boring and/or insincere, Donnie Yen, Star Wars, Rogue One, water cooler media, On the Air, people not expecting humor from David Lynch, Fire Walk with Me, mid-season replacements, Comedy Central the Comedy Channel and HA!, how Lost Highway is Lynch's criticism of Quinten Tarantino, superficial readings

March 6-12, 2004 This week Ken welcomes podcaster, film critic and author of the new book "Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend", Jason Bailey.  Ken and Jason discuss living in The Bronx, moving from Kansas to NYC, wanting to leave your home town, the Sopranos phenomenon, HBO original programming, 1st and Ten, prestige TV, unlikeable protagonists, America Undercover, Tales from the Crypt, Mario Van Peebles, werewolves, Daybreak, failed pilots, Cast a Deadly Spell, working at video stores, dropping out of playing Sammy the Bull, being replaced by William Foresythe, the complicated history of James Gandolfini, standing out in the sea of books about the Sopranos, True Romance, IDing future stars, how Karen "Duff" Duffy is the greatest human being ever, Duff and Gandolfini's high school days together, New Jersey, Steve Buscemi, stealing behind the scenes people from Trees Lounge, Season 5 of the Sopranos, Larraine Braco, Goodfellas, avoiding the press, taking years long breaks between seasons, TV on DV

May 9-16, 1998 This week Ken welcomes comedian behind the new comedy LP "Beach Brain", Andy Woodhull. Ken and Andy discuss being live via sattellite, coast to coast, refusing to partake in daylight savings time, having never read a TV Guide, having a stand up bit that never works but you refuse to dump it, when fonts are too small, growing up in Indiana, refusing reality, supper, even uglier Jerry Seinfeld, Jerry Seinfeld dating a teenage girl, your dad buying a Playboy for your teenage friend (when your dad isn't Jerry Seinfeld), Jenny McCarthy, when Seinfeld ended, how Michael Jordan was so famous that even cardboard cutouts of him got ad deals, graduation speeches, how milk chocolate is for children, Jerry Seinfeld picking up teenagers in Central Park, Regis, claiming change is bad, Beetlejuice, Dunkaroos, Saturday Morning Cartoons, how the Babe movies fit into the Mad Max universe, David Ducovney 's music career, not buttoning shirts, America's Funniest Home Videos, being a part of the Vin De Bona family,

May 9-16, 1992 This week Ken welcomes co-founder of Mental Floss, co-founder of Kaleidoscope and host of the Part-Time Genius and Skyline Drive podcasts, Mangesh Hattikudur. Ken and Mangesh discuss downtown Brooklyn, going to college in North Carolina, spending your Summers in Idia, spending a year abroad in Atlanta, Brooklyn Manners, not being able to watch R rated movies, the book adaptation life hack, VHS terror, bootleg tapes, the hunt for nudity, The Carolinas, brown outs, shows the US exports, saying goodbye to Johnny Carson, Ken's day with John Cleese, Bob and Ray, the launch of Comedy Central as CTV/Comedy Channel/HA!, hunting down comedy lps, learning joke structure, Stephen Wright, Conan, talk shows, the death of John Candy, Jim Henson's death, Ed McMahon, what local news casters are paid, Vanna White's music career, the greatest picture of Richard Simmons ever, Jake Steinfeld, why Saturdays were tough, turning your house into a mini-golf course, the sries finale of Golden Girls, why Caddyshack II i

November 14-20th, 1992 This week Ken welcomes long time Ken Reid superfan, NASCAR expert and the co-host of the Meet Me at Applebees Podcast Brien Kielb. Ken and Brien discuss NASCAR video games in Chuck E Cheese, growing up in upstate NY, The Showcase Showdown, punk rock teens, Boston Punk, Motorsports, Albany, moving to Cleveland, Pittsburgh PA, local cuisine, watching old NASCAR races, meeting friends due to mutual interests, the politics of driving, racist redneck hicks, Formula One, 24 hour races, endurance, soiling yourself, bicycle repair, fake wakes, smoking slims, cigarettes for women, Monster Trucks, the real truck that turns into a fire breathing car eating monster, the TWO Big Foot Cartoons, searching for Stivy Posnanski, Video Power, the Power Team, satellite dishes, above ground pools, divorced Dads, how Baby Boomers have hoarded all the money, before the discovery of tweens, original works of art by internationally acclaimed artist Paul Kale, collector's plates, weird NASCAR merchandise, The Ge

October 18-25, 2018 This week Ken welcomes comedian behind the new comedy album Hobble D. Hoy, Ahmed Khalaf. Ken and Ahmed discuss moving to Minnesota, parental death, obvious Prince, So-Cal, reasons for the mid-west, hating the heat, just how big America is, world travel, having nothing else to do but watch 15 seasons of Supernatural, Supernatural cast members Ken has had on the show, superior Monster of the Week episodes, Supergirl, CW, how things Ken should love he doesn't, Dean, The Mark of Cain, Roseanne into The Connors, Scrubs, recasting shows, hating horror films, being scared by loud noises, polarizing issues, Marvel Super heroes, lazy nicknames, Jeff Dunham, freak pointing, Jared from Subway, Dinklidge, playing Tattoo, ska bands, H. John Benjamin, Bob's Burgers, Francis Ford Coppola, reality shows, loving Forged in Fire, Joker and Red Skull, how we should all hate racists and fascists, Ken's failed war crime forgiveness based on love of ethnic cuisines, X-Files, Halloween, lazy movie descriptions, w

This week Ken welcomes writer, producer and all around superstart Chris Cluess to the show. Chris and Ken discuss being alive, New Jersey, SCTV, winning an Emmy, Sweeps Week, Moral Majority, the amazing wonderful world of John Candy, Toronto, being polite, forgetting names, stripping on bear rugs, supporting the arts, being beloved by the public, the guy with a snake on his face, the greatness of Juul Haalmeyer, Alan King, Alan King's Second Final Warning, working at National Lampoon, Cleveland, Blackstone, The Pretenders, Boomtown Rats, plugging 5,000 year old shows you get not royalties from, "...from Cleveland", Bob and Ray, Kurt Vonneget, how sometimes you can't completely your mission, writing a terrible Barney Miller spec script, the massive sketch book, trying to get hired to write for SNL, scaring John Belushi, chasing Garret Morris, the kindness of Dan Ackroyd, sketch comedy, Al Franken, Tom Davis, Michael O'Donoghue, getting a master class in sketch writing pro bono, John Candy, moving to LA in 1978

December 9-16, 2000 This week Ken welcomes pun loving comedian behind the comedy special "Hyperbolic", Matthew Broussard. Ken and Matthew discuss Pokemon, the repressed feelings from the turn of the century, giving up video games, enjoying arts and crafts, not being into sports, swimming, genius ads, homoerotic break in fantasies used to sell breath mints, Madden, sculpting, the genius of gang signs, economy of words, living in a sponsored society, SNL, the one t-shirt that offended Ken, being polite, miss opportunities with Tony Hawk, having your own rope, naked babies on Al Roker, Braveheart, the Discover E-Book, Cartoon Cartoon, Cow and Chicken, I am Weasel, how Adventure Time might just be the greatest show of the 21st Century, Emergency Vets handle vomiting monkeys, South Park, financial struggles, Sopranos, Malcolm in the Middle, Kirk Cameron hosting Santa's Funniest Moments, Brad Pitt's early days on Growing Pains, over the top acting, the heavy drama of Hey! Arnold!, Becker, Becker's 9/11 episode, sil

This week Ken welcomes author, music fan, semi-pro plus one and cousin of the famous, David Klein (www.davidkleinauthor.org) to the show. Ken and David discuss his new book "The Plus-One: Getting by on Good Connections in the Analog Age", being Winona Ryder's cousin, growing up in suburban NJ, moving to North Carolina, mix tapes, personal memories tied to pop culture, David's brother's work with MTV, getting kicked out of a youth program resulting in riding in an airplane with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, going to the Night on Earth premiere, meeting Bono, having an ex-roomate who dated Marisa Tomei, MTV Europe, record shopping in London, cool older brother effect, Willie Alexander, a song for every number, the two 50s chord progressions, the highlight of a funeral, those people who not only light up a room but light up everyone in the room, trying to get your kids to like cool stuff, The Ramones, being ahead of your time, finding your thing, The Replacements, My Boyfriend's Back, finding your voice, bec

 July 12-18, 1997 This week Ken welcomes the drummer in the Ohio punk band Bandages, Andrew Chenault. Ken and Andrew discuss Ken's confusion about Ohio's position in the United States, Central Time, The Adventures of Pete and Pete, how Ken has had many of Andrew's favorite show stars on TVGC, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Used Cars, Garrett Graham, The Phantom of the Paradise, Horror flicks, watching Showgirls with your mom, Demi Moore, the US Cable TV premiere of Striptease, Duckman, Dr. Katz, Spicy City, King of the Hill, Daria, WWF vs WWE, the golden age of awful graphic design, bad favorite bands, Lord of Illusions, sexy Sheryl Crow videos, how a teenage boy cannot pass up watching Barb Wire, Canadian Bacon, Christmas in July except its Halloween, loving SNL, Molly Shannon's pre SNL career, Robert England's Phantom of the Opera, Mad TV, Kids in the Hall, Dolemite, Mr. Show, and Mandy Pantinkin's constantly questioning of what you put in the toilet. 

March 25-31, 1995 This week Ken welcomes old friend, favorite person, and TV Writer (Only Murders in the Building, Silicon Valley), Rob Turbovsky. Ken and Rob discuss Rob's time in Boston, moving to LA, Thai food, Ken catching Rob on his failing into retirement journey, getting to write for your heroes, Martin Short doing a Clifford impression JUST for you, The Oscars, David Letterman, Forrest Gump and Pulp Fiction, cigarettes to Rx drugs, Ask TV Guide, how you used to have to ask questions about pop culture before the internet, placing Greg Barnes, Geraldo's legal background, Martin Landeau, Ed Wood, shows set in Boston, people stalking TV members, Tracy Gold in Ladykiller, Made for TV movies, weird horny Tylnol ads, male fragility, Chicago Hunk: Peter Berg, the odd 90s trend of barefoot celebrity photos, Aspen Extreme, celebrith recipies, using a sword to chop lettuce, Dave Couler's Swordfish with tomato sauce, Alex Trebek's dangerous frying style, Charles Grodin's talk show, Rob's oral history of Clifford

September 10-16, 1966  This week Ken welcomes singer/songwriter/Dramarama frontman and fellow TV addict John Easdale to the show. Ken and John discuss how weird it is to chat about normal and fun things in 2025, the introduction of color TV, the 1966 television season, being the envy of the block when your family has the first and only color TV, The Dramaram lp Color TV, being beneath the Zenith, how old TVs were massive pieces of furniture, how people always take convinience over quality, the new embrace of hi-fi audiophile culture, the all you can eat aspect of streaming, The Monkees, living with your band, when long haired rock groups were on every TV show, educating yourself on film, the inspiration of punk rock DIY spirit, dropping off paying attention to new media at a certain point, focusing on making things instead of consuming them, Nightmare on Elm St 4: The Dreamaster, "Anything, Anything", KROQ, Rodney on the ROQ's connection to The Monkees, WFNX, how Freddy Kruger unbroke up Dramarama, growing up

This week Ken welcomes author of the absolutely life changing "Cult Movies" series of books, among lots of other great things, Danny Peary. Ken and Danny discuss the massive volume of guests Ken has had on the show, wanting to expose people to art they never would have known about otherwise, growing up in the 1950s, loving Westerns, Danny's brother Gerald and his film criticism, loving television, Abbot and Costello and Jack and the Bean Stalk, Lone Ranger, foreign cinema, college campus cinema clubs, Hopalong Cassidy, Red Rider, Baseball, Igmar Bergman, seeing subtitled movies as a small child, The Harder They Come, Midnight Movies, NYC, seeing movies alone in the theater, Rocky Horror, word of mouth, why The Wizard of Oz is a cult movie, the niche cults, John Waters, the classics, the weird, and the wonderful, why horror isn't always cult, not just writing about plots, real film criticism, analysis, how you can't have a wrong insight into a movie, giving people something to think about. Eraserhead, doing re

April 10-17, 1999 This week Ken wades through a dog related false alarm emergency as he welcomes returning guest Erin Judge and first time guest Jenny Chalikian who have a brand new live record out called "Romantic Comedy: Live! at the Ripped Boddice" Ken, Erin and Jenny discuss Star Trek, Discovery, Xena, the greatness of Jeri Ryan, Star Trek Voyager, hating a Doug Henning future, being gay, gay icons, Hercules, watching TV with your very conservative family, shows shot in New Zealand, Hong Kong action, representation on TV, Dawson's Creek, growing up in Texas, Ken's history with Richard Roundtree, the is Xena butch or not debate, how Jeri Ryan's ex-husband's bad behavior gave us Obama, femme'd out TV stars, Evil Dead The Series, Cynthia Rothrock's greatness, kids who's sketch show was All That, SNL, SNICK, the power of 90s Comedy Central, Are You Being Served?, Alias, why Jennifer Garner always deserves better, Tom Green, Futurama, Family Guy, the post-Simpsons prime time animated world, how Heaven is Ameri