Ed Robertson  ed@tvconfidential.net

TV Confidential  Tuesday Evening  11 to 1 a.m. (eastern time)

Ed Robertson is an award-winning, nationally known author, journalist and media analyst. He is the author of several books on television, including The Fugitive Recaptured, The Ethics of Star Trek and Thirty Years of The Rockford Files, while his articles on television appear in The New York Times, The Wave Magazine, Media Life Magazine and other media venues. Ed is a regular guest on the top-rated Ronn Owens Program (KGO Radio, San Francisco), as well as The Jarrod Thomas Show (KNOX Radio, North Dakota). He has also consulted on documentaries produced by NBC, The Biography Channel, E! Entertainment Television and Warner Bros. Home Video, while his comments on television appear in articles for MSNBC.com, USA Today, Forbes.com, E! Online, The Los Angeles Times and other publications.

Schedule:  

2/14/12  Actor/comedians Pat Harrington and Tom Dimenna will join us on the next edition of TV CONFIDENTIAL, airing Tuesday at 11:05pm ET, 8:05pm PT on InternetVoicesRadio.com.

Best known for his Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning role as superintendent Dwayne Schneider on the long-running CBS-TV comedy series One Day at a Time, Pat Harrington's roots in television, and roots in comedy, date back to 1959, when he began appearing on The Tonight Show with Jack Paar (and, later, The Steve Allen Show), as a number of characters, including Italian golf pro Guido Panzini. We'll ask Pat about how he came to create Guido Panzini, as well as his experience working with Bill Dana, Don Knotts, Jonathan Winters, Norman Lear and other comedy and TV legends when he joins us in our second hour.

Joining us in our first hour will be actor/comedian Tom Dimenna. After channeling the legend of Telly Savalas in a series of popular short videos known as Telly Time, Tom has brought his act to the stage in Who Loves You, Baby, a full-length "posthumous lounge act" that takes a look at modern-day romance through the eyes of the iconic star of Kojak. Who Loves You, Baby is currently playing at the SoHoPlayhouse in New York City through April 15. We'll ask Tom what first attracted him to this project, as well as learn how you can send your friends, colleagues or loved ones a special personalized "Telly Tip" for Valentines, birthdays or any special occasion.

Plus: Phil Gries with a new edition of The Sounds of Lost Television, featuring a look back at Feb. 11, 1960, the night on which Jack Paar walked off the set of The Tonight Show in protest of NBC's decision to delete a joke about a water closet that he had told on the air the night before. Full program as always... we certainly help you'll join us.

2/21/12 Sherry Jackson, Plus the Life and Films of Jennifer Jones: Next on TVC

Actress Sherry Jackson and author Paul Green will join us on the next edition of TV CONFIDENTIAL, Tuesday at 11:05pm ET, 8:05pm PT on InternetVoicesRadio.com.

One of the few child stars who successfully made the transition to grown-up actress, Sherry Jackson started her career at the age of five, appearing in such films as Trouble Along the Way, The Miracle of Our Lady at Fatima and the Ma and Pa Kettle comedies, before beginning a five-year run as Danny Williams' daughter Terry on The Danny Thomas Show. She then went on to become one of the most highly sought-after leading ladies in film and television over the next three decades, including memorable appearances on such shows as The Twilight Zone, Star Trek, Batman, Lost in Space, Charlie's Angels, Vega$, Love American Style and The Rockford Files.

After taking some time away from the camera, Sherry Jackson has returned to acting, much to the delight of her millions of fans all over the world. We'll talk about Sherry's career, of course, but we'll also talk about Sherry's stepfather, Montgomery Pittman. One of the great writers to emerge from the Golden Age of Television, Montgomery Pittman wrote and directed many of the best episodes of The Twilight Zone, Maverick, 77 Sunset Strip and other TV series. He also wrote the screenplay for Come Next Spring (1956), a charming slice-of-life movie starring Ann Sheridan, Steve Cochran and a young Sherry Jackson that many consider to be among the best films ever made. We'll talk about this, and more, when Sherry Jackson joins us in our first hour.

Sherry Jackson will be appearing at the Seventh Annual MidAtlantic Nostalgia Convention, August 9-10-11 at the Marriott Hotel in Hunt Valley, Maryland. For more information, go to www.midatlanticnostalgiaconvention.com.

Also joining us this week will be film and TV historian and biographer Paul Green. Paul's latest book, Jennifer Jones: The Life and Films, is a sympathetic portrait of the Academy Award-winning star of The Song of Bernadette, Duel in the Sun, Love is a Many Splendored Thing and other classic films from the Golden Age of Hollywood. The story of Jennifer Jones is that of a young girl from a small town who falls in love with a powerful man who then proceeds to control her. It's a classic tale that we've seen played out countless times in movies and on television - only in the case of Jones, that story is very real. We'll talk about Jennifer Jones, her marriages to David O. Selznick and Norton Simon, her brushes with tragedy, and a whole lot more when Paul Green joins us in our second hour.

Plus: tributes to Whitney Houston and Peter Breck, and a brand new This Week in TV History.

2/6/12   Emmy nominee Tommy Hawkins and DVD producer Jim Benson will join us on the next edition of TV CONFIDENTIAL, airing Tuesday at 11:05pm ET, 8:05pm PT on InternetVoicesRadio.com.

An Emmy Award-nominated broadcaster, Tommy Hawkins enjoyed a 10-year career in the NBA for both the Minneapolis Lakers, the Los Angeles Lakers and the old Cincinnati Royals, playing alongside such Hall of Famers as Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and Oscar Robertson. When his basketball career ended, Tommy embarked on new challenges, first in radio and television (including co-hosting Mid-Morning Los Angeles with Stephanie Edwards and Meredith MacRae, as well as broadcasting for NBC Sports), then as a baseball executive for 18 years with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

A renaissance man if ever there was one, Tommy has just published a new coffee table book, Life's Reflections: Poetry for the People, that reflects his many interests, which include such subjects as sports, jazz, art, poetry, travel, life, love, family, and the turbulent decade known as the 1960s. Not only that, each of Tommy's poems is accompanied by a captivating painting or photograph that illustrates his words, including works by legendary artists Leroy Neiman and Ernie Barnes. We'll ask Tommy about his playing career, his passion for poetry, and how Regis Philbin played a role in one of his first breaks as a broadcaster, when he joins us in our first hour.

For our listeners in Southern California, Tommy Hawkins' upcoming appearances include Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 7pm at the Pepperdine University Library in Malibu, CA; Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 7:30am at the Malibu Rotary Club; Thursday, Feb. 9 at 7pm at the Sportsman's Lodge in Studio City, CA Thursday, Feb. 16 at 10am at the Pasadena Senior Center in Pasadena, CA; Wednesday, Feb. 29 at 7pm at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena, CA; Saturday, Mar. 3 at 2pm at the Eso-Won Bookstore in Los Angeles; Tuesday, Mar. 7 at 7pm at Chaucers Bookstore in Santa Barbara, CA; Tuesday, Mar. 14 at 1pm at the Culver City Senior Center in Culver City, CA; and Wednesday, Mar. 15 at 6pm at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

Also joining us this week will be Jim Benson, host of TV Time Machine and the executive producer of I'm Dickens, He's Fenster: Vol. 1, the first 16 episodes of the critically acclaimed yet short-lived comedy series created and produced by Leonard Stern. An homage to Laurel and Hardy, as well as the comedies of Preston Sturges, I'm Dickens, He's Fenster starred John Astin and Marty Ingels as construction workers who were also the best of friends. And though Leonard Stern would achieve far greater success with Get Smart and the Mad Libs book series, he always had a special place in his heart for I'm Dickens, He's Fenster... as have those who are discovering the show for the first time, now that it is back in circulation for the first time in fifty years.

We will talk about the lengths Jim took to bring back I'm Dickens, He's Fenster, as well as look back at the legacy of Leonard Stern in general, when Jim Benson joins us in our second hour. We'll also discuss one of the show's most memorable episodes, "The Joke," as well as the contributions of Astin, Ingels, their co-star Emmaline Henry, and director Arthur Hiller.

1/24/12  Howard Gordon and Jacqueline Scott: Next on TVC

Actress Jacqueline Scott and Golden Globe Award-winning writer/producer Howard Gordon will join us on the next edition of TV CONFIDENTIAL, Tuesday at 11:05pm ET, 8:05pm PT on InternetVoicesRadio.com.

Co-creator, executive producer and show runner of Homeland, the psychological thriller starring Claire Danes and Damian Lewis that just won the Golden Globe Award for Best Dramatic Television of 2011, Howard Gordon is also the author of Hard Target, the sequel to his best-selling debut novel, Gideon's War, that is every bit as fast-paced and riveting as an episode of 24. We'll talk to Howard about Hard Target, Homeland, and the appeal of characters such as Jack Bauer and Gideon Davis, as well as get a sneak peek at his latest television series, Awake, which premieres Monday, Feb. 6 on NBC. All this and more when Howard Gordon joins us in our first hour.

For our listeners in Southern California, you can meet Howard Gordon at the Diesel Bookstore at the Brentwood Country Mart, 225 26th Street in Santa Monica on Wednesday, Jan. 25 beginning at 7pm. He'll also be appearing at Mysteries to Die For, 2940 Thousand Oaks Blvd. in Thousand Oaks, on Saturday, Jan. 28 beginning at 2pm, as well as at Mysterious Galaxy, 2810 Artesia Blvd. in Redondo Beach on Saturday, Feb. 4 beginning at 2:30pm. For more information on these and other appearances, go to HowardMGordon.com.

Joining us in our second hour will be Jacqueline Scott, an actress who has been a staple on television over the past five decades, including appearances in just about every major show from Gunsmoke to Cold Case, as well as the classic TV-movie Duel (directed by Steven Spielberg) and many of the great shows produced by Quinn Martin. We'll talk to Jacquie about working with such film and TV legends as James Stewart, Walter Matthau, Cliff Robertson, Dennis Weaver and, of course, David Janssen, as well as appearing on Broadway with such stars as Paul Muni.

Of course, many of us think of Jacqueline Scott as Donna Kimble Taft, Richard Kimble's sister on The Fugitive. But if all goes well, we may also see her in a Super Bowl commercial next month on NBC. The commercial is called Sling Baby, it's directed by Kevin Willson, and it's one of five finalists in a contest sponsored by Doritos; the two spots that get the most votes will be shown during this year's Super Bowl broadcast. But for that to happen, we need to get out the vote. So if you'd like to see Jacqueline Scott and Sling Baby be part of the Super Bowl telecast, go to www.vote4slingbaby.com, watch the commercial, and cast your vote. There are five different ways in which you can vote, including through Facebook and your smart phone, and you can vote as often as five times a day, every day through Sunday, Jan. 29. Not only that, but Doritos will be awarding $10,000 to several voters, so the more you vote, the better your chances of winning. For more information, check out www.vote4slingbaby.com.

Jan. 3  Film and television historian Paul Green (Pete Duel: A Biography, Jennifer Jones: The Life and Films) joins us for our annual Year in Review program 

Author, journalist and commentator Paul Green will join us on the next edition of TV CONFIDENTIAL, Tuesday at 11:05pm ET, 8:05pm PT on InternetVoicesRadio.com.

Paul Green, Tony Figueroa and Donna Allen will join us in our first hour as we look at some of the stories that helped shape the year in television, including the firing of Charlie Sheen from Two and a Half Men, the TV swan songs of Oprah Winfrey and Regis Philbin, the continuing struggles of the OWN channel, and the passings of James Arness, Harry Morgan and other TV icons.

Phil Gries will join us in our second hour for a special edition of The Sounds of Lost Television that will pay tribute to bandleader Guy Lombardo, who came to be synonymous with New Year's Eve celebrations for nearly five decades, first on radio, then on television. We'll play some of "some of the sweetest music this side of Heaven," as well as hear highlights from some early television coverage of the famous midnight ball drop from New York's Times Square.

Jan. 10  Stephen Battaglio, business editor for TV Guide Magazine and author of From Yesterday to Today: Six Decades of America's Favorite Morning Show

Jan. 17  Actor and author Walter Koenig (Star Trek, Raver, Things to Come)  Television writer and producer Larry Brody

Jan. 24  Singer / actor Robert Davi (Profiler, License to Kill, The Goonies, Davi Sings Sinatra: On the Road to Romance) TV historian and radio talk show host Jim Benson 

Jan. 31  Actress and author Julie Adams (The Creature from The Black Lagoon, The Lucky Southern Star)  Emmy Award-winning film editor Mitchell Danton (The Path to 9/11)