Best Classictv Podcasts (2025)

1
The Big Tomato 31:17

Play Pause

4h ago31:17

31:17

Original Release Date: August 17, 2008 A high schooler in a car accident sends Joe Friday and Ben Romero up the narcotics foodchain in search of an elusive Drug Kingpin known only by his odd nickname. Original Air Date: January 25, 1951 Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.gr…

1
Ellen Geer on Theatricum Botanicum's Holiday Family Faire 23:08

10m ago23:08

23:08

TVC 717.4: Ed welcomes back Ellen Geer, daughter of Will Geer and the artistic director of Theatricum Botanicum, the outdoor amphitheatre in Topanga Canyon, California that Will Geer founded in 1973. Theatricum's fifth annual Holiday Family Faire will take place on Saturday, Dec. 13 from 11am to 5pm, followed by a special live production of It's a …

1
Alison Arngrim on the epic Little House cast reunion in Simi Valley 16:54

5h ago16:54

16:54

TVC 717.5: Ed welcomes back actress and author Alison Arngrim (Little House on the Prairie, Confessions of a Prairie Bitch). Alison has news about several events coming up over the next few weeks that will celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the premiere of Little House on the Prairie (NBC, 1974-1983), including the recent Live Before a Studio Au…

1
The Big Dance 31:49

9h ago31:49

31:49

Original Release Date: August 9, 2008 Joe Friday and Ben Romero hunt for 2 young hold up men. Original Air Date: January 18, 1951 Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.‘ Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715 Take the listener sur…

1
Ralph Senensky on the "Grandma Comes Home" episode of The Waltons 19:43

4h ago19:43

19:43

TVC 716.5: From February 2014: Prolific television director Ralph Senensky takes listeners behind the scenes of "Grandma Comes Home," the episode of The Waltons from March 1978 that marked Ellen Geer's return to the series after she had suffered a stroke the year before. Other topics this segment include how Corby and Will Geer were "the salt and p…

1
Ralph Senensky, The Partridge Family, and The Pasadena Playhouse 17:21

7h ago17:21

17:21

TVC 716.6: From February 2014: Prolific television director Ralph Senensky talks to Ed about directing Shirley Jones, Ray Bolger, and Rosemary DeCamp in the "Forty-Year Itch" episode of The Partridge Family (ABC, 1970-1974), as well as how he first worked with actress Jennifer Raine at the Pasadena Playhouse. Raine is the mother of Brian Forster, t…

1
The Big Jump 31:49

3d ago31:49

31:49

Original Release Date: August 2, 2008 Friday and Romero try to talk a suicidal man off a ledge. Original Air Date: January 11, 1951 Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.‘ Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715 Take the listener s…

1
The Big Hold-Up 32:59

9d ago32:59

32:59

Original Release Date: July 26, 2008 Joe Friday and Ben Romero capture a dangerous armed robber who tries to prove no jail can hold him. Original Air Date: January 4, 1951 Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.‘ Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913…

1
Mitchell Hadley, author of Darkness in Primetime 21:22

12d ago21:22

21:22

TVC 715.1: Ed welcomes back author, essayist, novelist, and TV historian Mitchell Hadley (The Electronic Mirror, ItsAboutTV.com). Mitchell's latest book, Darkness in Primetime: How Classic-Era TV Foresaw Modern Society's Descent into Hell, is a series of essays that shows how certain episodes of such classic series as The Twilight Zone, The Outer L…

1
The Prisoner, The General, and One 20:02

8d ago20:02

20:02

TVC 715.2: Mitchell Hadley, author of The Electronic Mirror and Darkness in Primetime, talks to Ed about how "The General," Episode 6 of The Prisoner (ITC, 1967-1968), the classic allegorical series created by Patrick McGoohan, discusses the dangers of rapidly accumulating a vast amount of knowledge—without any understanding of what that knowledge …

1
Arnie Holland on the re-release of Diane Keaton's Heaven 14:20

9d ago14:20

14:20

TVC 715.3: Ed welcomes Arnie Holland, president and CEO of Lightyear Entertainment, and executive producer of Heaven, the acclaimed feature-length documentary from 1987 that also marked the directorial debut of Academy Award-winning actress Diane Keaton. Recently re-released and digitally remastered, Heaven is a free-wheeling, offbeat pastiche of o…

1
Les Lannom and Mister Five and Dime 21:42

10d ago21:42

21:42

TVC 715.4: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with Les Lannom, the actor known around the world as Lester Hodges on Harry O (ABC, 1974-1976). Topics this segment include a few behind-the-scenes anecdotes about filming "Mister Five and Dime," Les' favorite episode of Harry O, including a funny story about an ad-lib in a scene near the end…

1
Les Lannom on why playing the bagpipes requires a strong stomach 27:51

10d ago27:51

27:51

TVC 714.5: Actor and musician Les Lannom talks to Ed about learning how to play the bagpipes when he was age forty; why one needs strong stomach muscles and a strong neck to play the bagpipes; the upcoming audiobook project about explorers Lincoln Ellsworth and Raold Amundsen in which Les will provide the voices; and the events leading up to Les' g…

1
The Big Break 34:27

10d ago34:27

34:27

Original Release Date: July 19, 2008 Joe Friday and Ben Romero capture a dangerous armed robber who tries to prove no jail can hold him. Original Air Date: December 14, 1950 Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.‘ Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 159…

1
Les Lannom, Henry Fonda, and James Garner 25:56

10d ago25:56

25:56

TVC 714.6: Actor and musician Les Lannom shares a few memories about working with Peter Falk in Columbo Goes to College (ABC, 1990), with James Garner in the miniseries Space (CBS, 1985), with Henry Fonda in the acclaimed made-for-TV movie Gideon's Trumpet (CBS, 1980), and with Dennis Weaver in the epic miniseries Centennial (NBC, 1978-1979).…

1
The Big Picture 33:41

14d ago33:41

33:41

Original Release Date: July 13, 2008 Joe Friday and Ben Romero track down two phony talent scouts who are victimizing teenage girls with Hollywood dreams. Original Air Date: December 7, 1950 Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.‘ Mail a donation to: Adam G…

1
Ralph Senensky on his early career in television 21:46

14d ago21:46

21:46

TVC 714.1: TV Confidential remembers Ralph Senensky, longtime member of the Directors Guild of America and one of the most prolific directors in TV history (particularly when it comes to episodic television) with an encore presentation of a conversation that originally aired in February 2014. Ralph Senensky passed away on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025 at …

1
Ralph Senensky and The Waltons 22:18

15d ago22:18

22:18

TVC 714.2: From February 2014: Prolific television director Ralph Senensky talks to Ed about working with Ralph Waite, Will Geer, Ellen Corby, and Michael Learned on The Waltons, and with Richard Thomas on "Game of Terror," an episode of The FBI that aired in 1971, one year before the premiere of The Waltons. Ralph not only helmed twelve episodes o…

1
Les Lannom, Prime Cut, and the smell of a good pipe 16:36

19d ago16:36

16:36

TVC 714.3: Ed welcomes Les Lannom, the actor known around the world as Lester Hodges on Harry O (ABC, 1974-1976), and a man who has worked with such movie and TV legends as Lee Marvin, Gene Hackman, Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, Joe Don Baker, Sissy Spacek, Dennis Weaver, Pat Hingle, James Garner, David Carradine, and David Janssen in the course of …

1
Louise Sorel, Herb Edelman, and Dame Judith Anderson 21:59

16d ago21:59

21:59

TVC 714.4: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with Louise Sorel (Days of Our Lives, Santa Barbara). Louise's new book, If There Were No Dogs: Musings and Mutterings, is a collection of prose pieces and poems drawn from her life, childhood, and career that reveals how Louise navigated a sometimes difficult childhood with emotionally dista…

1
Les Lannom, Kung Fu, and Harry O 27:51

17d ago27:51

27:51

TVC 714.5: Les Lannom talks to Ed about how his penchant for performing cold readings stems from his longtime passion for reading out loud; how his youthful appearances has sometimes worked in his favor (and sometimes not); and how a guest appearance on Kung Fu in 1972 not only put him on the radar of producers Jerry Thorpe, Alex Beaton, and Robert…

51
The Big Car 33:06

17d ago33:06

33:06

Original Release Date: July 5, 2008 Joe Friday and Ben Romero search for an Armed robber with an exotic taste in cars. Original Air Date: November 30, 1950 Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.‘ Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 8…

1
Les Lannom on working with David Janssen 17:23

17d ago17:23

17:23

TVC 714.5: Les Lannom talks to Ed about how he and David Janssen bonded almost immediately when they worked together on Harry O, partly because they shared an ability to laugh at themselves and not take themselves too seriously. Les not only wrote the foreword for The Harry O Viewing Companion by Steve Aldous and Gary Gillies, but contributed many …

51
The Big Betty 39:29

21d ago39:29

39:29

Original Release Date: June 28, 2008 Joe Friday and Ben Romero go after a gang of conmen who are victimizing the families of recently deceased people. Original Air Date: November 23, 1950 Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.‘ Mail a donation to: Adam Grah…

1
June Lockhart's passion for space travel 22:10

25d ago22:10

22:10

TVC 713.1: TV Confidential remembers June Lockhart (Lassie, Petticoat Junction, Lost in Space) with an encore presentation of our conversation from June 2014 with the beloved actress. June Lockhart passed away on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025 at the age of 100. At the time we spoke to June in June 2014, she had just been honored by NASA with its Exceptio…

1
June Lockhart, Jim Lange, and H.V. Kaltenborn 13:54

22d ago13:54

13:54

TVC 713.2: From June 2014: June Lockhart talks to Ed about some of the many TV game shows on which she appeared throughout her career, including Who Said That? (NBC, 1948-1955), a show that also began June's long association with the White House press corps, and Take My Word For It (Synd., 1982-1983), a show hosted by Jim Lange that was filmed at t…

1
F Troop Turns 60 with a Bang and a Boom 17:33

26d ago17:33

17:33

TVC 713.2a: From November 2015: Tony, Donna, and Ed remember the premiere of F Troop (ABC, 1965-1967) in September 1965. Topics this segment include how the influence of Buster Keaton can be seen in many of the pratfalls that Ken Berry performed when he played Captain Parmenter on F Troop; the on-screen chemistry between Forrest Tucker and Larry St…

1
Ken Berry, Leonard Nimoy, and Abbott and Costello 10:00

23d ago10:00

10:00

TVC 713.3: As long as we're in an F Troop frame of mind, we thought we'd bring you an encore presentation of our conversation with Ken Berry (F Troop, Mayberry, R.F.D., Mama's Family) from January 2018. Topics this segment include the role that Leonard Nimoy played early in Berry's career, and how Ken learned both how to be a straight man and how t…

1
Ken Berry, Buster Keaton, and Carol Burnett 21:19

23d ago21:19

21:19

TVC 713.4: From January 2018: Ken Berry talks to Ed about his early years as a dancer with the Billy Barnes Revue; his friendship with Buster Keaton (not to mention the major influence the silent film star had on his career); and the important role that Carol Burnett played throughout Ken's career. Ken Berry passed away on Dec. 1, 2018. Our convers…

1
Louise Sorel, author of If There Were No Dogs 18:15

24d ago18:15

18:15

TVC 713.5: Ed welcomes back actress and author Louise Sorel (Days of Our Lives, Santa Barbara). Louise's new book, If There Were No Dogs: Musings and Mutterings, is a collection of prose pieces and poems drawn from her life, childhood, and career that not only shares memories of her working with Art Carney, Charles Boyer, George C. Scott, Walter Pi…

51
The Big Parrot 38:53

24d ago38:53

38:53

Original Release Date: June 21, 2008 Joe Friday and Ben Romero investigate a murder that’s covered up by an arson. Original Air Date: November 16, 1950 Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.‘ Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715…

1
Louise Sorel on her lifelong love of dogs 16:23

27d ago16:23

16:23

TVC 713.5: Louise Sorel (Days of Our Lives, Santa Barbara) talks to Ed about why she enjoys writing about some of the many canine companions she has had in her life, including a poem that she once wrote from the point of view of her dog Jiggs. Louise's new book, If There Were No Dogs: Musings and Mutterings, is available wherever books are sold onl…

51
The Big Mother 32:53

28d ago32:53

32:53

Original Release Date: June 14, 2008 A baby is kidnapped in the dead of night from a local maternity ward and Friday and Romero must find him. Original Air Date: November 9, 1950 Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.‘ Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Bo…

1
The Sounds of Lost Zacherle 23:29

30d ago23:29

23:29

TVC 712.1: From January 2013: Phil Gries joins Ed for a special edition of The Sounds of Lost Television honoring John Zacherle, the popular New York TV personality known as The Cool Ghoul. At a time when horror movies were a staple of local late-night television, Zacherley set himself apart from his contemporaries with an array of zany antics that…

1
How Zacherle Became the Cool Ghoul 26:20

30d ago26:20

26:20

TVC 712.2: From January 2013: Phil Gries plays more audio highlights from the early television career of legendary New York TV horror movie host John Zacherle, as well as a clip from Phil's own interview with Zacherle from October 1997, in which Zacherle discusses how he came up with many of the routines that he did on-camera. Other topics this seg…

51
The Big Church 41:44

1M ago41:44

41:44

Original Release Date: June 7, 2008 Joe Friday and Ben Romero look into threats on the life of a woman after she recently began attending a new church. Original Air Date: November 2, 1950 Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.‘ Mail a donation to: Adam Grah…

1
The Legacy of Bob Wilkins 14:21

1M ago14:21

14:21

TVC 712.3: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with Joseph Dougherty, Tony Figueroa, and Dan Farren about some of our favorite local TV horror movie hosts from the 1960s and '70s. This segment particularly focuses on Bob Wilkins, the erudite host of Creature Features on KTVU Channel 2 (Oakland-San Francisco) who was known for his trademar…

1
The Unrepentant Silliness of Local TV Horror Movie Hosts 20:38

1M ago20:38

20:38

TVC 712.4: Emmy Award-winning writer, producer, director, and author Joseph Dougherty (thirtysomething, Pretty Little Liars, The First Cylinder, Comfort and Joi, Rod Serling at 100) joins Ed, Tony, and Dan Farren for some more thoughts on local TV horror movie hosts hosts from the 1960s and '70s. Topics this segment include how part of the appeal o…

1
John Candy and the esprit de corps among the cast of SCTV 18:48

1M ago18:48

18:48

TVC 712.5: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with Paul Myers, author of John Candy: A Life in Comedy, a heartwarming portrait of the beloved actor, improv comedian, and box office star who, had he lived, would have turned seventy-five on Oct. 31, 2025. Topics this segment include how Candy and his fellow cast members of SCTV all embodie…

1
John Candy, Stripes, and Planes, Trains, and Automobiles 15:52

1M ago15:52

15:52

TVC 712.6: Paul Myers, author of John Candy: A Life in Comedy, talks to Ed about two instances in the film career of John Candy in which art imitated life—the scene in Stripes in which Candy's character, Dewey Oxburger, reveals his motivation for joining the Army; and Dell Griffith's "I like me" speech in Plains, Trains, and Automobiles—and how the…

51
The Big Meet 38:52

1M ago38:52

38:52

Original Release Date: June 1, 2008 Joe Friday goes undercover to catch a big time drug smuggler. Original Air Date: October 26, 1950 Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.‘ Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715 Take the listener…

101
The Big Grandma 38:18

1M ago38:18

38:18

Original Release Date: May 25, 2008 Joe Friday and Ben Romero are on the trail of a serial check forger whose been in operation for 9 years. Original Air Date: October 19, 1950 Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.‘ Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box …

1
My Three Sons Turns 65 26:13

1M ago26:13

26:13

TVC 711.1: From October 2015: Tony, Donna, and Ed remember the premiere of My Three Sons (CBS/ABC, 1960-1972), one of the few series that enjoyed long runs on two different networks, back in the three-network universe. Topics this segment include why the ABC episodes of My Three Sons, which were filmed in black and white, were rarely seen in syndic…

1
Local TV Horror Movie Hosts from the '60s and '70s 20:05

1M ago20:05

20:05

TVC 711.2: Emmy Award-winning writer, producer, director, and author Joseph Dougherty (thirtysomething, Pretty Little Liars, The First Cylinder, Comfort and Joi, Rod Serling at 100) joins Ed, Tony, and Dan Farren for a roundtable discussion about some of our favorite local TV horror movie hosts—a staple of television that began in the late 1950s an…

1
Chilly Billy Cardille, Moona Lisa, and Other Local TV Horror Movie Hosts 19:25

1M ago19:25

19:25

TVC 711.3: Joseph Dougherty, Dan Farren, Tony Figueroa, and Ed remember Chilly Billy Cardille, Sir Graves Ghastley, Moona Lisa (pictured), and other local TV horror movie personalities from the 1960s and '70s—including Count Floyd, the character played by Joe Flaherty on SCTV that was both a parody of and a homage to the genre.…

1
How Rhonda Shear came up with the "Up!" in Up All Night 22:43

1M ago22:43

22:43

TVC 711.4: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with actress, comedienne, author, and entrepreneur Rhonda Shear (Up All Night, Rhonda Shear Intimates, Up All Night: From Hollywood Bombshell to Lingerie Model, Life Lessons From An Accidental Feminist). Topics this segment include the famous "mannequin" act with Rhonda early in her career, a…

1
Paul Myers, author of John Candy: A Life in Comedy 20:06

1M ago20:06

20:06

TVC 711.5: Ed welcomes musician, author, and comedy historian Paul Myers (Kids in the Hall: One Dumb Guy). Paul's latest book, John Candy: A Life in Comedy, is a heartwarming portrait of the beloved actor, improv comedian, and box office star who would have turned seventy-five this coming Friday, Oct. 31. John Candy died tragically of a heart attac…

1
John Candy: A Comedy Whirlwind 13:14

1M ago13:14

13:14

TVC 711.6: Paul Myers, author of John Candy: A Life in Comedy, talks to Ed about Candy's impact in the movies, particularly at a time when many major comedy stars were also huge box office stars. John Candy: A Life in Comedy tells the full story of the man behind the laughs from the people who knew him best, including Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Tom …

1
The Big Quack 47:17

2M ago47:17

47:17

Original Release Date: May 18, 2008 Joe Friday and Ben Romero search for a phony psychiatrist who robs the homes of his “patients.” Original Air Date: October 12, 1950 Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.‘ Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Bo…

101
The Big .38 Caliber 45:35

2M ago45:35

45:35

Original Release Date: May 11, 2008 Joe Friday and Ben Romero search for a robber who uses a taxi cab to escape the scene of the crime. Bonus: Pat Novak for Hire “Dixie Gillan, Part Two”: Novak confronts the woman who hired them. Original Air Date: October 5, 1950 Pat Novak Air Date: November 24, 1946 Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetect…