Best Classictv Podcasts (2025)

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June Lockhart's passion for space travel 22:10

Play Pause

14h 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…

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

10h 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…

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

5h 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…

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

9h 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…

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

2d 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…

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

3h 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…

1
The Big Parrot 38:53

2h 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…

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Louise Sorel on her lifelong love of dogs 16:23

6h 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…

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The Big Mother 32:53

4d 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…

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The Sounds of Lost Zacherle 23:29

9d 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…

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How Zacherle Became the Cool Ghoul 26:20

1d 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…

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The Big Church 41:44

2d 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…

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The Legacy of Bob Wilkins 14:21

4d 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…

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

2d 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…

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

4d 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…

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

4d 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…

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The Big Meet 38:52

10d 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…

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The Big Grandma 38:18

16d 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 …

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My Three Sons Turns 65 26:13

10d 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…

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

10d 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…

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

10d 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.…

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

10d 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…

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

10d 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…

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John Candy: A Comedy Whirlwind 13:14

10d 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 …

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The Big Quack 47:17

13d 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…

1
The Big .38 Caliber 45:35

17d 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…

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John Madden, Pat Summerall, and the Rise of The NFL 23:36

17d ago23:36

23:36

TVC 710.1: Ed welcomes back Rich Podolsky, longtime journalist, onetime beat writer for the Miami Dolphins, onetime staff writer for CBS Sports and ABC Television, and the author of several books, including You Are Looking Live: How The NFL Today Revolutionized Sports Broadcasting. Rich's latest book, Madden & Summerall: How They Revolutionized NFL…

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John Madden, Pat Summerall, and Vin Scully 18:40

17d ago18:40

18:40

TVC 710.2: Rich Podolsky, author of Madden & Summerall: How They Revolutionized NFL Broadcasting, talks to Ed about the so-called "contest" between Pat Summerall and Vin Scully in the early weeks of the 1981 NFL season over who would welcome John Madden's permanent on-air partner on CBS; how the commercials Madden did for Lite Beer from Miller help…

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70 Years of Sergeant Bilko 16:11

25d ago16:11

16:11

TVC 710.3: From October 2015: Tony, Donna, and Ed remember the premiere of The Phil Silvers Show (CBS, 1955-1959), aka You'll Never Get Rich (the original title of the series), aka Sergeant Bilko and Bilko (as the show was both known once it went into reruns). The series not only made a star of Phil Silvers, but established Nat Hiken as a creative …

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Rhonda Shear on the Return of Up All Night 21:27

17d ago21:27

21:27

TVC 710.4: Ed welcomes back 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). Rhonda is bringing back Up All Night—by popular demand—as a series of specials, in partnership with the Kings of Horror cha…

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Rhonda Shear on how improv makes you fearless as a performer 19:05

18d ago19:05

19:05

TVC 710.5: Rhonda Shear talks to Ed about studying improvisation from Harvey Lembeck when she first came to Los Angeles, and how Lembeck taught her to become fearless as a comedienne; why learning improv is a good skill to have, no matter what your profession; how the perception of women in comedy has changed considerably since Rhonda began her car…

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Mariette Hartley, Quinn Martin, and Rod Serling 17:31

18d ago17:31

17:31

TVC 709.6: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with Emmy Award-winning actress, producer, and author Mariette Hartley (The Incredible Hulk, Goodnight, Beantown, Breaking the Silence, Law and Order: SVU). In this segment, Mariette talks to Ed about "Cotter's Girl," the classic episode of Gunsmoke from 1963 whose storyline is reminiscent of…

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The Big Death 51:24

20d ago51:24

51:24

Original Release Date: May 4, 2008 Joe Friday goes undercover and is hired to kill the wife of a prominent busiessman. Bonus: Pat Novak for Hire “Dixie Gillan, Part One”: Novak is hired to frighten someone into leaving town. Original Air Date: September 28, 1950 Pat Novak Air Date: November 24, 1946 Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectiv…

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The Big Pair 53:57

23d ago53:57

53:57

Original Release Date: April 28, 2008 Joe Friday and Ben Romero must find two robbers who are cleaning out the homes of vacationers. Also, we feature a special preview of the Old Time Radio Superman show. Original Date: September 21, 1950 Superman Original Air Date: April 29, 1940 Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net Support the …

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70 Years of Captain Kangaroo 21:39

24d ago21:39

21:39

TVC 709.1: From October 2015: Tony, Donna, and Ed remember the premiere of Captain Kangaroo (CBS, 1955-1984) and its impact on other children's television programs, including Romper Room and Bozo the Clown.By Ed Robertson

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The Legacy of Captain Kangaroo 20:45

24d ago20:45

20:45

TVC 709.2: From October 2015: Tony, Donna, and Ed continue their look at the broadcast history of Captain Kangaroo (CBS, 1955-1984), including a few word about The New Captain Kangaroo, the reboot starring John McDonough, which ran on the Fox Family Channel from 1997-2000.By Ed Robertson

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Fran Tarkenton, Gerald Ford, and Howard Smith 16:11

24d ago16:11

16:11

TVC 709.3: Part 2 of the conversation that began last week with Howard Smith, author of My Friend Johnny, a memoir of Howard's twenty-year friendship with Johnny Carson, which began in 1985 when Howard found himself living four doors down the street from Carson in Malibu, and which continued until the end of Carson's life. Topics this segment inclu…

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The Last Supper with Johnny Carson 18:10

24d ago18:10

18:10

TVC 709.4: Howard Smith shares a poignant memory of the last time he and his wife had dinner with Johnny Carson, just before a few days before Carson's death in January 2005. Also in this segment: Howard shares a few memories of his friendship with actor Lloyd Haynes, which began a few years before Haynes became a star on Room 222 (ABC, 1969-1974),…

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Mariette Hartley on working with her husband Jerry Sroka in Our (Almost Completely True) Love Story 19:05

24d ago19:05

19:05

TVC 709.5: Ed welcomes Emmy Award-winning actress, producer, and author Mariette Hartley (The Incredible Hulk, Goodnight, Beantown, Breaking the Silence, Law and Order: SVU). Mariette stars, along with her husband Jerry Sroka (who we also hear from in this segment), in Our (Almost Completely True) Love Story, a romantic comedy about two people of a…

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Mariette Hartley, James Garner, and the Polaroid One-Step 17:25

24d ago17:25

17:25

TVC 709.6: Emmy Award-winning actress Mariette Hartley talks to Ed about some of her other movie and TV roles, including the back story of the long-running, highly successful series of commercials that she did with James Garner for Polaroid cameras—and how the chemistry between her and Garner was so natural, many viewers believed that they were act…

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The Big Make 35:32

29d ago35:32

35:32

Original Release Date: April 20, 2008 Joe Friday and Ben Romero think they’ve found an armed robber who committed a senseless shooting. They’re job: prove it. Original Air Date: September 14, 2008 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: …

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The Big Poison 35:11

1M ago35:11

35:11

Original Release Date: April 13, 2008 An Elderly Couple disappears and Joe Friday and Ben Romero suspsect foul play. Original Air Date: September 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 Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 837…

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65 Years of The Flintstones 15:18

1M ago15:18

15:18

By Ed Robertson

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1st World Series Game Telecast in Color 6:47

1M ago6:47

6:47

By Ed Robertson

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30 Years of Baywatch Nights 8:25

1M ago8:25

8:25

TVC 708.3: From October 2015: Tony, Donna, and Ed remember the premiere of Baywatch Nights (Synd., 1995-1997), the spinoff of Baywatch starring David Hasselhoff, Gregory Alan Williams, Angie Harmon, and Donna D'Errico, the premise of which was more or less "Mitch Buchannon, private detective."By Ed Robertson

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How TV Covered The Death of Rock Hudson 5:24

1M ago5:24

5:24

TVC 708.4: From October 2015: Tony, Donna, and Ed look back at how the print and television media covered the death of Rock Hudson. The legendary actor and screen heartthrob died from complications on Oct. 2, 1985. Photo of Rock Hudson courtesy People magazineBy Ed Robertson

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TV Confidential remembers Robert Redford 22:34

1M ago22:34

22:34

TVC 708.5: TV Confidential pays tribute to Academy Award winner Robert Redford by playing highlights from conservations we've had with actors who either co-starred with Redford or were directed by him, including Hank Garrett (Three Days of the Condor), Basil Hoffman (The Electric Horseman, Ordinary People, All the President's Men, The Milagro Beanf…

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Howard Smith, author of My Friend Johnny 21:10

1M ago21:10

21:10

TVC 708.6: Ed welcomes Howard Smith, a retired tech mogul who not only found himself living four doors down the street from Johnny Carson in 1985, but became tennis buddies and, later, best friends with the legendary King of Late Night for the next twenty years. Howard shares many stories of the Johnny Carson he knew—a funny, kind, generous, modest…

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Johnny Carson and The 5 Traits of a Beautiful Life 20:18

1M ago20:18

20:18

TVC 708.6: Howard Smith talks to Ed about the five characteristics that Johnny Carson, Sidney Poitier, Clint Eastwood, Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, and many other successful people from business, sports, politics, and entertainment have all embodied throughout their life and career. Howard's new book, My Friend Johnny: The Last 20 Years of a Beau…

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The Big Check 38:03

1M ago38:03

38:03

Original Release Date: April 6, 2008 Joe Friday and Ben Romero track down a serial check forger. Original Air Date: August 31, 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 s…