VIDEO AND PODCASTS

TV Guide: America's Time Capsule

Here's my presentation at the Mid Atlantic Nostalgia Convention in September, 2018, discussing the unique role of TV Guide as time capsule to American cultural history in the second half of the 20th Century. Stay tuned for an informative, entertaining time!



The Electronic Mirror
Watch this brief trailer for my latest book, The Electronic Mirror: What Classic TV Tells Us About Who We Were and Who We Are (and Everything In-Between!). It's available in paperback and Kindle at the Bookstore! 

Following is a complete list of my appearances as a guest on various podcasts and programs where I discuss classic television and its place in American culture. If you'd like to have me as a guest on your podcast, email me at Mitchell-at-ItsAboutTV-dot-com, and we'll talk!

 

The Dan Schneider Video Interview: Television's Golden Age In my first appearance on Dan Schneider's Video Interview, I join fellow TV historians Daniel Budnik (The Eventually Supertrain podcast) and Amanda Reyes (Are You in the House Alone? A TV Movie Compendium 1964-1999) to discuss television's Golden Age. It's a golden time for all! Recorded October 18, 2015

The Dan Schneider Video Interview: Greatest American Sitcoms In this episode of Dan's Video Interview, I'm joined by podcaster Eventually Supertrain's Daniel Budnick and author Stephen Winzenberg (TV's Greatest Sitcoms) to discuss television's classic sitcoms and colorful characters, their impact on American pop culture, and much more! Recorded August 20, 2016

Eventually Supertrain with Daniel Budnik: Bourbon Street Beat It's my first appearance on Dan Budnik's podcast dedicated to short-lived TV shows! First up: the Warner Bros. detective show Bourbon Street Beat, unjustly overshadowed by its better-known contemporaries. Click on the image to access each of our 39 episodes! Recorded 2018-2019

Eventually Supertrain with Daniel Budnik: Search In my return trip to Eventually Supertrain, Dan and I discuss Search, the before-its-time high-tech investigative series starring Hugh O'Brian, Tony Francisosa, Doug McClure, and Burgess Meredith. You won't have to search for the fun in this techno-adventure! Click on the image for each of our 23 episodes! Recorded 2020-2021

TV Confidential with Ed Robertson Here I am on Ed Robertson's nationally syndicated radio program TV Confidential. Listen to us talk about how television evolved during the classic TV era, some of the era's greatest shows, and more! Both segments are available at Ed's website by clicking on the image.  Recorded February 22, 2021

The Dan Schneider Video Interview: Columbo Dan and I begin a look at some of classic television's best series and what makes them great, starting with Peter Falk's legendary Lieutenant Columbo: the show's origins, its clever, literate mysteries and famous guest stars, its best episodes, and much more! Oh, and one more thing. . . Recorded April 14, 2023

The Dan Schneider Video Interview: The Outer Limits This week, Dan and I take control of your television set for a look at the legendary science fiction series of the 1960s: the show's best and worst episodes, its outstanding lineup of guest stars, how it differs from The Twilight Zone, what the "bear" is, and much more! Recorded April 28, 2023

The Dan Schneider Video Interview: TV through the 1940s This week, Dan and I begin a new series looking at the evolution of television through the decades. The first episode covers televison from its early days through the 1940s, including its roots in radio, its first stars and hits, a preview of things to come. and much more! Recorded May 30, 2023

The Dan Schneider Video Interview: Hawaii Five-O This week, Dan and I take a trip to the islands to vist Steve McGarett, the man with the unshakable integrity and the immovable hair. Find out what makes this long-running police show great, including its pulsing theme music, its supporting cast, and much more. Book it, Danno! Recorded June 8, 2023

The Dan Schneider Video Interview: Mission: Impossible This time, Dan and I look at the espionage classic Mission: Impossible and what makes it great, including its cast, its literate and intricate storylines, its sometimes-probematic morality, and much more. This is one mission you'll want to accept! Recorded June 21, 2023

TV Guidance Counselor Podcast with Ken Reid This week I sit down with Ken Reid of the TV Guidance Counselor podcat, for a very cool and far-reaching conversation that includes Howdy Doody, Ronald Reagan, Donna Reed, Richard Nixon, atomic bombs, The Prisoner, TV Guide (of course), and more!   Recorded June 26, 2023

The Dan Schneider Video Interview: The Twilight Zone In a special episode, Dan and I are joined by Martin Grams Jr., author of The Twilight Zone: Unlocking the Door to a Television Classic, to discuss the great anthology series, with a look at creator Rod Serling, the show's best episodes, why it's endured for decades, and more! Recorded July 7, 2023

The Dan Schneider Video Interview: TV of the 1950s In our second episode looking at TV though the decades, Dan and I discuss the programs and trends as we move into the decade of the 1950s, including popular shows, the growth of sitcoms and variety shows, the life and death of the dramatic anthology, the Quiz Show Scandal, and more! Recorded August 2, 2023

Splat from the Past with Tommy Kovac On a "totally radical" podcast, I talk with host Tommy Kovac about the evolution of classic TV in the 1950s and '60s, including TV advertising then & now, character actors becoming household names, local horror movie hosts, The Electronic Mirror, and much more! Recorded August 18, 2023