TV Guidance Counselor Episode 125: Ben Blacker

October 12-18, 1991

On today's show Ken welcomes writer, Thrilling Adventure Hour head honcho and host of the Nerdist Writer's Panel Ben Blacker to the show. Ken and Ben discuss growing up in the Boston area, Hal Hartley TV, the early 90s, CBS Monday Night, hereditary sci-fi fandom, American Gothic, Dark Shadows, Spenser for Hire, James at 15, Creature Double Feature, horror as metaphor, the humorless grim 21st Century, Supernatural, American Horror Story, Golden Girls and the Torkelsons, when Saturday Night isn't funny, Who's the Boss, Growing Pains, Just the Ten of Us, totally retooling shows, Bob, Family Ties, why it's not worth it to make a show for everybody anymore, taping Young Riders, The Adventures of Brisco County Jr, Sightings, the troubles of serialization, Young Guns II, Westerns turning into TV Cop Shows, The Comish, Life Goes On, low concept TV, blue collar TV, AIDS, Eerie Indiana, Parker Lewis, James Garner, evil John Stamos, Full House, Herman's Head, The early days of Fox, Women in Prison, Werewolf, Monday Night Hebrew school keeping you from Alf, Evening Shade vs. Davis Rules, Bonnie Hunt, hating Southern shows, Newhart, Get a Life, dumb characters, why it's hard to re-watch Seinfeld, Blossom, Murphy Brown, Julia Duffy, Northern Exposure, Lord of Illusions, great guest stars on Chuck, I'll Fly Away is not Brooklyn Bridge, Rescue 911, why friction can make a great show, Roseanne, Jackie O, the Mini-Series, Coach, Jobeth Williams, Dinosaurs, Unsolved Mysteries, CNBC is paying to watch your neighbors make love, Wonder Years, Doogie Howser, the final season of Night Court, Quantum Leap, Cosby, A Different World, The Simpsons, loving bottle episodes, the finale of Cheers, George Wendt, missing The Monster Mash, loving Tim Daly, LA Law, Perfect Strangers, Baby Talk, replacing George Clooney with Scott Baio, Cheer Heavy Weeks, making the big time as a Jeopardy Question, Murphy Brown's single motherhood, the heartbreak of Fall Previews and complaining about reality TV in 1991.