Fanacek

I have stories.  Tons of them.  Having spent many years living in both NYC and L.A., I have been around celebrities for most of my life and now it's time for me to share some of these gems with you.  Join me for Volume 1 as I reminisce about Pauly Shore and my time at The Comedy Store, The Laugh Factory, and The Hollywood Improv.  Perhaps you will be interested in how I fucked up a big night for Jessica Simpson and Dane Cook, my awful conversation with Chelsea Handler, and the time Michael Richards failed to get me laid.  Enjoy.

All good things must come to and end as this is the Season 8 finale.  But, we're going out with a bang as we take a close look at the (kind of?) classic sitcom, Bosom Buddies.  Was it a little too "out there" and farcical? Yes.  Did it die a quick death? Yes.  Did it launch some epic careers?  You bet!  Tom Hanks, Peter Scolari, Wendie Jo Sperber, Holland Taylor, and Telma Hopkins to name a few.  Oh yeah, and Dan Aykroyd's wife, Donna Dixon.  So, sit back, put on your favorite blouse and enjoy the pilot episode of Bosom Buddies.

My book is finally here and available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/09jGbH3d After years of writing down every thought I've ever had about 1980s television, my book is finally complete and on its way to you!  It's a 750 page opus that I think you will love!  If you are already an 80s TV aficionado, I promise you will earn even more.  If you have zero interest in 80s TV, I promise you'll laugh your ass off.  This book is for everyone and I am super proud of it.  Enjoy this mini episode.   https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086655225035 https://www.facebook.com/groups/937129426047912  

My book is finally here and available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/09jGbH3d After years of writing down every thought I've ever had about 1980s television, my book is finally complete and on its way to you!  It's a 750 page opus that I think you will love!  If you are already an 80s TV aficionado, I promise you will earn even more.  If you have zero interest in 80s TV, I promise you'll laugh your ass off.  This book is for everyone and I am super proud of it.  Enjoy this mini episode.   https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086655225035 https://www.facebook.com/groups/937129426047912  

My book is coming!  After years of writing down every thought I've ever had about 1980s television, my book is finally complete and on its way to you!  It's a 750 page opus that I think you will love!  If you are already an 80s TV aficionado, I promise you will earn even more.  If you have zero interest in 80s TV, I promise you'll laugh your ass off.  This book is for everyone and I am super proud of it.  Enjoy this mini episode.   https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086655225035 https://www.facebook.com/groups/937129426047912  

Before there was SNL, there was NBC's Saturday Night.  There was also Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell (Don't worry, it will all make sense when you listen to the episode).  There's nothing I can say about SNL that hasn't been said already, so sit back, relax, and let me tell you about the first episode, how it came about, how it was cast, and how half of Hollywood takes credits for helping Lorne create it.  Like success, SNL has many fathers.  Apparently.

If it weren't for this series, I would probably be frying fish in my kitchen and burning beans on my grill.  Oh boy, do I love this show.  Easily the best theme song in sitcom history, and in my not so humble opinion, the best leading man in 70s sitcom history!  The Jefferson broke new ground by showcasing an affluent black family achieving the American Dream.  As it turns out, money doesn't automatically erase prejudice, social tensions, or personal flaws.  Huh.  Who knew?  Join me as I dissect the pilot and what this series meant to American television.  Dry cleaning just got sexy.

Show of hands.  Who enjoys dry humor, ensemble casts, urban blight, and weary sarcasm, most of which is largely confined to one room in a grimy, confined 1970s NYC police precinct?  If your hand is raised, than Barney Miller is the television program for you!  I love this series and you should too!  It's smart, impeccably acted, and funny as hell.  However, the pilot was a little underbaked and I'm not sure the producers really knew what they wanted this series to be.  So grab a cup of bitter coffee and let's chat about this 70s gem.

Call me crazy, but this series was likeable as hell and enjoyed a shockingly successful life in syndication.  It gave us the big personalities of Fred "Rerun" Berry, Shirley Hemphill, and Danielle Spencer.  It also gave us the charisma blackholes that are Ernest Thomas and Haywood Nelson.  Never too broad, nor confrontational like a Norman Lear show, this fun little program lived somewhere in the middle.  Real, but not too real.  Urban, but not too urban.  And good, but not too good.  Enjoy the podcast!  Hey Hey Hey!!

"Chico, don't get discouraged, the Man he ain't so hard to understand."  Ah...Chico and the Man.  I have to admit, this was a really fun rewatch.  Freddie Prinze was full of charm and optimism and Jack Albertson was...well...Jack Albertson.  This show isn't talked about as much as it should be as it was cut short for obvious reasons.  In a TV Landscape dominated by Norman Lear, this series was "controversy light".  It shined a light on urban blight, blue collar struggles, and racial clashes in a very easy to swallow pill.  So, sit back and enjoy while I give 'ol Chico the credit he deserves.

This was a listener request and I was glad to deliver!  Bob Newhart is a comedy legend and this pilot episode is arguably one of the best pilots I've ever watched.  Watching our guy Bob weave his way through life all calm and collected while everyone around him is batshit crazy is...well...comedy gold.  Newhart's comedy is seamlessly translated into a sitcom format and the supporting cast is superb.  Watch it, enjoy it, and then let me know how right I am!

"Come and knock on our door"...Oh boy, did I love this show as a kid!  Suzanne Somers, sexual innuendo, misunderstandings...did I say Suzanne Somers?  Let's face it, this was not meant to be a thinking man's series, nor a critical darling (although it was nominated for tons of Emmy and Golden Globe Awards).  Rather, this was a fun, escapist show chock full o' horny young adults.  That said, the writing was sharp, the acting was solid, and...it had Suzanne Somers!  Enjoy.

Taxi. The series that gave brought legends into our living rooms: Judd Hirsch, Danny DeVito, Andy Kaufman, and Christopher Lloyd.  It's also the series that started Tony Danza down a path of only playing characters named Tony.  Join me as I explore Taxi's shared DNA with the Mary Tyler Moore Universe and how it paved the way for it's illegitimate child, Cheers.  A sweet mixture of humor and unfulfilled dreams.  Enjoy.

Yes, it's another Fanacek episode about a show you probably don't enjoy, but you absolutely must revisit this pilot as it is almost as batshit crazy as the rest of the series.  Mr. Drummond plays white savior to two black orphans who just lost their mother.  Lucky for them, they don't have a chance to grieve because Mr. D is "shaking hands like a brother", showering them with toys and a pony, and offering a soak in his jacuzzi.  What could have been an interesting commentary on loss and racial divides became this cotton candy descent into lunacy.  Enjoy.

That's right.  The Golden Girls.  The horniest show in television history...and maybe, pound for pound the "jokiest" show in television history.  Take a ride with me as I travel back in time to discuss the pilot episode of this series while also examining the television and cultural landscape in which it was birthed.  Yep.  I said birthed.  Enjoy.

"Boy the way Glen Miller played.  Songs that made the hit parade..  Guys like us we had it made.  Those were the days".  Ahh...a classic intro for a classic show.  This season I will be focusing on pilot episodes of classic television shows and there is no better pilot episode to start with than 1971's "Meet the Bunkers".  Three different pilots were filmed before Norman Lear finally perfected this recipe of stellar writing, perfect acting, and...controversy.  Archie Bunker would soon become a lightning rod for debates about bigotry, tradition, and change and America would love every minute of it.  Join me and a returning guest as we dissect the episode and discuss how it has aged and how it is still shockingly relevant.  So, stifle yourself and play the damn episode.

Welcome to 2026, folks!  I'm starting the year off with a bang by bringing back author Thom Shubilla.  Thom's new book, "King Kong Versus Godzilla" explores the origins of King Kong, Godzilla, and dozens of other movie monsters as Kong and Godzilla make their way toward their inevitable showdown in the 1962 classic film, King Kong vs. Godzilla.  During our chat, we'll also explore Kong and Godzilla exploitation films, the rise of monsters films on television, the aborted Batman vs Godzilla movie, the various marketing campaigns used to promote the films, and King Kong becoming a Green Lantern!  The book is great, the author is great, and I hope you enjoy the interview.  Happy New Year!

Sure, the character of Cousin Eddie is a definite Hall of Famer and a Christmas staple...but what abut the actor playing him?  Let's dive into the resume of Mr. Quaid and take a close look at the legendary directors and fellow actors he's worked with during his 50+ year career.  We'll also chitchat about his tumultuous personal life while also discussing my personal connection to Not Another Teen Movie, Chuck Bronson not being a "fun" guy, the craziness that is The World According to Garp, the girl I dumped in 7th grade, my experience with Independence Day, and my Elvis audition that never happened.  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!  Like the shitter, my heart is full.

Ahh...Thanksgiving season...the gateway to Christmas.  A time for family, food, booze, football, and the Peanuts gang!  This special has become a staple of my family's Thanksgiving season, and probably yours as well, so why not take a look at the young folks who lent their voices to this 1973 classic?  Along the way, we'll also chat about Jeremy Miller, taking my 11 year old to Las Vegas, Jay and Silent Bob, MetLife, and meeting Martin Kove!  Happy Thanksgiving, folks.

More Fanacek and more Warren Oates!  What could be better than that?  This episode will pick up where we left off and look at Warren's late 60s credits before he crushes it in the 1970s.  Warren also began the 80s with a bang, but sadly he died young at the age of 53 on April 3, 1982.  Come with me as I dive into his resume to determine if he is a card carrying Hall of Famer!

Warren Oates.  You either LOVE him or have no effing clue who he is.  Either way, you need to join me as we journey through his credits to determine his Hall of Fame eligibility.  Part 1 focuses on his early TV years as he guests on dozens of western TV shows like The Rifleman, The Westerner, Johnny Ringo, and Trackdown.  In only his fist few years of screen acting, Warren shares the screen with legends like James Coburn, Charlton Heston, and Robert Culp.  More importantly, he forges a friendship with Sam Peckinpah that will soon begin to pay major dividends.  Enjoy!

At only 8 years old, Justin Henry was the youngest Academy Award nominee ever...but what did he do next?  Well, I'm gonna take you on a deep dive of his acting resume while also blowing your minds with tales of making short films with the chick from Saturday Night Fever, watching Charmed without the sound, hanging out with Mark Volman of The Turtles, Ashley Scott lying on the ground, meeting Pauly Shore, and ordering season 1 of Thirtysomething on Ebay.  It's a gem of an episode.

Matt Dillon has had an odd career.  Not quite A-List, not quite B-List; he's consistent but not always a star.  Has he done enough in his nearly 50 year career to be called a Hall of Famer?  I'm gonna do my damndest to dig into his resume and find out.  I'm also gonna do my damndest to entertain you with tails of a Chubby George Clooney's back tattoo, my time with the fellas from Workaholics, my love for Shavar Ross, and my distaste for Andrew McCarthy.

With a name like that, he has to be a nice guy, right?  We loved him as Rudy in Meatballs and he stole our hearts in My Bodyguard, but what the hell else has he done and where did he go?  I'll answer these questions and more as I take you on a journey that includes the murder of Bob Crane, my time with Jonah Hill, Corey Feldman's bass player, fake T&A movies, and Dolph Lundgren's ex-girlfriend.  Peace!

I get it.  She's Lois Lane.  But Lois Lane does not a legend make!  I am compelled to dive into her acting resume to determine if she is a Hall of Famer.  As I go through her credits, I'll also wow you with my commentary on Rob Zombie, Jayne Mansfield, Peter Fonda, abrupt 70s film endings, and Binions Casino in Las Vegas.

Ahh...The Bad News Bears.  One of the greatest kids sports flicks of all time.  We all know what became of Walter Matthau, Tatum O'Neal, and Jackie Earl Haley, but what about the rest of the squad?  Ahmad Abdul Rahim?  Ogilvie? Timmy?  Tanner?  Why don't we know what the hell ever became of these all-stars?  Fear no more as I've done the research and prepared a detailed report to get you up to speed.  Along the way, I also address other important topics like Weezer, drive-in movies, Gwyneth Paltrow's dad, Space Raiders, and Princess Leia.

She's Connie from The Godfather franchise (nepotism much?) and Adrian from the Rocky films.  But what else has Talia done to earn a spot in Fanacek's Hall of Fame?  Follow me as I go through her screen credits and uncover some projects you've likely never heard of.  I will also brighten your day with tales of Roger Corman, folks I knew at The Second City, Troma films, the Big Bopper, and naked Blossom.  I'll even sing some Bobby Darin.  Go ahead and have a listen.

You may not know their names, but you've definitely seen their work...and you were likely scared shitless!  These two fellas became famous for starring in Poltergeist and Friday the 13th respectively.  But what happened next?  What kind of careers did they have?  Well, I answer these questions and more as I dig into their lives and resumes while also chatting about prank calls and Bret "the Hitman" Hart.  Yay.

I've heard her describes as "The Incomparable Morgan Fairchild".  But is she really incomparable?  We're gonna take a deep dive into her screen resume and figure that shit out.  We'll also chat about my abandoned Prisoner screenplay, missing Paul Reubens, and chatting with Eddie Deezen.  Enjoy.

My man Robbie Rist is THE original Cousin Oliver!  And, for that, he will always be held in high regard in the annals of pop culture history.  But what else did he do, you ask?  A ton and I take a nice, deep dive on his screen credits while also getting chatty about Friday the 13th Parts 4-6, the Having Babies franchise of the 1970s, Tony Bill & My Bodyguard, David Gordon Green's Halloween trilogy, and watching TMNT with my daughter.  It's a real hoot.

I get it.  You like Paul Sorvino.  I like Paul Sorvino.  We all like Paul Sorvino.  But he is a Hall of Famer?  Or is he just the guy from Goodfellas?  He had a long, career.  Some great, some not.  Now it's time to comb through that resume and determine if he belongs in the Hall!  Along the way, we'll chat about some other fun stuff like Robert Mitchum's drunken antics and the time I saw Jonathan Schaech jogging.  I also, in real time, forget who directed The Shining.  What the hell, Fanacek?

What to expect from the exciting new season of Fanacek!

This is the last one, I swear!  No more TV adaptations of 80s movies ever again!  But let's end it with a bang as I chitchat about 1980's Fame, and as I wax poetic 1983's Blue Thunder, or as I contemplate 1988's Working Girl, all before I finally offer my in-depth thoughts on 1980's Stir Crazy.  Who else would do that for you?  And, as an added bonus, I'll offer up some opinions on Sam Peckinpah's Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, Dana Carvey's slasher film origins, and Patrick Swayze teaching Rob Lowe to fight.  It's a doozy.

You thought I was done with this topic, didn't you?  Well, I did some sleuthing and found a few more 80s shows that became short lived, unbelievably bad television shows.  And unbelievably bad television shows is kind of my thing!  We're gonna chat about Richard Pryor's Bustin' Loose which did not turn out to be a DYN-O-MITE series.  I'll also enlighten you regarding Down and Out in Beverly Hills, The Four Seasons, and Nothing in Common.  Along the way we'll touch on Nick Nolte's mugshot, my time with Jonah Hill, EGOTs, and a ton of Garry Marshall chit chat.  It's a somewhat decent episode, I must say.

The 80s have finally come to a close, and the decade's final moments did not disappoint.  Join me as I discuss the envelope pushing antics of the Conner family on Roseanne, the "they're not lesbians, I promise" relationship between Kate & Allie, and the trauma we all experienced watching Life Goes On.  I'll also crack wise about the comedy stylings of Wes Craven, stars yelling at audiences, and the decision making process that went into creating Small Wonder.  Cheers!

We're closing in on the end of the 80s and things are getting crazy.  Spinoffs are dominating the airwaves as shows like Empty Nest and A Different World crack the Top 10.  Also, our televisions are being assaulted by continuations and reboots that we didn't want as Mission: Impossible, The Munsters Today, and War of the Worlds are brought to life via first run syndication.  The good news is that we also get Vietnam shows, and murder, and more blended families than we ever imagined.  It was a wonderful time to be alive.  

This is the 100th episode folks!  100 episodes of me yapping about stuff that most folks don't care about, but I love it and I'm grateful for everyone that listens.  Join me as I take a look at 1987 television as I experienced it.  We're gonna discuss Remington Steele and The Wonder Years.  We're gonna explore how 21 Jumpstreet made me want to be an undercover cop.  We're gonna chit chat about Energizer commercials and New Coke.  And finally, I'm gonna yap about Joey Buttafuoco, VCRs, and how Weezy fails to make me horny.  100 episodes,.  Wow.

1986.  It was a great year to be alive.  Sure, the space shuttle Challenger exploded killing everyone onboard and traumatizing the children who watching it on TV.  But, rather than dwell on that, I'd rather talk about Night Court.  And Amen.  And T.J. Hooker.  Hell, I'm even gonna educate you on Peter Boyle killing a house full of hippies why Whitman Mayo is a national treasure.  Was Rebecca Schaeffer's murder a tragedy?  Yes it was.  Was it also likely a good thing for My Sister Sam's legacy?  I think so.  So come with me for all of this and more and experience Fanacek's 1986.

We're halfway through the decade and sitcoms are starting to rule the airwaves!  Audiences are losing interest in the rich folks of Dynasty, Dallas, and Falcon Crest as they fall in love with the likes of Tony Micelli, Alex P. Keaton, and America's favorite gynecologist, Dr. Huxtable.  This episode takes a closer look at classics like The Equalizer, Family Ties, and Alice while also having fun with Courtney Cox's failures, Charles Durning as the patriarch of a black family, and the saga of Claudia Wells. Want Fanacek stickers?  Email me at [email protected]

Forget about George Orwell's 1984.  That book is a downer.  Fanacek's 1984 will lift your spirits as we explore such shows as Crazy Like a Fox, One Day at a Time, and Murder, She Wrote.  We'll also crack wise about some forgotten television shows that included the murderous Delta Burke, monkeys with alien superpowers, and a gay dude in Philly.  It might be the greatest podcast episode of all time.  I said "might be".

I'm back and this time I'm exploring shows from 1982 & 1983.  Luck you!  We'll touch on such classics as  Simon & Simon, Newhart, The Incredible Hulk, Cagney & Lacey, Webster, and M*A*S*H.  I'll also explore some interesting programs that are forgotten or that I wish were forgotten...shows that involve horny puppets and racism.  BTW, that was the name of my band in high school.  Horny Puppets and Racism.

Happy 2025!  A new year and a new season of your favorite (doubtful) podcast, Fanacek!  The next few episodes will deal with the programs that flooded our TV sets in the 80s.  I can't really title the episodes "THE Year in TV" or "YOUR Year in TV" because I often focus on some weird shit.  But rest assured, you'll enjoy learning about obscure TV shows and hearing my thoughts on your favorite classic TV shows as I go year by year celebrating "FANACEK'S Year in TV".  Enjoy!

It's finally effing here!  The finale in my 9 part series comparing movie and television actors of the 1980s.  This fun filled episode has me discussing three different actors across two categories: Thank God They Left TV and Now You're Just Showing Off!  The former takes a deep dive into the careers of 2 actors who were the stars of their own television shows before throwing it away to become big screen icons: Geena Davis & Michael Keaton.  The latter takes a look at an actor who had a thriving movie career, took a quick pit stop just to prove she could crush it on television, and then went right back to being a movie star: Jamie Lee Curtis.  Sit back, pour yourself a bourbon, and let 'ol Fanacek school you.

This is a fun episode, folks.  It's also a little depressing.  But depressing can be fun, right?  Well, fun or not, we're about to take a deep dive on three actors whose fall from grace left television as their only option in the 80s.  George Peppard, George C. Scott, and Jan-Michael Vincent were once stars of the silver screen, bur after years of drinking, financial woes, and poor behavior, found that TV was their last chance for any significant roles.  Like Richard Gere in An Officer and a Gentleman, they had nowhere else to go!!!  Enjoy!

It's time to kick off the holiday season Fanacek style.  You see, here at the Fanacek house, the holidays officially start with the annual viewing of Planes, Trains & Automobiles.  There's no better way to get ready for both Thanksgiving and Christmas than by watching the genius of Steve Martin and John Candy in this 1987 classic brought to us by Mr. John Hughes.  I'm joined by a guest and we break down the movie scene by scene, discuss favorite lines, and fill in the plot holes by educating you on the deleted scenes that were in John Hughes's original 3 hour cut.  And, as usual,  I also find ways to go off on tangents and make things about me.  Six bucks and my right nut says you're gonna enjoy this episode.

There are some actors from the 80s (I'm not gonna name names) that should have abandoned their movie careers early on and make the switch to television.  It would have saved them years of decline and humiliation as the quality of their movies slowly sunk into the depth of the VHS bargain bins.  Again, I'm not gonna name names...Steve Guttenberg and Judge Reinhold!  To show I can also reward actors who made great career choices, I also take a look at an actor who did make an early jump to television and it proved to be brilliant.  I won't give away this name, but it rhymes with Schmill Schmeaton.  Live long and prosper...or whatever.

We've talked about 80s winners.  We've talked about 80s losers.  Now, it's time to talk about the "just okay" of the 80s.  Please join me as I discuss some 80s film and TV actors that were jack of all trades, bur masters of none.  Some, like Robert Hays and Kristy McNichol are no brainers, while my man, Don Johnson, is a hot take and will likely piss some of you off.  Regardless, it's time to kick back and allow me to wax poetic about more 80s actors.  

There are still so many 80s actors I want to talk about!  In this episode, I ask the question, "Why the quick jump television"?  So far, I've focused on actors who had TV success and either crushed it in movies as well, crashed and burned in movies, or maybe just dabbled in feature films before heading back to television where they belonged.  Now, I'm gonna focus on actors who I think should have stayed the course just a little bit longer with their big screen careers before making the transition to the boob tube.  We're gonna stroll down memory lane with folks like Bronson Pinchot, Heather Langenkamp, Paul Reiser, and the legendary Burt Reynolds.

If you love the 80s, you're probably enjoying this season of Fanacek.  If you don't , well suck it up and let me educate you.  This week I'm discussing 80s actors who could have made a run at big screen stardom, but they knew damn well that television is where they belonged. What they lacked in feature film potential, they made up for in self awareness.  Follow me down this road as I wax poetic about such folks as John Stamos, Erin Gray, Suzanne Somers, Loni Anderson, Richard Dean Anderson and The Hoff himself, David Hasselhoff.  Enjoy, suckas!

There's an old saying in Hollywood: "Never Quit the Hit".  Well, the TV actors we're gonna discuss today did not take heed of this wisdom.  Rather, they threw caution to the wind and chased movie stardom, only to land flat on their asses. We start with the Cautionary Tale Queen herself, Shelley Long, and then weave our way through the careers of Justine Bateman, Kirk Cameron, Lisa Bonet, Roseanne Barr, and Mark Harmon.  It's a lot of fun.  Well, its a lot more fun than any of the movies these folks made.  Enjoy!