Your Mental Sorbet: Obama and Panfilo in Havana Cuba

Here is another "Mental Sorbet" A little spark of madness that we could use to momentarily forget about those things that leave a bad taste in our mouths.

U.S. President Barack Obama finally got a chance to meet Pánfilo, the Cuban television character, when he appeared in a skit shot in Havana for a popular comedy show that sometimes pokes fun at the Cuban government.

Stay Tuned

Tony Figueroa

Garry Shandling

My friends tell me I have an intimacy problem. But they don't really know me 

- Garry Shandling

Garry Emmanuel Shandling

November 29, 1949  – March 24, 2016 

Garry Shandling died today. The Los Angeles Police Department reported that he suddenly collapsed and was rushed to the hospital, suffering from an apparent medical emergency.

Shandling was born on November 29, 1949 in Chicago, Illinois, to a Jewish family. He attended the University of Arizona, at first majoring in electrical engineering, but eventually completing a degree in marketing and pursuing a year of postgraduate studies in creative writing. In 1973, Shandling moved to Los Angeles, California. He worked at an advertising agency for a time, and then sold a script for the popular NBC sitcom Sanford and Son. In addition to Sanford and Son, Shandling wrote scripts for the sitcoms Welcome Back, Kotter and attended a story meeting for Three's Company.

In 1977, Shandling was involved in an auto accident in Beverly Hills that left him in critical condition with a crushed spleen for two days, and hospitalized for two weeks. The accident inspired him to pursue a career in comedy, and he later turned the accident into part of his comedy.

Shandling became a stand-up comedian because he was frustrated by situation comedy's "formulaic writing". In 1978, Shandling performed his first stand-up routine at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles. A year later Shandling was one of the few performers to cross the picket line when a group of comedians organised a boycott against the Comedy Store, protesting owner Mitzi Shore's policy of not paying comedians to perform. According to William Knoedelseder, Shandling "was the scion of a family with...decidedly antiunion views. He had not shared the struggling comic experience. He was a successful sitcom writer trying to break into stand-up, and prior to the strike, Shore had refused to put him in the regular lineup because she didn't think he was good enough. Of course, that changed the minute he crossed the picket line."

His persona was an anxiety-ridden, grimacing, guarded, confused man on the verge of losing control. After a couple of years on the road, a talent scout from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson booked him to appear as a guest in 1981. Shandling substituted for Carson on a regular basis until 1987, when he left to focus on his cable show leaving Jay Leno as permanent guest host and Carson's eventual successor.

In 1984, he performed his first stand-up special, Garry Shandling: Alone in Vegas, for Showtime, followed by a second televised special in 1986, The Garry Shandling Show: 25th Anniversary Special, also for Showtime. In 1991, a third special, Garry Shandling: Stand-Up, was part of the HBO Comedy Hour.

Shandling and co-writer Alan Zweibel went on to create the surreal comedy series It's Garry Shandling's Show in 1985. It ran for 72 episodes on the Showtime cable television network through 1990. The edited reruns played on the Fox network beginning in 1988. Shandling wrote 15 episodes of the show.

The series subverted the standard sitcom format by having its characters openly acknowledge that they were all part of a TV show. Building on a concept that harked back to The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, in which George Burns would frequently break the "fourth wall" and speak directly to the audience, Shandling's show went so far as to incorporate the audience and elements of the studio itself into the storylines, calling attention to the artifice of the show.

The show was nominated for four Emmy Awards, including one for Shandling. He won an American Comedy Award for Funniest Male Performance in a Series, and won four Cable ACE awards, two for Best Comedy Series. The show also won an award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy from the Television Critics Association.

In 1993, NBC offered Shandling $5 million to take over the late-night talk show Late Night when host David Letterman announced his highly publicized move to CBS, but Shandling declined. He was subsequently offered The Late Late Show but also declined in favor of doing The Larry Sanders Show. In 1992, Shandling launched another critical and commercial success by creating the mock behind-the-scenes talk show sitcom The Larry Sanders Show. It ran for 89 episodes through to 1998 on the cable network HBO. It garnered 56 Emmy Award nominations and three wins. Shandling based the show on his experiences guest hosting The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

Shandling wrote 38 episodes of the show, and directed three in the show's final season. Shandling was nominated for 18 Emmy Awards for the show; five for acting, seven for writing and six for being co-executive producer with Brad Grey. He won one Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series for the series finale "Flip". He has also been nominated for two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor (Musical or Comedy) in 1994 and 1995. He won two American Comedy Awards for Funniest Male Performance in a Comedy Series, eight Cable ACE Awards and a BAFTA Award. The show also influenced other shows such as Entourage, 30 Rock, and Curb Your Enthusiasm in which guest stars play themselves in episodes of the series.

In 2002, TV Guide named The Larry Sanders Show as 38th Greatest Show of All Time. In 2008, Entertainment Weekly ranked the show the 28th Best Show of the past 25 years. It was also included on Time magazine's 100 Greatest Shows of All Time.

The first season was re-released in 2007 along with a Not Just the Best of the Larry Sanders Show which are Shandling's pick of the best 23 episodes.

In January 2015, Shandling returned with fellow cast members from The Larry Sanders Show for Entertainment Weekly’s Reunions issue. He was reunited with co-stars Rip Torn, Jeffrey Tambor, Sarah Silverman, Penny Johnson Jerald, Wallace Langham, and Mary Lynn Rajskub.

Shandling won two British Comedy Awards, twelve CableACE Awards (including eight for The Larry Sanders Show and four for It's Garry Shandling's Show), a BAFTA Award and was nominated for two Writers Guild of America Awards for The Larry Sanders Show. He has also received three American Comedy Awards, two Satellite Award nominations, and in 2004 he was presented with the Austin Film Festival's Outstanding Television Writer Award.

In 2006, comedian Ricky Gervais interviewed Shandling for a British documentary, citing him as a comic influence.The reviews of British TV critics were mixed – one Guardian reviewer described it as "the uneasiest interview ever", another as Gervais' most interesting but the general consensus was that it felt "awkward", a hallmark of both the artists' comedic styles. Shandling hosted the Grammy Awards in 1990, 1991, 1993, and 1994. He hosted the Emmy Awards in 2000 and 2004, and co-hosted (giving the opening monologue) in 2003. He appeared occasionally in movies, beginning with a cameo as dental patient Mr. Vertisey in The Night We Never Met. He played supporting roles in the 1994 films Love Affair and Mixed Nuts, Dr. Dolittle (1998) as the voice of a live-action pigeon, the David Rabe play adaptation Hurlyburly (1998), and Trust the Man. Shandling wrote and starred in director Mike Nichols' What Planet Are You From? (2000), and co-starred with Warren Beatty and others in Town & Country. He also appeared in a brief cameo in the comedy film Zoolander (2001). Again voicing an animal, Shandling co-starred as Verne the turtle in the computer animated comic strip adaptation Over the Hedge (2006). He appeared in Iron Man 2 (2010) as Senator Stern and reprised the role in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). He appears uncredited as a health inspector in The Dictator (2012).

Shandling starred as himself representing Fox Mulder alongside Téa Leoni as Dana Scully in The X-Files season 7 spoof episode "Hollywood A.D."

Shandling, along with co-author David Rensin, wrote the book Confessions of a Late Night Talk Show Host: The Autobiography of Larry Sanders written in the voice of his alter ego, Larry Sanders.

Shandling was never married, and divulged little about his personal life. He shared an apartment with his fiancée, actress and onetime Playboy model Linda Doucett, from 1987 until 1994; on The Larry Sanders Show, Doucett portrayed Darlene, Hank Kingsley's doting assistant. In 1994, when their relationship ended, Shandling had her dismissed from The Larry Sanders Show. Doucett filed a lawsuit against Shandling and Grey's production company,Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, for sexual harassment and wrongful termination. The case was settled out of court in 1997 for $1 million.In the mid-1980s, Shandling resided in Hollywood Hills in California.

Shandling played a lot of basketball and boxed four times per week. An avid boxing fan, he co-owned the Wildcard West Boxing Gym in Santa Monica, California, along with director Peter Berg. He was also a former amateur radio operator, at one time holding the call sign KD6OY.

Good Night Mr. Shandling

Stay Tuned

Tony Figueroa

Ken Howard

Kenneth Joseph "Ken" Howard, Jr.

March 28, 1944 – March 23, 2016

Ken Howard was born in El Centro, California, the son of Martha Carey (née McDonald) and Kenneth Joseph Howard, Sr., the older of their two sons. His younger brother, the late Don Howard, was also an actor. His approximately 6-foot 6-inch (1.98 m) stature earned him the nickname "Stork" as a high school student.

He grew up in Manhasset, New York. Howard had basketball in his blood well before The White Shadowdebuted. The nickname "The White Shadow" was given to him by the Long Island press in 1961, as Howard was the only Caucasian starter on the Manhasset High School varsity basketball team.

A member of the National Honor Society in high school, Howard turned down several offers of basketball scholarships in favor of a more focused academic education. He was a graduate of Amherst College, where he served as captain of the basketball team. He was also a member of the a cappella singing group, "The Zumbyes." He attended Yale School of Drama but left to make his Broadway debut before completing his master's degree.

Howard began his career on Broadway in Promises, Promises with Jerry Orbach. In 1970, he won a Tony Awardas Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Dramatic) for Child's Play. Howard later starred on Broadway as Thomas Jefferson in 1776 and reprised the role in the 1972 film. His other Broadway appearances included Seesaw in 1973 and The Norman Conquests. Howard portrayed several U.S. presidents in the 1975 Broadway musical1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and appeared as Warren G. Harding in Camping with Henry and Tom in 1995. He appeared in legitimate theater in many cities, most recently as Tip O'Neill in a one-man show According to Tip, at the New Repertory Theatre in Watertown, Massachusetts.

On television, Howard appeared as Ken Reeves, a Los Angeles high school basketball coach, in The White Shadow,produced by Bruce Paltrow in 1978. Howard had the starring role in the 1973 TV series Adam's Rib opposite his good friend, and Bruce Paltrow's wife, Blythe Danner (who also played wife Martha to his Thomas Jefferson in the film 1776). He starred inThe Manhunter, an American crime drama that was part of CBS's lineup for the 1974–1975 television season. The series was produced by Quinn Martin and starred Howard as Dave Barret, a 1930s-era private investigator from Idaho. He starred in the TV movie Father Damien in 1980 and won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1981 for his performance as the ideal father in the CBS afternoon special The Body Human: Facts for Boys. Howard's admitional credits included "Sidney Sheldon's Rage of Angels, 1983," the 2000 miniseries Perfect Murder, Perfect Town and the feature film Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story, both co-starring Kris Kristofferson. He played the title character in the 1984 American Playhouse production of Mark Twain's Pudd'nhead Wilson, having earlier played Mark Twain on Bonanza. Later, he appeared as Garrett Boydston in Dynasty and its spin-off The Colbys. In the early 1990s, he appeared on the television series Murder, She Wrote with Angela Lansbury, and later in Crossing Jordan as Jill Hennessy's father from 2001 to 2004. In 2007, he appeared as the primary villain in the critically acclaimed series Cane with Jimmy Smits.

Howard guest-starred on numerous television dramas. He was guest villain in Hart to Hart Returns, a 1993 made-for-TV movie starring Stefanie Powers andRobert Wagner. He also appeared in season one of The West Wing as President Bartlett's first choice for U.S. Supreme Court Justice in the episode "The Short List". His other dramatic guest roles included; 'NYPD Blue, The Practice, Boston Legal, Cold Case, Dirty Sexy Money, Eli Stone, Brothers and Sisters,Law & Order: SVU, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Fairly Legal, Crossing Jordan,The Closer and Blue Bloods. He appeared in an episode of The Golden Girls as one of Blanche's many lovers, in The Office as Michael's former boss, and on 30 Rock as Hank Hooper, Jack Donaghy's boss from Kabletown.

Howard made his movie debut in 1970, in Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon, opposite Liza Minnelli. Numerous movie roles followed, in both dramatic and comedic roles, including: Oscar with Sylvester Stallone in 1991, Clear and Present Danger with Harrison Ford in 1994, The Net with Sandra Bullock in 1995 and In Her Shoes in 2005. In 2007, Howard appeared again with Sylvester Stallone in Rambo, and in Michael Clayton as the villain to George Clooney's hero. In 2010, he starred in The Numbers Game with Steven Bauer. He next appeared as Harlan F. Stone in Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar.

He gave an acclaimed performance as Phelan Beale in the 2009 HBO film Grey Gardens, playing opposite Jessica Lange, for which he received an Emmy Award.

Howard was elected president of the Screen Actors Guild in September 2009 and elected to a second term in September 2011. Howard was the president of SAG-AFTRA (after Screen Actors Guild merged with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists).

Howard is the author of the 2003 book Act Natural: How to Speak to Any Audience, based on the drama courses he has taught at Harvard University. He is was a popular reader for audiobooks.

Good Night Mr. President

Stay Tuned 

Tony Figueroa

An Easter Week Program of Biblical Proportions: Next on TVC

Film historians Paul Green and Mary Ann Anderson will join us on a special encore edition of TV CONFIDENTIAL, airing March 23-28 at the following times and venues:

WROM Radio
Detroit, MI
Wednesday 3/23
8pm ET, 5pm PT
2am ET, 11pm PT
Sunday 3/27
8pm ET, 5pm PT
2am ET, 11pm PT
Click on the Listen Live button at WROMRadio.net

KHDN AM-1230
KBSR AM-1490
KYLW AM-1450
Billings, MT
part of GLN Radio Network
Friday 3/25
3pm ET, Noon PT
Saturday 3/26
6pm ET, 3pm PT
Monday 3/28
3pm ET, Noon PT

Share-a-Vision Radio
San Francisco Bay Area
Friday 3/25
7pm ET, 4pm PT
10pm ET, 7pm PT
Click on the Listen Live button at KSAV.org
Use the TuneIn app on your smartphone and type in KSAV
or hear us on the KSAV channel on CX Radio Brazil

Indiana Talks
Marion, IN
Saturday 3/26
8pm ET, 5pm PT
Sunday 3/27
6pm ET, 3pm PT
Click on the player at IndianaTalks.com
or use the TuneIn app on your smartphone and type in Indiana Talks

KSCO-AM 1080
San Jose, Santa Cruz and Salinas, CA
KOMY-AM 1340
La Selva Beach and Watsonville, CA
Sunday 3/27
9am ET, 6am PT
Also streaming at KSCO.com

KHMB AM-1710
KHMV-LP 100.9 FM
Half Moon Bay, CA
Sunday 3/27
9pm PT
Monday 3/28
Midnight ET
Click on the Listen Live button at KHMBRadio.com

RadioSlot.com
San Francisco, CA
Monday 3/28
10pm ET, 7pm PT
with replays Tuesday thru Friday at 10pm ET, 7pm PT
Click on the Talk Slot button at RadioSlot.com

PWRNetwork
Ann Arbor, MI
Various times throughout the week
on the Entertainment Channel at PWRNetwork.com


This being Easter week, we have put together a program of biblical proportions that includes a replay of our conversation with Paul Green about the life and career of Jeffrey Hunter. Known for his starring roles as Martin Pawley in The Searchers and Christopher Pike in the original pilot episode of Star Trek, Hunter also played Jesus Christ in the 1961 film production of King of Kings directed by Nicholas Ray. Hunter’s sudden death in May 1969 was a shock to everyone who knew him and left many wondering what direction his life and career would have gone, had he lived. Some of those questions are answered in Paul’s book Jeffrey Hunter: The Film, Television, Radio and Stage Performances, which we’ll discuss in our second hour.

Also joining us in our second hour will be author Mary Ann Anderson (Ida Lupino: Beyond the Camera, The Making of The Hitch-Hiker Illustrated). Mary also knew Jeffrey Hunter; her mother, actress Emily McLaughlin, married Hunter just three months before he died.


Our first hour will include an encore presentation of our tribute to Academy Award winner Charlton Heston. Though mostly known for his work on the big screen, Heston did star in the Dynasty spin-off The Colbys, while for many of us the prime time showings of Ben-Hur on CBS and The Ten Commandments on ABC were annual holiday traditions. (Speaking of which, TCM will be airing Ben-Hur on March 23, while ABC will be airing The Ten Commandments on March 26.)

TV CONFIDENTIAL: A radio talk show about television
Wed and Sun 8pm ET, 5pm PT on WROM Radio
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Fri 7pm ET and PT on Share-a-Vision Radio, KSAV.org and CX Radio Brazil
Sat 8pm ET, 5pm PT and Sun 6pm ET, 3pm PT on Indiana Talks
Sun 9am ET, 6am PT KSCO-AM 1080 (San Jose, Santa Cruz and Salinas, CA)
Sun 9am ET, 6am PT KOMY-AM 1340 (La Selva Beach and Watsonville, CA)
Sun 9pm PT, Mon Mid ET on KHMB-AM and FM (Half Moon Bay, CA)
Mon 10pm ET, 7pm PT on The Radio Slot Network
Replays various times throughout the week on the Entertainment Channel at PWRNetwork
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This Week in Television History: March 2016 PART IV

Listen to me on TV CONFIDENTIAL:

 

CLICK HERE for a list of Stations

 

As always, the further we go back in Hollywood history, the more that fact and legend become intertwined. It's hard to say where the truth really lies.

March 22, 1931

William Shatner was born. 

The Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, author and film director. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T. Kirk, captain of the USS Enterprise, in the science fiction television series, Star Trek, from 1966 to 1969; Star Trek: The Animated Series from 1973 to 1974; and in seven of the subsequent Star Trek feature films from 1979 to 1994. He has written a series of books chronicling his experiences playing Captain Kirk and being a part of Star Trek, and has co-written several novels set in the Star Trek universe. He has also authored a series of science fiction novels called TekWar that were adapted for television.

Shatner also played the eponymous veteran police sergeant in T. J. Hooker from 1982 to 1986. Afterwards, he hosted the reality-based television series, Rescue 911 from 1989 to 1996, which won a People's Choice Award for Favorite New TV Dramatic Series. He has since worked as a musician, author, producer, director and celebrity pitchman. From 2004 to 2008, he starred as attorney Denny Crane in the television dramas The Practice and its spin-off Boston Legal, for which he won two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award.

March 26, 1971

Cannon the CBS detective television series produced by Quinn Martin primered.

Frank Cannon was a detective with the Los Angeles Police Department, however he retired after the deaths of his wife and son in a car accident and later became a private detective. The series begins at the point where Cannon is just beginning this new career (the pilot film picks up after Cannon has just spent 2 1/2 months overseas on an investigation). The cause of death of Cannon's wife and child was not clear through the first four seasons of the show. However, the first episode of the fifth and final season revolves around Cannon's investigation of the deaths, and he finally finds out the reason they were killed.

The noticeably overweight Frank Cannon had expensive tastes, especially in food and cars. (His primary vehicle was an ice-blue '72Lincoln Continental Mark IV.) During the series' run, his car would range from a Lincoln 1971 Mark III to a 1976 Mark IV in various color schemes, all dark over light blue exteriors, with interiors ranging from red velour to dark-blue leather... Cannon's investigations were mostly for clients in the Southern California area, although on occasion he was called in for investigations much farther away (e.g., New Mexico in the pilot).

Cannon occasionally would get hurt (shot or beaten) and knocked unconscious. He carried a gun for self-defense, usually a snub-nosed.38 Special revolver (which appeared to be a Colt Detective Special). Sometimes he used other guns (Including an M1911 and a B.A.R). He was known to subdue suspects with karate chops, judo holds, and occasionally he would thrust and knock down adversaries with his huge abdomen.

In the first two seasons Cannon was a pipe smoker. In the third season, the pipe was seen occasionally; it was subsequently dropped altogether.

To quote the Bicentennial Minute, "And that's the way it was".

 

Stay Tuned

 

Tony Figueroa