Top 10 Sitcoms Ever! (A Very Funny Call In Episode)

What are the greatest TV situation comedies of all time? Phil -- who created the classic sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond" -- and David -- who watched it religiously -- discuss their own favorite shows, and take your calls about yours.  To learn more about building community through food and "Somebody Feed the People," visit the Philanthropy page at philrosenthalworld.com.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hello, everybody, It's David. I am the David. I'm on
the other side of that ampersand and Phil is off
somewhere in the world. That is the forwarding address. He
left filming the new season of Somebody Feed Phil. So
I get to introduce this great episode. It is a
one of our call in episodes, but it has a theme,
which is the best sitcoms ever. So we speak about

(00:26):
some of our favorite sitcoms ever. You called in. A
really great group of you called in to discuss this.
I think our first caller is from Singapore, and she
might have mentioned Gomer Pile, which I did not expect
was a big show in Singapore. My wife called in
and mentioned the show that surprised me. It's a great
episode if you love TV. What a chance to hear

(00:51):
about the greatest sitcoms of our lifetimes with Phil who
created one of the greatest sitcoms ever, Everybody Loves Rainbow.
I want to dedicate this episode to my friend David Hammlan.
We lost David the other day and he really was
one of my best and longest lasting friends. We started
out at Esquire together Rolling Stone. He went into TV

(01:14):
I think right ahead of me a great guy, and
I mentioned him as recently as the Lake Street Dive episode.
I will miss him forever. So this one is for
David Hammilon.

Speaker 2 (01:35):
Let's build the beans to the fat, food for thought,
jokes on tap, talking with our mouths full, having fun,
piece of cake and humble pies, serving up class lovely.
The dressing all the side. It's naked lunch.

Speaker 1 (01:56):
Clothing optional.

Speaker 3 (02:00):
Carol, Hi, Hi, look, Oh my god, we're totally serious.
You are on with David and me.

Speaker 4 (02:10):
Oh my god. It's like fall in the morning here.

Speaker 3 (02:14):
Where are you Singapore? I love Singapore?

Speaker 5 (02:19):
Oh my god?

Speaker 3 (02:20):
Hi, Hi, Hi, Hi, dear, how Singapore today?

Speaker 1 (02:24):
Is it raining?

Speaker 3 (02:24):
Is it hot? Is it beautiful?

Speaker 5 (02:26):
It's it's dark now, it's.

Speaker 3 (02:29):
Dark now, the weather is dark.

Speaker 1 (02:31):
Hi David, Hi, so nice to meet you. Carol. Are
you you're you are? Have you become a Phil fan
through his world travel? Or how did you? How did
you find it?

Speaker 5 (02:41):
Okay? Okay, So my story, I'll try to keep it short.

Speaker 6 (02:46):
I went to Norway with my boyfriend and we were
having dinner and we're on Netflix and he's like, oh,
so what do you want to watch?

Speaker 5 (02:57):
Right?

Speaker 6 (02:57):
So I was like we were scrolling and everything, and
then this thing somebody feed Phil pops up and I
was like, I was like, oh, this looks like not not.

Speaker 7 (03:11):
Is it not a series, you know, like a scripted series, right,
So I was like, what what's this somebody feed Fuelder.
He was like, Oh, it's this Jewish guy that goes
around the wall eating.

Speaker 6 (03:23):
So I was like, okay, it sounds I was like,
sounds fun, you know. So we we went through by
this then it's already season seven, right, so I was like,
let's just grow through. And we come to Singapore and
I was like, oh wait he came here and this
was like pre COVID, right, so I had no idea, right,

(03:46):
so I was like, okay, let's let's start with this, right,
And then we watched the episode and I was like,
holy shit, like this is quite good.

Speaker 8 (03:55):
You know.

Speaker 6 (03:56):
We bringed, you know, and stuff, and we actually just
came back from Vietnam, boy, and I tagged you in
my post and we went to the park, but the
Banmi wasn't there anymore.

Speaker 5 (04:08):
Oh no, no, it's yeah, it's not there anymore. So
but we went to the chocolate place.

Speaker 3 (04:16):
Maru. Yeah, very good, but there's so much other bond
me in Saigon, right, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 6 (04:22):
We we had other Banmi, we had fa and everything.

Speaker 5 (04:26):
So yeah, and oh my god. Okay, so this is
like super exciting for me.

Speaker 6 (04:31):
For me too when you came, when you came to
Singapore and you went to the our gardens by the
Bay and you were with King Hua.

Speaker 5 (04:39):
I've known King Hua since I was nineteen, So.

Speaker 6 (04:42):
I'm like, oh my god, like fuck, this is like
one degree of Phil, you know, and.

Speaker 1 (04:48):
That should be the name of this show, degree four.

Speaker 5 (04:50):
If I never get to me and you, I'm like,
but at least you met her.

Speaker 3 (04:55):
Oh how sweet?

Speaker 1 (04:56):
Can I ask you a question, Carol? We were talking
about sitcoms today. Your favorite sitcoms. I know you you're
clearly a somebody feed Phil fan. Do you love any sitcoms?

Speaker 5 (05:06):
Great Will and Grace.

Speaker 6 (05:10):
I'm so excited when they like sort of him back,
and then they had.

Speaker 5 (05:15):
The reboot of the reboot of the.

Speaker 6 (05:18):
Okay, so I have to point this out as well,
Like I grew up watching Everybody Loves but because I
was still young, I think I was like maybe early teens,
so I remember watching it, but I don't remember things
because like it just flew over my head, you know

(05:41):
what I mean, because I was like just so young.

Speaker 3 (05:43):
Well, now that you're very old, it's for you.

Speaker 1 (05:47):
And and by the way, you've we're gonna reveal our
shows that are on our list, and everybody loves Raymond
is on my list for many reasons, including it's how
I met Phil, but I will and Grace you in
the same book. When I met you? Really was was
the showrunners. I was right about Max and Davis, right right,
that show. So that's a.

Speaker 3 (06:06):
Wonderful show, a landmark show.

Speaker 1 (06:08):
Yes, it really did change attitudes.

Speaker 3 (06:10):
Yes, very important in addition to being really funny with
a great cast. Yeah, Like I.

Speaker 9 (06:18):
Don't know, American sitcoms are like, so I follow like
a lot of TV shows and stuff and oh yeah,
because like this this episode as well, Like what's your
favorite TVs?

Speaker 5 (06:33):
Right? Yeah, Like I have a lot, like I grew
up with friends.

Speaker 3 (06:38):
Sure, Will and Grace.

Speaker 6 (06:40):
Gordon, Oh my god, Gordon girls, go Pa.

Speaker 1 (06:44):
Those family Wow plays in Singapore. That's actually when when.

Speaker 6 (06:49):
I was in primary school. When I was in primary school,
Goma Pa used to be on TV. Well, Max isn't
a sitcom, raight, but Mash was on TV.

Speaker 3 (06:59):
They actually classify as a but you're right, it was.
It was more than that.

Speaker 1 (07:04):
Wasn't it.

Speaker 5 (07:05):
Yeah? Yeah, what else? It was a lot? Yeah, the nineties.

Speaker 6 (07:14):
That was pretty much my memories of the nineties when
it came Okay, friends is like only two thousands, but like, yeah, nineties,
those were my memories, you know, yeah, but yeah, you
know right, Surprisingly.

Speaker 1 (07:28):
So funny Friends, I will say made my list, And
it got a slight advantage because I wrote two books
about friends and had profit participation in the second one,
so they I have a financial interest in saying I
love friends because it helped put maybe one of my
kids through one class of college. Nice every and yes

(07:48):
I do. I do love that show.

Speaker 3 (07:50):
Well, Carol, we love meeting you. And look we're seeing you,
you're seeing us. We're on the zooms.

Speaker 1 (07:56):
So nice to meet you.

Speaker 6 (07:57):
What And I was like, oh, I wasn't to get dsed.

Speaker 3 (08:02):
But oh my god, you were chosen out of so
many people who were crawling.

Speaker 1 (08:07):
Do you uh?

Speaker 3 (08:07):
Did you have a question for us before we go?

Speaker 5 (08:11):
Ah? When are you coming back to Singapore?

Speaker 3 (08:14):
I can't wait to come back to Singapore, you know,
I do. I do these live shows now.

Speaker 6 (08:19):
Yeah, But then I google and like you were supposed
to come canceled.

Speaker 3 (08:23):
It did get canceled. There was a whole travel thing
that didn't work out. But I will come back, I promise.

Speaker 6 (08:29):
Oh my god, because like if you come if and
when I mean, I'm manifesting it. But yes, when you
come back, I will fucking get it.

Speaker 3 (08:38):
Not with that mouth, you exactly.

Speaker 1 (08:40):
I think that's a line of dialogue from glober Pile.
I remember correctly, that was he.

Speaker 3 (08:45):
The network said, you can't say that, you have to
say golly.

Speaker 5 (08:51):
I like my ex running.

Speaker 3 (08:53):
Oh yes, soft fluffy eggs.

Speaker 6 (08:54):
Yeah, scrambled eggs, like soft and fluffy.

Speaker 10 (08:59):
I like.

Speaker 3 (09:00):
So we're already we have so much in common.

Speaker 1 (09:03):
So nice to meet you, Carol.

Speaker 3 (09:04):
Yeah bye, Carol. We love you.

Speaker 1 (09:12):
Lauren.

Speaker 3 (09:13):
Oh oh hi Lauren.

Speaker 11 (09:16):
Hi, you get a two for one special. This is Jonathan.

Speaker 3 (09:19):
Hi Jonathan. How you doing good?

Speaker 1 (09:21):
How are you feel? How are you doing nice?

Speaker 12 (09:23):
We're great?

Speaker 3 (09:23):
Where are you calling from today?

Speaker 11 (09:25):
We're calling from Noblesville, Indiana.

Speaker 1 (09:27):
Wow, that's the time we have not gotten a call
from yet.

Speaker 3 (09:31):
I don't know anyone noble.

Speaker 13 (09:35):
It's a little north of Indianapolis. Indianapolis people. It's the
same thing.

Speaker 3 (09:39):
And if I come to Indianapolis. What am I eating?

Speaker 5 (09:45):
What's best for the food?

Speaker 3 (09:47):
Why not? Everybody has got something that they love you
It's got to be a local specialty.

Speaker 11 (09:51):
Does I do have a good one?

Speaker 1 (09:53):
Yeah?

Speaker 13 (09:53):
Tell me if you go to the Noblesville Farmers Market
on Saturday morning, Yes there is a Filipino I'll say
food truck, but really they just have a tent with
a table that has the best Filipino food I've ever had.

Speaker 11 (10:06):
It is so good, is see Mama Belle's fantastic, It's delicious.

Speaker 3 (10:10):
See doesn't that make I always say that immigrants and
immigration makes the world so much more interesting and diverse
and fun because we have what we have, our local stuff.
But then when a Filipino place opens at the farmer's market,
it's like, Wow, something new and great, and then you
taste it and it's fantastic.

Speaker 1 (10:31):
Whole new world.

Speaker 3 (10:31):
Yes, it is a whole new world, isn't it. I
love that you love that. That's the secret. That's the
secret that I have found in all my travels, is
that trying stuff that maybe you didn't grow up with
is so exciting and so great.

Speaker 1 (10:46):
I bet you do have televisions in Indiana. I believe.
Can you tell us what your favorite favorite sitcoms ever are?

Speaker 11 (10:55):
Well, we do watch a lot of everybody.

Speaker 1 (10:58):
Loves That's why we love Are you familiar with that show?
I've heard of it. It's amazing to have this discussion
with the guy who created one of the best shows
of all time.

Speaker 3 (11:09):
Oh, thank you.

Speaker 14 (11:11):
Yeah.

Speaker 13 (11:11):
We we literally watch it every night, so multiple times,
and I can't get enough of it.

Speaker 12 (11:17):
I love it.

Speaker 3 (11:17):
Do you have a favorite episode?

Speaker 11 (11:20):
The plan?

Speaker 3 (11:22):
The plan oh with the wedding invitations is that it?

Speaker 15 (11:25):
Yes, Oh, yes, their favorite Monica episode?

Speaker 3 (11:28):
Well, she's very good in that She's very good episode.

Speaker 15 (11:34):
I like that one. I feel like Marie Sculpture is
a good one.

Speaker 3 (11:37):
That's a good one. I love that you loved that one.
It shows me that you're at.

Speaker 15 (11:43):
Episode where Frank gives out the chocolate coins.

Speaker 3 (11:46):
Oh so your your minds are in the gutter.

Speaker 5 (11:49):
Yes, absolutely.

Speaker 3 (11:52):
But the thing about those episodes, as as uh racy
as the topic might have been, we always tried to
make them uh not so overt, so that if you
were watching with the kids or watching with Grandma that stuff.
We never said the words right in the sculpture. You

(12:14):
know what the sculpture looked like we never said it.
It was in your filthy minds. It wasn't. We never
wanted to embarrass anyone, really and we wanted to. We
just thought it was actually better writing to not say
it that you helped us put it together.

Speaker 1 (12:33):
And I still don't know what he's talking about. That's
how how And.

Speaker 3 (12:36):
He has the filthy it's behind of anybody.

Speaker 1 (12:38):
Yes, it's too filthy to miss the subtle subtlety. Did
you have a.

Speaker 3 (12:42):
Question for us today?

Speaker 11 (12:44):
Yes?

Speaker 13 (12:45):
My question was so you've said a lot that your
episodes that everybody loves Raymond come from people's experiences.

Speaker 11 (12:52):
Yes, that we're writing the shows.

Speaker 13 (12:54):
I'm just curious what happened that brought about the plan episode?

Speaker 11 (13:00):
Like did somebody screw something up? Like what happened?

Speaker 3 (13:03):
This could have been any of the writers, especially the
men we I think what made the show relatable if
it was two people was that it felt real. And
it's because it was real. Every one of us has
done something like that where I think that the theme

(13:29):
of that episode is the guy, the husband will do
things purposefully bad to get out of doing them at all.
Does it makes sense? Does that ring true in your house?
Look he went away.

Speaker 5 (13:43):
You don't let the dog back in.

Speaker 11 (13:44):
Yeahs too much noise.

Speaker 3 (13:47):
I don't doubt I'm not good at making the bed.
Maybe I shouldn't make the bed.

Speaker 11 (13:52):
Someone's really bad at folding laundry. That's it, old laundry.

Speaker 3 (13:57):
I get it. I get it.

Speaker 1 (14:00):
One of the only things I'm good at.

Speaker 3 (14:01):
Men, Really, you can do mine if you so much.

Speaker 1 (14:05):
Yeah, I will. I'm gonna have to get the uh
uh the uh uh. I will get more traditional Midwestern fair.

Speaker 3 (14:14):
So we just we just took that theme of the
guy you know will screw up something so that he
doesn't have to do it and applied it to the
wedding invitations because we were doing a bunch of shows
leading up to Robert and Amy's wedding.

Speaker 13 (14:30):
Well, you guys nailed that. Every time I start cracking
up like I've never heard.

Speaker 16 (14:34):
It, Hanking Pot, Well, thank you so much for calling
any other sitcoms you absolutely love that Phil didn't create.

Speaker 15 (14:47):
At the same time, watching that as well as sign
Fed with my Parents.

Speaker 1 (14:51):
I've heard of that one that's on my list as well. Seinfeld, Yes,
well I'll still watch it.

Speaker 15 (14:56):
Raymond's been the you know, the nighttime bedtime. S Oh,
because I grew up across three from my grandma, so
I kind of relate to the Marie Barone experience.

Speaker 3 (15:06):
Did you your grandma come over a lot?

Speaker 15 (15:09):
I went over there a lot.

Speaker 3 (15:10):
Oh that's nice.

Speaker 15 (15:12):
She's Lebanese, so she was really good at cooking the
Middle Eastern food.

Speaker 3 (15:15):
Yeah, and my mom was not.

Speaker 15 (15:17):
So uh, I go there a lot for dinner.

Speaker 1 (15:20):
The Marie Barone experience I once saw on a double
bill with the Jimmy Hendrix experience. Quite quite a double bill,
that was.

Speaker 3 (15:28):
He had trouble opening for her.

Speaker 1 (15:29):
Exactly. Well, thank you so much for calling.

Speaker 3 (15:32):
Lovely to meet you.

Speaker 1 (15:33):
Great to meet you, friend. Friend, you're muted.

Speaker 8 (15:55):
Turning off my video.

Speaker 1 (15:58):
I love seeing you.

Speaker 5 (15:59):
Hi.

Speaker 3 (16:00):
Yeah, what was wrong with your video?

Speaker 1 (16:02):
Please? Please?

Speaker 8 (16:04):
Do people put their videos?

Speaker 1 (16:05):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (16:06):
Well, will we see this if we post this? Will
you see the people?

Speaker 1 (16:11):
This is?

Speaker 3 (16:11):
Friend? Okay, so now you're on YouTube?

Speaker 1 (16:13):
Friend? Oh good, thank you for calling. You're my favorite
person to watch TV with.

Speaker 3 (16:18):
So am I am? I to assume you're calling because
David forgot something and this is the only way you
can get to him.

Speaker 8 (16:27):
Exactly. I knew he'd yes, I knew I'd be able
to get to him. No, I wanted to tell you,
Am I talking about a sitcom that I love?

Speaker 3 (16:36):
Sure?

Speaker 8 (16:37):
Oh, I think I've discussed this with Phil once and
I have no idea. I was just going to google it,
but I'm on too soon. Bridget Loves Bernie.

Speaker 3 (16:47):
Of course it wasn't on my list, but I certainly
watched it. You know, when you're you're I think a
little younger than me. But I'm pretty sure that it
was on in the seventies. Yes, And you know at
that time there were no VCRs or anything, and when
stuff was on, we watched it. There weren't like a

(17:09):
million choices, so I you know, I think you're talking
to a lot of people when you say Bridget Loves Bernie.
I'm sure people know what that is if they're of
a certain area.

Speaker 8 (17:17):
I feel like I have no idea if it was on.
I saw one episode or five years of episodes, but
I had very fond memories about it. But I remember
like two plots.

Speaker 12 (17:25):
That's it.

Speaker 1 (17:26):
I loved it because I felt it was an infomercial
for intermarriage. Because Meredith Baxter Bernie, because she married him right,
eventually married her coastar. She married her co star was
so beautiful. I was totally I think the first two
women before you I ever was in love with were
Elizabeth Montgomery and Meredith Baxter.

Speaker 3 (17:45):
Eventually Bernie, so she in the premise of the show
was David Bernie was Jewish and she was not, and
it was their marriage, and of course you got the
two families. A great idea for a show.

Speaker 1 (17:59):
It was really good.

Speaker 8 (18:00):
I loved it. Yes, it was like a it wasn't
that also kind of the plot like uh, thirty something
was also a mixed marriage.

Speaker 1 (18:09):
Was that a sitcom?

Speaker 8 (18:10):
It wasn't a sitcom.

Speaker 1 (18:12):
No, it was a terrible sitcom because it wasn't very funny,
but it was great. I did love that show as well.

Speaker 3 (18:18):
But yeah, that well, in a way, Raymond was a
bit of a mixed marriage. She was normal and him
and his family were insane and Italian, and uh, I
guess that was you know. They they originally wanted it
to be a little more like Bridget Loves Bernie. They
wanted us to cast kind of a blonde girl, and

(18:39):
it would have been it would have been way too
much Bridget Loves Bernie esque. I remember even saying that
that this show wasn't that we want, which the show's
not about that, right, Uh, it just happened to come
out that way, all right?

Speaker 8 (18:56):
Has anybody else called in with interesting?

Speaker 1 (18:59):
Yes we are. First call was from Singapore from from
a woman who grew up a young woman who loved
gomer Pile and omer Pile and who talked like a sailor,
which is.

Speaker 3 (19:11):
She cursed a lot.

Speaker 1 (19:11):
She cursed a lot. It was really ready first. So
if you would curse a lot, it would definitely I
would enjoy it.

Speaker 3 (19:16):
It would boost the ratings.

Speaker 8 (19:19):
Have we gotten to your favorites or did you make lists?

Speaker 1 (19:22):
We're actually working our favorites and as people mentioned, if
people mention them, we say, oh we've got that on
the list, or we don't have that.

Speaker 8 (19:29):
Mary Tyler Moore has got maybe.

Speaker 3 (19:32):
Maybe maybe number one for me maybe the.

Speaker 5 (19:35):
Peak and the New Heartshow Love that.

Speaker 3 (19:38):
Too didn't quite make my top ten. But by the way,
that that that Saturday night lineup right, yeah on CBS.
But the Odd Odd Cup that was Friday ABC.

Speaker 12 (19:52):
Okay, but how.

Speaker 3 (19:52):
About this for a lineup? All the family, right, Mary
Tyler Moore? These were all on one night, weren't they?
Bob Newhart and something else going into the cal Burnett
Show at ten.

Speaker 1 (20:05):
Oh, Mike, remember what a night of ten?

Speaker 3 (20:07):
That would be every Saturday night if you were a
young person and not able to you know, not ready
to go out yet. Right, This was every single Saturday.

Speaker 8 (20:18):
But now that I said it, I think the Odd
Couple is one in my.

Speaker 3 (20:22):
Two that's in my top ten as well. That was
Friday Night's ABC, which was it was It was the
I think that was the show that came on at nine,
and before that you would watch tell me if I'm wrong,
The Brady Bunch and the Partridge Family. Yes, right, yeah.

Speaker 1 (20:38):
I love the Partridge Family. And I still I think
we sing point me in the direction of Albuquerque quite often.
I think that's sort of our that's our stairway to heaven.

Speaker 3 (20:47):
But these were shows like Brady Bunch of Partridge Family
I never thought were haha, hilarious, funny. But you watch
them anyway because when you were a kid, it was
your job to watch these shows, to.

Speaker 8 (21:00):
Watch it, and it was so exciting when it was on,
like when they were in Hawaii and it was a
three part or two party. It was like a year
from Friday to Friday that you was so excited that
it was going to be the next part was going
to be on.

Speaker 3 (21:13):
It's like you were going to Hawaii.

Speaker 1 (21:16):
Yes, friend is the most intelligent person I know, and
yet her and her brother and sister, like all these
lawyers and accomplished people in business partner business manager partners,
they watched more TV. You guys watched a lot of
TV so much so, so much so that like when
I first met friand she would refer to the directors.

Speaker 3 (21:36):
Of whoa Fran we used to talk about I know him?
You think we worked with him once?

Speaker 1 (21:42):
Oh my god, you know from the fact of life.

Speaker 3 (21:46):
I mean, probably the best name in show business for sure.

Speaker 8 (21:50):
Okay, you guys, enjoy I'm going back to work.

Speaker 14 (21:52):
I just want to work.

Speaker 8 (21:54):
Make sure Bridget loves burning out a shadow.

Speaker 3 (21:56):
I'm glad you shout a fancy office that looks very
Thank you. Fran all right, bye, bye, my dear.

Speaker 4 (22:06):
Yeah yeah guy. He comes up and he just taps
the screen. He goes there you go. I'm going like this.

Speaker 3 (22:12):
Do you want you want to turn on your video
so we can say hi to you.

Speaker 4 (22:16):
I didn't even know that, do it?

Speaker 3 (22:19):
There you are?

Speaker 4 (22:20):
If I angle it like this, I look goddess, like.

Speaker 3 (22:24):
God, Like, where are you calling from? Where the sun
is shining so nicely?

Speaker 4 (22:28):
I'm calling from Linfield, Massachusetts.

Speaker 3 (22:30):
Love it beautiful.

Speaker 4 (22:32):
I can't believe I'm talking to you.

Speaker 15 (22:34):
Guys.

Speaker 3 (22:34):
I can't believe it either. This is modern technology. You
should have seen the guy that was just on before you.

Speaker 1 (22:42):
Yeah, we like you much more than the yes person.
I know you can't believe you're talking to Phil, but
you probably can believe you're talking to me.

Speaker 4 (22:49):
I can because I had to look you up as.

Speaker 1 (22:51):
I was like, I get that a lot. My wife
was just on and she had to look me up
before she knew.

Speaker 3 (22:57):
But aren't you glad you looked him up?

Speaker 1 (22:59):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (23:00):
It's a fascinating career.

Speaker 4 (23:02):
Yes, I have a fantastic story to tell. Now do
it on Facebook. I hit a button and there you.

Speaker 17 (23:07):
Guys are about that?

Speaker 1 (23:10):
Can you tell us your favorite sitcom? And and why
is it? Everybody loves Raymond?

Speaker 3 (23:14):
Oh?

Speaker 18 (23:15):
Well, I got to tell you. It comes in like
a close second. But here's why. My first is The
Golden Girls. Be because well the Golden Girls, my ya
ya watch that? And I have the best memories of
her cackling to it.

Speaker 4 (23:32):
There was this.

Speaker 18 (23:33):
Sweet crapper, little old lady. But as soon as Dorothy said,
Blanche you slut ye, it was amazing. It was the
one thing that me and my mom and my yya
could all watch together that we all loved.

Speaker 3 (23:46):
So for that, I have to say, isn't it amazing?

Speaker 1 (23:49):
How I do?

Speaker 12 (23:51):
Thank you?

Speaker 3 (23:52):
But that show, if you if you were trying to
pitch that show any time other than that show got on,
they would say, nobody wants to see old ladies, right.

Speaker 4 (24:04):
That's what they said.

Speaker 19 (24:04):
Then.

Speaker 18 (24:05):
Of course, then a lot of people, no one could
believe that it did so well, but everyone loved them.

Speaker 3 (24:10):
All I do is try to pitch shows with older
people because they're funny.

Speaker 1 (24:16):
You know.

Speaker 12 (24:16):
The the scary thing.

Speaker 4 (24:17):
Is now is that like they're all like one year
older than me.

Speaker 3 (24:20):
That's right, And I think the their mother, a Stelghetty,
was younger than all of them playing older.

Speaker 4 (24:28):
That's what I heard.

Speaker 18 (24:29):
Yes, But the sad thing is now they did the
Golden Girls. Now they'd all have like plastic surgery and
their lips would be up.

Speaker 4 (24:36):
To their nose.

Speaker 3 (24:37):
Yes they would be plastic.

Speaker 4 (24:38):
Girls, Yes they would, Yes they would.

Speaker 18 (24:41):
What about your guys, what are your favorite sitcoms because
I can't call in to hear what you guys were saying.

Speaker 3 (24:45):
Oh, well, we we're gonna we're talking to people like
you and we're seeing, yes, what shows match ours, and
then as soon as we're done, we'll fill in the
ones that we didn't know that nobody got to. But
I love that you said Golden Girls, U. I think
it's a it's a it's a wonderful show and it's
it's the acting on it was so fantastic b Arthur

(25:10):
and Betty White maybe in sitcom history, the m v P.

Speaker 1 (25:17):
And the enduring. Yes, great, she stayed great. Yes at
the very end.

Speaker 3 (25:20):
Yes, remember her on Mary Taler Moore, how fantastic she
was when she came into that show. Just loved her.

Speaker 14 (25:27):
Be Arthur.

Speaker 4 (25:27):
B Arthur was non repeat.

Speaker 1 (25:30):
But yes, yes, I got to work with b Arthur
on one of the TV Land Awards or something. I
don't know if you ever met her.

Speaker 3 (25:35):
I never met her.

Speaker 1 (25:36):
I think she was just unbelievably great, like one of
the most hysterical phrasing. Just great.

Speaker 3 (25:42):
Yeah, and you wouldn't mess with her, No.

Speaker 1 (25:45):
Would not.

Speaker 4 (25:46):
Arthur. For some reason, she just gives a look. She
can look like no one else.

Speaker 3 (25:49):
That's right.

Speaker 1 (25:50):
I actually also thought with Maud, like, I don't know
if people still remember Maud as much as I do.
I think I think Bill Macy is a great great
I thought he was fantastic as the husband who speaks
less because I.

Speaker 4 (26:05):
I was gonna ask if that was a.

Speaker 1 (26:07):
Mister Maud, Yes, that was mister. And of course as
young men, I imagine phil Adrian Barbo was not an unpopular.

Speaker 3 (26:16):
I just met her at Norman's uh, Norman Lear's memorial.
She was there.

Speaker 1 (26:21):
Yeah, she was great. And by the way, that was
I'll just reveal one of mine, which I think sort
of has come up. Uh, since we're talking about, you know,
Norman All in the Family to me might be my
number one of all time because it's the first show
I remember watching, and I remember watching it behind my father,
uh like, cause you're talking about your experience. I remember

(26:42):
sitting in his bedroom with my mother before they broke up,
and he would sit and I would I literally just
was behind him looking over him to watch that show
and thinking. And it was artful and I still think
when I go back to it, I cannot believe how
deep it was. It would be funny and it would
also be deep. And I was thinking about it yesterday.

(27:03):
We don't need to talk politics, but I was thinking, like,
what a great message it was that you had like arguments,
political arguments, but everyone you could tell, kind of loved
each other, which I think is how life should be.
But that show, that's another reason I love.

Speaker 3 (27:16):
That show absolutely in my top one, two or three
shows of all time, just the greatest.

Speaker 4 (27:23):
What about the episode with Sammy Davis Junior.

Speaker 3 (27:25):
Unbelievably funny and great.

Speaker 4 (27:28):
That was phenomenal and methad, that's great.

Speaker 1 (27:33):
Listen.

Speaker 3 (27:33):
The whole show worked, and I always maintained that it
worked not because of the politics, but because of the
characters and the relationships. That's what the fun, that's what
drew you in.

Speaker 4 (27:45):
So I interrupt a lot.

Speaker 18 (27:47):
You're funniest thing is how I think there are racists
out there who actually saw Archie Bunker as their hero.

Speaker 3 (27:54):
That's absolutely true.

Speaker 4 (27:55):
And that people were making fun of the guy.

Speaker 3 (27:57):
Do you know that Richard Nixon is on tape saying
why did they Why do they keep making fun of
that nice Archie Bunker guy. He didn't get it at all? Yeah, really,
really they.

Speaker 4 (28:09):
Could ever make that show again.

Speaker 3 (28:10):
Now the same thing. Remember when Colbert had the Colbert
Report and he played a pundit, right wing pundit. Well, yes,
a lot of people thought he really was, and so
many people in high places thought he was that he
was invited by the George W. Bush White House to

(28:33):
speak at the Court Cars dinner, thinking he's one of us,
and then he got up and excoriated them, especially the President,
right to his face. It's the bravest, the single bravest
act of comedy I've seen in my lifetime. And you

(28:53):
can see this on YouTube if you want.

Speaker 4 (28:56):
I'm going to go look for it.

Speaker 3 (28:57):
You hear, I mean, he is bombing in that room,
but he doesn't care. It's phenomenal, believable, absolutely true and great.
So look up Stephen Colbert White House Correspondence Dinner.

Speaker 4 (29:12):
I absolutely will.

Speaker 18 (29:14):
Thank you so much for letting me on, even though
I couldn't hit the mute button before.

Speaker 3 (29:18):
But you were, you learned it, and now you've mastered it.

Speaker 1 (29:21):
It was an honor to meet you, Heather.

Speaker 4 (29:24):
Thanks guys.

Speaker 17 (29:25):
Bye, Heathery, so nice to meet you.

Speaker 3 (29:43):
I hope you're not driving.

Speaker 14 (29:45):
No, no, no. At the grocery store and I got
the notification that you were doing this now, and I
was like, you know what, I'm here, I'm parked, I'm
not going anywhere. Let's do it.

Speaker 3 (29:55):
That's so nice. So how do you get a notification
that that we're doing this?

Speaker 14 (30:00):
Because I have you guys on Facebook on Instagram, so.

Speaker 3 (30:05):
If somebody posts that you follow, you get a notificate. Ah,
very nice.

Speaker 14 (30:13):
Listen to your podcast like Forever.

Speaker 3 (30:18):
Forever And where are you from? Where are you calling
from today?

Speaker 14 (30:21):
Actually I'm in Miami, Florida, and I saw you the
last time you were here, right before the South Beach
went On Food Festival around that time. Yes, yes, I
saw you back in Broward County. I think it was.

Speaker 1 (30:35):
Are you having some really big weather there in Miami
right now?

Speaker 14 (30:40):
Honestly it's been very hot, not much rain, that's north,
I think, yeah, directly, Thank goodness.

Speaker 1 (30:52):
Are you are you? Do you have any favorite sitcoms
you can share with us?

Speaker 14 (31:01):
I'm a foodie. I'll be honest with you. I'm a foodie.
That's why I love your show.

Speaker 1 (31:06):
Somebody is your favorite sitcom?

Speaker 14 (31:09):
Yes? Yes, it is in its own way.

Speaker 3 (31:13):
Well, we did, we did take some of the sitcom
construction and weave it into the kind of foundation of
the show.

Speaker 14 (31:22):
Right. I love how it's got a story, it's got
a hard it's gotta be it, it's got a soul,
it's it's got the highlights, it's got everything. It's got sentimental,
it's got everything. Your reactions to the story and to
the places and the people are priceless, mister Phil's so true.

Speaker 3 (31:44):
Well, you're talking to one of the luckiest, if not
the luckiest fellow you're ever going to meet.

Speaker 14 (31:50):
I'm sure, and I'm lucky for having at least a
chance to speak with both of you.

Speaker 1 (31:54):
And how do we pronounce your name just correctly?

Speaker 14 (31:58):
Yeah, my name is I'm actually from Venezuela. Oh great,
I live in Miami. I've lived in Miami for forty
five years.

Speaker 3 (32:06):
And my name is Clellia.

Speaker 14 (32:11):
My name is Italian. It was my great grandmother's name
on my mother's side.

Speaker 3 (32:16):
You know, David Clellia is next to Godlia.

Speaker 1 (32:18):
That's what you always say. Uh So, can I assume
then that you a lot of people discovered Phil because
I knew he created Everybody loves Raymond and then somebody fit.
But you actually did you become a Phil fan through
just seeing somebody feed Phil.

Speaker 14 (32:36):
Yes, and I was introduced by it through I believe
it was a customer. I worked for a major, major,
major airline, major so major you can't mention it that
has flat colors. You might know what that is?

Speaker 1 (32:50):
A major American airline. Yes, correct, there, that's my favorite.

Speaker 3 (32:56):
Can I get an upgrade? I'm flying on.

Speaker 14 (33:00):
You can contact me anytime I can.

Speaker 3 (33:04):
Wow, clea good to know.

Speaker 14 (33:08):
Thank you. Thanks. We were Actually I'm I'm a reservation
agent slash supervisor, and so i work in a call
center and I talked to many many people every single
day from all over the place, and I'm very conversational
in my selling approach. And we talked about me going

(33:32):
to Portugal, I think I said, and then this person
told me about your Lisbon show.

Speaker 3 (33:38):
Yes, yes, and for me to.

Speaker 14 (33:41):
Get a feel for it and all that, and I
looked everything up and I've seen every single season everythingle
so from the beginning.

Speaker 1 (33:47):
By the way Lisbon informed my trip. My wife and
I went to Lisbon for a wedding and that show
really helped. And it's you want to know the impact,
Like I think everyone who goes to Lisbon now goes
to that seafood restaurant that you.

Speaker 3 (34:02):
Did you go to Pantow and sit out on the world.
I wish, I wish.

Speaker 14 (34:08):
No, I didn't, but I did go to eat the
pastage the Villain. Oh, yes, which are outrageously delicious.

Speaker 3 (34:16):
Should I go to Venezuela.

Speaker 14 (34:17):
Many beautiful places. Should you go to Venezuela? I would say,
wait until the political unrest is done is.

Speaker 1 (34:23):
Always good advance.

Speaker 3 (34:25):
You could say that about a lot of places.

Speaker 1 (34:27):
Yeah, I tell that about America.

Speaker 14 (34:29):
Yeah, yeah, which is honestly uncertain as to when that's
gonna be. It's already been twenty five years for that sake. Yeah. Yeah,
if you can possibly stay away from the capital city
and go visit the other times. Yeah, there's a place
called Los Roques r o q u e s which
I've never been to, but I hear it's absolutely gorgeous,

(34:51):
beautiful and they have the Saint Angel's Falls, which are
the tallest, I believe, the tallest falls in the world. Wow.
But yeah, I mean it's got a good things and
it's bad things. I, as an American citizen now with
an expired Venezuelan passport, cannot go.

Speaker 1 (35:09):
Oh then we don't want to go. If you can't go.
We're not going. Wow, I can't. I'm sorry. If if
I could find a Venezuelan restaurant on the way back
from your because we're not eating this lunch. What is
the best dish Venezuelan dish? What's your favorite?

Speaker 14 (35:28):
I mean the typical everyday kind of food, like a bagel, similar.

Speaker 3 (35:34):
It's an I know about that, which I'm sure you've
heard of it.

Speaker 14 (35:38):
It's like a corn meal bread if you will, that
you can stuff with a multitude of things. It is delicious,
It's good with the multitude of things.

Speaker 1 (35:49):
Yes, that's my favorite food is a multitude of things.
My favorite dish, favorite dish. Well, it's so nice to
meet you. Yes, are too funny, you know, it's so great.

Speaker 14 (35:58):
To me to say something really brief. I know my
time is short. I've been in I've been in this
country now for forty five plus years. I'm fifty five
years old. I'm a person with a disability. I'm a
person with a disability, and I'm fortunate enough, even though
I came here as a result of my parents' divorce,

(36:19):
I'm fortunate enough to have the ability to live here
and have the independent life that I have here and
live in my own home, have my own car, have
my own job, make my own money. I'm not government dependent,
which is a huge blessing and I'm very grateful for that.
And I also love your show because it helps to

(36:43):
open up the world to so many people that would
not otherwise be able to I've been in the travel
business in many areas for more than thirty years, so
for me, travel is like breathing. I have to be
able to do it me.

Speaker 3 (36:58):
I'm with you, up.

Speaker 14 (37:01):
It is. It is such an educational and eye opening
experience in many, many, many, many ways. One of my
favorite trips, really briefly is when I went to China.
Believe it or not. Yeah, everybody here in this country
is China. No China, No China. But China has so
much beautiful history and traditional Oh yes, it is amazing.

(37:22):
I've only been, can never go, I would recommend.

Speaker 3 (37:25):
I can't wait to go back.

Speaker 1 (37:26):
I was.

Speaker 3 (37:26):
We did a show in Hong Kong on the PBS series,
but that's not you know, mainly in China. I have
to get there. I can't wait to go to Shanghai.
I want to see Chengdu. And I'm sure you've been
to other places there too, right, I went.

Speaker 14 (37:40):
To Shanghai, Chian and Beijing.

Speaker 1 (37:43):
Can I share something with you that my dad today
on the day where we're doing this would have been
ninety nine today, oh, which I just figured out late
last night because she was born in nineteen twenty five,
older than my mom. But he went to China. He
was stationed there during World War two, and to the
end of his life he said that was one of
the defining experiences of his life. He had such respect

(38:06):
and love for the you know, seeing another culture. He
was a poor kid who grew up in New York
with on charity, you know, had nothing, and he said,
going to China, you know, even during World War two,
was an eye opening experience that made him love cultures.
And I think about him all the time because I
literally never had either of my parents ever say a
prejudiced word about anything. They always were, like, respected other cultures.

(38:29):
And I thank god that, like my dad, was opened
up by travel as a young you know man during
World War two to the world.

Speaker 14 (38:38):
I think you learn more by traveling and seeing it
firsthand than by reading it from a book.

Speaker 1 (38:42):
Yes, of course, absolutely, yes.

Speaker 3 (38:44):
At the whole point of my show is not that
you sit there and watch it. It said, you get motivated.

Speaker 14 (38:49):
To go, absolutely, and you'll show people in such positive
light and just educational and humors. And you're reactions are priceless.

Speaker 11 (39:02):
Thank you.

Speaker 14 (39:03):
Even in that, I still remember you were in a
Baptist church here in the States and they were singing
this song that you sang when you were a little kid.

Speaker 3 (39:12):
Yes, and you're.

Speaker 14 (39:13):
Remembering the song. Amen, emotional about it.

Speaker 3 (39:16):
Amen, that's the song.

Speaker 14 (39:18):
I mean, it was incredible.

Speaker 3 (39:20):
Oh, thank you? Aren't you nice? I love that. I
love what you said.

Speaker 14 (39:25):
Yes, I want to share mycondolesis and loss of your parents.

Speaker 3 (39:29):
Thank you.

Speaker 14 (39:30):
And I also want to congratulate you for getting a
new daughter in law. That's very exciting, isn't that nice?

Speaker 1 (39:35):
Very sweet? She's lovely.

Speaker 3 (39:36):
She is lovely and great and plays the violin music.
I mean, she's wonderful. We're so happy and so lucky.
You know, you and your story you are what makes
America great. I love your story.

Speaker 14 (39:54):
Thank you. I'm open for featuring your show.

Speaker 3 (39:57):
Okay, when I come to Miami, so nice to meet you.

Speaker 1 (40:02):
We'll eat a red bus thank you.

Speaker 14 (40:05):
Well, we'll have much more better food than that.

Speaker 1 (40:09):
Thank you.

Speaker 14 (40:09):
Guys, Thank you so much for all you do every
single day. Thank you so much.

Speaker 3 (40:13):
Love to you. Thank you. Hi Jill, where are you
call him from today?

Speaker 4 (40:22):
I'm calling from a near Springfield, Massachusetts.

Speaker 3 (40:25):
Ah, no, the Massachusetts very We love Massachusetts.

Speaker 5 (40:32):
It's here.

Speaker 1 (40:34):
Are you a sitcom fan? Is that? I don't know
if you saw the topic. But we can talk about
anything you want. You can ask Phil anything you want.
But is there a sitcom you love?

Speaker 5 (40:43):
Oh? I love all of them. Ghosts right now is
one of.

Speaker 3 (40:48):
Our you know, I haven't even seen that.

Speaker 1 (40:51):
That is a that I watched it. That's I have
never watched an episode, and now I will see our
friends on CBS.

Speaker 3 (40:58):
Oh wait, it's not brand new. It's like three years old,
isn't it?

Speaker 4 (41:01):
Paramount?

Speaker 8 (41:02):
So it's funny great.

Speaker 1 (41:03):
I think it was like an adaptation of is it
Canadian or British? I think it might have been like
an American version of something that was already is the UK?

Speaker 8 (41:12):
It wasn't like just like the office like the UK.

Speaker 1 (41:16):
You just mentioned. The UK Office is one of on
my lists. The only we're mentioning things on our list
when you bring when people bringing up I have the
American and the British Office on my list because I
love the British one and didn't want to see the
American one. But the cast was so great. Steve Carrell
is such a genius. That became one of my favorites.

Speaker 3 (41:37):
Every every single line when they were on it, Well,
Steve Carrell was on it every line, every episode. Hysterical.

Speaker 8 (41:49):
Yeah, very funny that that was.

Speaker 5 (41:51):
That was one of our favorites.

Speaker 8 (41:53):
Yeah.

Speaker 10 (41:54):
Another one that got canceled, but I mean it's an
hour long program so helped me Todd, which I considered
a sitcom because it was so funny.

Speaker 19 (42:04):
Yeah, it got canceled.

Speaker 3 (42:08):
I'm sorry that's happened.

Speaker 1 (42:12):
Are there any shows on now or in the last
five years that make your list? Phil, Nope, because I okay,
I have one that I one that's on the.

Speaker 3 (42:22):
Only because I'm old and by the time I got
through with all the ones that you know, help kind
of shape me.

Speaker 1 (42:29):
Yes, and nice spaces left.

Speaker 12 (42:31):
Well.

Speaker 3 (42:31):
Yeah, I think the most recent one I have on
my list is the Larry Sanders show.

Speaker 1 (42:36):
Oh that is not that recent. I have one that's
more recent than that. Catastrophe.

Speaker 3 (42:44):
Wow, that's very good.

Speaker 1 (42:46):
Yes, I thought that was a really great and unique.

Speaker 8 (42:51):
Yeah.

Speaker 19 (42:51):
I've been watching reruns of My Three Sons Prime Video
and I'm like, Wow, it's doesn't Some things don't translate
to modern listen.

Speaker 3 (43:06):
Everything is a product of the time it was made right.
But I think William Demris holds up.

Speaker 5 (43:12):
Yeah, he does.

Speaker 1 (43:13):
Uncle Charlie he was the first celebrity I ever met,
just about because I went. It was in Palm Springs
with my father and his second wife and we were
on a golf course and he came. I think it
was just on a golf cart at the end. I
think he might have died during that trip, but it was.

Speaker 3 (43:30):
He's one of my all time favorites. You know that.
People don't even know that. Before he was Uncle Charlie,
he was one of Preston Sturgis's stock characters.

Speaker 1 (43:39):
He was the best guy in the report.

Speaker 3 (43:40):
So funny, always brilliant, always really funny. Did you have
a question for us today?

Speaker 4 (43:47):
My question wasn't a sitcom question, That's what I had.

Speaker 19 (43:50):
It was the question because my husband and I just
got home from a road trip and I was wondering
what your favorite road trip snack was. A.

Speaker 3 (44:01):
Oh, that's great. This is boring, but it's going to
be it's going to be chips or pretzels or popcorn,
stuff like that.

Speaker 8 (44:13):
Just because they're easy to get out of the bag.

Speaker 3 (44:15):
The which one, Oh yeah, sure, yeah, it's really the
car snack is really kind of any snack that you
don't need to construct.

Speaker 19 (44:29):
Yeah, we we bring fruit with us, but we end
up bringing it home.

Speaker 3 (44:36):
That's the you know, that's the slogan for fruit, the
last resort. Like if you went off a cliff and
you were stuck in a tree, maybe after day three
you'd eat the fruit.

Speaker 5 (44:51):
Yeah, that's probably true.

Speaker 3 (44:57):
Well you're waiting for rescue. Well, there's this plumb. I
love fruit. I don't want people thinking I don't eat fruit.
Eat fruit every day. It's very good for you, right,
I mean it's delicious, But.

Speaker 19 (45:12):
In the car or when we're on vacation, I'm not
not good about eating eating Well.

Speaker 3 (45:18):
But look, you're you're you're in Massachusetts. You know the
fruit's coming in that. Let's say you're in the crux
of summer. There's what's better than a peach right now?

Speaker 5 (45:27):
Yeah, peach is fantastic.

Speaker 1 (45:29):
It's peachy. It's peachy.

Speaker 3 (45:32):
I love it. Well, we love you for calling today.

Speaker 1 (45:35):
Thank you so much.

Speaker 5 (45:36):
Thanks.

Speaker 19 (45:37):
Thanks for listening to me.

Speaker 3 (45:39):
We love listening to you better than listening to us.

Speaker 4 (45:43):
We listened to you in the car.

Speaker 3 (45:46):
You eat your veggie straws.

Speaker 1 (45:49):
By the way, I love straws.

Speaker 3 (45:51):
I love them too, not like they're great, yes, and
exactly like real vegetables. Hi, Chris, look with the magical
Listen to the golden tones of Chris Rosetti listen say
hi to us. Well, hello, come on, you can't make

(46:12):
that up. How are you? My friend?

Speaker 12 (46:15):
Very well? Thank you, and I just want to say
you are the only two Dodger fans that I'll talk to.

Speaker 1 (46:21):
Okay, Well, by the way, being a Dodger fan is
being it's less fun for us.

Speaker 3 (46:27):
Lately, so which makes Chris happy.

Speaker 12 (46:31):
Yeah. Yes, anyway, a couple of quick things. One, congratulations
on the new season. I'm so excited.

Speaker 3 (46:38):
Oh thanks Chris. Yeah, I start filming it the end
of the month. I can't tell you where, but we
start filming. It's very exciting.

Speaker 12 (46:48):
And also I have two questions for you. Number One,
When I was a kid, my dad made the greatest meatballs. Yeah,
and all five of us kids got his famous meatball recipe.
We found out after he passed away. He gave us
all a different secret ingredient.

Speaker 3 (47:05):
Holy cow, do you think it had something to do
with each of your personalities?

Speaker 12 (47:10):
Now that he was just crazy?

Speaker 3 (47:14):
But yeah, like mine, it was a bitter flavor.

Speaker 1 (47:16):
Yeah, but I was one.

Speaker 12 (47:18):
I was wondering, do you have any family recipes that
have been handing down to you that you enjoy?

Speaker 3 (47:23):
Yeah, my grandmother's stuff cabbage. You know what I'm working
on the second cookbook. The first cookbook was all from
the show, and the next cookbook is going to be
stuff from the show that we didn't that you know,
it's been updated, but also family and friends recipes that
I've loved and then I eat all the time. But

(47:44):
my grandmother's recipe for stuffed cabbage is in there. That's
a great, it's great.

Speaker 12 (47:52):
I absolutely love stuffed cabbage. Yeah, but we have recipe
handed down from my Hungarian side. Yes, there's an Italian
side in Hungary.

Speaker 1 (48:00):
Inside.

Speaker 12 (48:00):
People ask me, are you Italian? I say only on
the weekends, But I was I was also wanting to
ask one more question real quick.

Speaker 3 (48:08):
Whatever you want.

Speaker 12 (48:10):
If you could eat with anybody in history, yeah, who
would it be? And why?

Speaker 3 (48:15):
Chris Rosetti? He knows food.

Speaker 12 (48:22):
That's true. You don't get this big just looking.

Speaker 3 (48:24):
At I think it'd be fun to eat with Groucho Marx,
don't you. I think i'd laugh a lot and learn
a lot why.

Speaker 1 (48:38):
I actually would also have loved to have had a
meal with George Burns, who I don't know.

Speaker 3 (48:44):
I think he actually met him a bunch of times
and talked to him a lot, because everything you'd want
in a George Burns.

Speaker 1 (48:50):
Yes, I did get to I did get to eat
with Rickles and with New Heart, and that I'm always
treasured those members.

Speaker 3 (49:00):
Right, Yeah, you know, we've gotten to meet so many idols.
There's a very short list of people I wish I
could have. I got to meet Walter math I once,
and I just you know, he was my my favorite actor,
and so I wish I got to know him a
little better. I never got to meet Mike Nichols. I
think I would have really liked knowing him.

Speaker 1 (49:21):
But you've managed to become unbelievably close friends with Elaine May,
which is not so bad. Pretty cool.

Speaker 3 (49:28):
I can't complain.

Speaker 1 (49:29):
Chris, did you say tell us a favorite sitcom of yours.

Speaker 12 (49:34):
A favorite sitcom of mine?

Speaker 1 (49:35):
Yeah, that's sort of the theme of this episode.

Speaker 12 (49:40):
It has to be Everybody Loves Raymond.

Speaker 1 (49:43):
I'm not familiar with.

Speaker 3 (49:44):
This is why you want Chris on your show.

Speaker 12 (49:49):
I mean, I mean, there are sitcoms, and there is
the sitcom, and Everybody Loves Raymond is the sitcom. We
we play it daily in the house, aren't you the reruns?
We played them almost daily, an episode or two at least.

Speaker 3 (50:04):
Wow, thank you. Did you have a favorite episode?

Speaker 12 (50:10):
My wife and I were discussing the other night with
her daughter, the one about the fly. Yes, Oh my gosh.

Speaker 3 (50:19):
Even that was based on something that happened to one
of us.

Speaker 12 (50:24):
It was amazing. I just loved Raymond's reaction when he
sees that.

Speaker 1 (50:28):
He turned out.

Speaker 3 (50:33):
There are people who do weirder things. We just saw
one of them pop up.

Speaker 1 (50:38):
One of them came up on this zoom.

Speaker 3 (50:41):
Chris, bless you. You've been so wonderful to me and
I so appreciate you. Thank you so much for calling today,
and we'll see you next time.

Speaker 12 (50:51):
Yes, sir, and go Dodgers, but some other year.

Speaker 3 (50:54):
Yes, go Blue Bye buddy. Thank you.

Speaker 14 (51:00):
So.

Speaker 3 (51:01):
In our few minutes remaining, let's take a look at
the rest of our lists. And see we've covered Mary Talamore.

Speaker 1 (51:11):
We've covered on my list as well.

Speaker 3 (51:13):
Larry Sanders, was that.

Speaker 1 (51:15):
On your list? It was not on my list?

Speaker 3 (51:16):
Although great show, odd couple we talked about on the Family,
we talked to my list for sure, the Office we
talked about yep. Okay, So give us one that we
haven't mentioned.

Speaker 1 (51:29):
Cheers, hasn't I haven't said? And having Ted Denson on
our podcast recently, go back to that episode.

Speaker 3 (51:36):
I can't believe that I've gotten to become friends with
him because that's one of the iconic greats that comes
of all time.

Speaker 1 (51:42):
Absolutely not on.

Speaker 3 (51:43):
My list, by the way.

Speaker 1 (51:45):
Another one I have too many, Another more recent one
that was like a lot of people discovered your show
during the pandemic, the one that I went through the
whole series during the pandemic with my family. Shit's creak.

Speaker 3 (51:57):
I really oh so good, so good, what a great
cast and Catherine is unbelievable, brilliant. What about you haven't
mentioned Taxi.

Speaker 1 (52:10):
I I it was the number eleven or twelve.

Speaker 3 (52:14):
I have it in the top ten. I think it's amazing.

Speaker 1 (52:17):
And I love the cast so much.

Speaker 3 (52:19):
And the writing, everything about it great.

Speaker 1 (52:22):
I have thirty Rock. Did you have thirty Rock?

Speaker 3 (52:24):
I did have thirty Rock. I would say pound for pound,
minute for minute, the jokes, the one liner.

Speaker 1 (52:33):
Adding average of the jokes is as high as anything
in history.

Speaker 3 (52:36):
I think it goes against everything that I was taught
about making a great sitcom, whereas it can't just be
about the jokes. You have to have characters, you have
to have story, and thirty Rock had wonderful characters and
had very good stories too, but the jokes were.

Speaker 1 (52:57):
The heart of the show.

Speaker 3 (52:58):
It was like a the world's greatest joke bag.

Speaker 1 (53:02):
On agree, it's not. I'm not saying it's at that
level quite, but I think you turned me on to
Girls Forever Ever.

Speaker 3 (53:09):
Well that that has a ton of great jokes too,
because it's coming from the you know, Tina Fey school
of you've got to have great jokes, and she was
already writing great jokes on SNL. Absolutely, and she's just
one of the great writers of our.

Speaker 1 (53:23):
Time, and one of the only ones I don't know
that we've talked about really, because Carl Reiner really had
a lot to do with why we do this, Ye show,
Dick Van Dyke Show.

Speaker 3 (53:35):
I can't believe I didn't put that on the list.
Of course it's on my list, but I just ran
out of space. I was only allowed ten.

Speaker 1 (53:42):
And really that people talk about the template, or Chris
saying your show is the template, I think you would
even say Dick Van Dyke, in a weird way was
the template.

Speaker 3 (53:52):
Carl ran that show by asking the writers, what happened
at your house this week? When I learned that, I
was like, this Raymond show is the perfect vehicle for
that type of thinking. And if you work for me,
your job was to go home, get in a fight
with your wife, and come back in and tell me
about it. And that's how he made the show. But yes,
one of the all time greats, which then the wife

(54:14):
on that show became the star of arguably the best
sitcom ever, the Mary Talamore Show.

Speaker 1 (54:20):
Exactly. Speaking about great TV husbands and yours already, Well,
I'm gonna put on good times because one of my favorite,
my favorite not that funny character in a sitcom, because
he made it feel real the way that, like all
in the family felt real. As John Amos, I think
he's unbelieve.

Speaker 3 (54:39):
He was also incredibly lovable in a way, right you
just cared for him.

Speaker 1 (54:44):
And on the TV Land Awards. Once I got to
write a tribute to good Times and it was supposed
to be delivered by Snoop Dogg, who now is mister Olympics. Yeah,
but Snoop didn't show up in time to do the presentation,
so I was asked to go out into the audience
and find someone to a tribute read the tribute to
good Times. No, and I went I knew Quentin Tarantino

(55:05):
and I saw Quenton there and he was just attending
and I go, Quent, would you make tribute to good Times?
He goes absolutely, And then I brought him back showed
him the stuff that I'd written for Snoop Dogg and
he goes, I go, I'll rewrite it for you. He goes, no, No,
I'm gonna do it as Snoop Dogg one of the
craziest things. And he did it. Wow Dog. So yeah,
I'm gonna throw that in and on your.

Speaker 3 (55:27):
List, Yeah, I have. I have The Simpsons on.

Speaker 1 (55:31):
There, a different kind of show, but absolutely. And is it,
by the way, you're a star of the Simpsons.

Speaker 3 (55:37):
Yeah, because I'm a big star on that show. I
had two lines on that show, but they are sometimes
more believable than some live action sitcoms in terms of
family relationships and truisms about life in this world. Brilliant,
brilliant show for how many years though thirty five?

Speaker 1 (56:01):
And here's a little story you might have forgotten. You
kindly brought we with you. I guess becuse we're gonna
have lunch after when you did you did a voice
part on The Simpsons. Yeah, But the amazing thing about
it was we were in the writer's room when the
pandemic came on our radar, because that's what you remember.
There was a woman in the writers from my favorite

(56:21):
where one of the brilliant writers there said, I'm supposed
to go to Italy tomorrow, but I just got an
alert I shouldn't go for some reason. There's something happening there.
And that was like, yeah, intro one, oh one to
what was about to happen? Terrible.

Speaker 3 (56:37):
But to my buddies out there who make the Simpsons,
your friggin geniuses, and how how you can keep up
the level talk about joke writing and story writing and
you know, stuff that's relevant and even prescient. Yep, the
things they've picked. There's a whole I think web page

(56:59):
dedicated to things that have been said on The Simpsons
in the last thirty five years that have come to pass.

Speaker 1 (57:05):
That's true.

Speaker 3 (57:05):
I think they predicted the Trump presidency even Okay, well,
I'm not saying these are great things that have happened.
I'm just saying they've happened.

Speaker 1 (57:13):
I passed.

Speaker 3 (57:14):
No judgment me neither like who you like, although we
should talk. Yeah, a show that has picked up the
mantle from all the family by saying shocking things and
being politically and socially daring is another show that's been

(57:40):
on for many, many years and gets away with murder,
and that is South Park. Oh and South Park kills me.

Speaker 1 (57:48):
I guess I didn't think of animated as sitcom, but
it is. But absolutely, South Park is one of the
most important.

Speaker 3 (57:55):
If sitcom is classified by a half hour of funny.

Speaker 1 (57:59):
Yes, how do you know have South Park? I loved it.
I got to know those guys because I did the
first Rolling Stone cover story. Yeah, and they used to
have me over to the office and do the voices
for me, like literally just over a computer. I got
to see them do the movie that way. Matt and
Treyer absolute geniuses for our times.

Speaker 3 (58:17):
And then for me the father or grandfather of sitcoms
that have influenced my life. And this is the only
one where I can honestly say I know every single
line of every single episode. And that's The Honeymooners.

Speaker 1 (58:34):
Okay, we should end on that high, because that is
we had either you'll have heard right before this or
right after this, our discussion with Bonnie Hunt, who met
Jackie Gleeson when he was filming Nothing in Common. I
am obsessed with Jackie Gleeson. That is my literal first
memory of just being like yes, and then you realized

(58:55):
and you as a writer of sitcoms like the Husband
Wife relations of it is it is a seminal, absolutely
and uh Carney semino seminal.

Speaker 3 (59:10):
It started as a sketch on the Jackie Gleason Variety Show,
and the sketch was so popular within the show they said, hey,
let's make it a sitcom, and so they took a
break during their hiatus from the Variety Show. They made
thirty nine episodes in a row, which are the classics
that we know that you can find on YouTube, you

(59:33):
can find online. There are also lost episodes, and when
they say lost episodes, those are the ones that were
the sketches in the Jackie Gleason Show. Some of them
were kinescopes, meaning not true videotape. Kinescope is someone filming
a television set that's playing the show.

Speaker 1 (59:51):
Do you you you were too young to have ever
run into Jackie Gleeson when you first got out into show.

Speaker 3 (59:57):
No, but we got a letter once from Ark Carney. Oh,
who was my idol, and he was a Raymond fan.
And then I could die.

Speaker 1 (01:00:04):
That is unbelievable.

Speaker 3 (01:00:06):
Yeah, I never ran into Jackie Gleson. But my first
memory was that the of TV was watching Jackie Gleeson's
variety show from the sixties, and then going back.

Speaker 1 (01:00:16):
You must have been a baby baby and.

Speaker 3 (01:00:19):
And but and yet that was Saturday night. Also that
was before Kyle Burnett.

Speaker 14 (01:00:25):
And.

Speaker 3 (01:00:27):
That led me to the reruns of The Honeymooners, and
then that became my favorite thing.

Speaker 1 (01:00:32):
He is the definition of the kind. There's actors who
just make me laugh, Yes, just when they talk. You
Peter Boyle could do that. Jerry Stiller could do that,
like on any of the shows.

Speaker 3 (01:00:44):
Yeah, it's like a character.

Speaker 1 (01:00:46):
I just like to watch him speak.

Speaker 3 (01:00:48):
Yeah, wealter mathout can do that for me. Just the
facial expression and the everything about him. I just love
them so much, the three of them, Mark Carney, Audrey
Meadow's Jackie Lison. The chemistry was unbelievable in a set
probably the size of this table, right and huge. They
didn't need anything but themselves and the and those writing

(01:01:12):
those words just fantastic. So that's our sitcom episode.

Speaker 1 (01:01:16):
Everybody.

Speaker 3 (01:01:17):
I'm sure we missed some that you love. Did I
mention faulty towers?

Speaker 1 (01:01:22):
I love for But we can do another one. I
gotta feeling.

Speaker 3 (01:01:25):
I mean this is I haven't scratched as the surface.
There's no shortage of great in the world. H Well,
thanks everybody, we love you and we'll see you next time.

Speaker 1 (01:01:36):
Naked Lunch is a podcast by Phil Rosenthal and David Wilde.

Speaker 12 (01:01:39):
Theme song and music by Brad Paisley, Produced by Will
Sterling and Ryan Tillotson, with video editing by Daniel Ferrara
and motion graphics by Ali Ahmed.

Speaker 1 (01:01:48):
Executive produced by Phil Rosenthal, David Wilde, and our consulting
journalist is Pamela Chellen. Thanks for listening to Naked Lunch,
A Lucky Bastard's production.