Ruta Lee on the power of live theatre

TVC 705.1: TV Confidential celebrates the recent centennial birthday of actress June Lockhart by bringing you an encore presentation of our conversation with June from March 2015 in which we discussed the ongoing popularity of Lost in Space (particularly, on MeTV), plus a few other stories from her showbiz career. June Lockhart turned 100 on June 25, 2025. Also in this segment: A replay from a segment that originally aired in September 2015 in which Tony, Donna, and Ed discussed the premiere of Lost in Space on CBS in 1965.

TVC 705.2: From August 2018: Chuck Harter joins Ed for the last of our three-part look at the era of pop music TV shows from the mid to late 1960s. This segment focuses on Malibu U (ABC, 1967), a summer replacement series hosted by Rick Nelson and featuring the Bob Banas Dancers (along with such guests as Leonard Nimoy, James Darren, Dionne Warwick, The Turtles, The Doors, and The Fifth Dimension); Groovy (Syndicated, 1967-1970), a beach party/teen dance show hosted by Michael Blodgett; and Happening ’68 (ABC, 1968-1969), a music variety series hosted by Paul Revere and Mark Lindsday that aired both in prime time and in daytime.

TVC 705.3: From August 2018: Chuck Harter and Ed remember The Music Scene (ABC, 1969), the short-lived music comedy series from the fall of 1969 that featured such top Billboard artists as The Beatles, James Brown, Neil Diamond, Three Dog Night, Tom Jones, Janis Joplin, Sly and The Family Stone—all performing live every week. Hosted by comedian David Steinberg, and also featuring a house band led by Patrick Williams and a regular improvisational comedy group that included a pre-Laugh-In Lily Tomlin, The Music Scene is mostly remembered today for its odd length (45 minutes).

TVC 705.4: Ed welcomes back Ruta Lee (High Rollers, Witness for the Prosecution, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Consider Your Ass Kissed), legendary singer, actress, and philanthropist, and the chairperson emeritus of The Thalians, the charitable organization to which Ruta has dedicated much of her life over the past seventy years, and which to date has raised has raised more than $50 million for mental health related causes. Ruta recently announced that The Thalians will honor Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Neil Sedaka with its Mr. Wonderful award at this year’s Thalians Christmas gala, which will take place at the Bel Air Country Club Saturday, Dec. 6. The evening will also include a special appearance by the one and only Ann Jillian. For tickets and more information, Thalians.org. Topics this segment include the back story of Mr. Wonderful award (which was designed by Walt Disney), and why Ruta believes that Southern California “is the place where God lives.”

TVC 705.5: Entertainment legend Ruta Lee talks to Ed about why live theatre has always been near and dear to her heart. The Thalians, the charitable organization to which Ruta has dedicated much of her life over the past seventy years, will present Neil Sedaka with its annual Mr. Wonderful award at this year’s Thalians Christmas gala, which will take place at the Bel Air Country Club Saturday, Dec. 6. The evening will also include a special appearance by the one and only Ann Jillian. For tickets and more information, Thalians.org.

TVC 704.1: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with award-winning producer, director, and author Joseph Wallenstein (Knots Landing, Hotel, Seventh Heaven, Flynn vs. Miranda, Nothing Dies for Film), longtime director of physical production for the USC School of Cinematic Arts and the host of the new podcast Whatcha Know Joe? Topics this segment include Joe’s experience working with Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins in American Hot Wax; working with Alex Karras, Garo Yepremian, Mike Lucci, and other NFL players in Paper Lion; and how Joe singlehandedly “nearly ruined” The Godfather (according to director Francis Ford Coppola). Whatcha Know Joe? is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever else you find podcasts.

TVC 704.2: Ed welcomes retired U.S. Army Airborne Ranger Barry Todd. Barry is the author of Stand Your Ground: One Man’s Self-Defense Nightmare, a firsthand look at the emotional and financial toll of defending oneself within a flawed judicial system, which Barry had to do in 2014 after he was wrongfully incarcerated on charges of attempted murder and aggravated assault—despite overwhelming video security camera evidence to the contrary—and how the ordeal ultimately fueled Barry’s determination to help others through the Defense Resources Foundation, a nonprofit organization that Barry founded to make sure other people receive a fair chance in the justice system. Stand Your Ground is available at Amazon, BarnesandNoble.com, StandYourGroundBook.com. All proceeds from sales of the book will support the efforts of the Defense Resources Foundation.

TVC 704.3: TV Confidential commemorates August 29, The Day The Running Stopped, the date on which the famous final episode of The Fugitive originally aired in 1967, by bringing you encore presentations of some of our interviews with actors who appeared on The Fugitive, beginning with a clip from a conversation that originally aired on Talking Television in which Barry Morse shares a few memories with Dave White and Ed Robertson about his career in stage and television, including insight into how he approached playing Gerard on The Fugitive. This interview originally aired in May 2007, about nine months before Barry's death in February 2008. The accompanying photo of Barry with Ed Robertson was taken in November 1995.

TVC 704.4: TV Confidential commemorates August 29, The Day The Running Stopped, by bringing you encore presentations of some of our interviews with actors who appeared on The Fugitive, including this clip from August 2015 in which Richard Anderson (The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, Perry Mason, Dan August) talks to Ed and guest co-host Alan Doshna about meeting Gary Cooper and Clark Gable early in his career at M-G-M; working with Rock Hudson and John Frankenheimer in Seconds; and playing Lt. Steve Drumm in the final season of Perry Mason.

TVC 704.5: TV Confidential commemorates August 29, The Day The Running Stopped, with an encore presentation of our January 2012 conversation with actress Jacqueline Scott (The Fugitive, Duel). Among other topics in this segment, Jacqui answers email questions from listeners about working with David Janssen and Barry Morse on The Fugitive.