It pays to be a pack rat. Example: believe it or not, an interview I did with comedy legend George Burns way back in December of 1985 still plays on a cassette recorder. It will kick off a series of “From the Vault” podcasts coming to brioux.tv.
Burns was about to turn 90 when I interviewed him in Hollywood, where he still had an office at one of the movie studios. Burns, who teamed with his comedienne-wife Gracie Allen for 38 years in vaudeville, radio, films and television, was promoting his 90th birthday special on CBS. I was new to Los Angeles as a photo editor and rookie writer for the Canadian edition of TV Guide.
The audio of this conversation has never been available before. Look for that podcast episode to go live later this week. More “oldies” from boxes of cassette and micro-cassette tapes I’ve held onto will also be featured in the coming weeks and months as podcasts, along with the usual mix of up-to-date interviews with talent associated with new shows.
I’ve been listening to old tapes of conversations with Clarence “Ducky” Nash, the original voice of Donald Duck, one of my first TV Guide interviews, along with original Laurel & Hardy producer Hal Roach. Other stars such as Don Adams from Get Smart, Dawn Wells and Russell Johnson from Gilligan’s Island, Jerry Van Dyke, Bill Dana, Rex Foxx, Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Rose Marie, Jack LaLanne and other TV headliners from yesterday will also be unearthed, re-mixed and featured.
Fresh interviews with stars and producers returning with new episodes this fall will debut in September, including a conversation with Murdoch Mysteries showrunner Peter Mitchell. Season 16 premieres on CBC Monday, Sept. 12. I also just spoke with Hudson & Rex lead actor John Reardon. That Citytv series is heading back for a 5th season.
In the meantime, all brioux.tv podcast episodes are free and available to listen on demand on Apple, Spotify, Google, Buzzsprout or whichever platform you prefer. Link to them below:
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