Author Bruce Villanch ("It Seemed Like A Bad Idea At The Time"): "I Have A Nine Inch Tongue And I Can Breathe Through My Ears"

Show Notes

Dennis is joined via Zoom and telephone by writer to talk about his new book It Seemed Like A Bad Idea At The Time: The Worst TV Shows In History And Other Things I Wrote. The book attempts to answer the question, "How did this project happen?" about such so-bad-it's-delicious shows like The Star Wars Holiday Special, The Brady Bunch Variety Hour, The Paul Lynde Halloween Special as well as the feature films Can't Stop The Music and Ice Pirates. Bruce shares stories about working with Florence Henderson and Robert Reed on The Brady Bunch Variety Hour and reveals the famous socialite who was the Number 2 choice for "Fake Jan" on the show. Bruce, who was adopted as a baby, also shares the story of how, just in the last four years, DNA testing led him to discover a whole new birth family who have become a big part of his life. Other topics include: dealing with the Mormon elders while writing for Donny and Marie, what is was like to work with such 70's TV icons like Bob Hope, Robert Urich, Paul Lynde, Rip Taylor and Sid and Marty Krofft, why he he's happy to host benefits, the secret to his career longevity and the pact that he made to himself early in his career that "no one day should be like the other day."