WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:06.839 From morecast connect in aj Benze fame. Uh, he'd liked 2 00:00:06.839 --> 00:00:09.119 to be walked on a leash and play really dirty, 3 00:00:09.279 --> 00:00:12.519 katy sex games. He's uh the guy put the cock 4 00:00:12.800 --> 00:00:17.160 in the peacock network. Okay, bitch, Hey, everybody aj Benzi 5 00:00:17.199 --> 00:00:19.079 here with fame? Is it? Bitch? This is your daily 6 00:00:19.160 --> 00:00:23.280 Unfiltered podcast for August sixth, twenty twenty six eight six 7 00:00:23.320 --> 00:00:26.280 two o two six. I like it all even numbers. 8 00:00:27.120 --> 00:00:29.760 That's good news because I have my dear, dear friend 9 00:00:29.839 --> 00:00:32.960 Alison Martino on the show today to talk to you 10 00:00:33.039 --> 00:00:36.159 guys and remind me about some of the crazy shit 11 00:00:36.719 --> 00:00:40.359 that went on for those years we made mysteries and scandals. 12 00:00:40.399 --> 00:00:44.920 Allison was by far my favorite producer, my favorite everything 13 00:00:44.960 --> 00:00:47.600 at Ase. She was just something. I just always loved Allison, 14 00:00:47.600 --> 00:00:50.679 and I couldn't believe I was meeting the daughter of 15 00:00:50.719 --> 00:00:53.799 this famous singer, al Martino who played Johnny Fontaine and 16 00:00:53.840 --> 00:00:55.640 the Godfather. It was just too much for me. He 17 00:00:55.719 --> 00:01:00.679 was systems overload. But she became a very integral part 18 00:01:00.679 --> 00:01:04.400 of that show's success. Her episodes were fantastic and Alison, 19 00:01:04.480 --> 00:01:06.319 before I looked to say Hi, tell me, did you 20 00:01:06.359 --> 00:01:10.000 are you going to talk to Michael Danny or supervising producer, 21 00:01:10.040 --> 00:01:11.680 and get all the tapes that he has so you 22 00:01:11.719 --> 00:01:12.519 can upload them. 23 00:01:12.640 --> 00:01:15.799 Yes, yes, we're gonna be We're gonna have a full library. 24 00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:18.760 A good tip again, yes. 25 00:01:18.760 --> 00:01:20.640 Because well I'll get to I'll get to what you 26 00:01:20.680 --> 00:01:23.319 did in a minute. But to begin this show, here's 27 00:01:23.319 --> 00:01:26.200 what Here's how I began in Mysteries and Scandals. I 28 00:01:26.319 --> 00:01:29.599 was at the Daily News, obviously gossip Calumnust, nearing the 29 00:01:29.719 --> 00:01:31.560 end of my reign. I kind of was getting sick 30 00:01:31.599 --> 00:01:34.400 of it. The girl I was dating knew everybody that 31 00:01:34.439 --> 00:01:36.799 I was writing about. It was causing a problem. And 32 00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:39.480 you know me five years in amount, I was there 33 00:01:39.480 --> 00:01:42.120 about five six, six and a half years, and I 34 00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:45.560 felt dirty. And at one point one day her and I, 35 00:01:45.680 --> 00:01:47.519 my ex girlfriend, had a drink. She wanted to take 36 00:01:47.519 --> 00:01:49.239 me to Hawaii for a modeling shoot. I was in 37 00:01:49.280 --> 00:01:52.040 a good mood and suddenly a cab driver didn't pick 38 00:01:52.120 --> 00:01:55.439 us up. A fistfight ensued, where I beat the shit 39 00:01:55.480 --> 00:01:58.959 out of the guy and went to jail, and Michael 40 00:01:59.000 --> 00:02:01.439 Danny called me, my producer who had already said I'm 41 00:02:01.480 --> 00:02:05.200 pitching this show for you to host about dead celebrities. 42 00:02:05.439 --> 00:02:08.719 I said, okay, and he goes a J I just 43 00:02:08.759 --> 00:02:12.520 heard the news you were arrested. I said, yeah, why, 44 00:02:12.639 --> 00:02:15.120 I said, I beat a CABBYA. Oh this is this 45 00:02:15.159 --> 00:02:17.400 is not going to be good for your job. I said, Michael, 46 00:02:17.400 --> 00:02:19.080 it's New York. We all beat Cabby's. What are you 47 00:02:19.120 --> 00:02:21.319 worried about? And then sure enough they had a big 48 00:02:21.360 --> 00:02:24.000 meeting at E but they said let's bring him in 49 00:02:24.840 --> 00:02:27.800 Michael's I flew out. They didn't fly me. I flowed 50 00:02:27.840 --> 00:02:31.000 on my own dime to make a thirty second sizzle 51 00:02:31.039 --> 00:02:33.840 reel for Jane Mansfield. We me and Michael went on 52 00:02:33.879 --> 00:02:37.120 the boulevard. He had some dry ice put at my feet. 53 00:02:37.599 --> 00:02:39.840 We stood at a star and I did like maybe 54 00:02:40.280 --> 00:02:45.039 two minutes of a statement about Jane Mansfield and that 55 00:02:45.199 --> 00:02:47.719 was it. And he took it to them and he 56 00:02:47.800 --> 00:02:49.520 sold it to them. Initially they didn't want me to 57 00:02:49.560 --> 00:02:51.639 host it. Then they all said, that's not a bad 58 00:02:51.639 --> 00:02:53.439 idea fish out of water, Let's give me a shot. 59 00:02:53.919 --> 00:02:57.599 I get to LA with a thirteen week commitment on 60 00:02:57.639 --> 00:03:01.400 the thirteenth floor with thirteen employees. Didn't think highly of us, 61 00:03:01.680 --> 00:03:03.520 but yet we started to make the. 62 00:03:03.479 --> 00:03:07.080 Show a hit. So Allie, when did you come on exactly. 63 00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:09.840 I came on, okay, so you came up to the 64 00:03:09.879 --> 00:03:10.560 thirteenth floor. 65 00:03:10.599 --> 00:03:12.199 What a floor to be working. 66 00:03:11.919 --> 00:03:15.879 On, right, So we were like the step children of 67 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:21.240 E because I didn't really have much supervision. We really didn't, 68 00:03:21.719 --> 00:03:24.360 but we knew like that this was a crew of 69 00:03:24.439 --> 00:03:28.280 really smart young people who really loved TV. This is 70 00:03:28.319 --> 00:03:31.039 when he was huge. You know, you were on the 71 00:03:31.080 --> 00:03:33.960 Gossip Show, so I knew you from there, and talk 72 00:03:34.039 --> 00:03:36.479 Soup was was huge. 73 00:03:37.919 --> 00:03:39.639 I mean, I'm working. 74 00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:41.520 In a building where Joan Rivers is in the is 75 00:03:41.560 --> 00:03:43.360 in you know, the elevator with me every time. 76 00:03:44.680 --> 00:03:46.759 It was such a fun It was such a fun 77 00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:47.159 place too. 78 00:03:47.240 --> 00:03:51.199 I started their answering phones and I was like, you know, 79 00:03:51.319 --> 00:03:56.680 stamped Joan Rivers a parking ticket for her. And it's 80 00:03:56.680 --> 00:03:58.879 funny because like she used to open for my dad 81 00:03:58.960 --> 00:04:01.400 back in the day and undis in Vegas and I 82 00:04:01.439 --> 00:04:03.680 told her it was I just remember her saying a 83 00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:06.120 funny line to me. She's like, and now you're working 84 00:04:06.159 --> 00:04:08.719 the front desk at this place. What did what did? 85 00:04:09.120 --> 00:04:11.080 What kind of kid were you that you got punished 86 00:04:11.120 --> 00:04:14.800 like this? I mean we would have this bantern. I 87 00:04:14.840 --> 00:04:17.240 just remember this one guy I got to know everyone 88 00:04:17.319 --> 00:04:18.839 because I was working the front. 89 00:04:18.600 --> 00:04:22.360 Desk, right, so you was downstairs. I was downstairs in 90 00:04:22.399 --> 00:04:22.720 the hub. 91 00:04:23.199 --> 00:04:25.839 So but the tours would open, Howard Starn whoever like 92 00:04:25.920 --> 00:04:26.319 was in town. 93 00:04:26.360 --> 00:04:27.199 I would see everyone. 94 00:04:27.240 --> 00:04:28.879 I greet everybody. It was the best job to have. 95 00:04:29.399 --> 00:04:32.720 And I guess no masters and that was the president 96 00:04:32.759 --> 00:04:37.240 of E then the good president, the one we all loved, 97 00:04:37.399 --> 00:04:40.160 and but you. Someone came up to me and said 98 00:04:40.759 --> 00:04:43.160 that Mysteries and Scandals was going to be a show. 99 00:04:43.199 --> 00:04:45.360 And I was like, well, what's that? Because I wanted 100 00:04:45.439 --> 00:04:46.920 I was, you know, waiting to get out of the 101 00:04:46.920 --> 00:04:49.720 front desk. And Michael Danahy, who was the creator of 102 00:04:49.720 --> 00:04:51.639 the show like you just talked about, came up to 103 00:04:51.639 --> 00:04:53.319 me and said, this is the funniest story. He goes, 104 00:04:53.360 --> 00:04:55.319 I hear that you want to work on this show. 105 00:04:56.399 --> 00:04:58.759 What experience do you have as a producer? 106 00:04:58.839 --> 00:04:59.000 Right? 107 00:04:59.040 --> 00:05:02.160 And I go, I have something that you don't have, 108 00:05:02.399 --> 00:05:04.240 and he goes, okay, come up and see me. 109 00:05:04.800 --> 00:05:08.360 I said, okay. I took my dad's phone book and 110 00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:10.879 I said, see this, this is every. 111 00:05:10.639 --> 00:05:14.120 Frickin' number you need for this show. Don't ever ever 112 00:05:14.240 --> 00:05:16.199 tell me that one of your bookers is going to 113 00:05:16.240 --> 00:05:20.160 book our show because you want Steve Allen hold on, here's. 114 00:05:19.920 --> 00:05:22.800 This number, you want, Johnny Tart, you want you know, I. 115 00:05:22.839 --> 00:05:29.600 Had had everyone and I f Bailey talking about I mean, 116 00:05:30.839 --> 00:05:34.240 I mean it was like we had These weren't just experts, 117 00:05:34.279 --> 00:05:36.079 these were the people either on the cases. 118 00:05:36.160 --> 00:05:41.800 I mean, hello, we interviewed the corner of Thomas Nbucci, 119 00:05:42.360 --> 00:05:44.040 you know, for Sharon Tate. 120 00:05:44.079 --> 00:05:46.680 He was the corner for Sharon Tate and Natalie. 121 00:05:46.360 --> 00:05:49.439 Wood and no, we we anyway. 122 00:05:49.480 --> 00:05:50.560 So that's how I got the job. 123 00:05:50.600 --> 00:05:53.040 I throw it by showing up with my dad's my 124 00:05:53.160 --> 00:05:57.560 dad's don't want to say NEPO baby. No, it was 125 00:05:57.600 --> 00:05:58.759 the phone book that did it. 126 00:05:58.839 --> 00:05:59.759 Okay, that's awesome. 127 00:06:00.600 --> 00:06:03.079 But we also worked our butts off on that show. 128 00:06:03.319 --> 00:06:07.079 And this is again before I knew, before I met you. 129 00:06:07.079 --> 00:06:08.879 You know, we had a research department that had to 130 00:06:08.879 --> 00:06:13.279 go to actual library to do research on all these 131 00:06:13.319 --> 00:06:16.279 old Hollywood show stars. They were you know a lot 132 00:06:16.319 --> 00:06:19.720 of these people that came on our show. We're still alive. 133 00:06:19.800 --> 00:06:22.279 They're not. They're pretty much all gone now, I know, 134 00:06:22.360 --> 00:06:25.160 I know. You know, so when you got it, what 135 00:06:25.319 --> 00:06:28.040 was your first show? My first show was Marilyn. What 136 00:06:28.120 --> 00:06:29.040 a show to start with. 137 00:06:29.560 --> 00:06:32.319 Yeah, that was probably that was like the first ten episodes. 138 00:06:32.360 --> 00:06:35.040 I believe at that was show six. 139 00:06:35.519 --> 00:06:36.199 Okay, yeah, I. 140 00:06:36.560 --> 00:06:38.959 Think like a lot of Turner was your pilot. 141 00:06:39.399 --> 00:06:44.319 That was first, right, right, but they shot that. 142 00:06:44.439 --> 00:06:45.759 Here's another thing. We shot a. 143 00:06:45.720 --> 00:06:50.120 Lot of the reenactments at my parents' house. Oh yeah, 144 00:06:51.720 --> 00:06:53.519 anytime you needed a swimming. 145 00:06:53.120 --> 00:06:56.319 Pool, yeah, that they would. They would come to the house, 146 00:06:57.240 --> 00:06:58.399 like change whale. 147 00:06:59.639 --> 00:06:59.920 A lot. 148 00:07:00.240 --> 00:07:03.000 Yeah. The Chaine Mansfield shoot was at our house. 149 00:07:03.879 --> 00:07:04.079 Yeah. 150 00:07:04.639 --> 00:07:06.800 You know, we had a very short but we had 151 00:07:06.800 --> 00:07:08.360 a very small budget show. 152 00:07:08.560 --> 00:07:11.439 I know, I have what was the budget? I have 153 00:07:11.480 --> 00:07:11.920 no idea. 154 00:07:12.079 --> 00:07:16.439 Oh sixteen thousand dollars? Oh god, okay, and you think, 155 00:07:16.800 --> 00:07:20.079 oh no, it's nothing. There was some internal like here's 156 00:07:20.079 --> 00:07:20.360 the thing. 157 00:07:20.399 --> 00:07:24.920 Everybody who worked on that show offered something like, you 158 00:07:24.920 --> 00:07:27.759 need an old nineteen fifty seven car, we'll find one, 159 00:07:28.040 --> 00:07:29.319 one of my friends will find it. 160 00:07:29.360 --> 00:07:31.480 You need a swimming pool, go to Allison's house. You 161 00:07:31.519 --> 00:07:34.600 need an old Hollywood apartment. We would go to this 162 00:07:34.639 --> 00:07:36.480 guy Roy's house. Like we were. 163 00:07:37.160 --> 00:07:40.160 We didn't have the kind of budget to get uh 164 00:07:40.639 --> 00:07:42.639 you know, when we would do the mysteries and scandals, 165 00:07:42.680 --> 00:07:45.720 host wraps with you. Yeah, most of them were shot 166 00:07:45.720 --> 00:07:49.759 on Hollywood Boulevard. And as you know, we were Johnny Graham, 167 00:07:49.759 --> 00:07:53.160 who used to be the like the honorary mayor of Hollywood, 168 00:07:53.439 --> 00:07:55.560 had a lot of pool and he used to like 169 00:07:55.759 --> 00:08:01.680 wave our very expensive permits as he thought in the nineties. 170 00:08:01.720 --> 00:08:04.759 This is the nineties, guys, right, Hollywood was dead. 171 00:08:04.959 --> 00:08:06.480 I mean it, it was awful. 172 00:08:07.079 --> 00:08:09.399 There was no Jimmy Kimmel Theater, there was no Hollywood 173 00:08:09.399 --> 00:08:13.319 and Highlands. It was just a dark, desolate I remember 174 00:08:13.319 --> 00:08:15.519 that hit got murdered during one of our episodes. They 175 00:08:15.519 --> 00:08:18.240 found her in a in a dumpster by pet boys. 176 00:08:18.439 --> 00:08:20.680 Yeah are you there for Yeah? And then I heard 177 00:08:20.680 --> 00:08:22.959 about it. She took pictures of me on the on 178 00:08:23.040 --> 00:08:25.240 the on the street. They found their camera. They came 179 00:08:25.319 --> 00:08:27.839 and questioned us. But we never filmed the guys. We 180 00:08:27.959 --> 00:08:31.040 just filmed their feet and their knees. The George didn't 181 00:08:31.040 --> 00:08:32.759 put the camera on them or us, but I think 182 00:08:32.799 --> 00:08:35.039 they caught them eventually. But yeah, it was a horrible 183 00:08:35.080 --> 00:08:39.480 place and crackheads having sex on park benches, helicopters, ghetto 184 00:08:39.559 --> 00:08:44.039 birds all the time, street washing, remember remember at. 185 00:08:43.919 --> 00:08:46.080 All because it was it was sort of it was like, 186 00:08:46.120 --> 00:08:47.480 I wasn't scared. I was only you know, I was 187 00:08:47.480 --> 00:08:48.919 a young twenty year old. I can do anything. 188 00:08:48.960 --> 00:08:51.600 I was like, I'd be scared now if I was 189 00:08:51.679 --> 00:08:52.120 that age. 190 00:08:52.120 --> 00:08:52.440 I was. 191 00:08:53.399 --> 00:08:55.639 Yeah, But we were like going out. 192 00:08:55.679 --> 00:08:58.039 We would we would wrap it sometimes four in the morning, 193 00:08:58.440 --> 00:09:01.440 I know, because we would start sometimes late if if 194 00:09:01.480 --> 00:09:03.679 the sun wasn't down until eight o'clock, we couldn't start 195 00:09:03.720 --> 00:09:07.360 until nine. So we would have jib cameras, smoke machines, 196 00:09:07.440 --> 00:09:11.360 blue lights, tracks, you know, up and down Hollywood. 197 00:09:11.000 --> 00:09:13.960 Boulevard and by the way, by the way, proprietors and 198 00:09:14.039 --> 00:09:16.600 people lived on the boulevard on the second and third 199 00:09:16.679 --> 00:09:19.679 floor didn't like the noise, the smoke, the cameras, and 200 00:09:19.720 --> 00:09:21.559 they were a couple of times they poured hot water 201 00:09:21.639 --> 00:09:21.919 on us. 202 00:09:21.919 --> 00:09:23.440 They threw pots of hotone. 203 00:09:24.600 --> 00:09:26.240 Someone someone camed a gun at you. 204 00:09:26.279 --> 00:09:28.960 If you remember, I was there for some reason. 205 00:09:29.960 --> 00:09:33.480 Kept he kept calling you, hey, New York. You could say, hey, 206 00:09:33.519 --> 00:09:34.679 New York, move you move. 207 00:09:34.600 --> 00:09:37.519 Your fucking tracks out of here, you know, and you're like, 208 00:09:37.559 --> 00:09:38.440 I'm shooting a. 209 00:09:38.440 --> 00:09:39.600 Show, you know, like. 210 00:09:42.840 --> 00:09:43.440 Yeah, no. 211 00:09:43.600 --> 00:09:45.519 We were in front of a club once called the 212 00:09:45.600 --> 00:09:49.840 Sugar Shack, in front of a sugar Shock, and they 213 00:09:49.840 --> 00:09:52.159 were they were saying that we were blocking the doorway 214 00:09:52.559 --> 00:09:55.399 from people going in. But what they didn't understand is 215 00:09:55.480 --> 00:09:58.000 we were attracting people. 216 00:09:57.960 --> 00:10:00.960 To watch our show and then to go for drink. 217 00:10:01.080 --> 00:10:04.080 So in a way, Johnny Grant was saying to me, 218 00:10:04.559 --> 00:10:07.080 our show out tourism in Hollywood. 219 00:10:07.480 --> 00:10:08.679 Sure there would be many times. 220 00:10:08.799 --> 00:10:11.480 Maybe maybe we were on like our hundredth episode and 221 00:10:11.600 --> 00:10:13.960 cars now are driving by and honking, going, yeah, my 222 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:17.600 stretes and scandals that I know every weekend. 223 00:10:17.720 --> 00:10:18.679 Girls to flash me. 224 00:10:18.799 --> 00:10:21.519 Girls would flash me with their tits out sometimes driving by. 225 00:10:21.720 --> 00:10:25.519 Remember when Titanic, when Titanic was that man's theater, we 226 00:10:25.559 --> 00:10:27.320 started to get a crowd. Back then, it was. It 227 00:10:27.399 --> 00:10:29.759 was a complete opposite of how we began. And I 228 00:10:29.799 --> 00:10:31.480 remember I didn't want to work at four o'clock in 229 00:10:31.480 --> 00:10:34.240 the morning, and I remember, I'm gonna take all the 230 00:10:34.279 --> 00:10:36.200 equipment down, get in the truck. We're going to a 231 00:10:36.240 --> 00:10:39.480 second location. I went, no, here's what you do. Turn 232 00:10:39.519 --> 00:10:41.840 the fucking camera to the right ten feet, there's another 233 00:10:41.879 --> 00:10:44.600 palm tree, another building. Why are we leaving? Just fucking 234 00:10:44.639 --> 00:10:46.799 shoot here? And they started to listen to me. 235 00:10:47.200 --> 00:10:49.000 But I remember that I. 236 00:10:48.960 --> 00:10:51.639 Was with you on that because they they didn't want 237 00:10:51.679 --> 00:10:53.840 to show the scientology buildings. 238 00:10:53.440 --> 00:10:56.480 Either, or yeah, those crazy just push. 239 00:10:56.360 --> 00:10:58.480 The camera a little bit this way. But yeah, they 240 00:10:58.519 --> 00:10:59.000 didn't chat. 241 00:10:59.120 --> 00:11:02.240 They don't like the movie titles I guess, you know, 242 00:11:02.320 --> 00:11:05.159 showing on our shows because of the then they would 243 00:11:05.159 --> 00:11:06.000 look like a rerun. 244 00:11:06.039 --> 00:11:07.759 At this point, who cares. 245 00:11:07.399 --> 00:11:09.360 Well rerun the shows then, pricks. 246 00:11:09.519 --> 00:11:12.600 Well's another problem we have is we need those shows 247 00:11:12.639 --> 00:11:13.799 back on the internet. 248 00:11:14.240 --> 00:11:15.360 I know. 249 00:11:15.879 --> 00:11:19.039 Fortunately a few years ago, whenever they decide, when the 250 00:11:19.080 --> 00:11:23.360 Oxygen Channel decided to rebrand Mysteries and Scandals sold Little Brian, 251 00:11:23.360 --> 00:11:26.519 which was ridiculous show, not the right host. 252 00:11:26.519 --> 00:11:28.000 I'm sorry, and. 253 00:11:27.919 --> 00:11:30.960 You can't redo that show, not without aj not without 254 00:11:30.960 --> 00:11:31.720 this team. 255 00:11:32.399 --> 00:11:34.279 They pulled down the original shows. 256 00:11:34.320 --> 00:11:37.039 I had uploaded every single Mysteries and Scandals took me 257 00:11:37.080 --> 00:11:37.600 a year to. 258 00:11:37.519 --> 00:11:39.360 Do uploaded it. 259 00:11:39.440 --> 00:11:42.039 I don't monetize it. I'm not making money on it. 260 00:11:42.039 --> 00:11:43.799 It was just a way for people to watch them. 261 00:11:43.799 --> 00:11:47.480 They're educational and NBC got a hold of it. My 262 00:11:47.600 --> 00:11:50.519 channel because of Betsy Rott and she they sabotaged my 263 00:11:50.600 --> 00:11:51.879 channel and took everything down. 264 00:11:52.399 --> 00:11:55.200 But you're Alison listen, Alice has got one of the 265 00:11:55.200 --> 00:11:59.360 greatest pages on Facebook called Vintage Los Angeles, which she's 266 00:11:59.399 --> 00:12:07.480 basically the curator of Old LA, Old Beverly Hills, old Everything, buildings, architecture, roads, people, restaurants. 267 00:12:07.960 --> 00:12:11.559 Her page is fantastic. Get on on Facebook Vintage Los Angeles. 268 00:12:11.600 --> 00:12:16.120 But you know you, I mean that alone, that that 269 00:12:16.240 --> 00:12:18.480 show had to make you begin I know. I remember 270 00:12:18.519 --> 00:12:21.440 you would have pictures and all these headshots of old stars, 271 00:12:21.480 --> 00:12:24.120 and I'd see them up in your cubicle. And then 272 00:12:24.240 --> 00:12:25.879 when I went to your place when you live with 273 00:12:25.919 --> 00:12:27.759 Mom and Dad of the guest that beautiful guest house 274 00:12:27.799 --> 00:12:30.519 by the pool had so many old Hollywood things on it. 275 00:12:30.559 --> 00:12:33.279 I couldn't I was in my glory, but I remember 276 00:12:33.320 --> 00:12:33.600 you would. 277 00:12:33.639 --> 00:12:35.840 You were like taking stuff from me, like because you 278 00:12:36.159 --> 00:12:37.919 loved old movie stars, and so do I. 279 00:12:38.200 --> 00:12:41.240 I was kind of perfect for that show because the 280 00:12:41.279 --> 00:12:43.120 other show that was on at the time was True 281 00:12:43.159 --> 00:12:46.279 Hollywood Stories h and we were like the sister of 282 00:12:46.279 --> 00:12:49.080 that show. But I preferred our show because I loved 283 00:12:49.080 --> 00:12:51.960 old Hollywood. And we started with you know, the greatest 284 00:12:52.039 --> 00:12:54.639 names in the old old Hollywood, and then we kind 285 00:12:54.639 --> 00:12:56.200 of went into the seventies when we got to do 286 00:12:56.279 --> 00:13:01.080 sal MINEO and Paul Lynne, and you know, I never 287 00:13:01.879 --> 00:13:03.919 thought the show should end. I think it could have 288 00:13:03.960 --> 00:13:05.200 gone another four years. 289 00:13:05.639 --> 00:13:06.120 It ended. 290 00:13:06.159 --> 00:13:08.240 I'll tell you. I'll tell you why it ended ended 291 00:13:08.320 --> 00:13:11.000 because when they gave me my talk show, which we'd 292 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:13.159 worked on for three years. I was in New York 293 00:13:13.200 --> 00:13:15.519 when I did the first pilot and I went to 294 00:13:15.679 --> 00:13:18.159 La john Riber was good to me. He worked with 295 00:13:18.200 --> 00:13:19.639 me for three years. I said, I want to do 296 00:13:19.679 --> 00:13:22.960 a talk show and I got one. Mindy Herman, the 297 00:13:23.200 --> 00:13:25.919 fucking who came in to be the boss, hated talk show. 298 00:13:25.960 --> 00:13:28.919 She worked on Magic Johnson's show, so she didn't like 299 00:13:28.960 --> 00:13:31.240 talk shows. She came in like, oh, I love the idea, 300 00:13:31.600 --> 00:13:33.440 and she cut the budget in half. And I had 301 00:13:33.480 --> 00:13:35.960 people telling me, your budgets in half, but show it 302 00:13:36.039 --> 00:13:37.840 are at one o'clock in the morning, twelve thirty in 303 00:13:37.879 --> 00:13:38.120 the morning. 304 00:13:38.159 --> 00:13:40.080 It was like you couldn't find it anyhow. 305 00:13:40.759 --> 00:13:42.919 Once they canceled my show, I had a meeting with 306 00:13:42.960 --> 00:13:45.159 all my people at Mysteries and Scandals, and I told 307 00:13:45.159 --> 00:13:47.200 all of you, you're all going to take the bullet 308 00:13:47.559 --> 00:13:49.759 because they canceled my talk show and next they're going 309 00:13:49.799 --> 00:13:52.919 to cancel you were like, no, not, I go you're 310 00:13:53.240 --> 00:13:56.200 I said, only Bessie's gonna stay because she's the girl dating. 311 00:13:56.480 --> 00:13:58.519 All of you are going to get fired because they 312 00:13:58.600 --> 00:14:01.200 rattled the tiger cage. And I'm fucking pissed off. And 313 00:14:01.279 --> 00:14:04.480 sure enough, tell what happened, a fake fire drill, let 314 00:14:04.519 --> 00:14:04.919 them know what. 315 00:14:07.360 --> 00:14:08.639 First of all, I was with you in New York 316 00:14:08.639 --> 00:14:11.279 when you got the call that the talk show got canceled. 317 00:14:11.360 --> 00:14:12.720 Right, we were together at the hotel. 318 00:14:12.799 --> 00:14:15.639 Yeah, ribby of hearing every conversation you had with John 319 00:14:15.679 --> 00:14:16.320 and everyone else. 320 00:14:16.360 --> 00:14:19.120 So that was a low blow because we were shoot. 321 00:14:19.159 --> 00:14:21.639 We were supposed to shoot that night. I know, wet 322 00:14:21.679 --> 00:14:22.879 your whole family in town. 323 00:14:23.120 --> 00:14:23.840 We were headed there. 324 00:14:23.879 --> 00:14:26.639 Yeah, at this point, the shows were already paid for, 325 00:14:26.720 --> 00:14:27.720 the catering was done. 326 00:14:28.159 --> 00:14:30.360 You know, just go ahead and let us film the 327 00:14:30.399 --> 00:14:33.120 shows at least here the last two. 328 00:14:33.279 --> 00:14:33.440 Right. 329 00:14:33.799 --> 00:14:36.480 So that was very dirty, and you handled it really well, 330 00:14:36.519 --> 00:14:38.639 I thought, But you know. 331 00:14:37.960 --> 00:14:39.679 You know, you tell you know you're telling me, which 332 00:14:39.720 --> 00:14:42.159 is true. I didn't realize this when I made those 333 00:14:42.200 --> 00:14:44.879 phone calls. It was you and I together in the hotel, 334 00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:48.120 and I said, get your camera, get your film, get 335 00:14:48.120 --> 00:14:49.960 your video camera. I want you to record all this 336 00:14:50.000 --> 00:14:53.440 ship And I went off on everybody. I called my family, 337 00:14:53.759 --> 00:14:56.159 and you recorded all of it. We don't know who's 338 00:14:56.159 --> 00:14:58.440 got the tape now. We both watched it together, but 339 00:14:58.759 --> 00:15:02.639 either I have it and I can't, and I know. 340 00:15:02.679 --> 00:15:05.159 You'll find it. That's why I don't like never letting people. 341 00:15:05.919 --> 00:15:08.480 I can't believe you. 342 00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:11.639 All Right, here's the thing. 343 00:15:12.320 --> 00:15:15.159 You were doing reality We were doing reality TV before 344 00:15:15.200 --> 00:15:19.559 reality TV. I think we were replaced with the Naicole 345 00:15:19.639 --> 00:15:23.480 Smith Show. I think that's what replaced. But I'll tell 346 00:15:23.519 --> 00:15:25.320 you two things. 347 00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:30.200 It was. Remember the show Cribs on TV. 348 00:15:31.159 --> 00:15:33.919 Where was a guy who was working on Cribs and 349 00:15:33.960 --> 00:15:36.480 he went to go do a segment on the Osports 350 00:15:36.559 --> 00:15:38.759 And he came back to the h one and said, 351 00:15:39.519 --> 00:15:42.600 I just didn't just film the Greatest Family for reality TV. 352 00:15:42.919 --> 00:15:46.879 They need their own show. Okay, So this poor guy talked. 353 00:15:46.720 --> 00:15:49.799 About getting burned. They didn't even hire him to produce it. 354 00:15:49.879 --> 00:15:52.399 He just gave them the They hired a new team. 355 00:15:52.919 --> 00:15:55.440 That show was the biggest show for you know, VH one. 356 00:15:55.519 --> 00:15:59.639 Now every reality every TV station wants their own reality show. 357 00:16:00.279 --> 00:16:03.039 I had a feeling that when we got let go, 358 00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:05.720 it wasn't just about letting you go. 359 00:16:05.840 --> 00:16:08.159 I think that they wanted to change into go into 360 00:16:08.200 --> 00:16:08.919 reality TV. 361 00:16:09.440 --> 00:16:12.919 Interesting, so like some of those like you know, MSNBC 362 00:16:13.120 --> 00:16:16.720 had like headliners and legends, v Chworm had the one 363 00:16:16.720 --> 00:16:19.840 with the music stars. 364 00:16:18.320 --> 00:16:24.440 Yeah, behind the music. They all got scrapped were reality TV. 365 00:16:25.080 --> 00:16:27.600 You're right, because they ran from Anama Cole Smith to 366 00:16:27.639 --> 00:16:31.120 the Kardashians and that was their big big we were. 367 00:16:31.039 --> 00:16:33.879 When we were on, we were more about like biography television, 368 00:16:34.080 --> 00:16:37.080 you know that that kind of thing changed. So but 369 00:16:37.519 --> 00:16:38.159 here's the thing. 370 00:16:38.639 --> 00:16:41.000 When MTV had their shake up back from two that 371 00:16:41.159 --> 00:16:43.399 when when did this happened? Two thousand and one before. 372 00:16:43.240 --> 00:16:45.000 Nine to eleven, right, yeah, yeah, yeah, so. 373 00:16:45.519 --> 00:16:47.759 They had they had a shake up at MTV. They 374 00:16:47.799 --> 00:16:49.720 were a bunch of people were let go, like six 375 00:16:49.840 --> 00:16:52.720 hundred people. They were given a party, they were given 376 00:16:53.159 --> 00:16:55.399 beautiful way to say goodbye to everybody. They had two 377 00:16:55.440 --> 00:16:57.879 weeks to get terminated and they knew it. 378 00:16:58.360 --> 00:16:59.440 Well, this is. 379 00:16:59.440 --> 00:17:03.039 What happened to So I'm driving to on a Thursday 380 00:17:03.080 --> 00:17:06.119 morning at eight am, and I'm coming through the doors 381 00:17:06.200 --> 00:17:07.680 and you know, you have to have a key card 382 00:17:07.720 --> 00:17:10.359 to get through the door going to my office and 383 00:17:10.440 --> 00:17:14.079 had the office at the time, and about one o'clock. 384 00:17:13.799 --> 00:17:16.200 In the afternoon. Somebody came up to my office and said, 385 00:17:16.359 --> 00:17:19.960 did you hear Howard's Stern? Sorry, my cat just right right, 386 00:17:20.599 --> 00:17:22.839 I really need We're gonna repeat this. Okay. 387 00:17:23.720 --> 00:17:26.279 Someone comes into my office and says, were you listening 388 00:17:26.279 --> 00:17:29.079 to Howard Stern this morning? A lot of us did 389 00:17:29.119 --> 00:17:31.000 because he was on our channel, so we just used 390 00:17:31.000 --> 00:17:31.640 to listen to them. 391 00:17:31.519 --> 00:17:33.799 In the morning and get our news. Okay, what no, 392 00:17:33.880 --> 00:17:34.480 what did he say? 393 00:17:35.039 --> 00:17:38.400 He said, Wow, So apparently there's gonna be a big 394 00:17:38.440 --> 00:17:40.400 shake up at E tomorrow. 395 00:17:41.279 --> 00:17:44.319 This he knew ahead of time. Oh wow, he let 396 00:17:44.400 --> 00:17:45.279 the cat out of the back. 397 00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:48.680 He told you know on his show that there was 398 00:17:48.720 --> 00:17:50.599 going to be a shake up at E and then 399 00:17:50.599 --> 00:17:52.119 a lot of people were gonna get fired, and a 400 00:17:52.160 --> 00:17:53.720 lot of shows were going to come off the air. 401 00:17:54.200 --> 00:17:56.920