Bruce Vilanch and the Wild World of 1970s Variety TV Spectaculars
Ankler Agenda28 Maj 2025

Bruce Vilanch and the Wild World of 1970s Variety TV Spectaculars

For the second episode of Hollywood Stories’ sophomore season, Richard Rushfield talks to the brilliant and bawdy Bruce Vilanch, known as the longtime joke purveyor extraordinaire for the Oscars (plus the Emmys, Tonys and more). But before he became the go-to for Hollywood galas, Vilanch got his start in writing for the big variety shows and specials that peppered the network schedules of the 1960s and ’70s and represent the height of television’s most flamboyant and unhinged period. Expanding on some of the wildest misadventures chronicled in his new book, “It Seemed Like a Bad Idea at the Time,” Vilanch takes Richard through three of those song-and-dance spectaculars — the “Star Wars Holiday Special” that George Lucas famously disowned, the “Paul Lynde Halloween Special” and the short-lived series “The Brady Bunch Hour.” From writing material for graceless Wookiees to putting Robert Reed's Mike Brady in Carmen Miranda drag, Vilanch revels in how right it felt when everything went fantastically wrong. “It was ridiculous, but I had fun,” he recalls. “A lot of these things were conceived in clouds of smoke.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Avsnitt(241)

White Smoke Over Space Mountain: Disney Crowns Josh D’Amaro

White Smoke Over Space Mountain: Disney Crowns Josh D’Amaro

Disney finally did it: Bob Iger has a successor. Parks chief Josh D’Amaro is taking the throne, with runner-up Dana Walden annexing more territory at the Mouse House (and earning a higher base salary ...

5 Feb 31min

BONUS EP: 'MeidasTouch' CEO Ben Meiselas on Building an Anti-Trump Pod Empire in the Age of 'Fascism'

BONUS EP: 'MeidasTouch' CEO Ben Meiselas on Building an Anti-Trump Pod Empire in the Age of 'Fascism'

'MeidasTouch' podcaster and progressive media exec Ben Meiselas joins Like & Subscribe's Natalie Jarvey for a fiery discussion of the risks and new rules for American journalists as they report in U.S...

3 Feb 35min

Disney’s CEO Race: Down to the Buzzer

Disney’s CEO Race: Down to the Buzzer

Disney CEO Bob Iger is ready to abdicate the throne. Again. Six years after Iger first stepped down as CEO, and 38 months after he regained control of Disney following Bob Chapek’s disastrous two-year...

29 Jan 31min

What ‘Heated Rivalry’ Reveals About Minting Stars

What ‘Heated Rivalry’ Reveals About Minting Stars

Meryl, Leo, Scarlett, Zendaya — every generation produces its breakout stars. But minting the next one has never been harder amid the collapse of monoculture and the rise of social media. Elaine Low, ...

22 Jan 36min

Hollywood’s New Gamble: Interactive TV Goes All In

Hollywood’s New Gamble: Interactive TV Goes All In

Nothing stirred more outrage at the Golden Globes than the integration of prediction market (read: betting platform) Polymarket in the telecast — Katey Rich called it “incredibly tacky,” and Richard R...

15 Jan 33min

Is Everyone Leaving L.A. (Or Is That Just Your Group Chat)?

Is Everyone Leaving L.A. (Or Is That Just Your Group Chat)?

One year after the L.A. fires and three years after the strikes — with another round of labor drama looming — it can feel like every creative you know is fleeing Hollywood. Elaine Low, Sean McNulty, a...

9 Jan 33min

YEAR-END HOLIDAY MAILBAG: Your Burning Questions, Answered

YEAR-END HOLIDAY MAILBAG: Your Burning Questions, Answered

Which business trends are giving the Ankler crew hope in the New Year? Is the 2023 writers’ strike responsible for the current shaky entertainment economy? What streaming service would Elaine Low, Sea...

30 Dec 202529min

SUPER-SIZED HOLIDAY SPECIAL: Hollywood’s 2025 Winners & Losers

SUPER-SIZED HOLIDAY SPECIAL: Hollywood’s 2025 Winners & Losers

Netflix, YouTube, horny hockey hunks — even amid rough economic terrain this year, these industry standouts and more not only survived through ’25, but thrived. Elaine Low, Sean McNulty and Natalie Ja...

23 Dec 202549min

Populärt inom Business & ekonomi

badfluence
framgangspodden
rss-jossan-nina
varvet
rss-borsens-finest
uppgang-och-fall
avanzapodden
svd-tech-brief
fill-or-kill
bathina-en-podcast
lastbilspodden
borsmorgon
rss-inga-dumma-fragor-om-pengar
rss-kort-lang-analyspodden-fran-di
kapitalet-en-podd-om-ekonomi
rss-dagen-med-di
rss-den-nya-ekonomin
affarsvarlden
rss-borslunch
rikatillsammans-om-privatekonomi-rikedom-i-livet