The Daily Grill

Succotash Epi6 w/Special Guest Rick Overton!

When I first started Succotash back in April, I figured it would be just little' ol' me and a pile o' podcast clips. But comedy friends keep popping up and it just seems right to make room for them on the show whenever there's a chance. Episode 6 is no exception, as standup/improvisor/actor extraordinaire Rick Overton was in town to play with Mark Pitta (guest co-host of Epi5 of Succotash) & Friends at the 142 Throckmorton Theater in Mill Valley, CA.

Not only is Rick an act bordering on legend status amongst his peers (and a goodly number of civilians as well), but he's a longtime friend of yours truly and was happy to kick back in his hotel room before the show and chat it up about his life and times behind and around the microphone stand. This will be a treat for the comedy nerds out there, as well as those who will doubtless recognize him from his many guest starring roles in film and on TV.

A second treat we have for you in this epi is an actual song, Business End, by our music director Scott Carvey. I've gotten a number of comments about Scott's excellent theme for our show — here's a chance to hear him strut his stuff without me walking all over his notes.

Then there's the Burst O' Durst, our episodic entry on politics, world affairs and humankind from noted raging moderate and comedian Will Durst!

AND we have clips, too! Comedy podcast clips from near and far, picked fresh and played for your amusement. This week Succotash samples:

• Mike And Tom Eat Snacks

Michael Ian Black and Tom Cavanagh welcome their first guest to the snack table: Late Night with David Letterman executive producer Rob Burnett.

• Radio Rubber Room

Dan Anderson, Derrick Vara, and Chris Manzelli open their live music & sketch comedy studio up to hip hop artist Black Liquid.

• The Sal & Angelo Podcast

San Francisco comedians Sal Calanni and Angelo Lorenzetti bring in guest Tony Camin, a comedian who started in San Francisco but is based now out of New York.

• Sklarbro Country

Featuring comedians Jason Sklar and Randy Sklar, their podcast is heavily sports-influenced and pretty damned funny. (And, if it wasn't for the fact they sometimes finish each other's sentences, you'd never know that they're not just brothers but identical twin brothers.)

We're a little light on clips this week, but we more than make up for it with the Rick Overton interview. But there was even more interview than we had show for - so expect to see uploaded soon a special Succotash Epi 6.5 which will be the Overton interview in its entirety!

I want to thank the Friends o' Succotash who have been tweeting us up on Twitter (we're @SuccotashShow), Liking us on Facebook, and rating us on iTunes! We've also been getting suggestions to check out more comedy podcasts we've never heard of before, so look for new blood in the coming episodes.

For now, though, kick back, download and enjoy!

Pass the Succotash,

Marc Hershon

Succotash Epi 3 w/Guest Co-Host Dana Carvey

A bit of a delay to get Succotash, The Comedy Podcast Podcast (Epi3), but I was waiting for our guest co-host to clear enough of his schedule to join me in the studio. Since Dana Carvey was going to be the show's first guest, I wanted it to try to get it right. And I think we did!

He had a bit of a time crunch, so this epi's a little light on the podcast commentary in favor of time spent with Dana in the studio. Nonetheless, we manage to get in as many comedy podcast snippets as we have in the two previous episodes. Check out what we've got in store for you this time...

• After Hours with Mark Pitta

• Delicious Mediocrity

• The Longshot Podcast

• The Green Room with Sean Green

• Ham Radio with Brett Hamil

• What Duvet Said

• Chillpak Hollywood Hour

• David Feldman Comedy Show

• Waking From The American Dream with Kelly Carlin

• WTF with Marc Maron

Dana is just the first guest we have in mind for Succotash - stay tuned for upcoming episodes where we'll feature both interviews and guest co-hosting stints from your favorite comedian and/or podcasters!

As I've mentioned before, there are a TON of comedy podcasts out there, so if you ARE a podcaster or a listener who would like to recommend we feature one of your faves, please email me directly at [email protected] with information about the podcast you're thinking about.

Until next time, please pass the Succotash!

Cheers,

Marc Hershon

You'll Practically Feel The Poker

I read today that GSN, the old Game Show Network that's really just a one channel, has announced that not only will comedian Norm McDonald host the 7th season of High Stakes Poker but that it's going to be available in 3D. Wow! Guys wearing sunglasses, holding cards and fingering chips in THREE dimensions?!  That is going to look great...while I'm flipping by the channel.

The Thin Yellow Line

Kudos to The Simpsons! Fox TV today announced that they are re-upping the primetime series for another two seasons. That brings the show to a total of 22 years on the air, a record carrying it past "Gunsmoke" as the longest running show on American television. Cowabunga!

Karaoke TV Kontinues

Yikes. Totally ripping off American Idol was last night's America's Got Talent, complete with amateur performers and three judges. And judging by the talent on tap, Idol has scooped up what there was in America's talent bin, because it wasn't on the screen on Wednesday night. Somethin tells me this trend is going to continue, too. Why? NOT because America loves it, but because it's cheap to produce. Just like karaoke bars: why pay a band when people will put up with enetertaining each other? Wise up, America. Watch TV that matters and tune out the dreck…if you can even tell the difference any more.

ABC Got Schooled

I guess because a spelling bee documentary and then a feature film seemed to indicate that kids spelling hard words was now some sort of craze. So ABC (being the trend-following wallow-monkey that IS mainstream network TV today) thought they'd score big by telecasting this year's Scripp's National Spelling Bee Finals last Thursday night. They came in third, behind "So You Think You Can Dance" on Fox (what IS America thinking?) and some game shows and a CSI rerun on CBS. It's clear that the Alphabet Network knows how to spell "loser".

The Game Starts Now

Put your game face on, Richard Hatch. The first person to win $1 million during the debut season of the TV show "Survivor" has been sentenced to 51 months in prison (coincidentally, that's one month per every million people who watched the show that first season) for evading taxes on his reality TV prize and other income. I don't know if it will truly be a hardship, especially in a couple of years when producers roll out "Survivor: Rhode Island State Prison".

Bread & Circuses Were Never This Banal

The newest lame of the lame as television desperately tries to lure back viewers has to be "It's The Shoes," a series about celebrities whose sneakers are a big part of their lives. Yeah, that's right. This load of televised tripe debuts on ESPN2 next Tuesday at 1 AM. And, thanks to Tivo, I won't miss an episode.

Oldest Newsman In The World To Retire

CBS newsman Mike Wallace announced today that he'll be retiring from '60 Minutes' at the end of the current season. In May he will be 3000 years old.

Wallace is seen in this artist's rendering in a rare interview with Moses, who had just taken possession of the 10 Commandments.

Up In Smoke

Jack Wild, remembered for playing the Artful Dodger in 1968's "Oliver!", died in England this past week at the age of 53. Diagnosed with oral cancer after years of heavy smoking, which resulted in an operation that removed part of his tongue and vocal cords, Wild is best remembered in the US for his portrayal of Jimmy on the Saturday morning live action show "H.R. Pufnstuf". A coincidence, surely.