Let's Talk Ten

Award-winning horror writer and Halloween historian LISA MORTON and Dan talk trick-or-treating – the history, the rituals, the costumes and candy, classic movies and T.V. shows, and a whole bag full of all sorts of yummy and interesting goodies, no tricks.  Plus, fond and sometimes funny memories of their own childhood trick-or-treating experiences, and a recommendation for an excellent scary movie that you might not have seen yet.

Laced with amazing sound clips, it’s a spook-tacular listening experience.

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New York area prop master JEFF BUTCHER has worked with everybody from Jim Jarmusch and Darren Aronofsky to Wes Craven and Steven Spielberg…to Dan Fisher.  They’ve been close friends since they met on the set of Matewan 40 years ago.

This is kind of a “hang out” episode, with two veteran prop masters recounting their experiences – and spilling just a bit of celebrity tea (Bill Murray, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Al Pacino) – and sharing opinions on why the Ruby Slippers are not props, why directors’ chairs are, and why the job is much harder than it might appear (food sc...

A remix/re-edit, originally released on May 24, 2024.

Fulfilling a personal bucket-list item, Dan spends time with one of his childhood heroes, the legendary DICK DEBARTOLO, “MAD’s Maddest Writer” and a founder member of the Usual Gang of Idiots.

Besides comparing what they each find funny, Dan and Dick talk about MAD and its founder William M. Gaines, with fond memories of the artists and writers who made MAD great – Al Jaffee, Don Martin, Nick Meglin, and many more.

 They also discuss the classic game show “Match Game”, for which Dick was the head writer. ...

Comedian, actress, and master impressionist NADYA GINSBURG’s career has encompassed the stage, film, and network television – with a global cult following for her absolutely uncanny impressions of Madonna and Cher.

Nadya's also written jokes for Joan Rivers, has appeared on “2 Broke Girls” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race”, and had a small but memorable part in the feature film “Friendsgiving”.  She’s been profiled in the New York Times and L.A. Weekly, with her many fans including Jennifer Coolidge, the Village Voice’s Micheal Musto, and Al Roker (“Ginsburg rules!”).

In their wide-ranging conversation, Dan asks Nadya about the ar...

CHRIS MOLANPHY -- pop culture critic, music industry chart analyst, and host of “The Hit Parade” (one of my never-miss go-to podcasts) – is on the show to lend his very specific expertise, as he talks about his all-time favorite #1 SINGLES in the history of the Billboard Hot 100.  

 Chris isn’t just a chart geek – he genuinely loves music from all eras, so he and Dan go through a very wide range of artists and songs: from The Beatles to Madonna to Taylor Swift; from the 60’s girl groups to disco to new jack swing; to country and hip-hop conver...

Assistant director SIMONE FARBER returns to the show -- which is always a lot of fun – as she and Dan discuss their favorite MOVIES ABOUT MAKING MOVIES – classics like Singin’ in the Rain, Sunset Boulevard, even smaller-scale films like Living in Oblivion or the documentary American Movie.

With over 70 years of production experience between them, Dan and Simone share plenty of their own “behind the scenes” stories, as well as their thoughts on which films get the details right, more or less.  

 Featuring amazing clips from some of the greatest movies ever made (with plenty of laughs, t...

HUGO BURNHAM -- drummer and founding member of GANG OF FOUR – is on the show to talk about some of his all-time favorite DRUMMERS and how they’ve inspired him -- as well as his own history behind the kit for one of most critically-hailed and influential post-punk bands of the late 70’s/early 80’s.  

Though he’s made much of his living by bashing the living hell out of snares, toms, and high-hats, Hugo also happens to be a charming and knowledgeable raconteur – in his “other” life, he’s been a university professor for the past two decades.  On th...

We’ve all been asked this question at least a few times in our lives: “If you were stranded on a desert island and could bring only one thing – what would you bring?”

Now -- narrow that selection down to just one movie, one album, or a boxed set of the entire run of a television series.  If that were the case, what would you bring?

LT10 returning favorites MICHELE MANTYNEN and JOSH CHAMBERS play along with Dan, as he forces them to make tough pop-cultural choices in such categories like So-Bad-It’s-Good Movie, TV Comedy or V...

It’s Let’s Talk Ten’s THIRD birthday, which Dan celebrates by collecting his favorite moments of the show from the past year from his amazing guests:

Laurie Gwen Shapiro, Legs McNeil, Robyn Kincaid, Dan Riba, John Ashton, Will Harris, Ally Harris, Lori Cardille, Larry Karaszewski, Kristen Lopez, Danny Peary, Rick Goldschmidt, Simone Farber, Matthew Rhys, Rachel Wax, Abdul Malik Abbott, Dari Silverman, Thom Shubilla, John Sayles, Adam Sank, Billy Smith, David Kamp, Mark Nelson, Virgil Cardamone, Todd Graff, Eric Todd, and Andy Skurow.

No need to BYOB nor RSVP: Just click and come join u...

As Pride Month 2026 comes to a close, music executive and events producer ANDY SKUROW confides with Dan about the importance of music in his life and how it helped him to overcome his shame and fear of coming out to the world as gay – during a not-long-ago era when that still carried an enormous amount of personal risk and societal stigma. 

He also talks about how artists as diverse as Ashford and Simpson, Barry Manilow, RuPaul, Whitney Houston, Madonna, The Village People, Diana Ross, and many, many more – helped Andy to not only accept himself and his place...

A remix/re-edit of an early “mini-episode” from 2023.

 MICHELE MANTYNEN and JOSH CHAMBERS, social media caretakers for "Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast" and “Fun for All Ages with Frank Santopadre”, are both certified "Twilight Zone" fanatics.  Dan, on the other hand, is more of a casual fan. For this “round table” discussion, each had the tricky task of choosing just three of their favorite TZ episodes to talk about.

As usual, the discussion is not as much about "which one was better than that one" (nobody chose "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"?) as it is a mutual appreciation o...

Dan celebrates Father’s Day a few days early with fellow podcaster ERIC TODD (This Week in Charles Bronson) as they talk about their favorite depictions of fatherhood in movies, TV shows, and pop songs – while also discussing, with frankness, sensitivity, and humor, their relationships with their fathers and with their own children.  

 There’s plenty of surprises in the lists, plus a lot of amazing sound clips – and a cameo appearance by Eric’s 10-year-old son, Noah.  Because the duties of a father cannot be easily put aside, even for a podcast – and Eric is one proud and dutif...

Filmmaker, actor, and one-time Tony Award nominee TODD GRAFF joins Dan to talk about some of his favorite Broadway musicals and plays – especially the ones that were significant influences on his life and career.

Todd’s a gifted and hilarious storyteller, so we are all treated to memories of his first live theater experience (You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown), his co-starring with Robert Downey, Jr. in a long-forgotten Broadway flop, his friendships with legends Arthur Laurents and Stephen Sondheim – and behind-the-scenes of the 2003 film Camp, which Todd wrote and directed as a loving homage to the perf...

In this re-mixed/reedited episode from March 2024, Dan talks with comedy historian Jeff Abraham and writer-filmmaker Burt Kearns about their book THE SHOW WON'T GO ON, which chronicles the unfortunate final moments of actors, singers, comedians, circus performers, and more -- as they expired in front of their audiences, mid-performance.  

From the famous (Dick Shawn, Tiny Tim, Karl Wallenda) to the talented but lesser-known (Jane Little, Amazing Joe Burrus), the stories are often touching, other times ghoulishly ridiculous -- but they're all fascinating, and Jeff and Burt are expert storytellers.  

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VIRGIL CARDAMONE and MARK NELSON – owner/operator and general manager, respectively, of the famous Mahoning Drive-In Theater in Lehighton, PA – join Dan for a fun and lively  conversation about DRIVE-IN MOVIES.

 Of course, there’s talk about movies first seen at their local drive-ins, as well as memories of swing-sets, tinny metal speakers, and kids wearing pajamas worn under their clothes.  But Virgil and Mark also talk about what makes the Mahoning such a unique entertainment experience: celebrity guests, live DJ’s and music, specialty food items -- and most importantly, the Mahoning’s status as the last drive-in...

Re-mixed and re-edited version of episode that originally debuted on December 4, 2023:

Dan welcomed two very special guests --  his twenty-something children APRIL FISHER and PHOEBE FISHER to compare musical notes on SONGS THAT MAKE ME WANNA DANCE.

 Though there are some inevitable Boomer/Gen X versus Gen Z/Millenial comparisons, 
many of their choices just might surprise you.  Let's just say that Dan wasn't the one who picked a Kool and the Gang song.  He went with Bruno Mars, instead.

 This is an episode jam-packed with "bops" -- as the kids say -- and...

Re-mixed and re-edited version of episode that originally debuted in September 2024:

It's THE NEW ZOO REVUE!  COMING RIGHT AT YOU!

After nearly fifty years away from the public eye, Doug and Emily (Emmy Jo) Momary are back, and they’re everywhere – appearing at comic-cons and pop culture conventions, posting on social media, and now…they're Dan's guests on Let’s Talk Ten.

Doug and Emmy Jo turned out to be as sweet and genuine as the characters they played on their classic kid's show, which eight-year-old Danny Fisher never missed (though he’d never admit...

Can you tell me how to get…how to get to SESAME STREET?  

 DAVID KAMP can.  He’s the author of the national best-seller “Sunny Days: The Children’s Television Revolution That Changed America”, which chronicles the behind-the-scenes stories of Sesame Street (as well as other classic shows like Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, Zoom, and Schoolhouse Rock) and the seismic impact it had – not just in America, but the world – on the way children learned how to count, sing the letters of the alphabet, and how to deal with their own feelings.  (While entertaining the living heck out of them.)

 Dan...

Re-mixed and re-edited version of episode that originally debuted in January 2026:

 COME ON DOWN to join Dan and his guest Adam Nedeff -- as they talk about their all-time favorite television game shows.

Adam's not just a fan -- game shows have been his lifetime's obsession.  Currently an archivist and researcher for the National Archives of Game Show History -- and a published author of eleven books on the subject – his  encyclopedic command of their histories, strategies, and trivia is truly dazzling.

Wheels spin and lights flash throughout a conversation that covers the behin...

BILLY SMITH – owner and operator of Billy’s Midway Arcade in Hawthorne, NJ – joins Dan to talk about their favorite all-time old-school arcade games: Pinball, Skee-ball, Pong, Donkey Kong, Pac Man, Pole Position, Tetris, House of the Dead, even claw machines.

It’s a fun and fast-paced conversation about the histories of these games and the tech wizards who created them; the enormous impact on they had on our culture, popular and otherwise; and why pinball is the most poetic of all the arcade games.

 Recorded live from Billy’s Midway.

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Stand-up comedian and podcaster ADAM SANK joins Dan for a fun – and sometimes even a little serious – conversation about the stuff that makes him laugh.

They talk a lot about television – Adam’s obsessed with the Bravo Network, “RuPaul’s Drag Race”, and sitcoms – as well as comedic influences like Mel Brooks, Joan Rivers, Howard Stern, and MAD Magazine; how Adam dealt with growing up as a queer Jewish kid in suburban New Jersey; and why the phrase “we need more cowbell” can still make both of them bust out laughing.

There’s plenty more where that came from...

Acclaimed filmmaker and author JOHN SAYLES joins Dan to talk about the movies he’s made (Dan’s worked on three of them: Passion Fish, City of Hope, and Matewan, which was his first-ever job in the film industry) as well as the price one pays to be “independent”, the movies John watched while he was growing up – and his “other” career as a novelist, with his latest, CRUCIBLE, out in bookstores right now.

 Dan and John had not seen each other in over 25 years, so this is no mere podcast “interview” – it’s a reunion, a warm conversation betwe...

Author (“James Bond and the 60’s Spy Craze”) and pop culture expert THOM SHUBILLA returns to Let’s Talk Ten, to talk about his new book “King Kong Versus Godzilla: The Most Colossal Conflict the World Has Ever Known”, Toho Studio’s cult classic giant monster flick from 1962.

Not only was this the first occasion for these two gargantuan cinematic legends to meet head-to-head – the outcome of their epic battle perhaps deciding the fate of the entire planet! – but it was the first film for either creature that showcased their city-destroying rampages in full, glorious color.  

Which beast wou...

All right, Let’s Talk Ten listeners – ARE YOU READY TO ROCK????

Artist and entrepreneur DARI SILVERMAN is on the show, and we’re talking about some of the greatest performers of all time, LIVE and IN CONCERT: Jerry Lee Lewis, The Beatles, Janis, Jimi, The Boss….  

Dari’s seen them all and hundreds more, and she’s got amazing stories to tell, each one more jaw-dropping than the one before.

Meanwhile, since my experiences in concertgoing are relatively few in comparison, I share my thoughts about some of the all-time live albums: Aretha Frankl...

ABDUL MALIK ABBOTT’s story is one of inspiration, determination, and excellent timing, as he got into filmmaking just when hip-hop was about to rule the world.  Working his way up from production assistant to sound technician to editor, he eventually became an in-demand director for music videos, especially those featuring Black artists.  Among Abdul’s credits are a number of videos he made with Jay-Z, including the hugely popular “Dead Presidents” and the Platinum-selling video album “Streets Is Watching.”  He also directed the feature film State Property and a number of award-winning short films.

 In their wide-ranging con...

Professional magician and comedian RACHEL WAX – who’s appeared on “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” and is a regular at Speakeasy Magick in NYC – joins Dan for a spellbinding discussion about her career change from fashion designer to stage performer, why she won’t do kids’ birthday parties, and – more seriously – what it’s like to be a woman working in such a traditionally male-dominated field.  With remarkable candor, she speaks about having to deal with misogynistic remarks and behavior not only from certain members of the audience – but even from some of her fellow magicians.

Rachel and Dan also talk about the...

Professional magician and comedian RACHEL WAX – who’s appeared on “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” and is a regular at Speakeasy Magick in NYC – joins Dan for a spellbinding discussion about her career change from fashion designer to stage performer, why she won’t do kids’ birthday parties, and – more seriously – what it’s like to be a woman working in such a traditionally male-dominated field.  With remarkable candor, she speaks about having to deal with misogynistic remarks and behavior not only from certain members of the audience – but even from some of her fellow magicians.

Rachel and Dan also talk about the...

Emmy-winning actor MATTHEW RHYS (The Americans, The Beast in Me) joins Dan to talk about many of his favorite ACTORS and how they’ve influenced the course of his own career.

Their discussion spans eras and covers a vast array of artists and styles: leading men (Burton, O’Toole, Brando, Pacino), leading women (Hepburn, Streep),    character actors, scary actors, comic actors, up-and-comers -- as well as the films that contributed to the emergence of those legends, like The Lion in Winter, On the Waterfront, Taxi Driver, and many more.

Dan also asks Matthew about his own ap...

It’s the return of FIRSTS, with a fresh roster of Let’s Talk Ten All-Stars:

Dan Persons, Simone Farber, Moosie Drier, Kathleen Fisher, Danny Peary, Roxanne Kincaid, Laurie Gwen Shapiro, Kerry & Lisa Weeks, Kristen Lopez, Dan Riba, Sarah Schmidt, Andrew Laposha, Lori Cardille, and John Ashton – all here to share some of their first meaningful pop cultural experiences.

With fourteen different stories, it’s an epic event that somehow goes by in a flash -- full of lovely memories, plenty of laughs, more than a few life-changing revelations, and even a little bit of childhoo...

Since our listeners have been very, very good this year, Let’s Talk Ten is celebrating the season with a wide-ranging, enthusiastic salute to classic RANKIN/BASS holiday specials. Rudolph, Frosty, the Little Drummer Boy, the Miser Brothers – they’re all here, along with the amazing RICK GOLDSCHMIDT, the official historian/biographer for Rankin/Bass Productions, serving as our expert guide.

Rick fondly remembers the genius of Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass; their extraordinary collaborators Romeo Muller, Johnny Marks, Maury Laws, Jack Davis, Paul Coker Jr.; with show business legends like Burl Ives, Mickey Rooney, Fred Astair...

Legendary film writer and critic DANNY PEARY’s previous episodes (#40 - #41: Movies I Loved When I Was a Kid) were so enormously popular that host Dan Fisher invited him back to talk about whatever he wanted.

 Here, then, are fascinating stories of Danny’s student years at Wisconsin and USC -- and his memorable encounters with legendary directors and performers: Liv Ullman, Jean-Luc Godard, Robert Altman, Fritz Lang, actress Erica Gavin, director/editor Mark Robson, John Carradine, Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Dolly Parton, bluegrass icon Jimmy Martin, and Elliot Gould.

 Whether you’re a film fanatic...

KRISTEN LOPEZ returns to the show, for a thought-provoking and thoroughly entertaining conversation about representation of the physically and mentally disabled in cinema.  As a professional film critic and as a disabled person herself, she brings a perspective that is not only personal but also steeped in her extensive knowledge of film and its history.

 Her new book, “Popcorn Disabilities”, examines how Hollywood has dealt with disabled characters (and the actors who portray them) over the last century, when they’ve been seen at all.  But she also points out where films have gotten it right, and how the p...

Award-winning screenwriter LARRY KARASZEWSKI (Ed Wood, The People Vs. O.J.: American Crime Story) and Dan happen to share two mutual passions: movies from the 1970’s, and everything to do with the Oscars.  

 For this episode, they combine these into a historical overview of, arguably, the greatest decade for American cinema, as chronicled by its Academy Award winners and nominees – with plenty of discussion over which films and artists (in their opinions) should really have won or at least have been nominated. (A format “borrowed” from their friend Danny Peary, from his book Alternate Oscars.)

In ju...

For our third annual Halloween celebration, actress Lori Cardille joins the party to talk about her starring role in the cult classic “Day of the Dead”, the legacy of George Romero, and most dear to her heart – memories of her father Bill Cardille, a.k.a. “Chilly Billy Cardille”, host of Pittsburgh’s long-running monster-movie show, “Chiller Theater”.

 There will be shrieks of terror and howls of laughter as Lori and Dan also discuss their all-time favorite horror movies, Lori’s childhood disdain for them, and Dan’s thoughts on those store-bought Halloween costumes that used to come in a box.

...

We’ve all been asked this question at least a few times in our lives: “If you were stranded on a desert island and could bring only one thing – what would you bring?”

 Now -- narrow that selection down to just one movie, one album, or a boxed set of the entire run of a television series.  If that were the case, what would you bring?

 Entertainment journalist/interviewer WILL HARRIS (The A.V. Club, Vulture) and his college-age daughter ALLY are put into this imaginary conundrum, forced to make tough pop-cultural choices in such categories...

JOHN ASHTON, former guitarist and songwriter for the legendary PSYCHEDELIC FURS (“Love My Way”, “Pretty in Pink”) is on the show, to talk about his life in music, the people he’s met along the way -- and especially the music that influenced him and made everything possible.

 Dan mostly listens, as John talks about The Beatles, Bowie, ACDC, Lou Reed, touring with the Talking Heads and Echo and the Bunnymen – and how a terrible auto accident would lead him to first encounter the Sex Pistols, which would alter the course of his life. 

 It’s a surprisingly...

Ron Friedman passed away on September 15, 2025.  He was 93.

I was very fortunate to have had him as a guest on this podcast -- Ron wrote for damn near every show I watched growing up -- The Andy Griffith Show, Bewitched, All in the Family, The Partridge Family, Chico and the Man, Fantasy Island....  His output was enormous -- over 700 hours of television, in all genres, sitcoms, action dramas, variety -- and his influence on me and millions of other former television addicts is incalculable.

I was even luckier to have then known him, all too br...

Three-time Emmy-winning animation director Dan Riba (“Batman Beyond”, “Freakazoid!”) joins Dan for a nostalgic, insightful, and just plain flat-out fun conversation about the CARTOONS they both loved when they were each growing up in the 1960’s and ‘70’s -- and would also serve as artistic and creative inspirations throughout Dan Riba’s long and distinguished career.

 Their animated discussion covers 1960’s manga, superheroes (DC and Marvel), modern stone age families, intrepid boy adventurers, Greek gods – as well as encounters with legends like Jack Kirby and Doug Wildey, their mutual boyhood obsessions with comic books, and the joy of finding prizes in...

Progressive Radio Host and Podcaster ROXANNE KINCAID (“Head-ON with Roxanne Kincaid”) returns to Let’s Talk Ten for a fun and very informed conversation with Dan, about their all-time favorite movie BIOPICS.  

 From legends of the battlefield to show biz icons to the lords of Silicon Valley, these films span not just centuries, but cinematic genres and styles as well.  Some are multiple Oscar-winners, others ambitious cult classics -- but at their best, biopics help us to understand the human beings beneath all the majesty, pomp, wigs, and accents.

 And unlike a lot of big Hollywood...

Pop culture essayist, critic, and editor KRISTEN LOPEZ join Dan for a witty and lively discussion of their favorite television and streaming series of the past 25 years.

Their choices cover a wide and often surprising array of genres and characters, watched on large, laptop, and phone screens. What a “television show” is exactly continues to be redefined, as the long-time popularity of sitcoms and generic cop shows have given way to epic  storytelling, complex characterizations, and movie-quality production values.

 As always, what might or might not have made Dan and Kristen’s lists might be highly d...