Gary O'Blog
BEHIND THE SCENES OF OUR 1000TH SHOW!
Posted by: Gary O'Brien
Saturday, August 9, 2008 12:43 PM
I have had so many people tell me how much they enjoyed hearing all of the back-to-back stars on our 1000th show! Guests included my favorite celebrities from my first 1000 shows including Henry Winkler, Marion Ross, David Cassidy, Roy leonard, Bruce Hall from REO Speedwagon, PBS host Tavis Smiley, Maureen O'Hara, Johnny Mathis, Pauli Carmen, Tim Conway, Rick Kogan, and comedian Tom Dreesen. All in one three hour show!It was a fun day and it was a major juggling act to coordinate so many star's schedules, differing time zones, etc. But what a fun way to bring in the 1000th show.
I wanted "Happy Days" star, "Hank Zipzer" author and acclaimed producer Henry Winkler to be my first guest on the show, mostly as a symbolic gesture since he was the first celebrity guest when I started, he was on my 500th show, and he also invited my son Justin to review one of his books to him on another show (which to this day is still among the most talked about programs!).
Communication started between his assistant and me, and it wasn't long before I started getting emails from Henry himself. He was in England for a book signing tour for his popular "Hank Zipzer" books which are entertaining books for junior high kids with perhaps some self-esteem issues or leanring chalenges. They are so good!
Once he and I set up the time and date, I thought it would be fun to surprise him on the air with a mini-'Happy Days" reunion with his great friend, and happy to say friend of mine and Justin's, actress Marion Ross, who played "Mrs. C."
I wish I could post pictures on this blog as we have a great photo of Justin sitting on Marion Ross's lap after her performance in "Over the River and Through the Woods" in Kansas City. Fun picture.
Anyway, I got to know Marion Ross because of Henry Winkler's appearance on my 500th show. During the conversation, Marion Ross came up in reference to "Happy Days," and I mentioned I had never had her on the show and I would love to. Henry said "This is EXACTLY the type of show she would love to do. As soon as we are done, i will call her and tell her she needs to be on your show!" I thought that was very cool, but to be honest I thought it was probably just a nice thing to say and would never happen.
When I got off the air at 5 p.m., I checked my voicemail and there was a message: "Gary...Marion Ross. Henry just called me and said I need to be on your wonderful show. I'm sorry I missed you. Please call me at home at xxx-xxx-xxxx. Talk to you soon!"
I was flabergasted as I didn't think it would happen. As it turns out she thought she was calling to be on the air right away, but Henry gave her my office number. I'm glad though that she called my office because we were able to bond on the phone before she was ever a guest on the air.
We played phone tage for a couple of days, and she called me at home even. (By the way, I saved all of the messages as they are so nice!). We finally connected a few days later when I caught her at home after I got off the air. We talked for almost an hour and we just had an instant connection. Henry had told her about Justin and our adoption and how well he was doing, and she asked a bunch of quesitons about him. In fact she even asked for the wonderful newspaper article The News-Gazette did on our adoption story. We talked a couple times more before we ever did a phone interview.
We became friends and exchanged Christmas cards and notes and she is just a genuinely nice person. When she was in Kansas City, Kansas for a caouple months performing in a wonderful play "Over the River and Through the Woods," she invited Justin and me to come see her. That experience is worthy of another blog entry, as this is already getting quite long.
I left a message on her voicemail that we were coming to see her and make a birthday weekend for me out of it, she was delighted and left a message on my voicemail to give us details. Just wonderful. By the way she is making a return appearance there with "Over the River" and if anyone wants to make a weekend out of seeing a wonderful play at a wonderful venue, I highly recommend it.
Marion Ross has since been on the show a few times, and when we called her on her birthday her immediate response was "I just knew you would be calling me today!"
So when it came time to plan my 1000th show, I knew I wanted her to be a part of it, and thought it would really be special to have her on with Henry. Thinking a surprise might make for a neat element to the show, she was totally up for it when it was suggested. What fun!
So, on the 1000th show, Henry Winkler comes on and we talk abuot a variety of things and I thanked him for introducing me to Marion Ross and say she has become a friend now to both me and Justin. He said a few things about her and then I surprised him with Marion coming on the air, who was listening to the whole thing! They laughed, and Marion said "Gary, you have been handling Henry so well!" (he is a very enthusiastic person). Henry then said, "Marion, didn't I just talk to you yesterday? You didn't say a word." Marion: "No, I promised Gary I wouldn't!"
The chemistry between those two provided one of the truly special moments in all of the shows I have done. While I do have it on tape, I wish I could find a way to replay it in a way that would make sense. Magical to say the least.
During the conversation she invited Justin and me to see her again in Kansas City (and we are going sometime this fall), and mid-way through the conversation, she said "How's Justin?" That prompted a whole conversation on him and other teens getting their driver's licenses. She and Justin have a special connection which is neat to see.
Henry Winkler and Marion Ross, my first guests on my 1000th show. A wonderful moment. I'll write more about that show and some other interesting behind the scenes notes that went behind putting that show together in another post.
Thanks for listening!
GARY O'BRIEN
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