Too Much TV: Bucket List Interviews

Amazingly, there are people on my interview bucket list besides Bruce Springsteen

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Friday, June 20th 2025:

MY BUCKET LIST INTERVIEWS
I did a couple more paid subscriber Zoom calls today (paid subscribers can book a 15-minute one-on-one Zoom call with me), and as always, they were a lot of fun.

I had one person ask me if I had any bucket list interviews and I didn't have a quick answer - other than Bruce Springsteen. But I kept thinking about the question all afternoon and while it's likely I've forgotten someone obvious, this is the list I have right now. In no particular order:

Mark Harmon
Harmon notoriously doesn't like doing interviews. Even when he does provide comments for some event such as an NCIS anniversary, the comments tend to be brief and devoid of flourish.

But Harmon had a fascinating career before the success of NCIS. He was a journeyman actor who made a number of guest appearances on late 1970s TV shows ranging from Dragnet to Laverne & Shirley, and starred in a series of unsuccessful TV show pilots and short-lived series, including Jack Webb's Sam, and 240-Robert. Then there was his memorable three-year run on Chicago Hope, where his character contracted HIV through unprotected intercourse. And his two years on the nighttime drama Flamingo Road.

He then spent some time bouncing back and forth between made-for-television movies and lightweight feature films such as Summer School. He then returned to episodic television on Moonlighting, playing Cybill Shepherd's love interest Sam Crawford. He starred in the one-season-and-done series Charlie Grace and two seasons as the co-lead on Reasonable Doubts. He even made an appearance as a rodeo clown in an episode of Harts Of The West.

And it was one of those guest appearances that led to his role on NCIS. Donald P. Bellisario - creator of JAG and NCIS - saw a four-episode run Harmon had on The West Wing, playing Secret Service special agent Simon Donovan. That led to a two-episode JAG stint introducing NCIS agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs and then ultimately the long-running NCIS series.

Harmon had a hell of a run even before NCIS and if he was willing to talk about it in any detail, it would be an amazing interview.

Marty And Rick Lagina
The Curse Of Oak Island is one of my go-to shows when I was just want to lean back and turn off my brain for a bit. But I have so many questions and from what I can tell, the two brothers behind this hunt for fortune haven't given many in-depth interviews. And I have so, so many questions. How much money have they spent over the twelve seasons of the show? What's the deal with the lots on the island that aren't owned by the brothers? Are these rival treasure hunters or just people who want to be left alone? Do they think they would have given up the search by now if the TV show didn't exist?

Jay Leno
While David Letterman is the more obvious choice, the more I thought about it, the more Jay Leno seemed like a better idea. Leno doesn't like to talk about his personal life and I'm not sure if he's not capable of self-reflection or if he just isn't interested in revealing that much about his inner world publicly. But it would be an interesting challenge and I am likely one of the few people in the media who would come into an interview with Leno without having an axe to grind. As someone who did stand-up comedy for more than a decade, I admire what Leno has accomplished. But I am very curious about some of his choices, and not the choices you might expect.

Michael Richards
In theory, Richards doesn't need to work ever again. His Seinfeld money might not be anywhere close to what Jerry Seinfeld made from the show, but I suspect he's doing just fine. But he has kept a very low public profile after a 2006 performance was caught on tape in which he was filmed going on a racist tirade against hecklers. I'm curious about how he sees that event 20 years out. And about his decision not to do what a lot of celebrities do when confronted with bad behavior - go on a public relations tour in order to save their careers. Given that people like Michael Weatherly and Mel Gibson engaged in much worse behavior and still have careers, I'd be curious to learn whether Richards believes he should receive the same chance at a second chance. He's done a couple of small roles in the last decade, but very low-profile and he's declined to do any press.

Bill Maher
I know, this seems like a strange choice. Especially since I have made no secret of the fact I think he's an asshat of massive proportions:

But like every other political comedian in recent history, Maher slowly began to drink his own blow-hearted Kool-Aid. He became convinced that he saw through the bullshit of America's political system in a way that no one else could. And that is a failing that has not done any favors for his HBO series Real Time With Bill Maher.

Maher launched his HBO series in 2003 and while it continues to do okay in the ratings, over the past decade or so, the show's format has devolved down to Maher spouting off about some political-loving Grandpa who somehow manages to consumer equal parts of Facebook and Politico. No matter the topic, the under-lying premise of any monologue or any conversation with a guest is essentially, "I, Bill Maher, see through the schemes of mere mortals. I can't believe you are so foolish that you are intellectually incapable of seeing the truth."

But his blowhearted personality could make for a fascinating interview. He's not accustomed to doing an interview with someone who isn't impressed with his TV show or his long run in show business. This interview would likely be more like an episode of the old CNN series Crossfire than a traditional Q&A. But I'd certainly love to get a chance to tussle with him intellectually.

Chris Hayes
While MSNBC's Rachel Maddow rightfully gets a lot of the attention, Chris Hayes is someone that I think deserves more attention. He's come a long way since that panel show he used to host on the weekends and in the last few years, he's found his place as this slightly left of center skeptic who isn't afraid to take on challenging and difficult topics. His experience covering the lead-up to the Iraq War is serving him well as we seem to be careening towards some sort of a conflict with Iran. Hayes is thoughtful and I think we share a lot of similar thoughts on the political process and the trajectory of the United States over the past twenty years. I've seen a few interviews with him, but few of them are in-depth and I think that is a shame. Because there are few people on cable television as thoughtful about the medium and its limitations as Chris Hayes.

TWEET OF THE DAY

I think this is a really important point and it leads to something I have been meaning to do for a few weeks. Beginning next Friday, I'm going to do a weekly recap of the recent theatrical films available on the various streamers, which I will also link to here in Friday's newsletter. I suspect a lot of readers will find it useful.

WHAT'S NEW TONIGHT AND THIS WEEKEND

FRIDAY, JUNE 20TH:
* Grenfell: Uncovered (Netflix)
* K-Pop Demon Hunters (Netflix)
* Middlehood Series Premiere (Plex)
* Noah's Arc: The Movie (Showtime)
* Now Or Never: FC Montfermeil (Max)
* Olympo Series Premiere (Netflix)
* Planet Weird Series Premiere (NatGeo Wild)
* Semi-Soeter (Netflix)
* Shattered Vows (LMN)
* The Bravest Knight Season 2B Premiere (Hulu)

SATURDAY, JUNE 21ST:
* Dateless To Dangerous: My Son's Secret Life (Lifetime)
* Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2025 (Nickeldeon)
* The Great Indian Kapil Show (Netflix)
* Villa Amore (Hallmark)

SUNDAY, JUNE 22ND:
* A Home To Die For (Lifetime)
* Marooned With Ed Stafford Series Premiere (Discovery)
* Match Me Abroad (TLC)
* The Gilded Age Season Three Premiere (HBO)
* WWE Legends & Future Greats Season Premiere (A&E)

MONDAY, JUNE 23RD:
* Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything (Hulu)
* Born To Be Viral: The Real Lives Of Kidfluencers (Freeform)
* Giada In My Kitchen (Prime Video)
* Head Over Heels Series Premiere (Prime Video)
* POV: Union (PBS)


SEE YOU ON MONDAY!