Phil Rosenthal

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Where Everybody Knows Your Name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson (sometimes)"

Episode Title: Phil Rosenthal
Release Date: February 5, 2025
Guests: Phil Rosenthal
Hosts: Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson
Description: In this episode, Ted Danson reconnects with longtime friend Phil Rosenthal, the creator and executive producer of the beloved sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, and host of his own Netflix documentary travel series. Together, they delve into personal anecdotes, professional journeys, and the enduring bond that has kept their friendship strong since their days on the hit show Cheers.

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1. Welcome and Guest Introduction

Phil Rosenthal is warmly welcomed by Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson. Ted expresses his admiration, stating, "You're my favorite person. Not just TV Ted Danson, but real Ted Danson. People need to know that you're the sweetest sweetie pie in the world." [00:53]

Key Points:

• Phil Rosenthal's role in creating Everybody Loves Raymond.
• His current endeavors, including his Netflix documentary travel series.
• The deep-rooted friendship between Phil and Ted.

2. Recounting Early Friendship

Ted reminisces about the early days of their friendship, highlighting a humorous anecdote involving a mistaken identity with Mel Brooks and Cary Grant. He shares a story where he felt indispensable thanks to this mix-up, saying, "We're all living on the edge." [02:43]

Key Points:

• The serendipitous nature of their friendship.
• Ted's humorous take on feeling important due to the anecdote.
• The playful banter that characterizes their interactions.

3. Life Post-Cheers

Both Phil and Ted discuss their lives after Cheers ended, touching upon their career paths and personal ventures. Phil mentions his upcoming trip to Copenhagen to visit his grandchildren, reflecting on the differences between American and Scandinavian societies.

Notable Quote: Ted muses on the societal structures of Copenhagen, "It's half. Literally half. Yes, but across the board for everyone." [03:36]

Key Points:

• Phil's dedication to family and travel.
• Observations on societal welfare systems in Europe versus the U.S.
• Mutual understanding of each other's busy lives and travels.

4. Personal Reflections and Family Background

Ted shares heartfelt stories about his parents, both Holocaust survivors from Germany, highlighting the profound influence of his mother's love for opera and art. He humorously recounts his parents' tombstone inscriptions: "Are my eggs fluffy" for his father and "I'm listening to the opera" for his mother. [11:36]

Notable Quotes:

• Ted on his parents' influence: "That's heaven for both of them." [11:36]
• A light-hearted moment about his tombstone: "We're going with Fluffy." [11:48]

Key Points:

• The resilience and cultural heritage of Ted's parents.
• The blend of humor and reverence in remembering family.
• How these early experiences shaped Ted's artistic inclinations.

5. Career Journeys and Creative Processes

Phil discusses his varied career, from television to hosting a travel series, emphasizing his passion for food and exploration as a means to stay curious. Ted reciprocates by sharing his own path, including his experiences with roles, writing, and the challenges of the entertainment industry.

Notable Quotes:

• Ted on college education: "The best thing college can do for a person... is it teaches you how to learn for the rest of your life." [10:15]
• Phil on creativity: "That's the heart and soul of a truly creative person is that curiosity of all things creative." [10:21]

Key Points:

• Phil's commitment to continuous learning through travel and food.
• Ted's transition from acting to writing and producing.
• The importance of curiosity and adaptability in their careers.

6. Humorous Anecdotes and Behind-the-Scenes Stories

The conversation is sprinkled with humorous stories, including Ted's disastrous attempt at telemarketing and his memorable experiences on various shows. They laugh over moments like Ted falling asleep on a museum bed and the notorious rap party incident on Everybody Loves Raymond.

Notable Quotes:

• Ted on telemarketing: "I lasted four weeks at that job." [37:29]
• Phil recounts a touching moment with Senator Mark Kelly and Gabby Gifford, leading to laughter: "It was just the most amazing moment I've ever had." [29:53]

Key Points:

• The trials and tribulations of working in the entertainment industry.
• Personal victories and memorable interactions with notable figures.
• The role of humor in navigating professional challenges.

7. Philanthropy and Personal Values

Ted speaks about honoring his parents through meaningful gestures, such as placing a bench in Central Park in memory of his father. He emphasizes the importance of living a life that positively impacts others, reflecting on his and Phil's shared values.

Notable Quotes:

• Ted on memorials: "And if you want to visit me, come to my bench." [12:43]
• Phil on family experiences: "A lot of times children of survivors have a kind of tough road to go." [26:28]

Key Points:

• The significance of memorials and lasting tributes.
• Balancing personal grief with honoring loved ones.
• Shared commitment to meaningful actions beyond their careers.

8. Love for Food and Travel

Phil and Ted delve into their mutual love for food and travel, discussing Phil's documentary series and Ted's new travel show. They highlight how food serves as a medium for exploration and connection with people worldwide.

Notable Quotes:

• Ted on travel philosophy: "If somebody gave you a house... Would you stay in one room of the house? Right. Go see all the rooms." [19:31]
• Phil on culinary adventures: "It's a kind and exuberant, delicious way to see the world." [20:24]

Key Points:

• The role of culinary experiences in fostering curiosity and connection.
• Phil's approach to documenting and sharing global food cultures.
• Ted's enthusiasm for discovering and showcasing new culinary landscapes.

9. Closing Remarks and Mutual Appreciation

As the conversation winds down, Phil and Ted express their deep appreciation for each other and their enduring friendship. Ted reflects on the blessings of their reunion, stating, "You get to do that show. Who wouldn't love this?" [63:03]

Notable Quotes:

• Ted: "I am the luckiest guy you're ever, ever going to sit with." [63:06]
• Phil: "Phil, I love you. I adore you. I appreciate so much what you put out into the world." [70:24]

Key Points:

• The joy of reconnecting and sharing life experiences.
• Mutual respect and admiration for each other's contributions to the entertainment and culinary worlds.
• Affirmation of their lasting bond and support for one another's endeavors.

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Conclusion

In this heartfelt and humorous episode, Ted Danson and Phil Rosenthal explore the depths of their friendship, sharing personal stories, professional insights, and a mutual love for food and travel. Their candid conversations offer listeners a glimpse into the lives of two creative minds who have navigated the complexities of the entertainment industry while maintaining a strong, supportive relationship. Through laughter and reflection, the episode underscores the importance of friendship, curiosity, and the simple joys of life.

Transcript

[Phil Rosenthal]

Where everybody knows your name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson sometimes is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with the name your price tool from Progressive you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and and affiliates price and coverage match limited by state law. Not available in all states.

[Ted Danson]

You ever think of that? If your dad had, you know, something coming out of his nose that night. You're not here, Ted.

[Phil Rosenthal]

One booger away from non existence.

[Ted Danson]

We're all living on the edge.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Welcome back to where everybody knows your name. I am giggling just thinking about who I get to talk to today. Phil Rosenthal. He created and executive produced the wildly popular sitcom Everybody loves Raymond. But these days he's keeping especially busy hosting his documentary travel series on Netflix. Somebody feed Phil. Soon to be in its eighth season. Phil is one hungry dude. And I don't mean food. I mean about life in general. He uses food and travel as a way to stay curious and engaged about the world we live in. And I think we can all learn a lot from that. He's one of my dearest friends. So happy he's here. Please meet the delightful Phil Rosenberg.

[Ted Danson]

You're my favorite person. Not just. Not just tv Ted Danson, but real Ted Danson. People need to know that you're the sweetest sweetie pie in the world.

[Phil Rosenthal]

You too are a sweetie pie. And we both said. We both said pretty much right off the bat, oh, we just made new, new good food.

[Ted Danson]

Like, like kids in school. But, but, but. Answer me truthfully. Yeah, we first met. We, we. We're hot and heavy. We like, like, like. Cause I came up to where you guys live.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

And, and you said we, we had breakfast. Come over tonight. What are you doing tonight? Yeah, I'll come. And we come and we have dinner and then it's like the Mel Brooks where he's like. He sees Cary Grant on the lot. You know this story?

[Phil Rosenthal]

No, no.

[Ted Danson]

He sees Cary Grant on the lot. I'll make the short version. You gotta. If you wanna hear it, you go to YouTube. Mel has told the story probably every TV appearance of his life. And. But it's great story. He sees Cary Grant. Cary Grant says, hello, I love you. And he says, yeah. He goes, you wanna get lunch? Yeah, we get lunch. And we skipping to lunch and I have my new friend Cary Grant. I'm in there. And he calls the next day, wanna have lunch? And. Yeah, so now I'm my best Friend. Cary Grant. And Wednesday we have lunch on Thursday we have lunch Friday.

[Phil Rosenthal]

The.

[Ted Danson]

The phone rings and my secretary says it's Cary Grant online too. He says, tell him I'm out.

[Phil Rosenthal]

No, I have not told anyone to tell you I'm out yet.

[Ted Danson]

No, no. But I haven't seen you in a couple of months and I was wondering, was I too much?

[Phil Rosenthal]

No, you weren't too.

[Ted Danson]

I worry about that because my wife says I'm too much.

[Phil Rosenthal]

No, no. So. But come on, just so you don't. People don't get the impression that I've been avoiding you. You've been on the road non stop.

[Ted Danson]

That's true. But you travel too. You've been away from LA a little bit.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

You go back east. You go.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Go back east.

[Ted Danson]

Did you go to Europe at all?

[Phil Rosenthal]

Grandkids? No, we're about to do that. We're about to go visit our Lily and Charlie in.

[Ted Danson]

In.

[Phil Rosenthal]

In Copenhagen.

[Ted Danson]

Oh, yeah, You've been there before.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Isn't it the great. It's like an idealized society.

[Phil Rosenthal]

It is. The taxes are really high.

[Ted Danson]

It's half. Literally half. Yes, but across the board for everyone.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yes. And you get everything that you want to the point where it's illegal to be homeless because there is no reason to be homeless. To be homeless. None. If you have mental issues here. It's a wonderful place. We'll pay for it.

[Ted Danson]

That's right.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Drugs here, you know, whatever.

[Ted Danson]

What if we could learn something interesting?

[Phil Rosenthal]

Right? That's maybe the sticking point. The learn part. I don't know.

[Ted Danson]

Michael Moore did a movie and it was about American ideas that were taken not by America, but by other countries who now thrive on these ideas. Where to invade next. I recommend this to. You haven't seen it.

[Phil Rosenthal]

No. No, I haven't.

[Ted Danson]

You'll love it. It's not even political. The movie. I mean, I guess deep down it must be because it deals with who's in charge and who's not in charge. But it's all about ideas, good ideas that we. Why can't we. You know, you go to Copenhagen and you don't see the Bentley going down the street, but then you don't see the homeless person either.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Right.

[Ted Danson]

You see happy, happy people.

[Phil Rosenthal]

The first couple days I thought, oh, they're being really sweet to us tourists. Then I sat there and I watched local neighborhood people come and they were equally sweet to each other. It was. It's a happy.

[Ted Danson]

That's the secret.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Happy people.

[Ted Danson]

Look what they get for that. That tax money. The cleanest food Air and water anywhere. Your education is paid for through college.

[Phil Rosenthal]

If you have a baby, you get to hang around with the baby during, you know, the most formative, you know, months.

[Ted Danson]

Yes. And free medicine.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

I mean, just.

[Phil Rosenthal]

But God knows we don't want to be socialists. You know, like that word scares the crap out of people from doing all the things that we should really just be doing.

[Ted Danson]

Hey, does someone pick up your garbage in the morning? You're a socialist.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Does someone come and put out the fire when your house is burning down? Hey, you're a socialist.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah. Yeah. Do you get to drive on free roads?

[Ted Danson]

Yes, that's. You're a socialist.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Well, we've handled politics.

[Ted Danson]

That's it. Dear Ted, I'm never listening to your commie bullshit again.

[Phil Rosenthal]

We've had Woody on for a while, so I think we've already weeded out the week of the.

[Ted Danson]

Weeded out. Oh, that strikes me. Listen, I don't come for nothing. My son.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

You know, I told you about this. This is my son. My son, during COVID with his friends, invented a cookie mix with THC in the cookie mix. Okay, but he's a genius. My son Ben, he invented a cookie mix that doesn't taste like the THC that's in it. Because a lot of these edibles, Woody would know.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Can you read the name of that?

[Ted Danson]

It's called Zaza's Zaza. And Woody's store was the first one to buy the cookie.

[Phil Rosenthal]

So it's. My God, eat your heart out of Woody.

[Ted Danson]

Yes. It's called Zaza's Cannabis Infused Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix. And all you add is half a stick of butter and one egg and it makes 25 cookies. So what I do is I make the mix and then make little dough balls. I put it in the freezer and. And then right before bed. Because I'm old. Yeah, right before bed, I put on the toaster oven to 350 and it warms up and then I take the dough ball, I put it in the toaster oven, and in 10 minutes I have a fresh baked chocolate chip cookie.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And you go to sleep.

[Ted Danson]

Yes.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Well, you start to feel a little, you know, woo hoo. Maybe listen to music, maybe look at the wife and she looks at you like, what's going on? And say Zazas. So that's. And I brought you a bag. Do you want to try it?

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ted Danson]

It's doing very well. It's at dispensaries everywhere and it's selling out and they're reordering and I'm thrilled about it.

[Phil Rosenthal]

That's amazing.

[Ted Danson]

But he made it. He's the baker. He's the one who invented like a recipe that hides that flavor, that. That cannabis flavor.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Was chemistry involved?

[Ted Danson]

Yes, he just. What's really involved is trial and error.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

You know, I had to eat a lot of cook.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Have you had a breakfast cookie today, Phil?

[Ted Danson]

I haven't.

[Phil Rosenthal]

No.

[Ted Danson]

This is just me. I'm excited to see you.

[Phil Rosenthal]

I'm excited to see you too.

[Ted Danson]

That's all. I won't be selling anything else today, I promise.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah. I'm trying to think. The last time we saw each other, maybe it was your movie night that you have.

[Ted Danson]

I sent you an invite for Sunday.

[Phil Rosenthal]

I know, I just saw that.

[Ted Danson]

Can you come? That's going to be very good.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Maybe that's.

[Ted Danson]

Have you've seen that movie, let's tell the people the Last Waltz, which I think is Scorsese's best movie. I don't think it's on a streaming service right now, but it is phenomenal. The filmmaking is so great.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yes, yes, yes.

[Ted Danson]

And they. They. It was their last concert and the band was great on their own, but then they were also the backing band for so many of the greatest acts in history. Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, they all come out and do songs. Wow. Neil Young. It's so. It's so. You've never seen it?

[Phil Rosenthal]

No, I haven't.

[Ted Danson]

The best concert movie ever made. Not just because of this lineup of people, but because Scorsese pre planned his shots. It was the first time that had ever been done in a concert film. And he staged, you know, staged theatrically. He had Boris Levin, the famous set designer, design a set. He had done west side Story and Sound of Music.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Wow.

[Ted Danson]

Designed a set for the Winterland Theater in San Francisco. You're gonna love this. It's the best. And it's like a new transfer. 4K transfer from Criterion. I'm into this, I guess.

[Phil Rosenthal]

No, no. I'm sitting here going, oh, I know why we're not coming. Because we're beyond a plane to Copenhagen.

[Ted Danson]

Oh, that's why. Listen, you should cancel.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah. Dear Charlie, Sorry. Hey, let me. Here you are. We've talked about food and we're going to talk about food. And your prolific writing and your love of music and your love of films. And I'm sure that's also true having seen your house about art. When did. What is the origin of Phil the Renaissance man, who is curious and interested in so many things? Because to me that is the heart and soul of a truly creative person is that curiosity of all things creative. Where did that come from in you? My parents started Helen and Max.

[Ted Danson]

Helen and Max, they, My dad, not so curious really, was born an old Jewish man and was an old Jewish man his whole life. And it was fine with very, very simple things. Didn't like much. But my mother, they both came from Europe. They were both born in Germany. They're Holocaust survivors. My mother had a love of opera and art. And I was just grew up around it. Didn't like opera as a child. Who really likes opera? I think you have to be, I don't know, some kind of freaky kid to love that yelling, right? We had enough yelling in the house. And then on Saturday afternoon, God forbid you should disturb my mother when she was listening WQXR from New York, who would broadcast live from the Metropolitan Opera House every Saturday. This was her joy in life. You could not Ma. I broke my arm. I'm listening to the opera. Yeah, right. My dad, simpler. All he wanted was Fluffy eggs. Are my eggs fluffy. And she would say, I'm listening to the opera. This was their mantra. It's on their tombstones, literally. I put are my eggs fluffy on my dad and I'm listening to the opera on my mom's tombstone because that's heaven for both of them.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Did you tell them by the way.

[Ted Danson]

Beforehand that I would do that?

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah, I think it might a great sense of humor.

[Ted Danson]

I think it might be rude to say, hey, you know what I'm gonna put on your tombstone?

[Phil Rosenthal]

We're going with Fluffy.

[Ted Danson]

You know what I'm thinking, and I can't stop thinking about it. You're a tombstone.

[Phil Rosenthal]

I know you're not feeling well right now.

[Ted Danson]

No, we did it because first of.

[Phil Rosenthal]

All, makes you laugh.

[Ted Danson]

They can object. Second of all, we knew they wouldn't object. Yeah, I think they would like it. I think, right?

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

I don't need a tombstone. Don't worry about me. I, I, I already got my thing. You know what it is? And I did. I, I got this for somebody else who lost, lost his wife early in life and was devastated. And he asked me, I don't know what to do. I don't know. I want some kind of memorial. So I told him about what my wife got for me already. A bench in Central Park.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Oh, wonderful.

[Ted Danson]

Right?

[Phil Rosenthal]

Wonderful. I love the bench. I love reading them.

[Ted Danson]

And then you have a living, useful function thing. And if you want to visit me, come to my bench.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah, right.

[Ted Danson]

That's not a Graveyard. Who cares if we believe in anything in the afterlife? Our spirit is out there. Anyway, I told my wife, you know what? When I'm walking with her in Central park, which is where we had our first kiss, it's my favorite place on earth. You can, when I die, you can just sprinkle my ashes in Central Park. She said, anytime.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Sooner the better. Yes, I confess that my mom, who was cremated and we separated the ashes so some would go there, some would go there, and I had a little teeny mini pot with a cork in it that was my mom, and unfortunately I put it next to the little pot that had our dog in it. And now I can't.

[Ted Danson]

You don't know which.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Swear to God, don't know which is which. Any thoughts, Phil?

[Ted Danson]

As long as you didn't put it next to the cookie mix, right?

[Phil Rosenthal]

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[Ted Danson]

You were delicious. Yes. Arts, where the arts came in. But I was trending towards my dad, who was like really funny. And I just wanted to be funny. And I didn't care about the opera or art really. But then I went to college, went to Hofstra University, and then I had a roommate who was very, very brilliant visual artist. And he really turned me on to a world way beyond what I had grown up with. Like he not my mother, because it's your mother, you don't listen to her. But up here said, let's go to the museum. I'm like, museum. And he showed me. His name is Rob Weiner and he's a great director. And he became one of the directors of the Donald Judd foundation in Marfa, Texas. I don't know if you've ever heard about that. That's the largest modern art installation, an outside installation in the world is in Marfa, Texas, where they shot Giant and no country for Old Men. So this giant canvas of nothing is all these modern art sculptures. And he recruited other modern artists. So this is stuff I know about because of my friend, which I would never even have an interest in, let alone now kind of understand. Right. And then, you know, if you get any basic liberal arts education, you're going to love movies, you're going to love plays, you're going to love music. So I thank Hofstra University for that. And then just I was curious. The best thing college can do for a person, other than all the drinking and smoking, is it teaches you how to learn for the rest of your life. If you're not just drunk every day in school and not just stoned, you can learn how to learn, get curious. And that has propelled me through the rest of my life, is that curiosity that's What? That's. What are we here for? I tell people when people who don't travel. Right. I don't have to sell you on it, but people who don't travel. I say, if somebody gave you a house, gave you as a gift. Here's a house, big house. Would you stay in one room of the house? Right. Go see all the rooms, people, while we're here. You know, because someday you're not gonna have that house.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

So see it all. Why wouldn't you want to?

[Phil Rosenthal]

And you might find out that the house is filled with people who are not that much different than you and you kind of enjoy.

[Ted Danson]

Listen, that's the whole message of my thing. It's not, you know, people think, oh, it's a food show. It's not a food show. I'm just using food in my stupid sense of humor to give you the real message, which is when we travel, we meet great people.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

And we fall in love every day. Who doesn't want that feeling?

[Phil Rosenthal]

I love your show, Phil.

[Ted Danson]

Thank you.

[Phil Rosenthal]

I really love it. And I love watching you. Unlike some of the other shows, which are great and all that, but I love when you turn to your crew, having just tasted something that we know is the best thing you've ever tasted in your life and offer it to the crew. And all the crew comes up and eats the same food. I know your brother Rich produces it. Right.

[Ted Danson]

Sometimes they don't wait for me to offer it. Richard will come and take it out of my hand.

[Phil Rosenthal]

But it is the kindest, most exuberant, delicious way to see the world. It really is. I love what you're doing.

[Ted Danson]

Thank you. You gotta. You. You've. You. I don't wanna ruin any surprises for anybody, but Ted makes a special appearance in. In the season that's gonna be coming up.

[Phil Rosenthal]

I was very nervous, by the way.

[Ted Danson]

You were fantastic.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yes. No, but not. Not at that point. But when I was actually with you on camera, I was fine. But thinking about. Can you say, you know, you ask people to think of a joke?

[Ted Danson]

Oh, yeah. So that I've done for the last season or so.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yes. Ever since you're.

[Ted Danson]

Since my dad passed, we do a joke for Max.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Right.

[Ted Danson]

I thought that was a good way to keep his spirit alive.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Oh, it's a great idea. It's a great idea.

[Ted Danson]

And he would love that section more than any other.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And I bet people were honored having watched you talk to your father, to be. I was to be asked to do this. But the pressure of coming up with a good joke that is honoring of Max. And not just the stupidest, dirtiest joke you can think of. It was a great pressure. And then I said my joke, which I won't spoil. Yeah, but I. About you did you this. You did this sweetly. It wasn't distracting. But I noticed your eyes immediately go, I know this joke.

[Ted Danson]

It's a version of a different version of a joke that was his favorite.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Oh, that's right. You said that.

[Ted Danson]

You picked a perfect joke. And I love the twist on it. In some ways, it might be better. Sorry, dad, but listen, he didn't write any of his jokes when he did the show. My wife told me this because she was staying with him while I was away. After my mother passed, when I had to go film, she very sweetly went and stayed with him for a month and took care of him with the caretaker. It was such a sweet relationship. And you can see that in the. You know, I think it was season five or six of. Of our show. You can see them. They were always together on the zoom. She said he would before. I'm calling to. For him to do the joke. His book of old Jewish jokes, and he's going through it. Oh, how wonderful. Trying to find the right joke.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Was this a written book or notes that he.

[Ted Danson]

No, no, no. This is a book, a published book, a volume.

[Phil Rosenthal]

That's great.

[Ted Danson]

That he would go through. He had to find the right joke. Yeah, he was really good. He did some. It's called tumling. Tumling is not formal standup comedy. But in the Catskills, where all the old Jews sit around the pool and eat all day. Mel Brooks had done this too. A lot of famous people, red button, Sid Caesar, they all started this way. My dad did this. You go around the pool and kind of make the people laugh doing funny stuff. Tell a joke, you know, just be funny around them. So he was a naturally funny guy. And I didn't know this. I swear I didn't know this until we filmed a little tribute show to them, and I got to sit with their surviving friends. The night my mother met him, he was doing amateur standup in his 20s in New Jersey. She was on a date with another guy. And I swear, if he wasn't funny that night, I'm not here.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Well, we are getting some origin stories about it. That's a real origin story. That's amazing. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

You ever think of that? If your dad wore the wrong thing, said the wrong thing, behaved badly, had, you know, something coming out of his nose that night? You're not here Ted.

[Phil Rosenthal]

One booger away from non existence.

[Ted Danson]

We're all living on the edge.

[Phil Rosenthal]

I still want to go back. I wanted to ask about your mom.

[Ted Danson]

Yes.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Because when. When you say that she was interned.

[Ted Danson]

Yes.

[Phil Rosenthal]

During World War II. Right.

[Ted Danson]

My dad got out after Kristallnacht, him and his family. When he was 12 years old, he came to New York. He had no. Couldn't speak English. His bar mitzvah was the next week. So not only did he have to learn his Haftarah, the portion of the Torah that you read at your bar mitzvah, he had to learn English. I don't know how he did it. My mom, however, not so lucky.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Captured and growing up in France or where?

[Ted Danson]

Hamburg.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Hamburg.

[Ted Danson]

But captured trying to get out of there. Brought to a concentration camp in France. People don't know they had concentration camps too. They weren't the most severe death camps like Auschwitz and Buchenwald, but they were still concentrate. Where people that call them concentration camps because they concentrate populations in these internment camps. And if you die, you die. They're certainly not feeding you. You're certainly not staying in nice accommodations. You're a prisoner and it's kind of a way station until they can ship you off to die.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Right. And how long was she there?

[Ted Danson]

A year.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And then liberated.

[Ted Danson]

Liberated. They get on a boat. That's where she got the most sick. Almost died at 11 years old. The ship is turned away from America and they go to Cuba. She said those. I think it was a year.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Sorry. So was the war still going on?

[Ted Danson]

No, war's over.

[Phil Rosenthal]

War's over and they're turned away.

[Ted Danson]

Yes. They go to Cuba.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Right.

[Ted Danson]

That was one of the happiest times of her life. Pre Castro, Cuba was a frigging paradise. She said to her dying day, she. She like, like loved mangoes because.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Right.

[Ted Danson]

Of that time. Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Wow.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

So this is. I, you know, not having Jewish heritage. I. I probably shouldn't make this generality, but a lot of times children of survivors have a kind of tough road to go.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

It sounds like. Or that you didn't. Because they were able to.

[Ted Danson]

There were moments digest. There were moments that were. You don't realize that it's tough until you compare it to other kids.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Right.

[Ted Danson]

We don't know. We think if you grow up in a house, you think that's how everybody is until you meet other people. But like I said, hey, Ma, all the kids are getting these cool stingray bikes. Could I have one for my 10th birthday? She said, you know what I got for my 10th birthday. So it was like that.

[Phil Rosenthal]

But what. And so. And how did that. Do you. Do you think that's an imprint on Phil that we know today or not?

[Ted Danson]

Has to be. Has to be, doesn't it?

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yes, it has to be. So. But I don't see it. Unless it's your determination to be cheerful, joyful, nurturing all these other things that you are.

[Ted Danson]

I think you have a choice in life. You can either let the little negative things or major negative things bring you down, or you can fight against them and go the other way.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And that was you. From.

[Ted Danson]

The moment I got in the school plays, it was fantasy life. Did you do the school plays when you were a kid?

[Phil Rosenthal]

One I did at Kent School for Boys. I did. Because basketball season was over and we had to think of something to do. In White America by Martin Duberman.

[Ted Danson]

Wow. Was that unusual for a basketball. A kid on the basketball squad to even want to be in the school play?

[Phil Rosenthal]

Perhaps. Except my buddy and I, who was the real basketball star. Duane Retta and I decided to do it.

[Ted Danson]

You thought it'd be funny and fun.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Fun, yeah. Fun, yeah. And I remember when I heard applause the first time I went, it's not basketball, but this is. There's something here.

[Ted Danson]

Of course.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Listen. I wanted to be an astronaut because I grew up in the 60s, right. So all the kids. I was born in 1960. So if you. Born 1960, and you saw the space program, you were like, this is the be all and end all. This is going into outer space. It was like beyond anything. And then I realized, you know what my favorite part of being the astronaut, the coolest part? Being on the Ed Sullivan Show.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Maybe.

[Ted Danson]

And maybe I just try to get there without the dangerous. Sit on the rocket that might blow up.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah. This is just a side note, but I was with Senator Mark Kelly.

[Ted Danson]

Yes. Great guy.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Great guy. And Gabby Gifford.

[Ted Danson]

Oh, my God. Hero.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Oh, me too. And she saw me. And I think Gabby has sometimes an easier time singing, which is natural. Sometimes to brain injuries. You can sing sometimes when you can't quite talk in the same speech. She just broke into the Cheers song and started singing because she wanted to say, hi, I know who you are. Loved Cheers. And that was her way of doing it.

[Ted Danson]

It's practically making me cry. Did it make you cry?

[Phil Rosenthal]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Ted Danson]

I would lose it.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah. It was just the most amazing moment I've ever had. Regarding.

[Ted Danson]

Did you see her documentary? That's awesome. That movie.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

What a hero.

[Phil Rosenthal]

She is unbelievable. And her husband.

[Ted Danson]

Great people.

[Phil Rosenthal]

So But Mark Kelly, right after dinner, it was a fundraising dinner, and There were about 20 people there, and they were asking all the end of the world questions and how horrible and what are we gonna do? And how do you deal with this? And my turn, you know, and I said, I walk in a room, I listen to all of this hard stuff that we're all talking about that's very real, but it's really hard, and it's complicated with people doing stupid things and mean things and all of that. But I walk in the room and I see you and Gabby, and you have a sparkle in your eye, and you're a very happy, undeterred man. Who's going to do what's right.

[Ted Danson]

Yes.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And not be. You know, I said, how do you do that? How do you balance listening to this horrible stuff that you have to listen to and be happy? He said, well, you got to remember, I was strapped onto the back of a rocket four times and shot into space. The fourth time was immediately after all of his friends died in the explosion. So, you know, don't sweat the small stuff. It comes to mind for astronauts.

[Ted Danson]

I can't even fathom doing it. I would never in a million years. No, I. I had to be in a race car in the show. Like, they took me around the Formula one track in Austin.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Right.

[Ted Danson]

With a professional driver. I went 187 miles an hour. Did you ever do this?

[Phil Rosenthal]

No, don't. No.

[Ted Danson]

It's the most violent, horrible thing I've ever experienced. I think I was you. We see it on tv. We have no idea. It looks like. Yeah, it looks like they're going fast, but it looks smooth. It looks like zoom, zoom, zoom.

[Phil Rosenthal]

No, you.

[Ted Danson]

When that thing takes off like a rocket, you are pinned back so violently. And then when they go into a turn, it's not just they turn and you go smoothly. They hit the brakes as you would have to going into a turn at any speed. But because he's going 187, he hits it like a ton of bricks. So it's like you're crashing into a wall. Wall. And then it turns, screeching like mad. You're pinned to one side. You're then thrown to the other side as you come out of the turn. You're then thrown backwards again as it takes off. This goes on for two and a half years.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah, I felt like two and a half years. I love that.

[Ted Danson]

One lap. One lap. Like, when will this end? I can't go on rides anymore.

[Phil Rosenthal]

They are athletes. They have to be. I mean, they have to.

[Ted Danson]

And I look at him during a straightaway, and he's got the biggest smile on his face. Cause, yeah. He's 22.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

And he's driving. He knows what's gonna happen. As a passenger, you have no idea. This was. I come out of the car, I'm shaking. And the crew comes over, having seen. Because the cameras were just on my face, crying, laughing. This is the best thing we've ever shot. It's the worst moment of my life.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And was that producer your brother?

[Ted Danson]

Of course.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yes.

[Ted Danson]

He said, okay, listen, we need to get the exteriors for this next lap. I'm like, there is no next lap, Richard. He goes, but we need the extras. I took off my helmet. I gave it to him. You get in the goddamn car. And he did. And half a lap later, I see the car slow down and stop. And out of the car comes Richard shaking. That's right, Richard.

[Phil Rosenthal]

My kids won't go to a carnival with me because at one time, I was in the teacups. You know the teacups, the little things.

[Ted Danson]

They'Re designed to make you throw up.

[Phil Rosenthal]

I was begging the controller, please stop. Please stop. No, I'm serious. Please stop.

[Ted Danson]

Because all it is. I don't understand. I know when you're a kid, you love nothing more. The rides are designed to imitate Daddy throwing you up in the air. And if you're Daddy, you're just throwing up. I can't anymore. I literally can't. Yeah, I was. I went to Disney World recently. They wanted to show me around. They said, we've got a ride for you. They put me on Guardians of the Galaxy ride. They said, this is the state of the art of rides. I'm like, it's really not for me. They said, guarantee you're gonna like it. Guarantee you I don't. And sure enough, I wanted to die. Because it's not just Space Mountain. You know what that is you've been on.

[Phil Rosenthal]

That was fun.

[Ted Danson]

Okay. I. I wonder if you'd think it was fun today.

[Phil Rosenthal]

That's true. That was 40 years ago.

[Ted Danson]

40 years ago. Different. Different inner ear.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Different stomach. Right. I'm just. It's not. It just how it is. I loved it, too. 40 years ago. And now I'm like, not only is it Space Mountain, but the movie is around you. And not only are you zooming, you're spinning. And not only are you spinning, at one point, it stops and goes backwards. The whole thing.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

I wanted to die. They said, we have one more ride. I said, no, More rides. They said, no, this is for you because this has food. This is ratatouille. So it's a kiddie ride. The way, like, you go through Peter Pan, you see the different dioramas. Except now because 2023, they've souped it up. So there's dips and things and they spray water in your face and the giant movie is in front of you and you're dipping and going and it's nauseating.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Please, Disney, stop.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Stop being nice to me. Stop.

[Ted Danson]

I just can't. I just can't do it anymore.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Okay? I want to go back again because I want to learn stuff about you. You started acting a little bit in college, high school, even high school, junior high school. And was this. I'm going to be.

[Ted Danson]

All I wanted to be was funny on stage, like. Like my dad. That's all I. And everyone I saw on tv. I watched way too much TV as a child.

[Phil Rosenthal]

But were you thinking I might do standup or I might be an actor?

[Ted Danson]

I wanted to be, I think. Tell me if this was you in any way. I didn't know when I was little that there was writing and directing and producing. I would watch the Honeymooners every night. They were in reruns. When I was a kid, I just wanted to be, you know, Ralph and Norton. I just loved being the characters and I could imitate them and I could stay up later with my parents if I found. If I could make them laugh. So that was my way. I did stand up once when I was 19 in a jazz club as an amateur night. Thank God Monica wasn't there that night.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Bye. Bye. Ben and Lily.

[Ted Danson]

Right, so that was a wake up call. No, stick to being someone else or be a character.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And did that carry through into college?

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, I was encouraged. I was a very big star in high school and I was encouraged to go to school for theater. So I went to Hofstra. They had a great theater program. And I was a very big star in college, too. And then I moved to New York and no one called New York to tell them what a big star I was in high school.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

So I cut to me selling farm and implement cleaner on the phone, cold calling people in a. What do you call those rooms? Boiler room. Ooh, right.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Phones and phones and phones. There's a series on right now. Can't plug them, but if this is after telemarketers, it's called.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Oh.

[Ted Danson]

Oh, very interesting.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Oh, great. Yeah. Somebody else said all terrible. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

So I was one of those guys. Lasted four Weeks at that job.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And when did you get. Did you get paid to act in New York?

[Ted Danson]

Not really. Yeah, I couldn't even get an agent. It was awful. But I went from job to job, odd job to. I was a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Wow.

[Ted Danson]

That same roommate that I told you about turned me onto the world of art. He worked at the information desk. And when I lost my job telemarketing, he said, you could be a guard. You don't need any training for that. You put on a suit and you tell people, don't touch the art. And you tell them down the hall, second door on the left.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And was it like an art class view in a way?

[Ted Danson]

Absolutely. Because all you do is stand there all day. And then I worked the shift from four to midnight, which is after the museum is closed, so you're in empty galleries and you know how you don't have time to read all the things next to the paintings? I did. What an education. It was awesome. And then I worked midnight to 8 in the morning. That's called the graveyard shift. Have you ever done that?

[Phil Rosenthal]

I did it in a can factory.

[Ted Danson]

But go on in a can factory.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah. Oof, Pittsburgh.

[Ted Danson]

That sounds like fun. And did you notice this? People that work the graveyard shift from midnight to 8 in the morning? Those people, you know why they do that? Because they can't get along with regular people during the day. That's what I found. It was everyone was just this side of the law, if even on this side of the law.

[Phil Rosenthal]

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[Ted Danson]

The pesto bruschetta chicken with parmesan green beans that I recently had.

[Phil Rosenthal]

It was simple, easy to prepare, flavorful.

[Ted Danson]

You get your vegetables, you have your chicken, and it came in at 45 grams of protein.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Wait, wait a minute. Do you. Do you measure your protein? Are you one of those guys? I haven't historically been one of those guys, but I think I could become.

[Ted Danson]

One of those guys.

[Phil Rosenthal]

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[Ted Danson]

So speaking of breaking the law, I was working midnight day in the morning. Why? Because I got into a play. So now I'm rehearsing during the day, and now we start performances at night. And I have just enough time to get to my job midnight to 8 in the morning. And I'm 21 years old, and I think, I can do this. And the third night without sleep, they found me asleep on a 300-year-old bed in a gallery. Oh, yes. And I was fired on the spot. On the spot. That was 1981. And I went from odd job to odd job. It was embarrassing. I was humiliated. My roommate who worked at the information desk the next morning said, you know, there's only one room closed for the Metropolitan Museum of Art today. It's your room. Yes. Because you messed up, slept on a work of art. The dispatch guy, he's a cop. You know, the guy who runs dispatch. He goes, listen. As he's firing me, he goes, listen. To me, it's a bed. To you, it's a bed. To them, it's a work of art. You're fired. And they open the back door of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which is Central park, at 1 in the morning, and they throw you out. And it was the most humiliating thing that's ever happened to me. And I went from odd job to odd job after that. I worked as a bartender. I had no idea how to bartend, but I. I worked in telemarketing. I told you. I did temp work. I worked for a movie company selling movies to colleges, which is something that I did. I ran the film program showing movies to kids on the weekends at Hofstra. So I knew how it worked from the other direction. And I did that for a few years, all the while trying to get a show. And then some friends of mine and I wrote a show for ourselves to be in, and that became successful. At the same time, my friend Alan Kirschenbaum came over to my apartment with a word processor and said, let's write a screenplay together. And we did. And sometimes God shows you what you're supposed to be. We sold that screenplay right away to HBO for $70,000 in 1988. 70,000. That was when I told my parents. My father was so thrilled. I was like, the American dream has come true. And my mother got up, why is your father dancing on the roof? What is going on? I said, alan and I sold a screenplay. Your first screenplay? Yes. You sold it? Yes. What do you get for something like that? I said, $70,000. And the phone went silent. I said, ma. She said, do you know we've worked our whole lives to have that in the bank? She wasn't. She couldn't even be happy. She was stunned at the value system of the country. Right. A teacher doesn't make half of that.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Right.

[Ted Danson]

And you, little pisher, you scribble some jokes on a paper and you get that. Well, it's not right. I said, you're right, Ma. It's not. But hoo hoo. I've been eating tuna fish for dinner, and now I'm gonna eat whatever I want. I moved to Hollywood because we thought the screenplay was gonna get made. It didn't, but I moved because it seemed like I should be a writer. And so I get here, I get a new partner. Alan was already working with Ed Weinberger on a show as a solo writer. He didn't need me. So a friend of mine, Oliver Goldstick, was a playwright at Columbia grad school whose plays I had been in. He was out here already trying to. He said, you want to write a spec script for a sitcom? I said, sure. And the spec script we wrote was for Roseanne and what should the story be? This is 1989. So I said, we couldn't rack in our brains, how about this? How about the husband? They don't have enough money, so he gets a second job. At night as a guard in the museum, and he falls asleep on a 300-year-old bed. And we wrote that and we sent it around, and all the agents in town said, what an imagination. And we were hired immediately. On a show. It happened that fast? Not on Roseanne.

[Phil Rosenthal]

No.

[Ted Danson]

Nope. But that's how it works. The spec script goes around. You're never. You must have found this on Cheers. Most of the time, the outside writer, they don't know the show. They don't know. And it has nothing to do with. They could write it. They couldn't write it. You're going in another direction that they couldn't possibly know because they don't work there. Right. But we did get hired. Do you know. Did I tell you this? My first show?

[Phil Rosenthal]

No.

[Ted Danson]

I got hired on a sitcom for Robert Mitchum.

[Phil Rosenthal]

A sitcom for Robert Mitchum. Wow.

[Ted Danson]

This was 1989.

[Phil Rosenthal]

What was it called?

[Ted Danson]

Family for Joe. Robert Mitchum. Did you ever meet Robert Mitchum?

[Phil Rosenthal]

Never, and regret it.

[Ted Danson]

You would have loved him and he would have loved you. He was a great guy, but very gruff and very. No nonsense.

[Phil Rosenthal]

He enjoyed marijuana, too. My understanding, early on in his career, he.

[Ted Danson]

Robert Mitchum for Zazas.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Sorry, go on.

[Ted Danson]

So you so remember TV movies? They were a thing.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Huge, huge thing. You've probably done your share.

[Phil Rosenthal]

It was what you did in the summer after.

[Ted Danson]

Right. And they got great ratings. So this thing, this was a TV movie about Robert Mitchum as a homeless man living in a refrigerator box in Central Park. Three recently orphaned children come and say, would you pretend to be our grandpa so we're not split up and put into separate foster homes.

[Phil Rosenthal]

That's a great plot.

[Ted Danson]

And that's the movie. The movie was the highest testing anything in NBC history, including your show, including Cosby show of the 80s. Swear to God, they couldn't leave it alone. It was so high testing this movie. They said, we need a backdoor pilot. This has to be a sitcom. So they make a sitcom in front of an audience with a Brady Bunch set. And the very first moment of the very first show, there's an empty Brady Bunch looking set. You hear ding dong. You hear offstage, I'll get it. It's Robert Mitchum. The kitchen door opens. In comes Robert Mitchum on a sitcom stage wearing a flowered apron. And he pauses before he gets to the door to adjust the flowers on the table. They castrated him immediately. Oh, why? The most terrible word in television from an executive. Likable. The show was dead. My grandmother would have said, don't do that. The only chance at humor is that he's gruff. Robert Mitchum, like Uncle Charlie on My Three Sons. That's the only chance you have for laughs. Right. By the way, the children on that show were Ben Savage. And this girl comes into the audition, she's 16. She's recently been emancipated from her parents at 16. Her name is Juliet Lewis.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Oh, wow.

[Ted Danson]

And she was fantastic, wonderful. She was in the show, too. She went right from our show, which was canceled after seven, by the way, into Cape Fear with Martin Scorsese. So it was an amazing learning experience. What you can learn from your first show, you can learn on any show. You just have to know how the machine works. Right.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And at this point, had you met Monica or no?

[Ted Danson]

Oh, yeah, I met Monica 1986. I saw her in a play.

[Phil Rosenthal]

New York.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah. Mutual friends from Hofstra. She transferred in after I graduated. So my friends from Hofstra were doing a play. Here's this girl I never saw before, but she's really funny. And I said, tell that girl she's funny after the show. And then I ran away. And then a week later, I'm at the 9th Avenue Food Festival, which is. They close off 37th street to 57th street on 9th Avenue, and it's wall to wall food on both sides. And I'm walking down the street, I'm eating a rib, and here comes. Oh, the funny girl. I'm a big fan of yours, I say to her. She says, I'm a big fan of yours too. And I am very flattered. And I think she must have come to Hofstra when I was a big star there and seen everything. No, she lied.

[Phil Rosenthal]

She lied.

[Ted Danson]

The whole thing's based on a lie. So I'm here to say on your podcast, it's over, Monica. I'm on to you.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Is that why you sent her to Philadelphia? Probably, yeah.

[Ted Danson]

It's all built on, you know, then.

[Phil Rosenthal]

We'Re gonna get it. We're gonna get. It's a built. Hey, lies aren't all that's true. Just to recap all of the things that I was just asking you about, being the Renaissance man in love with music and curious, that was you.

[Ted Danson]

This life, that was you.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Even before la.

[Ted Danson]

You got it.

[Phil Rosenthal]

You did all of that. You did movie nights.

[Ted Danson]

Oh, yes. I was doing movie nights when I was 15. Because when I was 15, in New City, New York, in Rockland county suburb, here comes hbo. And HBO is the first time you know this. But probably a lot of listeners have no idea that HBO was the first time you could watch an uncut, uninterrupted, uncensored movie in your house. Yeah, there was no other way. There was no VHS or laserdisc or Blu Ray or streaming. And so when I'm 15, there's a new. Did you know there was a new R rated movie every Saturday night? So my other. I call my other idiot friends, come over, we may see something and I'd order pizza. And that was movie night.

[Phil Rosenthal]

That's great.

[Ted Danson]

Yes.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Okay, so now you're in la. How far away are you from Everybody Loves Raymond? At that point?

[Ted Danson]

Five years away.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Five years.

[Ted Danson]

So Oliver and I, we go from bad show to bad show. And then we got on Coach and worked for Barry Kemp and that was a big hit show.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Big hit.

[Ted Danson]

And I learned, you know, a lot from that too. And in my third year of being on that, Oliver and I amicably split up. Because, you know, the deal with partners, they pay you one salary and you split it and after a while you feel like you're good enough that you don't, you know, we should get paid as one person each. We don't sit in the writer's room and huddle before we each say something. We're two individuals.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Right.

[Ted Danson]

But I do recommend to anyone listening, if you want to start in a business, being a partner is a very good way to start because first of all, you're a bargain. Second of all, you have someone to bounce your stuff off of before you have the confidence in your own head.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

So that's great. So I love Oliver and I love doing it with him. But now I'm a solo guy and on my first solo year there, I get a video cassette of a comedian. They're looking for writers. This comedian had been on Letterman one time. After 12 years of trying to get on one six minute appearance and Letterman says there should be a show for that Ray Romano guy. And I see the video cassette and I fall in love with it. In fact, I had already seen it. I had already seen the night he was on because I never missed Letterman. And we meet.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Who set that up?

[Ted Danson]

The agents that do these things. I think he must have read a spec script of mine. I think I wrote a Frasier at that time because I now had to establish myself as solo. So they read it, they liked it enough to meet. He met with a dozen guys. I don't think I was his first choice. A guy who wrote Friends was his first choice, but he didn't want to do it.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Now Was Ray Romano at that point, Ray Romano, or was he just.

[Ted Danson]

He was just Stand Up.

[Phil Rosenthal]

The Stand up that the world didn't know that well. Or did they?

[Ted Danson]

Maybe he had HBO half hour. Remember when they did those? I think that's it. He was well known on the comedy club circuit. So I meet him and I always tell this story that I said, tell me about yourself, just as I would with you. If we're just meeting and we might work together and we don't know what the show would be. He said, well, I got twin boys and an older daughter, and my family lives close by and they're always bothering me. My brother's a police sergeant and he lives with them and he's kind of jealous of me. In fact, he saw my award for Stand up and he goes, everybody Loves Raymond never ends for Raymond. I'm like, wow. Well, it doesn't seem like there's anything there we can use.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah, that's great.

[Ted Danson]

And then what I didn't know about his. The personality of the family, I filled in with my family.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah. I have so much respect for Ray Romano. Not only was he brilliant in your show, but he went on to do different. He was bold and brave and would do all sorts of different characters with all sorts.

[Ted Danson]

And he's a great actor.

[Phil Rosenthal]

He's a really great actor.

[Ted Danson]

Speaking of Scorsese, cast him in that. Cast him in the Irishman. And then he made his own movie that he wrote and produced and directed and stars in.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Oh, wow.

[Ted Danson]

And that's called Somewhere in Queens. And it's fantastic.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Oh, fantastic. Yeah, I'll find it.

[Ted Danson]

So I'm, you know, triply proud of him. I mean, he's just. He's great. He's great. And he's the kind of neurotic guy who is the best kind of neurotic because he only hurts himself.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Does he. Is he bemused? Does he get his. The joke?

[Ted Danson]

Of course, yes. He knows he's crazy.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Okay, so how long. When did you guys go, oh, we're a hit. Was it third year or the third.

[Ted Danson]

Episode of the show? I mean, I thought as we're casting even, oh, I'm getting lucky here. When Doris Roberts comes in and nails this monologue, this speech that was verbatim. Verbatim from my mother. Verbatim. It was the scene that I believe got us on the show because no one else had a scene like this, which is a lesson in being as specific as you can be.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah, right.

[Ted Danson]

It was. I gave my parents Fruit of the Month club for Hanukkah. I thought I was being nice, and I got that call from my mother. Philip, we got your Hanukkah present. Did you know it was a box of pears? And I said, yeah, Ma, you like them? Oh. Oh, yes, they're very nice, but there's over a dozen pears here. How am I going to eat all these pears? I said, well, give them to dad. Okay, but how many pears can your father eat? Please don't ever send us any more food again. It's too much. I said, okay, well, you know, another box is coming next month. She said, what, more pairs? I said, a different box every month? She said, every month. Maxi got us in some kind of cult. Please don't do this. I said, I don't know what to tell. She goes, I can't talk anymore. There's too much fruit in the house. So I put that scene in the show.

[Phil Rosenthal]

I have. I remember it well.

[Ted Danson]

And Doris knocked it out of the park. She was perfect at doing that. I don't know, you know, we might be related. I don't know what it is. But no one else even came close. I have to be honest. Saw a hundred ladies for that part. No one came close. And that's how I felt about every one of them. When Brad Garrett walked in the room, and we were looking for a shorter older brother to be jealous of Ray, because that's what he has in real life. So I was looking for little guys. And then this talking tree came in the room with that voice, and we all fell over laughing. It was better than what we thought. So you have to be open to that, too, right?

[Phil Rosenthal]

And really lucky husband's name. Sorry. Peter Boyle. Yeah, Peter. Oh, my God.

[Ted Danson]

That was actually the head of CBS said, how about Peter Boyle for that part? I'm like, what do you mean? We could get Peter Boyle. He's a movie star. I never thought for a second that he'd even be available. I'm going for known TV people. And he came in and scared the hell out of me. I just give him the part.

[Phil Rosenthal]

I'll never forget him. And Joe. Remember Joe?

[Ted Danson]

Yes.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Yes. He shot kids like me for breakfast.

[Phil Rosenthal]

So, you know what?

[Ted Danson]

Talk about liberal. Here's two things you maybe people don't know about him. He studied to be a monk. He studied to be a monk. And when I asked him, what made you give that up, he said, not enough girls. And. And then the, you know, best man at his wedding was John Lennon. Wow, that's cool. You don't expect Joe. To have John Lennon.

[Phil Rosenthal]

No. Right. No.

[Ted Danson]

So that was phenomenal. Yeah. All great.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And when did you go, oh, we're a hit. When did the world.

[Ted Danson]

So. So it happens incrementally. First we made it on the schedule, Right?

[Phil Rosenthal]

Right.

[Ted Danson]

Almost as an afterthought. Friday night said 8:30 after Dave's world, I think there hadn't been a hit in that time slot since Gomer Pyle. So we don't know then. And then, you know, when you're first starting a sitcom, they don't know you, the audience, the literal studio audience that comes. We. My hand to God, did you ever have this old age home and inmates.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Bust in from jail, and you're just hoping to keep their attention so one guy doesn't go, hey, let's kill that old lady. But the third episode, there was a moment where I think there was an IQ test that Ray and his wife took, and Ray scored higher, and he was very smug about it and said the wrong thing while his wife was eating ice cream on the couch next to him. And she took the bowl of ice cream without saying anything and just turned it over on his lap, and the audience went crazy. The laugh went on for over 30 seconds.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Wow.

[Ted Danson]

Which is a rarity. It means that not only, yes, that's a funny physical gag, but it wouldn't go on that long if they weren't connecting to something larger than just our little sitcom. They understood a truth about men and women, husbands and wives. And I turned to one of the other writers right then and there during the laugh. I said, we're all going to be millionaires.

[Phil Rosenthal]

That's fantastic. That's fantastic.

[Ted Danson]

I said it as a joke. But the truth is, that is the key to success right there. When you can tap into the universal thing. And you don't hit that universal thing unless you're very specific. In Cheers, that wasn't a generic bar. That was a very specific bar with very specific characters with very specific personalities and problems.

[Phil Rosenthal]

It's true. I mean, I picked up script as an actor and gone. Well, actually, my character and my wife's character could trade lines and it wouldn't.

[Ted Danson]

Make any difference because all you're hearing is the writer.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

You have to. And for me, the cheat was I had these beautiful parents that I could always draw from. Right. I had my wife that I could draw from. If you worked for me, I would say, go home, get in a fight with your wife, come back in and tell me about it. And that's 90% of the show was that of something that happened to me or to Ray or to one of the other writers.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Here's a fight between Mary and me.

[Ted Danson]

Yes.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Mary says, are you mad? And I go, no. And she knows that I'm furious.

[Ted Danson]

Oh, my God. So that's what we call in the business gentile problems.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Okay, going back to your mom, right?

[Ted Danson]

Yiddish.

[Phil Rosenthal]

What did your mom say when you all of a sudden were being syndicated and making those large numbers that one makes when you're successful?

[Ted Danson]

Couldn't understand her whole life. Couldn't understand like. Like, what the. I couldn't even tell her. Syndication money. She understood that it's money. And you and I and the people around us were lucky enough to get in and out of that business, which does not exist anymore at the peak of history. Right?

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

I don't know what the future is. Can you figure it out? I'll tell you what Larry Gelbart said.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Spiritual plays, church plays, you know, we'll.

[Ted Danson]

Be acting in churches right in our caves.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yes.

[Ted Danson]

Larry Gelbart, the great comedy writer, wrote MASH Tootsie has my favorite line about all this. I was lucky enough to be friends with him, and I was having lunch with him and Norman Lear, and he asked me, what's it like to pitch a show now? Larry says. And I start to tell him, and about two lines in, he stops me, and he turns to Norman, he says, we're dying. Just in time. Just how I feel about a lot of things.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah, it's true. There are a lot of things that we're ducking out of. Yes.

[Ted Danson]

So I'm sorry, kids, good luck.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Nowadays, if older people die, you should be yelling, chicken, you big chicken. Hang in there. Come on.

[Ted Danson]

You screwed it all up and now you leave.

[Phil Rosenthal]

I don't know how much time we have, but we have to transist into whatever you want. We. We. We have to talk about what it's like to be behind the scenes, hugely successful, and now all of a sudden, yeah, somebody feed Phil. All of a sudden, you are now recognizable wherever you go.

[Ted Danson]

This is a very good third act, I think.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yes. And do you enjoy? You. You enjoy it? Love it.

[Ted Danson]

Who wouldn't love it? Look what I get to do. I'm the luckiest guy you're ever, ever going to sit with. That's really how I feel. You might have big, big stars coming in here. I am the luckiest.

[Phil Rosenthal]

I agree. And you love it. I mean. I mean, you love it.

[Ted Danson]

I do.

[Phil Rosenthal]

I love that. I love that response because people come at you with smiles and thank you for Being part of something that made me laugh.

[Ted Danson]

Who wouldn't like this?

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

And the work itself.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Travel show you. When I told my brother that I got this show. What is it again? He goes, I said, I'm gonna travel the world and try to get you to travel the world by showing you the best places in the world to eat. He said, they're gonna let you do that show? I said, yes. What are they gonna call the show? The Lucky Bastard. I said, quit your job. He was already a producer. Quit your job. Come produce the show with me and we'll call our production company Lucky Bastards. And that's the logo at the end of the show.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Oh, I didn't notice that. Oh, that's great.

[Ted Danson]

It's two stick figures.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Lucky Bastards on top of the world.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Oh, that's great. That's great. My last line as Sam Malone was, I'm the luckiest son of a bitch in the world. Isn't that a great last name line for a character?

[Ted Danson]

Isn't that sweet?

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

I'm gonna cry thinking about that last moment of that show. Sorry, we're closed.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah. And you know who they said it to? Who? The. It was over. No, it was over the shoulder of.

[Ted Danson]

It wasn't Brandon Tartikoff.

[Phil Rosenthal]

It was Bob Broder. Who is the. Les and Glenn and Jimmy, the creators. Their agent.

[Ted Danson]

That's hysterical. Why did I think it was Brandon Tartikoff?

[Phil Rosenthal]

He was around. He was there for that shoot. He was on camera.

[Ted Danson]

Okay.

[Phil Rosenthal]

But it was Bob Broder. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

And then you guys had the most notorious on camera cast party rap party in the history of television. On Leno.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah, on Leno. And in our defense.

[Ted Danson]

Like any story that starts with. In our defense, they brought us.

[Phil Rosenthal]

This was going to be the final episode. The airing of the final episode. But we had finished shooting it three months before that.

[Ted Danson]

Yes.

[Phil Rosenthal]

So we hadn't seen each other for three months.

[Ted Danson]

Right. It's the airing of the show. Yes.

[Phil Rosenthal]

So it was a emotional, wonderful reunion. And we were going to then go from watching it straight into Jay Leno. But they brought us to the Bull and Finch, the bar. That was the facade, you know, for the show at 2:00 in the afternoon. And it wasn't until 11:30 or 11 or whenever.

[Ted Danson]

So you have nothing else to do.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Except drink, get stoned and carry on to the point of almost being unable to stand up. And they put us in these big, tall director chairs. And Jay was busy, I think this was early on in his reign, was busy making notes and he didn't really look up until they went, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. And he looked up and saw this cast that was falling out of their chairs and thought, oh, dear God.

[Ted Danson]

Oh, my God.

[Phil Rosenthal]

We got a lot of shit for that. People were not amused. There's a lot of people weren't.

[Ted Danson]

I was, but I had no idea it was nine hours of prep. That's awesome. What a great. That's a great show business story. And that tape exists. You can revisit that. Here's our thing. We. We rap. And that night. You must have had a cast party that night.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yes, yes.

[Ted Danson]

Big party after the state, after. So we rap and we're having the little party on the stage, and I go behind the set to grab a soda, and the big fridge is gone that night.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Wow.

[Ted Danson]

Pardon me. I said to a stagehand, where's the big fridge? Said they need it for another show down the street.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah. That show business keeps going. Just because you got off doesn't mean.

[Ted Danson]

Well, I'm for nine years. And the moment you're done, you're done.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah. Also the, The. I was. I was on at Paramount for a total of 17 years. 11 with shares, 6 with Becker.

[Ted Danson]

Amazing.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Something else.

[Ted Danson]

Amazing.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And, you know, pretty much knew the people, the guards, families, names, you know, and it was. It was like home.

[Ted Danson]

Yep.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And until the day that you're not on, you know, on the call. Not that they were rude, but it was like, party's over. No, you need to go park in the visitor's parking lot.

[Ted Danson]

You got it.

[Phil Rosenthal]

You know I have to walk. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

To walk.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Wasn't I a somebody? Wait a minute. Okay, how about. How about. I know it's a lot of work to travel around the world, fly someplace.

[Ted Danson]

Only physically.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah. Is that it? Really?

[Ted Danson]

I like every part. I swear to you, I love going to the airport. I love going. I'm him taking off my belt. I'm putting on the, you know, on the. The bag on the thing.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

I'm going somewhere. And now I get to sit in the lounge and relax a little. And before the thing. And then I go to my seat and I'm going to watch movies and I'm going to. And I'm going to get there and check in and walk around the new place.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And is there an advanced team that sets this up so that you just have to kind of show up.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Phil Rosenthal]

And have fun in the moment.

[Ted Danson]

We do a lot of research. We do, you know, research that anybody can do. You go to your phone, you look up best place to eat in Copenhagen and then, you know, you Google stuff and you start making lists. And then, you know, I have something that maybe you don't have, which is a production company in New York, and they used to be Anthony Bourdain's production company. So they have fixers all over the world because he was on for 18 years.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah, right. Yes.

[Ted Danson]

So they know a lot. So I say, what about this restaurant in Copenhagen? They go, that was three years ago. That was the thing. This is the new thing. This is the better. And then we leave room in the schedule for serendipity, as I advise anyone who goes and travels to do. Yeah, you want to make sure you don't miss the big stuff, but leave room for stuff to happen. You've done this where you tired, it's raining, your plane is late. You get in, let's just eat. You go next door. Meal of your life. That can happen, but it can hap. It can't happen if you're sitting home watching somebody feed Phil. You have to go people. That's what I'm saying.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Or street food. Street love. Love, yeah.

[Ted Danson]

And are you taking a chance sometimes? Yes. But if you want to lessen your the odds of something bad happening, look for the street food that has a bit of a line.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yes.

[Ted Danson]

Because if they were poisoning people, the line wouldn't be so long.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Phil, I love you. I adore you. I appreciate so much what you put out into the world.

[Ted Danson]

Thank you.

[Phil Rosenthal]

You put it out in the world, but you're no different than when you and I go out to dinner with Monica and Mary. You are putting out that same thing all the time. You are consistently, you know, filled. Really appreciate you.

[Ted Danson]

I appreciate you. I'm so glad that we met this late in life because, well, who's to say if we met earlier, you wouldn't be sick of me already.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

I caught you at a good time.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah. No benches for us quite yet.

[Ted Danson]

No.

[Phil Rosenthal]

That was Phil Rosenthal. Thank you, Phil. I hope to see you for lunch sometime soon because you always pay. I don't know why. Probably because you're Mr. Food. It's appreciated. That's it for our show this week. Special thanks to our friends at Team Coco. If you enjoyed this episode, please send it to someone you love. As always, subscribe on your favorite podcast app and give us a great rating or, you know, whatever. It's truthful, as long as it's great. And review on Apple Podcasts if you have a sack. We will have more for you all next week. Everybody knows your name.

[Ted Danson]

You've been listening to Where Everybody knows your name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson Sometimes. The show is produced by me, Nick Leo. Executive producers are Adam Sachs, Colin Anderson, Jeff Ross and myself. Sarah Fedorovich is our supervising producer. Our senior producer is Matt Apodaca. Engineering and mixing by Joanna Samuel with support from Eduardo Prince Perez Research by Alyssa Grohl Talent booking by Paula Davis and Gina Bautista. Our theme music is by Woody Harrelson, Antony Genn, Mary Steenbergen and John Osborne. Special thanks to Willie Navarre. We'll have more for you next time. Where everybody knows your name.

[Phil Rosenthal]

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[Ted Danson]

You manage the cycle of UC symptoms.

[Phil Rosenthal]

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