TV Guidance Counselor Episode 710: Denise Winkelman

·1 hr 34 min·5 clips

Comedian Denise Winkleman reveals she was a pro wrestler for five years as 'Dr. Melvin Winkleman'.

Host Ken Reid welcomes comedian Denise Winkleman to discuss a TV Guide from March 1996. Denise shares her background growing up in a small Minnesota farming community with extreme cold, where school was rarely canceled. The episode delves into Denise's unexpected five-year career as a professional wrestler under the gimmick 'Dr. Melvin Winkleman', a mad scientist character she developed in a wrestling promo class. Ken and Denise examine the TV Guide's content, including the cover featuring NYPD Blue and articles about shows like Third Rock from the Sun. They highlight bizarre advertisements, such as a two-page spread for a porcelain doll named 'It's a Girl' that resembles a dead baby, and a Marlboro ad featuring Dick Hammer. The conversation touches on the overlap between wrestling fandom and stand-up comedy, with many comedians also being fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Denise recounts a personal story from a WCW wrestling taping where she confronted Psycho Sid. They review the TV listings for the week, noting forgotten shows like 'Buddies' (featuring Dave Chappelle) and 'The Nerd', a unaired pilot. The hosts discuss the cultural context of 1996 television, including the rise of cable wrestling and the phase-out of cigarette ads in TV Guide. Denise shares her current comfort shows, like 'Psych' and 'Lioness'. The episode concludes with Ken reading the 'Cheers and Jeers' section from the 1996 TV Guide, which includes critiques of staged nature documentaries and praise for ESPN promos.

As heard by us

A warm, wandering visit through weather, CBC, and the TV memories people carry with them.

TV Guidance Counselor treats television as a small map of belonging, as Ken Reed's conversation with comedian Denise Winkleman moves from weather and snowy places into the Canadian broadcasts she watched growing up near Canada.

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Why you'd press play

Press play if Canadian TV memories, Hockey Night in Canada, and a fake Soviet detour sound like a good evening.

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