About this episode

Rachel Lichtman discusses her unique project Programme 4, blending music, comedy, and graphic art inspired by 1970s media.

Rachel Lichtman grew up listening to 1970s AM radio and watching local TV—a world of soothing music, tacky ads, eye-grabbing graphics and reruns galore. A keen-eyed and -eared graphic artist, comedian and filmmaker, Lichtman evokes the humor and beauty of that era in Programme 4 , her would-be-station-turned-film she is touring alongside live musical/comedy performances. Based in fictional Golden Sands, Programme 4 presents opening credit sequences for TV shows that should have been ( The William Joel Show, A Man Named Brady , Brooker ) plus ads, short films and killer jokes revolving around harpsichords, the Rhodes electric piano and steamy brown coffee. Aimee Mann, Ted Leo and Dag Juhlin are among an all-star cast that has contributed to the Easy AM 66 (“Your Beautiful Music Station”) playlists and performs at the variety shows. Where did Lichtman’s love for this vibe and aesthetic come from? How did she conjure up the vision and develop the skills to pull off this unique project?

People in this episode

Host: Mark Caro

Guest: Rachel Lichtman

Topics covered

• 1970s music
• graphic art
• comedy
• filmmaking
• local TV
• variety shows

Keywords

• Rachel Lichtman
• Programme 4
• 1970s AM radio
• comedy performances
• graphic artist
• Easy AM 66

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Programme 4, The William Joel Show, A Man Named Brady, Brooker

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