Susan Silver (Mary Tyler Moore / Bob Newhart shows, author Hot Pants in Hollywood)

About this episode

Susan Silver discusses her career in television, personal experiences, and cultural observations.

Susan Silver joined me to discuss being a Sagittarius; watching Your Show of Shows; being born in Milwaukee and moving to Whitefish Bay; being rocked by her mother; Northwestern; UCLA with professor Francis Ford Coppola; working on Laugh In; writing for Love, American Style and Room 222; writing the Mary Tyler Moore episodes "A Friend in Need" & "Room 223"; writing the pilot to Maude; wearing hot pants and being in a TV guide article; The Couple Takes a Wife and similar Seinfeld episode; Bob Newhart show; her favorite TV movie that didn't go; her political affair; helping Bill Clinton; offered a job writing for NASA; working for the ADL; my grandmothers WWII story; being a UN observer for the Simon Wiesenthal Center; Bob Woodruff a funny person; Square Pegs; saying she's in the age bracket 50 to dead; dating past 50; no longer dyeing her hair; choking stories; Dr. Heimlich & Anson Williams; her "adopted" grandchildren; working with the FIDF; future of Israel; antisemitism; Hitlers Ascent and Trump; being afraid to walk in NYC with the Star of David; NY vs. LA; Donald Trump; Buddy Hackett vs. Don Rickles; her parents

People in this episode

Host: Ian Fermaglich

Guest: Susan Silver

Topics covered

• television history
• comedy writing
• personal anecdotes
• politics
• cultural commentary
• Jewish identity
• aging

Keywords

• Susan Silver
• Mary Tyler Moore
• comedy writing
• politics
• Jewish identity
• aging
• television history
• personal anecdotes

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NASA, ADL, Simon Wiesenthal Center

Books & works: Hot Pants in Hollywood, Your Show of Shows, Laugh In, Love, American Style, Room 222, Mary Tyler Moore, Maude, The Couple Takes a Wife, Square Pegs, Hitlers Ascent

Places: Milwaukee, Whitefish Bay, NYC, LA

More episodes of Ian Talks Comedy

• Kevin Kelton (2021 Interview with Better Audio) · May 30, 2026 · 1h 4m
• Ross Shafer (Almost Live!/Late Show/Match Game) · May 23, 2026 · 60 min
• Peter Lefcourt (author The Deal & The Dreyfus Affair, writer / producer Cagney & Lacey) · May 16, 2026 · 56 min
• Marc Weingarten (comedian, owner of the Ice House 1978 - 1982) · May 9, 2026 · 58 min
• Rebeca Arthur Golden (Perfect Strangers, Scrooged) · May 2, 2026 · 1h 5m
• Greg Evigan (BJ and the Bear, My Two Dads) · April 25, 2026 · 53 min