Tag: NPR

Margerumalia – Viewers Like You

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – July 25, 2025

Leah, the youngest girl in The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles got her start thanks to PBS.

It began when Debbie was reading a book to our young daughter who started reading the words as well. Had she just memorized her favorite book? Kids are like that, they soak things up like sponges. Debbie pulled out a book that she knew our daughter had never seen and asked her to read it.

She did. Our little sponge had taught herself how to read.

How, you ask? We credit PBS.

All her favorite programs were on PBS, from “Sesame Street” to “Barney” to “Between The Lions” and more. All the groundwork was laid out to help her learn how to read and do basic math. 

When she got tested for Kindergarten, the teacher told us she was already reading at a fourth grade level. We started referring to her as “a smarticle.” 

The character of Leah is also a five year old—”almost six” she tells people—who taught herself how to read. Her adventure in Eveningwhere with teen step-sister, Vanessa, shows how very smart she is.

PBS helped educate our daughter those many years ago. Today, I listen to “The PBS News Hour” podcast every morning on my walks. I also listen to NPR’s “Fresh Air” and “The Treatment” to learn about movies, books, TV shows, and much more.

I’m so disappointed that the funding for these programs is being dropped by the government when they’re so valuable to the American public. 

I’m contributing money to PBS and NPR and I’ll offer you a free ebook copy of MAMLA if you show me your receipt that says you’ve also donated (send it to eric@ericmargerum.com). My ebook is in EPUB format and can be read on Kindle, Apple Books, Nook, and most ebook apps. 

Be sure to black out any credit card numbers, or other important information. I’ll also delete the receipt after I send you the ebook. 

Many PBS and NPR stations award thank-you gifts like tumblers, tote-bags, and hats. If you get one, please use it or wear it with pride and let people know that these programs are made possible by people like you.

TTFN

* * * * *

DONATION SITES: 

www.pbs.org and www.npr.org

Ken Burns, documentary director of “The Civil War,” “Baseball” and “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” said on PBS: My biggest thing is, I travel around the system all the time. And I meet in big markets and small markets. And you begin to see the way in which, particularly in those small rural markets, the PBS station is really like the public library. It’s one of those important institutions. It may be the only place where people have access to local news, that the local station is going to the city council meeting.

* * * * *

If you received this email because it was forwarded to you by a subscriber, welcome. You can subscribe as well by following the link on my website: ericmargerum.com. A free story awaits you there.

Margerumalia – Remembering Bob Newhart

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – August 2, 2024

Photo Source: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bob-Newhart

I was saddened to hear about the passing of Bob Newhart last week. Besides enjoying both of his TV shows, listening to his record, and seeing him appear on everything from “Elf” and “The Big Bang Theory” to late night talk shows—he subbed for Johnny Carson 87 times—I got to spend a few minutes talking to him in the early 90’s.

Working as a bartender at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood I met several celebrities who came to see offerings like the national tour of “Peter Pan” (not great for bartending) or a New Year’s Eve concert by Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry (great drinking crowd, great tips).

On this particular day I had seen Newhart on the KTLA Morning News and was telling my fellow bartender about the interview as Newhart came strolling through. The show would be starting in seven or eight minutes and the bar was empty so I said, “Hey, I was just talking about you.” He smiled, walked right over and asked what I had been talking about. 

“You were on the Morning News talking about creating another Bob Newhart Show.” 

“Yeah, I was. And I think it looks promising.” 

“That’s great,” I said. “I loved watching both the other shows. It’s the perfect time to do another one.” 

It was so easy to talk to him. I didn’t feel like I was facing a celebrity, I was just chatting with the guy next door. And he seemed to genuinely enjoy the conversation. We talked for a couple more minutes before I reminded him that the show was about to start. He thanked me and went in to see the performance. 

I would’ve shook his hand but it was sticky with beer, wine, and soda so we just nodded at each other. My pal Bob and me. 

Do you think he knew about the Bob Newhart drinking game that was played in college campuses across the nation? Students would gather in the common room of the dorm to watch “The Bob Newhart Show” and take a drink whenever anyone on the show said “Hi Bob!” It happened a lot and both the episode and the commercials got hilarious by the end of the half hour. I can just hear him chuckling about it.

It’s a shame that third series was never produced. Who knows, maybe there’s an unseen pilot hidden in the vaults of MTM. I’d raise a glass for that! 

If you listen to podcasts, NPR’s Fresh Air dedicated an episode to his career including past interviews with Terry Gross. I laughed out loud several times listening to it on my morning walk. Here’s the link: https://www.npr.org/2024/07/26/1197972896/bob-newhart 

He’ll be missed.

* * * * *

I see I picked up a couple of reviews on Amazon, thanks for those. The more, the merrier. 

Amazon’s website is a bit persnickety about who is allowed to write those reviews. I had to use my wife’s Amazon Prime account to post my review of Effacement because I don’t use my own account enough. Ah, well, that’s how the game is played. 

TTFN