TVN: I notice that a year later TV Guide had your show on the cover again but you were cut out of the picture. Do you know why?
RP: Not really unless they were mad at me for saying Mike should have been on the cover instead of me the last time. I do remember that one as it was the only episode we filmed that was mostly in black and white. Jeff Eldred had a dream that we were all back in the old west. Only the parts with Jeff falling asleep and him waking up were filmed in color. At least Chuck and Mike got on the cover that week. I think that was the last year we were on too.
TVN: Now what was the reason to bring on a new cast member? Was it because you saw that Colson was leaving the show?
RP: No Colson’s departure came as a surprise to everyone. We all thought he was happy with the show. However, his contract was up a few months after Mike joined and he didn’t sign up. Mike was put into the show to make it funnier and give it more energy. Most of the characters on the show had been Christians for quite sometime. What is funnier than watching someone doing the right thing? Watching someone who thinks he is doing the right thing but is not. So we bought Mike on as a recently born again Christian who worked at the #1 album rock station in town. He wants to work in Christian radio so he can use his talents for the Lord, but he still has a few things to learn.
One of my favorite episodes is when he wanted to help with the sales department and sold commercial time to a palm reader. Marlin and Chuck had to go tell her that since it is a Christian station it wouldn’t be right for them to have ads for palm reading. She said she could put a sign up saying it was the church of palm reading. Marlin said “Miss. I could put a sign outside the radio station saying we were a television station. That doesn’t mean that we are one.”
She agreed and took her money back.
TVN: Are there any other favorites that you liked during the run of the show?
RP: Sure there was the one that had Steve Perkins going out on a date with Elizabeth and Nancy at the same time. A favorite scene of mine was when I had to go outside to talk to the guy installing the new satellite dish. A bug flies up my pants leg and the installer doesn’t see it but I can feel it as it flies around and is biting my leg. I practically do a dance around him. He must have been wondering what was this guy eating before. Then I excuse myself to go inside so I can get rid of that bug.
TVN: Did you have any special guest on the show?
RP: Oh yes! Contemporary Christian music was just getting started. Well actually it started in the late 60’s early 70’s era but by the early 80’s it was starting to catch on and become it’s own type of music. Some of our guest were the Imperials, Amy Grant, Twila Paris, Michael W. Smith, Phil Keaggy, Brown Banister. In the last season hardly a week went by with out at least a cameo by someone in the contemporary Christian music field. Word must have leaked out that this may be our last season and they wanted on the show.
TVN: What was you favorite episode with a guest?
RP: That would have to be the Christmas episode from our last season. Since the radio station was a 24 hour business it couldn’t close for the holidays and I had to work on Christmas day. The characters that Twila Paris and Phil Keaggy were playing on that episode came by from my church to cheer me up. I got to sing a duet with Twila Paris while it Phil Keaggy played the guitar.
TVN: What song did you sing?
RP: O Little Town Of Bethleham!
Continued in part 4
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