Into the Unknown: Randy Mantooth & Kevin Tighe - Episode 1

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We are in road to the facility with a 24-year-old male fell from the ropes of a two-story building.
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We got a party work job.
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65-year-old male complaining of chest pain.
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22-year-old male, multiple GSWs to the abdomen.
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He's circling the drain.
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I'm Tanya Mantuth and welcome to the Into the Unknown podcast.
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Today I am here with Randy Mantuth and Kevin Ty.
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Full transparency.
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I'm Randy's sister.
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And am I correct that this is the first full-length interview you guys have done together?
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You are correct.
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Um hey, good to see you, buddy.
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Good to see you after all these years.
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Yeah.
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Well, you know, after I was talking to Kevin last night, and he said that uh we actually had done an interview, but this was on on a talk show.
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Uh and it wasn't really an interview.
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Uh it was with um Dinoshore, right?
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Uh-huh.
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And then you two other people, and I swear I don't remember it.
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Who were the other people you said the Murp Griffin?
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I don't remember that at all.
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And the other guy I can't recall.
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Okay, well that just shows you how old we're getting.
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All right, so you got two out of three.
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That's good.
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Yep, yep.
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You know, I I I'm excited about this because I have no idea what Kevin's gonna say.
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And uh and of course he doesn't have any idea what I'm gonna say either.
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So I'm excited uh as much as anybody is.
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Hence into the unknown.
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We don't know what anybody's gonna say.
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So you guys have been friends for decades.
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We won't name a number of decades, but and your friendship has really stood the test of time.
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It's really incredible because you guys have been best friends since you met in your mid-twenties.
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So what what what do you think is a testament to that?
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Um well we're opposite in a lot of ways.
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Um he's a thinker, and I'm not.
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Uh so I I I don't know.
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I I think opposites attract.
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Um, you know, when I first met Kevin, was in Jack Webb's office.
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Uh the very night uh I met Bobby uh Bobby Troop, Julie London, Bob Fuller, and then I met Kevin.
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And uh when I first saw Kevin, I said, you know, who's that shy guy sitting over there in a corner, not saying anything, and not laughing, not doing anything.
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And they said, Well, that's your that's your new partner, Roy DeSoto, meet him.
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And I got up and I went, Oh boy, here we go, man.
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He's nothing like I am.
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And within a matter of days, we were we were friends, and we've stayed friends for I'll tell you how long, 50 years.
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Wow.
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Yeah, you know, I hadn't really thought of it as to why, but uh how we you know became such great friends, but it it really has to do with the show and with uh paramedics.
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But you stayed friends long after the show.
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Yeah, but it was the the show always had we always had a thread.
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And and it was a real positive thread.
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And it was a and it was like a marriage, you know.
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I mean yeah, you heard that before, but it's basically you work at being together and and it it works out pretty well.
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And in our case, it worked out exceptionally well.
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We've managed to keep a friendship for over 50 years.
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It's pretty important to both of us.
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It is.
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So what do you remember of that that meeting at Jack Webb's office?
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Well, I remember that Jack was in charge and he was a pistol.
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Uh, you know, and in those days there were two big offices, buildings on the universal lot.
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One was Lucy O'Ball and the other was Jack Webb.
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And um I remember being really taken by meeting uh Bobby Troop and Julie, London, because it was a real Jazz fan.
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Uh and Bob Fuller looked so handsome, you know, a real leading man.
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Yeah.
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And Randy, you know, it's great to meet him.
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I but we didn't really know one another.
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He actually came over to my house.
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I lived near, I had a rental near the studio, and I had a uh I inherited two ducks and a rabbit Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
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And when Randy came over, he came over with a white pair of pegger pants to see my property.
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And and I failed to to inform him that sometimes my rabbit kind of goes a little nuts, and he went and he tried to make with my leg and was successful.
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So found a paper towel to wipe off his leg, and things have never changed much since then.
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That was that was the weirdest thing that ever had happened to him was to watch his web and said, What's this robber doing?
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Oh, I know, okay, I see what he's doing.
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It was just, it was bizarre.
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So he thought you were a guy in that first meeting.
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What was your first impression of Randy?
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Um I thought he was a handsome looking, you know, easy-going guy.
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Seemed like a working-class guy to me, so I felt uh instantaneously comfortable with him because I was the same.
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Yeah.
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Kind of came from a common background of family kind of just struggling to keep make ends meet and you know the stove that was heated the house and and how easy it could have been to turn off the heat and not have any.
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And uh only difference was that Randy would move from place to place, whereas I was pretty much set in uh downtown LA and then moved to Pasadena and lived in kind of one place for a while, unlike my partner here.
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So what would be so name something about each other that you most admire?
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Well, I as far as I'm concerned, uh Kevin's eternal patience.
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Uh things would go wrong, and and I would get so visibly upset about it, and and be upset for quite a while.
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And Kevin would be, oh well, you know, everything's gonna be okay.
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And I would get frustrated with him because I I felt he should be demonstrative like I was being.
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But it was just his his kind patience that just really moved me.
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And I think I I after a while I got to where I was thinking to myself, you know, he accomplishes more uh than I'm accomplishing, and I'm being very demonstrative, and he's not, and yet he still seems to conquer conquer the situation.
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And uh and so I kind of learned that.
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Now, Kevin, what what do you remember about me?
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Randy is uh when we were acting, uh I always was uh trying to act to be a certain person.
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Uh I wasn't comfortable being who I was.
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And Randy uh the extraordinary ability to be exactly who he was, was in front of the camera.
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It was a beautiful thing to watch.
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There isn't a moment of uh of anything other than truth about his work on film.
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Um and that's what I most admired and continue to admire.
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He's he's wonderful with friends, and as you all know, I mean he's he's just you know in the meeting, he's there with you, he listens, and you know, it's uh wonderful thing.
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So, Kevin, I have a story about you.
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So when I used to, you know, I was 13 and I get to come hang out on the set, and I was painfully shy.
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And whether or not we were on set or in the motorhome, you always came and sat next to me and asked me what books I were reading.
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And we would sit and talk about books for hours, and you were so sweet and very, very kind.
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Oh, thank you.
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Thank you.
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The Into the Unknown podcast is brought to you by FirstNet, built with ATT.
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So now share with me what's one thing about each other that makes you shake your head.
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Hmm.
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I'm sure there's a lot of shaking of your head, Kevin.
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Uh you want to start on that one?
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Well, I don't know that um uh nothing leaps off the page w uh uh uh as anything that you mean something that drives you crazy or something.
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Um I know one thing.
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It never drove me crazy.
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I just was kind of a curiosity that on occasion or uh often he would tell a joke to to a huge multitude of people and then forget the punchline.
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Oh god.
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Remember?
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Yeah.
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Yeah, I I've done that more than more than once.
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Impeccable pro, you know, prep all the way through and then blew the punchline.
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Oh, more than once I I did that.
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Um I have no excuse for that.
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Um I think what drove me crazy is that when I would do that, you would laugh.
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And uh which made me feel even more like an idiot for for uh remembering for not remembering uh the the punchline of a joke.
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And that would crack you up more than any of my jokes.
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I would watch you just kind of tilt over like the leaning tower pizza and start laughing.
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But it was enduring.
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You know?
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I mean, yeah, I'm gonna come out looking real stupid on this one.
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All right, so tell me about did you audition for the roles or did they come seek you out?
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How did that happen?
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Well, I uh I can tell you on in my case, I did not audition.
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Um Bob Senator saw a piece of film that I did um uh called um I think it was the bold ones, and I was working with Hal Holbrook, and he saw this piece of film uh where I was being uh uh questioned in in court by Hal Hobrick, and he just said, That's my Johnny Gage.
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Um and so I was informed I was going to be playing Johnny Gage on Emergency.
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So I didn't, and I didn't even know.
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I I remember Monique James um uh bringing me her into her office.
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She was she was uh my boss, she was vice president of what uh New Talent, something like that.
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At Universal.
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At Universal Studios, and uh and she said uh Darling, and she always had this kind of affected um uh accent, said Darling, you will be playing uh Los Angeles County, and she held up this little card, this little index card, and said, You will be playing Los Angeles County Firefighter Paramedic, paramedic uh Johnny Yates, and she put the card down.
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And I said, What the hell is a paramedic?
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And she picked the card back up, turned it over, and said, I don't know, but we're certainly gonna find out.
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And how did you react to to getting a wall?
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Well, I was just kind of dumbstruck.
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You know, to tell you the honest to God truth, I didn't really I I I said, you know, I I don't think I want to do this.
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And she was like stunned.
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And she basically told me to shut up and sit down, and she said, You're doing it.
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Uh I just want to know why you would not, you know, would turn something like this down.
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And I I said, Well, I said, uh uh Jack Webb uh has the show, right?
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Yeah.
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Jack Webb will probably want me to cut my hair, right?
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She goes, yes.
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I said, Well, I I don't really want to cut my hair.
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And she said, Oh shut up.
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And that was And you had to cut your hair, right?
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I did, indeed, yes, indeed.
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I got a pretty pretty good haircut at that point.
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So, Kevin, did you audition?
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Yes.
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Um, oh boy.
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Um I was told uh about the you know the I and I didn't know what a pilot was, really.
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Uh uh just that there was a pilot and there was a role and offered and would I could I come in?
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And and so I came in and it was Jack Webb's office and Jack was there.
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And uh and I was really nervous, really, you know, because he's I grew up on him.
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Uh even back when I was a little kid listening to radio.
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He was like, you know.
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So there he was in person, and um it was just he and I, and I forget who there was somebody else there.
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It wasn't Bob Senator, it was some uh someone else.
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Uh Bob was more responsible for hiring Randy, and Jack was uh hired me as it worked out.
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But I read about four lines on the audition, and he's and he suddenly he stopped me and he said, Stop, kid.
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And he called up, he said Sid Scheinberg.
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He called Sid Scheinberg, get over here, Sid.
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I think I found the kid.
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And he and he hung up and he said, Yeah, what do you think?
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Yeah, I think let's let's arrange a screen test.
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And so they arranged a screen test on the back lot, and I was still nervous.
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And I remember trying to do the lines about three hours later on a sound stage and was having a miserable time, and the door flew open, and David Jansen came on set and put his arm around me.
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Wow.
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And he said, Don't be nervous, kid.
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This is a this is a bunch of bullshit, just take it easy.
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And it was him putting his arm around me and being so comforting that I actually was able to mellow out a bit and uh yeah, kind of hold him responsible for having been hired and changing my life.
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So did you know what he did?
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I don't think so.
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I think I was just another day at his life, you know, but he had a huge impact on mine.
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Wow.
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Now, did you know that?
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No.
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I'm hearing this for the first time.
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So what was so okay, talk about the Jack Webb meeting where everybody's there, you're meeting, you know, Bobby Fuller, you know, Bob Fuller, Bobby Troop, Julie London.
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How intimidating was that?
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Um well in the beginning, I didn't think it was all that intimidating until um Bobby Troop walked in.
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Now, I had just seen the film MASH, the original film.
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And um and and I just I just loved this film.
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And uh so I didn't really recognize Julie London at first.
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I finally went, oh, oh yeah, that's Julie London.
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Oh, that's Crimea River, Julie London.
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And when Bob Fuller came in, I went, oh, that's the Laramie guy, yeah, yeah.
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But when Bobby Troop came in, I went, and I had just seen him in this film.
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And I went, oh my god, that's Bobby Troop.
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Now, Bobby's Bobby didn't have a lot of lines in the movie.
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He he was he was a uh uh he he played a sergeant who drove everybody around in his Jeep, and he and the Jeep was uh always breaking down or doing something, and so throughout the entire movie he would say, you know, this damn Jeep, this damn Jeep, and it was it was just a kind of a through line throughout the film, you know.
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And the very last line of MASH was where they were driving off into the sunset, and the Jeep breaks down, and you hear Bobby Troop go, this goddamn Jeep.
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And I just cracked everybody up, cracked me up, and so when Bobby Troop uh, which was odd, he was playing a sergeant, he was really a captain in the Marine Corps in real life, but he was playing a sergeant in the army.
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And when so when he walked in, Bobby Troop was the one who impressed me the most.
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And I and I have to tell you, I have never met a sweeter, more sincere, dearest person in the world than Bobby Troop.
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Loved him.
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Well, and what's interesting is that, you know, obviously he was an actor, but he really saw himself as a musician first.
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Right.
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And and so, and you said, you know, obviously you were a big fan of both Bobby and Julie of their work.
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So what was your relationship with them like?
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I had a very deep friendship with them over the over the years.
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I mean, very close.
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And um uh saw them both, you know, through our show and after, and even in the last days of you know their lives, I was around that then for them.
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Um I was really close to Julie.
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Uh Bobby, it was impossible not to feel close to him.
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He just a lovely, they were he was a lovely guy.
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And and through them I met uh I mean they knew everybody in the music business.
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I went went to hear uh um uh um trying to think of who I'm Duke's Duke uh Ellington.
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Duke Ellington went to see Duke Ellington at at the uh ambassador, then went to his apartment and Sarah Vaughn was there, and Billy Eckstein and Joe Henderson, and you know, I mean, they knew everybody and Bobby because he had this show for two seasons on jazz and and introduced a lot of talent to to people.
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Uh and Julie was really well respected by you know, Ella Fitzgerald would come over each year to their party and Carmen McRae and and they'd sing.
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They'd sing, go go on into three or four o'clock in the morning, just singing, playing together.
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So I mean that's what we inherited, you know.
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I mean, the and we we always had we had on the show the biggest explosion at the end of our at the end of each show, there would be some big thing that we'd do, and people would come and watch it on the lot.
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And then uh on when the show ended, we'd always have a little end of the you know party with with good music.
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There was always good musicians and dancing, and you know, it was a lot of fun.
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Did they kind of take both of you under under their wings?
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Yeah.
00:19:55.920 --> 00:19:56.559
Yeah.
00:19:56.880 --> 00:19:57.519
Yeah.
00:19:57.839 --> 00:20:02.319
Um you just felt at home with them.
00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:04.240
Uh and that's the best way to put it.
00:20:04.799 --> 00:20:18.240
Everybody has uh a view of Julie London being this glamorous um grande dame of you know uh of music.
00:20:18.480 --> 00:20:25.759
And but yet when she was on the set, she was like the dead mother, and she was so stunningly beautiful.
00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:40.799
If she asked for anything, you know, if she asked, and the oh, she had the crew in the palm of her hand, and if she asked for a coffee, 16 people would run out and get her, and she'd be drinking 16 cups of coffee.
00:20:41.119 --> 00:20:46.720
I mean, they they adored her, and she kept calling herself, I'm just abroad.
00:20:47.359 --> 00:20:51.519
You know, it's like I had never been around somebody like that before.
00:20:51.759 --> 00:20:55.359
I just I just worshipped her and and and Bobby.
00:20:55.839 --> 00:20:58.319
Bob Fuller was tough to get to know.
00:20:58.480 --> 00:21:07.200
I mean, he was he's very uh compacted within you know uh his his celebrity.
00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:21.440
And uh never got to know him till and it was only later in the last you know 10 or 20 years and watching his work that it would appear on, you know, I'd see him in westerns and just go, God, this guy is really good at that.
00:21:21.599 --> 00:21:38.720
He's really, you know, and so I wished, kind of have wished that I had been a little closer to him or, you know, and had had taken the time to understand that, you know, as an older guy, he probably had some things I could have learned, you know, and and I kind of I I didn't take advantage of that.
00:21:38.799 --> 00:21:42.559
Um Randy's gotten kind of close to him over the years.
00:21:43.680 --> 00:21:44.480
Were you doing the show?
00:21:44.640 --> 00:21:45.920
Were you close with him then?
00:21:46.480 --> 00:21:52.960
No, not really, but uh I think I might have been a little bit closer to him than Kevin was uh on the show.
00:21:53.200 --> 00:21:55.039
But no, we weren't all that close.
00:21:55.119 --> 00:21:59.839
But it was after the show that when I really got to know and really enjoyed.
00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:02.000
Joy Bob Ford.
00:22:02.720 --> 00:22:07.920
Well, and what's interesting is when the show started, it was really focused on the on the hospital staff.
00:22:08.240 --> 00:22:13.039
But then as time went on, then it shifted to focus on the two of you.
00:22:13.759 --> 00:22:22.720
So did that I mean, was that the intention of the show, or or did they did the writers change it once you guys gained in popularity?
00:22:23.039 --> 00:22:26.880
Well it wasn't so much the writers as it was Bob Senator.
00:22:27.200 --> 00:22:32.079
And and it was kind of a decision that was made uh higher up in Universal.
00:22:33.039 --> 00:22:35.519
They just started watching the fan mail.
00:22:35.680 --> 00:22:41.680
And when the fan mail pouring in for us, they said, okay, that's what they want to see.
00:22:42.000 --> 00:22:57.279
So you know, uh but it was supposed to be um uh a hospital show with uh with firefighters coming in and the way Jack put it was uh yeah okay fine, we'll have these firemen.
00:22:57.440 --> 00:23:07.519
But this is this is a show, they're just gonna bring in uh sick people and do their scenes and then leave, and the rest of the show is gonna be a hospital show.
00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:15.359
Well the demographics of the show quickly pointed out they've seen these hospital shows before.
00:23:15.599 --> 00:23:17.119
This is not something new.
00:23:17.359 --> 00:23:31.680
What was new was firefighters being paramedics, and because you know, I would say up to 75 to 80 percent of the country had never heard of a paramedic before, didn't know what a paramedic was.
00:23:31.920 --> 00:23:33.039
I certainly didn't.
00:23:33.200 --> 00:23:34.880
I didn't know what a paramedic was.
00:23:35.039 --> 00:23:48.559
I mean, Kevin and I quickly found out what paramedics were, but um uh I forget what your original question was, but no, uh that wasn't the writers, that was Bob Senator.
00:23:49.599 --> 00:23:56.000
Uh that was one of our producers who decided that he wanted to uh drop his pacemaker on the floor.
00:23:57.119 --> 00:24:05.440
When we when we worked on the pilot, when we started on the pilot, um we realized that it was going to be an hour show.
00:24:05.519 --> 00:24:15.279
We did I I didn't think about that, I didn't really know that, which was unusual in itself because it's the only show that Jack ever produced that was an hour.
00:24:15.440 --> 00:24:20.720
All of his uh series were always half hour, so that that was a big bite for him to take.
00:24:20.799 --> 00:24:33.279
But it was clear when we did the pilot that the leads were, they were the leads in the hospital, and we were the minor characters on the side, and you know, and uh and we're fine with that.
00:24:33.440 --> 00:24:37.839
I mean, you know, we uh uh or at least yeah, we we both were fine with that.
00:24:38.160 --> 00:24:46.559
But when they shifted, and that was a significant shift, and uh and they were really secondary, how how did they take that and did it change the dynamics?
00:24:46.960 --> 00:24:53.839
Well, I know, you know, there's speaking from a you know, I don't know, it's hard for me to say definitively how they took it.
00:24:54.079 --> 00:24:58.799
I know that Bob Fuller was probably a little hurt.
00:24:59.039 --> 00:25:04.400
I I I think he felt like he was being pushed aside, Bobby and Julie.
00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:06.240
I don't think it affected them at all.
00:25:06.480 --> 00:25:11.279
They just felt that they were, you know, lucky to have, you know, a long-running series.
00:25:11.440 --> 00:25:13.759
Well, of course, we didn't know it was long-running at the time.
00:25:13.920 --> 00:25:15.200
Do you have a different perspective?
00:25:15.680 --> 00:25:28.319
Well, and we were both contract players when we started, when we started, Randy had been a contact player, contract player, and then Monique signed me up, and so we came into it contract players and stayed that way for four seasons.
00:25:28.480 --> 00:25:37.279
They lowered the leads, and that's how, and so financially, I mean, the amount of money they made was equal to the to their to their names and to their star power.
00:25:37.440 --> 00:25:38.640
You know, they paid a great good.
00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:45.680
We were very underpaid until about the fourth season, uh, which was okay, you know.
00:25:45.920 --> 00:25:48.960
And working with Jack, Jack directed the pilot.
00:25:49.119 --> 00:26:00.640
And and Randy has, you know, the I don't know the if they're all positive memories of you know working with Jack, but Jack was, you know, a DI in charge.
00:26:00.799 --> 00:26:12.640
I re I remember there was a situation where years later when we were on the show that uh there was going to be an animal husbandry show uh with uh Mark Dog catchers, yeah.
00:26:12.880 --> 00:26:19.839
Yeah, there were like two guys, and and there was a scene where we appeared on the on uh in the scene where there was a goat.
00:26:19.920 --> 00:26:32.720
They had they had rescued a goat, and the goat was on a scope, and there were these two guys, Mark Harmon and Albert Popwell, uh, and it was Randy and I and the little crippled girl and the goat.
00:26:32.880 --> 00:26:36.240
And I had no dialogue, and this was Jack directing me.
00:26:36.480 --> 00:26:37.359
Look at the goat.
00:26:37.519 --> 00:26:38.400
Look at the scope.
00:26:38.559 --> 00:26:39.279
Look at the goat.
00:26:39.359 --> 00:26:43.519
Look at the scope, look at your partner, look at the goat, look at the partners.
00:26:43.680 --> 00:26:47.039
Look back at the goat, the scope, the goat, cut.
00:26:47.279 --> 00:26:50.799
And he came up to me and he went, pal, that's what you do best.
00:26:55.759 --> 00:26:56.799
That's how he directed.
00:26:57.039 --> 00:26:58.160
That's how he directed.
00:26:58.400 --> 00:27:00.000
So no method acting there.
00:27:00.160 --> 00:27:01.119
No, no, no, no.
00:27:01.279 --> 00:27:08.880
And that was one of the that was one of the points where I have to I have to say that Kevin was calm.
00:27:09.279 --> 00:27:12.720
Uh I was furious that he would say something like that.
00:27:12.880 --> 00:27:15.039
And I wanted to, I wanted to kill him.
00:27:15.200 --> 00:27:18.480
And Kevin goes, no, no, it's all right.
00:27:18.720 --> 00:27:21.680
He was calm, didn't overreact.
00:27:22.240 --> 00:27:29.359
Um, and so that I have to, you know, I gotta say, buddy, I I admired you for your restraint on that.
00:27:29.599 --> 00:27:35.039
I just literally wanted jump across that that uh table and strangle him.
00:27:35.279 --> 00:27:36.400
But I didn't.
00:27:36.640 --> 00:27:46.880
So let's talk about the show dynamics because Jack Webb was married to Julie London, then divorced her, then she marries Bobby Troop, and he casts both of them in the series.
00:27:47.279 --> 00:27:49.519
Takes care of alimony, doesn't it?
00:27:52.400 --> 00:27:53.839
Is that what that was?
00:27:54.400 --> 00:27:56.160
I don't know, but it sure was.
00:27:56.880 --> 00:27:59.519
He's a very loyal, he was a very loyal guy.
00:27:59.839 --> 00:28:02.720
Well, that's two very interesting perspectives.
00:28:03.119 --> 00:28:10.240
Yeah, well to his he's giving him the benefit, he's a very loyal guy.
00:28:10.559 --> 00:28:11.200
To his money.
00:28:11.440 --> 00:28:17.200
I say he was beaten, he was beating out all the money on the alimony.
00:28:18.400 --> 00:28:25.599
He he used actors, uh we used many, had many actors on a show who had been on all of his shows.
00:28:25.839 --> 00:28:26.799
It was really interesting.
00:28:26.960 --> 00:28:35.680
I mean, you way back to this to the to the early days of TV, he had a lot of the actors, Jack Crucian and people who were old pals of his.
00:28:36.000 --> 00:28:37.599
And he loved comedians.
00:28:37.759 --> 00:28:39.599
Well, Bob did too, Senator.
00:28:39.680 --> 00:28:42.960
And so we had a number of wonderful comedians uh on the show.
00:28:43.119 --> 00:28:45.279
Martin Saul and Martin Saul, yeah.
00:28:45.599 --> 00:28:45.759
Yeah.
00:28:45.920 --> 00:28:47.440
I was amazed he did our show.
00:28:47.599 --> 00:28:47.759
Yeah.
00:28:48.079 --> 00:28:48.720
Amazed.
00:28:49.039 --> 00:28:53.599
We had uh who was the biggest celebrity that came on that that really you report.
00:28:53.920 --> 00:28:56.480
Well, it depends on your point of view of what a celebrity is.
00:28:56.880 --> 00:28:57.279
Just for you.
00:28:58.160 --> 00:29:00.079
In my opinion, it was Dick Buckus.
00:29:00.480 --> 00:29:00.960
Mm-hmm.
00:29:02.160 --> 00:29:02.319
Yeah.
00:29:04.799 --> 00:29:06.079
That was pretty big for me.
00:29:06.319 --> 00:29:07.359
John Carradine.
00:29:07.519 --> 00:29:07.599
Oh.
00:29:07.920 --> 00:29:08.400
Oh, yes.
00:29:08.799 --> 00:29:10.000
John Carradine did an episode.
00:29:10.480 --> 00:29:20.160
He did an episode and he k he k you know, Grapes of Wrath, and I mean, you know, and his sons, and and he was to be he was a guy who made old ships.
00:29:20.559 --> 00:29:22.559
He he he crafted old ships.
00:29:22.640 --> 00:29:28.079
So when they they didn't realize when they hired him, his hands were completely arthritic.
00:29:28.319 --> 00:29:31.519
You know, there was no way he could even open them for a hull.
00:29:32.160 --> 00:29:32.480
You know.
00:29:32.960 --> 00:29:36.799
Because I said to Kevin, I said, how did you get his hands like that?
00:29:36.960 --> 00:29:39.039
I mean, that's some pretty good makeup, you know.
00:29:39.200 --> 00:29:42.240
I didn't realize, well, that was in real life.
00:29:42.400 --> 00:29:45.279
Uh, another person, Cicely Tyson.
00:29:45.680 --> 00:29:47.039
We didn't have scenes, really.
00:29:47.359 --> 00:29:47.759
I don't think.
00:29:47.920 --> 00:29:48.559
Did we have scenes?
00:29:48.720 --> 00:29:48.799
No.
00:29:49.039 --> 00:29:50.640
But Cicely Tyson was on.
00:29:50.880 --> 00:29:54.480
I mean, I was impressed with her back then.
00:29:54.720 --> 00:30:00.799
Well, you know, she she quickly climbed right up right up the ladder after that show.
00:30:00.960 --> 00:30:04.000
And I was a little surprised she even did the show.
00:30:04.480 --> 00:30:17.119
But um, I you know, I was the other day I was talking about, remember when we had Larry Zonka on the show, the running back on the Miami Dolphins?
00:30:18.640 --> 00:30:20.400
He's crazy, by the way.
00:30:20.640 --> 00:30:22.559
I mean, he he was at the time.
00:30:22.640 --> 00:30:27.279
I'm sure he's a you know a nice guy now, but uh I I was afraid of him.
00:30:27.440 --> 00:30:43.519
Uh it's like, first off, I know what he can do on the football field, and he really got into the role where he was a crazy guy, and we had to tackle him and take him down to the and we thought, this guy, I don't know whether he knows this is called acting.
00:30:43.680 --> 00:30:47.039
You know, maybe I think we're gonna get hurt on this one.
00:30:47.200 --> 00:30:49.920
And he did, he took us all on, all four of us.
00:30:50.000 --> 00:30:53.119
We jumped on him and tried to pin him down, and he would not go down.
00:30:53.279 --> 00:30:57.039
Finally, the director had to yell, Larry, you have to go down.
00:30:57.359 --> 00:31:00.079
He just wasn't refused to go down.
00:31:00.240 --> 00:31:00.960
Who else is it?
00:31:01.119 --> 00:31:02.480
Nick Nolte was on the show.
00:31:03.039 --> 00:31:03.279
Wow.
00:31:03.440 --> 00:31:10.960
So who who came on the show kind of as a young actor or actress that went on to be a huge celebrity?
00:31:11.359 --> 00:31:12.799
John Travolta.
00:31:13.359 --> 00:31:14.000
Yeah.
00:31:14.480 --> 00:31:15.440
Uh who else?
00:31:15.599 --> 00:31:19.200
Uh Sharon Glass was on.
00:31:19.359 --> 00:31:19.680
Yeah.
00:31:20.319 --> 00:31:20.720
Yeah.
00:31:21.200 --> 00:31:26.079
And uh young actors.
00:31:28.400 --> 00:31:29.920
I can't think of anything right now.
00:31:30.160 --> 00:31:34.319
It doesn't mean it's you know, the show wasn't a show for actors, really.
00:31:34.559 --> 00:31:34.880
Right.
00:31:35.200 --> 00:31:38.319
I mean, it was it was uh like a showcase.
00:31:38.480 --> 00:31:44.480
Yeah, I mean it it just didn't Cecily Tyson was a unusual unusual to have somebody of that ilk.
00:31:44.720 --> 00:31:54.960
I mean, you know, you were somebody who was gonna get bandaged or there was gonna be you know they were gonna put things on your chest or they were gonna zap you.
00:31:55.119 --> 00:31:58.240
It just wasn't a show about it was a documentary.
00:31:58.480 --> 00:32:09.200
It's I mean that's what's kind of interesting about the documentary that we're working on now is that you know, as w that we're not there on set, we're just sort of, you know, outside of it.
00:32:09.359 --> 00:32:16.160
But uh emergency the the the thrill of the show really, I think, was the the rescues.
00:32:16.480 --> 00:32:24.079
No, there was usually three rescues in each show, and the the top one being the big one, sometimes there were four rescues.
00:32:24.160 --> 00:32:24.480
Yeah.
00:32:24.720 --> 00:32:31.680
Uh and there was humor in the get in the station, and then there were the scenes, you know, with the patients in the hospital.
00:32:31.839 --> 00:32:41.599
But uh I think the public were really responded to the work we did and the paramedic advisors did to, you know, during the sh run of that show.
00:32:41.680 --> 00:32:48.000
I think that's what people would come up to me anyway, and they would remember various rescues.
00:32:48.079 --> 00:32:50.319
They never talked about what was going on in the hospital.
00:32:50.400 --> 00:32:55.839
It was uh, oh, I remember that one where there, you know, a big toe was in the faucet and you had to get it, you know.
00:32:55.920 --> 00:33:07.839
I mean, and there were some silly ones with the girdle snapping in Randy's face, and you know, but and the guy who drank the there was this is back when beer had the pop top and it actually came off.
00:33:08.079 --> 00:33:11.039
And the guy who who swallowed that.
00:33:11.599 --> 00:33:16.480
Uh uh I mean th the there were humoro humorous rescues.
00:33:16.880 --> 00:33:24.000
Um you know, and I didn't realize how humorous they were until I actually was watched the rescue.
00:33:24.160 --> 00:33:25.759
I go, oh, that that's funny.
00:33:25.920 --> 00:33:29.599
But when we were doing it, we weren't playing it for laughs, we were playing it real.
00:33:30.000 --> 00:33:35.119
Well, and and it does it definitely has, especially at that time, a real sense of reality about it.
00:33:35.440 --> 00:33:41.599
So did it start that way or did it evolve over time to be more, you know, reality-based?
00:33:42.160 --> 00:33:42.880
Evolved.
00:33:43.200 --> 00:33:45.119
And did you guys have an influence on that?
00:33:45.440 --> 00:34:01.759
We had well, Randy's influence was you know interesting um because Bob patterned uh a lot of the stories on on what Randy would be doing, what what Randy and his private life would be doing.
00:34:01.839 --> 00:34:03.119
If Randy got a camera.
00:34:03.599 --> 00:34:04.400
With his hobbies.
00:34:04.720 --> 00:34:09.840
Then he'd then he'd suddenly got the idea of Randy doing you know, the gauge taking pictures and things.
00:34:10.000 --> 00:34:12.880
He he loved to work to write for Randy.
00:34:13.119 --> 00:34:16.800
You know, I I had a little trouble with the some of the humor in the show.
00:34:16.880 --> 00:34:22.960
It struck me as somewhat adolescent, but I went with it and and it's you know, he's smart, he's a smart guy.
00:34:23.119 --> 00:34:29.679
Well, yeah, Randy was able to he could pull anything off, and that, you know, is the attest to his talent.
00:34:29.920 --> 00:34:32.559
Um I had a hard time with some of the humor.
00:34:32.639 --> 00:34:35.920
I mean, it just seemed kind of but I think DeSoto would.
00:34:36.000 --> 00:34:46.000
He's, you know, I mean, I think the guy is just, you know, I patterned him on what I on our paramedic advisors, a couple that I saw and who they were, and that's who I became.
00:34:46.079 --> 00:34:54.719
And, you know, uh he just kind of went with the flow and you know, tossed his head up sometimes when he, you know, when I felt it went too far.
00:34:55.280 --> 00:35:07.679
Uh the the one thing that I I tell everybody, I don't care where I'm at, um Johnny Gage was funny for one reason.
00:35:08.159 --> 00:35:11.440
Johnny Gage was funny because of Roy DeSoto.
00:35:12.079 --> 00:35:24.000
And the reason why I say that is that if I were doing all that stuff just by myself, it would, it, as he said, it's almost adolescent humor.
00:35:24.559 --> 00:35:44.800
And so whenever and I and I didn't probably I didn't know this at the time, but whenever my character would do something that just was a little too far, the rest of the country would look at Roy and go, Did Johnny go too far?
00:35:45.039 --> 00:35:50.880
And if Roy kind of rolled his eyes and went, oh, okay, then they all knew Johnny was okay.
00:35:51.119 --> 00:36:03.360
But if Roy really put his foot down, said, That's crazy, and you shouldn't do it, uh then the country would turn on me and go, don't do it, Johnny.
00:36:04.400 --> 00:36:09.440
Roy was the adult, and I could not have been funny without Roy DeSoto.
00:36:09.679 --> 00:36:11.599
I could not have been funny without Kevin.
00:36:13.440 --> 00:36:14.639
That's a nice thing to say.
00:36:15.360 --> 00:36:17.119
Nice or not, it's the truth.
00:36:17.840 --> 00:36:18.559
It's the truth.
00:36:18.719 --> 00:36:22.320
I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for this man right here.
00:36:24.400 --> 00:36:25.840
Goes two ways.
00:36:26.800 --> 00:36:29.679
Well, and that's why you guys remain best friends.
00:36:29.840 --> 00:36:30.159
Yeah.
00:36:31.119 --> 00:36:32.400
You were in Randy's wedding?
00:36:32.639 --> 00:36:33.039
Yeah.
00:36:33.519 --> 00:36:35.920
Hey, look, this is a good friend.
00:36:36.079 --> 00:36:39.199
He was he was best man at both my weddings.
00:36:40.880 --> 00:36:41.440
Yeah.
00:36:49.119 --> 00:36:53.519
So t yeah, Brady, you touched on the paramedic program when you guys started.
00:36:53.760 --> 00:36:57.280
So when you guys started, obviously you said you'd never heard of a paramedic.
00:36:57.440 --> 00:37:00.320
How many paramedics were in the country at that time?
00:37:00.960 --> 00:37:05.679
You know, I there's always a floating number out there.
00:37:05.920 --> 00:37:09.760
But the last floating number that floated up to me was 13.
00:37:10.000 --> 00:37:10.559
Wow.
00:37:10.800 --> 00:37:12.159
In LA County.
00:37:13.360 --> 00:37:26.639
Um I'm Seattle had some, Miami had some, Columbus, Ohio had some, but in LA County at that time, at the time we did our pilot, the the floating number was 13.
00:37:26.800 --> 00:37:27.519
That's what I heard.
00:37:27.840 --> 00:37:30.639
What did the show do for the paramedic program?
00:37:32.320 --> 00:37:35.199
You know, we didn't invent paramedics.
00:37:35.360 --> 00:37:37.840
Um they were around before us.
00:37:38.079 --> 00:37:43.360
Um all the show did was it exposed it to the country.
00:37:44.159 --> 00:37:48.320
And people would sit at home and go, wait a minute, what?
00:37:49.199 --> 00:37:51.039
Um can you really do that?
00:37:51.199 --> 00:37:55.280
That that's really these firefighters can go out there and do this?
00:37:55.679 --> 00:37:56.000
No.
00:37:56.559 --> 00:37:58.800
Oh yeah, there it's happening in LA.
00:37:59.280 --> 00:38:00.079
Oh, really?
00:38:00.480 --> 00:38:02.719
I want that for my city.
00:38:03.280 --> 00:38:05.840
That's what it did for the paramedic program.
00:38:06.719 --> 00:38:12.000
Did you ever imagine that that show would spawn an entire industry?
00:38:12.880 --> 00:38:14.239
I had no idea.
00:38:14.719 --> 00:38:15.519
Uh no.
00:38:16.719 --> 00:38:18.559
Um, I had no idea.
00:38:20.480 --> 00:38:26.480
You know, the the the the difficult part of it for me was the celebrity.
00:38:26.719 --> 00:38:36.480
I mean for a while it was really enjoyable, but then it got to be kind of uh then I just started it it just was strange.
00:38:36.559 --> 00:38:39.199
Uh strange to be treated differently.
00:38:39.840 --> 00:38:50.880
Um because on the show you were we were like working people, but off the show gradually it was becoming kind of strange that you couldn't go anywhere without being recognized.
00:38:51.039 --> 00:39:03.440
And you know, since since the show was on, since the show was on at 8 o'clock on Saturday night, we were never watched by our peers.
00:39:04.239 --> 00:39:14.320
Uh so we could go into like a bar or or anywhere and not be recognized.
00:39:14.639 --> 00:39:19.440
But since it was on at 8 o'clock on Saturday night, the kids were watching.
00:39:19.679 --> 00:39:29.440
So I, you know, we couldn't go into grocery stores without being followed by a bunch of kids, you know, going, oh look, he's buying mayonnaise, you know.
00:39:29.679 --> 00:39:42.079
Um but uh but then once it went into syndication, all those kids grew up, and uh and then the adults weren't watching the syndication show.
00:39:42.320 --> 00:39:52.400
So we now could go back into the into the grocery store and buy whatever we wanted and not be followed around, but now we couldn't go into the bars because all those kids grew up.
00:39:52.719 --> 00:40:00.000
So it was it it it was a notoriety that followed us throughout our lives.
00:40:00.400 --> 00:40:06.800
And uh and there was a point where I I embraced it.
00:40:06.880 --> 00:40:14.800
And I said, you know, I'm wasting so much energy hiding with hats and glasses, and I you know, it's like I'm tired of that.
00:40:14.880 --> 00:40:23.440
So one day I took off my hat, took off my glasses, and when somebody said, Oh, I loved you in emergency, all I simply had to say was, thank you.
00:40:24.079 --> 00:40:25.360
And it was over.
00:40:25.920 --> 00:40:30.880
And so all those years I I ran from the notoriety of it.
00:40:31.039 --> 00:40:32.639
I didn't want to be famous.
00:40:32.960 --> 00:40:46.719
There was a one of the in early in the season, I think it was the first season, that uh Jack was still co-writing, he was still officiating over the scripts and what they looked like.
00:40:46.880 --> 00:40:56.960
And so we had kind of the Malloy, the the the uh what's the police, Adam 12 kind of visits, you know, the the paramedics.
00:40:57.119 --> 00:41:06.480
And there was one particular episode where we we went on on we went out on a burnt a truck that was on fire and that and it had marijuana in it.
00:41:06.960 --> 00:41:19.039
And he wanted he had written down, you know, the script of uh, you know, yes ma'am, no ma'am, do we there, you know, I mean direct questions just like a jack would just like Adam 12, but it was us.
00:41:19.360 --> 00:41:22.000
So we decided to not do it that way.
00:41:22.159 --> 00:41:22.400
Right.
00:41:22.639 --> 00:41:31.199
And we we the guys get a little high, you know, uh uh, you know, uh off what's there, which is burning marijuana.
00:41:31.519 --> 00:41:33.440
And I guess Jack was livid.
00:41:33.679 --> 00:41:34.559
He was he was livid.
00:41:34.719 --> 00:41:37.599
And it wasn't too long after that that he signed off on it.
00:41:37.760 --> 00:41:43.599
He still produced it and made the money off it, but it was Bob Senator's show from from that on, you know.
00:41:43.760 --> 00:41:50.559
And uh but uh I always thought that really that was kind of the one that broke the camel's back in in our favor.
00:41:50.880 --> 00:41:53.599
Yeah, he kind of wiped his hands of it at that point.
00:41:55.039 --> 00:42:06.000
The Los Angeles County Fire Museum celebrates the history of the American Fire Service and the contributions made to that history by the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
00:42:06.239 --> 00:42:16.559
One of the Los Angeles County Fire Museum's goals is to document and present the evolution, history, and impact of fire-based emergency medical services.
00:42:20.239 --> 00:42:23.920
So, Kevin, you talked about you guys being contract players when you first came on.
00:42:24.239 --> 00:42:29.039
And obviously, you know, you were paid a small amount of money, here you're going to hit show and all that.
00:42:29.119 --> 00:42:31.599
So and that lasted for what, four years?
00:42:32.239 --> 00:42:42.159
Yeah, but you know, the Randy was a contract player when I came, when I was came in for the show, I was didn't even have an attorney.
00:42:43.199 --> 00:42:48.079
Uh so I could was in a kind of the catbird seat if I had known about it.
00:42:48.320 --> 00:42:53.280
If I if I had known that, you know, really understood it in terms of money and all of that.
00:42:53.360 --> 00:42:57.280
I was so blown away by just being there at Universal.
00:42:57.599 --> 00:43:15.119
So Monique, uh, when she heard I was chosen, she uh asked to meet me and Monique James, and she was like, you know, legendary and this terrific, fabulous woman, and her Eleanor Kilgallen was her counterpart and back in back east, who is another powerhouse.
00:43:15.599 --> 00:43:18.639
And basically in one of the top floors in the black building.
00:43:19.599 --> 00:43:28.079
And basically she said to me that, you know, Kevin, uh uh you're not represented, and you're you know, Ranny's a contract player.
00:43:28.239 --> 00:43:34.159
And she said, you know, I think it would be good for you both if you also became a contract player.
00:43:34.320 --> 00:43:43.519
I know you you don't have representation now, but I have an attorney that would be good for you that he would and that that was uh Goldman Goldman Gay.
00:43:44.079 --> 00:43:45.440
No, you mean the re the agent?
00:43:46.239 --> 00:43:46.719
Bob Raison.
00:43:47.039 --> 00:43:47.840
Bob Raison.
00:43:48.159 --> 00:43:54.320
So she signed me the contract so that we would make exactly the same amount of money, which was pretty nil.
00:43:55.199 --> 00:43:59.519
Uh uh I think craft service was making more than we were, you know, the first couple.
00:44:00.239 --> 00:44:00.639
seasons.
00:44:00.800 --> 00:44:13.280
And uh that was a step that was so smart and s you know, I mean, on her part, and so set uh the tone for who we were to become yet sort of equal down the line.
00:44:13.679 --> 00:44:14.719
And your partnership.
00:44:14.880 --> 00:44:23.679
Okay, so tell the Bob Raison story of when you guys went, when you guys decided as a team that you were going to go for more money and what you did.
00:44:24.000 --> 00:44:28.960
Oh and Bob Raison is like just to throw in this, he was Cole Porter, one of his best friends.
00:44:29.199 --> 00:44:31.360
Bob was really connected to people.
00:44:31.519 --> 00:44:31.679
Yeah.
00:44:31.760 --> 00:44:33.920
You know, I mean he knew everybody.
00:44:34.079 --> 00:44:38.800
Uh we were Rubes, you know, really when it came down to it.
00:44:38.960 --> 00:44:41.760
So so what did he propose?
00:44:41.920 --> 00:44:44.079
How are you guys going to go for more money?
00:44:45.599 --> 00:44:50.719
I don't know whether I should tell this story or not because of legal reasons.
00:44:51.599 --> 00:45:12.960
But the only way we could get Bob suggested that, you know, if one of us got sick or God forbid one of us gets sick, you know, uh it might they might think about I don't know whether we should tell this story or not.
00:45:13.519 --> 00:45:21.039
But anyway, so I said, you know, of course Kevin So if you if somebody got sick that means you'd have to halt production.
00:45:21.360 --> 00:45:22.000
Halt production.
00:45:22.239 --> 00:45:24.320
And then that might create a ripple effect.
00:45:24.559 --> 00:45:25.199
Yeah, yeah.
00:45:25.440 --> 00:45:28.000
Yeah, yeah, oh yeah, and it did too.
00:45:28.239 --> 00:45:30.880
And so uh me, I jumped right on it.
00:45:30.960 --> 00:45:34.239
Yeah, well yeah you know somebody should get sick.
00:45:34.800 --> 00:45:37.280
Well you know you can't just invent a sickness.
00:45:37.360 --> 00:45:39.760
Um uh how did you decide who was gonna get sick?
00:45:40.000 --> 00:45:52.400
Kevin is thinking about it no well I don't know he you know he analyzed it up and down not me I didn't analyze it at all I said yeah yeah somebody should get sick so I said let's flip a coin see who gets sick.
00:45:52.719 --> 00:45:55.039
So you're in Bob Raison's office?
00:45:55.599 --> 00:46:28.239
Yes sitting on his couch actually so he flips a coin and before I can actually see how it landed he grabbed a coin he said oh Randy you lose and I went okay but I didn't think for a minute you know that that that thing landed right and uh and so Kevin kind of sat back and breathed a sigh of relief and so I got some strange Mexican disease that I caught in Mexico camping.
00:46:28.480 --> 00:46:31.920
And it put you in the hospital because I remember visiting you.
00:46:32.239 --> 00:46:36.559
And nobody came to visit me except you and you were the only one as worried about me.
00:46:36.800 --> 00:46:40.480
I was I can understand why mother she really didn't care.
00:46:40.880 --> 00:46:45.519
She was she was mad yeah she didn't like it at all.
00:46:45.760 --> 00:47:08.079
So finally I you know I said to Kevin hey I'm up here I'm in the hospital you haven't visited me once oh okay well I'll come up uh next weekend so he came you came up what once or twice and I'm I'm going out of my mind I mean and I went this this being sick sucks you know but didn't you say you kept trying to sneak out to smoke cigarettes and that got you in trouble?
00:47:08.400 --> 00:47:13.039
And I got constantly in trouble with that so because this is what I smoked.
00:47:13.119 --> 00:47:17.679
I don't smoke anymore I hope everybody understands that is not good for you.
00:47:17.920 --> 00:47:54.880
And uh uh and so it was a perfectly miserable miserable time by that time um we had been on the show the we were in our fourth season and I was married on the show to a wife that you never saw she appeared in a pilot for like one scene and then there was another one and she appeared but it was enough to make to I suddenly I I was a character with two kids and a wife and uh who you never saw but you know I would have random phone calls about the wife and you know about the kids and all of that.
00:47:55.119 --> 00:48:12.400
Well what happened was his fan mail skyrocketed because he was single without any and and and I suddenly be you know and so he he became the power in the of the two of us you know he had he had he had the power.
00:48:13.280 --> 00:48:15.679
There goes the phony coin flip.
00:48:16.000 --> 00:48:42.320
If it had been me I don't know you know they just would have gotten another wife or something you know uh but as it was it you know it worked it worked out fine for us but he was getting tons of fan mail and I would get quite a bit of fan mail about how I get in how to get in touch with him so did you get the raise?
00:48:42.960 --> 00:49:01.760
Yes we did we did yeah yeah we were and it wasn't we were making 4,000 a week at the top and friends of like I had a friend Mike Onke on the rookies who was making$17,000 a week you know I mean we had we were not making that much$4,000 was a lot of money.
00:49:02.000 --> 00:49:07.039
Do you know how did do you know how much we were making the very first year we did the show?
00:49:07.440 --> 00:49:11.199
$350 or something$750 a week.
00:49:11.440 --> 00:49:17.119
Yeah yeah it was really uh then it moved up to$1,400 and then I got sick.
00:49:21.519 --> 00:49:51.039
And it was also it rearranged um it rearranged who was making money too I mean it wasn't so overloaded that you know the the three in the that the hospital was the major it ought it was obvious that now that the paramedic fire department was the the major part of the show and that the the hospital became ancillary and that that that that helped I mean you know we we probably would still be making 700 the fifth or sixth season.
00:49:51.920 --> 00:50:04.719
So his fan mail goes up yeah your fan mail they want to connect with him yeah and yet none of that interrupted your friendship in fact didn't you for the first five years you guys shared a motorhome right?
00:50:04.960 --> 00:50:06.559
Oh the whole time we did the whole time.
00:50:06.800 --> 00:51:02.800
And so then you were given the choice to have your own and you guys decided not to um um well I didn't want to Kevin said yeah I I think I want my own and I said oh come on Kevin please come on we're buddies man we've been in this together let's and finally I talked him into it but I remember when we got a brand new motor I don't remember that at all you don't no how do you remember it I remember just the just uh the two of us thinking for a while of what we wanted to do with you know I mean because we went to that motorway at the stadium yeah but but we were not thinking in terms by that point we weren't thinking in terms of you and I getting separate ones we were looking at what was out there for the two of us would be the best one for the two of us and went you're right you're right which led to you know the next season when we got the bobcat named Cray but we'll we'll I'll let Randy tell that story.
00:51:03.920 --> 00:54:21.840
No I want to tell the story we we wanted to go to Dodger Stadium right but we get we're so recognized right and and Dodger Stadium was just filled filled with people and so we decided we'll go in disguise so we bought these mustaches or we got them from makeup or whatever so we had these stupid mustaches and I kept looking at Kevin and you know back then and of course nobody's gonna remember this but back then there were these little mashbook covers it says draw me and if you could draw this character that you know they wanted to talk to you about being a you know cartoon artist or whatever right so I kept looking at this little matchbook cover with this guy with this mustache and it says draw me and I look at I said God Kevin you look just exactly like Pierre Dromey and so the whole night we're we're having people show us these motor homes and I says uh Monsieur Drami ask him about this and every time we do that we would go into gales of laughter and these poor salesmen were like who are these guys you know obvious we had these phony you know mustaches on and but we just had a blast and we finally picked one and Universal bought it for us right yeah yeah remember when JJ our driver uh JJ right parked for some reason he his favorite parking lot when we were on the set uh when we were at the studio he always seemed to park it next to the men's restroom for whatever reason and we kept saying can't you like park this someplace else every time somebody flushes the toilet we we we can hear it you know and he says no this is the best spot blah blah blah and so one day I'm in that bathroom and I'm bragging about our beautiful motorhome well the person that was at the other urinal was James Garner and he's listening he's listening to me bragging about and he said come here you want to see a good motorhome now his motorhome was parked right behind ours and he says I'll show you a good motorhome well I walked in I couldn't believe I mean it was luxury personified and here I am thinking that our motorhome was the greatest in the world this was like palati had a TV set in it we didn't um uh you know it was like and so I went over to Kevin I went over to Kevin he was in the motorhome and I said hey Kevin uh you want to see James Garner's motorhome and I told him all about it and Kevin says yeah so he walks out of the motorhome he goes in the back and knocks on the door and says can I see your motor?
00:54:22.000 --> 00:54:54.559
Yeah come on in so he Kevin comes back and he goes we're getting screwed you know he was such a nice guy Jim Garner he was uh we were at and the uh when we first went to the uh what's the name of the restaurant they what did they call it the uh oh in the valley no on our our on the lot our our commissary went to the commissary and we were sitting there and he brought his daughter over and introduced us to his daughter looked like she was a fan of the show and just a great guy.
00:54:55.280 --> 00:54:58.159
Everybody who worked on the lot loved loved Jim.
00:54:58.719 --> 00:55:25.039
So what would you say the high point of the show was for each of you season four or five because we knew our roles for me for me because we knew our roles we knew who our characters were and and obviously I could grow my hair as long as I wanted because there was nobody that's gonna stop me.
00:55:25.199 --> 00:55:33.039
And I I think I was just flying high as a kite season five because we knew this was probably going to be the last year.
00:55:33.440 --> 00:56:23.840
It turned out then you know for two seasons afterwards we did the seven two hour movies so it lasted a little bit longer than five years but uh I I I think that that was uh that to me was I was in heaven uh on season five Kevin probably will have a different perspective on that I mean Kevin wanted off the show the end of season one was great because we we had never been to Hawaii oh yeah yeah and we just said to ourselves let's go let's just go to the Hawaii for the weekend for the weekend and we did we got a first class flight which was the first time I was ever fought on first class yeah and we went to Hawaii and had a ball met a couple ladies and then you know yeah it was just really nice.
00:56:24.079 --> 00:56:34.480
Yeah he meets and falls in love with a nun I mean I didn't I never got that but but remember how'd that turn out was it a nun?
00:56:35.039 --> 00:56:46.320
She was a nun yeah well a nun sister what whatever they she wore that collar and I I thought Kevin you're barking up the wrong tree here it's gonna go nowhere.
00:56:50.079 --> 00:57:16.079
Well there was always a couple bucks to read oh my god so have you guys have you guys learned anything about each other that you didn't know after talking today things of how you felt about each other?
00:57:16.800 --> 00:58:04.880
No not really I mean he's always been my best friend so I think you know it's it's uh I'm sure a lot of people could think about think about this because it happens to us all as we age but it's just been kind of interesting that with our aging and our friendship we you you you have that history of you know it you find it with if you're your husband or your wife where they look exactly like they look years and years ago and you may not see them for a while and then you see gee they look a little old and then about five seconds pass and you're right back where you were you know and uh we've been able to enjoy actually being there in the past and actually being here in the future and you know it's all working pretty well.
00:58:05.119 --> 01:00:07.199
Yeah yeah yeah pause pause can I draw something well what's interesting is that you guys have had this long friendship and and then always had the desire to make a documentary about paramedics and and you have so you've started that and so we're gonna talk a little bit about that next time but before I let you go uh talk a little bit about why it was important for you to focus on paramedics and to do this documentary into the unknown well for for for me focusing on paramedics is very important um because you know we portrayed paramedics on the show and uh and I I've sort of stayed with it for for for all these many years and I've watched uh paramedics become um I've you know I've I've watched them go from not knowing what a paramedic was to uh to now all of a sudden there are those paramedics are out there but now all of a sudden due to a lot of different things either mass shootings or you know the the COVID virus that has hit our our world actually um that people uh are the they either are avoiding being a paramedic an EMT or a paramedic or they're resigning and getting out of it and those coffers are not being filled and that always bothered me always bothered me when the show emergency was on the air it was a great inspiration for a lot of people because they had a show that they could watch and would inspire them.
01:00:07.840 --> 01:00:44.159
Now that's not there anymore and so um you know the young kids who want to be paramedics today they don't know emergency they you know they don't watch it it's not of their generation and I think on a personal level I wanted to change that or try to change that and I also wanted to give accolades to the people who were paramedics and and that that have stayed with it all this time because it's so important for our society uh to have an EM EMS system that we have today.
01:00:44.480 --> 01:01:09.519
And uh I I my whole personal point of view was to inspire that person to to be the the greatest person they can be and you can't be any greater than to lay down your own life for the betterment of of mankind and and that's what that was the point that I wanted to make in this doing this uh this documentary.
01:01:09.840 --> 01:01:20.079
And in particular the documentary focuses on specific paramedics and their stories of what they're what they do why they do it and their passion and compassion around it.
01:01:20.320 --> 01:03:00.239
Kevin w what was your drive to have this film made um I just felt that the series never really got its due you know it it uh what once it was uh once it ended and it could have gone on it wasn't like we we were f faltering in the uh you know our audience the audience was staying pretty much the same we were pretty solid all the way through they just it was somewhat of a political move I think to actually end it uh it benefited them to end this show in order to be able to syndicate another show and uh what was your question again because so what what was your drive to see the the documentary so I just thought to and and voiced to Randy uh that we never really got our due because of it was on against all in the family and at eight o'clock and then kung fu was after that and we were you know pretty much the kids' show or the the lower you know folks who would watch I want to say the working man you know what watched us uh uh um there was no erudition on our show it was the the you know uh all the family had that in spades but we did have a documentary approach we had uh a lot of the crew had had been to Vietnam had you know had that Vietnam experience uh we had a handheld camera which was fairly new during that time and we merged that in with what what I had trouble with but what what Bob Senator rendered so well you know thought thoughtfully was the the humor that he added to the show.
01:03:00.400 --> 01:03:29.840
So we we you know so to be able I just wanted us to be able to be recognized at least for playing a part in what the show has be what the the the profession has become and also to be somewhat responsible to help in any way we can with furthering this you know the the the paramedic program and make it available to everyone and and be sure that it will never be less than that you know of use and by use by the people.
01:03:30.239 --> 01:03:34.239
And you're filming all over the country so what what are some of the cities that you're highlighting?
01:03:34.719 --> 01:04:06.480
So far we filmed in Batrouge a great a great uh pair of paramedics uh there uh then uh Denver another pair of paramedics and then um I think we went from there to Oregon uh then we went to Sparks Nevada and uh we were gonna go to Tucson but he Tucson Arizona but he was kind enough to come to us and uh and then we have uh and you know something I'm not gonna tell you who else we have we're just gonna let that be the secret.
01:04:06.719 --> 01:04:15.760
Well that'll be the second in the series and we'll talk more about into the unknown the paramedics journey in the documentary that you guys are both executive producers on.
01:04:16.239 --> 01:04:17.599
So thank you.
01:04:18.320 --> 01:04:26.719
It's been our pleasure likewise KMG three six five