The Great Gatsby May 9
Hour 2 Guests:  Suzanne Del Gizzo and Michael Tatner The newest film version of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925, jazz era novel The Great Gatsby opens in movie theaters this weekend. This time around, Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann has [...]

Composer Mohammed Fairouz March 28
Guest: MOHAMMED FAIROUZ New York-based composer, MOHAMMED FAIROUZ, hears music everywhere – on the street, in the subway and in taxis – and through lives of people from different backgrounds. He believes he can overcome the potential fear [...]

Douglas Rushkoff's Present Shock March 27
Guest: DOUGLAS RUSHKOFF Do you often feel you aren’t on your game because you’re not hip to the new trend and are behind in your tweets? Our guest, author DOUGLAS RUSHKOFF, has been observing our culture’s need to [...]

'A Place at the Table' for Witnesses to Hunger: A new documentary March 1
GUESTS: BARBIE IZQUIERDO, MARIANA CHILTON, LORI SILVERBUSH and KRISTI JACOBSON “A Place at the Table” is a new documentary about the crisis of hunger in America today that was an Official Selection of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. [...]

85th Academy Awards preview February 22
GUESTS: PIERS MARCHANT, MATTHEW QUICK and SAM FRENCH The 85th Academy Awards are this Sunday, February 24th, and we’re going to listen back to Marty’s interviews with local connections to two nominated films: writer MATTHEW QUICK, whose debut [...]

'A Place at the Table' for Witnesses to Hunger: A new documentary February 20
GUESTS: BARBIE IZQUIERDO, MARIANA CHILTON, LORI SILVERBUSH and KRISTI JACOBSON “A Place at the Table” is a new documentary about the crisis of hunger in America today that was an Official Selection of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. [...]

The tradition continues: Oxman, Thompson and Moss-Coane talking about movies December 31
After three years of declining audiences, Americans returned to the movies this year — ticket sales were up 5.6 percent.  It was a big year for big budget thrillers with "The Avengers," making $623 million in the U.S., [...]

How the Internet has changed the music industry December 14
In the old days when you loved a band you would head to your local record store and buy their album and the artists and record label would each get a cut of the profits.  But today more [...]

Travel writer Andrew McCarthy's long way home November 30
ANDREW MCCARTHY is a world-class travel writer – he’s an editor-at-large for National Geographic Traveler, and has received numerous travel journalist awards including four 2011 North American Travel Journalist Awards. Andrew McCarthy is also an actor and can’t [...]

A second casino for Philadelphia? November 15
Hour 1 Today is the deadline for proposals to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board for a second casino license set aside for the city of Philadelphia, and at least six proposals have been made public. Among them are [...]

An update on the Library of Congress field recordings/Stephen Wade's banjo concert November 14
Hour Two Our guest, musician and writer, STEPHEN WADE, follows up on musicians and singers from the iconic Library of Congress field recordings from Southern Appalachia, the Mississippi Delta and the Great Plains in his new book, “The [...]

What new leadership in China will bring November 12
Hour 1 Just days after our Presidential election, the Chinese began their process of appointing a new leader. In a meeting that happens every ten years, two thousand delegates are gathered in Beijing for 18th Communist Party Congress, [...]

Travel writer Andrew McCarthy's long way home October 3
Hour Two ANDREW MCCARTHY is a world-class travel writer – he’s an editor-at-large for National Geographic Traveler, and has received numerous travel journalist awards including four 2011 North American Travel Journalist Awards. Andrew McCarthy is also an actor [...]

Wyclef Jean on his 'Purpose,' Haiti, music & Lauryn Hill October 1
Hour 2 WYCLEF JEAN is a musician, actor, producer, and activist who was born and raised in Haiti and moved with his family to New York when he was nine years old. He learned English from American rap [...]

A local rower-turned-filmmaker goes "Backwards" September 14
Hour 2 A promising Olympic rowing candidate is chosen, yet again, as an alternate for the U.S. team, and quits, goes home and tries to reconcile her rowing dreams and family life, as she coaches crew at her [...]

Has pop music changed? September 10
What is pop music and how does it change throughout the decades? The top ten songs on Itunes and Billboard may not reflect what you listen to and your grandparents listened to, but millions of people are still [...]

The U.S. Constitution, as 'improved' by writer Kevin Bleyer September 3
Hour 1 [REBROADCAST] The United States Constitution promised a More Perfect Union, but will we ever get a more perfect Constitution? The Daily Show writer KEVIN BLEYER has heeded that call with his new book, "Me the People: [...]

Nicholas Jarecki's debut feature film, "Arbitrage" August 16
Hour 2 Filmmaker NICHOLAS JARECKI discusses his debut feature narrative, "Arbitrage," starring Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon, about a the choices a greedy New York hedge fund manager makes, and the consequences he may reap for them. Listen [...]

Live music rocks: A behind the scenes look at the concert industry August 3
Hour 2 Do you have a favorite concert — a live performance from a band that just blew you away and that you’ll never forget?  Summer is a great time to hear your favorite band – there are [...]

Chris Hayes: Can hard work & pluck be corrupted? July 30
Hour 2 Are those who worked their way to top doing a better job than those who were born into it? CHRIS HAYES, The Nation’s editor-at-large and host of MSNBC’s “UP with Chris Hayes,” feels America is broken [...]

Jim Thorpe's 1912 Olympic dominance & a London preview July 27
Hour 2 Before the Opening Ceremonies of the London Olympics tonight, we look back to the remarkable Olympics 100 years ago in Stockholm, Sweden. Those games were a fascinating moment in time – differences from today’s Olympics included [...]

The life of a New Yorker receptionist/Scranton's financial trouble July 16
Hour 2 JANET GROTH had big dreams when she moved to New York in 1957.  Fresh from the Midwest, she landed a big interview at The New Yorker and was eager to begin a career as a writer.  [...]

Remembering Woody Guthrie on his 100th birthday July 9
Hour 2 The songs of Woody Guthrie are an essential part of the American songbook, and chronicle his times and their roiling politics, natural disasters and sweeping changes. From his early Dust Bowl ballads to his union songs [...]

The U.S. Constitution, as 'improved' by writer Kevin Bleyer July 5
Hour 2 The United States Constitution promised a More Perfect Union, but will we ever get a more perfect Constitution? The Daily Show writer KEVIN BLEYER has heeded that call with his new book, "Me the People: One [...]

Ed Rendell sees 'A Nation of Wusses' June 26
Hour 2 Former two-term Pennsylvania Governor and Philadelphia Mayor ED RENDELL comes in to discuss his new book, “A Nation of Wusses: How America’s Leaders Lost the Guts to Make Us Great.” He looks back on his years [...]

Kids & screen time June 21
Hour 2 You’ve probably noticed that kids spend a lot of time staring at screens – smart phones, iPads, laptops, TVs.  They spend more time with electronic gadgets then they do engaged in any other activity– school, hanging [...]

The Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon May 30
Hour 2 All across America, on their e-readers, I-Pads and in paperback, women of all ages have voraciously been reading Fifty Shades of Grey,  the first in a trilogy of erotic novels by British author E. L. James.   [...]

Philly rock'n'roll pioneer legend Charlie Gracie May 25
Hour 2 [REBROADCAST] South Philadelphia native CHARLIE GRACIE came in earlier this spring to discuss what it’s like making a rock and roll record over 50 years after his 1957 hit, “Butterfly.” The first major artist on Philadelphia’s [...]

Suzzy Roche's debut novel, 'Wayward Saints' May 18
Hour 2 [REBROADCAST] SUZZY ROCHE and her sisters, Maggie and Terre, have been touring together and recording for over 30 years. Suzzy, the youngest, has recently written her first novel, "Wayward Saints," about the music industry, family and [...]

Center City Jazz with Ernest Stuart & Rhenda Fearrington April 27
Hour 1 How do you pull off a music festival with the historically under-performing money making genre that is jazz? “Patience,” says Center City Jazz Festival organizer and South Jersey native ERNEST STUART. The trombonist and music producer [...]

Fun family getaways in NJ, PA & DE April 20
Hour 2 With summer approaching and gas prices averaging around $4 a gallon, a lot of families are rethinking the long vacation road trip or one that involves expensive airfare. So how about taking a few smaller trips [...]

The Practicing Mind April 18
As a full-time professional piano tech for over 25 years, our guest THOMAS M. STERNER sat down and repeated a task at least 88 times on a grand piano, and each piano has a potential 34 different adjustments [...]

Philly rock'n'roll pioneer legend Charlie Gracie April 13
Hour 2 South Philadelphia native CHARLIE GRACIE comes in to discuss what it’s like making a rock and roll record over 50 years after his 1957 hit, “Butterfly.” The first major artist on Philadelphia’s Cameo Parkway label, Gracie [...]

Jamming with the Philly Roller Girls April 12
Hour 2 Roller derby, specifically women’s flat-track roller derby, is a fun and serious sport growing in popularity, especially in U.S. cities and definitely here in Philadelphia, where the Philly Roller Girls is the local league affiliated with [...]

Rita Moreno's 'Life from Zero to Sixty Plus Twenty' April 11
Hour 2 Still singing and inspiring, Broadway legend and Latina trailblazer RITA MORENO joins Marty in studio for a retrospective of her much-honored life and career. The artist who originated the role of Anita in the film version [...]

Susan Orlean on dog superstar Rin Tin Tin March 2
Hour 1 [REBROADCAST] Writer SUSAN ORLEAN's recent book, "Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend," tells the fascinating story of the famous German shepherd and his enduring popularity. Rin Tin Tin was discovered as a puppy on [...]

The perils of Farmville: A look into the social gaming phenomenon February 15
Hour 2 Zynga, a social games company that has created hits like Farmville and Words With Friends, made headlines recently after Facebook released data indicating that Zynga is responsible for about 12 percent of its annual revenue. Social [...]

Ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro February 3
Hour 2 [REBROADCAST] If the word “ukulele” conjures visions of slow, sleepy Hawaiian music, that’s just where virtuoso JAKE SHIMABUKURO wants you at the start of a show: He thrives upending the low expectations people have of his [...]

Suzzy Roche's debut novel, 'Wayward Saints' January 31
Hour 2 SUZZY ROCHE and her sisters, Maggie and Terre, have been touring together and recording for over 30 years. Suzzy, the youngest, has written her first novel, "Wayward Saints," about the music industry, family and small-town ghosts [...]

The Scottsboro Boys: From Broadway to Broad Street January 30
Hour 2 How do you tell the story of the infamous trial of the Scottsboro Boys in fierce, minstrel form? The last collaboration of  John Kander and Fred Ebb, the legendary musical theater team behind Chicago and Cabaret, [...]

Cursing & public discourse: Have we gone too far? January 27
Hour 2 Mayor Nutter recently turned a few heads after he used some choice words when responding to the senseless murder of three Philadelphia teenagers.  The award-winning ABC sitcom Modern Family also found itself in a little bit [...]

States look for jackpot in online gambling January 19
Hour 2 With the squeeze on state budgets, many are betting on gambling to put cash in their coffers. States around the country are pushing to legalize in-state Internet gambling. In New Jersey, Governor Chris Christie has said [...]

Shall we dance? Inside the world of competitive ballroom dancing January 17
Hour 2 [REBROADCAST] Interest in ballroom dancing is surging.  And if folks aren't learning it and doing it, they're watching it on television. Last fall, season 13 of ABC's Dancing with the Stars drew 19.5 million total viewers. [...]

Emmanuel Jal, South Sudanese child soldier turned hip-hop star & peace advocate January 2
Hour 2 [REBROADCAST] Internationally acclaimed hip-hop artist and peace activist EMMANUEL JAL estimates he was born sometime in the early 1980s in the south of Sudan. At the age of seven, his family was forced repeatedly to flee [...]

2011 at the Movies December 30
Hour 1 When we went to the movies this year we saw 3D animation, an assortment of child actors, some very good documentaries and lots of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling and Michael Fassbinder. It’s become a [...]

Broadway, television and film actress Tovah Feldshuh December 9
Hour 2 Star of Broadway, television and film, actress TOVAH FELDSHUH says she doesn’t want to impress audiences but move them. The role she’s currently playing is historically emotional, and this is Feldshuh’s first time embodying the character [...]

Susan Orlean on Dog Superstar, Rin Tin Tin December 5
Hour 2 Writer SUSAN ORLEAN'S new book, Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend, tells the fascinating story of the famous German Shepard and his enduring popularity. Rin Tin Tin was discovered as a puppy on a [...]

Talking about TV morning news December 2
Hour 1 A few weeks ago CBS announced they were reformatting their morning news show and had hired Charlie Rose and Gayle King to co-anchor. The redesigned Early Show will focus more on serious news than its network [...]

Shall we dance? Inside the world of competitive ballroom dancing November 30
Hour 2 Interest in ballroom dancing is surging.  And if folks aren't learning it and doing it, they're watching it on television.  Last week's finale of "Dancing with the Stars" drew 19.5 million total viewers. In this hour [...]

Joe Henry, musician and producer November 24
Hour 2 [REBROADCAST] Grammy-winning producer and singer-songwriter JOE HENRY joins Marty in the studio to discuss his life and careers. His recent album, “Reverie," is a more stripped-down, acoustic affair than 2009’s heralded “Blood from Stars” and most [...]

The Music, Machines and Mystery of Raymond Scott November 18
Hour 2 Raymond Scott is not a household name, but his music has likely played in your home in the Warner Brothers’ Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies shorts. Fast-forward to the 90s’ manic cartoon, Ren and Stimpy – [...]

Emmanuel Jal, South Sudanese child soldier turned hip-hop star & peace advocate November 14
Hour 2 Internationally acclaimed hip-hop artist and peace activist EMMANUEL JAL estimates he was born sometime in the early 1980s in the south of Sudan. At the age of seven, his family was forced repeatedly to flee their [...]

Radio Times On-Stage with Songwriter and Producer Andrew Lipke September 16
Hour 2 Philadelphia songwriter, arranger, producer and multi-instrumentalist ANDREW LIPKE comes in to the Dorrance H. Hamilton Media Commons with the Azrael Quartet to play selections from his new CD, “The Plague.” In this ‘Radio Times On-Stage' live [...]

Joe Henry, musician and producer September 14
Hour 2 Grammy-winning producer and singer-songwriter JOE HENRY joins Marty in the studio to discuss his life and careers. His new album, “Reverie,” to be released by Anti- Records on October 11th, is a more stripped-down, acoustic affair [...]

More: The Vanishing of Scale in an Over-the-Top Nation September 1
Hour 2 The media is obsessed with triviality on a big scale, according to our guest, Drexel University Communication Professor, DR. RONALD BISHOP. There are many reality TV baby shows featuring teenage moms, multiple birth moms and addicted [...]

Ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro August 12
Hour 2 [REBROADCAST] If the word “ukulele” conjures visions of slow, sleepy Hawaiian music, that’s just where virtuoso JAKE SHIMABUKURO wants you at the start of a show: He thrives upending the low expectations people have of his [...]

News roundup with James Fallows, then Actor/Director John Turturro on Passione August 5
Hour 1 The stock market dropped 512 points yesterday, the worst day since the beginning of the recession in 2008.  Concern about European debt crisis and the anticipated July jobs report fueled investors fears of a double dip [...]

Colin Quinn's Long Story Short July 4
Hour 2 [REBROADCAST] Comedian COLIN QUINN came in last month to the Radio Times studio to discuss how he tackled reducing the history of the world in 75 minutes. Just coming off a successful run on Broadway, “Long [...]

Colin Quinn's Long Story Short June 21
Hour 2 Comedian COLIN QUINN comes in to the Radio Times studio to discuss how he tackled reducing the history of the world in 75 minutes. Just coming off a successful run on Broadway, “Long Story Short,” directed [...]

Hollywood's fathers, with film historian David Thomson June 16
Hour 2 In time for Father’s Day, we take a look back at memorable fathers in film history with film historian and critic DAVID THOMSON, author of The New Biographical Dictionary of Film and a library’s worth of [...]

ESPN's rise to sports media dominance May 26
Hour 2 If you are, or live with, a sports fan, you know all about ESPN, the “worldwide leader in sports.” Now, the writers who brought the world the acclaimed oral history of Saturday Night Live are back [...]

The World of Fake News with The Onion's Joe Garden and Chad Nackers May 12
Hour 2 Many newspapers have been eliminated and traditional news organizations are trying to find a home online. Here’s a twist: Philadelphians have been reading The Onion online and, as of this winter, the print edition of the [...]

Mothers in the movies May 5
Hour 2 In time for Mother’s Day, Radio Times looks back at memorable moms in the movies. Joining Marty and our callers for this conversation will be film historian JEANINE BASINGER, Chair of the Film Studies Department at [...]

Remembering TV Pioneer Ernie Kovacs April 28
Hour 2 If you’re accustomed to the zany TV host-in-a-chair-in-front-of-a-studio-audience antics of Comedy Central’s John Stewart and Stephen Colbert, they’re part of the long tradition of Trenton-born TV pioneer Ernie Kovacs. Kovacs’ daily two-hour morning program produced for NBC [...]

Are the daytime soaps all washed up? April 21
Hour 2 ABC announced last week that it was cancelling two of its mainstays of daytime television — the soap operas All My Children and One Life to Live — citing declining ratings and rising costs as the [...]

Morgan Spurlock's 'Greatest Movie Ever Sold' April 15
Hour 2 Documentary filmmaker MORGAN SPURLOCK won fame for his first film, "Super Size Me." His latest film is “POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold,” which both is an example of, and a critical analysis of, [...]

Great Escapes Near Philly April 8
Hour 2 After being cooped up all winter long, a lot of us feel the itch to get out and explore the region, to shake off that cabin fever.  Whether you prefer a country walk, a seaside spa, [...]

The 83rd Academy Awards February 24
Hour 2 The Academy Awards are coming up this Sunday night.  The King’s Speech, The Social Network, 127 Hours, Black Swan, The Fighter and The Kid’s Are All Right are all vying for best picture.  Best actor nominees [...]

John Wesley Harding the Singer and Songwriter and Wesley Stace the Novelist February 17
                         Hour 2 John Wesley Harding is a singer-songwriter who has recorded fifteen albums since the early 90s, including his success with “I’m Wrong About Everything” that [...]

Love and romance on film: Classics and our favorites February 11
Hour 2 In time for Valentine’s Day weekend, we review Hollywood history for the evolution of love in U.S. cinema, great love stories on film, and our favorite moments of love from the movies. From “Casablanca” to “The [...]

Ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro February 7
Hour 2 If the word “ukulele” conjures visions of slow, sleepy Hawaiian music, that’s just where virtuoso JAKE SHIMABUKURO wants you at the start of a show: He thrives upending the low expectations people have of his instrument. [...]

Understanding the Comcast/NBCU merger January 31
Hour 1 Earlier this month, the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice approved the merger of the country's largest cable operator, Philadelphia’s Comcast Corporation, and broadcasting company NBC Universal. The FCC tacked on several unprecedented conditions [...]

Struggling to Speak: Understanding Stuttering December 31
Hour 1 [REBROADCAST] The new movie The King’s Speech is about King George Vl and his struggles to overcome his stammer at the onset of WWll.  It follows the King, played by Colin Firth, and his relationship with [...]

Bottoms Up: On Spirits and Cocktails December 31
Hour 2 [REBROADCAST] Do you have a favorite cocktail?   An Old Fashioned, a Sidecar, a Martini, or a Vodka Gimlet?  Classic cocktails have seen quite a revival in recent years thanks to the popularity of the television series [...]

Parody, Gender and Gilbert & Sullivan December 22
Hour 2 Brush up on your Gilbert and Sullivan patter: “And his legs will take root, and his fingers will shoot and they’ll blossom and bud like a fruit tree…” Iolanthe is one of the many operas of [...]

Struggling to Speak: Understanding Stuttering December 20
Hour 2 The new movie The King’s Speech is about King George Vl and his struggles to overcome his stammer at the onset of WWll.  It follows the King, played by Colin Firth, and his relationship with unconventional [...]

Bottoms Up: On Spirits and Cocktails December 15
Hour 2 Do you have a favorite cocktail?   An Old Fashioned, a Sidecar, a Martini, or a Vodka Gimlet?  Classic cocktails have seen quite a revival in recent years thanks to the popularity of the television series Mad [...]

Global Jazzman Danilo Perez December 3
Hour 2 Jazz composer, arranger and educator DANILO PEREZ was just nominated this week for a Grammy for his new album, “Providencia” in the “Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group” category.  The Panama-born pianist spends part of his time [...]

Behind the Scenes of Philadelphia Filmmaking November 1
Hour 2 It’s 1976 in Philadelphia and a former Black Panther comes home to reconcile some unresolved issues and relationships. This sets the stage for  Philadelphia filmmaker TANYA HAMILTON’s new film, “Night Catches Us,” which she wrote, directed [...]

Remembering South Philadelphia's Eddie Lang, 'Father of the Jazz Guitar' October 22
Hour 2 South Philadelphia-born Eddie Lang (born Salvatore Massaro) is known as the “Father of the Jazz Guitar.” His distinctive style brought the guitar to the attention of the American public and influenced such guitarists Django Reinhardt, Charlie [...]

A review of the fall TV season October 1
Hour 2 The fall TV season is in full swing with new shows premiering and old favorites returning.  There’s “Boardwalk Empire,” “The Event,” “Hawaii Five-O,” “Terriers,” “Blue Bloods,” “Mike and Molly,” “$h*! My Dad Says,” “Glee,” “Modern Family,” [...]

SugarHouse casino opens: How did PA get here? September 23
Hour 1 SugarHouse casino opens today, Philadelphia's first casino in city limits, after a long and often contentious process that brought legalized gambling to Pennsylvania and now Philly. Joining us to talk about that process and the impact [...]

Meet the New Music Director of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, DIRK BROSSE September 23
Hour 2 Meet the new music director of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Belgium-born DIRK BROSSE. He begins his first season leading the 33-member ensemble this fall season, after conducting many Belgian and European orchestras. Brosse is also a [...]

Passing Strange's Stew Passes Through Radio Times' Studio September 13
Hour 2 Meet Stew, composer and star of the 2008 Tony Award-winning musical “Passing Strange,” and subject of a Spike Lee documentary of the same name. Passing Strange is a semi-autobiographical, coming-of-age journey of the musician Stew, from [...]

The Touchable History of Al Capone September 1
Hour 2 Journalist JONATHAN EIG tells us almost everything we know about legendary Chicago gangster Al Capone is wrong. Eliot Ness wasn't the man who brought down Capone; and newly discovered FBI records add more credence to Capone's denial of responsibility of the Valentine's Day Massacre. Through handwritten letters, wiretap transcripts and recently discovered government documents, Eig reconstructs this American lore in "Get Capone."

Princess Noire: The Life of Nina Simone August 20
Hour 2 The late musician, Nina Simone, wanted to stay outside any conventional category. Her classical piano training backed up her identity as a songwriter, jazz singer, a blues singer, pop singer and a soul singer. She was ‘misunderstood,’ as one of her famous recordings revealed. Writer NADINE COHODAS helps us to understand Simone’s difficult life in her new biography, "Princess Noire: The Tumultuous Reign of Nina Simone." Cohodas has written several books including a biography of Dinah Washington and the story behind Chess Records.

Changing Channels: Troubling Times for Cable News August 3
Hour 1 Cable news is losing viewers.  Even Fox News, which tops the ratings week after week, saw a 12% drop in daily viewers in July. But CNN’s ratings are even worse, dropping 43% last month.  The original [...]

"To Kill a Mockingbird" Turns 50 July 12
Hour 2 This month, Harper Lee’s classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird turns 50.   Half a decade after its publishing, the classic novel still sells almost a million copies a year and is one of the most widely read [...]

A History of Gossip July 9
Hour 2 "Confidential" was the proto TMZ.com. From 1952 to 1958, the sensational magazine was the go-to gossip source of its day. It's publisher was a staunch fact-checking advocate, but held no virtue in getting most of his material through blackmail and a payroll that included waiters, bartenders, and jilted lovers. "Confidential" outed homosexuals, mixed race couples and affairs. Our guest, HENRY SCOTT, has put these lurid tales together in his new book, "Confidential: Shocking True Story: The Rise and Fall of Confidential, 'America’s Most Scandalous Magazine.'"

The Capone You Never Knew June 29
Hour 2 Journalist JONATHAN EIG tells us almost everything we know about legendary Chicago gangster Al Capone is wrong. Eliot Ness wasn't the man who brought down Capone; and newly discovered FBI records add more credence to Capone's denial of responsibility of the Valentine's Day Massacre. Through handwritten letters, wiretap transcripts and recently discovered government documents, Eig reconstructs this American lore in "Get Capone."

Singer and Guitarist Raul Midon May 21
Hour 2 Singer and guitarist and mouth-trumpeter, RAUL MIDON, comes in to the "Radio Times" studio to demonstrate his unusual guitar skills by playing old and new original genre-bending songs. His latest album is "Synthesis."

An Evening withOUT Woody Allen April 30
Hour 2 Philadelphia's 1812 Productions' Artistic Director Jennifer Childs has adapted some of her favorite Woody Allen essays and short stories for the stage. The upcoming show, An Evening without Woody Allen is a world premier comedy of the prolific filmmaker and comedian's work. We'll talk to Childs and two 1812 actors, Charlotte Ford and Dan Hodge, and listen to them read selections from Allen's "The Whore of Mensa" and other hilarious favorites from the Allen Cannon. "An Evening without Woody Allen" will run April 29th-May 16th at the Plays and Players Theater in Center City Philadelphia.

Keyboard Conversations with JEFFREY SIEGEL April 16
Hour 2 There is concern in the music world that there is a decline in interest in classical music. Why should we care about classical piano music? What is the difference of sonata and an etude? Will a composer’s intention of a work help us understand it better? Our guest, pianist and music educator, JEFFREY SIEGEL, will sit down at our Radio Times Studio 2 piano and explain what is behind some of Frederik Chopin’s masterpieces. Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center is celebrating Chopin’s 200th birthday, and Siegel is returning with his “Keyboard Conversations” series Monday, April 19th.

Ryan Conklin, from "The Real World" to real war in Iraq April 14
Hour 2 Many young veterans and members of the Individual Ready Reserve have gotten the dreaded call ordering them back to war. But RYAN A. CONKLIN of Gettysburg is the only one to have that moment filmed and broadcast to millions by MTV. When Ryan, then 23 years old, got that call in 2008, he was being filmed around-the-clock as a cast member on MTV's "The Real World: Brooklyn," their first cast member who had seen war. MTV followed Ryan's 2nd tour in Iraq for a critically praised special, "Return to Duty." Since returning home, Ryan has become active with the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and has written a new book, "An Angel From Hell: Real Life on the Front Lines." On today's "Radio Times," Marty will talk with Ryan about life under fire and before the cameras.

Princess Noire: The Life of Nina Simone March 29
Hour 2 The late musician, Nina Simone, wanted to stay outside any conventional category. Her classical piano training backed up her identity as a songwriter, jazz singer, a blues singer, pop singer and a soul singer. She was ‘misunderstood,’ as one of her famous recordings revealed. Writer NADINE COHODAS helps us to understand Simone’s difficult life in her new biography, "Princess Noire: The Tumultuous Reign of Nina Simone." Cohodas has written several books including a biography of Dinah Washington and the story behind Chess Records.

Kathleen Turner as Molly Ivins March 19
Hour 2 KATHLEEN TURNER is to star in the upcoming one-woman show, "Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins" at the Suzanne Roberts Theater. The stage and screen actress (Hollywood’s "Body Heat," "Peggy Sue Got Married" and Broadway’s "The Graduate" and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?") will take on the late high-spirited, liberal newspaper columnist who focused on criticizing the 'good ol' boys' political establishment and mocking her Texas culture. The world premier play is produced by Philadelphia Theater Company and will run from March 19th through April 18th.

Buying and selling beer in Pennsylvania March 17
Hour 1 Recent raids on popular bars in Philadelphia and a northeast Philly beer distributor have brought Pennsylvania's laws concerning the regulation and sale of beer into the headlines. The raids have also prompted the Pennsylvania House Liquor Control Committee to schedule hearings on the legislation and its enforcement. On this St. Patrick's Day and in the midst of what would have been Philly Beer Week (before organizers rescheduled it for June), we take stock of the state’s beer-buying laws, which date back to the lifting of Prohibition. On today's "Radio Times," guest host Tracey Matisak will talk with JOE SIXPACK, aka DON RUSSELL, the Philadelphia Daily News’ beer reporter and one of the nation’s foremost authorities on beer. We’ll also hear from DAVE SHIPULA, president of the Malt Beverage Distributors Association of Pennsylvania, and we'll take your calls.

D-Days in the Pacific March 15
Hour 1 HBO's ten-part series, "The Pacific" is premiering Sunday, March 14th. The documentary tells the story of the five brutal battles of the U.S. offensive in the Pacific theater in WWII: Guadalcanal, Peleliu, New Guinea, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Our guest, writer and the John Henry MacCracken Professor of History at Lafayette College, DONALD MILLER, wrote the book in which this cable series is based, "D-Days in the Pacific." He is a historical consultant, writer, and appears on-camera, working with the same creative team of the 2001 HBO miniseries, "Band of Brothers" including actor Tom Hanks and director/producer Steven Spielberg.

Happy 100th, Samuel Barber! March 5
Hour 2 West Chester native Samuel Barber, one of the best-known American composers of the 20th century, would have been 100 years old in March. The two-time Pulitzer winner and one of the first students at the Curtis Institute, Barber was a composer of orchestral, opera, choral and piano music - "Adagio for Strings" is one of his most recognizable compositions (think the score of "Platoon"). We celebrate his centennial celebration by listening back to Barber's music and talking to Barber's biographer, BARBARA HEYMAN and Curtis' DAVID LUDWIG of the composition faculty and acting head of musical studies.

Doug Glanville, talking baseball and more March 3
Hour 1 DOUG GLANVILLE played centerfield for the Philadelphia Phillies for six seasons, part of a distinguished 15-year professional baseball career, including nine in the majors. These days, the University of Pennsylvania alumnus is also a regular columnist for The New York Times, where his "Heading Home" column centers on the game, its controversies and what it has taught him about every day life. He is also a partner in a green-homebuilding firm in Chicago, a sports commentator on TV, and in May, he'll be able to add "published book author" to his resume, as his "The Game from Where I Stand: A Ballplayer's Inside View" is set to be published by Henry Holt Books. Glanville joins Marty to discuss his life and careers, and, in the wake of falls from grace including Tiger Woods' infidelity and Mark McGwire's steroids admission, what life is really like for professional athletes.