Episode 81: Who's The Man? Billy Van! (Billy Van Billy Van Etc) with Writer and Historian Greg Oliver Transatlantic History Ramblings

INTERVIEW BEGINS AT 22:20

In the great history of TV comedy names like Gleason, Kovacs, Carson, Belushi, Newhart roll off the tongue. Yet there is a name that SHOULD have, and in all reality COULD have made that list… Van. Van? Van who? Billy Van.

This brilliant and versatile Canadian had the talent and the opportunity to become a superstar, yet, he decided he would rather stay in Canada and lead a more quiet and private life. Van did achieve cult status as the creator and star (and star and star ETC) of Canadian Children’s show The Hilarious House of Frightenstein, a show that has been called kids entertainment on acid, a sorta of sketch comedy series about monsters hosted and narrated by Vincent Price, where Van plays not one, not two but TEN characters!!!!! But Billy Van did more, so much more and thankfully fellow Great White Northerner Greg Oliver along with Stacey Case has documented this amazing man in the new book Who’s The Man? Billy Van!

Greg Oliver is a prolific Canadian writer, historian, and recipient of the James C. Melby Historian Award. He has written extensively on both Hockey and Professional Wrestling and is the co-founder of Slam Wrestling, check out his site and BUY HIS BOOKS!!

http://www.oliverbooks.ca/the-billy-van-story.html

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All of our episodes are listed as explicit due to language and some topics, such as historical crime, that may not be suitable for all listeners.-Opening and closing theme is Random Sanity by British composer DeeZee