Joe Franklin

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Joseph Fortgang (born March 9, 1926) is an American radio and television personality who uses the stage name Joe Franklin. From New York City Franklin hosted the first television talk show. The show began in 1950 on WJZ-TV (later WABC-TV) and moved to WOR-TV (later WWOR-TV) from 1962 to 1993.

Known as "the king of nostalgia", Franklin's highly-rated show focused on old-time show business personalities. Franklin would delight his audience with trivia about the most obscure entertainers from out of the past, and equally unknown up-and-comers from the present. His guests ranged from novelty performers like Tiny Tim to popular entertainers like Bill Cosby. A great many of today's well known talents such as Woody Allen, Barbra Streisand and Julia Roberts got their first Television exposure on The Joe Franklin Show. Frankin's show was often parodied by Billy Crystal during the 1984–1985 season of Saturday Night Live.

After retiring from the TV show, Franklin concentrated on an all-night night radio show, playing old records on WOR-AM on Saturday evenings. He currently interviews celebrities on the Bloomberg Radio Network.

Franklin interviewed over 10,000 guests during his 43-year TV run. These included five U.S. Presidents, and screen legends such as Charlie Chaplin, John Wayne, Marilyn Monroe and Cary Grant.

An author, Franklin has written 23 books, including his popular Classics of the Silent Screen. He has appeared as himself in countless films, notably Ghostbusters and Broadway Danny Rose.

[edit] Joe Franklin and The Aristocrats

Franklin was mentioned in the 2005 documentary The Aristocrats by comedian Sarah Silverman. She began a monologue with: "Joe Franklin loved the Aristocrats." and deadpanned:

"He was, like, our rehearsal director when dad and my brother weren't there. And my mother, and my nana weren't there. I was on his show. He said it wasn't a 'taped show,' but we, like, did a show . . . It was his office, but he had a bed in it, like a couch, that he called Uncle Joe's bed for little people. 'Cause a couch is like a bed... for little people, you know?