J eff Dwoskin of West Bloomfield is the host of Classic Conversations, a podcast show he created during the COVID pandemic to satisfy his insatiable appetite for pop culture, TV and movie stars, writers and comedians. It leans on a heavy dose of the good old days in show biz. It’s not his day job, just a side dream job, that now finds him in the top 1.5% of listened-to podcasts. In the “real” world, Dwoskin has spent more than 30 years as an E-commerce, digital and social media maven, his talents traversing him through the tech and creative worlds in Detroit, including a stop at Little Caesars Pizza as its director of consumer engagement. Today, he’s a partner in a company he co-founded with his wife, Robyn, called Stampede Social that has “created game-changing software to help inspire, manage and measure engagement on Instagram. ” It’s very fascinating, innovative, cutting-edge technology that is above my level of comprehension. However, there’s another side to Dwoskin that is smack-dab in the middle of my comfort zone. He’s also a writer, comedian and a lover of all things nostalgia. And, for the past four years, he has found a way to nurture those passions through his podcasts. It’s a tremendous understatement to say Dwoskin’s guest list has come a long way since July 2020, when somehow he chose me for his ninth podcast subject. He won’t admit it, but I still believe I was a test case. Dwoskin has raised the talent bar since and has grown exponentially as he learned the ropes of being a first-time, self-taught interviewer. The first conversations were brief and lasted only 15 minutes and involved very little prep. Today, he has honed his skills and amassed more than 300 interviews, many featuring stars from some of television’s most successful and iconic sitcoms, each lasting between 45 minutes to an hour. Among them include Ed Asner of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Loretta “Hot Lips Houlihan” Swit from MASH. Plus, cast members from Happy Days, including Donny Most (Ralph Malph), Anson Williams (Potsie) and actress Marion Ross, yep — Richie’s lovable mom, Mrs. Cunningham herself! Or as the “The Fonz” would say: “Mrs. C — ayyyy!” But wait, there’s more! The lineup of Classic Conversations is like flipping through a TV Guide magazine of yesteryear, also featuring lead actors from The Love Boat, Lassie, The Brady Bunch, Little House on the Prairie, The Munsters, Batman, The Danny Thomas Show — and more classic shows than you can shake an old metal TV antenna at. There’s plenty more podcasting pontificating about Jeff still to come including his conversations with notable Jewish entertainers. But first, a fun backstory. COMEDY CONNECTION Jeff Dwoskin and I first crossed paths in 2007 when the Dick Purtan Morning Radio Show on WOMC created the “Purtan Protege Contest. ” It was a talent contest looking for the funniest folks in Detroit. Fledgling comedians from our listening audience flooded us with auditions on cassette tapes and CDs, and Jeff was among them. We narrowed down the field to a few finalists. The payoff was a chance for them to appear as an opening act for the Dick Purtan Comedy Night Out! on July 13, 2007, at the Royal Music Theater. The evening benefited the Gail Purtan Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. That night, our comedic contenders vied for the title of Purtan Protege with their fate in the hands of Purtan’s People judges. It was a big deal, with big- time national headliners on the bill. Making a rare, special return to do standup was (drum roll) Michigan’s one and only Tim Allen! Tim has known Dick Purtan for years and has generously donated to many of his charitable causes. His agreeing to appear in person before a sold- out audience in honor of the radio icon took his generosity to a whole new level. The night also featured popular national standup ‘Classic Conversations’ ALAN MUSKOVITZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER OCTOBER 31 • 2024 | 49 J N Jeff Dwoskin’s podcast show will satiate your hunger for pop culture and nostalgia. continued on page 50 Dwoskin doing his standup comedy Jeff Dwoskin and Dick Purtan at the Comedy Night Out event DAN LIPPITT