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TV Actor Howard Hesseman

Hesseman played disc jockey Dr. Johnny Fever in WKRP in Cincinnati, and now stars as a high school teacher in the comedy Head of the Class. He tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross about how his performances and personal experiences inform each other. Early in his career, Hesseman sold two ounces of marijuana to an undercover police officer; he later had his record expunged.

27:34
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Other segments from the episode on August 29, 1988

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, August 29, 1988: Interview with Howard Hesseman; Review of the album "Benny Goodman, Volume 1"; Interview with Charles Peters; Review of the film "Missile."
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06:46

Striving for Perfection When Perfection's Not the Point

Before his death, Benny Goodman gave Yale University five truckloads of his recordings, which are now being released on compact disc. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the first volume, which he says blends the facile in Goodman's music with the raw.

Review
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09:57

Washington Monthly Editor Charles Peters

The veteran journalist is also considered one of the founders of neoliberalism. Peters says more people can, like him, do what they love for a living if they focus less on money and more on the work. By choice, Peters pays himself a modest salary--less than what many reporters make today.

Interview
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03:28

Holding the Keys to the Nuclear Arsenal

PBS will soon air the documentary Missile, about the fourteen-week training program for launch operators. TV critic David Bianculli says it gives real life context to the hit film Wargames. Director Frederick Wiseman's signature eschewing of interviews sometimes detracts from the narrative, but the movie is overall worth watching.

Review

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Transcripts are created on a rush deadline, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of Fresh Air interviews and reviews are the audio recordings of each segment.

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Making "Frank's Place"

Hugh Wilson created the television show WKRP. His much-anticpated, new program, Frank's Place, centers on a restaurant in New Orleans, and features many roles for African American actors.

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