It’s the End of The Red Room as We Know it and I Feel Fine

Whenever you log into one of your online accounts and see a red banner going across the screen, you know something bad is about to happen.

The Red Room Podcast started in July 2010. We have hosted our podcast, which has broadcast 215 episodes, on Hipcast for the majority of that time. When I logged in to upload the latest episode, the banner read: Hipcast.com ceasing operations on December 31, 2022.

Proving that I truly was destined to have a podcast about television, the first thing I thought of was the final episode of Moonlighting. The show, which we have covered more than a few times on this podcast and I wrote a book about, ended with the statement: Blue Moon Investigations ceased operations on May 14, 1989. The Red Room Podcast will do the same on December 31, 2022.

Josh Minton came up with this silly idea twelve years ago. He tried to sweet talk me into co-hosting with him by calling it the Red Room. He didn’t know a thing about Twin Peaks at the time, he has since written a book a few times on the subject, but he knew I loved it and thought that would make me do it. Joke was on him, I had no idea what a podcast was. I would have been happy to talk TV with anyone back then.

In 2010, podcasts were still kinda new. It wasn’t like it is now: all full of ads (which we have never done), celebrity hosts (which we will never be), and all kinds of safe areas for safe speech (which I have never been capable of). I only made one demand of Josh and that was that we take it very seriously. In fact, if you listen to the first four years of the podcast, you will hear a very un-funny Scott. I remember when I met a few Twin Peaks friends (I’m looking at you Tony) at the first festival, they couldn’t believe that I was funny. (My wife still thinks I’m not funny.) I wanted to be serious on the podcast and not waste anyone’s time. I am not sure that we achieved that goal, but we sure tried. Once I started guesting on Twin Peaks Unwrapped all the time, I let a little more humor slip into the Red Room, but I still always tried to host an episode like it was on NPR.

I won’t waste anyone’s time here discussing highlights or low bars of the past 215 episodes. (We only had to take one episode down due to legal action so 214 still exist.) I enjoyed hosting with Josh and without. Josh and I learned a ton and tried to share that knowledge with our listeners. I Met David Bushman, Courtenay Stallings, John Thorne, Ben Durant, Bryon Kozaczka, Brad Dukes, and Mark Altman through the podcast—all who became friends in real life. That means the most to me.

So why tell you and why not save it?

I am telling you because you have one month to download any episode that you feel the need to keep. We are told that on December 31 they will delete all the files. This will include my side podcasts: Scott Luck Stories where I told comic short stories from my youth which spawned my first book, and the thirtysomething Podcast, where I interviewed the cast of thirtysomething which spawned my second book. So if there is something you want, download it. But also, it is OK to just let it slip away into the fog of the internet.

You can find me on YouTube through The Blue Rose Magazine’s YouTube channel, where I will still interview people when it comes my way. Ben & Bryon graciously have said I can post on their Twin Peaks Unwrapped Podcast if I get an interview with someone who is getting a rug delivered. Until then, follow me on Twitter @Scottluckstory or @FMPbooks (while Twitter still exists.)

When the Red Room started I was answering phones at the expense of my spirit at a soulless call center. Now I run a publishing company, I have written several books, and Sheryl Lee knows my name. Not sure I could ask for anything more. Thank you so much to everyone who ever listened and shared an episode of the Red Room.

We are not saving the podcast because honestly these episodes are so old they don’t carry a ton of value beyond nostalgia, and we all learned from The Return that nostalgia is for chumps. Also, if we moved the podcast all the Google and website links would be broken, and we would have to basically start over. A podcast with two non-famous white guys just isn’t where the world is at right now. It’s time for a new generation to take over and suggest what to watch. People wanna binge reality TV on their phones. That, in itself, is a good reason for this old guy to step aside.

I still have my VHS Twin Peaks box set of Episodes 1-7. The quality of those VHS episodes aren’t anywhere near the High Res versions on iTunes or Paramount Plus, but they are mine. I can touch them. I can hold them. I can own them. I still have my R2-D2 action figure from Star Wars from 1977. It is mine. A company can’t go out of business and take it from me. I own Billy Joel’s The Bridge vinyl record that I bought in 1986. If Spotify dies tomorrow, I can still hear “Big Man On Mulberry Street” which played in my favorite episode of Moonlighting. I own those episodes, too. I like owning my art. I never owned the Red Room. They were out there for listeners and now they are not. That is the way of new media. So if this article returns to Moonlighting, let’s end the same way.

The Red Room Podcast ceased operations on December 31, 2022.

Thanks, Scott Ryan

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Order Scott Ryan’s upcoming Lost Highway book.

Surprise Guest from FWWM Interview

Listen to this episode of The Red Room Podcast before your friend does. Scott Ryan interviews someone from Fire Walk With Me that has NEVER been interviewed before. No clues here. Just listen and enjoy. This interview is to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Fire Walk With Me. Special Thanks to Dugpa and Steven Miller for doing the research. You won’t want to miss this podcast. Also be sure to pick up Scott Ryan’s book about Fire Walk With Me that interviews Sheryl Lee (Laura Palmer) and cast and crew. Also subscribe to the latest issue of the Blue Rose magazine which covers Lost Highway or preorder Scott’s upcoming Lost Highway book.

Click Play to listen to the surprise interview or head out to iTunes and download.

Order Fire Walk With Me: Your Laura Disappeared by Scott Ryan

Order the NEW issues of The Blue Rose magazine Issues 16/17

Listen to Emily Marinelli’s New Twin Peaks Podcast.

Joe Dougherty Interview

Screenwriter Joseph Dougherty (thirtysomething, Pretty Little Liars) has written a new book about writing. They say write what you know, and Joe has over 30 years of experience on writing television and movies. He joins host Scott Ryan to talk about Joe’s new book: A Screenwriter’s Companion that will take readers and future writers through the steps, the heartbreaks and the successes of being a writing. With how to exercisers and stories from his work on thirtysomething and Pretty Little Liars, this book has everything a writer needs to start his journey. You can ordered a signed copy by Joe, by clicking here. (You can also pick up thirtysomething at thirty where Joe wrote the Afterword.)

Click play to listen to the interview or head out to iTunes and download.

Order a signed copy of Joe’s new book, A Screenwriter’s Companion by clicking here

Order Fire Walk With Me: Your Laura Disappeared by Scott Ryan

David Lynch Film Festival in Chicago

Daniel Knox joins The Red Room to discuss his upcoming, week long, David Lynch Film Festival at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago. You can get tickets by clicking here.

Listen to Scott and Daniel explain the week, what is going on and what to expect. Scott will be on hand all week long to do the Q&A’s with Charlotte Stewart and Duwayne Dunham. Scott will also be selling The Blue Rose’s new subscription and his new Fire Walk With Me book. Come see EVERY Lynch film in 35MM on the big screen.

Press Play below to listen or head out to iTunes and download.

Order Fire Walk With Me: Your Laura Disappeared by Scott Ryan

Order the NEW issues of The Blue Rose magazine Issues 16/17

Fire Walk With Me Discussion

Authors of Fire Walk With Me books are hard to find, but the latest Red Room Podcast has 2 of them. Lindsay Hallam (Devil’s Advocate: Fire Walk With Me) interviews Scott Ryan (Fire Walk With Me: Your Laura Disappeared, The Blue Rose magazine) about why the film matters so much 30 years later. You can listen to the podcast or watch them talk on Youtube.

The Podcast Press Play below to listen or head out to iTunes and download.

The Youtube version

Order Fire Walk With Me: Your Laura Disappeared by Scott Ryan

Order the NEW issues of The Blue Rose magazine Issues 16/17

Order Lindsay Hallam’s Fire Walk With Me book. Out Now.

Read Lindsay’s essay in The Women Of David Lynch.

Singer Eleri Ward Interview

Listen (or watch) the latest Red Room Podcast when Scott Ryan interviews musician Eleri Ward about her latest CD, A Perfect Little Death, which contains all songs written by Stephen Sondheim. She plays them on guitar and has reworked the tracks in a very interesting way. If you listen to the podcast, you will get samples of the tracks we discuss, if you watch the Youtube video you will see us laugh and smile. It is up to you. Please consider supporting Eleri at her website. Press Play below to listen or head out to iTunes and download.

Listen to more Sondheim podcasts. Matt Zoller Seitz and Scott Ryan talk about Sondheim’s passing.

Scott Ryan interviews author Alexandra Jacobs about her Elaine Stritch Biography.

Scott Ryan interviews Cyrille Amiee about her Sondheim Jazz CD.

Order Scott Ryan’s latest book: Moonlighting: An Oral History

Sondheim Podcast Tribute

Scott Ryan (The Sondheim Review, Moonlighting: An Oral History) interviews Matt Zoller Seitz (RogerEbert.com, Vulture) about the passing of Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim. They discuss how they each discovered the music of Sondheim, talk Company, and read a few lyrics from the man that wrote Sweeney Todd, Into The Woods, Sunday in the Park with George and lyrics for West Side Story.

The podcast begins with Scott Ryan explaining how Sondheim even influenced the theme song to The Red Room Podcast. Below are links to other times Scott has done podcasts about Sondheim.

Press Play below to listen or head out to iTunes and download.

Check out Matt’s Art Book Store and buy a Christmas Present.

Order Scott Ryan’s latest book: Moonlighting: An Oral History

Listen to the Cyrille Aimee interview about her Sondheim CD.

Listen to the interview with Alexandra Jacobs who wrote the Elaine Stritch Bio.

You can also watch us talk on Youtube.

200th Red Room Podcast

The Red Room turns 200 episodes old. Josh & Scott discuss the moment and then quickly get to their guest, Andrew Grevas, who runs 25YL and has an exciting announcement about that website and their future. After the announcement discussion, the three discuss The Many Saints of Newark, the new Soprano’s movie.

Press Play below to listen or head out to iTunes and download. Thanks so much for listening to 200 episodes for 11 years.

Order Scott Ryan’s latest book: Moonlighting: An Oral History

Order Josh Minton’s Latest book, An American Engages with This Is England.

Subscribe to The Blue Rose Magazine and get the upcoming Art Of Twin Peaks issue.

Podcast: The Flight Attendant

KJ Matthews and Scott Ryan interview Showrunner Steve Yockey (Supernatural) about his new series The Flight Attendant with Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory). The focus is on writing and this is another Clubhouse podcast where writers can ask Steve questions about writing and the series.

Press Play below to listen or head out to iTunes and download.

Order the book about publishing your own work, as discussed in this podcast.

Order Scott Ryan’s latest book: Moonlighting: An Oral History

Subscribe to The Blue Rose Magazine and get the upcoming Art Of Twin Peaks issue.

The Writers of Hacks on HBOMAX Clubhouse

Episode 195 of The Red Room Podcast is another Clubhouse appearance hosted by KJ Matthews and co-hosted by Scott Ryan. They welcome the writers from Hacks, Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, Jen Statsky. The series is nominated for 15 Emmys including best writing. That is our topic in the Writing For Life Room on Clubhouse.

Press Play below to listen or head out to iTunes and download.

Order Scott Ryan’s lates book: Moonlighting: An Oral History

Subscribe to The Blue Rose Magazine and get the upcoming Art Of Twin Peaks issue.