Getting Naked: The Podcast - Warming Up Hot | Valerie Bertinelli | Hot in Cleveland

Episode Date: September 23, 2026

Valerie and Todd welcome legendary studio audience warm-up man Michael Burger — the guy behind the guy who kept the Hot in Cleveland crowd laughing for hours before a single scene ever aired. Michael pulls back the curtain on what warm-up work really involves, from his run on 8 Simple Rules with John Ritter to memories of Betty White's legendary ad-libs and the night Hot in Cleveland premiered to 5 million viewers. It's a warm, funny look behind the scenes from one of the kindest guys in the business. Stick around for this episode's Still Steamy segment, available exclusively to Valerie's Place members. This time it's a game — "Warm Up or Cool Down" — where Val has to guess which shows Michael actually worked, and he's got a story ready for every one she gets right.Learn more about Michael Burger at https://www.michaelburger.com/

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free of charge. BetMGEMGEMP operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming, Ontario. Okay. my business. I want the best tax and investment advice. I want to help my kids and I want to give back to the community. Ooh. Then, it's the vacation of a lifetime.

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at IDPrivatewealth.com. Can you be a maven? Can you be a game show Maven? Does that make sense? No. You can't be a maven. No. How about a Maverick? Maverick's better. Mavenan sounds female. Feminal. For Feminal. We learned in medical school today. Ladies and Dr. I went to in Grenada. Valerie. Yes dear. Hey there. Hi. And welcome back for another episode of Still Hot in Cleveland. I'm Todd Milliner. I was a part of the background for how I am we. He was our executive producer. Hi, I'm Valerie Bertnelli. You know me from. Well, it's Valerie's Place. That's why you know me. And we're sponsored by Valerie's place.

I think I say that later. And also, Mickelope Ultra. I will stop saying. You know what? No, I think at some point you're going to stop saying Mickalob Ultra when they actually become a sponsor. I think we should maybe say it for somebody that we want, like Fresh Pack. Before we get to today's show, we just like, what the fuck have I walked into?

We want to remind everyone to stick around for this still steamy segment. Yes. Val, can you remind the viewers at home? I can. Still Steamy is important for. all of Valerie's Place members. So $2 and up, if you are subscribed to Valerie's Place, you get to see Still Steamy. You get to see all of our podcasts before anybody else can see them. That means everybody else on YouTube and Spotify and Spotify and YouTube, don't get Still Steamy. Thank you.

You're welcome. Now in the immortal words of Jim Carrey, all righty then. Well, that was a Billy joke. Well, the Billy joke was I... I love when Billy sticks a joke in there. Well, let's get to the show. All righty then. All right, and Val and I have a very special guest. You know when you hear the phrase, the guy behind the guy, well, this is who you think of. This is super important. It's very important.

And we both wanted Michael so badly. He was on our list immediately. And then he emailed me out of the blue. I'm like, how did you know? But I know that you guys love that behind the scene stuff. So this is like the purest of pure behind the scenes that you're going to get. That's absolutely right. So he is not only the best warm up guy.

Yes. Because that's what we will talk about. No argument there. But he is also a super funny stand-up. A wonderful talk show host, corporate facilitator. He's a game show Maverick, I think people would say. Or Maven. He is the nicest guy in the business.

He will leave you laughing and crying for completely different reasons. Please welcome Michael Berger. We're not going to get into his personal life. I have never worked a wine cellar. I'm happy to be here. And with four people. Unbelievable. To the biggest audience.

That's all. I've worked smaller crowds, but I'm thrilled to be here. I've worked on shows that have been watched by fewer. Likewise. I'm thrilled to be here. I guess the first question I have for both of you is who canceled because I got to call up. We had the second best warm-up guy. Oh, no, no, that hurts.

I still think about this and we stay in touch and Valerie once passed me at Trader Joe's. Did I say hi? No. I do miss this and I miss those Friday nights. nights. I know. And I have stories about Val that. We're not going to go into that, though. No, great stuff on tape nights that we can get into that she did that no one else. No other actor did. Screw up their lines? No, no. Plenty of actors did that. So we have to start at what a warm-up guy actually does. What does a warm-up guy do?

The easiest way to put it is, I'm the guy that stands in front of an audience of 300 people and keeps them entertained for the five hours it takes to shoot 22 minutes. Yes. And a lot of people... It's true. Yeah, they think it's, oh, you come out and say hi. And then you turn it loose, but on a sitcom where you have maybe 15, 18 scenes, and you do each scene three or four or five times, depending on if people know their mind. Depending on if someone's having a mental block because of their... And then we reset and start again, and that goes on and on and on. And maybe they'll stop for another reason, right?

They want to tweet the script. Yes, yeah. Or get a different angle. Without interrupt, me too much, because I want you to speak freely. Is we always knew the show, like we would have shorter shows. maybe it would be two and a half, three hours, two and a half stretching it, three hours. But we knew we were getting into our fourth, fourth and a half hour when a specific bit of Michaels would come out. It's true.

Yes. Usually I would stand with the writers while you guys waited. And if Don't Worry Be Happy came on, it was always in the middle of a problem spot on the show. There were things I had set that would be my anchor points, my little casons to build this warm up foundation. And I'd look at the script and I saw pre-tapes, meaning we'd be. they'd shoot stuff in advance, it'd be a short show. And I actually didn't like that because I knew how much fun a long night would be, seriously.

Really? I always felt so bad for you when we had a long night. It was one of the few shows I came aboard where I hoped it would go long. You had an audience that came in that was so happy to be there. The only other show that came close to that was John Ritter's sitcom. Eight Simple Rules. I hadn't done a warm-up

in nine years. And someone called and said, do you want to do warm-up? And I said, you know, I've been on the air, right? We can get into this. of stepping back behind the camera when you think you should be in front, what happens when life throws you a curve? Mm-hmm. And they said, it's John Ritter, and I said, oh, I'll be there. John Ritter was basically what Betty White was for us.

Oh, yeah, yeah. And it worked the crowd, like you all did. And Valerie was one of the few actresses. First of all, you'd come out and you'd introduce everyone. You came out with the mic and said hi, every tape night, right? You were the point person. But you were so willing to play and engage with an audience. And some actors are so worried about, I don't know, being in their headspace and being on.

It's a comedy. You know, worried about their lines? Yeah. That wasn't sure. You never did. No. You didn't worry about those at all. I probably could have worried about those more.

She would take questions. You were so authentic. And the two things I would hear when I told people I worked on Hot in Cleveland were the following. Betty White, I love her. And if it was a guy, you know what they'd say. Uh-huh. What? I had a crush on her when I was little.

Yeah, yeah. The first time I met you was a warm-up on Cafe America. Yes, I remember. And I thought it was such a big get, because I'm the monkey in the audience trying to keep them entertained, and Valerie was standing there, and they were in between scenes. You're belittling your job and how important it is. Go on. And I don't like that.

Because, no, it is so important, because an audience needs to be primed and ready to laugh. And the audience comes in, they don't know what to expect. Most of them don't. A lot of them are regulars, but most of them don't know what to come in. And Michael is the key point of making, getting them ready to enjoy themselves and being so open about it. But there's plenty of warm up guys that I have been around that don't do it as well as you and the audience. And it shows in the audience and how willing they are to just be free to laugh and just make noise. Well, thank you.

It was false modesty. No, I like hearing that I did well. But it was also a show that facilitated that because everybody was willing to play. and my point was on that Cafe American I asked you a question and I thought maybe that was a big overreach because I'm the guy in the audience and you answered and we went back and forth and there was this little by-play

and it was like an interview with a celebrity and I thought well that's awfully nice of you to do that. I never forgot that and of course on Hot in Cleveland they were all willing everybody was willing to play and the audience was just hanging on for a moment where they connect and they did. Every break

was a chance for a show within a show. That's what I'm folded. And that's some of the funniest moments of Betty when she would just let loose. Well, let me give you Betty lines. First time I heard this, there was this long pause. Cameras are rolling. Betty looks up and goes, you know, if no one's saying anything, it's probably my turn. Yes. Yes. We would have the director, yeah, we have to go back. How far, the pilot? Yeah, also one of her classics. When did you realize hot in Cleveland had become something special. Oh, the first night. Yeah. Yeah. The numbers I was told that you tell me hot in

Cleveland the first live, the first production for TV land, right? They were rerun. Yes, yes. And so they would draw 500,000, I guess, on an average night. And that first episode was 5 million. Yeah. Yeah. And then you got a crowd that was so excited to come in, then you knew you're on to something special. Yeah. Yeah. I just didn't want to screw it up. You know, everybody was happy to be there. And, you know, if you're not good, you can lose them in 15, 20 minutes, maybe a half hour. True. And we never had an empty seat. I mean, we always, even when it was raiding, storming, we always had a full crowd.

Yeah. I used to make a joke about that saying we turned, I'd make up a number. We turned 75 away tonight. Actually, we didn't turn them away. They're on the other stage. If you're not good, we bring them. People felt special to be a part of that. I felt special to be a part of it.

Did you? Yeah. God, I just love that job. You kind of know, and you hear that, oh, we were such a family, and that's not always true. I've been on shows where I didn't want to be a part of a Dick Van Dyck sitcom. But this was not good. This was, not the old one. God, what is he, 100?

It was the one he came back with his son. Literally, he is 100. That's true. It's kind of interesting that you bring him up today because we're talking about an episode that Mary Tyler Moore is in. But before that, this was season. Four, the episode we're talking about today. Okay. Did you notice a difference when we got to these later seasons, season, season four, from

season one, just from an audience standpoint, from being an audience warm up, an audience master of ceremonies? Was there a difference? Not at all. It was great from the beginning, and that never wavered. You would get guest stars that would drop in that seemed like, you know, it was the hit list of every showbiz personality, right? I interviewed Stacey Keech after one episode, and he goes, that was on my bucket list.

I go what? He goes, meeting Betty. Oh. They all had this remarkable experience. They wanted to be a part of the show. You would know better than me. It was something people wanted to guest our own. We were pretty sure every time they said,

well, we'd like to get so-and-so. I'm like, first they're going to do it. They want to meet Betty. Everyone wants to work with Betty. Everybody wants to work with Betty. Well, and then the other three you aren't so bad, too. Listen, I'm not putting us down. I mean, I think the rest of us, yes.

I think together and individually, We've done really great terrific work, but it's Betty. And the time we had Betty, she was resurgent. She was, she was on her game. When I, I have a bag that Betty gave me when I worked on Golden Girls, and it's this leather, big, carrying bag that I kept in my closet for decades, and then when we had to bring our own bags for groceries, I would take that. And I, off, if Trader Joe's Whole Foods, and it says, Golden Girls empty and S, Witt Thomas,

and they go, that's a great bag. And I said, yeah, I got it from somebody you might know. And I say, Betty White, it can be an 18-year-old checker. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, did you enjoy working on Golden Girls? Oh, yeah, I filled in. I was, I had a name drop, but I was doing warm-up on Mr. Belvedere. Oh, please, stop.

No. He discovered me doing warm-up on dance fever. How does a career get better? You know, you know you're talking to yourself. Was I just doing it? Just to be cool. That was when Adrian Zamed was hosting, and he had a Vidal Sassu. They had like seven people with hairspray following around to keep the volume.

And on a break, Christopher Hewitt says, oh, dear, lad, you should come do our show. And that's how I went from doing warm-up on dance fever. And then because they were good to me, Mr. Belvedere, this show comes along called Golden Girls, and I let my buddy have it. And that show, of course, ran 10 years, and then I filled in. Did you enjoy it, though? great. Unbelievable. Before we get into today's episode, I do need to talk about

something very important to me. Throughout my life, I've had many a priest touch me. Oh, wow. Nobody touched me quite like Frank the priest. Tell us about playing Frank the priest on Hot in Cleveland. I get a lot.

I just need to find a rest stop to get off the freeway because it took so long to get to this exit of a question. Well, the show is nice enough to throw me a bone and let me be on camera to make insurance. Bob Heath would say, how close you? How are you? Eighty-seven? You want to do a walk-on? Sure. And I played, yeah, I played Frank the priest. Who were you marrying? I was marrying off joy.

Normally at this point in the ceremony, I ask if anyone present objects, but since there's no one here to object. I object. Who said that? I did. Joy. Bob, the sonogram she gave you. It's Brad Pitt's baby. You slept with Brad Pitt?

I never wanted to be an actor. I appreciated the spot. But over the years, these sitcoms have tossed me up. I'm Catholic, raised Catholic, still go to church every Sunday. So I think I was qualified to play that part. Well, I saw a priest. Are we tossing to a club? We will probably.

You had to know a church story. It's short. The other joke in here was... Well, that was right over me. And the other joke in here was, if we have a confession, we didn't remember that you were Frank the priest until we were told this morning. Okay, I'd get back to reading your notes.

Okay. When you leave the mothership, it gets pretty quiet. This episode is called Love is All Around. Oh, I don't remember that. Love is all around. And that was when we had the entire cast of Mary Tyler Moore, the ladies for Mary Tyler Moore, because we did get in trouble with it.

I remember the big table in the restaurant. Right. Yeah. Do you remember the scene where they show up in the restaurant and Mary Tyler Moore has the menu up? Oh, yeah. Visit BetMGM Casino and check out the newest exclusive. The Price is Right Fortune Pick.

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Free of charge. BetMGEM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming, Ontario. That gets chills, say it. Yeah. Were you floored by that? Oh, God, yes. And I was just, we all stood, we all stayed out there to watch the reaction from the audience because we all knew that they were going to see Mary Tyler Moore, but they didn't know.

And then the line was so perfect. That's our writers were just... It was explosive when they came up. Yeah. You could feel, we always used to say that the audience. was the fifth cast member because they were so important to the way we reacted. What we did on Thursday during camera blocking and run-throughs was totally different and more nuanced and exciting than what we did on Friday in front of the audience

because they gave us so much energy. I would have a little laundry list of things I'd say to the audience when they filed in and how important they were. Oh, without a doubt. And you stars make millions. You're not making anything. We would have some better at that, right? Where are the millions?

No, I said to the audience, you're getting nothing. But I said your part is so important. No, no, I mean, neither did the actors. It was basic cable. Let's not be better. I'm in a wine cave. Yeah, it worked out. This is one day to time, me.

I walked into Valerie's house and I got lost in the gift shop. So let's not be whining. All right, well, that's it to be episode, right? I don't know if I can go on, because this episode was very special in rewatch. It was so special. Was that like, were you floored by that? Oh, God, yes. And I was just, we all stood, we all stayed out there to watch the reaction of the audience.

because we all knew that they were going to see Mary Tyler Moore, but they didn't know. And then the line was so perfect. That's our writers were just... It was explosive when they were... Yeah. And that was right after Valerie Harper had revealed she was dealing with some illness. She had multiple... And then she recovered for a long time.

Yes. And but wasn't she... She was wonderful in re-watching this show. And so was Cloros Leachman. The timing of Flores Leachman. What's... What's... What's...

It's... And it really sucks. I know. Because they were all so... iconic and so brilliant at what they did. Look at us back together. Oh, let's see. Elker was the bombshell, I was the legs, Diane was the brains, and Mamie Sue was the dits.

No, you were the bombshell, Diane was the legs, and Mamie Sue was the dits. Oh no, I was the legs. Angie was the brains and Mamie Sue was the... Ditz. Well, the jokes on all of you, you're not any of those things anymore, but I'm still ditsy. I'm so glad we were able to have them all together.

Didn't Betty say that about the guest stars coming in? Because when you would do the birthday dates, they had to find somebody age appropriate. And they had to go younger and younger to find a match for Betty. The closest was Carl, Reiner, who was unbelievable, because they had a seed where they kissed.

The audience went nuts, and I had met Carl, so I felt comfortable saying this. I said, hey, Carl, right in front of the audience, you just kiss Betty, what was that like? And he goes, Michael was unbelievable. She has all of her own teeth and her original tongue. He said that. We didn't set this up. Oh. So each week I would be surrounded by these.

Quick wits. That's so cool. That brings me to who we want to talk about. Well, the first guest I want to talk about in this episode is George Hamilton. please. Do you remember when he walked in and do remember what that story was? Yes, I do. Well, he does and I do. Valerie was on the show. She doesn't quite, she's not, what role did you play? You were there? Were you under five or were you there all the time? I have to rewatch the episode. You know that we shot these over 11 years ago. Yes, seems fresh to me.

But then I'm shopping at Trader Joe, so I have some free time. George was Joy's poetry professor. Okay. And she wanted to go on a date with him. Because do you remember you were on a date with a plastic surgeon? You found out he was a plastic surgeon and he marked up your face with all the things... That's right. Melanie, you're a beautiful woman.

I wouldn't change a thing. Oh, you're very sweet. Yeah, but just for fun. If I was to come in for a consultation, is there anything you might make just a little teeny better? So that was your date. Betty's, Betty was with, well, Betty was with the girls of bowling. Joy wanted to date George Hamilton, but he was truly interested in Betty. It's just that, well, Elka's poetry is so profound.

You can see the light shining from her soul. That's the core sign flashing off her hair. But Betty does literally glow when there's even no lighting, like the light lights up when she's... lights up when she's up. She does. She's like your grandmother that you want to hug and people would come at her at the shows and and they'd say careful as cables you know you gotta remember she's 90 right yeah but everybody felt that was their grandma that was their mom yes yes but yeah the celebs were on that episode yeah George and George was in it and the Joy and Elka competition which lasted from the pilot yeah started through the finale did you notice why

do you think audiences loved watching Joy and Elka well he knew Betty would be so funny and so sharp. So Betty was Don Rickles waiting for the next jab. Yeah. And just when you think that Brit could say something cutting Betty would give one luck and then bury it. Yeah. Yeah. The thing about Betty in live sitcom television world, as you know this,

you ride that laughter of an audience. No one knew did it better than Betty. Correct. And you could go another beat. Yep. And Betty had three or four moves. There was a scene in the kitchen where her feet didn't touch and she was just way out of it. Right? Oh. And she was by herself

the corner and the director kept cutting back and it was another laugh and another laugh I don't know many actors that could pull that yeah and speaking of laughs yeah we we talk about your your date was the plastic surgeon who found 10 things and then after after you decided to end the date he said the 12 things and you said you said 10 and you said well that's when I thought we were still on a day that's true but I thought that was such a heart-acheing oh yeah point it storyline about how we need approval of other. Oh, yeah.

Yeah. I mean, we've all been through it, but did this resonate at all? Oh, absolutely. And they, Suzanne and the writers would always do things that really did resonate and were poignant and then throwing that curveball with the great laugh that goes into it because even during the shittiest times that have happened to me in the most challenging times, and I find a way to laugh about it. Otherwise, what are you going to do?

How close were you to crying in those moments where laughter and tears come and, you know, and and tears come as a package? No, I'm always, always leaning towards the laughter, because it's just, sometimes it's just so, like, being a woman is so ridiculous in this world anyway. Especially a 66-year-old woman when they expect you to look a certain way, but if you get plastic surgery, why are you changing yourself?

And if you haven't changed yourself, why do you look so old? It's like, why do you have wrinkles? Because I'm 66, but then why don't you take care of it? Because then I'll get judged for taking care of it. So it's just like, there's no win. win. So the whole, like, just being alive and enjoying my life is winning. That audience so many times would say, God, she's pretty. Oh. But this is where Melanie and I differed. Like, Melanie, because I do believe that as the writers got to know us, they would just do heightened versions of us and our quirks.

And I think they, they, they, Melanie was such a beautiful heightened version of me that I fell in love with her Well, just, maybe it's not heightened and maybe I'm just projecting. Maybe I'm hopeful. You know, just the perkiness. I was supposed to say you're perky, but she was. She was overly high, you know. It's like everything. She found a good reason for everything.

And I think I do too, but I also find moments where I'm sobbing in the corner. And so does Melanie. But I just, I loved that she was very vain in a way that allowed me. that allowed me not to be as they. Oh, that's interesting. That was an escape for you? I could escape through Melanie and try all those things and go, yeah, not for me.

Oh, you could try it on somewhat and see what if... Well, all the tight dresses that showed my boobs are just no, not in Valerie's wardrobe. I hate talking about himself in the third person, but no, this is not me. No, go on about the tight dress. Well, we talk about appearance. Do you remember Wendy's guest, or Wendy's date?

Wendy's date? It was Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Does this help? With the webbed hands. Yes. Oh my God. She always got the something with a physical thing. She always got something.

A tail. With a nose on the forehead. Oh, huh. My date is a plastic surgeon. Take a look at me right now. This is the worst I'm ever going to look. We should introduce him to my date. Who has webbed hands?

What? You mean like a frog? Oh, sure. Like a frog or a duck, a platypus. None of which would draw a comment if we were dining in a pond. When he took his hands off of her face and it made that popping sound, that suction sound. Show me more of that honesty. Deeper, darker, hurt me with it.

I'm selfish? Yes. And I'm vain? Yes. And I'm really freaked out by your webbed hands. Well, that's just mean. Turns out, the punch line to him was what? Like a tree frog. Well, he needed her to pay.

Right, because he goes, there's no money in independent films. Did you get me on a sitcom or something? Yeah, it's beautiful twist. And this checks on you, right? It's right. With the web hands. And of course, Wendy's.

Oh, that was the question. Do you think it might be a tie, but do you think that the audience was reacting more because this was riotous laughter during this scene? Do you think it's more because of the webbed hands from Jesse Tyler Ferguson or Wendy's? No. Wendy.

Endless reactions. She was so good at physical. Well, Jesse, obviously. Jesse Tyler is an amazing actor and an amazing comedian. But yes, because it was all in, and I think that's, again, something that you did in the audience,

that you primed the audience for, looking for the way our characters are going to react to this. But you help set that up, in this case, Wendy, because on the breaks, again, Wendy, how you doing? And she'd go back and forth, and I said, you were a model, right?

And she did this routine about being a supermodel that never ate, and that's why they looked angry. And she kind of broke this fourth wall talking about what models, and then she was so pretty and yet so clumsy. Yes, yes. That a lot of times these live audiences saw this other side, which set up the storyline. You got to know the real person playing against the character. Because I don't know when you, she also played Nina on Just Shoot Me, right?

And that was another, you know, not arrogant, but of themselves. And Wendy, as you know, is the, like, couldn't be. be further from that. She has horses and is just an earthy. Yes. She's the earthiest, sweetest, late down to her. And what does she do when she laughs hard? What does she do? Snorts her. Oh, yes, her snort. And that would be caught.

Yes, it's all over her episode, yeah. So that's the cast. And then we get to probably, I think, the biggest entrance, or, you know, one of the biggest reveals is when we see Mary and the gorgeous ladies of bowling. So when we had this

cast on stage, do you think the audience realized how special a night that was for them. Live in the room. Yeah, and it was well-kept secret. Yeah. Because I work on the show and didn't know. There was an explosion. I got the script and I was supposed to read it.

But at a certain point, I didn't need to. The only time I got caught, and I think it was on Ritter's episode, I used to do a bit about Flipper and I'd catch a ball on my nose, and it got a huge laugh. And for some reason, I never read the script. About three-quarters of the way, there's a flipper joke, and it explodes in the writer's go, that's a really good joke. No, I did a flipper routine. So I thought I should at least look at the script.

What that audience did when Mary revealed herself, we watched it last night, it exploded. The level was different, right? Oh my God. You didn't need mics. No, no. And there was a frailty to her in a bit of sadness going, what have we got left with her?

Right. And you were rooting for her. With all of them, we didn't even realize. Even Georgia left us not, you know? I mean, what a great episode for Georgia. Did you notice that how great she was in that episode? And she loved being there. The first time I watched her work and they yelled cut and then she kept talking and I went,

oh, that is her voice. Yes. She really is that. And she drove like a Toyota and was the most. We were talking about that yesterday. In a prairie dress. I mean, she was so true to what that character was. Toyota in a prairie dress is going to be my biography.

That's my off-broadway show. I don't think I'm a lead. What was it like introducing those ladies to the audience? Do you remember that? Well, at that moment, we did make the kids? Yes. Just introducing. Yeah.

Well, there was a specialness to introducing this cast every week. And then I would look and I had to make sure I could control myself there because these were icons. Yes. And the audience was so primed to stand there. You know, it was a gift. I was going to say my favorite scene, I think, in this, and you'll remember this, is whenever you guys would gather in the bathroom. You know, to talk about what hell are you visiting.

Yeah, yeah. You know, but everybody's in there. Yeah. By the way, I don't know if anybody... We had quite a few bathroom scenes. A lot of bathroom scenes. And then you're talking about your plastic surgeon date. You've been looking in the mirror.

You're each one upping each other. Yeah, yeah. My guy's got a tail! Yeah, right. Yeah. Because this must have been birth dates, like, way beyond. Because our birth dates, every year we would do one, and we always looked forward to that particular episode.

Yeah, and this was a birthday episode, yeah. And then that's when Betty and Georgia ended up going back out onto the patio to see that Mary and Valerie Harper are making up he was a putz hey I taught you that word yes you did you know now that I think about it he was a Puts you may have done me a favor you're welcome and I'm sorry oh maybe that's what all the tension was about Well, that explains the tension. Yeah.

Because we see them leading in. And it was this innocent that, I love you two. Why were we even fighting? Yeah. And then they take a few. And then the very last beat of that scene is the one where I thought about calling you last night saying, I'm sad, Valerie. But it was that pan up to the kitten in the window. Oh, my God.

Remember the little M-TM work? Yes. They had a little kitten in the window. Yeah. Yeah. So if you're going to watch that, call me. You may visit the wine cellar again. No, you know what?

I'm just like, now, this is where my grief goes. I go to anger. I'm, like, pissed off that we didn't get one more year out of this. On the very last episode, you came out and said something to that audience. What I said. You remember what it was? Uh-uh. Let's not be sad.

It happened. Right. Let's be grateful that it did. Yep. You were giving us the permission to end this show. It was a theater guiseal quote that helped me process the last 13 episodes because I found that when I was just like, I can't believe that they're not going to let us do another year of this and blah, blah, blah.

And, yeah. When eight simple rules went off the air after John Ritter died, they re-uped that show, but they brought in James Garner playing the dad. They took two months off, and I had to come out in front of that audience and introduce everybody and say, hey, let's do a sitcom. Nobody felt like laughing. I had 300 people in the audience, 100 on the floor, and we're not going to have John Ritter anymore. And they said, go up and say hi to one.

Oh, my gosh. Now, I had lost my dad when he was 65, and I had a comedy game three days later. Yeah, happened like that. And I thought, I can't do that. And then I also thought, I have not heard laughter in a month. Maybe this is what Dad wants. I'm a big believer that they want us. So I got out and did my act, if you could call it that, and I swear, I felt, yeah.

Yeah. And I said to that audience that night, you know, when we're laughing, not forgetting John, it's remembering him at his best. It felt like you had the room had a permission. You gave them permission. Yeah. And then the show, then we could laugh and we could heal. And I know John would have wanted that. Yes. Well, we got more with Michael, but that's going to come in the still steamy segment. Yeah. Oh, you've labeled your segments? Yes. What was this? Less steamy. This is where everybody gets to watch this. This is where everybody gets to watch this. If you are a member of Valerie's place, you get to watch it way before everybody else. Oh, they get to watch what you

just is. Yeah. And then Still Steamy is only for Valerie's place members. So for $2 and up, if you become a member, you will be able to see Still Steen. Oh, they're going to come back and then see more of us. Yes, stay tuned. Yes. And also, if you are one of those preferred members, you can call in and leave a voicemail. Yeah. And then maybe Valerie and I'll answer that question or respond to that statement on air. In fact, we look forward to it. Well, I'm sticking around for this. Do I have to pay to get into the... Yeah. No, we'll give you a family. I'm already two cents out on Paramount Plus. We're going to be back.

I have a really fun recipe for you today. You saw how easy that was. Look at all that flavor we packed into chicken breasts. I love the flavor of maple syrup, especially for these kind of muffins. I see all of your comments. I swear I do. You are wondering, where's my show?

This is so dang delicious. Smells divine. That's a jalapeno pauper. Oh my God. It's so good. Yes, I'm back, and I am cooking for all of you. All right, Sophie, what are we reheating today? Welcome to Nal Vowals cooking.

Guess what we're gonna make right now. We're alive, hi everybody. How are you? You have to go to Valerie's Place. That's where you can see our book group, this podcast. That's where you can go for all the cooking that you want to see. Oh, yes.

I've missed cooking for you. I'm glad I finally get to do it again. I'm dancing. That's how good it is. So head to Valerie's Place.com and go ahead and sign up. You guys are the original members, and I can't thank you enough. It's happy time.

Yeah.