National Defense Radio Show Archives

Susan Morrison and Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live
We welcome editor from The New Yorker, author Susan Morrison, to the show to talk about her new book chronicling the life and work of Lorne Michaels: “Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live.” We can’t get enough of the retrospectives on SNL, and this book is one you’ll want to read!

“Chicago Fire’s” Hanako Greensmith on The National Defense
We welcome back Hanako Greensmith to the show to discuss the newest installments of the hit NBC series “Chicago Fire,” where she plays Violet Mikami. Randy and Hanako talk about the L.A. fires, first responders, and how important it is for production crews to “get it right” when depicting the actions of those who run towards the danger.

Actress Lauren Buglioli on The National Defense
We welcome actress Lauren Buglioli to the program to discuss the new release of a NEW day-time drama, “Beyond the Gates,” airing Monday through Friday on CBS. Lauren plays Vanessa McBride in “Beyond the Gates” and talks with Randy about the role of “stories” on TV, as well as her work with Vince Vaughn on “Bad Monkey.”

Giorgio Tsoukalos’ “Cosmic Roadshow”
We welcome Giorgio Tsoukalos, the driving force behind the “Ancient Aliens” hit series on The History Channel, to The National Defense. Giorgio and his crew are crisscrossing the United States with “Ancient Aliens Live,” where he and Randy talk about some of the bizarre experiences he and his crew have seen on the road.

Airrion Love of The Stylistics on The National Defense
We welcome an award-winning vocalist for the Stylistics, formerly of The Monarchs, Airrion Love. Airrion and Randy talk about his music career, what took so stinkin’ long to release another album, and much more.

Comedian George Wallace Returns to The National Defense
We welcome one of our favorite comedians to the show, George Wallace, to talk about his new T.V. series George is starring in: “Clean Slate.” George has partnered with actress Laverne Cox to put forward a great prodigal-son story that you can watch now on Amazon Prime Video.

Savannah Guthrie with “Mostly What God Does is Love You” (03/01/25)
We welcome back a great friend to the program, The Today Show’s Savannah Guthrie, to talk about the follow-up to her great book release last year: “Mostly What God Does.” The children’s book is entitled “Mostly What God Does is Love You” and Savannah and Randy talk about children’s books, and what makes hers special in this segment.

Actor Eric McCormack: Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue
We welcome actor Eric McCormack to the program to talk about his new MGM+ series: “Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue.” Eric fills us in on this interesting premise, what fans can expect, as well as looking back on his time on the hit series “Will & Grace.”

Actress Melissa Rauch on The National Defense
We welcome star of the smash-hit “Big Bang Theory,” actress Melissa Rauch to the program to talk about her time on the CBS comedy, and her transition to re-booting and STARRING in NBC’s revival of the incredible sitcom “Night Court.” Randy and Melissa talk about how she came to approach this endeavor, how she wasn’t initially planning on appearing on-camera, and how the buy-in from original cast members of the hit show have lent to the success of this great show.

Lonnie Ali Co-Founder of the Muhammed Ali Center
We welcome the wife of the late, great, Muhammed Ali, to discuss her life with “The Greatest of All Time” through the ups and downs of being a worldwide celebrity, dealing with a progressing case of Parkinson’s Disease, his relationship with Billy Crystal, and their new 2025 Compassion Report that the Muhammed Ali Center has undertaken to increase the number of everyday people taking part in random acts of kindness.

Benjamin Patton on The National Defense (03/01/25)
The grandson of General George S. Patton, Benjamin Patton, joins our show to talk about his late grandfather and General Patton’s legacy. From that legacy, the Pattons have established P.V.P., Patton Veterans Project, who use collaborative filmmaking as a therapeutic pathway for veterans coping with posttraumatic and other service-related stress to validate their service accomplishments, reduce social isolation, and strengthen family, community and professional bonds. Randy and Ben talk about the films from P.V.P. and much more in this great interview.

Surviving Black Hawk Down with Former Delta Force Operator Tom Satterly
We welcome former Delta Force Operator, Tom Satterly, to the show to talk about his role as a consultant and on-screen contributor to Netflix’s “Surviving Black Hawk Down.” Tom and Randy talk about his civilian life, his continual service to the veteran community, and then a look back at the infamous Black Hawk crash that took place decades ago, and is examined in this new three-part series.

Our Mission
To inform, entertain, and honor our active-duty military, veterans, and those who support them.
FOLLOW US ON: