In short
The Rich Eisen Show Hour 3 covers two main threads: NFL quarterback injury updates and NBA front-office turmoil, then pivots to in-studio entertainment.
Topic 1 (NFL)
Rich argues the Cincinnati Bengals’ problems are defensive and protection-related, regardless of QB performance. He focuses on Joe Burrow’s return: the Bengals opened Burrow’s 21-day practice window after surgery, and Burrow sounded determined to come back around Thanksgiving (Bengals at Ravens). Key claim: if Burrow returns, Cincinnati’s schedule could make a playoff push plausible, even if it’s still uncertain.
Topic 2 (NBA)
The show discusses the Mavericks firing GM Nico Harrison, blaming roster moves and fan backlash for the decision.
Notable examples
the Luka Doncic trade to the Lakers (for “way less” than expected) and injuries/declines affecting the team.
Guests (in-studio)
Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen, starring in Netflix’s A Man on the Inside (Season 2 premieres Nov 20). They discuss their characters’ themes, plus Celebrity True or False stories about Cheers, Elf/Step Brothers, and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VORecap and Guest Introduction
1:30 to 3:11
A recap of the previous show and introduction of guests Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen.
“From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles.”
Cincinnati Bengals and Joe Burrow's Return
3:11 to 9:19
Discussion about the Bengals' struggles and the potential return of Joe Burrow.
“No matter how that's coming up in about 18 minutes time.”
Dallas Mavericks: Management Changes
9:19 to 14:00
Analysis of the Mavericks' recent firing of GM Nico Harrison and team performance.
“Must-see TV or the original Must-see TV in the other room in our green room getting ready to come out with Mary Steenburgen.”
The Trade Debate: Luka Doncic's Future
14:00 to 18:03
Discussion on the implications of trading Luka Doncic and the management decisions surrounding it.
“Okay, Patrick Dumont had to say, go ahead and trade him.”
Introducing Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen
18:58 to 20:41
Rich Eisen introduces the guests and discusses their new show.
“Fast funds terms apply at SoFi.com slash debt play.”
Exploring A Man on the Inside
20:41 to 22:29
Ted and Mary discuss their roles in A Man on the Inside and the show's themes.
“Whose idea was it for you to join the cast this year?”
Celebrity True or False Game
22:29 to 27:35
The guests participate in a fun game of celebrity trivia and anecdotes about their careers.
“And it's interesting, the first episode, the first scene of the first episode, Ted, you're a young man toasting your wife at a wedding, and it's shot like it's on a VHS tape.”
Ted Danson's Audition for Cheers
27:35 to 28:00
Ted recalls his audition process for Cheers and his experience with Shelly Long.
“True or false, you auditioned for your role of Sam Malone in Cheers with Shelly Long, but had no idea you'd gotten the role when you left at all.”
Behind the Scenes of Cheers
28:00 to 30:00
Explore the early days of the iconic show Cheers and the experiences of its cast.
“i i do believe that's one of the big reasons i got the part but you had no idea when you left that you had gotten the role?”
Memorable Moments with Will Ferrell
30:00 to 32:00
Mary Steenburgen shares anecdotes about working with Will Ferrell on Elf.
“As a matter of fact, I do believe I have a question for you on that front coming up later in the celebrity true or false.”
Show all 15 chapters
Funny Pranks and Celebrity Antics
32:00 to 35:00
Ted Danson recounts humorous stories involving Leslie Nielsen and pranks on planes.
“That's the one biggest question is, did you really eat that spaghetti with maple syrup?”
The Making of Step Brothers
35:00 to 39:00
Mary and Ted discuss their experiences filming Step Brothers and the humor behind the scenes.
“And then we hit the tail end of bad weather coming up out of Mexico.”
The Making of Step Brothers
40:15 to 41:20
Mary and Ted discuss their experiences filming Step Brothers and the humor behind the scenes.
“But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Grainger has your back.”
Celebrity True or False Game
41:35 to 42:00
Engaging game segment with Mary and Ted revealing fun facts about their careers.
“Yes, we talked earlier about Mary barely getting through a scene on Step Brothers without ruining him by laughing.”
Behind the Scenes of Curb Your Enthusiasm
42:00 to 46:50
Explore the real-life experiences of Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen on Curb Your Enthusiasm.
“Well, I guess that's my last true or false for Celebrity True or False for both of you.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Are all batteries the same? That's like asking if all soccer players are the same. Take Messi, the most decorated player ever. Is there any other player who has achieved that? No, just him. Now take Duracell. Is there any other battery with Power Boost ingredients inside? No, just Duracell. Remember, goats only trust goats because they're built different. And Messi only trusts Duracell.
0:30Rich Eisen:And we're live from the living room as Doug eyes up the matchday spread. He's reaching for the Buffalo wing. Perfect. Hang on, what's this? Oh, he's going for a can of Pepsi too. Incredible. What a finish. Sensational combination. Look at the delight on his face. There's no doubt about it. It just tastes better. Matchdays deserve Pepsi. Food deserves Pepsi. Grab a pack of Pepsi Zero Sugar for today's match. It's poetry in motion. This is The Rich Eisen Show. Hey, everybody. Can't get enough of The Rich Eisen Show? You're in luck. You can find us everywhere. Watch us weekdays on Disney Plus from noon to 3 Eastern.
1:13Miss the show? We've got a podcast so you can listen anytime. But here's the best part. Our YouTube channel. Subscribe at youtube.com slash richeisenshow and you'll never miss a moment. Now, on with the show. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Let me break it down for you again. The Rich Eisen Show. Devontae Smith. Smith got it. From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. You hold good football teams to 10 points, you should win the football game. Earlier on the show, Chargers wide receiver, Ladd McConkie. Three-time Super Bowl champion, Mark Schleren. Coming up, actors Ted Danson and Mary Steenbergen.
1:56And now, Rich Eisen.
2:01Rich Eisen:hour number three of the rich eisen show is on the air first two hours been a lot of fun lad mcconkey of the chargers mark slareth of fox sports overreaction monday on a tuesday your phone calls reacting to the monday night game that's the first two hours of the show if you missed any of it there's the disney plus page every single time the show is over you can watch all three hours back whenever you want there's also our youtube channel youtube.com slash rich eyes and show to watch some clips there's a podcast all three hours um we say hello to everybody watching on the espn app live right now as well as listening to us terrestrial radio coast to coast on espn radio presented by progressive insurance we're also live on sirius xm channel 80 i just had a delightful chat with the delightful uh couples uh guests that we got coming up next mary steenburgen and ted danson uh in support of season two of a man on the inside premiering exclusively on Netflix on November 20th.
2:57Rich Eisen:You can catch up on season one on Netflix as well. This is going to be fun. Celebrity true or false. We've got some questions for Mary about stepbrothers at the very least. I'm very excited about that. And again, there's you at 844-204-RICH. No matter how that's coming up in about 18 minutes time. So last we checked in on the Cincinnati Bengals. A guy named Joe was quarterbacking. His name was Flacco. And they lost to the New York Jets, giving the Jets their first win of the season. And when I say giving, that was part of it. Jets earned it, but the Bengals gave it away. And they go off on their bye.
3:43Rich Eisen:And they're coming out of their bye at 3-6. And the bottom line is this. They can't play defense. nor do sometimes they have the ability to protect any quarterback named joe or jake and under the construct of the way things are working if you can't play defense and it doesn't matter how many points your quarterback named joe puts up and if you have trouble protecting that guy named joe and there's one guy named joe who's a you know 40 year old who might just be a one and done with your team most likely, or you got a Joe who you were paying a gajillion dollars to, to the point where if you're the owner of the Bengals, you take your dad's name off the stadium and you put pay cores on it.
4:32Rich Eisen:Cause you got to pay Joe. Why do you bring them back? Why? Because it's the national football league and you want to win football games. Number one, number two, to quote the great Jim Morris senior, the season is not over as he once upon a time famously said about a saint season about nine years ago and we are very upset when people are like why keep playing when you're one and four because the season is not over season is not over and i understand as well there's another jim mora line about making the playoffs that would maybe be appropriate for this as well but you don't have to find that like playoffs oh you found it and you're coming off of your bye and you're visiting Pittsburgh, PA where the Steelers right now are reeling after this is again why I'm like Matt LaFleur hot seat, alright just wait a week cause two games ago the Steelers were the what's the phrase that Bruce Dickinson once said on Saturday Night Live, cock of the walk cock of the walk baby you know what I mean?
5:43Rich Eisen:The Bruce Dickinson. The Bruce Dickinson puts his pants on one leg at a time, except when he does it, he may go play the records. Got to have more cowbell, baby. I don't even know what that means. I've got a fever. Just wait a minute, and it'll change. Because the Steelers are now down in the dumps, and if Flacco wins this game, they're 4-6, and things are looking up, especially because guess who had his 21-day window for being able to practice and being able to be activated, opened up yesterday. That would be one Joe Burrow, who took to the podium. This is how I know he's coming back, guys. I mean, number one, they open his practice window now.
6:26Rich Eisen:Number two, because Glazer says it's going to happen. And number three, they made him available to speak to the media. and he 1 ,000 % came across as a guy who doesn't like what's been happening, 1 ,000 ,000 % wants to fix it, and is 1 ,000 ,000 ,000 % coming back for Thanksgiving, which is nuts. That is nuts. Because everybody was looking at week 14, not week 13, and he's coming back to go to Baltimore, and stop the Ravens from taking this division, as everybody's expecting to happen. He's coming back to make sure none of that happens and the Bengals are going to make the playoffs. This is exactly what I got when I watched him at the podium.
7:18Yeah, we'll see how these next couple weeks go. There's a lot that goes into it. Like you said, there's a lot of variables that you have to consider. And we're just going to see how these next couple weeks go, see how it feels. Let's say the team does do well.
7:32Rich Eisen:Is there a timeline of what you feel like as soon as you would be available? We have 21 days to figure that out. Could be early, could be late in that window. We're still pretty early post-surgery for this injury, so we have a couple weeks of practice to figure that out and see where it goes. He's coming back. Oh, he's playing. There's one point in the press conference where he was saying, what about Thanksgiving? and he paused and he goes, we'll see.
8:08Rich Eisen:We'll see. I have missed Joe Burrow this football season. Me too. So have the Bengals. So have Cincinnati. So has all of us. So has anybody who obviously had him in their fantasy league. You better send those refunds. One of the greatest lines. He's one. I mean, Thanksgiving night, Bengals at Ravens. And if the Bengals can beat the Pittsburgh Steelers and sweep them, that would be beyond massive. And then after that, home for New England, two big games that are absolutely difficult for them to win. And then here comes Thanksgiving. And if he comes back for Thanksgiving, and then it's at Buffalo and home for Baltimore, Even if they split these games and they're 4-7 going into that, Burrow playing these games and those last three at Miami, home for Arizona, home for Cleveland.
9:10Rich Eisen:Kind of looks good. But playoffs, I don't know. That's where you're kind of like Jim Moore there. But the season is not over. That was my sense of Joe Burrow. Good luck. I want to see him. You know who wants to see him? and BC. Oh, yeah. Okay. Say it with Ted Danson. Yep. Mr. Must-see TV or the original Must-see TV in the other room in our green room getting ready to come out with Mary Steenburgen. It's going to be a great conversation. You know, coming into this National Basketball Association season of 2025 through 2026, you could guess, right? is anybody's guess. West is better than the East.
9:58Rich Eisen:That's kind of a given, right? Kind of a given. Victor Wembonyama, must see. Got to see him coming in. He's an alien. Right, right, right, right. But I think if I had told you coming into the season, the least surprising headline would be the Mavericks fire Nico Harrison as their general manager. what took so long well what took so long he was the fall guy is they needed to see I guess a little bit of what this season would look like and then it didn't help that Anthony Davis his best ability still isn't and we knew Kyrie wasn't coming back until later in the season? The fact that Klay Thompson has just been falling off a cliff?
10:55He's in love right now.
10:58Rich Eisen:And then you just knew when Lucas showed up, like somebody who's twice his age in Los Angeles with a new lease on life. New lease on life. Lisa on life. Showing up all skinny, you know? dating someone younger. Is he? I'm just saying the Lakers are someone new and younger for him than the Mavericks are. And he has just been absolutely balling out. And it appears anybody who knows and watches Mavericks basketball and the early throws and has been at these games, it's a constant drumbeat from the fan base. And apparently the owner has been constantly battling. with fans who come up to him and basically say, what the hell did you do?
11:57Rich Eisen:And the fans wanted a scalp. And as you know, Jed York once famously said in charge of the 49ers, I'm the owner can't fire me. Sounds like Jerry Jones. You know, honestly, you can't fire the owner and the owner had to basically, I imagine Nico Harrison did not go rogue and just trade Luca out from under the ownership's nose. The owner basically had to say, we're not paying Luca the supermax. We don't believe in his long-term viability here, whether it's his training or his opinion of the roster, or it's his work ethic or blah, blah, blah. Get him out of here. And it's going to be the ultimate pocket listing.
12:46you know,
12:47Rich Eisen:selling sunset. Speaking of people who live here in Los Angeles and might look younger than they really are. Listen, Hey, so rich, you're saying that the owner didn't just wake up in the middle of the night like most people like me and O'Shea and then find out that Luca was traded. That's right. That's right. And then you, you have Dirk Nowitzki and his new lease. on life as a pundit for Amazon. Just telling it like it is. Not for long. He's about to be the GM. You think so? I've seen that name thrown out already. You really think so? Could be the coach. Because that would be a way, what, to tell Mavericks fans there's a guy from where we're with a statue on the front?
13:32Rich Eisen:That would be a way to cool the temperature. Would it? It sure would, yeah. Because you trust in his ability to build a team? The most beloved player in franchise history. A statue outside. Yeah, that's a way to calm things down. A little bit. Because the season's off to not a great start, although Cooper Flagg looks really good. You're just kind of waiting to get healthy and maybe see what this team can do. I mean... Bring back your beloved son? Somebody had to order the code red on Luka. That's why I call him the fall guy. He didn't make that call. Well, he may not have made the call. Okay, Patrick Dumont had to say, go ahead and trade him.
14:09Rich Eisen:Someone had to start the conversation. But I understand that. It's not as much the fact that he was traded that needs to land on Nico's lap. It's the matter in which the conversation was endeavored. I know you want to keep it under wraps, but how do you not basically flat out say, if it's time to trade Luka Doncic, why are you keeping it a secret to everybody? because you know it's going to create such a massive seismic event in your fan base and in your town that you might as well just open it up to everybody and deal with the the lengthy what week-long period that it would take to trade him two week-long period it would take to trade him three week long period if you want to even go that way survive that drum beat from the fan base going what are you doing and open it up and get a massive massive haul for him massive more than what you got that's the problem you didn't get that much in return because you decided to keep it quiet because if you're not going to pay him if you've made the decision he's no longer our guy then you just go for it but instead no it's just like we've decided he's no longer our guy we're just going to call the Lakers and we're going to send him to the Lakers of all teams man for way less than what Desmond Bain would get oh my gosh what did Bain get I'm just saying way less than what what Bridges would get you know what I mean like that's the problem of course it didn't help that davis got hurt and then kairi blew his knee out but even cooper flag landing in the lap that doesn't get ascribed to the general manager just for being lucky but it's unlucky the other stuff that happened and part of that comes from the residue of his design and how to trade luca like i think that's the ultimate that gets laid at his feet.
16:26Rich Eisen:Did the owner tell him this is the manner in which you're going to do it? Okay, we've decided to trade Luka. You must keep it quiet and you must only involve one team and that team must be the Lakers. Really? That's the weird part about it. From the beginning.
16:45Rich Eisen:But it doesn't help that Luka keeps balling out and he's winning without LeBron. Luka's averaging 37 9 and 9. Is that good? Yeah. It's not bad. 37, 9 and 9. When he showed up like that on the cover of Men's Health, you knew it was coming. And then you knew that this would eventually be a headline this year. Nico Harrison no longer in the employ of the Dallas Mavericks because at the end of the day, it's on him. And in terms of the analogy about whether you can fire the owner or not, in that very town. Your fans were upset that Micah got traded, young guy, to a different spot, also to a spotlight of all teams, the Green Bay Packers, right?
17:32Rich Eisen:Micah. The problem is, is the general manager's not going to get fired there. Yeah. Because he's also the owner. That part. And a client. I don't know why I went all size-sperling on you there, but that's the update there. ESPN Radio is presented by Progressive Insurance. They make the claims process easy, so you can get back on the road in no time. It's why over 43 million drivers trust Progressive. See for yourself at Progressive.com. Okay, let's bring them out from our green room. A Man on the Inside, season two coming up on Netflix on November 20th. And the two stars, among many of others from that show, Ted Danson and Mary Steenberg.
18:17Rich Eisen:Coming up next, some great celebrity true or falses on the way. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast.
18:31Rich Eisen:Rich Eisen here with some advice. If high-interest credit card debt is grinding you down, it might be time to call an audible with a SoFi personal loan. It consolidates your debt into one low monthly payment with no fees required. And with as soon as the same day funding, you can make the right play fast. Call an audible on your debt today at SoFi.com slash debt play. Loans originated by SoFi Bank N.A., member FDIC, terms and conditions apply. NMLS 696891. Fast funds terms apply at SoFi.com slash debt play. Rich Eisen here. You can always tell when something big is happening in a city. I know what it's like when I'm traveling for big games and events.
19:09Rich Eisen:I remember being in Pittsburgh earlier this year and experiencing the beautiful architecture and passion those fans have for their home teams. That was so infectious. Now it was a great trip, but you know what it's like dealing with the travel. The airport is packed, hotels are booked up, restaurants all busy. And when you have that kind of influx of visitors in your city, a lot of them are searching for a place that feels a little bit more like home during their trip. That's why this can be a smart time to think about listing your own space on Airbnb. If you've got plans to be away this summer, consider listing your space on Airbnb while you're gone and earn some extra cash.
19:46Rich Eisen:It's simple. You're already traveling so your place doesn't just sit empty while your city is busy. And from my experience on the road, having a comfortable home base can change the whole experience of a trip. So whether it's a big sports weekend, a concert series, or a major event coming to your area, this could be the right time to list your space on Airbnb. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com slash host. Save money on your next oil change with O 'Reilly Auto Parts. Get a$15 O 'Reilly gift card after rebate when you buy five quarts of Mobile One full synthetic motor oil for just$35.95.
20:24Rich Eisen:Stop by your local O 'Reilly Auto Parts. We just saw a clip of A Man on the Inside. The second season is premiering on Netflix on November 20th. The first season, catch up on it right now. Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen here on The Rich and show. Whose idea was it for you to join the cast this year? Mary? I don't know. Probably Mike and Morgan. And they wrote a character that everybody describes as pretty wacky and eccentric and then as soon as I turn my back they go, it's exactly like her. And I'm like, really? I think I'm acting. Okay, yes. You have an Oscar at home. Yeah, that's not me. I'm I'm I'm one of the descriptions is I tell my friend that she is I, you know, take a vote across the street.
21:24I wait for the signal and she does cartwheels right into the middle of traffic. That's kind of her character. Yeah. And a little bit like my wife. Nice.
21:33Rich Eisen:So that worked out. Did you drive? Did your agent drive a hard bargain or you just said yes right away? I think it was pretty obvious I wanted to do it. And it was just every day was funny. The scripts are so funny, but also, like you say, it's so touching. And it's about such deep things. And in his case, you have a second chance at our age. Right. Because you play a widower trying to find a place in the world without your wife. Yeah, and is that all over for you? And do you dare? And then the fact that somebody new is so different than the life you've created. And would they fit in with your kids?
22:18And, you know, people deal with this stuff. But a lot of times we're so focused on writing just the young stories of life. And there is that in there, too. But, like, they neglect some of the things that happen to you as you get older.
22:34Rich Eisen:And it's beautiful. It really is a beautiful show. And it's interesting, the first episode, the first scene of the first episode, Ted, you're a young man toasting your wife at a wedding, and it's shot like it's on a VHS tape. And it looked like you from Body Heat. You know, like that. Was that like a... Part makeup, part wig, part CG. They went all in so that it was supposedly, oh, that my baggage as an actor comes in handy sometimes because people know that image of me from Cheers or that period. And then to cut, dissolve into this Ted is a real, you get to experience a passage of time viscerally.
23:23Rich Eisen:Right, especially since then they pull out and then you're in bed by yourself. obviously the other side of the bed is unmade and it gave us an idea of what your character's journey was about to be it's a great show and everybody again should check it out a man on the inside premieres november 20th in terms of a second season exclusively on netflix catch up on season one whatever you wish uh on netflix um there's so many things i want to talk to you guys about because you've been in so many amazing movies and television shows um and the way that we normally cover all the ground is through a segment called celebrity true or false we've Okay, good.
23:56Rich Eisen:Good to know. I've got two for each of you and then one collectively for you. And some of them, we might go a little bit off script, if you will, right there. This has just become a competition, by the way. Okay, very good. We are very competitive. I had no idea. This is the first ever competitive version of Celebrity True or False. Hit it, please. Celebrity True or False. You can't handle the truth. All right, that's our production value right there. And interestingly enough, though, I will go off script right here because I just heard Jack Nicholson's voice. Is it true you got your first ever role in the movies, Mary, by running into Jack Nicholson on a on a on a movie lot?
24:38Rich Eisen:And he ran into you and wanted you to be in going south. Is that a true story for your career? Partly true. OK. My I don't think I'd be sitting here without him. So I don't. But I was in a comedy improv show at the Manhattan Theater Club. Chris Guest, who directed some of my - Waiting for Goffman and all. Waiting for Goffman, Best in Show. His mother was a casting director. She and a woman named Mary Buck saw me in that comedy improv show and sent me to this big casting director who's casting a lot of movies, she said, I would love to have you in for this movie called Go and South, but it's mostly going to be models or well-known actresses, and you don't really fit into that category.
25:34And so I was almost out the door, and I turned around and said, I'm just going to go sit out there and give you a chance to think about that for a minute in case you want me to read. And this was so not me. This was like somebody telling me what to do from up there because I had never been that pushy. And so I went out and sat down and I went, why were you so pushy? That's the most important person you've ever met in the almost seven years you've been a waitress in New York studying acting and acting for no money. Go apologize. And then while I'm composing my apology, I see two feet and a voice says, are you waiting to see me?
26:17And I think, that sounded like Jack Nicholson, who as far as I knew was in Los Angeles. And I said, no. And he goes, why not? And I said, I look up and indeed it is he. And I said, because I don't have a script. He got a script, handed it to me, said, you have 10 minutes tomorrow. I came back. No kidding. Yeah, I came back. I started reading. he started canceling appointments or rearranging things. I kept standing up saying, thank you. And he goes, no, no, let's read one more. His pizza came. I stood up to leave. He goes, sit down, eat the pizza, keep reading. We read the entire thing twice. And somehow I got to go to Hollywood for a screen test.
27:10And somehow by a miracle, even though all the other testing people were huge stars, I got it.
Read the full transcript
27:17Rich Eisen:Wow. Yeah. Did he have nice shoes? Yes, he had nice shoes. He had Jack Nicholson shoes? Yeah, he was, you know, he was my mentor, and he couldn't have been a better guy to me. He was great. About that. Okay, I'm glad I asked. All right, first one for you, Ted. True or false, you auditioned for your role of Sam Malone in Cheers with Shelly Long, but had no idea you'd gotten the role when you left at all. yeah that was a big process we we there were three couples that got paired up three sam malones three diane chambers and i got paired up thank god with shelly because shelly was i think of all the cast members she was the one that came out of the shoot just spot on so yeah i got to audition with her and i i do believe that's one of the big reasons i got the part but you had no idea when you left that you had gotten the role?
28:12No, you didn't. You waited for two or three weeks while they made up their money. No kidding.
28:18Rich Eisen:Do you remember who the other Sam and Dianes were? Yeah, a tight end from the Rams. Was it Fred Dreyer? Fred, very good, yeah. And I think Julie Duffy. Wow, Fred Dreyer. You were going up against a tight end from the Los Angeles Rams? Yeah, because that's what he was going to be, a tight end. And then when I got up, they went, maybe a picture maybe an alcoholic relief picture they looked at you you're a more alcoholic relief pitcher than Los Angeles Ramstein wow no kidding and is it true that down the road that you and Shelly Long they had you shoot an actual scene where your characters got married in front of a live studio audience to hide the fact she was leaving the show is that a true aspect of it I think we did do several versions.
29:10I don't remember if we actually got married in one of them. But there were, it wasn't just a fully audience or whatever. It was also, they didn't quite know where they wanted to go with it, I think.
29:20Rich Eisen:What was it like being on that set when it was just beginning to just take off and must-see television on, must-see TV on NBC? I don't think any of us had done TV or not many of us had done TV before or anything before. So I think we were spoiled. We just thought, oh, this is what happens when you do television. It was very rock and roll. You were hired to play an idiot in a bar surrounded by other idiots. And you were kind of in that idiot period of your life. So it's just a dream come true. Yeah, and just look at that photograph that's right there. Obviously, that was... You spoke to Woody Harrelson, our biggest idiot.
29:58Rich Eisen:Yes, indeed. Yeah. Yes, indeed. As a matter of fact, I do believe I have a question for you on that front coming up later in the celebrity true or false. Next up, true or false, Mary. Yeah. You had never seen Will Ferrell in his elf costume or even seen a mock-up of it until the day he walked onto the set to film the syrup on spaghetti scene. That is absolutely true. And it is also true that, well, I have a giggling problem. I get very tickled and I have a lot of trouble reining it in. And that day, it was just, brutal. Because we're all used to that image now. We've all seen it. You would even know it in silhouette.
30:41But I just couldn't get over it. It was so brilliant. He was so funny. He was just... I loved every second of it. And then a few months after we wrapped, because we really had a great time together, he called and he said, you played my stepmom in Elf. Would you be would it offend you if I asked you to play my actual mom in a movie called Step Brothers? And I said, let me look up how much our age difference is. So I did. And I'm like, well, I would have had to have had you at 11. But I would be offended if you ask anyone else. I will definitely play your mom again. So there's some follow-up questions.
31:29Rich Eisen:Yes, and we've got a Step Brothers one later on in the segment here as well. But two follow-up questions on that. First of all, did you know he was going to pour syrup on the spaghetti or that was completely ad-libbed? Did you know that was coming when he walks in in his elf costume? Was that just totally off the cuff? I don't think I did know. And then it got passed around, so we all ended up eating it. So I have tasted that. Which isn't bad, you said. It's not. I mean, I've tasted worse in my life. And it's also great because kids always ask me. That's the one biggest question is, did you really eat that spaghetti with maple syrup?
32:07Rich Eisen:So the answer is yes, you did. Yes, yes. With James Caan? Yes, I don't know if James actually chowed down on it, but I had some. All right, so then the second follow-up question is, you were more offended by the potential age difference than the subject matter of Step Brothers? Is that what you're saying to me? I love, no, Step Brothers is my kind of, people think I'm a certain way or whatever, but I, you know, I've been surrounded by men in my life by, you know, all their grossness and like all their. She's trying not to say fart humor. Yeah, all of that is totally what makes me laugh. It's interesting, Ted, you mentioned that because I do have a celebrity true or false for you.
32:53Rich Eisen:We're going to go from the back pocket right here. Ted Danson, celebrity, true or false? True or false? Ted, you and Leslie Nielsen got kicked off of planes and once asked to leave a restaurant because of Leslie Nielsen's famous fart machine. True. The plane part, true. I didn't know that. That's amazing. It was back when they would say to celebrities, you want to board first? Yes. Leslie said yes. We were in the first seats as people came through. Every third person, he would do this little handheld. It was a handheld little bellows thing that he could have in his hand and control it and do all sorts of different things.
33:34Every third person, and it offended. And they came and asked him, Mr. Neal, please stop. Please stop. He wouldn't. Literally, he would not stop. What were you doing on a plane with Leslie Nielsen? Do you remember the circumstances? He was coaching me how to use theater.
33:52Rich Eisen:So they were offended by him with the prank, not because they thought he was actually letting off. Yeah, because the people were it made them think that the person behind them in line thought it might have been them. So it was it put people on the spot. Oh, how wonderful.
34:13Rich Eisen:You had no idea. This is news. I did. I didn't know that. But I worked with Dudley Moore, and he was very fond of that thing. Oh, he did it too? Yeah. Dudley Moore did it too? Oh, totally. Oh, totally. Oh, my God. All right. So then here's another one. Ted, you once played hooky from taping Cheers to go on John Ratzenberger's new boat and got caught in weather sailing to Catalina with Woody Harrelson. I think you better tell the whole story. Yes, and we had a little buzz going even before we got on the boat. That's odd with Woody. I couldn't have picked that up. No, it was like, it was hooky. It was a free pass.
34:50You could do anything. You're on a boat. And he said, have you ever had mushrooms? And I said, no. And I thought, whoa, this is the day to do it. But we hadn't had breakfast, so part of me was hungry. So way more than should have. And then we hit the tail end of bad weather coming up out of Mexico. And it was one of these kind of moments. And who was on the boat? John Ratzenberg, George Wendt, Kelsey. Kelsey was asleep down below. Yes. And me and Woody. So like most of Cheers was on this boat. Everybody except Rhea and Shelly. Rhea was pissed. She was pissed about not getting invited? Left out, yeah.
35:31Rich Eisen:Even after she found out there was some bad weather and everything like that? Yeah, I don't think it was. It wasn't horrible weather. It was just very rolly, pitchy kind of thing. Okay. All right. I did. I didn't. I've never heard that story before. Okay. And so that actually, that actually went down. Okay. Speaking of Catalina and wine mixers, let's get into this right here, Mary. And it's kind of dovetails into what I asked before and what you said before. True or false. In Step Brothers, they had to use a shot of you laughing during the sleepwalking scene because there were no takes of you not laughing.
36:06That is correct. I asked him when I saw the movie, I asked Adam McKay, why did you use the take where you can see I'm starting to laugh? He goes, Mary, there are no takes without you laughing. There's nothing. We dug in there and tried to find one. Just look at that right there. It just makes you laugh to begin with. It was amazing. And Richard Jenkins, who was really my partner in crime, because it was our job to sort of sell that these two idiots had parents that, you know, had them live with them. And Richard was just magnificent in that part. He was so much fun.
36:49Rich Eisen:Yeah, we had Richard on this show a few years ago. And he said that Adam McKay came up to him before the Catalina wine mixer moment. and say, just tell him about Find Your Inner Dinosaur. Yes. And he did it, thinking there's no way this is making the movie. Yes. And it made the movie. It totally made the movie. It was wonderful. Did you have a moment like that with you? Well, I mean, I was watching his hands go up into this little Tyrannosaurus Rex. Right. But they would shout to you to say the filthiest things. Yeah, they love it. Because they thought it would be funny. Well, Adam McKay, who laughed so loudly during every take that they kept moving him farther and farther away from the set.
37:36Rich Eisen:Because he was blowing the takes? Yeah, he was like messing with their sound. But he was so far away, they finally had to give him like a bullhorn to scream instructions. And all my instructions were just to say more and more obscene things. And there was like a whole group of people. This is a scene out in the front yard when they're fighting. And I won't say on Disney what I said, but it was all obscenity, which then you'd hear Adam McKay roaring laughing from like half a block away. It was a crazy experience, but it was one of the most fun times of my life. I was about to say, what was the crazier scene, the sleepwalk?
38:25Rich Eisen:The dinner scene. The dinner scene where the screaming and the yelling, you know, and Adam Scott basically saying he made of Ruben the story and the evening. You know, it's classic. The whole thing is an absolute classic. And I just found myself watching it with age-inappropriate young kids of mine. And I thought to myself, what am I doing right now? Why am I doing this? Yes. Well, I can tell you you're not alone. It's crazy. People don't watch it two or three times. When you ask them, it'll be, oh, we watched it every year. I've seen it 47 times. Or, yes, and I've watched it with my six-year-old.
39:08And I'm like, really? That's embarrassing. It's not good.
39:12Rich Eisen:Yeah. But it's great. It's outstanding. Terrific. All right. I've got one more for you, but I need to take a break. And if you don't mind, we'll just hang out for another few more minutes here. Thank you so much. Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen here on The Rich Eisen Show in advance of season two of A Man on the Inside, which again premieres November 20th exclusively on Netflix. Don't go back anywhere. We're back in a moment here on The Rich Eisen Show. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
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40:47Rich Eisen:back here on the rich eisen show before we get back to our celebrity true or false with mary and ted here i want to tell you about the hyundai hope hyundai hope on wheels program because you know uh pediatric cancer awareness and research is what i'm all about with my run every single year and hyundai hope on wheels is exactly that i don't know if you knew for over the last 27 years portions of your purchase of a hyundai has gone to exactly that uh over two hundred and um seventy seven million dollars have been raised through the largesse and work of over 850 dealers across the country go to hyundaiusa.com to learn for more details because it hyundai hope isn't optional it comes standard here on the rich eyes and show uh ted danson and mary steenburgen here would you repeat repeat for our radio audience uh what you just said about who blows the most takes in history.
41:37Yes, we talked earlier about Mary barely getting through a scene on Step Brothers without ruining him by laughing. The only other person I've ever met who is worse than Mary is Larry David on Curb. Ruined take after take by laughing. Over and over again, huh? Sometimes that himself. Okay.
41:58Rich Eisen:That I understand. Well, I guess that's my last true or false for Celebrity True or False for both of you. True or false, some of your friends actually thought you split up after your fictional versions divorced on Curb. Is that true? Yeah, we said, somebody wrote, said, say it isn't true. Somebody we'd seen like two months before. Yeah, I mean, someone that should know better. And I said, yes, it's true. And we decided a good graceful way to introduce that to everyone is to do it on Curb. What do you think? You know, it was like... But that is true, huh? That's how powerful I think television is.
42:36But I have to say, even as the actors, I was miffed. I was kind of upset that he did that. To put you in that position as characters on the show. Yeah, which I think tickled him even more.
42:49Rich Eisen:Maybe, Ted, you should have given him the sandwich. You know what I mean? If you only swapped sandwiches with him when he asked. I can't get enough. I miss that show. I absolutely miss that show. What is your favorite, both of you, if you wish, favorite scenes, favorite episodes of Curb that you did with him? Isn't there one where he goes to the ballpark with his father and a hooker? Well, he picks up the hooker so he could use the HOV lane to get that. That's right. Let's not forget the reason why he did that. Yeah, I do love that. I mean, if you've ever been trying to get to Dodger Stadium, you know.
43:32Rich Eisen:It's tough. I do love that. Getting in that diamond lane is very important. And we, God, Barney's isn't even there anymore. But we did, one of the first ones I did was at Barney's. That was the first year. Yeah, where he said to Cheryl, you know, should we hang out with those guys? And then he said, you know, I can take or leave Ted, but I'd like to hang out with Mary. but would you be jealous? And she's like, I don't care. And so then he keeps popping up when I'm shopping and things like that. Which one of you met Larry in real life first? I think we both did, actually. Same time. Yeah. We had friends.
44:12At the same time. Yeah. My story about that was he invited us all, this group of about six or seven friends, and we'd known him from the summer before. And he said, come, I just shot the pilot for something, Curb. and he took us up into the attic because the reception in this little summer house was the only place there. It was hot, I'll give you that, but half of the group fell asleep. And I sat there, I won't throw you under the bus, but I thought we both went, oh boy, don't know about this show, but let's be sweet and supportive. So we said, if you ever need us to play ourselves, be our pleasure, but only out of trying to be sweet.
44:55truthfully, I will say in my case, changed my career being on Curb. You think so? Yeah, because it rejuvenated my, I kind of felt like I'd stayed at the half hour comedy party too long by then. And you'd just show up and you would giggle and it was effortless and it just made me happy to be around comedy again. No kidding.
45:20Rich Eisen:That's pretty amazing. certainly since it is a show that really taps into what's right and what's wrong in the world and who's the arbiter of it than Larry David, which is awesome and problematic. Yes. You don't want to go out to dinner with him in real life. Oh, my God. We went out to dinner with him, Martha's Vineyard. None of us had been to this restaurant. and it was one of the few really stuffy restaurants there who took itself seriously. And we're sitting where we're facing everybody and he's got his back to everybody. And he comes in late and he sits down. And then he just starts telling these stories in a bowing voice.
46:06And you're just watching behind him everyone. And you're watching a couple of people are laughing. Some people were very offended by that last story, you know, and the language and all this. One person is like paying it and getting up and leaving. And then he finally like realizes maybe he's offended some people. And he goes, this is a terrible restaurant for Jews. I'm like, what are you even talking about? We're probably the only two people in here aren't Jewish. I mean, he's nuts. He'll stay and do anything. And that incident will be in next week's episode. If only.
46:48Rich Eisen:In the meantime, everybody enjoy A Man on the Inside Season 2. Ted Danson, Mary Steve Mergen, Max Greenfield, Gary Cole, who's also terrific. Check it out, amongst many, on Netflix Season 2. That wraps it up for the radio side of The Rich Eisen Show. Back on Disney Plus in a second to wrap the show. Thanks for listening to The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. You can watch and listen to The Rich Eisen Show live weekdays from noon to 3 Eastern on ESPN Radio, Disney Plus, and on the ESPN app. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
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From the publisher
Rich and the guys weigh in on the eminent return of Joe Burrow to the Cincinnati Bengals, and react to the Dallas Mavericks firing GM Nico Harrison less than a year after trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis.
Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen join Rich in-studio to discuss the new season of ‘A Man on the Inside’ on Netflix, and share some great stories about Jack Nicholson, ‘Step Brothers,’ ‘Elf,’ ‘Cheers’ and ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ in a round of ‘Celebrity True or False.’
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