Terry Gross

Critics and network executives hated it, but fans loved Gilligan's Island; it's been on the air for twenty-five years. Show creator and writer Sherwood Schwartz -- who also wrote the Brady Bunch and My Favorite Martian -- has a new book about the program, called Inside Gilligan's Island.

Folk musician Michael Cooney returns to Fresh Air to share two older love songs that he thinks do a better job of conveying emotion than the pop hits of today.

Film critic Stephen Schiff says that Michael Keaton is too good an actor to star in Clean and Sober, a movie that focuses more on problems than characters. Schiff says the film feels like it was made for TV, rather than the big screen.

Accomplished stage and screen actor Simon Callow wrote a biography of Charles Laughton, from whom he drew tremendous inspiration. Callow says Laughton's skill in part stemmed from the late actor's self-hatred and closeted homosexuality.

Wine critic Robert Parker tastes thousands of wines a year. He joins Fresh Air's Terry Gross to talk about the cost and culture of drinking wine, and what to look for when choosing a good bottle.

Brian Wilson suffered a nervous breakdown and spent years in seclusion. Now he's back with a new solo album. He tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross about how he approached songwriting early in his career, the influence of drugs on his music, and the role the controversial Dr. Eugene Landy plays in Wilson's personal and professional life.

The musician is considered part of a recent flute revival. Wincenc joins Fresh Air to discuss the nature of the instrument and how she achieves her rich tone. Wincenc plays classic and contemporary pieces, including works she commissions from new composers.

Lumet is known for completing movies quickly and under budget. He's made 38 films in 30 years -- a pace typically associated with the studio system of early Hollywood. He joins Fresh Air to discuss the consistency of American actors, including stars like Al Pacino and Henry Fonda, and the production of several of his classic movies.

Together, Griffin Dunne and Amy Robinson have produced respected, independent, low-budget features like Chilly Scenes of Winter, Baby It's You, and Martin Scorsese's After Hours. Rejecting auteur theory, they see movie-making as a collaborative process with the director. Their newest film, "Running on Empty," is directed by Sidney Lumet.

William Novak is the go-to ghostwriter for famous people who want to publish a memoir. He's best known for Lee Iacocca's autobiography. Novak is now working with First Lady Nancy Reagan.