Actor John McCafferty
Texas: Daytime TV’s Answer to Dallas
Original Airdates: Sept. 12-15, 2025
TVC 706.5: Ed welcomes John McCafferty, the actor known around the world as Billy Joe Wright on Texas (NBC, 1980-1982), and Tom Lisanti, sixties movie historian and 1970s daytime TV historian. John is among the many actors, writers, directors, NBC executives, and other behind-the-scenes personnel that Tom interviewed for his latest book, Texas: An Oral History of Daytime’s Answer to Dallas—everything you wanted about the highly touted spin-off of Another World (NBC, 1964-1999) that may not have lived up to the expectations of then-NBC head Fred Silverman, but which nonetheless remains beloved by its fans today. Texas: An Oral History of Daytime’s Answer to Dallas is available wherever books are sold through our friends at Bear Manor Media.
The Casting of Texas
Original Airdates: Sept. 19-22, 2025
TVC 707.5: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with John McCafferty, the actor known around the world as Billy Joe Wright on Texas (NBC, 1980-1982), and Tom Lisanti, sixties movie historian and 1970s daytime TV historian. John is among the many actors, writers, directors, NBC executives, and other behind-the-scenes personnel that Tom interviewed for his latest book, Texas: An Oral History of Daytime’s Answer to Dallas. Topics this segment include how series producer Paul Rauch pushed for casting stage actors fro the series whenever possible, while then-NBC president Fred Silverman insisted on casting younger actors. Texas: An Oral History of Daytime’s Answer to Dallas is available wherever books are sold through our friends at Bear Manor Media.
Why Texas Still Endures Today
Original Airdates: Sept. 19-22, 2025
TVC 707.6: John McCafferty, Tom Lisanti, and Ed discuss why Texas (NBC, 1980-1982) remains popular with fans more than forty years later, and how the series was particularly popular in Canada during its original network run. Tom’s latest book, Texas: An Oral History of Daytime’s Answer to Dallas, is available wherever books are sold through our friends at Bear Manor Media.
