Neal Gladstone Radio Show
Learn about the show and listen to episodes below!
About the Radio Show
Upon our return from our trip to California in 1987, Neal, Fred Child and I began a new adventure: producing a comedy radio show for Oregon Public Broadcasting. The Neal Gladstone and Friends Radio Show aired on OPB, KLCC (Eugene), and KUOW (Seattle). With few exceptions, Neal did all of the writing. We all three did the voicing of characters and added sound effects and music. Fred was the engineer, and I did the programming for each show. You’ll also hear some guests on here voicing characters (including Barbara!). We recorded at the KOAC radio station (where OPB started) in Covell Hall on Oregon State University’s campus.
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Each show has a couple of Neal’s songs as well as commercials and skits, including segments that made regular appearances like “Most Things Disregarded, “ a spoof of “All Things Considered,” and Neal’s dream sequence. Each show also has an episode of “Nick Drisophila,” Neal’s wacky self-important detective. Some of the skits are downright silly, some just strange (Adams Apple Sauce), some skits or commercials have lasting power, and some reached their shelf life shortly after airing once! See what you think! Though it was a lot of work and for pennies per hour, making the radio show was A BLAST. There were many times when we’d have to record another take because we couldn’t get through the whole recording without losing it in peals of laughter. As an example, “Sam’s Discount Surgeons” slayed us.
Some of the characters or skits from the radio show ended up in our stage shows, like Gladys Epiglottis, the nightclub singer from Nick Drisophila, who sang “I’ll Do It” and “Men” in live concerts. Neal’s dream sequence also ended up in live shows, along with a few other skits or commercials (Rum Bubble Gum, Prunes).
You’ll certainly hear the unique and fascinating mind of Neal Gladstone in these shows! We aired our last show in 1991. We don’t have a complete archive of the four series, but most of it is here. Enjoy!
Audrey Perkins, co-producer
November 24, 2025
Featured Skits
Spoof Ad - Sam's Discount Surgery
Spoof Ad - Thanic
#1 Missing
This audio content is missing! If you know of an available recording, please get in touch bglad@peak.org.
#2: What’s it like to be a bacteria?
AD: Nascar Driver sells deodorant Song: “Sleep Neat” Casual Chatting: Sergio in Nicaragua interviews Contras Dream: Being a bacterium Nick Drisophila: Battle with grasshopper Skit: It’s time to talk to a psychiatrist, Dr. Krack up
#3: Nick is robbed!
AD: Blue Eyes Sings the Classics Skit: Pure Intentions: Spiritual Power of Money Song: “Dodge Dart” Nick: Dick Smelt baseball card pursuit AD: American Air Corporation Nick: Meets Heime Fleege Casual Chatting: Sergio with Flat Earth Society
#4: Have unhealthy habits?
AD: Adams Apple Sauce Skit: Overheard gossiping in drugstore Song: “Get Cloned” Nick: With Fleege Song: “Ordinary Life” Most Things Disregarded: Interview w Perpetual Time Keeper inventor Dream: Floss Across America
#5: Is your cat planning a holiday?
AD: Prunes Nick: Wins dancing contest AD: Dargoovo the Nose Flutist Essay: Cats essay Song “Kitty Holiday” Dream: Planetary Pool Tournament Most Things Disregarded— General Foods buys Canada Casual Chatting: Buying land on Jupiter
#6: Local choir fights germs
AD: Come Back to Meat Skit: Preview of Gin and Tonics’ Food Service Worker Song “Pain” Nick: Left Grinning Lice with Paulette AD: Nuclear Clean Nick: Tries to get car back Song: “Oasis” Casual Chatting: G. Beekman of Ginseng and Tonics
#7: Beethoven wanted to play the blues
Most Things Disregarded: Dog piano competition, ostrich born to human AD: Sam’s Discount Surgeons Song: “Maroon” Skit: Ludwig’s mother Nick: Paulette and Nick’s passionate crazy scene lands Nick in jail AD: Stench Away Doggie Breath Spray Nick: Nick in jail Auggie...
#8 Missing
This audio content is missing! If you know of an available recording, please get in touch bglad@peak.org.
#9: Neal asks, Am I too crazy for you??
AD Vegetable Vaporizer Skit Just trying to order a beer! Nick: Tries to recover his impounded car Song “Come to America” Casual Chatting: Art Professor on Depressionist Movement Song “Babe Am I too Crazy for You?” Segment: Harvey Fnair’s moment of...
#10 Missing
This audio content is missing! If you know of an available recording, please get in touch bglad@peak.org.
#11: Meet Johnny No-butt
AD: American Air Corporation Casual Chatting: What’s in a Ding Dong? Nick: Nick calls Gladys looks for Blackie and appears on Piddle Paddle Essay: Shopping for Pants Song: “Morris and Hilda”
#12 Missing
This audio content is missing! If you know of an available recording, please get in touch bglad@peak.org.
#13 Missing
This audio content is missing! If you know of an available recording, please get in touch bglad@peak.org.
#14 Missing
This audio content is missing! If you know of an available recording, please get in touch bglad@peak.org.
#15: A sport you might not have considered!
AD for Movie: “The Irritating dog” Casual Chatting: Tax man Song: “Sleep Neat” Nick: Saved from Blombus Gulch AD: Come back to meat Nick: Molly’s restaurant and hot eel soup Dream: Date with Madonna Skit: Bert & Bud Cover the Toilet Paper Throw Event AD: Honeysuckle...
#16: What you do is what you can
Casual Chatting: Looking for Ice Lemurs AD: Speedprints (condensed movies) Song “Country Cliché” Nick: Returns home at last after 13 weeks at Blombus Gulch AD: Lawn Gone Nick: Fights with intruder Song: “Ordinary Life” Essay: Alphabet Casual Chatting: Back to Ice...
#17: Neal’s Car Advice
AD: Happy Snacks Commercial Casual Chatting: Dr. Thrombus Interpreting Baby Cries Song: “Dodge Dart” Nick: Fights then apologizes to Euripides & goes to bed AD: Honest John’s Used Cars Nick: Inspects apt for evidence of intruder Goes to bed Skit: Game Show “What the...
#18: What everyone knows and no one believes
Skit: Feta Shredder Song: “Cool Maroon” Essay: Calendar Nick: Nick listens to messages AD: Stench Away Doggie Breath Spray Nick: More messages, readies for intruder Song: “You Can’t Stay Here”
#19: Send in the Clones
AD: Ponderosa Bubblegum Essay: Machines as Musical Collaborator Song: “Ordinary Life” Nick: Prepares for intruder who turns out to be Paulette AD: Zen Northwest (silence) Nick: Reunion with Paulette Song: “Clone” Most Things Disregarded: Laughed to death lawsuit /...
#20: Confronting the perils of raspberries
AD: Dog Paw Dry Dream: Stryfoon Song: “Seed in muh teeth” (live concert recording) Essay: Tooth brushes Nick: Goes to Pink Stallion Gladys Epiglottis sings “Men” Song: “Body Works” Skit: Prairie Gourmet w Silver Biscuit
#21: Every heart felt happiness inside!
Essay: Hate Sports Song: “Pain” Essay: Hate Sports, more Nick: Gladys leads Nick to trap door AD: Sam’s Discount Surgery Nick: Heads to catacombs Casual Chatting: Interviews Paddleball Champion Song: Morris and Hilda
#22: Should I hug him?
AD: Nose Flute Skit: Drug Naming H6738 Song: “Kitty Holiday” Essay: Hugging Dilemmas Song: “Everybody knows it but me” Nick: Goes underground AD: Honeysuckle Biting Problems Nick: Noises in the dark tunnel
#23: Car tunes!
AD: Honest John’s Used Cars Skit: Car Fumes (spoof on Car Talk) Song: “Dodge Dart” Nick: Encounters trouble underground AD: AK-47 Nick: Meets Blackie Skit: Joint Kids of Staff shopping@ Weapons R-Us Song: “Oasis”
#24: The News You Never Hear
Skit: This is a test Skit: Game Show “Speed Quotes” AD: Generic w no product Skit: Part 2 “Speed Quotes” Dream: Had his tthck removed Song: “Oh, Happy Birthday” Nick: Deals with Blackie AD: Vegetable Vaporizer Nick: Gets out of underground Most Things Disregarded: Man...
#25: Sure you want to get on that flight?
**Beginning of show missing AD: Harriet Sports Video Segment: In-flight announcement 2 Casual Chatting: Moses T. Gapp playing jazz tunes, Sergio scat sings Nick: Still pursuing baseball cards/ calls his father asking for money Segment In-flight announcement 3 AD:...
#26: Nick and Paulette need a therapist!
Crash Introduction AD: Dog Paw Dry Skit: Bert Bud Betty: Goochie Shuffle Song: “The Party” MTD: Middle Eastern Musician Award and more! Scapegoats Inc. Nick: Takes Paulette out to dinner Karpathian Song: “Come to America” Skit: Whinery
#27: Someone get Nick a new travel agent!
AD: Brush Your Teeth Skit: Shakespeare at Home Skit: Car Fumes, Clank and Clunk Song: “Country Cliché” Skit: Fresh Frozen Music Interlude: “Afflona” Nick: Books flight to Singapore AD: Movie “Irritating Dog” Nick: At airport Song:...
#28: Bloopers and Outtakes Show
Bloopers and Outtakes Show AD: Stench away Skit: Pure Intentions Faith Hopegarden Song: “Crazy” More outtakes Nick: Nick gets left behind at airport More bloopers AD: Sams Discount Surgeons Nick: Sitting by the side of the road Blooper (Sam’s) Song: “You Can’t Stay...
#29: Move over, Gwenevere!
AD: Rambler Hyena SX Skit: Tele counseling Line Song: American Dawg Nick: Trying to hitchhike after stranded at airport AD: Irritating Dog Movie Trailer Nick: Gets picked up by old guy and his cow Song: “Maroon” Dream: Dental Floss Across America Skit: Just trying to...
#30: Messages from your interior
AD: Thanic Skit: Thy Body Thyself Part I Song: “Pain” Skit: Thy Body Thyself Part II Skit: Mr. Gross Tax Audit Nick: Dropped off at Van Horns, calls Paulette Song: “Grapefruit” Dream: Pool Tournament with Planets
#31: You mean food came out of the dirt?!?
Skit: Motor Home Races w Burt Betty Bud AD: Dog Paw Dry Dream: Water Molecule’s Journey Filler Song: “Afflona” Song: Little Piece of Plastic Skit: Kids from future taste real food Nick: Nick at square dance AD: Stench Away Nick: Nick sits in with band and calls square...
#32: The thrill of a hot cop
Skit: Beethoven’s mother AD: Hemoglod Head Development System Song: “Officer Bradford” Essay: Gravity! Nick: Paulette picks up Nick, stops at Burger Chew AD: Speed Prints Nick: Arrives home, message from father and from Gladys, Nick goes to see her Skit: Can you hold,...
#33: An Introvert’s Nightmare
Skit Intro: Transister radio in body after surgery Skit: McTarsel’s Drive-Through Song: “The Way the Body Works” Nick: Visits Gladys at her apt. AD: Permanent Mobile Garage Skit: Million people introduced to at party AD: Prunes Song: “Country Cliché” Essay: How much...
#34 Missing
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#35: All the people were cool hip and groovy!
Skit Intro: Ugly Tie Rap Skit: Pure Intentions Brother Broccoli Sister Celery Song: “American Dawg” (Live) AD: Mrs. Ghandi’s Soup Nick: Senator Pristine’s House Essay: Guest Writer, Barb Calner Song: “The Party”
#36: Sartorial Advice
Skit: Shakespeare’s Mom AD: “Irritating Dog: Movie Trailer MTD: Chimp types Hamlet / Rockoli Benefit Concert / scientists find life begins at 40 Song: “Crazy” Nick: Leaves Senator Pristine’s Mansion AD: Meat Nick: Goes to Granny’s Flower Shop Song: “Maroon” Dream:...
#37: For the love of citrus
Intro from inside a barrel Skit: Star Trek AD: Generic Ad Skit: Star Trek, cont. Essay: Can’t Decide What to Do Song: Sex Sex Sex Sex Sex Nick: Buys Gladiola gets clue about where to find Gregor AD: Hyena SX Nick: Leaves flower shop Song:...
#38: Keep your pants on!
Intro: Sentator Pristine Skit: It’s a Copy! Casual Chatting: Most Beautiful Melody Ever Written Song: “Little Piece of Plastic” Nick: Goes to bakery where Gregor works AD: THANIK Neck Cocoon Nick: Meets Gregor’s Dad Song: “Dodge Dart” Dream: 75th...
#39: Coming to a Head
Most Things Disregarded Skit: Mouthful Interpreter Song: “Morris and Hilda” Nick: Waiting for Gregor at Testosteroni’s Bakery AD: Hemoglod Head Development System Nick: Finally meets Gregor Song: “Officer Bradford” Skit: Married to the grouch!
#40: She did it.
Skit: Bert Betty Bud cover college basketball AD: Dame Lillian Royce Winston Sings Rock Music Nick: Takes Gregor to touch up Gladys’ roots AD: Honest John’s Used Cars Skit: Pure Intentions Faith Hopegarden interview Song: “I’ll Do It” (Gladys) Skit: Harley Fnair’s...
#41: Last Episode, Wash Rinse Repeat
Intro from Amazon Jungle Musical Essay: “Rinse Cycle Sonata” “Dot Matrix Minuet” AD: Vegetable Vaporizor Song: “Throatman” Nick: Gregor and Nick are pursued en route to Gladys’ AD: “Prunes” Nick: Escape pursuer by ducking into a carwash Song: “Get Cloned” Dream: Oak...