2011 A look Back: THE LOSS OF THE MACHO MAN

May 20th 2011 will be the day the "MUSIC DIED" for me. Randy "MACHO MAN" Savage was my childhood hero. This guy had it all. Charisma,talent & the woman. Growing up most kids would idolize football or baseball players. I had Pro Wrestling. It was more entertaining and unlike those other sports...THE WWF never had an off season. It was year round.

Going to the BOSTON GARDEN each month was a treat. Randy & Elizabeth were on 90% of all the cards in the 80's. The first title I saw change hands was on February 8th 1986 when Randy won the Intercontinental Championship from Tito Santana. I remember going insane when Randy was announced "THE NEW INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION" to me it was bigger than the Boston teams winning world titles.

Thanks to my friendship with Col. Bull Montana in 1996 I got the chance to meet both Randy & Elizabeth face to face behind the scenes at the Hartford Civic Center. It was a dream come true. Both were AWESOME. The highlight was going out to dinner with Elizabeth after the show with some of the WCW office staff. A night I will never forget.

     
 The loss of Randy Savage was hard to accept. It was like losing a piece of my childhood. Never again will there be such a charismatic & entertaining person in pop culture. Rest In Peace Brother & thanks for the memories!   OHHHHHHHHHHHH YEAHHHHHH!

2011 A look Back: THE NORDIC LODGE

In May we made our annual trip to THE NORDIC LODGE in Rhode Island. The Lodge specializes in an all you can eat seafood buffet with LOBSTER on the top of the list. Sabrina & Jeff put away many "STERS"

 I love LOBSTER and could eat it everyday. But after a few hours at THE LODGE you get your fill for months. Thank God they have STEAMERS to compliment the lobster.

       After the feast we took a tour of the historic lodge. When people are not stuffing their face with seafood the location is an actual hunting lodge buried deep in the woods.    

   So the countdown to the 2012 visit is on. If you are ever in the area do yourself a favor and visit the LOBSTER capital of the universe www.nordiclodge.com  I know SBJ & Sabrina are ready!

                                                                                      Until Next Time..........
                                                        THIS IS AFTER HOURS & WE NEVER CLOSE!!!!

2011 A look Back: HEAD OVER HEELS

In January we had on Judo Champion Kim Carpenter. She was going to demonstrate how to protect yourself from a mugger. I volunteered to be THE MUGGER!  I love my audience but they can be sadists at times. Right after Kim through me into next week they wanted to see her do it again. Being the showman (or the lunatic) that I am I took another one for the team. After the lights faded I was in severe pain for a week. But this clip is one of the true HIGHLIGHTS of 2011. I hope you enjoyed it more than I did!
                                                                                     Until Next Time.....
                                                        THIS IS AFTER HOURS & WE NEVER CLOSE!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM AFTER HOURS WITH TC RESTANI

As we close out 2011 I want to say thanks to all of our fans worldwide that support what we do. We have so much fun doing our award winning show. I wish you all could someday be part of it. Over the past month I have looked back on some of the highlights of the year on our show. I will conclude that look back next week. Tonight we had our annual After Hours Christmas Party, all the cast & crew had one hell of a time. To quote my pal Andi who on camera said she had "THE BEST JOB EVER" Well my friend, I have to say... so do I :)  In 2012 we will be doing more shows and continuing to bring in exciting guests from all walks of reality! So thanks again to all of you for watching and like they say on TV.....STAY TUNED!  Below is my favorite Christmas pic Sabrina and I ever took. It comes from our 2007 Christmas Special. Sab's had a little to much "Egg Nog" that night.

                                                                     Until Next Time.....MERRY CHRISTMAS
                                                             THIS IS AFTER HOURS & WE NEVER CLOSE!!!!!

Penthouse Pet Sunny Leone Promo

In November I had the chance to meet the 2003 Penthouse Pet of the Year The Amazing Sunny Leone. Sunny was at a trade show in New Jersey and was kind enough to cut a promo for the show. Thanks again Sunny.

WATCH COL. MONTANA's CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

Enjoy Col.Montana's Christmas Special. Bull takes us on a trip back in time with clips from our classic Christmas shows. HO HO HO! http://blip.tv/after-hours-with-tc-restani/col-bull-montana-s-christmas-special-5826265

2011 A look Back: FAN APPRECIATION BBQ

On July 16th 2011 we hosted our 1st annual FAN APPRECIATION BBQ. After 8 seasons of doing the show we all wanted to say thanks to our loyal fans. Sabrina and her staff did a kick ass job on coordinating this big event. Not only did we host a BBQ but that evening we taped our Hall Of Fame episode.

With our limited amount of space we had to limit the BBQ to 50 people. So next year we will have to rent a hall to accommodate the fans. For the record this event was FREE to our fans as will BBQ 2012.

                                                      
This being "AFTER HOURS" we had to take advantage of the situation and stage the BBQ eat-off between radio personality THE BIGG NEZ and COL. BULL MONTANA. With a giant plate full of BBQ the two warriors took on the challenge. 

 To see who won the BATTLE check out this clip http://youtu.be/4mKBIU0NADo
The 1st Annual Fan Appreciation BBQ was a huge success and we are all excited for the 2012 edition. Hope to see you all there.
                                                                                       Until Next Time....
                                                              THIS IS AFTER HOURS & WE NEVER CLOSE!

2011 A look Back: SHOW MERCHANDISE

   Merchandise promotions is not my strong point (I'm a talk show host) but the cast and crew wanted some "SHOW MERCH" produced. So after a quick discussion we decided on T-shirts and coffee mugs.

I love our show logo (hats off to Floor Director Dave and Chip) for designing it. Not many people can say that their face is a logo lol.  Sabrina (who looks amazing in the shirt) demanded to have the first shirt off the assembly line so she could show it off (the proud Executive Producer that she is.) Once the cast and crew got their stuff, I sent a bunch of "TC Tanks" to some of my female friends world wide. I was totally honored when my friend Andi from www.andiland.com  modeled off my shirt on her awesome website. I also got a big kick out of her cat MOZART getting into a stare down with my face. Thanks you two :)

  As we make our way into 2012 we will produce all kinds of "SHOW MERCH." I would love to get crew jackets with the logo on the back, that would be sweet. If you have any ideas for new merchandise let me know  tcrestani@yahoo.com The person that comes up with the best idea will get a free T-shirt or mug.

                                                                                          Until Next Time....
                                                               THIS IS AFTER HOURS & WE NEVER CLOSE!

SABRINA VISITS....THE KING!

This past weekend, my Executive Producer SABRINA (who is in Hollywood on business) paid a visit to the holy ground on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 1751 Vine Street is the location of the undisputed KING OF LATE NIGHT...JOHNNY CARSON's star! Sabrina thanked Johnny (in spirit) for all the inspiration he and his show has given us over the past 8 years. When I visit LA next year I will stop by and pay my respect. I was in Hollywood in 1993 but we never got a chance to visit his star. Seeing this picture, It makes me so excited to see what 2012 will bring to the program. I love doing this show. Best Job Ever!!!! Thanks Johnny!


                                                                                  Until Next Time....
                                                       THIS IS AFTER HOURS & WE NEVER CLOSE!!!

2011 A look Back: MEETING LEA THOMPSON

On September 21, 2011 I had the honor once again to meet my favorite actress from the 1980's The Lovely & Talented LEA THOMPSON. I have been a major fan of Lea's work since I first saw her on the BIG SCREEN in the 2nd sequel to JAWS.....JAWS-3D! I was 12 years old and my friends wanted to go see their 1st 3D movie (the summer before my older cousins snuck me in to see Friday The 13th part 3D) Even at a young age we knew going in that this sequel would be more campy than scary. But we were kids and had a great time. After the movie was done I remember how we all laughed at how pathetic the 3D was but we were all in agreement that the girl who got bit by the shark was HOT! Like most kids of the 80's we lived at the movie theater watching everything that came out. In 1984 (still underage) we managed to get into the Rated R movies like Police Academy, Beverly Hills Cop & a movie called THE WILD LIFE! The Wild Life was from the producers of Fast Times at Ridgemont High (A cable TV Classic) So we knew going in this was going to be funny and a good chance we may see nudity! I was also ecstatic LEA THOMPSON was in it. All my buddies were like "Hey look it's the chick from JAWS-3D" Some older guy overheard us and was like "Ya ever see her nude scene in All The Right Moves?"  OK DID YOU SAY NUDE???? (hey I was 13) He told us that it was showing that month on cable TV. So after that I had to find it (Again I was 13)  I found it!   
    
    Flash forward to the next summer and a little movie came out called "BACK TO THE FUTURE." The date was Saturday, July 6th 1985 at 12:30pm when my eyes first viewed what would become my all time favorite movie. It had everything great characters, story, soundtrack etc. I could go on forever about this movie. Let's just say in the summer of 1985 Lea Thompson became the darling of movie goers worldwide.  Ten years later in 1995 I got the chance to do a phone interview with Lea (A friend of mine who runs the official Back to the Future fan club) asked if I would like to interview her? (After I came down from cloud 9) I agreed to do it. So in August we set up the interview. We chatted well over an hour about her career (she even said "MY GOD YOU KNOW EVERYTHING") Taking that as a big compliment, I thanked her for her time. Five years later in 2000 I read on www.bttf.com  That she was going to be on BROADWAY in the production of Cabaret. That summer I got the chance to meet her face to face for the very first time and she was just as sweet and kind as she was in her movies and over the phone. I mentioned to her that I was the one who did the interview with her five years earlier for BTTF.COM and she was like "Yeah I remember that." That Summer and Fall we got the chance to meet her a few times (her play was on Broadway for most of  2000) She was always very friendly.
  
       Then this past September, Lea was in Boston promoting a new film at the Boston Film Fest. Unlike film fests in NYC or LA the Boston version is very small and we knew going in there was a good chance we could meet her once again. She made her way down the press line meeting all types of media. As she was done with her press obligations Lea was walking back into the theater when I approached her & re-introduced myself (dropping some mutual friends names) I asked her if she would mind signing a few autographs for some friends (she was very happy to) I also asked if it would be no trouble could you please cut a promo for my show? She happily agreed. (you can view it at the top of this post) So in conclusion, the career, talent, beauty and personality of Lea Thompson is TIMELESS! Hell I even liked Howard the Duck!
                                                            Until Next Time....
                                   THIS IS AFTER HOURS & WE NEVER CLOSE!

2011 A look Back: CAST WALLPAPERS

  In 2011 fans asked for desktop wallpapers of the cast. Here they are! TC, Sabrina, Col. Montana, South Boston Jeff, Uncle Frank, Professor Infestation & DR. McMurphy. In 2012 we will continue to make more merchandise of the show. What type of merchandise would you fans like to see? Let us know!
                                                                                Until Next Time...
                                                     THIS IS AFTER HOURS & WE NEVER CLOSE!

SHOUT OUT OF THE WEEK

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BREAKING NEWS: South Boston Jeff attacked!

After years of meeting superstars of stage & screen tonight South Boston Jeff was assaulted by former Pro Wrestler/Actor OX BAKER. Ox is known for his on screen fight with Kurt Russell in the1981 John Carpenter classic ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK. Well there was no ESCAPE for South Boston Jeff tonight. Check out the EXCLUSIVE footage. http://youtu.be/x6VBzZxlIwE

2011 A look Back: THE HALL OF FAME

On July 16th we presented the first annual "AFTER HOURS WITH TC RESTANI HALL OF FAME" induction ceremony. After hosting the show for eight years we all thought it was time to give back to some of the amazing guests we have had walk through our curtain. Sabrina, my executive producer put together a selection committee that would nominate past guests to be voted into the HALL OF FAME by cast and crew. It did not take long to recognize the outstanding individuals that would be the first CLASS to be inducted. The first name that came down was The Late, Great Mr. Pat (Karate Kid) Morita. On our very first show back in 2003 Mr. Morita (along with Sherman Hemsley) were not only our first guests, but our first CELEBRITY guests. That was a special moment for me (being a kid of the 80's) to have Mr.Miyagi on my show was a total honor. Pat was in rare form that night and made his only time on the show...TIMELESS!  The second name was none other than the former WWF world champion THE IRON SHEIK. What can you say about this guy? The Sheik is THE SHEIK!. If you follow this BLOG? Then you know I gave the sheik a shout out a few posts back. He is one of a kind and his visits to the show have been UNBELIEVABLE. From winning the dinner with Sabrina, to cooking "JABRONI" Pepperoni pizza. THE IRON SHEIK never disappoints!
 
   The third name was not just one individual but a group of dedicated people that have kept not only their favorite childhood movie memory alive but mine as well! The 501st New England Garrison. The 501stNEG are part of a Star Wars costuming fan club that currently holds a 4000+ membership in all 50 U.S. states and 25 countries worldwide. From Stormtroopers to Snowtroopers, Bounty Hunters to Sith Lords, the 501st is the premier Imperial Star Wars costuming fan club in the galaxy! They do amazing charity work by using the magic of STAR WARS to bring smiles to fans of all ages. The three times they have been on the show you can "FEEL THE FORCE" in the air. Nothing beats going to the show and reading the guest list tonight... BOBA FETT, DARTH VADER and STORMTROOPERS! That was why I demanded to be the one to induct them. The CLASS OF 2011 will be a hard one to top. But I'm looking forward to the CLASS OF 2012! Click here http://youtu.be/0cNq0-8Pcu0 to view the induction of the CLASS OF 2011.
                                                                                         Until Next Time....
                                                              THIS IS AFTER HOURS & WE NEVER CLOSE!

2011 A look Back: MEETING JAY LENO

It was a cold night back in February when Jay Leno of the Tonight Show was in town to accept Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Theatricals 2011 Man of the Year award. I went on the "Celeb Stalk" with SBJ. We waited outside of the Charles Hotel located in historic Harvard Sq. until Jay returned at 2am. Jay exited his limo holding the prestigious PUDDING POT and came right up to us. He signed a few photos and did a shout out to the show on my video camera. Jay, being a Boston Boy was happy to be back in his old neighborhood. When Jeff told him he was from "SOUTH BOSTON"  (Jay in a true "Bahston Accent") said say hi to "Southie" for me. I have met many celebrities in my life and Jay Leno ranks as one of the most down to Earth and friendly stars ever. I tip my "TALK SHOW HOST" hat to Jay Leno!

                                                                                     Until Next Time......
                                                           THIS IS AFTER HOURS & WE NEVER CLOSE!!!