Paul Zaloom on Beakman’s World, Puppetry, and the Art of Curiosity

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Everly Heights Tales

Bill Meeks

13 episodes

3 days ago

Everly Heights, Ohio—where the past clings like smoke, and every escape route loops you back to Main Street. In each standalone episode of this scripted anthology, you'll hear stories set in Everly Heights about growing up, breaking down, and being pulled back to where it all began. Equal parts quirky and tender, these stories drift between the uncanny and the everyday—haunted theaters, fractured families, strange friendships, and the kind of hometown lore that follows you long after you’ve left. Everly Heights Tales is funny until it’s tragic, ordinary until it’s not, and always ready to remind you that leaving doesn’t mean you won't be back.

Drama

Fiction

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Drama

Fiction

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Paul Zaloom on Beakman’s World, Puppetry, and the Art of Curiosity

Everly Heights Tales

1 hour 14 minutes

1 month ago

Paul Zaloom on Beakman’s World, Puppetry, and the Art of Curiosity

In this bonus episode of Everly Heights Tales, I talk to an actor I have an awful lot of nostalgia for: Paul Zaloom, best known as Beakman from the hit ’90s educational series Beakman’s World.

This hour-long interview traces Zaloom’s journey from his own “Everly Heights,” Garden City in New York state, to his work in avant-garde theater and puppetry. He reflects on the comedic and cultural inspirations behind Beakman (including Soupy Sales) and shares fascinating stories about the show’s massive and lasting impact, especially in Mexico and Brazil. If you grew up with Beakman’s World, you'll love this conversation packed with behind-the-scenes stories about creativity, art, and the balance between independent expression and mainstream success.

Before the interview, we go behind the scenes of a previous Everly Heights Tales story: the making of "Hey, Marie Molecule!" Hear the full development process as Bill and his teammate September McCrady — including producer Bobby Frankenburgger and advisor Tom Merritt — tackle the challenge of crafting a short, science-focused audio drama judged by Scott Johnson, Justin Robert Young, and Jenny Josephson on America’s Next Top Podcaster.

(Beakman fans: skip ahead about 20 minutes to jump straight into the interview.)

SPONSOR

CAST LIST

Paul Zaloom - Himself/Beakman/Roy G. Biv
September McCrady - Herself
Bill Meeks - Himeself

"Theme for Hey, Marie Molecule!" performed by Classic Tragic Hero, written by Bill Meeks

LINKS

Everly Heights
Join the EVERLY HEIGHTS ARTS BOARD and support the show
Buy Mr. Matheson's Arithme-TIPS Comic Collection
Everly Heights Tales Merch
Subscribe on YouTube

America's Next Top Podcaster - Hey, Marie Molecule!