Most Southern Californians know him as the friendly, funny weatherman who told us how hot and how cold it was going to be for nearly four decades. But, KNBC’s Fritz Coleman always had an alter ego some people don’t know about, one he’s bringing to Ventura County. He's also a standup comic.
Coleman grew up in Philadelphia, where even as a young boy he had a big dream.
"Johnny Carson was my hero. This man, sitting behind this desk, with his off the cuff remarks...warm, and fantastic, and personable...and I thought I wanted to be just like that guy," said Coleman.
Then, Coleman saw something that helped him focus that show business ambition.
"My uncle gave me tickets to see George Carlin." said Coleman. "I was so blown away. That was the moment that pushed me towards comedy."
He got a taste of broadcasting while in the military, and it led to a job in radio when he was discharged from the Navy.
"I was a DJ for about 15 years. I worked at a radio station in Buffalo, New York," said Coleman. "While I was working at that radio station, I got a job hosting at a jazz club. I would be the MC. I would write jokes to fill out my part at the beginning of the show."
He became a hit with this humor. "The owner of the jazz club gave me my own night to do comedy, and then I was smitten," said Coleman.
He decided to pursue it full time, and moved to California.
Coleman arrived in Hollywood in 1980. If you were a standup comic then, the place to perform, and hopefully be discovered was The Comedy Store, on the Sunset Strip.
Coleman was discovered, but not in the way he had expected.
"I was working at the Comedy Store, doing a show on a Friday night, and the News Director from Channel 4, Steve Antoniotti, was in the audience with his wife, said Coleman.
"I had talked on stage about doing Armed Forces Radio and Television when I was in the Navy, and being forced to do the weather against my will. So, after the show, Antoniotti says to me 'This is an odd question, but do you have any desire to Come to Channel 4 and do some vacation relief weather forecasting for us?'"
How did Coleman respond to the question?
KNBC
"You did hear me say on stage I did the weather in the Navy, but I don't know anything about weather?," said Coleman.
He said the News Director replied that it was perfect, because there's no weather in California, and it should work out great.
He started doing fill-in and weekend weather, and two years later he was promoted to weeknights.
The job was a godsend to him, because he had two young sons, and it provided financial stability you didn’t get as a touring standup comic.
But, here’s the real twist. His dream to do standup got him the Channel 4 weather job. And then, the Channel 4 weather job helped his get his dream standup spot: An appearance on the Holy Grail of standup comedy: The Tonight Show with John Carson.
He said the talent coordinator for the show loved the idea of the standup comic weatherman who worked in the same building where the Tonight Show was taped. He was a hit.
Fritz appeared eight times on The Tonight Show. And, during the nearly four decades her did weather at KNBC, he never stopped doing standup.
He would do the early evening newscasts, leave at 6:30 to do a show, and then returned around 9:30 to prepare the 11 p.m. weather.
And, when he wasn’t doing standup on the side, he was hosting charity dinners and fundraisers. He retired in 2020.
He feels lucky that he had such a long TV news career, noting that the business has changed a lot. When he first started doing weather, he'd get around five minutes for an early evening weathercast. But, as stations became more competitive, he was reduced to around two minutes, so he had to be much more serious.
While he’s technically retired, he’s busier than ever. He has his family, with two grandkids. He’s still hosting charity events, still doing standup, and, also has a popular podcast.
The Media Path podcast is hosted by Coleman and his longtime friend Louise Palanker, and focuses on pop culture. Palanker was the co-founder of the Premiere Radio Networks, one of the nation's largest radio syndication companies.
Coleman has two standup comedy shows in Ventura County this weekend. Friday night, he’s at the Simi Hills Golf Course. And, Saturday night, he’s at JR’s Comedy Club, at Ventura Harbor.
