The Late-Night Hosts I Wish I Grew Up With: Big Chuck & Lil’ John from Ohio


Long before cable and satellite companies took over television, local TV networks ruled the airwaves. Outside of the twice-daily news broadcasts and the big prime-time shows from major networks, stations still had a ton of empty airtime to fill. And they got creative.

Some stations simply leaned on endless reruns. But many produced their own original programming like morning kids’ shows, mid-morning talk shows, and, the crown jewel for many of us, the late-night hosted monster-movie and B-movie programs. This is exactly the category Big Chuck and Lil’ John fit into.

The magic of Big Chuck and Lil’ John wasn’t just the movies they introduced. It was everything that happened around the movies. Right before and after the commercial breaks, the hosts really shined, riffing with each other, interacting with their small studio audience, and introducing the comedy skits they filmed ahead of time. The charm, the timing, the goofiness, it all blended into something uniquely local and unforgettable.

I started seeing Big Chuck & Lil' John clips on YouTube around 2010, but it wasn’t until the last three years that I really became an aficionado of their comedic genius. And honestly? I’m bitter I didn’t grow up on their show as a kid. This was the kind of television that built memories, entertained you, and formed your sense of humor.

If you grew up between the 1960s and the 1980s, you probably remember shows like this, local, weird, low-budget, and absolutely fantastic. Growing up in Colorado, we had the syndicated Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, but we also had a few homegrown late-night host shows. One I remember vividly was Night 9 with D2 Dave. D2 Dave was this geeky, likable host who ran the overnight studio amongst the station's broadcasting equipment, showing old sci-fi and B-movies every Saturday night.

To this day, I haven't been able to find a single mention of Night 9 with D2 Dave anywhere online. For all I know, this post might be the only piece of evidence that the show ever existed.

But as for Big Chuck and Lil’ John, you really can’t understand what made them special until you see them. Their chemistry, their sketches, the energy of the studio, it’s something that doesn’t translate unless you watch it for yourself.

So without further ado, here are some of the classic skits and clips that made this dynamic duo local TV legends…



A Three-fer! A promo by Tim Conway (Who got his start in Hollywood because of this show) along with their great show intro, and one of my all time favorite skits from the show.


A silly but smart skit that ends with a great breaking of the third wall..




It was extremely hard for me to narrow that list to only three videos to share, because there are so many great ones over the decades. While Charles “Big Chuck” Schodowski (“Big Chuck”) and John “Lil’ John” Rinaldi continue to enjoy a strong following both locally in Ohio and across the nation, their last new regular episode aired on June 16, 2007. Big Chuck passed away on January 19, 2025 at age 90. Lil’ John is still active in the community, making appearances at Comic Cons and other events.

Yes, friends, I truly am bitter I didn’t get to enjoy this show during my formative years. I know it would have made a big impression on me in terms of comedic timing and humor. The fact that it certainly did for Drew Carey, who used the song “Moon Over Parma” from the show as his intro on The Drew Carey Show for a couple seasons, is a strong testament to its influence. To see the audience having a blast, interacting with Big Chuck and Lil’ John, and getting prizes for answering trivia captures the energy and fun that made this show so special. I would have loved to be part of one of those little live studio audiences.

Chuck’s passing truly marked the end of an era. Television has changed so much, and people no longer consume entertainment in the same way, which is a shame. The laughter, the creativity, and the joy this show brought were timeless. Big Chuck and Lil’ John reminded us how local TV could be personal, hilarious, and unforgettable. Their legacy lives on in the clips we can still watch today, and in the hearts of everyone who grew up laughing along with them. 

Do yourself a favor and do a deep dive on Big Chuck and Lil Jon skits on You tube. There's something there for everyone, and if you like silly punchy comedy, you won't be disappointed. It’s like stepping back in time, showing us how great TV could be when people actually tuned in to watch network television.

You can still watch old Big Chuck and Lil' John shows on FOX 8 WJW Cleveland on Sunday nights at 12:30 am. Visit the Big Chuck and Lil' John website for more info and places to watch the show!

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