Interviewing some of the most well-known hosts on the various web-TV programs has been a special treat. Not only do they get the chance to share information about themselves, but it is a true education on the journey many of them take, and are still taking, to reach their personal goals in the broadcasting field.
It was a pleasure to interview Lacretia Lyon, who first came on my radar when she became a co-host on The GH Report, a weekly Afterbuzz TV recap show for the soap opera, General Hospital. Since speaking with her, I have learned she has not only taken on the primary hosting seat for The Restless Wrap-Up, the recap show for The Young and the Restless, but Lacretia has broadened her horizons all over the web hosting plane. As you will see below, if there is a genre you have interest in, from soap operas to comic book exploration, Lacretia has hosted a show for it.
Without further introduction, let’s meet the fun, fascinating, and well-spoken, Lacretia Lyon!
Carolyn Topol Talk: We all happily know you’ve gotten involved with Afterbuzz TV in the Sunday night soap block of shows. Can you tell us how that happened? First, you did the General Hospital Report and then added hosting the Restless Wrap Up.
Lacretia Lyon: General Hospital — well what’s interesting is the General Hospital Afterbuzz show was a long process for me. The funny thing is, I initially found a contact for Afterbuzz through a hosting school I went to with Marki Costello, Lou Costello‘s (of the team of Abbott & Costello) granddaughter. She’s a great teacher who encouraged us to go to Afterbuzz, which was a great idea. It’s like practice — having live panels and stuff like that. It was a year before we started GH. When I went into the Afterbuzz orientation — and this was during a transitional time for them — I wound up not getting it at the time because there were not that many shows going on, and they didn’t have a place for me. Even when I proposed the soap, they said, “We don’t really do soap operas,” [Laughs] because I had mentioned General Hospital.
So, it was a few months later — about six months later — I saw a posting on Craig’s List looking for General Hospital fans for an After Show that’ll be weekly. It didn’t indicate Afterbuzz, or anything like that. Then I sent in my bio. It turned out to be James Lott Jr. on the other end. He was looking for people to host a General Hospital Afterbuzz TV show. What with the success of Dishin Days more soap shows were being started. The funny thing is, I pitched General Hospital to them [Afterbuzz TV] six months earlier, and they didn’t want to do soaps and I was like, “How did this happen?” And he [James Lott Jr.] said, “Well, Days of Our Lives did so well, they sort of ate crow a little bit, and wanted to add General Hospital.” We did several test shows for GH because everyone was new, and with Afterbuzz they wanted to make sure everybody could be a good host. It took us basically a year from when I initially had gone in there to the premiere of the General Hospital after show on Afterbuzz. [Laughs] So, it’s kind of funny how I wound up getting in anyway, through the back door.
CTT: Well, I’m glad you finally got there. The fans love you on the GH Report.
LL: Oh, thank you!
CTT: Absolutely, absolutely. And now you’re doing the Restless Wrap Up for The Young and the Restless soap opera. How did that come about?
LL: With General Hospital moving on, I got involved with more shows on Afterbuzz. The soaps we’re doing so well, we wondered why they weren’t doing the other two [soaps still on the air]. We had fans who you would see in the chats asking about Young and the Restless specifically, because it’s the number one soap. I was a fan, and more of a newer viewer because I came over after All My Children and One Life to Live had been canceled. I only had one soap left. Everybody had gone over to the Young and the Restless, so I was sort of watching intermittently through them [my friends], especially when Steve Burton became a regular cast member — then I thought, “I’m watching this every day!” [Lots of laughs] I was the only one [on the GH Report panel] who was a regular watcher of the Young and the Restless. So, I decided to find some people. We had several people we interviewed, doing the same thing with the Craig’s List postings. It was surprising — being the number one soap — it was hard to find hosts.
CTT: That’s interesting and surprising.
LL: A lot of our viewers are on the East Coast, as well as in Canada, so here in L.A. there aren’t as many soaps fans in general. Plus, for the Young and the Restless, we had a hard time putting it together. That’s why it took so long — to get people. But now we’re doing so well, especially on iTunes. It’s funny how the Young and the Restless show is now exploding, and we haven’t even had guests yet.
CTT: So you really have come along way just doing the recap?
LL: Yes.
CTT: Now, I understand James Lott Jr. produces that show. Is that correct?
LL: Yes, James and I produce it together.
CTT: But he’s not on the panel? Who is on the panel with you?
LL: We have Keira Giavanni and Abbey Scott. We’re in transition. We had another cohost, but he is no longer with us. That was Alexander Rodriguez. We found a better fit with Abbey Scott. She is someone who has been an extra on the Young and the Restless several times, so she has all these funny stories, and she’s bringing Kristoff St. John, possibly, in for us because they’re really good friends. He’s such a sweetheart.
CTT: You mentioned you were doing some other things on Afterbuzz. What else do you do on Afterbuzz?
LL: Well, besides soaps, I’m really into sci-fi and comic book stuff. September 19th the Lucifer show started back up for season two. We have a really good relationship with the show runner, Joe Henderson. He has been in the studio with us several times. It’s a really fun show to do because most people don’t understand how a show about the devil — how he can be so likable — but Lucifer is based on Vertigo, which is a subsidiary of the DC Comics series. I also do Legends of Tomorrow, which is a DC Comic Book show on the CW, as well. We do the after show for that, and it started on October 13th. I do the after show for Unreal which is one of my summer favorites. It’s a very popular show in the summer. It stars Constance Zimmer — she was robbed last at the Emmys. [Laughs]
I do other things, here and there. I really love Ash vs. Evil Dead and The Walking Dead and shows like that. I have such an eclectic taste in TV so I’m really spread out, just like James Lott Jr.
CTT: So you’re really covering a lot of shows. Maybe not all at the same time, since the seasons are moving about, but you really cover a lot of shows on Afterbuzz now.
LL: Yes
CTT: Now, with all the things you’re doing at Afterbuzz, I know you bring a lot of humor in, and I understand that’s because you are a comic. Is this true?
LL: Yes. I actually started doing stand-up in Texas where I’m from. I did stand-up and commercials because I wanted to be a host like people I grew up watching, Chris Hardwick (@Midnight & Walking Dead), Craig Ferguson, Jimmy Kimmel. I, sort of, wanted to emulate these people that I had grown up watching. I see their trajectory, about how they got to where they are. I grew up watching stand-up and listening to comics like George Carlin, who was a staple on our car rides — Richard Pryor, Chris Rock — the list goes on. I grew up loving comics. One of my favorites is Norm McDonald. He’s sort of like a host/comedian, but he’s a little odd for most people’s taste. I wanted to do that so I worked in Dallas, doing mics and stuff, and I did the NBC Diversity Showcase in Austin. Just before I decided to move out here, and really pursue this, what was interesting about stand-up was that it’s not like it used to be, when all the people I mentioned were first coming out. It’s really kind of odd; it’s more about a one-two punch. It’s more about selling tickets than doing comedy. People won’t even pay $20 to see Dennis Leary and epic comedians at the comedy store; and they have requirements for comedians. So it’s something that I came here to do, but has transitioned into not as much because of the standard nowadays. It used to be just storytelling — you tell a story and it’s funny — that’s what Andy Dick, who is somebody I’ve just recently gotten to know, is teaching nowadays. It’s more of storytelling, and I feel like that’s coming back. So it’s good to sort of still have one foot in that door, as it transitions back to storytelling.
CTT: If you had to pick one, and maybe you can’t, and that would be okay, between hosting — and not just Afterbuzz, but in general — or doing standup, which are you most drawn to?
LL: It’s always been hosting for me. I grew up watching The Soup and The Tonight Show, and things like that. I always wanted to be the person behind the desk. You used to not see this, but Aisha Tyler hosted Talk Soup and now we have Chelsea Handler, and all these people who have opened that up now, so it’s possible.
CTT: That would be terrific! What would be your personal goal going forward? Where do you want to see yourself going in a few years, particularly with your hosting?
LL: I really want to be a late night host. Late night is something that is ever-changing. It’s not just The Tonight Show anymore. It’s grown so much, especially with Samantha Bee’s, Full Frontal. So, just something like that late night show, where people are coming to me as an expert — that sort of thing. I want to be the one they go to, who knows facts, and it’s going to be funny.
CTT: I’d watch it! Now, how long have you been in LA?
LL: I’ve been in LA three years as of Black Friday. [Laughs]
CTT: That’s actually not very long considering where you are now. You must’ve been pretty busy for being as successful as you are, or am I overestimating?
LL: I have to say for me it always seems like an uphill battle, but that’s the comment I get from most people, so I guess it really is a short amount of time to be where I am. I did come here with credentials. I mean, I didn’t come here with no credits. I did commercials and stand-up in Texas, which helped, so I wasn’t starting from the bottom. I was 25 years old when I moved here — a little older than most, but I think that helped me know where to go and know how to research things. I sort of lived life before coming here so it wasn’t like a shock.
CTT: I think it’s clearly been to your advantage. You obviously came with enough background. When you started on the GH Report, and I watched you, my reaction was, “Wow, she’s done this before. She’s really comfortable in that co-hosting seat considering it’s her first show.
LL: Yeah, stand-up does prepare you somewhat for that kind of show, but the co-hosting, and being comfortable in front of the camera — I have Marki Costello to thank for that.
CTT: How did you start in stand-up in Texas? What was that like?
LL: The funny thing is, I went to college at the University of North Texas for film. I wanted to be a music video director. So, I went to film school in Denton, Texas, which is just outside of Dallas. I was so set on being a director, and I ended up hating the film program. Psychology was my dual major, so I stuck with that and kept transitioning out of the creative field slowly, but surely.
I moved to Dallas after college, with the intention of becoming a lawyer, which is funny, because Mark Cuban‘s brother, Brian Cuban, talked me out of it. I’m there because I kept telling myself the creative careers aren’t going anywhere, so I couldn’t get a job — that’s part of my stand-up.
Now, my name is Lacretia Lyon, so I’d get called in for regular jobs on the days they were trying to fill the quota. I would come in and be the only white person there. After a while it became funny. I’d be sitting there with a graduate degree and I know where to go with this, and I’m doing promotional modeling because I could only get a job with a headshot. [Laughs] These girls that I was working with are all trying to get into acting, and what did we have — the only show that was there was Dallas after Prison Break was gone. There’s a lot of resources here [LA]. I go to the comedy clubs but needed to know how to get up there [on stage]? I started researching open mics and just ripped the Bandaid off. I remember going up on stage and just talking and people laughed, so I just kept going that way. For some people that’s the wrong way but I really enjoyed it. [Laughs]
CTT: What stories were you telling? Did you talk about your crazy experiences getting called in for jobs in Texas?
LL: That’s the thing unless you know me, it’s usually a shock when you hear my name and then you see me, especially since I’m a natural blonde. [Laughs] People laughed and would say, “You’re the whitest person I’ve ever seen.” [Lots of laughing] Fun fact about my name — my mother wanted to spell it “L-A” instead of “L-U” because my dad insisted on the name, so I wouldn’t be called “Lulu”, which is funny because Lulu Spencer [character on General Hospital] was born a few years later, and my mother’s choice for my name was after Laura Spencer [Lulu’s mother on GH].
CTT: Oh my gosh, that’s hilarious!
LL: My brother and I were almost Luke and Laura. [Laughs]
CTT: That would have been too funny. Lacretia is a very interesting name. I’m sure that helped in LA.
LL: It’s one of those things that people nowhere know — as long as you’re doing good things people recognize it, and it’s great.
CTT: True. What are you presently doing? Are there any projects you’re working on right now that we haven’t touched upon that you’d like to share?
LL: I’m pretty proud of something that’s been airing for the last couple few weeks. I haven’t been able to be on the panel, but I’m the producer as well as co-host. Book Circle Online, which is one of Afterbuzz TV’s sister networks. The show is called the Comic Book Exchange. I’m a big comic book nerd. We’re delving into the books that are really relevant right now, like Outcast, from the Cinemax series. We did the after show of that on Afterbuzz — we started out with those graphic novels. It’s from The Walking Dead writer/creator Robert Kirkman. It’s a book series that was great, so we started out talking about that. There are a few soap actors who write their own graphic novels and are interested in coming onto the show as we grow it, which is pretty great! I won’t say who they are, but let’s just say they play doctors. [Laughs] And I’m working on a sports radio show. We’re looking to launch it soon.
CTT: Wow, that’s great! I’m a big sports fan; I look forward to hearing about that one.
LL: We have a number of GH fans who followed the comic book show. Frank [Moran] and I do the show together, as well as two of the co-hosts from some of our other shows. We put this together, so we’re trying to get a lot of the soap people over to it.
CTT: I know you have been getting a growing following. Have you been able to make connections outside of the hosting area on Afterbuzz, to extend what you’re doing now?
LL: I actually just recently got interested in Hologram USA. It’s a new online network. They do a lot of live streaming and stuff like that. It won’t be after shows; it’ll be more like pop culture topic sort of news. It should be launching here soon. The show, Battle Cam, is slated to start on November 2nd.
CTT: One last question, relating back to the radio show you’re starting — what’s your favorite sport to watch and your favorite to play?
LL: My favorite sport to watch is ice hockey. I am a huge ice hockey nut. My team is the Dallas Stars, and for my birthday I went to the Frozen Fury hockey game played in the T Mobile arena in Las Vegas. It was The Stars versus the Kings — so my two teams were battling it out. It’s sort of a big deal because I grew up watching hockey with my mother. I had season tickets in Dallas. It’s the greatest sport on earth no matter what the rest of the world thinks. [Laughs]
CTT: Do you participate in any sports?
LL: I love to watch violence, but I’m a little more leisurely. Golf is especially good; especially the mini variety. [Lots of Laughs] Any sport where you get better the more you age is okay by me. I like golf and bowling. [More laughing]
CTT: Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us. You are one busy host and we all look forward to watching you on all the platforms in which you participate!
*****
(Photo credits: Lacretia Lyon’s personal collection)
The Comic Book Exchange can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYbGO071EWc8yZmkJMWijnir_ZTpkWXxI
Lacretia hosted Monster Movie Mash Up, for the month of October for Popcorn Talk: https://youtu.be/
In addition, Lacretia hosted on Broadway Breakdown for The Rocky Horror Show as it’s one of her all time favorites: https://youtu.be/