▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁television ▁network , ▁Zob lot nick ▁Broadcast ing ▁Company ▁( Z BC ), ▁as ▁they ▁produce ▁a ▁live ▁variety ▁program ▁called ▁The ▁L ester ▁Guy ▁Show — o ften ▁with ▁dis astr ous ▁results . ▁On ▁the ▁Air ▁was ▁produced ▁by ▁Lyn ch / F rost ▁Produ ctions ▁and ▁followed ▁Lyn ch ▁and ▁F rost ' s ▁previous ▁series , ▁T win ▁Pe aks . ▁In ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁only ▁three ▁of ▁the ▁seven ▁fil med ▁episodes ▁were ▁a ired , ▁but ▁the ▁first - and - only ▁season ▁was ▁broadcast ▁in ▁its ▁entire ty ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁and ▁several ▁other ▁European ▁countries . ▁ ▁The ▁series ▁stars ▁Ian ▁Buch an an , ▁Mar la ▁Rub ino ff , ▁Nancy e ▁Fer g us on , ▁Miguel ▁Fer rer , ▁Gary ▁G ross man , ▁Mel ▁Johnson ▁Jr ., ▁Mar vin ▁Kap lan , ▁David ▁L . ▁Land er , ▁Kim ▁Mc Gu ire ▁and ▁Trace y ▁Walter . ▁On ▁the ▁Air ▁featured ▁several ▁direct ors , ▁including ▁co - cre ator ▁David ▁Lyn ch , ▁Les li ▁Link a ▁Gl atter , ▁Jonathan ▁S anger , ▁Jack ▁F isk ▁and ▁Betty ▁Thomas ; ▁Lyn ch , ▁Gl atter ▁and ▁S anger ▁had ▁previously ▁directed ▁episodes ▁of ▁T win ▁Pe aks . ▁ ▁Char acters ▁ ▁L ester ▁Guy ▁( I an ▁Buch an an ) ▁– ▁a ▁was hed - up ▁movie ▁star ▁who ▁stayed ▁states ide ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁and ▁made ▁a ▁name