Horror Host Retrospective: Big Chuck and Lil’ John

Big Chuck and Lil’ John

Real names: Charles Schodowski and John Rinaldi
Years active: 1979-present, Ohio

Moving back North, we find Big Chuck and Lil’ John, two of the longest running hosts in the business. The saga begins properly with Chuck, who at the time was working with Ernie Anderson, better known to Ohio residents as Ghoulardi. When Anderson left for California, Chuck began working with Bob Wells, WJW’s weatherman. The pair created the Hoolihan and Big Chuck Show in 1966.

When Wells left in 1979, Chuck simply got another partner. John Rinaldi was a 4’3 jeweler who appeared on the Hoolihan and Big Chuck Show a few times. Calls were made and soon the Big Chuck and Lil’ John Show hit the airwaves.

The show as a hit and stayed on the air until Chuck’s retirement in 2007. Despite shifting around the schedule, they stayed on the air until 2011. The pair even hosted another show, Coach Potato Theater, on Saturday mornings doing a scaled down version of their usual show. In September 2011, it was announced that Big Chuck and Lil’ John would return to the airwaves in smaller format. Big Chuck and Lil’ John would now be a half hour program, featuring mostly skits from the previous show and some new material mixed in as well.

The Big Chuck and Lil’ John Show began on WJW-8 in 1979 and lasted until 2011. Later that same year, the duo returned, this time in a half hour format. Big Chuck and Lil’ John is presently on air today. Both Chuck and John are still alive. A fan site exists for the duo.