For retired TV weatherman Fritz Coleman, it’s been a sunny return to the stage

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Don’t tell Fritz Coleman it’s no fun getting old.

For nearly forty years, Coleman was the beloved and playfully charming weatherman for NBC4, contributing to one of the most experienced news teams in Los Angeles. Now, over five years into retirement as a well-known TV personality, he’s turned his attention to humorously sharing his experiences with getting older.

This Sunday, he’s celebrating two years of performing at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood with a performance of his one-man show, “Unassisted Living.”

During a recent performance at the Monroe Forum auditorium, 77-year-old Coleman explained that the show focuses on experiences people commonly share as they get older.

The monthly afternoon show, jokingly advertised as starting at 3 p.m. to allow older audience members to avoid driving home in the dark, marks a return to stand-up comedy for the former weatherman. He initially knew very little about weather when he first started as a temporary fill-in at the station, but the job became permanent. Now, while he’s no longer tracking storms, his new show, “Unassisted Living,” is his way of dealing with a different set of challenges.

Entertainment & Arts

After 39 years, longtime NBC4 weatherman Fritz Coleman is retiring on Friday. His career offers a glimpse back at how local TV news used to be.

He explained that the show’s appeal lies in its lack of political content, which audiences really appreciate. It’s designed to be a lighthearted escape, focusing on shared experiences as people get older. Some have jokingly called it a support group for baby boomers, and he encourages anyone with Medicare to come and enjoy it.

Coleman often jokes about the surprises that come with aging, especially changes to the body. He says you realize you’re getting older when parts of you start changing unexpectedly. He also talks about sex later in life, noting that men enjoy those jokes, while women might be a little embarrassed – but still find them funny.

He believes people of all ages will enjoy the show, especially those between 40 and 50. He suggests they might see it as a warning of what they could experience as they get older.

Coleman, looking much as he did before retiring in 2020 – slim, with silver hair and round glasses – was back at the theater. He had spent most of the past year reporting from his home in Toluca Lake instead of the NBC4 studio due to the pandemic.

He enjoyed his work and connecting with his audience, but felt it was time to retire. As he put it, ‘Even if you love your job, 40 years is a good run.’

Before retiring, Coleman experienced a few health issues, but thankfully, none were serious or life-threatening.

He explained that staying healthy is important to him, both for enjoying time with his grandchildren and pursuing his other passions. He’s actively involved with three nonprofit organizations and wants to dedicate more time to writing and performing arts.

Coleman draws constant inspiration for his comedy, and he’s grateful to have stumbled into focusing on the shared experience of aging. He believes audiences connect more with relatable topics like getting older, rather than comedy that focuses on divisive current events, like you often see with comedians like Bill Maher.

He expressed admiration for their talent, saying, “They’re really skilled.” However, he felt their approach created division – an “us versus them” mentality – which he wanted to avoid with his own work.

Coleman explained that he’s constantly refining his stand-up routine. He dedicates an hour or two daily to writing new jokes, incorporating them into each performance. He described his writing process as simply jotting down thoughts on a legal pad while sitting on his couch, often finding himself laughing out loud in the process.

Coleman’s busy with his new job, so he doesn’t have much time to look back on his past as a popular TV weatherman, or remember working with colleagues like Colleen Williams, Chuck Henry, and Fred Roggin.

He admitted he wasn’t sad to leave the job itself, but he definitely missed the people he worked with. They were a close-knit news team, and he pointed out they’d been working together for a very long time – the longest in the city, as far as he knew.

After Coleman left, both Henry and Roggin also departed from NBC4, now leaving only Williams as the anchor for the evening news.

Coleman rarely watches local news because of his busy schedule. He only tunes in if something important is happening, as he explained.

But he has watched enough to see a shift in how stations cover the news.

Coleman explained that when she was first hired, the evening news was relaxed and conversational, fostering a connection with viewers – it felt like a family. She had a short, five-minute weather segment and jokingly described her role as a lighthearted break between serious world news and sports updates.

He explained that the media landscape has changed dramatically. With as many as eight news programs broadcasting at the same time, competition is much fiercer, and people’s focus tends to drift quickly.

Sports

After 42 years as a sports anchor and host at KNBC-TV Channel 4, Fred Roggin is retiring from his on-air role.

Coleman knew it would be much harder to get a TV weather job now compared to before. He’d been hired at NBC4 thanks to Steve Antonetti, the news director at the time, who was charmed by Coleman’s stage presence after seeing him perform at the Horn nightclub in Santa Monica. Coleman’s act included a bit about his experience giving weather reports for Armed Forces Radio during his Navy service.

Coleman explained that he wouldn’t be hired for that job now without professional certification from the American Meteorological Society or a degree in meteorology or atmospheric science. He emphasized that having those credentials is crucial, stating he couldn’t succeed simply by being entertaining.

Even after retiring, Coleman continued to write engaging and friendly reports. However, he grew increasingly frustrated when questioned about the Trump administration’s repeated claims that climate change was a hoax.

He stated that denying climate change is a reckless tactic. He emphasized that virtually all credible scientists agree it’s happening, and calling it a hoax is deeply unethical. He added that, unlike many other issues, he’s personally witnessed the effects of climate change during his career.

He’s grateful to have his comedy work to keep him busy, and he hopes it lasts for a long time.

Coleman shared that he’s currently happier than he’s ever been, and he plans to continue the show as long as people keep buying tickets. He jokingly added that the show will definitely run until he needs to take at least two bathroom breaks!

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2025-10-23 13:31