Former state Sen. Tom Saviello talks with Maine U.S. Sen. Angus King about Ukraine on Mt. Blue TV’s “Talkin’ Maine with the Bow Tie Boy” Friday, March 25. Saviello and MBTV celebrated “Talkin’ Maine’s” 400th episode by asking King, a close friend, to come on the show. Kay Neufeld/Franklin Journal
FARMINGTON — “Talkin’ Maine with the Bow Tie Boy” aired its 400th episode on Mt. Blue TV Friday, March 25, where host Tom Saviello, the former Franklin County state senator, discussed Ukraine with Maine’s U.S. Senator Angus King.
On the show Saviello has spent 16 years discussing everything under the sun – from Maine issues, politics and history to magic and cooking.
The Bow Tie Boys were originally comprised of Saviello and Chandler Woodcock. Both previously served as the state senator for District 17 – all of Franklin County and parts of Kennebec County.
Saviello has been hosting the show as a singular Bowtie Boy for around four years, Saviello said.
Over the years, Saviello has focused on “what’s going on” in Maine. But the goings on have included a wide variety of topics.
He’s hosted politicians such as Gov. Janet Mills, current District 17 state Sen. Russell Black and Farmington state Rep. Scott Landry.
Of course, Saviello has discussed politics with the politicians. But he was clear to say the show “doesn’t make it political.” Rather, he said discussions come from a bipartisan standpoint about what is “really important,” providing an overview of the issues that impact Mainers with legislative updates and the like.
Saviello was a prominent opponent of the NECEC (CMP) Corridor, but emphasized that he never discussed the No CMP Corridor campaign on the show.
“We don’t talk about campaigns. We talk about what’s going on,” Saviello said. “I want these people to know that one, they’re from Franklin County and two, what are they all about? What do they do?”
On Friday, Saviello and his “dear friend,” King discussed the Russian invasion of Ukraine. King talked about his experience visiting a refugee camp near the border of Ukraine in Poland. There, King said he spoke with Ukrainians about their experiences as some of the 10 million people who are displaced in or have fled Ukraine.
“The Europeans are united and the Ukrainians are determined,” King told Saviello. “This is the most dangerous moment we’ve been in since the Cuban Missile Crisis. Putin is the most dangerous person in human history right now.”
“It’s very impressive that [the Ukrainians] want to defend their country. It’s important to them,” Saviello responded.
“[Putin] misjudged the [Ukrainian] will to fight and they misjudged [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy,” he said. “[Putin] has single handedly created a Ukrainian identity.”
King and Saviello also discussed their friendship.
“From my family, my personal standpoint, you’re one of my top 10 friends,” Saviello said. “You always will be there.”
Interviews with elected officials can go beyond politics, as well. Saviello said Landry once talked about pigeons; Black once talked about bees.
Aside from politicians, Saviello has interviewed and chatted with a variety of locals.
Saviello has learned about history from Attorney Paul Mills; cooked mushrooms with Father Paul Dumais of St. Rose of Lima in Jay and St. Joseph in Farmington; chatted with a lady who does deer food plots.
The show has even performed magic: a local magician made Saviello “disappear” at the end of one episode and reappear at the beginning of the next.
“We really expand our horizons,” Saviello said.
Saviello said his most impactful interviews over the years have been with World War II veterans.
He felt it important to tell their stories because many have since passed away. He felt driven to keep this history, keep their stories alive.
“There’s now a documentation of what those people did for us,” Saviello said. “If it wasn’t for them, we’d be speaking German or Japanese right now.”
Moving forward, Saviello wants to get Jay more involved.
And he’s hoping the show reaches its 416th episode so that a viewer can watch one episode a week for a full eight years.
“Talkin’ Maine” airs regularly on Mt. Blue TV and streams online at mtbluetv.org.
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