It Was a Thing on TV: An Anthology on Forgotten Television (Mike Klauss, Greg Diener, and Chico Alexander)

In the second part of our year-end special, we start with shows which ended in 2022, then wrap up the year with the people we lost over the course of the year, starting at the 9:05 mark.

Everybody had a variety show in the 70s, or at least it seemed that way.  Telly Savalas was no exception, starring in this one-off special with Diahann Carroll, Barbara Eden, and Cloris Leachman.  Grab a sucker and contemplate the question, "Who loves ya, Baby?"

We put closure on this installment of Marvel month celebrating the release of "Deadpool & Wolverine" with a show that has been described not only as one of the worst shows of the 2000s, but in the history of television.  There isn't much good you can say about a show which, mercifully, lasted 2 episodes.  The best part of this installment of the podcast is the introduction of a new character, thanks to MeTV Toons.

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and we're talking about a real-life finder of lost loves, who became the main character in this drama from 1984-5.  The series is loaded with guest stars, which is unsurprising since this was an Aaron Spelling production.

There were a lot of things happening with the wrestling on TV that Greg wanted to do an It Was a Thing on TV Presents to discuss them. But for this edition of presents, Greg brought along a guest as his pal Dane Woychuk comes on to talk about RAW on Netflix, NJPW Wrestle Kingdom, TNA's improved TV coverage in Canada, and AEW being AEW.

A few months ago, Greg & Chico covered the beginning of an era with "The Kissing Booth". The era continues as Elle & co. juggle senior year, long-distance relationships, college applications, and something that is similar to but legally distinct from Dance Dance Revolution. Pucker up as we talk about "The Kissing Booth 2."

A pre-Doctor Who/Guardians of the Galaxy Karen Gillan appeared in this British pilot, which apparently was the best thing at a certain network's disposal.  This was so wrong on so many levels, so much so that we're asking for listener discretion.  It did give us 4000-pound breasts.

The first half of the remastered series wraps up with Episode 12 looking at show favorite McLean Stevenson and his 1979-80 NBC vehicle Hello, Larry. In this episode, the crew tries to find reasons as to why this show was considered one of the worst shows ever and if it was justified.

It's Mike's birthday and he played his Money in the Bank on this?!  Take three musical brothers who gained a modicum of popularity in the 70s despite having no big musical hits and add a cast of zany characters including the future Unknown Comic.  What do you get?  A repetitive and derivative show which lasted 16 shows.

In Hometown Commercials Volume 1 back in Episode 98, we featured some ads from Kentucky attorney Darryl Isaacs.  We thought so much of them that we are dedicating an entire episode to "The Kentucky Hammer." This time we showcase the best of his Super Bowl commercials from years past including a special celebrity cameo from a football icon.

2007 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AF6772n6Xc

2008 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZl_7XwT8H4

2013 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6Tns7fBnac

Mission Impossible Commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI4AZ7GOnUU

2016 with Special Guest - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgMhajkf5-s

2017 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hQxbDZJHBU

2018 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv5QdNBO-_o

Tug of War Commercial (2019) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3eKxCVW2mg

2020 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J08lxz-z5DU

The Coneheads was a staple of the early days of SNL and it was later a cinematic release, but there was an animated pilot in 1983 which was a one and done.  Get your sensor rings at the ready as we look at the wacky adventures of Beldar, Prymaat, and Connie Conehead.

Merrill Heatter found his greatest success with Hollywood Squares.  After it was cancelled in 1980 (see episode 68), Heatter tried the Squares format, but with some twists.  In this show, we briefly cover 4 titles--Battlestars, The New Battlestars, All-Star Blitz, and the unsold 1993 pilot Hollywood Teasers.

We're going way back with this one, but it's a goodie.  At Last the 1948 Show only ran for two series, but it was a primitive version of one of television's classic comedy sketch shows, one Monty Python's Flying Circus.

BBC Time Shift - Missing, Believed Wiped (2003) featuring At Last the 1948 Show - https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvum24

Today is the 112th Anniversary of the Titanic hitting the iceberg and as is tradition at "It Was a Thing on TV" we honor this event as only we can ...... by talking about a rapping dog.

This Italian animated movie tries to tell the story of the Titanic while also ripping off multiple Disney and Don Bluth animated movies.

Hilarity ensues? Possibly? Join Greg and Chico as it's PARTY TIME!

Last year we did Hulk Hogan commercials and this year we're covering the Nature Boy Ric Flair in the various commercials he's done over the years.

We talk about weird spots he's done like promoting car insurance to promoting Nature Boy bites to promoting scratch-off lottery tickets. Ric has done it all including wrestling a Russian Bear and we're gonna talk about them in this episode! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

1. 1986 Great American Bash VHS Commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YS7uV4o2Id0

2. TBS “TBYES” Commercial with Ric Flair and Jimmie Walker - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1it5jEWx738

3. Ric Flair TBS NWA Main Event Commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmRqbSHUhtU

4. WCW Galoob Action Figures Commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9cMeBsgVsM

5. North Carolina Lottery Ric Flair Scratch Off Commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OnB_jalI4U

6. North Carolina Lottery Ric Flair Scratch Off “Wooooo II” Commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOPyOUxvUz8

7. Fuel in a Bottle Commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuV08PGFmFU

8. US Auto Sales - Papa Flair’s Used Cars - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkRJdDZtJQI

9. Snickers Make It Happen with Ric Flair Commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dZuzuhsjOs

10. Cumberland Farms Cold Brew - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYQXsjm-HD0

11. Nature Boy Bites - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMv4chKY6E4

12. WCW Clash of the Champions XXIII Promo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDzyIfFa6Ps

13. TickPick No Extra Flair - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5Vyh6GWfrc

14. Jake’s Fireworks - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0Go9_6Zcp4

15. Ric Flair vs. Bear (EA Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KS9jSQmc3yY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00piCzD9WIU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62i0nhOTZ6E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSF9ozpwnuo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTcVKmQprrc

16. Sabra Hummus Super Bowl LIV Commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9NTkInOe3Y

17. CarShield - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNawmH0a5hk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ga6x3JzAb60

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVtWTEYoXaM

18. WWE Colonel Rumble - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1T1sJOcgCM

19. Four Horsemen Vitamins - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SISHqfcrQdk

Famous TV chefs include Julia Child, "The Galloping Gourmet" Graham Kerr, and "The Frugal Gourmet" Jeff Smith.  One chef whose legacy is as good as the above people but wasn't as big of a name is Art Ginsburg, who went by the moniker "Mr. Food."  We spend this installment looking at the career of this underrated icon, as well as some of the secrets to his 90-second cooking segments.

We continue with our recap of 2021 with our favorite shows from the year, shows which came to a close in 2021, and our in memoriam section for those who left us in 2021.

It's listener request time!  We received a request to cover Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa months ago, and we finally found a spot for it on our schedule.  When a comet lands in the Old West, the end result is anthropomorphic cows.  Enjoy their adventures in this ABC cartoon from the early 90s.

NBC might have made a big comeback in the mid-1980s, but there was one huge weakness for them--Friday nights at 9 PM against shows like Benson and Dallas.  Half Nelson was another Friday at 9 victim, succumbing after a month and a half.  But it had a lot of big names!

This coming Monday, Mike is celebrating his birthday (the big 5-0) and he chose this as his Money in the Bank pick, a cult classic about a police inspector with a hair trigger temper, as well as a hair trigger on his very large Magnum gun.  It was good enough to squeak by for two seasons.  As for this selection, trust Mike.  He knows what he's doing.

It's the second edition in the remastered series of our early episodes. This time we go back at Episode 3 where Mike and Greg looked at two of Glen Larson's 1983 outings Manimal and Automan.

Listen as Greg enjoys the greatness of Simon McCorkindale and his Falcon as Mike shakes his head while they visit a little place called ZIPPERS?!?! BTW, Cursor is still a little pervert.

CBS was having a tough go in the late 80s, in an era dominated by NBC.  They gave a pilot not unlike UHF spearheaded by Eddie Murphy a chance, but it was one and done.  Don't change that channel and discover What's Alan Watching?

Before two victories in "The Big Game", before almost all of his Pro Bowl nominations, and before his current squeeze (you know who), Travis Kelce looked for love on a reality program.  Catching Kelce didn't catch on with viewers and neither did Kelce's catch on the series.  What would Taylor say?

Once upon a time, a television network aired a show about Snow White and Prince Charming living in comtemporary times, complete with a family and a magic mirror.  Alas, the enemy in this fairy tale come true was the counter-programming and the absurd premise.  After about a year, the show bit the poison apple and was sent to television heaven.  The end.

ABC went against the grain with some of their TGIF offerings.  First, Dinosaurs aired during TGIF.  Second, it was followed by Camp Wilder, an untraditional family sitcom loaded with future star power.

It's Chico's birthday and he played his Money in the Bank submission on this show from the mid-80s.  Take the rapidly-growing 80s sport of laser tag, throw in some budget special effects, some rubber monster suits, a plot plucked straight out of The Last Starfighter, and a banging 80s soundtrack, and you get... something that was gone after one season despite turning a profit. Watch as we attempt to break down the demise (and as we try to wrap our collective heads around the allure) of this largely-lost 80s kids show.

Nickelodeon's coverage of the NFL Wild Card was one of the big surprises of 2021 and ended up being a fun broadcast. Like last year we're live watching all the fun as the slime cannons are back in full force!

Greg watches the start of the second half of the 49ers/Cowboys game with Mike joining about a half-hour in as they watch this game go down to the wire with a final playcall that had both of them scratching their heads.

But let's all appreciate the fact we now have a NVP award winner named after a character on a show that we've covered on this show!

In this year's "big game," for the first time, we have a set of brothers playing against each other for a title.  Ten years earlier, we had a set of brothers coaching against each other for a title.  What was a great battle that came down to the end was overshadowed by a lengthy power outage.

February 18 marks the 100th birthday of The Dean of Game Shows, Bill Cullen.  We look at three of his less successful shows--Winning Streak, The Love Experts, and Pass the Buck.

In 1997, Conan O'Brien had an audience of just kids.  What kind of mayhem could happen?  Just don't end up in Naughty Land and don't awaken the Boredom Monster. Complete episode on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFHKnq5MQb0

It's that time of the year when kids are going back to school.  In this installment, we look at a Canadian reality show where the roles are reversed--the teenagers are the teachers and the adults are the students.  It's time to do some learning on Skooled. And for the first time in podcast history, we talk to someone who took part in the show, about his Skooled experiences among other things.

This Sunday is Easter and we're not talking about cutesy-wootsy bunnies this year?!  We're talking about someone who can revive the dead.  Pushing Daisies was a critical darling but it couldn't come back from a fate worse than the death of a scripted show in 2008.

We're two short weeks from the pinnacle of the spooky season, so we're pulling out Halloween-themed shows.  First, while not spooky in any way, Child's Play shares its name with a well-known horror movie franchise from later in the 80s.  Besides being Bill Cullen's last show with Mark Goodson, it may be better known for being replaced by the game which typified the 80s, Press Your Luck.

The 2023 XFL has made it farther than its second incarnation by making it to the Championship Game! Can the title game fare better than the original XFL's 2001 Championship Game? Greg and Chico live watch the 2023 Championship between DC and Arlington from the Alamodome as they smell what The Rock is cooking.

One of the big comics in the mid-to-late 80s was Richard Lewis, known for his neurotic schtick.  Two years before a career-defining role in Anything But Love, Lewis starred in this pilot as a doorman at a New York City apartment building.

We look at two memorable shows from Fall 1979, albeit memorable for differing reasons.  Beat the Clock was quite a departure from previous versions of that show, and Whew! was funny and engaging but had a confusing rule set.  Ultimately, both shows died in part to a common desperate last gasp attempt to gain viewers--making the shows celebrity-based.

The Power Rangers franchise has made bank off of taking an existing Japanese series and creatively editing it for an American audience. On one occasion, they took it another step. Was it a parody? Was it a tribute? Who knows? Lost in Translation Week continues with… “Lost & Found in Translation,” the Bad American Dubbing episode.

In the mid-to-late 2000s, VH-1 was looking for a comedic complement to its highly successful Best Week Ever.  One such complement was this show, created by some names who would go on to bigger and better things, where the home audience decided which short series did not cut the mustard, and which ones would see another week because...they were acceptable (dot) tv.

Chico's birthday is coming up and he chose this as his Money in the Bank.  In 1982, NBC had an upstart sci-fi drama starring David Hasselhoff and a talking car.  Fast forward 15 years and the franchise now had quintuple the vehicles, with quintuple the drivers.  Do more talking cars mean more success?  (We're covering it.  There's your answer.)

It's finally here the Director's Cut of one of our favorite episodes. The 1983 NBC TV Movie "High School U.S.A." featuring Michael J. Fox, Nancy McKeon, Anthony Edwards, Crystal Bernard and Todd Bridges leading an all-star cast ...... and Tom Villard.

We've got fifteen minutes of new material for this Director's Cut. Just hope Otto's Robot doesn't steal any of your change to use in the soda machine while you listen.

In the late 90s and early 2000s, one of the surprise cult classic hit TV shows was the original Iron Chef from Japan.  Naturally, an American network had to take their stab at a domestic version.  The end result was two episodes where William Shatner got more screen time than the food itself.  Unfortunately, the charm of the original version was lost in translation when it originally went across the Pacific.

A personal favorite of ours, what happens when you combine a Christmas episode with a naive teenager, then sprinkle in two of the goofiest mafiosos you'll ever meet?  You'll get a very special episode with one heck of a takeout business.

Another annual end-of-year tradition for this podcast is to look at the happenings on television for the year.  It's such a big review that it's broken up into 2 parts.

1:55  The worst of 2022 1:09:59 The top TV stories of 2022 1:52:11 Our favorite shows of 2022

Hey hey, everybody is familiar with The Monkees, who have entertained people since the late 60s.  They had a resurgance in popularity in the mid-to-late 80s, which gave someone the idea to create a new version of the band.  The powers that be tried to make fetch happen, but the new version fizzled after 13 episodes.

In honor of Presidents' Day we at It Was a Thing on TV present another example of someone trying to make fetch happen.

When the US Treasury Department launched the new golden dollar coin in the year 2000, they commissioned the father of our country to help promote the new coin along with getting Batman himself Michael Keaton to voice him.

In honor of the upcoming reboot on Peacock, we look at the time the Bayside gang spent their summer vacation for a nice relaxing trip to Hawaii at Kelly's grandfather's hotel. Over the course of the trip they encounter Hawaiian natives, greedy hotel owners, shady lawyers and yes Mr. Belding. Also, Zack Morris being trash tries to hook up with a women who works at the rival hotel. You won't believe what happens.

1995 was a tough time for baseball, in the middle of a strike and using replacement players in spring training.  Andy Richter lightened the mood by visiting the Mets in Port St. Lucie, FL, interviewing replacement players, informing people about the real St. Lucie, and visiting Butterfly World.

Also, we meet, the man, the myth, the legend, DIESEL!

As an homage to the recent Omnibus podcast episode about Ronco, we look at commercials for what is likely Ronco's most popular product, Mr. Microphone.  Greg's dad also proposes new rules to football.

Last year on "Super Sunday" former NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski was involved in an ad campaign for Fanduel where he'd attempt to make a 25-yard field goal in the Arizona desert in a live commercial during the game. We'd soon find out that this attempt was about as accurate as a three-dollar bill. 

"The BIGGEST SCAM in Super Bowl Commercial HISTORY (JaguarGator9) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61Fc-KzjouA

A bookish girl & a jock are selected to attend high school in space. An up-and-coming movie scribe & a legendary anime studio are chosen to bring them to life. What started as a Saturday morning failure turned into a cult classic. Strap in and hold on as we round out this year’s Back to School special with a trip to Galaxy High School.

Before Brian Griffin created a series about two oddball roommates on an episode of Family Guy, that premise was used in a short-lived NBC series which paired up a 14-year-old with an ex-Marine in his 40s in a college dorm.  Ratings were amazing for the premiere episode, but the show still lasted only 8 shows.  Find out why in this installment.

It took over 500 episodes, but we are finally talking about what many consider to be the worst television show of all-time.  A man's deceased mother gets reincarnated into a 1928 automobile, communicating with her son through the radio.  That's the premise.  Jerry Van Dyke passed up being Gilligan for this.  If all the above isn't unbelieveable enough, one of the world's biggest entertainers did a cover version of the theme song.

The late 70s experienced a sci-fi kick in theaters and on television.  Someone had the idea to create a show which crossed science fiction with Sanford and Son, somewhat.  Salvage 1 was about a crew who went to the moon to bring lunar junk back to Earth, but they did everything but that.  What was Andy Griffith thinking?

The butt of many a joke in its day and even into the 21st century, The Bicentennial Minute was an occasionally bland but also occasionally interesting minute-long segment delivered by a celebrity about what happened in U.S. history 200 years ago that day.  Celebrate your Fourth of July holiday listening about this patriotic throwback to the 70s.

"Lucy's Bicentennial Minute" - https://papermoonloveslucy.tumblr.com/post/175503525253/lucys-bicentennial-minute

Betty Ford Bicentennial Minute Materials (Gerald Ford Presidential Library and Museum): - https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/document/0126/1489543.pdf

Press Release for Congressman Butler Derrick's (D-SC) appearance on the Bicentennial Minute on November 12, 1975 (University of South Carolina Library) - https://digital.tcl.sc.edu/digital/collection/derrick/id/89/

August 24, 1975: Congresswoman Bella Abzug (D-NY) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsnFrd63j4k

August 31, 1975: Jessica Tandy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUoto1lsX50

January 8, 1976: Laurence Luckinbill - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir6pabr4CD0

January 22, 1976: Gary Lockwood - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hai2OxMwl9w

March 9, 1976: Jim Hutton - https://youtu.be/zgwiC4TT9aM?t=499

March 18, 1976: Val Avery - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93s5mXL0WZk

May 7, 1976: Otto Preminger - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1HwX6TdHbk

May 12, 1976: Mitchell Ryan - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TpBK7tZc2k

May 20, 1976: Zubin Mehta - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7bt3SNBOrw

May 27, 1976: Garson Kanin - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgxOYH7fHX4

June 4, 1976: Senator Fritz Hollings (D-SC) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHDXxzuXBok

July 22, 1976: Will Rogers Jr. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfG8LHyRlNY

December 20, 1976: Emlyn Williams - https://youtu.be/8nUKzWGVWe4?t=1671

December 31, 1976: President Gerald Ford (Last 42 Seconds) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0TB76tc5Tg

Later this week is Star Trek Day, and we're talking about what is considered a continuation of the original series, done four years after the original's cancellation.  Is this true Star Trek canon?  Judge for yourself as we dive into Star Trek: The Animated Series.

This year's Lost in Translation block concludes with an import from the UK about a police detective who was hit by a car in 2008, but ends up in 1973 after regaining his consciousness.  Life on Mars was part of a powerful ABC Thursday night line-up, but lasted only one season.

Everybody knows about the current version of Jeopardy! and some remember the original version.  We're not talking about those shows.  We talk about the nighttime version from 1974-5 and, to a great extent, the 1978-9 NBC version.

Also in this episode...

*  The 1977 CBS Jeopardy! pilot

*  Password Plus' frequently changing time slot

*  Arte Johnson meets Bobby Riggs

Everybody knows about the timeless Wheel of Fortune, but there was a show with that same title in the early 50s which had to do with rewarding good samaritans.

Daytime games in the 80s were a strength of NBC.  CBS had a stable roster of shows, though the block was only two hours compared to three at NBC.  For some reason, CBS canceled the venerable $25,000 Pyramid for this show.  This show did not live up to expectations, so much so that its replacement was the same show it replaced.

Recently featured in the third season premiere of Young Rock on NBC, we look at the Cyndi Lauper music video from the 1985 classic "The Goonies".

Can Cyndi save her family's gas station from the evil clutches of Roddy Piper, Iron Sheik and company while also trying to find pirate treasure? Just watch out for One Eyed Willie's booby traps.

Links to follow along.

"The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" Music Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhPujiA9BRY

Taffy Butt (Bob's Burgers) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9hCvuxgyuE

Happy Mario Day this Wednesday!  (Get it, MAR10?)  We pay our respects to this non-holiday by looking at the unforgettable Super Mario Bros. Super Show!  One of us never watched this on Fridays for reasons.

Just a note there were some audio issues during the recording of this and the next episode with hot mics, they've mostly been fixed in post, but they'll show up at a few points here and there.

NBC had a thing for summer camp movies with some of the most popular teenage talent at the time.  (See Episode 278, Poison Ivy.)  Unlike Poison Ivy, Camp Cucamonga wasn't well-remembered, nor was it even that good.  Enjoy some stereotypical rapping and a predictable ending with some of your favorite teenage stars from 1990 in this installment.

Our next edition of the remastered series goes back to Episode 9 and The 1983 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Relive Mike, Chico and Greg talk about the Superman balloon that won't show his face, Charley Pride showing off his new album to the crowd, the meeting of the two America's Asses and Joey Lawrence (WHOA!).

Your Number's Up may be a blip on the map of television history, but it holds a place in our hearts.  Nipsey Russell hosted it!  All the geriatrics in Burbank loved it.  Need we say more?

One of the most hyped series of 2003 was "Joe Millionaire."  It lasted two seasons, and was off TV by the end of 2003.  We look at this flash-in-the-pan which briefly made a star out of a construction worker/underwear model.

The 80s show Press Your Luck had an iconic cast of characters as contestants, including a future American Gladiator, a future talk show host, and an ice cream truck driver who broke the bank.  One of our favorites is a gentleman named Gene Snyder, the subject of this minisode.

We're going back to school with three shows from early 1979, which tried capitalizing off the success of Animal House.  All three were busts, though each show produced quality future talent.  Also in this show, Mr. Whipple typecasting and ZIPPER?!

Last show, we took a look at a live action version of Spider-Man from the late 1970s.  This episode, we took a look at a live action version of Spider-Man from the late 1970s...from halfway around the world.  Japan did their own take on the superhero, one that Stan Lee loved.

We start our celebration of the 60th Anniversary of Doctor Who by looking at this American adaptation of "Broadchurch". Adapted from the ITV drama created by future Doctor Who EP Chris Chibnall the American version brought back the Tenth Doctor himself David Tennant in the lead role. Did this limited event series find an audience on FOX in 2014 or was it another victim of Lost in Translation?

Pilot Month 2 continues with a show submitted just based on its ridiculous open.  It may have been the most entertaining part of The Nerd, a pilot for NBC done in 1989 which aired on the network.  It didn't air in 1989, though.

In honor of SummerSlam being today, we present to you the Director's Cut of the WrestleMania 2 episode that we released on the Place to be Nation wrestling feed back in April.

We've got over 20 minutes of new material in this episode which means more Susan St. James (UH-OH!) that you can handle. Also with 100% more Iron Sheik!

We're starting a month of Marvel universe-related shows, leading up to the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in May.  We start with a coming-of-age series about three boys attending an all-girls school from 2000.  Opposite Sex had as a supporting character, one of our favorites, Chris Evans.

In the latest "Before the Show" Greg and Chico in segment one give their thoughts about WrestleMania XL where Cody Rhodes was crowned the new WWE Champion ending Roman Reigns' three-year title reign.

They also talk about AEW airing the backstage footage of CM Punk and Jack Perry from All In London 2023. The less said about that the better.

Then Mike comes in for segment two where they discuss various topics including the recent renewal of "Press Your Luck", "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant" on Discovery Life, and the finale of "Curb Your Enthusiasm".

In our annual episode where you pick the topic, we gave you 3 shows from which to choose.  The show with the most votes was this one, a one-season classic about an Old West bounty hunter avenging his father's death, with science fiction and steampunk elements.

It's Super Bowl Sunday! You could sit and listen to bunch of so-called "experts" tell you who's gonna win between the Rams and the Bengals or you could listen to Greg and Mike talk about who they think will be the key players in Super Bowl LVI. And also they talk about if the Bengals can win this game for the sweet prince Harambe!

They also discuss in the second half of the show the David Letterman YouTube channel, the NFL Draft and the Puppy Bowl!

As we have mentioned previously, ESP was popular in the 60s and 70s.  What happens when a racecar driver starts having psychic visions?  Lots of stuff in England, enough to make the casual viewer feel Baffled!

A short-run show from 1984, Domestic Life involved a number of big stars including Steve Martin, Tom Hanks, and Martin Mull.  Some members of the media knew it was good, but it was just too late.  And it had Bob Ridgely!

This leprechaun story was one of the first viral YouTube videos, from back in 2006.  This story got significant media attention and was soon spoofed on shows including Key and Peele and South Park.  Was it really a leprechaun?  Find out in this St. Patrick's Day special!

Bob and Dan (BAD) Radio Dallas: "Dan Finds The Leprechaun" - https://www.theunticket.com/dan-finds-the-leprechaun/

The REAL Story Behind The Alabama Leprechaun (wavywebsurf) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJcz37ERPKQ

I'll trade you my Fonzie for your Vinny Barbarino!  We offer a primer to TV trading cards, a smattering of shows which made their way to cardboard, and what types of cards are available nowadays.

This is exhibit A on why classic shows should not be rebooted.  Mr. Ed was piloted in 2004 for FOX but like almost anything on FOX, this show had an edgy FOX twist.  Also, the computer graphics in this show were horrible, even for 2004.  You can see this pilot at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze5IBEMoUR0.

One of this podcast's favorite people is Chris Elliott.  Post-Letterman, Elliott starred in the FOX sitcom Get a Life.  While hilarious and brilliant, it might have been a little too out there, even for the hip and relatively new network. This episode has been Handsome Boy approved.

M*A*S*H is one of television's most popular shows ever, yet its spinoff AfterMASH lasted less than a season and a half.  Was it too derivative from the parent show's plot?  Did it just run its course?

In television history, there have been several attempts at becoming a viable competitor to ABC, NBC, and CBS.  Some have succeeded (FOX), while others were not so lucky (MyTV, PAX).  In this installment, we turn the clock back to the mid-60s where a mogul in the warehouse industry started his own network which had a name change before going to air, aired one series in its existence, and lasted a month.

The Valentine's Day week tribute continues with a fun little game that didn't have the run it deserved, the late-90s Annie Wood speed dating game Bzzz!

In honor of a very nice birthday coming up for Bryan Cranston we honor two guest appearances this week that he did early in his acting career. The first is a 1986 episode of "Airwolf" in a villain of the week turn in which he confronts his ex-girlfriend at a sorority reunion on the Queen Mary! Can the Airwolf crew manage to save the day?

In this and the next episode with Mike away, Greg and Chico are joined by an alternate this week in Aaron Sica as he shares his reaction to watching an episode of "Airwolf" for the first time.

You can watch this episode of "Airwolf" for free on the Roku Channel at the following link. - https://therokuchannel.roku.com/watch/c06ccc7c174151a6830c05c8839bde70

Dan Rather is one of the most respected newsmen in media history.  However on two election nights, Rather went off the rails with some of his commentaries and metaphors.  We look back at some of the highlights from the Election Nights of 2000 and 2004.

Election Night Dan Rather Quotes - https://www.liveabout.com/funny-dan-ratherisms-4067687

Steven Bochco, the genius behind hit shows including Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, and Doogie Howser, created Cop Rock, which was labeled as being revolutionary and potentially changing the landscape of television.  Despite tons of promotion, the show ran 3 months and has been deemed one of the biggest failures in television history.  Not only do we cover the series as always, but we will feature one song from each episode.

Greg and Chico watch the first two episodes of "Obi-Wan Kenobi" the latest Star Wars series on Disney+.

In Ewan McGreggor's epic return to the role of our favorite Jedi master, Obi-Wan has to deal with failing in his training of Anakin back in "Revenge of the Sith".

Meanwhile, a certain Princess from Alderaan is kidnapped and it's up to Obi-Wan to save her from the clutches of the Empire and his former Padawan turned Sith Lord.

Here are the timecodes on when to play Episodes 1 & 2 to sync up with us if you are following along on Disney+.

Episode 1 - 3:31

Episode 2 - 55:23

Back in the day, you know you made it, in a pop culture sense, if your product had a Saturday morning cartoon.  In 1985, pro wrestling reached that pinnacle with Hulkamania running wild, wrestling scattered throughout the TV landscape, and the cartoon Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling.

Thirty years ago, Haim Saban brought the Super Sentai to the US, and Power Rangers was born... but before THAT, a similar series was brought to the US purely for laughs and/or played-up stereotypes. We look back on the show that was Dynaman, who brought it to life, and what exactly a main squeeze is.

35 years ago, a series blended gritty stories, wartime allegories, and cutting edge special effects. If it wasn’t the violence that people were against, it was the toy tie-ins. A show that was ahead of its time could not have come at a worse time. Prepare for the Metal Wars as we talk about Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future.

In our previous episode, episode 528, we covered one of the first shows on a new network, The WB.  This time, we're covering one of the first shows on PAX in 1998, an adaptation of a Canadian board game about movies.  The whole production had one major issue, one which led to the show's demise just over a month after its premiere.

We're covering our second baseball episode of the month. In Episode 54 we covered the 2004 reboot pilot of Mister Ed so now we're covering one of our favorite episodes from the original series.

For the show's fourth season premiere in 1963, our favorite horse and Wilbur pay a visit to Dodger Stadium to see their favorite team along with legendary coach Leo Durocher. This episode answers the question can a HAWSE go deep against the great Sandy Koufax? 

Without question, Lucille Ball is a legend.  Unfortunately, even legends make missteps.  Life with Lucy in 1986 was Lucy's misstep.  Thirteen episodes were shot and only eight aired. In this episode, we look at the reasons why this misfired, was it because ABC was that desperate for a hit? was it because audiences were weary of Lucy's physical comedy at her age? was it because the executives were afraid to say no to Lucy?

On a lighter note, enjoy our discussion of a Pre-Life Goes On Kelle Martin on Card Sharks in 1986.

Lost in Translation Week 2023 continues with a small show whose promotion was equally small and, not surprisingly, whose audiences and ratings were just as small.  Small Fortune didn't last long in the UK, yet it was still imported to the States where its run was equally short.

As listeners may know, we love our Quinn Martin-produced shows.  In this episode, we go back to one of his earliest crime drama efforts, with a lead who would be the biggest movie star by the end of the 1970s.  Dan August had all the hallmarks of a great series, but there was one key item missing--viewership.  Come for Burt Reynolds and non-comedic Norman Fell, stay for an astounding number of quality guest stars.

We revisit school briefly for this episode.  Before Saved by the Bell, some of its characters were in a short-lived Disney Channel show set in a middle school in Indianapolis.  Good Morning, Miss Bliss was a precursor to the popular series from the 80s and 90s.  One thing remained the same:  Zack Morris is trash.

This epic cinematic masterpiece from Dick Van Dyke's grandson comes from the same people who brought you those straight-to-video mockbusters! Titanic II!

Originally released by The Asylum back in 2010, Titanic II is set in the far-off future of 2012! A wealthy billionaire builds his own version of the Titanic (with blackjack and hookers!) but little do they know that history is about to repeat itself!

Can Brooke Burns and Bruce Davison save Greg and Chico from boredom in this movie? Just remember never to let go!

One of the biggest pop culture sensations in the 1980s was an omnipresent personality for the computer generation named Max Headroom.  Not only was Max Headroom a talk show host, a soda pitchman, and visible on different mediums in the latter half of the 80s, but this phenomenon even got a scripted television show which ran over two seasons, a show about a post-apocalyptic dystopia reminiscent of 1984.

As is tradition on this podcast, we look at the news, events, and happenings in 2023 to close out the year.  In this part, we cover the news and some of the shows which ended in 2023.