That Was a Show?

Based on the 1995 indie Sundance hit of the same name, Christine Taylor plays Mary, struggling to make a living amidst her fast paced lifestyle in the New York City “club kid” culture where she hosts underground parties with her best friend Derrick, played by John Cameron Mitchell. She gets a job in a library—but can she prove herself as mature and responsible? Can she learn the Dewey Decimal Syst...

In the 80s and 90s, successful standup comedians were given their own shows. Actually that still happens today. So when a sitcom was developed for George Carlin, one of the greatest standups of all time, clearly this show was going to be a big deal. Clearly it was going to be a hit…right? Brynn, Aaron and Barry hop in a cab, head down Broadway Avenue to The Moylan Tavern, grab a seat at the bar an...

We have an exciting announcement about That Was a Show? Season 3... In the style of a 90s network television interstitial promo! Starting in Season 3, we'll be releasing episodes on specific dates: the 1st and 15th of each month. This will begin with our season premiere on February 15th, with an episode about The George Carlin Show! Oh and on that note, we will now try to announce the show being c...

Brynn, Aaron & Barry celebrate the end of an incredible 2nd season of That Was a Show? They watch and review three very successful sitcoms from the 90s that may or may not be forgotten today…and you’ll have to listen to find out which ones! They also present the 2nd annual TWASies Awards to some of the shows and characters discovered over the past year—including the Baddest Badaptation Award,...

Maybe This Time WAS a show. This 1995 sitcom is about the comings and goings of a family owned coffee shop, and stars the likes of Marie Osmond, Ashley Johnson, Any Hill, Craig Ferguson, and saving the best for last here, Betty White! It’s part sarcastic gen-x hangout show and part saccharine kid-friendly family show a la TGIF. Brynn, Aaron and Barry grab a seat at the counter, order a cookie and...

Ned and Stacey WAS a show. He’s a fast talking advertising exec with no scruples. She’s a down on her luck journalist stuck living with her parents. To get a promotion, he needs a wife. To get on with her life, she needs an apartment. What if… they got married? So what if they completely hate each other? Join Brynn, Aaron and Barry as they ‘will they won’t they’ their way through another rom com....

In this special bonus feature episode, Brynn & Aaron examine the attempted spinoff of The Nanny called The Chatterbox , which never made it past a failed backdoor pilot. This show could be described as The Nanny (without Fran Drescher) meets Dirty Dancing (without heart) meets Cheers (without jokes) and set in a hair salon in deep Queens. Email: thatwasashow@aol.com (Because 90s AOL still exis...

Gloria WAS a show. This 1983 sitcom was a spin-off of a spin-off from the iconic All In The Family universe...but without Norman Lear and Carroll O'Connor. It does have lots of cute animals and the delightful Sally Struthers. Brynn, Aaron and Barry enter this doomed story world by watching not one but TWO pilots to decide whether it should be a part of the Archie Bunker cannon. Email: thatwasashow...

Hudson Street WAS a show. Tony Danza plays yet another character named Tony in this story about a divorced police detective in Hoboken, New Jersey. Finally ready to give love another chance, Tony gets set up on a date with newspaper writer Melanie, played by Lori Loughlin. The catch? He’s a tough-on-crime conservative, and she…pretty much just believes in basic civil liberties and due process. In...

Baby Talk WAS a show. She’s a single mother looking for love; he’s a baby whose thoughts we can hear. That’s uh, that’s pretty much it. It’s Baby Talk! Join Brynn, Aaron and Barry, as they try to goo-goo gah-gah their way through this 90s dud that also featured the glorious hair of George Clooney. Email: thatwasashow@aol.com (Because 90s AOL still exists for some reason!) Visit our new website! th...

Free Spirit WAS a show. A single dad struggles to balance his at-home law practice with raising three kids. When his youngest son casually wishes for someone who’ll pay more attention to him, a witch named Winnie literally drops from the sky into their lives. Dad doesn’t know she’s a supernatural being and hires her as a housekeeper, nanny, mother figure, and possibly a love interest? Yikes is rig...

Phenom WAS a show. This 90s family sitcom featured a teenage tennis champ, a Carly Simon song, and Catholic guilt. It had a stacked cast of TV ringers, including Judith Light and William Devane, PLUS top-notch comedy writers! So what happened? Lots of people liked it—especially eight-year-old Brynn! The gang has a rowdy discussion about this series and the "racket" of show business. Email: thatwas...

In this special bonus episode, Brynn & Aaron rewind the old VHS collection, and look back at the show It’s Your Move from Season 1, Episode 17 of the podcast. They watch another episode to shine even more light on this edgy 1984 dark comedy. Email: thatwasashow@aol.com (Because 90s AOL still exists for some reason!) Visit our new website! thatwasashow.com Leave us a voice message at anchor.fm/...

Something Wilder WAS a show. This harmless family sitcom was developed as a vehicle for the Hollywood legend Gene Wilder. Join Brynn, Aaron & Barry as they make their way through this Gene Pick . Email: thatwasashow@aol.com (Because 90s AOL still exists for some reason!) Visit our new website! thatwasashow.com Leave us a voice message at anchor.fm/thatwasashow and it might make it into a futur...

One Of The Boys WAS a show. What do you get when you bring together Dana Carvey in his first starring role, Nathan Lane in his first starring role, music and acting icon Scatman Crothers, and cap it off with the vaudeville stylings of Hollywood legend Mickey Rooney? Turns out not a lot. This 1982 sitcom is about an energetic senior who ditches the nursing home (where he inexplicably lives because...

Ferris Bueller WAS a show. The iconic John Hughes classic about high school rebellion from 1986 was reimagined as a sitcom in 1990. Matthew Broderick was replaced by Charlie Schlatter who, much like the Ferris of the film, often breaks the 4th wall to address the audience—only this Ferris is also explicitly aware of the existence of the film, for which he has an apparent disdain. This show also fe...

Working Girl WAS a show. It was a successful 1988 Mike Nichols movie first, and then naturally they rebooted it as a sitcom two years later. Both working girls are ambitious, from Staten Island, and bop around Manhattan in white sneakers. One of them has "mall bangs" and one does not. One is Melanie Griffith, and one is a pre- Speed Sandra Bullock. Brynn, Aaron and Barry have a lively discussion a...

A League of Their Own WAS a show. Welcome to the first episode in our “BadAptation” series—the 1992 film “A League of Their Own” was adapted into a sitcom with the same title and premise a mere one year later in 1993. The film was a box office and critical success! The sitcom…lasted 6 episodes, and only 5 aired. That might sound kind of sad, but remember, there’s no crying in baseball! Email: that...

2021 WAS a year. We look back on some of our favourite—and least favourite—shows, characters, tropes, sets and other sitcom artifacts from our reviews over the past year. Brynn, Aaron & Barry each give their pick for 20 different categories in this lightning round bonus episode. Happy New Year and thanks for listening! Email: thatwasashow@aol.com (Because 90s AOL still exists for some reason!)...

Well, it’s that time of year again! Brynn, Aaron & Barry had a classy little holiday office party to celebrate another year of podcasting. They discuss Christmas episodes of two shows from the 90s that they recall fondly: Boy Meets World and Seinfeld … and then they watch a Christmas episode from one of the failed or forgotten shows they reviewed earlier in 2021. Which one? It’s a surprise! Em...

Good Advice WAS a show. She’s a marriage counselor going through a divorce. He’s a divorce attorney who can’t settle down. They’re sharing an office, but can they share…a heart? Join Brynn, Aaron & Barry as they schedule an appointment and try to get some Good Advice! Email: thatwasashow@aol.com (Because 90s AOL still exists for some reason!) Leave us a voice message at anchor.fm/thatwasashow...

Everything’s Relative WAS a show. We’re not joking—there’s another failed sitcom with this title. This one was created by Mitchell Hurwitz, and spoiler, not much happens in it. Brynn, Aaron & Barry have a great time talking about this show, but more fun talking about Arrested Development. Plus Aaron misremembers/fabricates another memory like he did with the premise of the John Larroquette Sho...

Everything’s Relative WAS a show. Before he became known for his iconic role as George Costanza, Jason Alexander made his television comedy debut on Everything’s Relative. This odd-couple style show is about two brothers living in a fancy SoHo loft. Alexander plays the recently divorced older brother Julian Beeby, alongside his construction worker and ‘ladies man’ younger brother Scott. Together t...

Camp Wilder WAS a show. In this 1992 sitcom, after the death of her parents a 28 year old single mother moves back to her hometown to be the guardian of her two teenage siblings. Because of her young age and laissez-faire style of parenting, the house becomes a safe haven for a gaggle of teens. Join Brynn, Aaron & Barry as they find out what it’s like to hang out at Camp Wilder. Email: thatwas...

Rachel Gunn R.N. WAS a show. This early 90s comedy featured the most unprofessional hospital staff in television history, a lot of former Chippendales guys, an inexplicable amount of dancing, and Batman before he was Batman. Tune in as Brynn, Aaron & Barry try to diagnose this ill-fated sitcom. Email: thatwasashow@aol.com (Because 90s AOL still exists for some reason!) Leave us a voice message...