Fanacek

Remember when there was a definitive line between movie actors and television actors?  Movie actors were at the top of the food chain while TV actors were bottom feeders.  Prestige TV and streaming services have changed that forever, but in the 80s it was a still very real divide.  The next several episodes will look at actors in the 80s who did both.  Some did it well, some crashed and burned, an...

I spend more time on the IMDb app than any human being should.  I love pausing whatever I'm watching to look it up on IMDb and study the cast, trivia, filming locations, etc.  I call these my little rabbit holes and this episode of the podcast is a journey through forgotten TV shows and movies that started when I thought I recognized actor Mark Blankfield from a Saved By The Bell episode.  This so...

More 80s!  More Movies!  More failed TV shows!  This week we're looking at some almost classic Sci-Fi films that became short lived TV shows like Starman and Alien Nation.  We also discuss The Outsiders and do a head to head comparison between the iconic cast of The Outsiders movie and that of Fast Times at Ridgemont High.  We'll also go down the rabbit hole that I call Baby Boom and my feelings t...

I know I know.  I covered some of this stuff in Season 2.  Well, I'm not done covering it, so sit back, kick off your Roos and pop open a Diet Rite while I dissect and poke fun at some classic 80s movies that became not-so-classic 80s TV shows.  We'll explore the cast of Ferris Bueller and how they couldn't fill the shoes of the O.G. cast.  I'll try and explain the rationale behind Ron Howard's Gu...

I love Quentin Tarantino.  Hell, I devoted an entire season of the show to my favorite movie of all time, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood.  So imagine my surprise in 2023 when I came across a podcast called The Church of Tarantino.  It made me want to be an altar boy again!  The Church of Tarantino dives deep into QT's films by focusing on scenes, characters, QT's inspirations, and everything else i...

Thom Shubilla is an author and his new book kicks ass!  James Bond and the Sixties Spy Craze takes us on an in depth journey of film and television's obsession with spies in the 1960s.  We start with James Bond in 1962's Dr. No and weave our way through the rest of the 60s Bond movies.  But you can't stop there because 'ol 007 inspired countless wannabes in spoof films, international films, and so...

There was so much weird stuff going on in some of our favorite 80s TV shows and this episode is gonna shine a little light on some of my favorite questionable choices exposing a few of my favorite things that make you go hmmm... We'll start with The A-Team's willy nilly approach to remaining incognito, and ALF having complete freedom to roam the house.  We'll also get frisky while discussing Al Bu...

It's arrived!  The finale of my three part series, Keeping House.  This episode will take a close look at two iconic 80s sitcoms that, surprisingly, did not feature housekeepers.  First up is The Golden Girls.  I'm not sure how these four ladies kept their house so clean and they're wardrobes so pristine without some hired help.  What I am sure of, though, is that these ladies liked men and the me...

Woo Hoo!  More 80s!  More sitcoms!  More housekeepers!  This week I'm focusing on two shows about strange men moving in and cleaning house!  The first is the Tony Danza classic, Who's The Boss?  A rich, single mom allows a strange New Yorker to move in and sleep only a few feet away from she and her son.  Interesting.  We'll also take a look at Charles In Charge, which is Like Who's The Boss if To...

Keeping with Season 5's 80s theme, I'm now gonna start taking a look at 80s sitcoms that heavily featured housekeepers.  We'll examine the role they played in the families and identify if they were needed, if they took too many liberties, whether or nor they were surrogate parents, and even if they were any good at actually cleaning the house.  Part 1 will start with Diff'rent Strokes, Gimme A Bre...

This is it, listeners.  I have completed the most comprehensive search for a new Boof since...well, since ever.  I started with 400+ actors, narrowed it down to about 100, corralled them into categories, and studied each one until I identified the perfect Boof.  It was hard work.  There were times I thought I would quit.  But I persevered.  And now I've reached the finish line.  This is the final...

I know what you're thinking.  "Is he really continuing down this road?  Is he nuts?  How do I unsubscribe?"  I don't blame all of you doubters out there, but I am determined to get this thing done.  Who would have been the perfect Boof??  In this episode we will discuss candidates that are scary and possibly bat shit crazy.  We'll opine over some candidates who are "friendly".  We'll wax poetic ab...

What's the point of having 24 hours in the day if you can't spend the bulk of them researching actresses who would have elevated the role of Boof in Teen Wolf?  Right?  Who's with me?  Anyone?? This episode explores more women who would have brought some flare prestige to the role.  There's the #teenwolfsowhite category devoted to diversity and inclusion.  How about the "No Wolf, ahh, no part" cat...

Yes, I'm back with more Teen Wolf.  Get used to it.  I am convinced that if Boof had been portrayed by anyone other than Susan Ursitti, Teen Wolf's legacy would be held in higher regarded and it would be cemented as one of the great 80s teen flicks.  Taking a scientific approach, I have identified hundreds of potential actresses who could have been cast.  Dr. Fanacek then filtered out women not bo...

Season 5 of Fanacek is finally here!  I hope you like the 1985 classic Teen Wolf because I'll be devoting a few episodes to this Michael J. Fox tour de force.  For this episode I am joined by a returning guest to break down the history, story, and cast of Teen Wolf.  I grew up on this movie, he had just seen it for the first time.  I think it deserves a greater place in 80s film history, he thinks...

That's a wrap on William Devane and that's a wrap on Season 4!  Fanacek shall return with new content in 2024.  In the meantime, check out this episode and dive deep with me as we wade through Mr. Devane's career in the 90s and 2000s.  I'll walk you through his projects while also chit chatting about my time alone with Michael Richards, OJ Simpson's missing knife, the fraud that is the final seaso...

Yep.  More Fanacek and more Mr. Devane.  We're gonna pick up where we left off in 1978 and take a good hard look at why he never became a bona fide feature film star.  I'll focus mostly on his Knots Landings years (83-93).  While we learn about William Devane's roles, I thought we'd also learn about Tobe Hooper being replaced by the director who once threatened Charles Manson, John "Bud" Carlos. ...

I love William Devane.  I was first introduced to him as Kelly Leak's dad in The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training.  I enjoy him at least once a year when I re-watch Rolling Thunder.  He's done tons of Film & Television and I'll explore most of it.  I will also inundate you with useless shit like Christopher Motisanti's knowledge of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Donna Mills being "buoyant", Hitc...

November 21 marked the 30th anniversary of Bill Bixby's passing.  I'm glad I could honor him with these episodes.  In Part 2, I will finally take the deep dive that we all want...The Incredible Hulk!  I'll also discuss his final TV lead, Goodnight, Beantown, and I'll playfully goof on some of the made for TV movies he pumped out in the 80s.  If you're a Bill Bixby fan, you'll love this.  If you're...

I love Bill Bixby.  He was doin' Marvel shit before doin' Marvel shit was cool.  He had several hit shows of his own...My Favorite Martian, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, The Magician, and of course, the one about a scientist...and gamma radiation...and being overly emotional.  Bill (Mr. Bixby if you're nasty) also did tons of film and TV guest spots and I'll discuss them all.  I'm also gonna th...

So, I've been obsessing about Paul Leder and his apparent Ed Wood approach to filmmaking ever since I stumbled on his work while researching Dick Sargent.  I thought I would do a real time IMDB exploration of his filmography.  It's rough.  Like, seriously bad.  But funny.  I'll take you through each of his films.  I'll also give commentary about the abundance of fistfights on 90210, the time I got...

We're gonna pick up where we left off and 'Ol Vic is gonna hit big with the character that he's best remembered for...Mel Sharples.  We'll also weave our way through his credits of the late 70's and 80's.  Get a pen and paper and take notes, because we're gonna list all of the SUPERSTAR actors he worked with on The Love Boat while also discussing the demise of the band Berlin, the crappy movies pu...

Vic Tayback was such a stud that he deserves TWO episodes of Fanacek.  This is the first and we're gonna discuss his early career from its beginning in 1958 until the end of 1973.  During this time, Vic did classic TV like Rawhide, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., That Girl!, and Mission Impossible.  He also did 3 McQueen movies: Love With A Proper Stranger, Bullitt, and Papillon.  And, like everyone else...

That's right.  We're going "Beyond Bewitched" in our examination of the career of Mr. Dick Sargent.  His 70s and 80s are chock full o' classic TV Shows like The Six Million Dollar Man, McMillan & Wife, Alice, Benson, Baretta, and literally tons more.  We'll explore them all.  We'll also enjoy a massive Paul Leder tangent and take a look at his "not to be confused with King Kong" film Ape.  And...

Ding Ding Ding.  Round 2 Begins.  We're gonna dive and see who had the better 1960s.  I will shine a light on each of their film & television accomplishments.  Along the way, I'm gonna wax poetic about Ida Lupino, Saturday detention, Netflix's "Love", Buying mulch with Matthew Nelson and Pauly Shore's parents.  Attaboy Luther!