Show Me The Franchise

This week, Fred and Tom pour themselves a couple glasses of sherry while they muse over the popular TV show, "Frasier". They welcome back Mike Schwantz to help discuss all the highlights and history, dating back to Kelsey Grammer's first turn as Frasier Crane on "Cheers", and all the way through the 22 years that followed of him playing the character into the eponymously-named spinoff series. ****...

On this week's episode, Fred and Tom pile up the orange chicken while they chat about the food court staple turned drive-thru fast food chain, Panda Express! Together they go through the history dating back to its origins as the sit-down chain, Panda Inn, and discuss nutritional facts, best bites, LTO possibilities, and more! ******************************** Check out our Linktree to find all of o...

On this week's episode, Fred and Tom gear up for an early Father's Day celebration by discussing dad-related topics with their improv comedy group, the Father Figures ! They are joined by Joe Francisco, Scott Vollmer, and Tony Berg to talk about dad jokes, dad rock, dad meals, and even their favorite fictional dads! And if you're listening live with the podcast, you can catch them all on Saturday...

We're BACK! This week, Fred and Tom prepare for judgment day and the rise of the machines while they discuss AI...er, we mean...the Terminator franchise! They welcome back Peter Intile to help cover the sci-fi/action blockbusters by "time-traveling" back to James Cameron's first installment in 1984, and from there talk about all the highlights and what-could-have-beens through the sequels, theme p...

This week, Fred and Tom take a trip to Neverland and think happy thoughts while they discuss the timeless story that refuses to grow up: Peter Pan! They welcome in Milwaukee-area radio host and performer, Joel Dresang ( @joeldresang ), to help cover the long history of the story, spanning all the way back to J.M. Barrie's original play in 1904. From there, they talk about all the highlights and st...

This week, Fred and Tom ham it up while they discuss the long history of pig-centric movies. Together they rank a list of films starring many of Hollywood's most famous pigs, including the "Three Little Pigs," Wilbur from "Charlotte's Web," and all the way through "Babe" and his journey into the city. ******************************** Check out our Linktree to find all of our social links and contr...

This week, Fred and Tom grab a sandwich and ice cream combo from the restaurant chain, The Chocolate Factory! They welcome back Milwaukee comedian Vince Figueroa ( @vince.figueroa ) to talk about the history of the restaurant, spanning from its original Cedarburg location to the now nine locations in Southeast Wisconsin, as well as their favorite sandwiches, ice cream flavors, and more! **********...

This week, Fred and Tom talk about the importance of being Ernest – Ernest P. Worrell, that is. They welcome in Milwaukee comedian Mike Kauth ( Kauthshows ) to talk about all things Ernest, including Jim Varney's pre-Ernest days, his time as a commercial pitchman, the original Touchstone Pictures run, and all the way through the direct-to-video classics. We hope this episode will inspire you to al...

This week, Fred and Tom celebrate the biggest milestone of the podcast to date: their 100th episode! From Star Wars to McDonald's and all the way down to pickles and soda, they reflect back on all the episodes that helped get them to this point, as well as take a look ahead at what's to come for the next hundred episodes and beyond! ******************************** Check out our Linktree to find a...

This week, Fred and Tom settle in for their fifth annual episode of celebrating the best movies of the past year! From "Sinners" and "Marty Supreme" to "One Battle After Another" and "Frankenstein", they pick their favorite snubs and Oscar nominees from 2025, as well as give their predictions for this year's Academy Awards. ******************************** Check out our Linktree to find all of our...

This week, Fred and Tom look back at a packed year for TV and streaming as they pick their favorite shows from the year 2025! From Apple TV+ to Disney+ and HBO...Max (+Hulu, if you have the bundle), they discuss their favorite shows from every streaming service and network from throughout the year, including the performances from those shows, as well as pick their favorite classic TV show from any...

This week, Fred and Tom pay homage to the legacy and career of the late, great Rob Reiner. They discuss his history spanning from his acting career to the movies he directed, while highlighting their favorites along the way, including “The Princess Bride”, “This is Spinal Tap”, “When Harry Met Sally”, “Misery”, and more. ******************************** Check out our Linktree to find all of our so...

This week, Fred and Tom get a little "cheesy" as they cook up a tasty episode all about cheeseburgers! In their fifth annual blind-taste tournament, they search for the best cheeseburger from five different fast food chains: Hardee's, McDonald's, Burger King, Culver's, and Wendy's. They welcome back comedians Jasmine Gonzalez and Joe Francisco to rank all of their sandwiches from each these popula...

In this episode, Fred and Tom send out seasons greetings and good cheer by discussing classic holiday music! Together they pick their favorite holiday songs from over the years and why they persevere even today. ******************************** Check out our Linktree to find all of our social links and contribute to our virtual tip jar. You can email the podcast at: showmethefranchisepodcast@gmail...

This week, Fred and Tom get ready to 'sleigh' this holiday season as they discuss the Tim Allen-led franchise, "The Santa Clause"! They welcome in local comedian Rachel Glassford to help them dive deep into the fine print surrounding the three movies and the latest streaming series, "The Clauses", as well as talk about the best fits and what could have been from this now 30-year old franchise. ***...

This week, Fred and Tom pay homage to the original franchise podcast, which focuses solely on chain restaurants, Doughboys! They welcome in the dining critic for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Rachel Seis , to help them break down the best episodes, the podcast’s lore, and list their favorite bits involving the “Spoonman” Mike Mitchell, Nick “Tiger” Wiger, the Dais, and more! ********************...

This week, Fred and Tom get 'real' down and dirty as they discuss the many franchises of the Real Housewives reality TV series! They welcome in local personality Erin Frank ( WUWM ) to help break down the history, the latest drama, and the best fights involving the housewives of New York, Beverly Hills, Salt Lake City, and more! ******************************** Check out our Linktree to find all o...

This week, Fred and Tom raise the 'stakes' this week as they discuss the classic supernatural TV series, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"! They welcome in comedian Shannon Joslyn ( Sports Bra Comedy ) and musician Jay Joslyn ( Large Print , Lifetime Achievement Award ) to help break down the history, highlights and what could have been/what could be from the adventures of a world-saving cheerleader livi...

This week, Fred and Tom dive into the heart of the Halloween season by discussing the doll with looks that could kill – Chucky! They welcome back comedian Jon Waldbauer ( Midnite Show ) to help break down the history and highlights of the infamous slasher toy voiced by Brad Dourif, from his first appearance in "Child's Play" to his most recent eponymously named TV series, "Chucky". ***************...

This week, Fred and Tom pop some bottles and enjoy a cool discussion about the classic domestic beers from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They welcome back local journalist Tyler Maas from the Milwaukee Record to help break down the history of brewing in Milwaukee from the era of the beer barons to today, and then "draft" their favorite cold ones from all the beers that helped make Milwaukee famous. ******...

This week, Fred and Tom discuss the long-standing animated TV show about an animated family we all know and (mostly?) love: The Simpsons! They welcome in Milwaukee comedian, Kyle Pacynski, to help break down the history, highlights, and what could have been from the TV series developed by Matt Groening, including the movie, the games, the merchandise, and more! ******************************** Che...

Cowabunga! This week, Fred and Tom come out of their shells to discuss the high-kicking, wide-sprawling franchise, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Together they break down history and highlights of the heroes in a half shell by discussing all the TMNT-themed comic books, TV shows, movies, video games, toys, and more! ******************************** Check out our Linktree to find all of our social l...

This week, Fred and Tom rev up their podcast to 88 mph to take a trip back in time to the movie franchise, "Back to the Future"! To help celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release for the first film, they welcome in Milwaukee comedian Mike Schwantz to help break down the history, highlights an what could have been for the timeless movie series (that's also "out of time"!) from the brains of Rob...

On this week’s episode, Fred and Tom highlight the man who brought us “Happy Gilmore”, “The Chanukah Song”, and “Hotel Transylvania”: Adam Sandler! Together they follow his history from SNL to Hollywood, talk about what roles he could have taken, and rank their top 5 favorite films from the Sandman. ******************************** Check out our Linktree to find all of our social links and contrib...

On the exciting conclusion to this two-part event, Fred and Tom ask comedian Mike Durante to trust them, one last time...and bring home the discussion of the rest of the Mission: Impossible movies! The fuse has already been lit, so strap in and get ready for the final action-packed sequence! ******************************** Check out our Linktree to find all of our social links and contribute to o...