The It Was a Thing on TV Podcast Network

Greg saw this commercial one day and felt it was deserving of a minisode. Did you ever feel the Metaverse deserved it's own law firm? We didn't either. You can view the commercial at this link. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmDaT1hnDlw

Chico's birthday is coming up and he's playing his Money in the Bank on this gem from the 1980s with twins.  One is good and the other is troublesome...at least in the first season.  Also, Greg comes up with an idea for a prequel for Jake and the Fatman.

Recorded on Monday on Stream Lounge, Greg records this special live episode of It Was a Thing on TV Presents discussing big things in his life over the last week while watching an old WWF Boston Garden House Show from 1986 on Peacock. Link to the episode of WWE Old School on Peacock to follow along with Greg. - https://www.peacocktv.com/watch/playback/vod/GMO_00000000381023_01/78d1563a-8edf-34ca-8...

Later this month, a long awaited reboot of Night Court will debut.  In honor of the event, we are going back to a show which could be considered the inspiration for the original Night Court.  Sirota's Court has a similar feel, but it only lasted several months in 1976 and 1977.  There were reasons, including a controversial plot line and going up against the biggest miniseries ever. 

There have been a variety of shows with puppets which have been successful--The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, ALF, Thunderbirds, and Fraggle Rock, to name a few.  CBS tried their hand with a puppet-centric show with Scorch, about a dragon who slept for 100 years before waking up in 1992 Connecticut.

January 4 was National Trivia Day.  In honor of the event, we look at a Japanese show which made the translation to American television about weird and wonderful trivia.  Give a listen to Hey! Spring of Trivia and there may be some melon bread in it for you, and the melon bread is shaped like a brain.

Today, New Japan Pro Wrestling has its annual January 4th supershow at the Tokyo Dome in Wrestle Kingdom 17. In celebration, Greg and Chico record their first live show with Peacock as they look at WCW Starrcade 1995, which features New Japan taking on World Championship Wrestling in the World Cup of Wrestling! Also, Sting, Lex Luger and Ric Flair battle in a triangle match, with the winner meetin...

40 years ago today (the day this episode became available), there were four landmark events on daytime television in a two-hour span.  Three game shows (Sale of the Century, Hit Man, and Just Men!) premiered and what is undoubtedly The Price is Right's most famous pricing game, Plinko, debuted.

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.

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

What started in 1985 as a popular Christmas toy tradition at a midwest department store, Santabear became so popular that two years later, CBS gave him his own primetime special on Christmas Eve 1987. Santabear must help the residents of the South Pole discover the magic of Christmas while facing off with Santa's former helper Bullybear. With the help of a lady bear named Missy, Santabear goes on...

In 2019, we introduced you to Charles Stiles and his show Mystery Diners.  As an early Christmas gift to you, we're revisiting the world of Mystery Diners by looking at 15 more installments of one of our favorite series.  Sorry, no more drones.  We have a roller cam this time!

We have brought you shows on Hulk Hogan commercials, Ric Flair commercials, and three separate installments of Hometown Commercials.  Our early Christmas present to you is a look at ads for something everybody wanted under the tree from 1979 to 1982--the Atari 2600 VCS, and games for the system.   Atari 2600 Commercial (December, 1977) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJNbhekKShI Atari VCS Commer...

When a character in a series is popular, networks want to ride that character's popularity as long as possible.  When ABC canceled Three's Company, the network retained Jack Tripper, but placed him in a new series with a new love...and her father.  Hilarity tried to ensue.

Traditional daytime TV shows were on the decline in the early 1990s, in an era ushered by Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Jenny Jones.  The Joker's Wild in 1990 tried to rejuvenate a show which showed its age in the mid-80s, in an era where it was handily beaten by Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!  The core of the game drastically changed but kind of reverted to its original format, but it was too...

The Facts of Life is one of NBC's big hits from the 1980s and a true sitcom classic. But there was a time where not only was it unbelievably different, it was in danger of being canceled after the first four episodes! Join the guys as they talk about the first season and how & why half of the cast were forced out of Eastland Academy.

Discussed back in Episode 16, Greg and Chico give The Star Wars Holiday Special it's due by revisiting it in a special live show. We cover everything from Itchy's holographic boner to Art Carney to Jefferson Starship to the Boba Fett cartoon. We even cover that Flying High commercial where Pam had that great layover with Bobby Sherman! May the Force be with you and Happy Life Day!   Video to follo...

It's 1985 and ABC wants to capitalize on Cagney & Lacey and Hill Street Blues, which were big hits on other networks...but let's make them married!  MacGruder and Loud premiered after "The Big Game" in 1985, but barely made it to Spring 1985.

Reg Grundy was on a hot streak in the mid-1980s with Sale of the Century and Scrabble.  (See what we did there?)  NBC took a chance on a third Grundy show, which was a blatant ripoff of The Price is Right with history.  After 16 weeks, 2 different formats, and 3 versions of the final round, this show, like its subject matter, became history.  But we did get John Davidson's first game show hosting...

It's the holiday season brother! In the latest Live Show, Greg and Chico watch the 1996 movie "Santa With Muscles" where the Hulkster plays an insane health food pitchman who gets amensia and now thinks he's Santa Claus! The Hulkster then has to save an Orphanage from a germophobic Ed Begley Jr.! It's up to the Hulkster to save Garrett Morris, Robin Curtis and young Mila Kunis from the Zodiac kill...

Not to be confused with its slashless namesake, E/R had two people in common with the more popular show, including a young George Clooney.  The cast was diverse and talented, but this wonder lasted just a season after much early promise.  You can't blame George for this one.

It's the week after Thanksgiving and we're getting rid of our holiday leftovers.  Hot Potato was a Family Feud ripoff, but with better technology and the dean of hosts.  Unfortunately, this potato's shelf life was very short, becoming a celebrity show in 13 weeks, with outright cancellation a few months later.

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...

For our second Thanksgiving episode this year, we watch this NBC special hosted by comedian Alan King from 1980. Alan along with Dick Van Patten, McLean Stevenson and Angie Dickinson try to help us answer the question that's on our minds this season "what have we got to be thankful for?"

It's an It Was a Thing annual tradition!  For the 4th straight year, we're celebrating Thanksgiving by watching balloons down Broadway, Pat Sajak & Stepfanie Kramer calling the action from Herald Square, and guests including Phyllis Diller and the Lawrence Brothers. Superman!  What happened to you this year? Amateur video from the 1986 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (Thomas Kerwick on YouTube) - h...