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Partially an oral history of obscure TV shows, partially an oral version of MST3K, and partially a thorough episode guide, It Was a Thing on TV is an anthology podcast about obscure, forgotten, and odd TV shows, commercials, televised events, and almost anyone and anything else that was on television. For the most part, the subjects we cover are from the United States and Canada. We’re just three guys with a love for television. New episodes are generally every Monday and Thursday, sometimes more often.
Episodes
Monday Jun 29, 2020
Episode 71--Herb Abrams' Universal Wrestling Federation
Monday Jun 29, 2020
Monday Jun 29, 2020
In May, our first live show was on the Dark Side of the Ring installment about Herb Abrams. On this episode, we go a bit deeper into this feeble attempt to topple the WWF (now WWE) empire.
Thursday Jun 25, 2020
Episode 70--The Nutt House
Thursday Jun 25, 2020
Thursday Jun 25, 2020
14 years after prior installment When Things Were Rotten, Mel Brooks returned to TV with The Nutt House. It had Mel Brooks behind it. It had Cloris Leachman. It had Harvey Korman. Yet it lasted all of 5 episodes.
Monday Jun 22, 2020
Episode 69--When Things Were Rotten
Monday Jun 22, 2020
Monday Jun 22, 2020
Mel Brooks is a legend, both for his work in film and on television. He had something in Fall 1975 with When Things Were Rotten, but it had rotten luck and a rotten time slot versus two powerhouse shows plus it might have been a little ahead of its time.
Thursday Jun 18, 2020
Episode 68--The Game Show Finales of June 20, 1980 and The David Letterman Show
Thursday Jun 18, 2020
Thursday Jun 18, 2020
This week 40 years ago saw the temporary ends of three game shows, each of which would return to TV by 1987. That week also saw the birth of a legend, though he made his mark in late night. We look at the three NBC game show finales of June 20, 1980 and their replacement, The David Letterman Show in this timely installment of the podcast.
Monday Jun 15, 2020
Episode 67--Break the Bank (every US version)
Monday Jun 15, 2020
Monday Jun 15, 2020
Three completely different shows, one title--Break the Bank. One was good, one was basic, and one was a mess. And how does one Mrs. Mickey Kennedy Branson play a role in all of this?
Thursday Jun 11, 2020
Episode 66--We Got it Made
Thursday Jun 11, 2020
Thursday Jun 11, 2020
We Got It Made was a dog of a show in 1983-84 that NBC tried to get people to watch by having the cast show up on NBC broadcasts. Yet, it got a second season for the Primetime Starts at 7:30 block in 1987.
Monday Jun 08, 2020
Episode 65--Supermarket Sweep, Season 1 in 1990
Monday Jun 08, 2020
Monday Jun 08, 2020
Everybody loves the action and fun on Supermarket Sweep. The show we know and love was quite different in its first season, a bare bones version with some odd additions that didn't last long. Come for the caviar, stay for Mr. Yuk.
Thursday Jun 04, 2020
Episode 64--Open All Night
Thursday Jun 04, 2020
Thursday Jun 04, 2020
This show was brought to our attention by Greg, as he stumbled across a cameo in the 4th episode. Open All Night is not a bad show, just short-lived because it aired on Saturday nights. But that theme song.
Monday Jun 01, 2020
Episode 63--The Moneymaze
Monday Jun 01, 2020
Monday Jun 01, 2020
1975 was an amazing year for game shows, good and gimmicky. One of the gimmicky games involved people running around a giant maze, trying to win cash and prizes. It sounds corny but The Moneymaze is a fun show to watch.
Sunday May 31, 2020
Live Show 2--Press Your Luck, 2nd season premiere
Sunday May 31, 2020
Sunday May 31, 2020
We're back with our second live show, this time while watching the second season premiere of Press Your Luck.