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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
Friday Oct 30, 2020
Friday Oct 30, 2020
We're covering our second baseball episode of the month. In Episode 54 we covered the 2004 reboot pilot of Mister Ed so now we're covering one of our favorite episodes from the original series.
For the show's fourth season premiere in 1963, our favorite horse and Wilbur pay a visit to Dodger Stadium to see their favorite team along with legendary coach Leo Durocher. This episode answers the question can a HAWSE go deep against the great Sandy Koufax?
Thursday Oct 29, 2020
Episode 104–The Paul Lynde Halloween Special
Thursday Oct 29, 2020
Thursday Oct 29, 2020
In our previous episode we discussed Paul Lynde's self-titled sitcom at ABC in 1972-73. After another failed sitcom with Paul in a starring role at ABC, Paul did various guest spots on shows to fulfill his contract with the network. In 1976, Fred Silverman decided to give Paul his own primetime special for Halloween and in true Paul Lynde fashion he made it his own.
Listen as Paul is trapped in a haunted mansion with The Wicked Witch of the West and Wilhemina W. Witchiepoo while having to battle with Tim Conway. Also it's got KISS, Betty White, Billy Barty and Florence Henderson singing disco, how can you go wrong?
Monday Oct 26, 2020
Episode 103–The Paul Lynde Show
Monday Oct 26, 2020
Monday Oct 26, 2020
Paul Lynde is one of the all-time legends of television from his zingers on The Hollywood Squares to playing Uncle Arthur on Bewitched. In 1972 after the cancellation of Bewitched, producer William Asher gave Paul his own self-titled sitcom based on a play that he had performed years earlier. Despite playing against type, he managed to make the best of it, sadly everything else around him didn't work, we look at the reasons why.
Saturday Oct 24, 2020
Episode 102–The Alfred Hitchcock Presents contest on Nick at Nite
Saturday Oct 24, 2020
Saturday Oct 24, 2020
Nick at Nite was a staple of our childhood's back in the 1980's and 1990's. One popular show on the early Nick at Nite lineup was Alfred Hitchcock Presents. It was so popular that the powers that be at Nick at Nite decided to run a marathon on Halloween Week 1990 along with a contest for the viewer to guess how many people kick the bucket during said marathon to win a murder mystery cruise. Also, you're probably wondering why Wink Martindale is involved in this based on the image right?
Accompanying Nick at Nite 35th Anniversary article with some details about this contest via The Retro Network.
https://theretronetwork.com/35-years-of-nick-at-nite/
Thursday Oct 22, 2020
Thursday Oct 22, 2020
In honor of the World Series, we look back at a classic baseball episode of one our favorite shows on the podcast. In 1984, the Chicago Cubs went to their first postseason in almost 40 years and a new NBC sitcom set in the Windy City capitalized on Cubs Fever. In this classic episode of Punky Brewster, Henry has to battle crazed fans, radio call-in contests and scalpers all in an effort to get Punky to see the Cubbies in the playoffs. Also how does someone from one our previous entries get involved in all of this?
Monday Oct 19, 2020
Episode 100–Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour Revisited
Monday Oct 19, 2020
Monday Oct 19, 2020
It Was a Thing on TV proudly celebrates it's 100th episode! In honor of this occasion we're going back to where it all started as we revisit The Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour. We know more about this topic from the reruns on BUZZR than we did around this time a year ago when we started. We look at the different celebrities that appeared on the show, the contestants and many memorable moments over the show's nine months on the air. Also, we've sprinkled many fun audio easter eggs over the course of the 100th show. Thanks to everyone for your support over the last year of this podcast.
Thursday Oct 15, 2020
Episode 99–Kamelion on Doctor Who
Thursday Oct 15, 2020
Thursday Oct 15, 2020
Doctor Who has had many memorable characters in it's almost 60-year history on the BBC. However, not every character can be Sarah Jane Smith, Amy Pond or even K-9. Meet Kamelion, a robot who's apparently not a robot. A character so bad he only appeared in two televised Doctor Who serials but has since appeared in many spin-off Doctor Who books and audio dramas in which some of the plots of them will leave you confused.
On a serious note, our co-host Mike recently had a serious trip to the hospital which we address in the cold open of the episode. To help out with his medical expenses a GoFundMe has been set-up which you can donate to at tinyurl.com/klaussiestrong.
Thursday Oct 01, 2020
Episode 98--Hometown Commercials
Thursday Oct 01, 2020
Thursday Oct 01, 2020
Who doesn't love a good hometown commercial? They're goofy, they're low-budget, they're corny, and often they're viral. We look at over a dozen such ads. Greg also raves about The Sega Channel and Mike talks about his run-in with presumably the star of one of these ads.
Commercials in this episode, in order:
Right Price Furniture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BdDpV5eI94
Ieuter and Secor Insurance Agents: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5l0ZmTLdy-A
TCI Cable Brookhaven: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clxl56hsP2k
Monterey-Salinas Transit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmgpguQbEjQ
Norton Furniture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2z1YroJTRE
Frank Communications: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPaYx8eWWPI
Attorney John Orcutt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7k7nDyzjRY
Shirley Auto Group: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4ub0oB_07M
Mike Slocum, The Alabama Hammer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H1jxzmdWwo
Darryl Isaacs, The Kentucky Hammer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOlYOUzOpOM
2019 Darryl Isaacs Super Bowl commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_LUKFsIpvk
The Hot Tub Factory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg1I8yUlzv8
Cullman Liquidation Center: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-RLqLx1iYI
Eagle Insurance--Eagleman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4-e4nlfdRI
Eagle Insurance--Eaglewoman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kL1QUmeEZQc
Marc Norton Being Born: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd8BrfhASDU