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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
2 hours ago
Episode 463--(Filmation's) Ghostbusters
2 hours ago
2 hours ago
Earlier in March, the movie Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire hit theaters. To mark the occasion, we re-released episode 216, about the unrelated show The Ghost Busters from 1975, earlier this week. In addition, this episode is about the unrelated to the hit movie franchise yet also a continuation of the original TV series (Filmation's) Ghostbusters, where the two main characters' kids continue their dads' business.
Thursday Mar 07, 2024
Episode 460--Days Like These
Thursday Mar 07, 2024
Thursday Mar 07, 2024
The annual Lost in Translation episodes start with another British adaptation of a beloved American sitcom. Despite American scripts being localized for a UK audience, Days Like These didn't click. Maybe it needed a catchy phrase in its opening like "Hello Luton!"
Monday Mar 04, 2024
Episode 459--Easy Street
Monday Mar 04, 2024
Monday Mar 04, 2024
Hugh Wilson and Loni Anderson worked together on a popular series in the late 70s and early 80s, WKRP in Cincinnati. They tried to parlay that magic into another series four years after WKRP's end, one where a former showgirl, played by Anderson, married her wealthy husband, who died. When you're battling family members who want that money, life isn't so easy on Easy Street.
Thursday Feb 29, 2024
Episode 458--The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley
Thursday Feb 29, 2024
Thursday Feb 29, 2024
Mike's birthday is this weekend and he played his Money in the Bank on this short-lived cartoon that, while absolutely hilarious, aired at the wrong time slot and/or aired either a few years early or a few years late. Celebrate Mike's birthday by getting completely mental with Ed Grimley and those in his universe.
Monday Feb 26, 2024
Episode 457--Charlie & Company
Monday Feb 26, 2024
Monday Feb 26, 2024
Black History Month 2024 concludes with a comedy starring a comedic legend, trying to capitalize on the success of a similar show on another network. Despite pulling the stops to make it popular including adding a familiar face later in its sole season, Charlie & Company is just a footnote in history.
Thursday Feb 22, 2024
Episode 456--Baby...I'm Back!
Thursday Feb 22, 2024
Thursday Feb 22, 2024
Demond Wilson's first post-Sanford and Son role was in this series, as a husband who abandoned his wife and family for seven years and was legally declared dead. Not only was Wilson back on TV after a short time away, but baby, he's back for his family.
Thursday Feb 15, 2024
Episode 454--Cleghorne!
Thursday Feb 15, 2024
Thursday Feb 15, 2024
Ellen Cleghorne was a groundbreaking talent when she was on Saturday Night Live. The WB gave her her own show, which was gone in months. Was the problem that Cleghorne! was on The WB, or was it something else?
Tuesday Feb 13, 2024
Episode 453--Frank's Place
Tuesday Feb 13, 2024
Tuesday Feb 13, 2024
CBS' most hyped show in 1987-88 was Frank's Place, about an academic who inherits a New Orleans restaurant. There was so much publicity for it that its two main stars hosted CBS' series of unsold pilots in Summer 1987. Despite the hype and critical acclaim, it was done in a season. There was one big name who admits to liking it and recording it.
Monday Feb 05, 2024
Episode 451--Where's Huddles?
Monday Feb 05, 2024
Monday Feb 05, 2024
We are a week away from The Big Game and, as always, we have some good content lined up. First up, in a similar spirit to The Flintstones and The Jetsons, Hanna/Barbera created a cartoon about the work and home lives of a family. This time, as you'd expect this week, the husband was a quarterback on a football team. Where's Huddles? aired in Summer 1970, then in non-primetime reruns the following year.
Thursday Jan 25, 2024
Episode 448--Hail to the Chief
Thursday Jan 25, 2024
Thursday Jan 25, 2024
In 1984, history was made after Geraldine Ferraro became the first woman to be on a major party Presidential ticket. Possibly piggybacking on this historic occasion, the people behind Soap developed a show about a female President trying to balance her work life with running the most powerful country in the world. After a short run, this entry didn't get a second term, and its replacement became one of the iconic sitcoms of the 1980s.