It Was a Thing on TV: An Anthology on Forgotten Television

In honor of Conan O'Brien's TBS show coming to an end, we're devoting most of the next two weeks to the legend.  We start at the beginning, with the first episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien.  He was nervous, he was unfinished, but some of what was seen was the Conan O'Brien comedy fans would love for over a quarter century.

The First Episode of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q471WB5Tgw

Conan O'Brien on Late Night with David Letterman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJKKy2X4mb0&t=939s

We have had two episodes devoted to TV themed video games (with a third coming in the future) and we have done a trading card show.  Now, we venture into pinball machines, virtual and real.

1988 Monday Night Football pinball open:  https://youtu.be/C8Lpd0R1keM?t=19

Doctor Who Pinball Tutorial (PAPA Pinball): https://youtu.be/iawmrs69jrQ

Misfits of Science might have been a little ahead of its time.  It sort of resembles a show from 20 years later, Heroes.  It had a cushy time slot between Knight Rider and Miami Vice.  Yet, it was still gone by February of 1986.  At least one of its stars went on to much bigger and better things.

The Story & Tragedies of The Misfits of Science (Toy Galaxy) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fupb6I07Xtk

The first half of the remastered series wraps up with Episode 12 looking at show favorite McLean Stevenson and his 1979-80 NBC vehicle Hello, Larry. In this episode, the crew tries to find reasons as to why this show was considered one of the worst shows ever and if it was justified.

Put Hulkamania in a Baywatch setting with a boat like KITT but also like the TARDIS and it will bring the viewers!  But it didn't.  Thunder in Paradise lasted one season, but it ran long enough or was popular enough to justify a CD-i game.  If you listen to nothing else, listen to the last 15 minutes (starting at 1:07:05) about what happened to the boat.

Now You See It is another beloved Goodson-Todman classic that doesn't get enough credit, partially due to a year run, then a 15-week return fourteen years later.  But OMG, those sets, those hosts, and that music.  We also talk about the 1985 pilot hosted by Jack Clark.

It's time to take a visit back north of the border for the latest episode of the remastered series. This time we go back to Episode 11 and Pitfall. A Canadian game show that ended up stiffing everybody from Alex Trebek to the contestants.

A week and a half before the official series premiere of The Cube, all three of us watched a sneak peek episode after TNT's coverage of the NBA playoffs.  Going in, at least one of us had high expectations for this much anticipated series.  Were we left fulfilled after the show?  Enjoy the first episode of this long-running UK series.

Generally, we do not cover shows that ran as long as this one.  (Hello, Charles Stiles Mystery Diners.)  We could not avoid this show because of its two leads--the legendary Christopher Plummer and It Was a Thing on TV favorite Simon MacCorkindale.

Press Your Luck is back for another season and just like last year we're doing a special live show for the start of Season 3. Enjoy as we finally learn just what the heck a Flokati Rug is, what we'd do with a hot dog cart and figure out why Dan O'Toole did an awkward run-in on our live show thanks to Greg hitting the wrong button on his phone.