The It Was a Thing on TV Podcast Network

We're showing off our patriotic side this week as we near the United States' 245th birthday with a look at some of the best and the worst renditions of The Star Spangled Banner.  The good are iconic.  Some of the bad are iconic as well, for all the wrong reasons.  Stay to the end for a little rant about an episode from last week.

Pat Morita was a star in the late 80s, thanks to two Karate Kid movies.  He got the title role in this ABC police procedural.  Ultimately, Ohara got his butt kicked by, in part, 4 old ladies who lived in Miami.

1995 was a tough time for baseball, in the middle of a strike and using replacement players in spring training.  Andy Richter lightened the mood by visiting the Mets in Port St. Lucie, FL, interviewing replacement players, informing people about the real St. Lucie, and visiting Butterfly World.

Also, we meet, the man, the myth, the legend, DIESEL!

Our tribute to Conan O'Brien continues with his rough and all too brief era hosting The Tonight Show back in 2009. We look at some of the memorible moments of this era of Conan from the Twitter Tracker to Shatner recites Palin to In The Year 3000.

All in all, Jeff Zucker did Conan real dirty, all because of a certain Mr. Black (Not THAT one, the OTHER one). You all know who we're talking about.

Houston's NBC affiliate did Conan real dirty, airing his show at 2:40 AM local time for a period.  Conan went deep in the heart of Texas to see it for himself, and encountered some interesting characters in the process.

Complete segment:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQs_oRJtcno

In 1997, Conan O'Brien had an audience of just kids.  What kind of mayhem could happen?  Just don't end up in Naughty Land and don't awaken the Boredom Monster.

Complete episode on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFHKnq5MQb0

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.