The It Was a Thing on TV Podcast Network

We start our 2nd annual "Lost in Translation" week with a hit comedy from Australia which bombed in the States in 2008.  Kath and Kim was to be the next big NBC Thursday night comedy.  Despite a plum time slot, a great cast, and a plethora of great guests, it was sent packing after 17 episodes.

Without question, Lucille Ball is a legend.  Unfortunately, even legends make missteps.  Life with Lucy in 1986 was Lucy's misstep.  Thirteen episodes were shot and only eight aired. In this episode, we look at the reasons why this misfired, was it because ABC was that desperate for a hit? was it because audiences were weary of Lucy's physical comedy at her age? was it because the executives were afraid to say no to Lucy?

On a lighter note, enjoy our discussion of a Pre-Life Goes On Kelle Martin on Card Sharks in 1986.

One of this podcast's favorite people is Chris Elliott.  Post-Letterman, Elliott starred in the FOX sitcom Get a Life.  While hilarious and brilliant, it might have been a little too out there, even for the hip and relatively new network. This episode has been Handsome Boy approved.

With only The Office and Parks & Recreation leading off its comedy portfolio, NBC would put their fortunes in a sitcom manned by producers for both (and one from How I Met Your Mother) would come together to form a Voltron of the next great sitcom. So... how come nobody watched "Abby's"? Belly up to the bar as we try and answer this question.

It's 2006 and How I Met Your Mother was CBS' sophomore hit featuring 20- and 30-somethings.  Why not follow that with a series with people around the same age who all went to school together decades earlier?  It can't miss!  It did. But at least most of the cast of this show went on to bigger and better things.

Who doesn't love a Lawrence brother?  Who wouldn't love a show with three Lawrence brothers?  Apparently the TV viewing public didn't show it some brotherly love, as this comedy starring three Lawrence brothers lasted two seasons on two separate networks.

We've seen it before--a star almost immediately gets a new show after the end of a popular show.  Shirley Hemphill of What's Happening! was in just this position after the end of that show.  She rebounded with One in a Million with podcast favorites Richard Paul and Carl Ballantine for all of 13 episodes.

We present to you Mike reading from the 2018 literary classic The Golden Girls 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.  Enjoy and happy holidays.

It's another story about a show that premiered after the "Big Game" and died not long after.  The show was in the same vein as Police Squad! and Brooklyn Nine-Nine and it came from Stephen J. Cannell.  But was America ready for an hour-long police comedy?  Obviously not.

We have had this on our list for a while.  A recent YouTube discovery pushed it to the front of the line.  We give you in almost entirely alphabetical order, every guest star on The Love Boat...almost.