The It Was a Thing on TV Podcast Network

Before returning you to your regular universe, we have two more visits in the Sanford and Son family--the very short-lived series which replaced the parent show, titled Sanford Arms, and an early 80s attempt to revive the franchise in Sanford.

Over the next two episodes, we will explore the three spinoffs of Sanford and Son, as well as the show which caused Sanford and Son to end.  In part one, we look at the first spinoff, Grady, as well as the show which effectively killed the mothership, The Redd Foxx Comedy Hour.

This episode and the next may have low volumes.  Some of our microphones acted really weird when we recorded.  We're sorry about that.

When late 80s family sitcoms and wrestling overlap, the end result is the short-lived Canadian entry Learning the Ropes, starring Lyle Alzado.  We also determine the Canadian equivalents of TV shows it seems everything goes back to.

M*A*S*H is one of television's most popular shows ever, yet its spinoff AfterMASH lasted less than a season and a half.  Was it too derivative from the parent show's plot?  Did it just run its course?

We're going back to school with three shows from early 1979, which tried capitalizing off the success of Animal House.  All three were busts, though each show produced quality future talent.  Also in this show, Mr. Whipple typecasting and ZIPPER?!

Who doesn't enjoy late night television's comedy bits between the monologue and the first guest?  We like them so much, we are devoting episodes to such segments which we affectionately call "shows within the show."  Our first look at late night shows within the show is David Letterman, running the gamut from a troubled teen who is clearly not a troubled teen, to a spoof of one of the most popular and controversial shows of the day.

The CW will start airing reruns of the amazing UK version of Taskmaster, starting on Sunday, August 2.  It isn't the first appearance of the creative competition show.  Comedy Central had a series of 8 episodes in 2018 which quickly disappeared.  If it's so good, what happened?

Two families tied together through relationships struggle with each other on an ABC sitcom in the early 80s.  Where have we heard that?  Soap, but also this entry from people who brought you Soap--the McLean Stevenson vehicle Condo.  Could this series have gotten a popular emcee his iconic hosting gig?

This show is likely the most bizarre show we will cover.  Greg took copious notes on each of the 20 episodes of this Adult Swim series which makes Aqua Teen Hunger Force look straight-laced.

Warning:  The language is inappropriate occasionally in this episode.

14 years after prior installment When Things Were Rotten, Mel Brooks returned to TV with The Nutt House.  It had Mel Brooks behind it.  It had Cloris Leachman.  It had Harvey Korman.  Yet it lasted all of 5 episodes.