The It Was a Thing on TV Podcast Network

The Little Rascals shorts were very popular in syndication during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, to the extent that NBC ordered an animated Christmas special based on the shorts in 1979. Spanky and Porky have to retrieve a coat that their mother sold with the help of the gang, but all sorts of hilarity ensue. Can the gang get Spanky and Porky's mother's coat back in time for Christmas?

As we have done for years, we let you, the listeners, decide which of three series will be covered through our Viewer's Choice vote.  You have spoken loud and clear that you want us to talk about a live action kid's show from 1976 where a science teacher has a little sip from The Fountain of Youth while visiting Florida.  At that moment, he gained the ability to become a younger version of himself, but had no control over when the transformation happened.  The trademark Sherwood Schwartz hilarity definitely ensued.

Health clubs and aerobics were all the rage in the early 80s, thanks to Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons.  Eventually, this trend was bound to hit scripted television.  It did, in comedic form with Leslie Nielsen playing a former health show host turned health club owner.  Alas, this show didn't pump up the viewership and its membership was cancelled after just 5 episodes.

With the enduring success of a TV series comes the inevitable spinoff.  The first spinoff of Cheers was this entry about Carla's ex and his new trophy wife, and Carla's two kids.  13 episodes later, it was clear the spinoff went to the wrong character, something which would be righted years later.

We're giving you a double dose of McLean Stevenson today, on his 98th birthday.  Next is a very short-lived show with McLean playing a conservative priest who clashes often with a liberally-minded nun.  After 5 low-rated episodes, CBS was having nun of it.

In honor of McLean Stevenson's 98th birthday, we re-examine one of the first shows we covered, one synonymous with NBC's troubles in the late 70s and early 80s, but also one synonymous with Stevenson's failures post-M*A*S*H.  With more visual evidence of the show available, we take a second look at if Hello Larry was that bad, or if it was a victim of circumstance.

Last year, we went over TV Guide's 50 Worst Shows of All-Time list from 2001 and thought about which shows should be removed from the list and what shows we would add from the last 20+ years since the list was released.

This year, Mike, Greg, and Chico present their re-rankings of what they think are the 50 Worst Shows of All-Time based on what they kept from TV Guide's 2001 list and what shows they added from Part 1.

For new listeners, you can listen to Part 1 of this special from last year at this link. - https://www.itwasathingontv.com/e/it-was-a-thing-on-tv-presents-tv-guides-50-worst-shows-of-all-time-list-part-1/

Over the years, overweight people were ridiculed on television and in the movies as slow, messy, dumb, lazy, and were often the butt of jokes.  One show avoided those stereotypes, showing a trio of overweight sisters trying to improve themselves health-wise and career-wise, and being empathetic souls looking out for their fellow men.  Credit Babes for attempting to dispel the outdated stereotypes, though the series only lasted a single season.

Our SNL 50th birthday celebration wraps up with a contender to the throne which was a direct rip-off of SNL; the head of ABC admitted as much!  Fridays had its moments, but it sorely missed making recurring characters who would be remembered nowadays.  It also had thrilling guest hosts like Henny Youngman!  Grab a bite to eat, as this is one of our longest shows to date.

In Fall 1975, two different shows named Saturday Night Live premiered--the one we know, albeit without the Live moniker, and this show, a variety/talk show hosted by arguably ABC's biggest personality (and definitely ABC's biggest mouth) at the time.  Despite its deserving role as one of the worst shows in television history, very little footage of this series exists...which may be a good thing.