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Partially an oral history of obscure TV shows, partially an oral version of MST3K, and partially a thorough episode guide, It Was a Thing on TV is an anthology podcast about obscure, forgotten, and odd TV shows, commercials, televised events, and almost anyone and anything else that was on television. For the most part, the subjects we cover are from the United States and Canada. We’re just three guys with a love for television. New episodes are generally every Monday and Thursday, sometimes more often.
Episodes

Thursday Sep 14, 2023
Episode 410--That (Awful) Quiz Show
Thursday Sep 14, 2023
Thursday Sep 14, 2023
On this installment, Greg and Mike talk about an obscure show which ran very briefly in the early 1980s, hosted by a pair of brothers whose biggest claim to fame was being the shortest pair of twins in the world. The pair made some appearances on movies and TV, including a segment on Real People, which was apparently enough to give them this (awful) hosting gig.

Thursday Jul 06, 2023
Episode 394--The Great American Telephone Trivia Game
Thursday Jul 06, 2023
Thursday Jul 06, 2023
Art Fleming, legendary Jeopardy! emcee, made a very brief return to television in the early 90s with The Great American Telephone Trivia Game. Is it an infomercial? Is it a game show? ¿Por qué no los dos? Is it a bunch of hooey? You bet it is, and it cost just $1.95 per minute!
Listener discretion is advised due to language.

Wednesday Jun 07, 2023
Episode 388--Cleverdicks
Wednesday Jun 07, 2023
Wednesday Jun 07, 2023
National Sex Day week rolls on with a British quizzer for the smartest of the smart, where you can earn the title of Cleverdick. It's not fetch happening; we explain that term in the beginning.

Monday May 29, 2023
Episode 386--The Big ShowDown
Monday May 29, 2023
Monday May 29, 2023
The mid-70s was a rotating door of game shows seemingly coming, then going after 13 to 26 weeks. The Big ShowDown was no different, except it was a brilliant dice-themed game of strategy and its host had a memorable entrance on one episode.

Wednesday May 17, 2023
Live Show 42–The Cube Season 2 Premiere
Wednesday May 17, 2023
Wednesday May 17, 2023
After a long, long, long wait, The Cube is finally back for a second season on TBS. In the premiere of Season 2, Gabrielle Union and La-La Anthony try to tackle The Cube which has a whole lot of new challenges for the contestants.

Thursday Apr 27, 2023
Episode 373--Pointless (2017 GSN pilot)
Thursday Apr 27, 2023
Thursday Apr 27, 2023
Pilot Month 2023 starts now! Over the next month or so, we will cover 11 pilots. The first pilot is an American adaptation of a popular British game show. Alison Sweeney and a judge from 25 Words or Less take their shot at Pointless.

Thursday Mar 23, 2023
It Was a Thing on TV Instant Reaction--The March 22, 2023 episode of Jeopardy!
Thursday Mar 23, 2023
Thursday Mar 23, 2023
Because of last night's episode of Jeopardy!, we have a new type of show. Mike felt the need to talk about last night's episode of Jeopardy! and what could be called an historic moment.

Thursday Mar 23, 2023
Episode 361--Small Fortune (US)
Thursday Mar 23, 2023
Thursday Mar 23, 2023
Lost in Translation Week 2023 continues with a small show whose promotion was equally small and, not surprisingly, whose audiences and ratings were just as small. Small Fortune didn't last long in the UK, yet it was still imported to the States where its run was equally short.

Thursday Jan 19, 2023
Episode 342--Tic Tac Dough without Wink Martindale
Thursday Jan 19, 2023
Thursday Jan 19, 2023
One of the most beloved games of the late 70s through the mid-80s was Tic Tac Dough. The show had lives before and after that halcyon period. Unfortunately, it was rigged, hosted by an imbecile, then hosted by a bigger imbecile, and recently went to pilot, but did not get picked up.

Tuesday Jan 03, 2023
Episode 337--January 3, 1983 in game shows
Tuesday Jan 03, 2023
Tuesday Jan 03, 2023
40 years ago today (the day this episode became available), there were four landmark events on daytime television in a two-hour span. Three game shows (Sale of the Century, Hit Man, and Just Men!) premiered and what is undoubtedly The Price is Right's most famous pricing game, Plinko, debuted.