The It Was a Thing on TV Podcast Network

In prior episodes, we have talked about the first two iterations of The Joe Schmo Show.  While it is an often funny and unpredictable format, one can't go to the well with that format too often, due to the familiarity of the personnel and the wacky (and suspicious) scenarios which unfold.  After a hiatus of over a decade, the format returned with the same host, the same crazy situations, actors trying to sell their characters, and Lorenzo Lamas?  Wearing next to nothing?!

In the late 90s and early 2000s, one of the surprise cult classic hit TV shows was the original Iron Chef from Japan.  Naturally, an American network had to take their stab at a domestic version.  The end result was two episodes where William Shatner got more screen time than the food itself.  Unfortunately, the charm of the original version was lost in translation when it originally went across the Pacific.

Before two victories in "The Big Game", before almost all of his Pro Bowl nominations, and before his current squeeze (you know who), Travis Kelce looked for love on a reality program.  Catching Kelce didn't catch on with viewers and neither did Kelce's catch on the series.  What would Taylor say?

In honor of what would have been Bob Barker's 100th birthday on the 12th of December, we talk about one of his lesser-known ventures.

In 1980, both ABC and NBC had popular reality shows in the forms of That's Incredible! and Real People, respectively.  CBS wanted a piece of this reality action.  The result was a show somewhat based on a title which was successful for the network for almost 20 years.

Due to language, listener discretion is advised.

It's that time of the year when kids are going back to school.  In this installment, we look at a Canadian reality show where the roles are reversed--the teenagers are the teachers and the adults are the students.  It's time to do some learning on Skooled.

And for the first time in podcast history, we talk to someone who took part in the show, about his Skooled experiences among other things.

National Sex Day is happening on Friday of this week!  (6/9...nice)  We're doing three episodes with related titles, though only this episode is really about the act itself.  This short-lived WeTV entry could be summed up as sex therapy in The Cube.  We advise listener discretion.

The concept of home videos shows originated in Japan in the late 1980s and branched out all around the world.  In 1992 in Australia, a show aired which used footage deemed too racy or of questionable taste, titled Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos.  It didn't make it through one airing.  Fast forward to 2019, where a similar version was tried in America, titled Videos After Dark.  At least that ran for the full airing.

Due to language and questionable content, listener discretion is advised.

In 2019, we introduced you to Charles Stiles and his show Mystery Diners.  As an early Christmas gift to you, we're revisiting the world of Mystery Diners by looking at 15 more installments of one of our favorite series.  Sorry, no more drones.  We have a roller cam this time!

We previously talked about the 1990 MLB All-Star Game, with its long rain delay.  Now, we're talking about what happened during that delay.  CBS fired up an episode of its freshman hit Rescue 911.  It was a bit of an odd selection, maybe more so because this episode had a gruesome event, during a jovial event (The All-Star Game.)

Back 219 episodes ago (episode 25, if you can't do the math), we talked about the original reality show with one contestant and everything was created with him in mind.  Now on episode 244, we're talking about the sequel with new actors, twice the Schmoes, and a falcon.

Due to some mature subject matter, listener discretion is advised.