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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 Apr 11, 2024
Episode 465--The Baseball Bunch
Thursday Apr 11, 2024
Thursday Apr 11, 2024
Baseball season started a few weeks ago. In honor of the start of a new season of America's pastime, we look back at sports-related edutainment from four decades ago, starring a Hall of Fame backstop, who was joined by a Hall of Fame manager and an iconic character from the game. We have a hunch you'll enjoy The Baseball Bunch.
Tuesday Apr 09, 2024
The Best of It Was a Thing on TV: Episode 138–The Powers of Matthew Star
Tuesday Apr 09, 2024
Tuesday Apr 09, 2024
In memory of Lou Gossett Jr. we bring you our latest "Best of" the time we looked at the 1982-83 NBC show "The Powers of Matthew Star"
It was a show so bad that it almost brought one of us to near tears. Also in what other episode of "It Was a Thing on TV" will you hear us bring up Tommy Heinsohn?
Thursday Apr 04, 2024
Episode 464--How Ken Jennings Almost Didn't Happen
Thursday Apr 04, 2024
Thursday Apr 04, 2024
In honor of the 60th anniversary of Jeopardy! this past Saturday, we talk about how one of the greatest players in the show's history almost didn't happen. A somewhat lenient response and a rule change allowed Ken Jennings to become the show's all-time wins leader and eventually the host of the show.
Tuesday Apr 02, 2024
The Best of It Was a Thing on TV: Episode 50–Tag Team
Tuesday Apr 02, 2024
Tuesday Apr 02, 2024
With WrestleMania XL coming up this weekend in Philadelphia, we are happy to bring to you in this week's "best of" one of our favorite shows we covered in our first Pilot Month back in 2020.
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Jesse "The Body" Ventura play a pair of ex-wrestlers turned cops in an hour of action-packed mayhem! We almost got this as a series if not for financial issues involving the studio that produced this pilot (sigh).
Saturday Mar 30, 2024
Live Show 48–The UFL (2024) Premiere Week
Saturday Mar 30, 2024
Saturday Mar 30, 2024
The merged league that has come out of the USFL and XFL is finally here! Mike and Greg watch some of the action from the new United Football League's first day while finding out about various things like what a former Penn State QB is doing now in 2024, Denver Nuggets Super Mascot Rocky, and Brown Energy!
Don't ask about the Brown Energy.
Thursday Mar 28, 2024
Episode 463--(Filmation's) Ghostbusters
Thursday Mar 28, 2024
Thursday Mar 28, 2024
Earlier in March, the movie Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire hit theaters. To mark the occasion, we re-released episode 216, about the unrelated show The Ghost Busters from 1975, earlier this week. In addition, this episode is about the unrelated to the hit movie franchise yet also a continuation of the original TV series (Filmation's) Ghostbusters, where the two main characters' kids continue their dads' business.
Thursday Mar 21, 2024
Episode 462--Life on Mars (US)
Thursday Mar 21, 2024
Thursday Mar 21, 2024
This year's Lost in Translation block concludes with an import from the UK about a police detective who was hit by a car in 2008, but ends up in 1973 after regaining his consciousness. Life on Mars was part of a powerful ABC Thursday night line-up, but lasted only one season.
Monday Mar 18, 2024
The Best of It Was a Thing on TV: Episode 235–Mr. Bogus
Monday Mar 18, 2024
Monday Mar 18, 2024
Starting on Mondays during the one-a-week's until August we will be airing some of our best episodes from our back catalog.
We look back in this "Best of" on when we met Mr. Bogus and hilarity ensued. Seriously how did this show last three seasons?!?!
Thursday Mar 14, 2024
Episode 461--Iron Chef USA
Thursday Mar 14, 2024
Thursday Mar 14, 2024
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.
Thursday Mar 07, 2024
Episode 460--Days Like These
Thursday Mar 07, 2024
Thursday Mar 07, 2024
The annual Lost in Translation episodes start with another British adaptation of a beloved American sitcom. Despite American scripts being localized for a UK audience, Days Like These didn't click. Maybe it needed a catchy phrase in its opening like "Hello Luton!"