
86.3K
Downloads
572
Episodes
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

Monday Jul 10, 2023
It Was a Thing on TV Presents: Before the Show 2
Monday Jul 10, 2023
Monday Jul 10, 2023
We did this for the first time last November. So much stuff happened in the last week that we decided to do it again. In this "Before the Show" conversation, among other things, we talk about what might be the greatest episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the start of Threads, "Super" SNES games, and Secret Invasion on Disney+.

Saturday Apr 08, 2023
It Was a Thing on TV Instant Reaction--The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Saturday Apr 08, 2023
Saturday Apr 08, 2023
This weekend Universal Pictures, Illumination and Nintendo released the long anticipated Super Mario Bros. Movie in theaters. Chico finally got a chance to see it and gives his thoughts about it. Was it faithful to the game series? Let's a go listen!

Thursday Mar 30, 2023
Episode 363--NES and Super NES Commercials
Thursday Mar 30, 2023
Thursday Mar 30, 2023
In honor of the upcoming release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie in theaters next week, we present this episode dedicated to commercials to our favorite 8-bit and 16-bit systems.
NES Commercials
NES “Will You Be the One” with Rob and the Zapper (1985) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-CwI14vaL0
NES “You Are About to Come Face to Face” (1986) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gP1XYki8Ew
NES “Will You Be the One” Commercial with Super Mario (1986) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uSOESHNhHY
NES “What Will the Future Bring?” (1986) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMroWPYQD9A
The Legend of Zelda Rap Commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c17DYpe1APU
Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! Commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72Z6PW9HhFY
Konami NES Commercial (1987) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_dNjJKsBOI
RBI Baseball from Tengen (1988) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXkv2Y_d_yA
NES Power Set with Power Pad (1988) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdXW5i1cjXY
Top Gun from Konami - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNtnyivyK-M
Anticipation Commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KXTqPKXi2o
Super Mario Bros. 2 Commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-oxEaddsUY
Acclaim Remote Controller - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cyZZIcdQCQ
Double Player System from Acclaim - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWMwfJ5hEO4
Tetris from Nintendo (1989) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUeQttn23Rk
Back to the Future from LJN (1989) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEtdLs85J4k
Power Glove from Mattel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Po1IfM6nA6s
DuckTales from Capcom - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zroYGD7iGV4
WWF WrestleMania from Acclaim - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BOmloRumKI
WWF WrestleMania Challenge UK Commercial (Nintendo World News) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLEypfdVMT4
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSaHaIAYBgU
Supersonic The Joystick from Camerica - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxPoD2V6B7U
Fester’s Quest - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEOPztGblf4
Little Nemo the Dream Master from Capcom (1990) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNoAujWCIPM
Bases Loaded II Second Season from Jaleco - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqRR7eJSWxA
Super Mario Bros. 3 Commercial (1990) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZex2enPtNs
StarTropics from Nintendo (1991) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CE-pOTbrrA
Star Wars from JVC (1991) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zetkiWhvi8c
Game Genie from Galoob - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4wwXyKFeFA
Super NES Commercials
Toys R Us Super NES Commercial with Alan Kalter Voiceover - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUpKdkZ6QZo
Super NES Commercial with Paul Rudd (1992) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSBFw93V3Rg
Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Commercial (JPN) - https://youtu.be/cjpHzLYHkwA
Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Commercial (US) - https://youtu.be/7yjfTQ009ms
F-Zero commercial - https://youtu.be/c_i2caefzJ0
Street Fighter 2 Turbo commercials (JPN) - https://youtu.be/zmc1p3e0hc8
The same (Edited for the US market) - https://youtu.be/Eg-VGKEPNMw
Super Mario Kart commercial - https://youtu.be/5Wxklxi1lGs
Super Mario All-Stars commercial - https://youtu.be/XSiciyc20Sc
Super NES/Pepsi commercial with Bo Jackson - https://youtu.be/DBwbQU_3My0
StarFox Commercial - https://youtu.be/8FTZD-lljaU
Super Scope 6 commercial - https://youtu.be/CtvFZhwoGCE
SNES Super Set Commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw8g9I3fHD8
Turbo Touch 360 Commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOYmnTTwp8g
TMNT Tournament Fighters - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMVyN6qQA7Y
Final Fantasy III commercial (or Final Fantasy VI if you want to get super official about it) - https://youtu.be/hk5RLCIhtMo
Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball Commercial with Cito Gaston - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnFEBLSwHt8
Super Punch-Out!! Commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4lkRbAyhMo
Troy Aikman NFL Football - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_eTdrhTSdM
Super Mario RPG Commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOzVQUOgSnk
Yoshi’s Island Commercial -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFHUyqDBmZQ
SNES 1996 “Now $99” Commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNPtCVzBNyQ

Thursday Dec 22, 2022
Episode 334--Atari 2600 Commercials
Thursday Dec 22, 2022
Thursday Dec 22, 2022
We have brought you shows on Hulk Hogan commercials, Ric Flair commercials, and three separate installments of Hometown Commercials. Our early Christmas present to you is a look at ads for something everybody wanted under the tree from 1979 to 1982--the Atari 2600 VCS, and games for the system.
Atari 2600 Commercial (December, 1977) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJNbhekKShI
Atari VCS Commercial with Pete Rose, Pele and Don Knotts - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hs34_7_kC64
Atari VCS Commercial with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Carol Channing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lexverCcFFk
1978 Atari Commercial with Billie Jean King, Bobby Riggs and Jack Palance - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ary-G-GYO60
Space Invaders (1980) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ct_I2C_9Kf8
Kaboom - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkNztWEVxD4
Activision Ice Hockey with Phil Hartman - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=celKZ-vwsCc
RealSports Baseball with Billy Martin - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SI7zqsVoas
Atari Test Facility commercial with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Mario Andretti and Pele - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0cSWi1V_wI
Laser Blast (1981) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SWzv
Atari Toys R Us Asteroids Commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFciGLGHiY4
Sears 1981 Christmas Commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqBlPdz0G-M
Atari we don’t need a babysitter commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krGlnXY4HaY
Atari UK Commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMLhvlAxsPw
Beany Bopper (1982) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OK5COuF6xg
Spider-Man (1982) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-usbQDfTIqE
Pac-Man Commercial with Mr. Hooper!!! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxsUCRSoUrE
Solar Fox with Jane Krakowski - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgUTq5pL3gE
Pole Position - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhRIneQFmHA
Ms. Pac-Man with Don Pardo voiceover - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKM5-k8uD7Q
Ms. Pac-Man Australian Commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp1CKap2v28
Donkey Kong (1982) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzFCXfjuNjI
Donkey Kong Jr. (1983) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNTpXX43QxY
Dig Dug (1983) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VFjbPlq_nw
Pitfall! with Jack Black - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfLgSdAAHMA
Moon Patrol - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1fp8g3yimU
Sega Star Trek with Ernie Anderson voiceover - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28r4iGf7M98
Atari Sesame Street Commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnQrQE4Y6Ow
Atari Christmas 1983 Commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z2nyvfJDwk
1984 Atari 2600 Commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1ZLov8Xne0
Urban General Atari 2600 Commercial (1984) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLryP7IrM1A
1986 Atari 2600 Commercial (The Fun is Back) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp1CbPpaWKw

Wednesday Jun 08, 2022
It Was a Thing on TV Presents (06.08.22)
Wednesday Jun 08, 2022
Wednesday Jun 08, 2022
In an experimental solo episode that Greg does somewhat live from his car after work, Greg talks about the shows he's been watching so far as the summer starts to heat up.
Greg talks about the new season of Stranger Things along with Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+. He also talks about how he thinks the finale of Barry Season 3 will go down.
Afterwards, Greg looks ahead talking about future episodes of the podcast along with memories of playing NES including Bases Loaded, Dusty Diamond's All-Star Softball and that horrid LJN Back to the Future Game.

Thursday Jan 13, 2022
Episode 232--It Had a Pinball Machine, Volume 2
Thursday Jan 13, 2022
Thursday Jan 13, 2022
We're back with our second (and likely last) edition of the pinball machine show. We talk about 9 more TV-themed pinball machines, mainly from the last 15 years.

Monday Sep 27, 2021
Episode 201--The Video Game Show, Part 3: The Final Insult
Monday Sep 27, 2021
Monday Sep 27, 2021
One of our most popular series of shows is back for a third (and final?) installment. The three of us look at more video game adaptions of TV shows, one going back almost 40 years. Grab your controller and press start on The Video Game Show, Part 3.

Thursday Jun 10, 2021
Episode 170--It Had a Pinball Machine
Thursday Jun 10, 2021
Thursday Jun 10, 2021
We have had two episodes devoted to TV themed video games (with a third coming in the future) and we have done a trading card show. Now, we venture into pinball machines, virtual and real.
1988 Monday Night Football pinball open: https://youtu.be/C8Lpd0R1keM?t=19
Doctor Who Pinball Tutorial (PAPA Pinball): https://youtu.be/iawmrs69jrQ

Sunday Apr 04, 2021
Episode 120–The Video Game Show, Part 2: Electric Boogaloo (Director’s Cut)
Sunday Apr 04, 2021
Sunday Apr 04, 2021
As an Easter gift to you our fans, we present our third Director's Cut episodes originally released on Place to be Nation POP for you to enjoy. This time we bring to you the Director's Cut of The Video Game Show, Part 2.
We've added fifteen minutes of additional material in this episode as we go in-depth on some of the questionable choices for helmets in ABC Monday Night Football on Super NES along with looking at YouTube playthroughs of The Price is Right for DOS and Thunder in Paradise on CD-i.

Monday Mar 08, 2021
Episode 142--The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
Monday Mar 08, 2021
Monday Mar 08, 2021
Happy Mario Day this Wednesday! (Get it, MAR10?) We pay our respects to this non-holiday by looking at the unforgettable Super Mario Bros. Super Show! One of us never watched this on Fridays for reasons.
Just a note there were some audio issues during the recording of this and the next episode with hot mics, they've mostly been fixed in post, but they'll show up at a few points here and there.