The It Was a Thing on TV Podcast Network

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

9Ses2U

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

When a character in a series is popular, networks want to ride that character's popularity as long as possible.  When ABC canceled Three's Company, the network retained Jack Tripper, but placed him in a new series with a new love...and her father.  Hilarity tried to ensue.

Traditional daytime TV shows were on the decline in the early 1990s, in an era ushered by Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, and Jenny Jones.  The Joker's Wild in 1990 tried to rejuvenate a show which showed its age in the mid-80s, in an era where it was handily beaten by Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!  The core of the game drastically changed but kind of reverted to its original format, but it was too late.

The Facts of Life is one of NBC's big hits from the 1980s and a true sitcom classic. But there was a time where not only was it unbelievably different, it was in danger of being canceled after the first four episodes! Join the guys as they talk about the first season and how & why half of the cast were forced out of Eastland Academy.

Discussed back in Episode 16, Greg and Chico give The Star Wars Holiday Special it's due by revisiting it in a special live show.

We cover everything from Itchy's holographic boner to Art Carney to Jefferson Starship to the Boba Fett cartoon. We even cover that Flying High commercial where Pam had that great layover with Bobby Sherman!

May the Force be with you and Happy Life Day!

Video to follow along (sync to 0:48 and pause before Greg gives the five second countdown) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8MrPe6i5YU

It's 1985 and ABC wants to capitalize on Cagney & Lacey and Hill Street Blues, which were big hits on other networks...but let's make them married!  MacGruder and Loud premiered after "The Big Game" in 1985, but barely made it to Spring 1985.

Reg Grundy was on a hot streak in the mid-1980s with Sale of the Century and Scrabble.  (See what we did there?)  NBC took a chance on a third Grundy show, which was a blatant ripoff of The Price is Right with history.  After 16 weeks, 2 different formats, and 3 versions of the final round, this show, like its subject matter, became history.  But we did get John Davidson's first game show hosting gig.

It's the holiday season brother! In the latest Live Show, Greg and Chico watch the 1996 movie "Santa With Muscles" where the Hulkster plays an insane health food pitchman who gets amensia and now thinks he's Santa Claus! The Hulkster then has to save an Orphanage from a germophobic Ed Begley Jr.!

It's up to the Hulkster to save Garrett Morris, Robin Curtis and young Mila Kunis from the Zodiac killer brother!

Not to be confused with its slashless namesake, E/R had two people in common with the more popular show, including a young George Clooney.  The cast was diverse and talented, but this wonder lasted just a season after much early promise.  You can't blame George for this one.

It's the week after Thanksgiving and we're getting rid of our holiday leftovers.  Hot Potato was a Family Feud ripoff, but with better technology and the dean of hosts.  Unfortunately, this potato's shelf life was very short, becoming a celebrity show in 13 weeks, with outright cancellation a few months later.