The It Was a Thing on TV Podcast Network

In 1984, the same year horror master Wes Craven gave us "A Nightmare on Elm Street" he directed this ABC TV Movie starring Robert Urich, Joanna Cassidy, and Erica Kane herself Susan Lucci.

In this made-for, Susan plays a devilish dame who tries to tempt ol' Spenser for Hire with power if he can just join this hot country club that just about everyone at his company works for. Join us on an Invitation to Hell!

We're two short weeks from the pinnacle of the spooky season, so we're pulling out Halloween-themed shows.  First, while not spooky in any way, Child's Play shares its name with a well-known horror movie franchise from later in the 80s.  Besides being Bill Cullen's last show with Mark Goodson, it may be better known for being replaced by the game which typified the 80s, Press Your Luck.

Almost a decade after the animated version we covered in episode 417, there was a live-action version of Police Academy, 8 years after the franchise's last nationwide theatrical release.  Unlike the animated show, personalities from the Police Academy movies made appearances.  After a season, the powers that be opted to put these cops on desk duty.

(NOTE: We couldn't photoshop the Police Academy logo in the 90's TV so we had to use the Widescreen TV logo and filtered the Police Academy logo as if you were watching a VHS tape on an HDTV.)

A favorite comedy movie franchise around these parts is the Police Academy series.  Between installments 5 and 6, an animated series aired in syndication, following the exploits of those crazy cops...and talking police dogs?!  All the characters from the series appeared, but with none of their movie talent counterparts.

In the 70s, Sherwood Schwartz had an idea to introduce a couple with a multiethnic group of kids. The ahead-of-its-time idea was revisited in the mid 80s, but would anybody watch it? And what happens when nobody watches it? On this episode, we break down the strange case of “Together We Stand”…. Or “Nothing is Easy”.

We conclude our trifecta of Dabney Coleman shows by looking back at a show which was a complete contrast to the last two entries, where Coleman played an irritable, cantankerous TV host and an irritable, cantankerous sportswriter.  This time, Coleman portrays an irritable, cantankerous 5th grade teacher.

Dabney Colemania continues with another series fronted by Dabney.  Unlike Buffalo Bill where he played an irritable, cantankerous TV host, Dabney played an irritable, cantankerous sportswriter.  Like Buffalo Bill, The "Slap" Maxwell Story was a critical favorite.  Also like Buffalo Bill, the ratings were not good.

Like Schuckapalooza last year, we're devoting a number of episodes to an actor, this time Dabney Coleman.  First up is a show which didn't get many viewers, despite praise from critics.  It's a show that, after cancellation, Brandon Tartikoff said was one of his biggest regrets.  Coleman plays the prickly title character in the 80s classic Buffalo Bill.

In our third edition of Before the Show, Mike busts open a box of Topps Allen and Ginter 2023 and goes over with Greg some of the various cards in this year's set.

Afterward, Chico joins Mike and Greg for the second half of the show as they discuss the programming (or lack of) on the soon-to-be defunct Longhorn Network including an annual Christmas tradition involving the University of Texas' mascot Bevo.

Finally, Mike talks about his trip last weekend to Buffalo to see Marc Summers' one-man show.

Post-Head of the Class, the person who replaced Howard Hesseman was given a second chance, on another series where he played an educator.  This educator, however, had some issues, the least of which was living with one of his students and the largest of which was living with her to remain in the United States.