Episodes
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All good things must come to and end as this is the Season 8 finale. But, we're going out with a bang as we take a close look at the (kind of?) classic sitcom, Bosom Buddies. Was it a little too "out there" and farcical? Yes. Did it die a quick death? Yes. Did it launch some epic careers? You bet! Tom Hanks, Peter Scolari, Wendie Jo Sperber, Holland Taylor, and Telma Hopkins to name a few. Oh yeah, and Dan Aykroyd's wife, Donna Dixon. So, sit back, put on your favorite blouse and enjoy the pilot episode of Bosom Buddies.
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My book is finally here and available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/09jGbH3d
After years of writing down every thought I've ever had about 1980s television, my book is finally complete and on its way to you! It's a 750 page opus that I think you will love! If you are already an 80s TV aficionado, I promise you will earn even more. If you have zero interest in 80s TV, I promise you'll laugh your ass off. This book is for everyone and I am super proud of it. Enjoy this mini episode.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086655225035
https://www.facebook.com/groups/937129426047912
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Missing episodes?
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My book is finally here and available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/09jGbH3d
After years of writing down every thought I've ever had about 1980s television, my book is finally complete and on its way to you! It's a 750 page opus that I think you will love! If you are already an 80s TV aficionado, I promise you will earn even more. If you have zero interest in 80s TV, I promise you'll laugh your ass off. This book is for everyone and I am super proud of it. Enjoy this mini episode.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086655225035
https://www.facebook.com/groups/937129426047912
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My book is coming! After years of writing down every thought I've ever had about 1980s television, my book is finally complete and on its way to you! It's a 750 page opus that I think you will love! If you are already an 80s TV aficionado, I promise you will earn even more. If you have zero interest in 80s TV, I promise you'll laugh your ass off. This book is for everyone and I am super proud of it. Enjoy this mini episode.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086655225035
https://www.facebook.com/groups/937129426047912
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Before there was SNL, there was NBC's Saturday Night. There was also Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell (Don't worry, it will all make sense when you listen to the episode). There's nothing I can say about SNL that hasn't been said already, so sit back, relax, and let me tell you about the first episode, how it came about, how it was cast, and how half of Hollywood takes credits for helping Lorne create it. Like success, SNL has many fathers. Apparently.
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If it weren't for this series, I would probably be frying fish in my kitchen and burning beans on my grill. Oh boy, do I love this show. Easily the best theme song in sitcom history, and in my not so humble opinion, the best leading man in 70s sitcom history! The Jefferson broke new ground by showcasing an affluent black family achieving the American Dream. As it turns out, money doesn't automatically erase prejudice, social tensions, or personal flaws. Huh. Who knew? Join me as I dissect the pilot and what this series meant to American television. Dry cleaning just got sexy.
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Show of hands. Who enjoys dry humor, ensemble casts, urban blight, and weary sarcasm, most of which is largely confined to one room in a grimy, confined 1970s NYC police precinct? If your hand is raised, than Barney Miller is the television program for you! I love this series and you should too! It's smart, impeccably acted, and funny as hell. However, the pilot was a little underbaked and I'm not sure the producers really knew what they wanted this series to be. So grab a cup of bitter coffee and let's chat about this 70s gem.
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Call me crazy, but this series was likeable as hell and enjoyed a shockingly successful life in syndication. It gave us the big personalities of Fred "Rerun" Berry, Shirley Hemphill, and Danielle Spencer. It also gave us the charisma blackholes that are Ernest Thomas and Haywood Nelson. Never too broad, nor confrontational like a Norman Lear show, this fun little program lived somewhere in the middle. Real, but not too real. Urban, but not too urban. And good, but not too good. Enjoy the podcast! Hey Hey Hey!!
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"Chico, don't get discouraged, the Man he ain't so hard to understand." Ah...Chico and the Man. I have to admit, this was a really fun rewatch. Freddie Prinze was full of charm and optimism and Jack Albertson was...well...Jack Albertson. This show isn't talked about as much as it should be as it was cut short for obvious reasons. In a TV Landscape dominated by Norman Lear, this series was "controversy light". It shined a light on urban blight, blue collar struggles, and racial clashes in a very easy to swallow pill. So, sit back and enjoy while I give 'ol Chico the credit he deserves.
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This was a listener request and I was glad to deliver! Bob Newhart is a comedy legend and this pilot episode is arguably one of the best pilots I've ever watched. Watching our guy Bob weave his way through life all calm and collected while everyone around him is batshit crazy is...well...comedy gold. Newhart's comedy is seamlessly translated into a sitcom format and the supporting cast is superb. Watch it, enjoy it, and then let me know how right I am!
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"Come and knock on our door"...Oh boy, did I love this show as a kid! Suzanne Somers, sexual innuendo, misunderstandings...did I say Suzanne Somers? Let's face it, this was not meant to be a thinking man's series, nor a critical darling (although it was nominated for tons of Emmy and Golden Globe Awards). Rather, this was a fun, escapist show chock full o' horny young adults. That said, the writing was sharp, the acting was solid, and...it had Suzanne Somers! Enjoy.
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Taxi. The series that gave brought legends into our living rooms: Judd Hirsch, Danny DeVito, Andy Kaufman, and Christopher Lloyd. It's also the series that started Tony Danza down a path of only playing characters named Tony. Join me as I explore Taxi's shared DNA with the Mary Tyler Moore Universe and how it paved the way for it's illegitimate child, Cheers. A sweet mixture of humor and unfulfilled dreams. Enjoy.
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Yes, it's another Fanacek episode about a show you probably don't enjoy, but you absolutely must revisit this pilot as it is almost as batshit crazy as the rest of the series. Mr. Drummond plays white savior to two black orphans who just lost their mother. Lucky for them, they don't have a chance to grieve because Mr. D is "shaking hands like a brother", showering them with toys and a pony, and offering a soak in his jacuzzi. What could have been an interesting commentary on loss and racial divides became this cotton candy descent into lunacy. Enjoy.
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That's right. The Golden Girls. The horniest show in television history...and maybe, pound for pound the "jokiest" show in television history. Take a ride with me as I travel back in time to discuss the pilot episode of this series while also examining the television and cultural landscape in which it was birthed. Yep. I said birthed. Enjoy.
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"Boy the way Glen Miller played. Songs that made the hit parade.. Guys like us we had it made. Those were the days". Ahh...a classic intro for a classic show. This season I will be focusing on pilot episodes of classic television shows and there is no better pilot episode to start with than 1971's "Meet the Bunkers". Three different pilots were filmed before Norman Lear finally perfected this recipe of stellar writing, perfect acting, and...controversy. Archie Bunker would soon become a lightning rod for debates about bigotry, tradition, and change and America would love every minute of it. Join me and a returning guest as we dissect the episode and discuss how it has aged and how it is still shockingly relevant. So, stifle yourself and play the damn episode.
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Welcome to 2026, folks! I'm starting the year off with a bang by bringing back author Thom Shubilla. Thom's new book, "King Kong Versus Godzilla" explores the origins of King Kong, Godzilla, and dozens of other movie monsters as Kong and Godzilla make their way toward their inevitable showdown in the 1962 classic film, King Kong vs. Godzilla. During our chat, we'll also explore Kong and Godzilla exploitation films, the rise of monsters films on television, the aborted Batman vs Godzilla movie, the various marketing campaigns used to promote the films, and King Kong becoming a Green Lantern! The book is great, the author is great, and I hope you enjoy the interview. Happy New Year!
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Sure, the character of Cousin Eddie is a definite Hall of Famer and a Christmas staple...but what abut the actor playing him? Let's dive into the resume of Mr. Quaid and take a close look at the legendary directors and fellow actors he's worked with during his 50+ year career. We'll also chitchat about his tumultuous personal life while also discussing my personal connection to Not Another Teen Movie, Chuck Bronson not being a "fun" guy, the craziness that is The World According to Garp, the girl I dumped in 7th grade, my experience with Independence Day, and my Elvis audition that never happened. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Like the shitter, my heart is full.
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Ahh...Thanksgiving season...the gateway to Christmas. A time for family, food, booze, football, and the Peanuts gang! This special has become a staple of my family's Thanksgiving season, and probably yours as well, so why not take a look at the young folks who lent their voices to this 1973 classic? Along the way, we'll also chat about Jeremy Miller, taking my 11 year old to Las Vegas, Jay and Silent Bob, MetLife, and meeting Martin Kove! Happy Thanksgiving, folks.
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More Fanacek and more Warren Oates! What could be better than that? This episode will pick up where we left off and look at Warren's late 60s credits before he crushes it in the 1970s. Warren also began the 80s with a bang, but sadly he died young at the age of 53 on April 3, 1982. Come with me as I dive into his resume to determine if he is a card carrying Hall of Famer!
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Warren Oates. You either LOVE him or have no effing clue who he is. Either way, you need to join me as we journey through his credits to determine his Hall of Fame eligibility. Part 1 focuses on his early TV years as he guests on dozens of western TV shows like The Rifleman, The Westerner, Johnny Ringo, and Trackdown. In only his fist few years of screen acting, Warren shares the screen with legends like James Coburn, Charlton Heston, and Robert Culp. More importantly, he forges a friendship with Sam Peckinpah that will soon begin to pay major dividends. Enjoy!
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