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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

26 minutes ago
26 minutes ago
In 1999, the World Wrestling Federation and UPN teamed up to give us a network special that would become a regular series later in the fall with WWF SmackDown!
Greg and Dane discuss the newly turned face Rock, the Corporate Ministry, X-Pac and Kane, the black wedding with Stephanie, and so so much more. Listen to this episode because later it will be forbidden by The Undertaker, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

2 days ago
Episode 559--Herndon and Me
2 days ago
2 days ago
In 1983, as Laverne and Shirley came to an end and as Happy Days was wrapping up its run, Garry Marshall came up with this series about high school friends, one of whom became a computer millionaire and the other becoming his assistant. The show came across as more of a showcase of Michael Richards' brand of physical comedy than anything else. The best part of this pilot was the ads before and throughout the show.

3 days ago
Minisode 35--The 1985 NBA Draft Lottery
3 days ago
3 days ago
This week, 40 years ago, the NBA held the first-ever draft lottery in New York City. The seven non-playoff teams from the 1984-85 NBA season watched to see if their team would end up with the services of Georgetown's Patrick Ewing.
However, even 40 years later, controversy continues around this event. Did the NBA happen to rig the draft so that the team in the country's largest market could end up with Ewing? Also, we look at how one of the teams that missed out on Ewing ended up scoring big later in the '85 Draft.

6 days ago
Episode 558--Star Words
6 days ago
6 days ago
The year is 1983. Game shows are rebounding after going through a tough spell from 1980 through 1982. Nipsey Russell, a friend of the genre, is in a period of hosting different shows from different genres. Why not give Nipsey a crack at a game show? CBS and Mark Goodson Productions did just that with at least 3 pilots. Unfortunately for Nipsey but fortunately for passionate game show fans, it appears that CBS passed on Star Words, and opted for one of the most popular games in history, Press Your Luck.

Monday May 12, 2025
Episode 557--The Saint in Manhattan
Monday May 12, 2025
Monday May 12, 2025
25 years after The Saint with Roger Moore first appeared on television, an attempt at a revival was made. As you might imagine since this is pilot month, the reboot was unsuccessful. It was the first pilot ever shown on CBS's Summer Playhouse series. Despite not making past the pilot stage, the show received an overwhelmingly positive review from the home audience.

Sunday May 11, 2025
The Squared Circle Time Machine: Episode 10 - WWF In Your House I
Sunday May 11, 2025
Sunday May 11, 2025
In honor of Mother's Day, Greg and Dane go back 30 years to when the WWF on Mother's Day held the first of a series of budget PPV's. Not only that but the WWF as part of the lead-up to the show advertised that they were giving away a house in Florida to one lucky fan! Make sure Dok Hendrix gets a tee time at the golf course because remember It's Live Pal!

Saturday May 10, 2025
The Best of It Was a Thing on TV: Episode 22 - Doctor Who: Dimensions in Time
Saturday May 10, 2025
Saturday May 10, 2025
With the new season of Doctor Who happening right now on Disney+ and the BBC, we look back at one of our earliest episodes in 2020 when we looked at when Doctor Who did a special crossover with EastEnders in honor of the 30th Anniversary of Doctor Who. Also, Noel Edmonds is involved for some reason.

Thursday May 08, 2025
Episode 556--Rex is Not Your Lawyer
Thursday May 08, 2025
Thursday May 08, 2025
Pilot month resumes with this entry about a lawyer who has a habit of having panic attacks while litigating cases. The cast was loaded. It had potential. Unfortunately, beyond panic attacks, this show had an identity crisis and did not make NBC's fall schedule in 2010.

Monday May 05, 2025
Episode 555--Ewoks and Droids Adventure Hour
Monday May 05, 2025
Monday May 05, 2025
Yesterday, May the Fourth have been with you. Because of the unofficial holiday, this installment will cover a facet of the Star Trek universe. (How many of you checked out after that intentional faux pas?) The Ewoks were the breakout stars of the 3rd released movie of the Star Wars franchise, while droids were a big part of the series from the start. Combine the two in separate Saturday morning cartoon franchises, and that means kids will want the toys, adding gobs of money into several coffers. The cartoons themselves? Typical disposable Saturday morning fare.

Saturday May 03, 2025
The Squared Circle Time Machine: Episode 9 - Paul Bearer's Hits from the Crypt
Saturday May 03, 2025
Saturday May 03, 2025
In the newest edition of "The Squared Circle Time Machine" Greg and Dane return to an old WWF Coliseum Home Video recently uploaded onto the WWE Vault YouTube channel. Paul Bearer in this VHS tape selects some of his favorite matches while giving us a tour of an old theater where he and The Undertaker hang out. Also, we get Stan Lane and Gorilla Monsoon not giving two f**ks who's watching this tape!