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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
Sunday Dec 25, 2022
Sunday Dec 25, 2022
What started in 1985 as a popular Christmas toy tradition at a midwest department store, Santabear became so popular that two years later, CBS gave him his own primetime special on Christmas Eve 1987.
Santabear must help the residents of the South Pole discover the magic of Christmas while facing off with Santa's former helper Bullybear. With the help of a lady bear named Missy, Santabear goes on a high flying adventure to save Christmas for everyone before Bullybear can destroy all the presents.
Seriously, who hires a bear that calls himself Bullybear?
Saturday Dec 24, 2022
Saturday Dec 24, 2022
In 2019, we introduced you to Charles Stiles and his show Mystery Diners. As an early Christmas gift to you, we're revisiting the world of Mystery Diners by looking at 15 more installments of one of our favorite series. Sorry, no more drones. We have a roller cam this time!
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
Monday Dec 19, 2022
Monday Dec 19, 2022
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.
Friday Dec 16, 2022
Friday Dec 16, 2022
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.
Tuesday Dec 13, 2022
Tuesday Dec 13, 2022
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.
Monday Dec 12, 2022
Monday Dec 12, 2022
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
Thursday Dec 08, 2022
Thursday Dec 08, 2022
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.
Monday Dec 05, 2022
Monday Dec 05, 2022
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.
Sunday Dec 04, 2022
Sunday Dec 04, 2022
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!