The It Was a Thing on TV Podcast Network

We start our 3rd annual pilot month with a look at a potential revival of the Wonder Woman franchise from 2011.  And we thought the worst part was Dr. Phil, Nancy Grace, Jeffrey Toobin and Alan Dershowitz in the first 5 minutes.  This isn't your Lynda Carter Wonder Woman.

It's Mike's birthday and he played his Money in the Bank on this?!  Take three musical brothers who gained a modicum of popularity in the 70s despite having no big musical hits and add a cast of zany characters including the future Unknown Comic.  What do you get?  A repetitive and derivative show which lasted 16 shows.

The Power Rangers franchise has made bank off of taking an existing Japanese series and creatively editing it for an American audience. On one occasion, they took it another step. Was it a parody? Was it a tribute? Who knows? Lost in Translation Week continues with… “Lost & Found in Translation,” the Bad American Dubbing episode.

We start our 2nd annual "Lost in Translation" week with a hit comedy from Australia which bombed in the States in 2008.  Kath and Kim was to be the next big NBC Thursday night comedy.  Despite a plum time slot, a great cast, and a plethora of great guests, it was sent packing after 17 episodes.

Greg and Chico on the latest It Was a Thing on TV Live Show cover one of the big movie hits of last year in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. There's all sorts of fun involving bus battles, floating water, dragons, weird magic creatures and Ben Kingsley being awesome!

If you have Disney+ follow along and hit play right after Greg gives the five second countdown.

Back 219 episodes ago (episode 25, if you can't do the math), we talked about the original reality show with one contestant and everything was created with him in mind.  Now on episode 244, we're talking about the sequel with new actors, twice the Schmoes, and a falcon.

Due to some mature subject matter, listener discretion is advised.

Without question, Lucille Ball is a legend.  Unfortunately, even legends make missteps.  Life with Lucy in 1986 was Lucy's misstep.  Thirteen episodes were shot and only eight aired. In this episode, we look at the reasons why this misfired, was it because ABC was that desperate for a hit? was it because audiences were weary of Lucy's physical comedy at her age? was it because the executives were afraid to say no to Lucy?

On a lighter note, enjoy our discussion of a Pre-Life Goes On Kelle Martin on Card Sharks in 1986.

It's Presidents' Day 2022 weekend and to honor it here on It Was a Thing on TV, we are finally releasing on our Podbean feed the Director's Cut of one of our longest and most researched episodes "The Bicentennial Minute".

We have included over 20 minutes of new material that was either missed or left on the cutting room floor in the original version of the episode. In this Director's Cut, you'll learn from one of the producers of the segment about how the ideas from some of the segments came about.

Also, enjoy Greg performing a Bicentennial Minute if Tony Curtis recorded it in the style of "Hollywood Babylon".

April 1975: Janet Leigh (Partial) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tWIoa1lhuk

One of this podcast's favorite people is Chris Elliott.  Post-Letterman, Elliott starred in the FOX sitcom Get a Life.  While hilarious and brilliant, it might have been a little too out there, even for the hip and relatively new network. This episode has been Handsome Boy approved.

With only The Office and Parks & Recreation leading off its comedy portfolio, NBC would put their fortunes in a sitcom manned by producers for both (and one from How I Met Your Mother) would come together to form a Voltron of the next great sitcom. So... how come nobody watched "Abby's"? Belly up to the bar as we try and answer this question.