The It Was a Thing on TV Podcast Network

We look at two memorable shows from Fall 1979, albeit memorable for differing reasons.  Beat the Clock was quite a departure from previous versions of that show, and Whew! was funny and engaging but had a confusing rule set.  Ultimately, both shows died in part to a common desperate last gasp attempt to gain viewers--making the shows celebrity-based.

The new and vastly improved iteration of the XFL began play this weekend.  We look back at the original XFL from 2001 and where it went wrong, from being too much like the WWE to the absolute lack of decent players.  Almost 20 years later, we're wonder who exactly hated "He Hate Me."

Tom Poston was a beloved television fixture for decades, ranging from The Phil Silvers Show in the 1950s through The Suite Life of Zack & Cody in the 2000s.  Poston also appeared on many game shows through the years.  We look at three times in the 1980s when Tom Poston's game play wasn't exactly stellar, though we do not put the entire blame upon Tom.

UK celebrity Noel Edmonds finished hosting their version of Deal or No Deal on Channel 4 in 2016, after over 11 years.  In 2017, he return to Channel 4 with a game show/sitcom hybrid called Cheap Cheap Cheap, which was just weird weird weird.  We look at this bizarre hybrid which has been compared to Twin Peaks.

People enjoy seeing ads during the Super Bowl sometimes as much as the game itself.  In the late 1980s through the late 1990s, The Bud Bowl was likely the most popular series of Super Bowl ads.  We reflect on The Bud Bowl's growth and eventual demise.

"Banzai" was a British show which eventually aired on four different networks in the United States.  Why would such a show be bounced around?  Could it be the controversy that followed it?  We look at this bizarre and offensive show.

Spike TV took a chance on a different type of reality show, one in which everybody was an actor but one person, who the entire show was built around.  "The Joe Schmo Show" was a memorable and fun unique endeavor which we remember quite fondly.  We will cover the other seasons in the future.

We look at an infomercial for the CD-i entertainment system from the mid-90s, while spending a significant amount of time talking about the system's titles, versatility, and technological downfalls.

One of the most hyped series of 2003 was "Joe Millionaire."  It lasted two seasons, and was off TV by the end of 2003.  We look at this flash-in-the-pan which briefly made a star out of a construction worker/underwear model.

"Doctor Who" has been a television staple for close to 6 decades.  One of the oddest entries in the "Doctor Who" canon happened in 1993 with its 2-part special titled "Dimensions in Time."