A podcast about the high-concept, experimental, structure-breaking gimmick episodes of TV! From musicals, to noirs, to bottle episodes and more -- we look at any television episode that breaks from its own formula in some way. Hosted by Derek B. Gayle, a
Bonus episode! When ABC's TGIF block tried to replicate the success of Sabrina the Teenage Witch in the late 90s, it resulted in a very high-concept time travel crossover that injected magic into the entire block! Sabrina, Boy Meets World, and the mostly forgotten Teen Angel and You Wish all get displaced into different decades thanks to Salem eating a magical time ball, and only Melissa Joan Hart's quips and charisma can save them all. We talk about this network crossover's legacy, and how even a fun concept can't save bad shows.Watchlist:Sabrina the Teenage Witch: "Inna Gadda Sabrina"Boy Meets World: "No Guts, No Cory"You Wish: "Genie Without a Cause"Teen Angel: "One Dog Night" A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast CollectiveTip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks WebsiteEmail: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Bluesky | InstagramTheme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0Sources:NY TimesPoobala.com
Frasier: "Crock Tales" Just before the series finale, Frasier Crane breaks a clay crock in his kitchen and reflects on the last 11 years of his sitcom... flashing back to clips we've never seen! We're talking about the iconic Cheers spin-off and the character Kelsey Grammer played for 20 consecutive years, and the unique way this episode celebrates a decade of character development and different kinds of farcical stories. And of course, we talk about all the terrible wigs and how infuriatingly confusing that crock prop is (it was filled with spreadable cheese?!)A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast CollectiveTip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks WebsiteEmail: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Bluesky | InstagramTheme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0Sources: Mahoney obituary in Washington PostLisa Kudrow on the SmartLess podcast, talking about her casting on FrasierPeri Gilpin on the Still Here Hollywood podcastInterview with Gilpin in Ability MagazineFrasier DVD Extras
Bonus episode! We're pouring one out for the "choose your own adventure" style Netflix specials that were recently wiped from the platform, including popular specials Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs the Reverend. We get into the origins and mechanics of this unique fusion of movies and games, and why it's tragic to see them disappear so quickly after their creation.Look for our Black Mirror episode on "San Junipero" on June 25!A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast CollectiveTip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks WebsiteEmail: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Bluesky | InstagramTheme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Star Trek: The Next Generation: "First Contact" We come in peace! Author Chris Farnell (Star Trek: Lower Decks Crew Handbook, Fermi's Progress) gets beamed up with us to talk about this perspective flip on the usual Star Trek formula -- a story that positions our Enterprise crew as mysterious space invaders to a planet that has never met aliens. We get into the flaws of the Federation's first contact procedures and how this story is just “a day at the office” for them, and how the episode quickly builds a familiar alien culture we can sympathize with. No, this isn't about the movie of the same name, but yes...it's that Bebe Neuwirth scene!Find all of Chris's great work at chrisfarnell.comA proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast CollectiveTip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks WebsiteEmail: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Bluesky | InstagramTheme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0Sources: Chris's Den of Geek Article: “Why Has Sci-Fi TV Stopped Imagining Our Future?” Memory Alpha
Bonus episode! Mythic Quest concluded its fourth season last month, and then was swiftly cancelled... but in a weird and unprecedented twist, its ending was re-edited and altered to, allegedly, function better as a series finale AFTER most people watched its original version, itself now erased from AppleTV completely. It's odd, and we talk about what makes this whole situation both unique and kind of troubling, and whether or not the new "ending" is better or worse.A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast CollectiveTip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks WebsiteEmail: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Bluesky | InstagramTheme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Days of Our Lives: The Marlena Possession ArcWe're levitating as we cover the 90s storyline that introduced the supernatural into soap operas and changed daytime TV forever! Chels from The Q Division and And a Rewatch Podcast helps us prep our exorcisms as we get into the history of this extremely long-running soap, and how the O.J. Simpson trial led to the literal Devil possessing Deidre Hall's popular character Marlena Evans. We talk huge nuts, wedding crashers and plane crashes, deep voice filters and practical effects, the obvious parallels to The Exorcist, and how soap operas are the foundation for most of the television we love.Find Chels:The Q Division | And a Rewatch Podcast | Bluesky | InstagramA proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast CollectiveTip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks WebsiteEmail: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Bluesky | InstagramTheme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0Sources: Liquid Soap clip complication on YouTubeWriteup from Fortress of SolitudeInterview with Producer Ken CordayCBR writeupThe Devil on the Days of Our Lives WikiHyatt, Wesley (1997). The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television.
Bonus episode! On the heels of our episode on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, we're having a chat about its surprising crossover earlier this year with Abbott Elementary! We get into what made this crossover so unique and highly anticipated, how they were able to mix these wildly different characters and tones, and how Quinta Brunson and Rob McElhenney got it off the ground in the first place.A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast CollectiveTip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks WebsiteEmail: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Bluesky | InstagramTheme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: "The Janitor Always Mops Twice"Don't be a goon! Chris Osborne of the Play Comics podcast joins us for this beautifully artful and smart take on film noir from the long-running raunchy comedy... which still somehow centers on "diarrhea poisoning" and includes eating cat food. We dig into the great lengths taken to authentically film this episode in black and white with striking splashes of red, along with the snappy dialogue, spot-on performances, and well-constructed mystery.Check out Play Comics!A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast CollectiveTip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks WebsiteEmail: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Bluesky | InstagramTheme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0Sources: Episode discussion on Reddit where director Heath Cullins gives an AMAReid's Account of Her Role in Co-creating IASIP in The ObserverInterview with Megan Ganz on the Feminist Film TumblrEpisode 582 of WTF with Marc Maron - Interview with Rob McElhenney It's Always Sunny Podcast - Episode 1
The Secret World of Alex Mack: "24 Hours" In one of the coolest stories we've heard on this podcast, Dr. Lara Ameen shares her unique connection to the 90s Nickelodeon series about the girl with T-1000 powers -- from meeting and befriending the cast and creators, to helping film scenes in the series finale, to casting star Larisa Oleynik in her dissertation. Then, we talk about Alex Mack's take on a paranoia thriller, along with the show's strong queer vibes and more!Find Lara:Bluesky | Instagram | TwitterA proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast CollectiveTip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks WebsiteEmail: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Bluesky | InstagramTheme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0Sources: 'The Secret World Of Alex Mack' Retrospective: Larisa Oleynik And More On The Origins, Hats And A RemakeInside Nickelodeon's Saturday Night GambleKen Lipman and Thomas Lynch interview on the Splat Podcast - (despite the start of this video being a bit goofy - this was a FANTASTIC INTERVIEW)20 Year Cast Reunion Full Interview3 Brothas and a Shot of Milk Podcast Interview of Darris Love - (started at 1:06:33)
Adventure Time: "A Glitch is a Glitch" Tommy Proffitt goes into the source code of the universe with us for Cartoon Network's massively innovative and influential series -- and an unsettling 3D-animated episode from experimental filmmaker David OReilly! We explore the history of glitch art (and where the word "glitch" even comes from) and how this unique, subversive artform works -- along with how it fits into Adventure Time's legacy and the "that's so random" humor of the 2010s.Tommy's podcasts:Distant Echoes: A Star Wars PodcastLee Carvallo's Podding Challenge: A Simpsons Gaming PodcastA proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast CollectiveTip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks WebsiteEmail: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Bluesky | InstagramTheme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0Sources: Glitch Art in Theory and Practice“Queer-Alt-Delete: Glitch Art Against the Surveillance Cis-tem”Coverage of Everything Video GameDatamoshing Interview with David OReillyTime Interview with Pendleton WardRolling Stone Interview with Pendleton WardFred Seibert's Tumblr blog which has a lot of his personal historyPodcast interview with John DiMaggioDavid OReilly talks about the development of technology and the crisis of human autonomyOctocat Adventure
Star Trek: Deep Space 9: "Take Me Out to the Holosuite" Death to the opposition! Tyler from Hate Speech Podcast and Animorphing Time joins us for this famous Star Trek episode, where the crew takes a breather from their high stakes war drama for a baseball game on the holodeck. We talk about the role this American pasttime plays in both the 24th century and television in general, this episode's origins in the 80s series Fame, Tyler's own personal baseball connection to this episode, who's the hottest starship captain, and more!Find Tyler on BlueskyCheck out Hate Speech PodcastA proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast CollectiveTip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks WebsiteEmail: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Bluesky | InstagramTheme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0Sources: Memory AlphaWhat We Left Behind documentaryMLB's History of Baseball Around the World (a Primer)Mendelbaum, 2005. “The Meaning of Sports: Why Americans Watch Baseball, Football, and Basketball and What They See When They Do”“Robot Umps Are Here,” 2025 New York Times. Nerds of Color's Sisko Essays
Maniac Mansion: "The 10th Anniversary Special" In quite possibly the only time we'll ever cover a pilot episode on this podcast, Chris Cummins of Sci-Fi Explosion joins us for this forgotten, but subversive and smart Eugene Levy-helmed Canadian sitcom and its bizarre first episode – a fake clip show celebrating its 10th anniversary. Seriously! We talk about this show's deep connections with Schitt's Creek, Freaks and Geeks, and the hugely influential improvisation powerhouse Second City and SCTV. Plus, a dive into this show's origins as a LucasArts video game adaptation, a brief history of The Family Channel and its religious ties, and the clip show parodies, dream sequences, anniversary special tropes, JFK assassination jokes, and meta references that this truly daring episode offers.Watch Sci-Fi Explosion on TwitchFollow Sci-Fi Explosion on InstagramA proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast CollectiveTip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks WebsiteEmail: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Bluesky | InstagramTheme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0Sources: 1992 Entertainment Weekly piece on “SCTV” alumni are working on the show, Benjamin Scetskey writing for Entertainment Weekly, January 1992The Weird and Wonderful History of Maniac Mansion, Ian Howard writing for Fandom, November 2022Exclusive Interview with Eugene Levy: Creating the Comedy for Maniac Mansion, Dan Madsen writing for Lucasfilm Fan Club Magazine, August 1990. Scans from The International House of MojoFamily Channel Strays from Religion, Embraces Clean Fun, Susan King writing for the Los Angeles Times, January 1991The Long, Strange History of ABC Family, Jacqui Shine writing for The New Republic, October 2015Family Channel's Making Of Maniac Mansion Video
Smallville: "Lexmas" The first Christmas episode of this Superman adaptation pulls out all the holiday stops, as a dying Lex Luthor is offered a Christmas Carol/It's a Wonderful Life-infused dream of a love-filled future from the ghost of his mom...complete with the most tinsel and soft glow you've ever seen. Oh, and did we mention Santa Claus is real and young Superman talks him off a ledge? AND that this is the episode where Michael Rosenbaum's Lex goes bad for good? We dig into it all, including Derek's weirdly deep history with Smallville as a midnight cult show, what makes this comic book adaptation refreshingly different from current TV and superhero media, and more! A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Sources: Smallville: The Official Companion Season 5 by Craig Byrne Talk Ville Podcast
Broad City: "Stories" The great Hamish Steele returns for an episode told (almost) entirely through not-quite Instagram stories! As Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer take a 30th birthday walk along the entire length of New York City, we talk about this show's insights into social media and millennial culture, the weird political space it occupied by straddling pre- and post-Trump America, and how this gifable Tumblr darling of the late 2010s went under the radar in its final season. Plus, butt videos as legitimately good gifts, a touch of cultural appropriation, and the time Guillermo Díaz flirted with Derek. Find more from Hamish! Other cool stuff you should check out: Self-Esteem and the End of the World by Luke Healy Hamish's upcoming comic, Go-Man, Champion of Earth Weekend as a 28 Year Old in Chicago A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Sources: The Hollywood Reporter
Dexter's Laboratory: "Dexter and Computress Get Mandark!" When Tyler Lee was six and a half, he and his mother recorded him narrating his own story for his favorite cartoon... and then it was animated into a famous episode! Tyler himself joins us to talk about his brush with Cartoon Network fame, and how it led to his brief stint in child acting and now a professional career as an opera singer and D&D podcaster. Plus, we dispel misinformation (he didn't die!), and dig into why only a Genndy Tartakovsky cartoon could pull this off, the iconic nature of "YOU ARE STUUUUPID", and even deleted scenes from Tyler's original recording! Check out what Tyler is doing now as an adult: Instagram: @tylerleetenor The Predicting Chaos D&D Campaign: YouTube (@PredictingChaos) and Twitch (@predictingchaos) A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Sources: Washington Post | Brian A. Miller of Cartoon Network Studios
My So-Called Life: "Halloween" We're joined by Matt Baume (YouTuber, award-winning author, and host of Matt's So-Cast Pod) for this seminal Gen X teen drama and the poster child of 90s cancelled-too-soon TV--and the much-maligned time it ditched the grounded realism it was so famous for in a Halloween ghost story involving time travel and dying young. We talk about the breakout performance from Claire Danes, Jared Leto jumpscares, the show's groundbreaking queerness, and more! Find all of Matt Baume's incredible work: YouTube | Matt's So-Cast Pod | Hi Honey, I'm Homo! A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Sources: San Francisco Bay Guardian | Tampa Bay Times
Breaking Bad: "Fly" It's a tentpole of the golden age of television, so we had to get to Vince Gilligan's crime thriller eventually...and that meant doing its most divisive episode, a Rian Johnson-directed low-budget chamber piece all about catching a fly! We dig into Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul's performances, the inventive camerawork, an even lower-budget Spanish remake, and why this episode is not at all filler. Plus, we have an interview with Daniel Roemer, creator of the Amazon Prime TV series Chaser, about creating high concept television like this! Find more from Daniel Roemer: Linktree | Instagram: @dfroemer Check out Chaser on Amazon Prime! A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Sources:Vulture retrospective | Pardon My Take podcast | AV Club's “Best Show, Worst Episode” roundtable from 2011
Seinfeld: "The Betrayal" In one of the most famous sitcom episodes of all time, Seinfeld tells the story of a wedding in India, spraypainted Timberlands, peach schnapps, an evil birthday wish, and of course, many many betrayals... all in reverse order! We talk about this episode's roots in Harold Pinter's play of the same name, along with the complexity--and money--only a popular show in its final season could pull off. Plus, we dig into the bad (the unsurprisingly rough humor around India) and the good (Julia Louis-Dreyfus's drunk acting, Jason Alexander in a t-shirt on a cold set, etc.) A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Sources: Cracked's Oral History on "The Betrayal" David Lynch Cigarette Commercial Harold Pinter and Charlie Rose Interview
Tru Calling: "The Last Good Day" Few people remember Eliza Dushku's first post-Buffy series about a time-travelling morgue employee co-starring Zach Galifianakis, but it's one of the most interesting shows of the era -- both for its bizarre behind-the-scenes story, and for its philosophical, cosmic, and stellar second season that barely anyone saw. We talk about this masterful perspective flip that puts the "villain" Jack (90210's Jason Priestley) in hero Tru's shoes, questioning the show's entire premise and the ambiguity of the order vs. chaos concept, while still elegantly telling a story about suicide, terminal illness, and assisted dying. A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Sources: Richard Hatem's Paranormal Bookshelf SFX Magazine interview with Eliza Dushku GQ Interview with Zach Galifianakis Doris Egan's Livejournal (Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3) All the great special features on the Tru Calling DVDs
Stargate SG-1: "Window of Opportunity" TV writer and director Zack Morrison, creator of the award-winning comedy pilot Canusa Street, joins us for a beloved and hilarious episode of one TV's tentpole sci-fi shows! Zack talks about his experience in creating a TV pilot and how the Stargate series influenced his work. Plus, we dig into this show's connections to the real-life Air Force and the Military-Entertainment Complex, the history of time loop stories, and how this episode finds profound character depth even while remaining funny and lighthearted. Find more from Zack: Website | Twitter: @ZackMorrison18 | Instagram: @zackmorrison18 Learn more about Canusa Street! A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 End Song: "Stargate" by HurricaneTurtle Sources: Explorer Unit Newsletter | Gateworld.net
The Outer Limits: "Controlled Experiment" There is nothing wrong with your podcast app. We are controlling transmission. It's another Gimmicks historical deep dive as we explore TV's very first bottle episode--a term coined by Outer Limits creator Leslie Stevens! We dig into what "bottle episode" actually means and how this installment of the sci-fi anthology series used cleverness and camera tricks to produce a quick and cheap but still compelling and funny episode about Martians (The Fugitive's Barry Morse and Archie Bunker himself, Carroll O'Connor) who try to scientifically determine why humans commit murder. A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Sources: Vulture's article on bottle episodes (which is NOT by the same author as that awful Lost article) The Outer Limits: The Official Companion Wonderful Cinema's article on chamber pieces
Rugrats: "What the Big People Do" TV writer Danielle Weisberg (The Simpsons, Krapopolis) joins us for one of the tentpole 90s Nicktoons from animation behemoth Klasky-Csupo, and its strange and scary imaginary tale about an adulthood with baby heads on adult bodies. We talk about Danielle's trajectory from being a Batman stand-in on Conan to writing award-nominated animated sitcom episodes, along with the artistry of Rugrats, Nickelodeon's grunge and edge, how this episode reflects real-life infantilization in the workplace, and more! Find more from Danielle: Website | Twitter: @danielleweisber | Instagram: @danielleweisberg A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Sources: Saberspark's “What Ruined Klasky Csupo” video | 1998 New Yorker article | Patricia Marx Story Corp episode
The O.C.: “The Chrismukk-Huh?” It's Chrismukkah in July! Louie Rendon of The Mixed Reviews (who's appropriately recording from his beach vacation) heads to sunny California for this teen drama's It's a Wonderful Life homage, featuring an alt-world coma dream during the holidays where Ryan (Ben McKenzie) never came to Newport Beach! We talk about the legacy of this hugely popular but weirdly forgotten series, along with the difference between Mischa Barton and Rachel Bilson, the Chris Pratt jump scare, the "just a little nap" approach to a coma, and why Autumn Reeser's Taylor is a queer icon. Find more from Louie: The Mixed Reviews: linktr.ee/TheMixedReviews Twitter: @TheMixedReviews | Instagram: @the_mixed_reviews Louie on Twitter: @louiegrendon ----- Vote for The Mixed Reviews in The Podcast Awards! A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Sources: Vulture
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: "The Box" We're revisiting this early episode of Gimmicks from 2022 with new commentary! First, David talks about his own thoughts on the movie Cube and his experiences with Star Wars and The Clone Wars. Then, we present the original episode with fellow Glitterjaw friends Cass and Tommy of Distant Echoes to talk about this unexpected horror homage, where an undercover Obi-Wan and a ragtag group of bounty hunters try to survive and escape the deadly traps of a giant space box. Distant Echoes: A Star Wars Podcast: glitterjaw.com/distant-echoes Twitter: @DistantEchoesSW | Instagram: @distantechoessw | TikTok: @distantechoespod ---- Vote for The Mixed Reviews in The Podcast Awards! A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Season 1 Theme song: "Swift Electric" by Cyberbear | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Episode Sources: The Distant Echoes episode on "The Box" | Wookieepedia
Lost: "Exposé" We're revisiting this early episode of Gimmicks from 2022 with new commentary! First, David provides his hot takes on Nikki & Paulo, Shannon, and falling in love with Sayid, while Derek gives updates about Lost and Damon Lindelof in 2024. Then, we present the original episode where Tyler and Nate (Animorphing Time, The Bruce Campbell Podcast, Hate Speech) bring the razzle dazzle to this Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead-style story, which revisits Lost's history through the eyes of its infamously hated diamond-loving duo and celebrates classic schlocky TV. Find Tyler & Nate's Podcasts: Animorphing Time Podcast | Twitter: @animorphingtime The Bruce Campbell Podcast | Twitter: @BruceCpod Hate Speech | Twitter: @h8speechpod ---- Vote for The Mixed Reviews in The Podcast Awards in the Film & TV category! A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Season 1 Theme song: "Swift Electric" by Cyberbear | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Episode Sources: The Storm Podcast | Lostpedia | The Revolution Was Televised by Alan Sepinwall | TV Guide | Entertainment Weekly | AV Club
Batman: The Animated Series: "P.O.V." We're revisiting this early episode of Gimmicks from 2022 with new commentary! First, David provides his thoughts on Batman and its amazing intro, while Derek talks about his recent experience watching the show with food poisoning. Then, we present the original episode with Gavin Mevius of The Mixed Reviews to talk about this episode with very little Batman, told from the perspectives of secondary cop characters Renee Montoya, Harvey Bullock, and a rookie voiced by Disney's Beast, along with a barrage of censorship troubles. Find more from Gavin: The Mixed Reviews: linktr.ee/TheMixedReviews Twitter: @TheMixedReviews | Instagram: @the_mixed_reviews A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Season 1 Theme song: "Swift Electric" by Cyberbear | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Episode Sources: Batman Animated Wiki | AV Club | The Matt Signal
Sliders: "As Time Goes By" We're revisiting this early episode of Gimmicks from 2022 with new commentary! First, David provides his thoughts on Sliders and Jerry O'Connell (famously NOT our favorite Slider), while Derek is still in awe that no network has tried to reboot it. Then, we present the original episode with Annie Fish, author of the Think of a Roulette Wheel blog, who joins to talk about this bizarre love story that stretches over three worlds and destroys at least one universe. Find more from Annie: Think of a Roulette Wheel: earthprime.com/roulette Annie's website: violetmice.com Annie's Patreon: patreon.com/FEELS A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Season 1 Theme song: "Swift Electric" by Cyberbear | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Episode Sources: Earth Prime | Dimension of Continuity | Original Think of a Roulette Wheel Episode Post
Bob's Burgers: "Radio No You Didn't" Milioti May concludes as Bob's Burgers does a paranoia thriller period piece! Cristin Milioti is unrecognizable as Bob Belcher's grandmother, the protagonist of a tense Hitchcock-style story in the 1940s that centers on a Nazi spy, a crying baby, and a very heavy old radio. We discuss how this episode plays its genre homage very straight while still being hysterically funny, and reflect on the way we use objects to tell stories and keep people's spirits alive long after they're gone. A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Sources: Bob's Burgers Subreddit | PopCulture article on Milioti's casting
How I Met Your Mother: "How Your Mother Met Me" As one of the seminal sitcoms of the 2000s, CBS's HIMYM eventually had to do the impossible: introduce the titular mother that had been teased for nine years and somehow get us all to like her. This 200th episode positions The Mother as the lead character in a nine-year-long journey to learn how to love again, packed with references and returning guest characters... and they pull it off! We talk Cristin Milioti's standout performance, a well-done gay kiss, and how the "manic pixie dream girl" archetype can work when the character is fleshed out (singing english muffins, ukuleles, and robot paintings notwithstanding). A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Sources: Wesleyan Argus interview with Carter Bays, Part 1 and Part 2 | TV Guide 200th Episode Interview | Reddit's Umbrella Error Theories | Fandom Wiki
The West Wing: "17 People" In what's widely regarded as one of TV's all-time best bottle episodes, the staff of The White House stays late for two reasons: a tense confrontation in the Oval Office about the President's health, and a writers' room punch-up of Correspondents' Dinner jokes. Time to talk turn-of-the-century liberal politics with Aaron Sorkin's Emmy sweeping series -- including the stacked cast who do "walk and talks" and speak in meter, why Martin Sheen makes a good TV president, how young Bradley Whitford was so much less hot than he is now, and how the show does (or doesn't) hold up in a 2020s political landscape. A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Sources: Aaron Sorkin Empire interview | Vulture's article defining a bottle episode | Den of Geek's list of best bottle episodes | The Ringer's list of best bottle episodes | Seventeenpeople.com | West Wing Weekly podcast | EW's catalogue of West Wing guest stars | William Ritchert's plagiarism website | Roger Ebert's North Review
Dragon Ball Z: "Goku's Ordeal" (aka "License Mastery? Goku's Newest Trial") Author and Podcaster Stik Braxton returns for Akira Toriyama's hugely influential anime and one of the most famous filler episodes of all time -- the one where Goku and Piccolo try to get their driver's licenses! We discuss Toriyama's legacy, the heydey of Toonami, the strange dubbing history of the Dragon Ball franchise, and of course those ultra fresh fits. More from Stik: Twitter: @stikaround54 | Instagram: @stikaround54 Stik's books: braxtonbooks.com Stik's podcasts: linktr.ee/cluelesscreative A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Sources: Kotaku | Sean Schemmel on Reddit | Dubs on Reddit
Sabrina the Teenage Witch: "Pancake Madness" The answer to the riddle is cakes on the griddle! In this parody of Very Special Episodes and Reefer Madness, Sabrina (Melissa Joan Hart) gets hooked on pancakes... and we're pretty sure it got this show a tax credit from the government! We talk about the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and ad campaigns from the Partnership for a Drug Free America, and how the government damaged public health messaging by getting TV shows to produce over-the-top, ineffective anti-drug propaganda. Luckily, Sabrina bucks the problem by making its "anti-drug" story one of the funniest, most surreal episodes of the show that lambasts the very concept. A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Sources: Women Who Binge | Daniel Forbes with Salon | Howard Kutz and Sharon Waxman with The Washington Post I Sabrina pilot film | Sabrina Wiki
Avatar: The Last Airbender: "The Ember Island Players" Storyboard artist Spencer Johnson (Star Trek: Lower Decks, Scavenger's Reign) joins us for Nickelodeon's anime-inspired action series, and its famous recap episode where our heroes watch a theatrical production of their own adventures...and are forced to reflect on their own choices. We talk about the realistic stage effects and fandom references, how this funny episode veers into dark propaganda, and why Avatar is one of the most influential animated shows of all time. Find more of Spencer's awesome work: Website: artofspencerjoh.com Twitter: @artofspencerjoh Instagram: @artofspencerjoh A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Newsradio: "Sinking Ship" What do you do when you're a surrealist sitcom that's been treated badly by NBC and pretty sure you're about to be cancelled? Blow all the network's budget on an effects-heavy period piece! In what was famously Phil Hartman's last appearance, Newsradio parodies the recent and hugely popular Titanic film...or the trailer for it, at least. We talk about the standout production designs, this show's influence on network comedy, and its stacked cast that includes some of the best comedic actors (Dave Foley, Maura Tierney, Stephen Root) and some of the worst people alive (Joe Rogan, Andy Dick). A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Sources: Newsradio Oral History | E! News Behind the Scenes #1 | E! News Behind the Scenes #2
Alias: "Phase One" Just in time for the Big Game, we're covering when the classic J.J. Abrams spy thriller Alias scored the treasured Super Bowl lead out slot... and aired its wildest episode that not only demolishes its original premise and radically retools the series, but also attempts to function as a self-contained entry point for new viewers. We talk about the history and importance of Super Bowl lead out programs, Alias's battle for narrative accessibility, Jennifer Garner's sexy outfits and incredibly emotive performances, all the daddies, and why this is secretly one of the most gimmicky episodes we've covered. A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
30 Rock: "Queen of Jordan" HAM! Nick Coffman from Hard Drive and Smashing Game Time joins us for an iconic episode from the Tina Fey comedy that spotlights Angie Jordan (Sherri Shepard) and her Real Housewives-esque in-universe show, which includes lots of wine throwing, Alec Baldwin doing pratfalls and being mistaken for gay, Titus Burgess in his breakout role, and an uncomfortable subplot with Susan Sarandon. Find More from Nick: Smashing Game Time Nick's hilarious Hard Drive article about Netflix Nick on Twitter: @thatCoffman A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Closing Song: "Run the World (Ham) - Beyonce feat. Angie Jordan 30 Rock" by ThriftyAF
Superman: The Animated Series: "The Late Mr. Kent" The Big Blue Boy Scout finds himself tangled in a noir-style murder mystery when his alter-ego of Clark Kent appears to be killed! With private eye-style flashback narration, a grounded crime story with death row and a dirty cop, and a dark ironic ending worthy of Batman, this episode explores why Clark Kent the reporter is just as important as Superman (even if everyone hates reporters). A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Fringe: "Brown Betty" Merrilee O'Neil joins us for one of the strangest genre mash-ups of all time from this cult sci-fi show, where a grief-stricken mad scientist tells a fairy tale about glass hearts, singing corpses, and quantum laser knives to a child while being stoned out of his gourd. We explore this episode's surprising ties to the success of Glee, the noir gender-swapping with Anna Torv as a hardboiled detective and Joshua Jackson as a femme fatale, animated Leonard Nimoy, and John Noble singing a crooner version of Tears for Fears! Plus, an extended tangent about Kingdom Hearts for some reason. Find Merrilee (@papillonvoleur) on Bluesky and Instagram! A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Sources include: LA Times BTS interview | TV Line on Jasika Nicole and Racism | Ars Technica on the Cipher
Doctor Who: "Midnight" Hamish Steele (creator of Dead End: Paranormal Park and DeadEndia) joins us for one of Doctor Who's best and scariest episodes, which uses knocking, repetition, and a tourist bus to expose the darkness of humanity. On the heels of David Tennant, Catherine Tate, and Russell T. Davies returning for the 60th anniversary, we discuss the show as inspiration, its parallels to tokusatsu, and why its childlike wonder still persists. Pre-order DeadEndia: The Divine Order Watch Dead End: Paranormal Park on Netflix Find Hamish and all the great things he's working on! ------ A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Sources include: SlashFilm | TARDIS Wiki
Angel: "Birthday" It's an ode to Cordelia Chase in this It's a Wonderful Life homage, where Queen C faces certain death, is guided by an affable demon to reflect on her life choices, and finally lives the alternate life she always dreamed of as a rich and famous actress. We talk all about the weird legacy of this Buffy spin-off, including the real-life abuse Charisma Carpenter faced (and how she's recently reclaimed this awesome character), the highs and lows of the series, and a parody of bad WB sitcoms from the 00s. A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Sources: The sitcom deleted scene
Futurama: "The Sting" Every TV viewer knows that even if the main character dies, things have to get back to normal somehow, right? This surreal, emotionally-charged episode explores every possibility of that premise, from dreams and hallucinations, to sci-fi resurrections, to even the show's own impending cancellation. Trippy visuals, a stellar Katey Sagal performance as Leela, and plenty of observational humor about death and sanity make this one of Futurama's best! A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Sources: Infosphere
The Donna Reed Show: "Have Fun" We're venturing back to the late 1950s for a piece of television history you may not have known about -- the first ever Rashomon-style episode! Though Donna Reed became known as the ur-example of a typical sitcom housewife, this episode shows off how modern and high-concept this series could be, as the story of Donna and her smokeshow husband's first date is told from two different perspectives. A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Sources: Donna Reed: Fire and Ice
The Haunting of Hill House: "Two Storms" Nadia from Inside All Day Podcast joins us for this equal parts scary and sad episode of the acclaimed Netflix adaptation of Shirley Jackson's famous novel, where horror mastermind Mike Flanagan uses ambitiously long and complex single takes spanning two time periods to depict a family haunted by both ghosts and grief. Find more from Nadia: Nadia on Twitter: @NerdDollface Inside All Day Podcast --- Content Warning: We have frank discussions about grief and discussion about characters dying by suicide. If you are in the United States and thinking about suicide, you can access immediate help by dialing 9-8-8 to speak to a trained counselor with the Lifeline network. ---- A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Sources: PinkNews | SyFy | Hypable
So Weird: "Encore" We're starting off spooky season with one the most inventive, ingenious, and emotionally impactful uses of a clip show from So Weird, an oft-forgotten (but very good) Disney Channel original series from the Zoog Disney era! This episode features the complete set from a fictional Molly Phillips concert, with full songs sung by Mackenzie Phillips -- and it's still not without important plot momentum and a haunting powerhouse of an ending. It's truly a gimmicks smorgasbord! A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Sources: The So Weird Podcast
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: "Those Old Scientists" We're going where no TV show has gone before -- comedy cartoon characters crossing over into a serious live-action drama! Cass Proffitt of Distant Echoes joins us as the animated Boimler and Mariner (Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsome) travel across time and mediums to meet Captain Pike and the Enterprise, nerding out about classic Trek while also learning a lesson about what our heroes mean to us. Find more from Cass: Distant Echoes: A Star Wars Podcast Distant Echoes on Instagram and Twitter: @DistantEchoesSW Cass on Instagram: @cassiethulhu ---- A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Sources: TrekMovie | The Ready Room | EW Preview | EW Interview
Community: "Digital Estate Planning" The study group plays an old school video game to help Pierce win his inheritance in this wildly ambitious episode! We talk about Titmouse's amazing animated rendering of a fake game, the perils of ironic racism, this episode's role in the infamous Dan Harmon/Chevy Chase feud that changed the show forever, and why the emotional story doesn't quite land...even with a great performance from Giancarlo Esposito. A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Closing song: 8-bit version of ABBA's "Mamma Mia" by klosec12 Sources: All of Hilda's dialogue options on Tumblr | Community Wiki
The Good Place: "Janets" You'd think "one actor in an empty space" would be a straightforward idea for an episode, but not for this forking ambitious show, which has D'Arcy Carden play every one of the human cast at the same time inside a huge white void. And it explores the philosophical concept of the self. And it has a game-changing plot twist. And it's one of the most complex and VFX heavy episodes of the show. So much for being a little bottle episode! Tip us on Ko-Fi | Website Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod Derek on Twitter: @DerekBGayle and Instagram: @mr.darebear David on Twitter: @dmuma22 and Instagram: @dmuma Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Sources: AV Club | Vulture | EW
David has joined Derek as the new permanent co-host, and we're welcoming him with a special mailbag episode! Listeners sent in a bunch of Qs, and the two Ds have lots of As... including plenty of podcast lore, the most suggested episodes, works of art that have made the biggest impact on our lives, our wardrobe (hint: lots of cargo shorts), favorite and least favorite gimmicks, and much more! Tip the show on Ko-Fi! Contact Gimmicks: Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod | Derek on Twitter: @DerekBGayle and Instagram: @mr.darebear David on Twitter: @dmuma22 and Instagram: @dmuma Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Quantum Leap: "Blood Moon" Gavin Mevius leaps from The Mixed Reviews and into a gothic horror homage from Quantum Leap's weird final season, where Dr. Sam Beckett seems to possibly leap into a classic vampire, maybe, definitely. And while dovetailing the sci-fi series with the supernatural is a fun idea, the tonal mishmash, deus ex butler/lightning, and odd references to a gender-swapped Countess Elizabeth Bathory make this a strangely boring misstep. Oh boy! CONTENT WARNING: There is a discussion about animal violence in this episode between 01:07:00 and 01:09:00. Find more from Gavin: The Mixed Reviews Podcast: linktr.ee/TheMixedReviews | Mixed Reviews on Twitter: @TheMixedReviews and Instagram: @the_mixed_reviews | Gavin on Twitter: @FriendlessMean Contact Gimmicks: Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod | Derek on Twitter: @DerekBGayle Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Ugly Betty: "Million Dollar Smile" Bridge from May the Power Protect You Podcast joins for this momentous episode that lets America Ferrera's Betty get out of the braces and into an It's a Wonderful Life-style alternate reality where she was born with perfect teeth... and became a vicious Miranda Priestly-like fashionista. And she's guided by guardian angel/tooth fairy Kathy Najimy! Find more from Bridge: May The Power Protect You Podcast: anchor.fm/may-the-power-pod | MTPPY Podcast on Twitter: @MayThePowerPod | Bridge on Twitter: @BridgeMT Contact Gimmicks: Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod | Derek on Twitter: @DerekBGayle Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
The Facts of Life: "Cruisin'" Chris Cummins of Sci-Fi Explosion joins for a late-night cruise through town in this American Graffiti tribute and ultimate hangout episode! While the Facts girls aren't doing the gay type of cruising, it's still all very gay, thanks to plenty of ABBA, men in leather, daddies, Jo/Blair tension, and the great Mindy Cohn as a hilariously horny Natalie. Find Chris: Twitch: twitch.tv/scifiexplosion | Instagram: @scifiexplosion | Twitter: @scifiexplosion Tip this show on Ko-Fi! Contact Gimmicks: Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod | Derek on Twitter: @DerekBGayle Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
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