It Happened One Year

After twenty months, It Happened One Year is finally ringing down the curtain on 1984! Sarah & Joe are revisiting their season one roots by wrapping up the year with a rousing trivia contest, this time backed by the board game of 1984 product - Jeopardy! Listen as the hosts hack their way through decades-old questions and recount memories of this lengthy podcast season. 

It's that time again, folks - It Happened One Year has (nearly) reached the end of another season, and so it's time to again honor those lost in the subject year. Listen as Sarah & Joe discuss a wide range of celebrities who said goodbye some forty-one years ago now, including Richard Burton, Peter Lawford, Ethel Merman, Indira Gandhi, Truman Capote, Francois Truffaut, Jackie Wilson, Count Basie, James Mason, and many more!

And now, the conclusion! The police are after the culprits, the press has caught the oddball details, and the conflict is coming to a head!   Written & Directed by Joe Cetta Cast Michelle Auffrey/additional - Sarah Rusakiiwicz Freddie Auffrey - Dane Bower Karl Daigle - Brent Hutchins Karen Daigle - Lana Cooper Patrolman Anne Dandy - Kristin Mann Sgt. Furrier - Bear Savo Judge Membrino/additional - Joe Cetta Vito Vitale/Bailiff/Jack/additional - David Munchak Rocky Cannavino - Bill Randall Radio Margaret - Jo-Elle Munchak Officer Rodriguez - Krispy Attorney Henshaw - Matthew Hinton Michelle P. - Jennifer Nack Michelle R./Atomic Scientists/additional - Angie Buonincontro Courtroom Assistant Marsha - Dina Udomsak Stenographer Alice - Shannon Hosey Reporter Hildy - Matt Moran Reporter Gail - Graceann Dorse Reporter Howard/additional - The Batman David Wittman/additional - Adam Carpenter Irving R. Levine/additional - Dave Gardon Additional voices - Danielle Harris, Michael Buonincontro, Jerron Dead Milkmen - Bill Honchell Dead Kennedys - Kate Langan Heaven 17 - Reid Mosley

Should the government allow as Christian a symbol as a nativity on town property? Some crusading figures in Fitchburg, Massachusetts sure didn't think so. And the events that followed grew into a local scandal and international punchline in 1984, with the nativity in Monument Park the new epicenter for this ideological battle! Vandalism, kidnapping, chicken throwing, and social commentary abound, and now, It Happened One Year brings you the whole approximate tale with its sixth fully-scripted production!   Written & Directed by Joe Cetta Cast Michelle Auffrey/additional - Sarah Rusakiiwicz Freddie Auffrey - Dane Bower Karl Daigle - Brent Hutchins Karen Daigle - Lana Cooper Patrolman Anne Dandy - Kristin Mann Sgt. Furrier - Bear Savo Judge Membrino/additional - Joe Cetta Vito Vitale/Bailiff/Jack/additional - David Munchak Rocky Cannavino - Bill Randall Radio Margaret - Jo-Elle Munchak Officer Rodriguez - Krispy Attorney Henshaw - Matthew Hinton Michelle P. - Jennifer Nack Michelle R./Atomic Scientists/additional - Angie Buonincontro Courtroom Assistant Marsha - Dina Udomsak Stenographer Alice - Shannon Hosey Reporter Hildy - Matt Moran Reporter Gail - Graceann Dorse Reporter Howard/additional - The Batman David Wittman/additional - Adam Carpenter Irving R. Levine/additional - Dave Gardon Additional voices - Danielle Harris, Michael Buonincontro, Jerron Dead Milkmen - Bill Honchell Dead Kennedys - Kate Langan Heaven 17 - Reid Mosley   And tune back in next week for the conclusion!

A relic from the days of yore! It Happened One Year finally rolls out its episode about the New York mafia of the 1980s, recorded so long ago we still thought there was a chance Donald Trump might go to prison! Ah, those innocent days! Sarah & Joe - at the tail end of Memorial Day weekend, 2024 - tackle a variety of mob related antics from 1984 and the surrounding days, including Rudy Giuliani's RICO takedown of organized crime (a story which was very fresh in the news again nine months ago), Big Paul Castellano's murder, the rise of John Gotti, Joe Columbo's Italian American Civil Rights League, Joe Profaci's descendants, the extensive crimes of Roy DeMeo, The Godfather's Albert Ruddy, The Sopranos in pop culture, Russell Bufalino, mob tours in Chicago, and much more!

"We have Jesus. We will hang him unless the police leave five cases of Budweiser here January 1st." This was the anonymous ransom demand left at the scene of the nativity heist that made international news out of Fitchburg, Massachusetts in December of 1984. But the identity of the culprits and their true motives were a mystery to law enforcement and the rosary-clutching public. Was the objection on religious grounds? Was it someone with a vendetta against the Fitchburg police? Or was it all a light-hearted prank that got out of hand? The fourth and final scripted episode from It Happened One Year for 1984, Three Minutes to Midnight imagines the daring crimes and colorful figures involved in this semi-forgotten incident, brought to life by dozens of members from the Mighty IHOY Players! Tune back in March 14th & 21st for the epic, two-part tale!

For the first and only time this season, It Happened One Year is doing a fabled Road Episode - this time the show's first from outside the country! Recorded Christmastime in the Notting Hill area of London, England, Sarah & Joe tackle the coincidentally Chicago-set Sidney Sheldon thriller 1984 adaptation The Naked Face, starring Roger Moore, Rod Steiger, Elliott Gould, Art Carney, Anne Archer, and Navy Pier, baby! Come for the breakdown of the melodramatics - touching quickly on Roger Moore's career and life, with appearances by Scaramanga himself Christopher Lee, Harry & Sally, the local Tesco - and wrap up with some truly mediocre impressions. Look, it was a recorded on a long vacation at the end of a long day, it was bound to be a little odd, even by IHOY standards.

Having largely dealt with 1984's Christmas season last year, It Happened One Year had to dig deep to unearth the Xmas episode topic this time around, and what better place to turn than to the cabbage patch itself! Sarah & Joe take a look at the big ABC special that aired December 7th, 1984 - The Cabbage Patch Kids' First Christmas, discuss the casting and bizarro plot, and attempt to track backward into Cabbage Patch lore to figure out what the hell is going on here. Along the way, the visit the oddball Cabbage Patch event center Babyland, chat about the connected books and records of the franchise, give some quick love to the Garbage Pail Kids, and quickly shout out last year's epic scripted episode Jingle Hell.

After trudging through many years of popcorn entertainment and bikini skydiving thrillers, It Happened One Year finally tackles highbrow, award-winning cinema in the form of the glorious biopic Amadeus, and you are there! Listen as Sarah & Joe recall hazy memories of watching the film in decades past, debate whether the film justifies its runtime, breakdown the near-casting and complex adaptation from play to opera to play to film, and ultimately discuss whether Mozart's music did indeed have too many notes.

The old standard returns! It Happened One Year is once again looking at what aired on November 3rd in 1984, checking in over a year since exploring ABC's programming! This time, Sarah & Joe delve into the hard-boiled, sexy, action dramas that were Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, Airwolf, and Cover Up! Along the way, much discussion is made about Stacy Keach's mustache, how Oscar winner Ernest Borgnine found himself flying that helicopter, the tragedies and controversies of Cover Up, the poor adult audience subjected to early '80s television, and of course, the glorious return to It Happened One Year of show favorite, Bubba Smith.

Geraldine Ferraro is dead. So are Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Kennedy, Pat Nixon, Lady Bird Johnson, and all the members of the Female United Politicians of America, but that isn't going to stop them from lending their assistance to the 2024 Presidential campaign on Earth, from their gathering place at the Radisson Valhalla Inn & Suites located on the celestial plane. President Biden's alarming debate performance has the group worried about the future of democracy, and so they take a trip through history to the 1984 Election, to see what can be learned from the first time a woman featured on a major party ticket. It Happened One Year presents its fifth fully scripted, full cast episode, featuring this supernatural take on the election year frenzy. Be sure to vote next Tuesday, but first come along for this wonky look at the great beyond! Story by Sarah Rusakiiwicz Written by Sarah and Joe Directed by Joe Cetta Cast Geraldine Ferraro - Lana Cooper Eleanor Roosevelt - David Munchak 1984 Geraldine Ferraro - Sarah Rusakiiwicz Walter Mondale - Matt Moran Jackie Kennedy - Kristin Mann Pat Nixon - Angie Buonincontro Lady Bird Johnson - Alex Ferrer Bella Abzug - Jo-Elle Munchak Betty Freidan - Shannon Hosey Joan - Jennifer Nack Martha Mitchell - Monica Mauricio Edith Wilson - Danielle Harris Elizabeth Cady Stanton - Sam McChuri William Henry Harrison - The Batman Charles Manatt/Mario Cuomo - Nick Perfetto John Zaccaro - Joe Cetta Mark the Announcer - Jon Deiner Cathy the Announcer - Kristen Gaydos Gloria Coppernotch - Nancy Cohen Redbook Interviewer - Becky Schmidt Dave Wizardsleeve - Duke Tumbleweed Irving R. Levine - Dave Gardon Katie Porter - Abigail Perfetto

With Election Day right around the corner, It Happened One Year finally gets around this season to discussing the biggest news story of 1984 - the Presidential election between Ronald Reagan and Walter Mondale! Sarah & Joe being the political nerds they are go deep into the Democratic primaries, discussing Ted Kennedy's reluctance, Gary Hart's late surge, Jesse Jackson's implosion, and Mondale's emergence, which leads directly into his desperation choice of a running mate - the first woman to feature on a major party ticket, Geraldine Ferraro! Campaign ads, other potential veeps, the debates, and the stunning outcome all factor in, as the hosts desperately try to avoid talking about the onrushing 2024 election. 

The first presidential ticket to feature a woman was formed in 1984, when Walter Mondale selected Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate, and history was made! In 2024, with another historic Election Day bearing down, It Happened One Year transports you to the great beyond, as a coalition of female political figures gathers in hopes of aiding a current candidate to gain the title of Commander in Chief! Written by Sarah & Joe, Ferraro! is the fifth scripted episode in the show's history, and features dozens of performers from that illustrious group - the Mighty IHOY Players! Listen to the trailer now, and tune back in for full epic tale!

Despite being a classic of the American theater and winning a rare Pulitzer along the way, Sarah & Joe were largely unfamiliar with Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George, but that has all changed! It Happened One Year once again wanders into the rare live theater corner and kicks around the musical painting biopic for good and all. Along the way there's some discussion of what makes a good musical, what are particularly bad musical-to-movie adaptation, and not nearly as much singing as you'd expect!

101 episodes and nearly three years later, It Happened One Year is finally talking Muppets again! Given the rousing success of Season One's breakdown of 1994's felt properties, it was only natural that Sarah & Joe would tackle that beloved classic from '84 - The Muppets Take Manhattan! From its sorrowful place as the final, big screen Jim Henson Muppet outing to the singularity of its setting and vibe in the franchise canon, from the outstanding bunch of cameos to the solid batch of songs, all corners of Manhattan Melodies and the gang's tribulations in dragging their college show to Broadway are discussed!

Despite the Paris games wrapping up, Olympic fever still grips It Happened One Year, as it's time to cover the glittering Los Angeles Summer Games of 1984! Sarah & Joe tackle some of the biggest stories and stars of those contests, including the rise of women's American gymnastics, fronted by Mary Lou Retton, the record-setting run (and jumps) of Carl Lewis, the controversial collision of Mary Decker and Zola Budd, the amazing streak of Edwin Moses, and much more! Then, as season three of the show has now stretched across multiple sports' years, the hosts again tackle predictions for the onrushing NFL season - with particular emphasis on the hometown Bears burgeoning chances!

Recorded on the day Joe Biden decided to drop out of the presidential race, Sarah & Joe take a pretty unhinged tact in attempting to discuss the cult classic film pitting Buckaroo Banzai and the Hong Kong Cavaliers against Dr. Emilio Lizardo aka John Whorfin and his gang of aliens! Kamala Harris's chances as the potential first female president, the greatness of Ellen Barkin, Donald Bigbooté, rankings of all significant northeast Pennsylvania figures, the future Joe Biden Presidential Library, lamenting the Buckaroo Banzai sequel that never was, Perfect Tommy, Liz Cheney, the Syracuse University history department, and much more fills this wild evening's show. Listen as a pizza is made live on tape!

Originally intended as the wrap-up to Episode 27's discussion of 1984 and Joe Biden's floundering campaign, this follow-up recording went completely off the rails with the hours-old assassination attempt on candidate Donald Trump, and so - in order to not overwhelm the creaky narrative of that show - here is the rest of Sarah & Joe's conversation from that day. Enjoy?

It's true, the classic novel was published in 1949, but it's quite obviously relevant to this season, and to the modern day, and thus - It Happened One Year is going all-in on George Orwell's 1984! Sarah & Joe discuss the history of the novel and their reactions from recent reads. Then, the greatest marketing tie-in of all time - Michael Radford's 1984 starring John Hurt and Richard Burton, filmed during the timeframe of the novel's setting, and released in that title year! Suck it, 2012 (2009) and Blues Brothers 2000 (1998)! Finally, some little discussion of our current verging-of-dystopia here in America - the impending (possible) Biden v. Trump rematch.  (This all leads directly into the bonus episode, also available right now!)

Just in time for the All-Star Game, baseball is back on the show! Prior to 2016, the one Chicago Cubs team that lived in local memory as the best chance to break the World Series drought was the squad from 1984, and It Happened One Year is there! Sarah & Joe recount the basics of the '84 team's run to the NLCS, how No Lights at Wrigley played a part in the overall discourse, the progression of the franchise from that point until the eventual first championship in 108 years, and their personal connections with the team. Along the way, much discussion is had about the current ownership group, and why that has so negatively affected their interactions with the north side team. 

Back-to-back game show episodes?! Well, sort of! Recorded an absurdly long time ago, Sarah & Joe go into all things Jeopardy - from the original Art Fleming show straight through to this year's wild three-rounded Celebrity Jeopardy, with all the Ken Jennings and Becky Lynch trivia along the way! What is the eerie fate that befell both longtime show hosts? How does Pluto offering a Jeopardy channel affect the IHOY hosts' lives? What other programs did Alex Trebek helm before (and during) his record setting run reading the answers? Also - as this show was recorded on a significant commemorative holiday for the hosts - Sarah & Joe take a weird trip down memory lane, with many references to people and places you've never heard of. Enjoy!

Serial get-rich-quick fanatic Michael Larson was almost out of schemes to earn the elusive buck. Bills piling up, kids needing school clothes, ice cream truck season ending - obstacles were plentiful. So when he filled the living room with a dozen television sets to allow the universe to deliver his next great idea for success, the family was understandably skeptical. But the events that followed would go down in television history, as Larson hopped a bus to Los Angeles and tackled the newest game show sensation - Press Your Luck... It Happened One Year presents its fourth fully scripted, full cast episode, covering the incredible story of Larson and family, the nail-biting recording session for the famed contest, and its manic aftermath. Come along and commemorate the fortieth anniversary of this historic event, in vintage IHOY style! Written by Nick Perfetto Directed by Joe Cetta Cast Teresa Harrington - Alex Ferrer Michael Larson - Nick Perfetto Bill Carruthers - David Munchak Bobbi Richmond - Lana Cooper Marge Brockman - Sarah Agent Davis - Becky Schmidt Agent Richie - Joe Jim - Dave Gardon Judy - Clare Kalemba Peter Tomarken - Brett Benge Darlene - Lauren Morgan Paul - Jon Deiner Howard E. Cheetum - John Kozempel Pam - Kristen Gaydos Phil - Kevin Donlin Nancy - Sara Stefanski Adrienne - Sarah Dichkewich Ed Jenkins - Duke Tumbleweed Janie Lester - Eileen Linnabery Jennifer - Abigail Perfetto Julie - Susie Cetta Eugene - Danielle Harris Additional Voices - Brack Reed, Jerron DJ Frankie Wango - Scott Fata

1984 wasn't just the Presidential election and the Olympics and bustin' ghosts - there were also amazing tales of crimefighting parrots and the raffle for a century-old lobster, where nothing turns out the way you'd expect! This landmark It Happened One Year episode sees Sarah & Joe finally tackle the existence of God, while batting around some of the greatest animal stories in podcast history. And afterward - stick around for a preview of the new scripted episode - Big Bucks, No Whammies - coming June 8th!

What is left to say about Ghostbusters that hasn't already been said? Sarah & Joe take a swing at it in this spooky It Happened One Year entry! They cover their personal relationships with the property in the 1980s, the reemergence of the franchise in the past decade, and how it compares to other film series where the first film was a big commercial and critical success, and then just coasted forever after. Along the way they're talking casting in the original film, the different versions of that script, how the 2016 reboot could've worked better, what other '80s films benefited from its huge success, and much more! Then - stick around to the end for a preview of the new scripted episode - Big Bucks, No Whammies - coming June 8th!

Michael Larson was an out-of-work ice cream truck driver, struggling to make ends meet for his young family (and multiple ex-wives) in Lebanon, Ohio. His penchant for get-rich-quick schemes caused few to take him seriously, and so when he announced he was going on a game show, no one thought much of it. But his subsequent run on CBS's Press Your Luck in 1984 would go down in television history. It Happened One Year presents its fourth fully scripted audio dramedy, this time written by great friend of the show Nick Perfetto, and featuring dozens of performers from the Mighty IHOY Players! Listen to the trailer now, and tune back in for the whole shebang on June 8th!

Strap in, folks! It Happened One Year commemorates recording on International Women's Day with tales of exploration, politics, murder, and music, with some truly unhinged interludes along the way! Listen as Sarah & Joe wander off into the pointlessness of space walks! Gasp at Sarah's suggested names for this episode, and whether this sets feminism back decades in the doing! Marvel at the hosts' high school superlatives! Experience possibly the greatest song ever written about one's own grandfather being poisoned!

The most unexpected of bonus episodes arrives here in the midst of season three, as It Happened One Year harkens back to its early days in the form of finally discussing murderer and Heisman winner O.J. Simpson! Despite putting out shows dealing with Kato Kaelin, F. Lee Bailey, Naked Gun 33 1/3, and Al Cowlings (the inaugural episode of the entire show), Sarah & Joe never solely concentrated on the villain at the center of the whole event, and on the occasion of his death it felt high time to do just that. And boy does it get deep - not just opinions about the trial and the verdict, but America '94 versus America today, the early days of the show and the pandemic, the utter failure of the justice system then and now, cancel culture, the Me Too era, redemption, vengeance, Rodney King, George Floyd, Marcia Clark's hairstyles, the Dancing Itos, and more. 

It's time for another round of everyone's favorite alcove in the It Happened One Year complex of topics - The Love Corner! Sarah & Joe run down the list of marriages and divorces from 1984, from the titans of politics to the seedy philanderers of Tinseltown, with much classic digressing along the way. Hear tales of the hosts encountering many of today's subjects in the various movie theaters, comedy clubs, and street corners they frequent! Listen as they cannot recall which band sang what song and debate who exactly DeBarge is! Witness cameos from the likes of G.E. Smith, Pierre Trudeau, Mary Poppins, Apollo Creed, Paul Thomas Anderson, Adrienne Barbeau, UHF, and many more! Love goes where my rosemary grows this week on the big show!

The fourth and final pairing of Steve Martin and Carl Reiner created arguably their best movie, in the form of 1984's All of Me, and It Happened One Year is there to discuss! Sarah & Joe breakdown their memories of the star's films, why this movie may not be resonating down through the ages like some of their other projects, the somewhat odd circumstances of seeing both of these legends in person, and much more, including cameos from show favorite Speed, making friends on the internet, The X-Files, Louise Fletcher's parents, and Sarah forgetting how we typically wrap up an episode.

In the midst of all the pop culture items crowding the subject year, the hosts managed to dust off the rarely-used science corner and see what - theoretically - was taking place in outer space in 1984! Two main topics comprise most of Sarah & Joe's stumbling through the cosmos - the Nemesis Star/Death Star theory and the SETI project, both concocted to take wild swings at what might be going on in the extraterrestrial plain! 

The Ballad of Tony & Angela, or is it The Odd Couple meets The Brady Bunch meets the horniest of Golden Girls? ABC's long-running family sitcom Who's the Boss? checks all these boxes, and Sarah and Joe dig in deep to discuss the many facets of this until-recently difficult to watch show! Along the way are comparisons to other family fare of the era, how it stacks up against other Tony Danza works, questions about Jonathan Bower's purpose in things, why Samantha was the preeminent '80s teen sitcom figure, Tony Micelli's ability to master all sporting contests, and the two (count 'em!) awards the show won during its lengthy run. There is more to life than what you're living, this week on It Happened One Year!

"You'll see why 1984 won't be like 1984!" With this is awkward-ass phrase, the era of Super Bowl commercials fully began, and home computers took over the world. Sarah & Joe cover the impact of this short Ridley Scott directed spot, take a trip down internet-laden memory lane, and go over some of their favorite Super Bowl commercials - with many cameos from Budweiser, McDonald's, Groundhog Day, wrestlers, Mean Joe Greene, David Letterman, and the walking horror that was Puppy Monkey Baby.

Just in time for the Super Bowl, It Happened One Year is heading back to the gridiron to talk a little football! Sarah & Joe very quickly discuss the Super Bowls surrounding 1984 - both blowouts - before transitioning into rare collegiate sports talk in the form of Heisman Trophy winner and future Buffalo Bills great Doug Flutie! The Boston College legend's Hail Mary to defeat Miami is possibly the most famous play in college football history, and one of the defining moments of '80s sports, and it leads into the larger discussion of Flutie's pro career - with stops along the way in Chicago, Calgary, Edmonton, Buffalo, San Diego, and many more locations! Cameos abound from the likes of Frank Thomas, Tom Brady, Teen Mom's Farrah Abraham, Duke Ellington, the Cameo website, Pokemon Go, and political debate icon Ken Bone. Then the hosts look back at their predictions for the current NFL season from August - both in an overall sense and in a local Chicago Bears way - and take some swings at guessing this year's championship game.

An obvious pick by Sarah for topics - when Hulk Hogan fully emerged as a huge pop culture icon in the decade at Madison Square Garden in January of 1984! Just in time for this year's Royal Rumble, It Happened One Year finally enters the wrestling arena and talks a little leg-dropping and camel-clutching! Sarah & Joe break down the lives and careers of Hogan and the Iron Sheik, their glancing and not-so-glancing personal interactions with pro wrestling over the years, and discuss whether 1998's Brawl For All was the worst thing to ever happen in the history of sports. Along the way are cameos from Muppets From Space, the Gawker trial, Marvel Comics, the Shah of Iran, Thunderlips, and many more!

It's Christmas Eve 1984, and the battle scars from the prior year's Cabbage Patch carnage still sting for employees and customers alike. The utter mayhem of '83 lives in legend at the Viewmont Mall in Scranton, PA, and everyone is anxious to avoid a repeat this holiday season. Surely, it can't get that bloodthirsty, that vicious, that diabolical again, can it? What fresh hell awaits the mall denizens of 1984? Jingle Hell, that's what! It Happened One Year presents its third fully scripted, full cast episode, chronicling the comic carnage that befalls the mall's various toy store staff, mall security guards, local teens, and families trying to get a picture with a very inebriated St. Nick. Carve up the roast beast and call in the kids smoking in the garage - the newest IHOY gift for humanity has arrived, just in time for Christmas! Written by Lana Cooper Directed by Joe Cetta Cast Doug - Bill Randall Robin - Shannon Hosey Pete/Mike 'Burnout' Burns - David Munchak Al - The Batman Jennifer - Sarah Chrissy/Corey - Lana Cooper Grandma Joanie - Nick Perfetto Matt 'The Mall Rat' Rattanski - Joe Greg - Dane Bower Lisa - Yams McChuri Bridget - Angie Buonincontro Mall Santa/Billy - Bear Savo Carol - Jennifer Nack Phil the Photographer Elf - John Kozempel Bob McCann - Brent Hutchins Julie - Alex Ferrer Sam - Duke Tumbleweed The Narrator - Brack Reed Mall Announcer - Jon Deiner Additional Voices - Dave Gardon, Susie Cetta

Upon the discovery of their existence, It Happened One Year had no choice but to reconvene before the holiday and discuss the brain-melting lunacy of 1984's top TV holiday specials - Mr. T & Emmanuel Lewis in A Christmas Dream and Scrooge's Rock 'N' Roll Christmas starring Jack Elam. Sarah & Joe's wildly different opinions about this yuletide fare serve as a backdrop to an episode clearly recorded on the fly, whenever a spare moment could be grabbed, to some unconventional IHOY effect. 

Jacob Marley was dead to begin with (he always is!) and It Happened One Year is there to pick up the slack, in what was originally conceived as the show's holiday episode, before the hosts got carried away and kept recording Christmassy things (tune in next week!). Herein, Sarah & Joe get into all things Cratchit in order to discuss the acclaimed 1984 movie version of A Christmas Carol starring George C. Scott, Frank Finlay, David Warner, and Susannah York. This opens up the larger conversation of best film Scrooges, best family versions, best musical versions, best TV versions, and much, much more. It's a Dickens-ophile's dream! Rising up in the debate are the likes of Alastair Sim, the Muppets, Reginald Owen, Albert Finney, Mr. Magoo, Basil Rathbone, Bill Murray, Patrick Stewart, Jim Carrey, Henry Winkler, and many more! Then - after all the "God Bless Us, Everyones" have been tossed around like Christmas crackers - the hosts perform that most IHOY of rituals - playing a trivia game for the listeners. Enjoy!

It's Christmas Eve 1984 at the Viewmont Mall, and tensions are running high. Employees cower in fear of the shopping onslaught ahead. Customers prepare to do battle for the season's coveted gifts. And children hope to get on Santa's lap with last minute pleas to the big guy. But nothing goes as planned. It Happened One Year presents its third fully scripted, madcap episode, this time written by great friend of the show Lana Cooper and featuring a cast of dozens! Listen to the new trailer now and come back for the big show on December 20th!

This Thanksgiving, it is best to remember what we truly have to be thankful for - '80s pop music and the advent of music videos. With the inaugural VMA Awards on MTV in September and the November release of her landmark second album Like a Virgin, Madonna fully took the world by storm in 1984 and staked her claim as THE star of the decade, and It Happened One Year is there! Sarah & Joe break down their earliest memories of the songs and the videos, the movies and the mania, and try to get in the 1984 mindset of what it possibly must've been like experiencing that summer/fall circa Madonna. 

The somber topic of celebrity death leads down an avenue to discuss television comedy in this straight-from-the-headlines It Happened One Year. Andy Kaufman's 1984 death (or grand hoax) leads Sarah & Joe to discuss his career, from Saturday Night Live to Taxi to wrestling, before pivoting into the seemingly evergreen popularity of Friends and the shocking loss of Matthew Perry. How and why sitcoms can remain relevant and even grow in fame decades after they air is discussed, along with the impact of celebrity deaths, why this feels so decidedly different, and the general places Taxi and Friends hold in the eternal television landscape.

As has become a yearly tradition, It Happened One Year is taking a look at a single night of programming from the topic's television season, and so it begins with ABC's November 3rd shows! T.J. Hooker, The Love Boat, and the long forgotten Finder of Lost Loves comprised Saturday night entertainment on the Alphabet Network, and Sarah & Joe are there! Listen as they question strange props, guest casting, theme songs, hairdos, Gavin MacLeod's career decisions, Aaron Spelling's thematic empire, Heather Thomas' acting instincts, who the hell Connie Sellecca is, why anyone knows Charo's name, and much much more! 

Back-to-back It Happened One Year politics?? You bet! Washington D.C. is providing the crazy content and IHOY is channeling it hard through 1984! Sarah & Joe look back at Tip O'Neill's epic run as Speaker in the '70s and '80s, and contrast some of the expectations for the role with how it is managed today. This naturally leads into the current House having no Speaker, the tumultuous mess that unfolded to bring us here, and what might possibly happen next. Along the way, we've got cameos from Nancy Pelosi, Monsieur Thenardier, Norm Petersen, AOC, Matt Gaetz, Frederick Muhlenberg, and Paul Ryan. 

How well all the covered topics relate to one another is debatable in this lustiest of episodes from It Happened One Year! Ostensibly here to discuss the shameful handling Miss America Vanessa Williams received in 1984 over the publishing of old nude photos, Sarah & Joe pivot into the many and varied scandals enveloping politicians and celebrities thanks to their uncontained urges - with cameos along the way from everyone from Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and Bill Clinton to Rob Lowe, Hugh Grant, and the many notable men who impregnated their nannies - before landing at the real reason for this episode, Congresswoman Lauren Boebert's recent attendance at a production of Beetlejuice: The Musical. This one is decidedly not family friendly, despite all the Harry Belafonte musical fun!

So when she's on land, she just HAS legs?? This is the main conundrum tackled in It Happened One Year's most riparian of episodes - a discussion of Ron Howard's Oscar nominated mermaid comedy Splash! Sarah & Joe take up the task of deducing mermaid lore on film (if there is any) and compare that to the freewheeling creativity on display. Along the way they dive into the bizarro made-for-TV sequel, Splash Too!, the mirrored plot elements of Free Willy and that one episode of The Boys, weathering cameos from the likes of Jason James Richter, Barbenheimer, Mel Brooks, Michael Jackson, Beyonce, Amy Yasbeck, Barney Martin, and a very brief impression of Carla's son Anthony on Cheers. 

Unexpected twists and turns abound in what nominally is an It Happened One Year dedicated to the long-running syndicated phenomenon that was Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous, premiering in 1984! Sarah & Joe discuss their foggy memories of the show and how that compares to a modern rewatch, then sidetrack wildly into why these sort of shows are popular, modern reality television that sprung from this concept, reality TV figures who most resemble Robin Leach today, and the worst cities they've ever visited, for some reason. It makes sense in real time!

Not ones to shy away from a good eulogy, It Happened One Year makes a rare foray into the animal kingdom, by way of commemorating the lives of some trailblazing creatures! From American "monkeynaut" Miss Baker to Kansas zoo orangutan legend Djakarta Jim to Liberty and the many critters frequently spotted on the White House lawn, Sarah and Joe dig deep to find the bones buried in these tales of furry friends lost in 1984. 

Football is upon us once again, and It Happened One Year is getting flagged for excessive celebration, as per usual! Sarah & Joe make their yearly predictions for 2023 NFL outcomes, but only after taking a look at two big events from 1984's football season - Walter Payton becoming the all-time leading rusher, and the events surrounding the Baltimore Colts hightailing it out of Maryland in the middle of the night. Along the way, there is much discussion about the Chicago Bears potentially moving to the suburbs, why the rushing record may never be broken again, how many times Sarah will go all-in predicting Buffalo to hoist the Lombardi, and how much mileage Joe can get out of correctly picking the Chiefs to win last year. It's almost time for kick-off! Get those pizza rolls cooking!

We're doing it again! It Happened One Year is back, now covering the pivotal political and pop culture period of 1984! First up, Sarah & Joe take a look at arguably the biggest star of the decade, Michael Jackson, and the many perils and pitfalls he faced in '84. The laborious Jackson 5/The Jacksons tour surrounding their latest album Victory serves as the backbone, and along the way attention is paid to the infamous Pepsi commercial that derailed the Gloved One's life, the infighting that finally ended the family band, how these events led to the New England Patriots eventually being sold, and how Michael's complicated legacy resonates in the modern day. 

You guessed it - we're doing it again! Join Sarah & Joe for a third trip into the past, looking at the events big and small, famed and forgotten from a new subject year! There'll be sports and politics! Movies and sweet jams! Cool fashions and dumb haircuts! New episodes arrive starting in August!

After twenty-six months spent taking extended looks at 1994 and 1967, It Happened One Year has finally reached its milestone 100th Episode! Hosts Sarah & Joe navigate this sort-of retrospective look at the show, by way of roping in many friends of the podcast and Baseball Humbug/Visitors to Nova Scotia veterans to hang out, play trivia games, cover overlooked corners of the subject years, and make ballsy predictions for the future! Listen as ReconCinemation hosts Jon Deiner and David Munchak breakdown the great film years of '67 & '94! Explore an alternate reality where IHOY: 1923 comes to life from Angie Buonincontro! Delve into the future pitch session for Muppet Speed, led by Nick Perfetto! Question the mechanics of rebooting The Golden Girls, recast with Spice Girls, thanks to Lana Cooper! Marvel at the brazen optimism of Bills fan and unofficial Buffalo mayor Dave Gardon, while sympathizing with the Bears related pessimism of Chicago denizens Sam McChuri and Sean McCann! It's the biggest It Happened One Year yet, closing the door on the first two seasons and signaling the way toward a mind-boggling third trip to the past, coming soon!

What better to close out Season Two than with an historic, super-sized episode commemorating the dear departed of 1967! Sarah & Joe take an uncharacteristically deep dive into the many notables in film, music, sports, politics, writing, art, and society who vacated the premises in the subject year, with a list of icons including Vivien Leigh, Che Guevara, Otis Redding, Spencer Tracy, Dorothy Parker, Woody Guthrie, Claude Rains, Basil Rathbone, Jayne Mansfield, the Apollo I astronauts, Rene Magritte, Jimmie Foxx, and many more! Pull up a chair and invite the neighbors over for a block party, because this is a long one, chock full of the facts and Speed references you've come to expect over IHOY's two season run!