It was a Thing on TV: An Anthology on Forgotten Television

We visit a late 70s obscurity from NBC, where a recent podcast favorite played a playboy who got framed for a crime he didn't commit, spending three years behind bars.  Upon his release, he went for revenge.  His calling card was literally a playing card.  The show went on a lengthy hiatus before airing one final two-hour episode, when NBC dealt one final blow--cancellation.

Greg and Dane look at one of the best WWE PPV's of 2005 with Vengeance '05 from Las Vegas. We got two world title matches and an epic WrestleMania 21 rematch between Kurt Angle and Shawn Michaels! We also get to see if Lilian Garcia will propose to the world's largest love machine Viscera, and hopefully nothing ruins this proposal! 

We're trying to kick it up a notch this week.  It's not happening with this failed effort to bring a TV chef to a mainstream audience, in the form of a sitcom.  The events which happened two weeks before the premiere likely hurt more than giving the lead his own sitcom.

Greg and Dane continue their 2010 TNA look as they watch Sacrifice 2010 as RVD defends the TNA World Title against AJ Styles. We get the never-ending saga of Orlando Jordan vs. Rob Terry, Sting beating the crap out of Double J, and Eric Young being a member of The Band. We also get Ric Flair going nuts on commentary so that's a win! NOTE: We recorded this episode before this past weekend's AAA live event. We will discuss the Main Event from that show at the start of the next episode.

In this episode, we get proof that there is no positive correlation between the cost of a series and the ratings received.  An amazing amount of star power and promotion couldn't save this animated series about Siegfried and Roy's white tigers and lions, and their (obviously) made-up adventures.

It's the end of the 2010 Monday Night Wars on the SCTM, and TNA's attempt at going head-to-head with RAW ends not with a bang but with a whimper. But we do get the start of the Ric Flair/Jay Lethal feud and finally see some emotion from Chelsea, so that's a plus!

Greg's birthday is around the corner, which means it's time for Greg to play his Money in the Bank.  This year, Greg selected a show with someone from one of his favorite programs.  In 1977, there was a spinoff/revival of Bewitched with the focus on Samantha and Darren's daughter, who had witchy tendencies like her mother.  The television audience quickly shied away from the show.

Greg and Dane make their return to the Spectrum in the newest SCTM episode as they look at the WWF Spectrum House Show on PRISM from Early June of 1984. We get a dynamite match for the WWF Title between Hogan and Sheiky Baby, Tito Santana putting the IC title on the line against Dr. D and Sgt. Slaughter against Mr. Wonderful. We also get the SCTM debut of Kal Rudman plus the return of The Zink! COME BACK ZINK! COME BACK!

Our first foray into war dramas takes us to one of the more popular failures in television history.  The name in season 1 could have been misleading, costs certainly were high between aircraft and personnel, and the ratings were low.  Despite all that, the show has lived on in reruns for well over a decade every weekend.

In the newest SCTM episode, we do a listener request and review the 2nd Annual Battle of the WWF Superstars tape from Coliseum Video. We get Sean Mooney dressed as Patton as we watch an epic match between Mr. Perfect and Roddy Piper for the IC title. Too bad the rest of the matches on this tape weren't as good as that one. But we do get a nice profile on Hacksaw Jim Duggan and some Trivia to pad out the tape. You can watch the tape in full on the WWE Vault channel on YouTube at this link. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EK5VE-z0Kwg

Our latest Live Watch takes us to the late 1980s and The Trial of the Incredible Hulk. When David Banner is accused of a crime he didn't commit (again), his only hope is a blind lawyer who doubles as the city's vigilante protector. And also Stan Lee's first (of many) cameo appearances!

We return to our now-regular weekly schedule with a show we have wanted to talk about for years, but there was no footage of it in English...until a few weeks ago.  What happens when three people in a large American city are given a life-changing sum of money?  It isn't always sunshine and rainbows.  It is, however, incredibly redundant.

Greg and Dane return to 2010 TNA to watch the post-Lockdown episode of Impact. Boy oh boy, is TNA desperate for people to watch the show as they're now bombing against RAW on Monday Nights. We see a return of somebody captured by NINJAS! along with a TNA World Title match with AJ facing the winner of a match between RVD and Jeff Hardy. But be warned, we get lots and lots and lots of talking, Brother!

Pilot Month 2026 ends with a television adaptation of one of the big comedic movies from the prior year, but there was no involvement from the key figure which made the movie a hit.  Unfortunately, Tommy Davidson is no Eddie Murphy.  It didn't help that this aired on a federal holiday, when people are celebrating the country's independence.

We're down to the final two pilots of Pilot Month 2026.  Sending us down the home stretch is an animated version of a beloved sitcom from the mid-60s, but with its characters a smidge older, plus two cousins are introduced to the show's canon.  Some shows should left untouched, so efforts like this cannot sully the legacy of the original show.

The antepenulatimate entry in Pilot Month 2026 (that's 3rd to last entry) is one of the first national endeavors done by a weatherman at KNBC.  If you're a fan of a variety of games, this is the show for you.  Despite technical glitches, one can see a glimpse of what would become a very fruitful career from this weatherman-turned-host.

A beloved show to people of a certain age is Whew!  The format was brought back in pilot form, with elements of an immensely popular board game of the era, the one with wedges and pies.  With a combination of knowledge, luck, and guts, someone could win the Pie in the Sky.

In honor of WrestleMania 42 having just ended, Greg and Dane for Episode 50 look at WrestleMania 30 years ago with WrestleMania XII from Anaheim at the Pond. We have the Iron Man match for the WWF Title between Bret and Shawn, a Hollywood Backlot Brawl between Goldust and Roddy Piper, and The Undertaker facing Diesel. Also, we get a weird case of deja vu while watching the PPV for some reason. NOTE: We obviously taped this two days before Night 1 of Mania so enjoy how right or wrong we were with our predictions for this year's Mania at the start.

It's not The Odd Couple, but the minds behind Married...with Children created this pilot which had an odd couple--an outgoing door-to-door saleswoman and a top-tier international model who has everything but a friend.  Was this the beginning of a beautiful friendship?  It didn't get past pilot stage, so it's fair to say no.

Greg and Dane head to St. Louis for TNA Lockdown 2010 as Team Hogan takes on Team Flair in Lethal Lockdown. We also have the TNA World Title on the line between AJ Styles and the Pope while Kurt Angle and Mr. Anderson have the epic conclusion to their feud. Also, we talk about the Icelandic Volcano wreaking havoc on the card and a 20-inning game between the Mets and Cardinals.

The time has finally come to answer a question this podcast has posed for some time--What's a Snavely?  First, it's the first attempt to bring Fawlty Towers to this side of the Atlantic.  Second, it's a hotel.  Third, it's the surname of the owners.  Fourth, it's the seventh installment for Pilot Month 2026 and the 623rd episode of this podcast.

Greg and Dane continue their look into 2010 TNA with this episode of Impact during the middle of the Monday Night War with WWE. We got Team Hogan and Team Flair budding heads before the upcoming Lockdown PPV, Kurt Angle and Mr. Anderson battling for a key in a Ladder Match and the Knockouts Lockbox Challenge where one of the Knockouts has to do a striptease. OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

It's 1993.  Video games are the newest form of entertainment.  The landscape already has cartoons of Super Mario Bros., Sonic the Hedgehog, and the Mega Man cartoon will bow in the following year.  What other video game characters have the popularity to drive a cartoon?  Bubsy?!  A pilot aired around Thanksgiving 1993.  What could possibly go wrong?  What COULDN'T go wrong?

Greg and Dane return to Georgia Championship Wrestling on this edition of the SCTM as they watch an Omni House Show from August of 1983 via the WWE Vault channel on YouTube. We get to see the beginnings of Arn Anderson and Rick Rude in the lower-card, while we get a U.S. title match between Greg Valentine and Pistol Pez Whatley. It's all capped off with a dynamite main event chain match between Roddy Piper and Buzz Sawyer. You can watch the full show on the WWE Vault channel at this link. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ60f__Fycs

We venture into the absurd with this pilot, where one character gets his abilities due to solar radiation, while his partner is half motorcycle and half human.  This project had two future stars, as well as a third coming off his big movie a year earlier.  (Coming.  IYKYK.)  ABC passed on it, and apparently FOX had to decide between this and a classic FOX sitcom as a 1999-2000 midseason replacement.  FOX made the right choice.

What's up next for Pilot Month 2026?  It.  What is It?  It is simply the linking word in a Before and After like you would see on Wheel of Fortune.  It had an amazing set, but It was also a mess, with many technical issues and goofs.  It was a work in progress.  And what's the deal with the gruesome animated character which was clearly a blatant ripoff of the Whammy?  All this use of the word 'it' is giving me a headache, just like when I first saw It.

In honor of "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" being released in theaters, along with "The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!" coming to MeTV Toons, we decided to release this "Best of" from 2021, covering The SMB Super Show! in honor of MAR10 Day. Just be sure to keep Hot Rod's bagpipes away from Mario and Luigi.

We usually don't include pilots of series which make it to television, but apparently someone made an exception.  Two pilots of the beloved series from the early 70s through the early 80s were done with the question format from the original series.  (The humorous questions would arrive about a year later.)  The first pilot can easily be found.  A word of warning about the second pilot:  There is at least one answer which doesn't fly in 2026, and probably shouldn't have flown in 1973.

It's time for the annual tradition at It Was a Thing on TV as we watch a game from Week 1 of the new UFL season. Greg and Mike in this episode go over some of the changes in the UFL with the new coaches, players and teams. We also go over why does the UFL have a betting expert on these games?

In a segment so epic, we had to shine a spotlight on it's very own episode, Greg and Dane conclude their look at WCW Uncensored 1996 with the Doomsday Cage Match! It's the Mega Powers against the Alliance to end Hulkamania! Can the Four Horsemen and the Dungeon of Doom rid the world of Hulkamania once and for all? Of course not, but that doesn't mean they're gonna try in one of the most confusing and entertaingly bad matches of all-time!

Pilot Month 2026 rolls on with this Jim Henson entry, which aired during the 1987 installment of CBS Summer Playhouse.  Like at least one other pilot we have previously covered, this pilot dealt with the happenings at a children's TV show, as well as the personal lives off-camera.  Like at least that one other pilot, it became a footnote in TV history.

Last year on the SCTM, Greg and Dane covered WCW Uncensored 1995; now, a year later, they watch the 1996 edition. This year, we get Konnan and Eddie in a banger opener, Regal and Finlay brawling, The Giant going up against ..... The Lochness Monster? Plus, we also have BOOTYBOOTYBOOTYBOOTYMAN! Part 2, covering the Doomsday Cage Match between The Mega Powers and The Alliance to end Hulkamania, will come out sometime within the next seven days.

It's the beginning of an annual tradition on this podcast--Pilot Month.  We are giving you 12 pilots over the next 6 weeks.  We begin Pilot Month 2026 with yet another spinoff of M*A*S*H, but this one didn't make it.  Was it due to going to the well once too often, or was it possibly due to a good percentage of the country not seeing it due to political convention coverage?  Maybe it's because the main character left the parent show 5 years earlier.

In the second of our two birthday honorings this week, we celebrate what would have been Kevin Dobson's 83rd Birthday by looking at this short-lived 1981 CBS cop show. Kevin Dobson plays a widowed single father who moves from the NYPD to San Francisco. The ratings for this wouldn't be good, but better things would come for Kevin in the following year thanks to a cast opening on another CBS drama.

Greg and Dane take a trip to Jim Cornette's Smoky Mountain Wrestling on the SCTM. They look at the April 30th, 1994 episode of SMW as they took a look at some of the various wrestlers in the territory including a young Chris Jericho and Lance Storm as The Thrillseekers! They also look at the big monster heel in SMW known as Brusier Bedlam who's taking on Randy Savage at an upcoming show. Plus, we get to see an awesome taped promo from Jake Roberts.

In the next week, the legendary William Shatner turns 95 years old.  Our tribute to him is this entry from almost 20 years ago, which has Deal or No Deal tendencies but asks questions slightly more difficult than that show's title query.  It remains a classic among us, though the general population didn't agree.  We also get closure to what happened to the contestant on the final aired episode whose game was interrupted, never to be seen.

Here is yet another case of a spinoff of a hit show being an utter disaster.  Joey Tribbiani moved to L.A., away from his friends.  Nobody told him spinning off from the flagship show was gonna be this way.  After two lackluster seasons, this series ended up as one of the biggest spinoff flops in history.

In the newest episode of the SCTM, we continue with our look at 2010 TNA with Destination X 2010. In this PPV we get a great four-way ladder match, a Destination X match between The Motor City Machine Guns and the (not) Young Bucks, and the funniest ending of a Main Event of all-time according to Greg and Dane! Feel the power of the Hulkster's HOF Ring, Brother!

Mike's birthday happened earlier in the week.  As is tradition around these parts, during birthday time, each host picks an episode they want to cover as their Money in the Bank.  Mike chose this cartoon which was critical of the times in the 70s during season 1, but reverted to an animated sitcom with no controversial bite in subsequent seasons.

It's for reals this time as TNA Impact goes head-to-head against WWE RAW on Monday Night's in 2010 headlined by a tag team main event between The Hulkster and Abyss against Ric Flair and AJ Styles! We also got two championship matches on this special Impact, a big debut, and WHAT DID SCOTT HALL SAY OUT LOUD?!?!

They're beautiful. They're talented. They're poised. They're competing on a grand stage for $10,000 and the title of Miss… Dog. FOX arrives with another idea where one didn't exist, only for it to be neutered after one go.

Greg and Dane return to the WWE Vault channel for this episode of the SCTM as they review the 1994 Coliseum Video "Wham Bam Bodyslam!" We get some goodies from the New Generation Era in the WWF, including a Bret vs. Owen lumberjack match where we get chaos! We also have a banger between Alundra Blayze and Bull Nakano for the WWF Women's Championship, along with Doink and Dink clowning around at Titan Tower. BTW, boy did Pat Patterson let himself go!

Usually, we don't cover shows that ran for more than two seasons.  An exception was made not because this was bad but rather the plethora of changes which arose, primarily with talent wanting raises.  Despite that, What's Happening Now!! actually had a longer run than the original series.

We're a little late to the 100th birthday celebration of Leslie Nielsen.  Surely, you'll forgive us.  (And don't call us Shirley.) After the success of Airplane!, its producers brought a show with similar humor to the small screen with Police Squad!  The show was not a success for several reasons, but it was loved so much that it spun off into four movies over the last 40 years.

In the next chapter, Greg and Dane continue their look at 2010 TNA, which is a review of TNA Against All Odds 2010. We have an 8-Card Stud Tournament to determine the #1 contender for the TNA World Title; meanwhile, AJ Styles faces Samoa Joe for the TNA championship with Eric Bischoff as the Special Guest Ref. Special Thanks to Tim Taylor at Place to be Nation for creating the new logo for the podcast.

It's a midweek edition of It Was a Thing on TV Presents. First, Greg and Mike go over Super Bowl LX and talk about the Winter Olympics among various sports topics. Then, Greg invites Dane in Segment 2 to talk about the Wrestling Observer awards and oh boy, they got a lot to say about it.

Our tribute for Joe Garagiola's birthday takes us back almost 4 decades, to a show that has been forgotten, for good reason.  Kline and Friends' second endeavor was not good, though we know one way a current generation could have gotten into it:  #nobanditnobandit.  (We have had a little too much fun with that lately.)

With the Winter Olympics happening right now in Italy, we present our first-ever "Best of" involving a Live Show as we re-release Greg and Chico's live watch from the Stream Lounge era involving the 1993 Disney movie "Cool Runnings" recorded during the last Winter Olympics in 2022.

When we placed this on the schedule, it was to coincide with a 24/7 stream of the show.  A few days before we recorded, the stream ended.  To make matters worse, due to technical difficulties, the original Revisited show had to be scrapped.  Finally, it became a reality.  Relive the fun of Duke Moosekian, The Handsome Boy Modeling Agency, SPEWEY, and much more as we finally revisit Get a Life properly.

The Squared Circle Time Machine heads to the Manhattan Center as Monday Night RAW returns to the building where it all started as Jerry "The King" Lawler has issued a challenge to Paul E. and ECW to show up in this memorable episode of RAW.

Ever wanted to know the secret talents of NFL players? No? Well, NBC Sports thought otherwise and gave us this competition during the pregame of Super Bowl XXIII, which features four guys and Reggie White showing off their hidden talents to win money for charity with an all-star panel of judges, along with Ahmad Rashad and the star of the box-office hit of 1989, "Who's Harry Crumb?" John Candy? What?