An anthology about some of the worst, weirdest, shortest running, or generally forgotten shows and events on television. For the most part, the topics we cover will be from the United States, but we will occasionally cover a foreign show.
Mike Klauss, Chico Alexander, and Greg Diener
In the past, we talked about how huge disco was in the late 70s. CHiPs combined disco with roller skating, mixed in over four dozen celebrities, and threw in three subplots to create a 2-part season three premiere episode. It was yet another costly venture for NBC in 1979, but did it pay off in ratings points?
Greg and Dane watch this episode of Monday Nitro from the WCW YouTube Channel, and boy, does this have Russo-riffic written all over it. It's the night after Fall Brawl 2000, and we have chaos involving the #1 contender for the WCW title, Canadian Heel Hacksaw Jim Duggan, David Flair in depression because he's not the father of Stacy Keibler's baby, Disco Inferno interfering on behalf of The Filthy Animals, and Kevin Nash being so damn hilarious in backstage segments!
It's the first full week of football both college and pro here on The 506 Game as Mike and Greg (battling Internet connection issues) look at some fun match-up's on CFB Saturday and have their first fun with the gerrymandered affiliate maps for the NFL. They also discuss the controversial ending to Michigan/Western Michigan last week, Miami's beatdown of Florida A&M and most importantly what areas of the country are marked safe from Tom Brady's commentary this week.
After a slight delay, we get to the earlier education part of our Back to School 2026 shows with a show loved by the critics but not seen by enough viewers. (Sound familiar, Cheers from the same season?) A clique of high schoolers strive for popularity and approval from peers in an era where you were one of the cool kids or you were nobody. Do these square pegs ever fit in with the round holes? 44 years later, we may never know...
Recently uploaded to the WWE Vault YouTube Channel last week, Greg and Dane look at this Coliseum Video VHS tape from 1986 in "The Best of the WWF" series. We see a Hart Foundation/Killer Bees Match from MSG, Danny Spivey, Ted Arcidi and Haku (King Tonga) wanting to take part in the Big John Studd bodyslam challenge! You can watch the tape through the WWE Vault channel at this link. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFUKRP0Vy80
Greg and Mike go over the announcer slate for the first full week of College Football while asking themselves, why the hell did Rutgers shoot off fireworks after they lost to UMass on Thursday? They also look at some good games in the late windows while also talking about if Brian Kelly will use his fake Cajun accent on CBSSN?
1990 was the year of the failed movie-to-TV transition, between Ferris Bueller, Baby Talk, and this week's entry. People saw the Monday night preview episode, but failed to follow it to its regular time slot, the death slot on Saturday night, a full hour before two of NBC's stalwart shows for that night. At least girls got to see young Leonardo DiCaprio before he went on a ship and died seven years later. (Sorry for the almost 30-year-old spoilers.)
In Episode 2 of The 506 Game, Mike and Greg look at the College Football announcer slate for Week 0 while also looking up information on some unknowns to us in this week's slate. Also, who doesn't want to sleep to the tones of Tim Brando calling Memphis/UNLV on FOX right before you go to bed?
In early 2007, one of the most unexpected upsets in college football history happened. It also helped launch the rise in college league-specific networks. There was only one problem--the fan base for a certain team could not watch the game due to a lack of carriage. They missed an historical affair, likely one they don't want to remember.
Greg and Dane go to D.C. for SummerSlam 2005 as the Hulkster and HBK meet for the first time, brother, the last time, brother, and the only time, brother! And trust us, hilarity is gonna ensue when we hit the Main Event! But we also see Rey and Eddie battle over the custody of Young Dom in a Ladder Match, Batista and JBL in a No Holds Barred match for the Big Gold Belt, and Cena and Jericho fighting for the WWE title!
It's just about Back to School time. As always, we look at something in the realm of a college or school-themed show. We look at a somewhat early ESPN endeavor which was simply a sports take on College Bowl, recorded at a long-defunct theme park. It's not memorable as a show, but it might be more memorable to ESPN fans for who appeared on it as a 19-year-old freshman in season one.
Greg and Dane head to Montreal for the Go Home episode of RAW before SummerSlam 2005. We see Shawn get mega heel heat back in Montreal while the Hulkster and Kurt Angle wrestle in our main event. Also on this show we get the finals of the Diva Search, Eugene's Gold Medal challenge and Rob Conway's amazing theme song!
Greg and Mike spin off one of their favorite pre-show bits into its own podcast series on the feed! The 506 Game, where our heroes look at all the announcer pairings on 506 Sports for the upcoming weekend. In the debut episode, Greg and Mike look at NFL Preseason Announcer pairings and some curious choices for local stations airing some of these games. They also look at the map for the MLB regional games on FOX, along with some of the announcer pairings on NBC/Peacock for Sunday Leadoff/Sunday Night Baseball to close out the episode.
Since we don't have a new episode this week, here's a best of from 2021 when we covered the short-lived early FOX show “The New Adventures of Beans Baxter”. This episode has everything, Jonathan Ward, Savage Steve Holland, Kurtwood Smith, G. Gordon Liddy. So enjoy and we'll be back with a new episode for you next Friday (August 21st).
Greg and Dane are back to discuss the second half of the SummerSlam 1990 card where we see our Double Main Event as the Hulkster returns to take on Earthquake while Warrior and Rick Rude battle in a cage for the WWF title. We also see Sgt. Slaughter award the "Sgt. Slaughter Great American Award" on The Brother Love Show along with Harlem Sewer Rats!!!!
In the first of a two-part episode on the SCTM, Greg and Dane return to the Spectrum for SummerSlam 1990. We get the Hart Foundation vs. Demolition in a classic match for the Tag Titles and the Texas Tornado facing Mr. Perfect for the I-C title. But most importantly, can Hacksaw Jim Duggan find Sapphire? Part 2 will be released on Tuesday.
Here's another brief series which spawned from a successful TV movie. A team of marshals deliver justice with the automotive equivalent of the Supertrain. The ratings never approached what the TV movie delivered, not justifying the cost of the series, eventually sending the Supercar to the scrap heap of television history.
Greg and Dane on the SCTM take a trip to the City of Angels for this August 1988 WWF House Show from the L.A. Sports Arena on The Z Channel. We get early WWF tryout matches from Mr. Perfect and Owen Hart along with a big WWF Title Match between Randy Savage and Andre the Giant.
Today is the release of the big comic book movie of 2026, something about a brand new day. To celebrate, this time we're looking at a very short-lived cartoon from the same general franchise, which was rushed to TV screens. It couldn't be half bad because the lead was voiced by one of this podcast's favorites, right? Wrong.
Greg and Dane head on out to Nashville for WWF In Your House II as we hear Double J singing his hit song "With My Baby Tonight" before he defends the IC title against HBK. We also have a big main event with Diesel and Sid in a Lumberjack Match, along with Barry Didinsky hawking silly merch. Plus, we believe this is the only WWF PPV that has an appearance from Mantaur!
For a show that ran as long as Who's the Boss? to have a single spinoff is rare. It happened in 1989, when one of Samantha Micelli's friends got into modeling. After rip-roaring ratings for the preview airing, things went downhill fast. At least it was the start of something big for one of the supporting cast members.
If you're in the Northern Hemisphere, it is the middle of summer and likely scorching hot outside. To cool you off a bit, we give you a Rankin-Bass special, combining the forces of Rudolph and Frosty. Together, they and others try to stop a villain from turning the North Pole into his own evil wonderland. This gets dark sometimes, and this was aimed at children? And were children willing to sit through 90 minutes to 2 hours of this un-holly and un-jolly special?
Greg and Dane conclude their look into the first half of TNA in 2010 with the June 17th, 2010 episode of Impact. Where we get the most epic promo war in history between Ric Flair and Jay Lethal! Plus, you won't like Abyss by the end of this episode, just ask Chelsea!
The flavor of the month...or maybe that should be the flavor of the last 36 months of the 1980s was Australia. Crocodile Dundee-mania was huge and Yahoo Serious was briefly relevant. Surely, someone will incorporate an Aussie into a television show. Lo and behold, CBS did with a family-oriented sitcom with an Australian live-in nanny, which is merely a blip in television history.
Greg and Dane come back for the start of the end of their 2010 arc on the podcast as they look at the 2010 edition of Slammiversary. We have a Main Event for the TNA title between RVD and Sting, Madison Rayne being the 2010 version of Gunther, the 2010 World Cup and the vuvuzelas, Jeff Hardy and Mr Anderson forming a team, Brother Ray and Jesse hugging it out, and Matt Morgan getting a doctor's note to get out of a match! Happy Slammiversary Babyah!
Back in 2021 for the Fourth of July we released The Bicentennial Minute a series of segments done by CBS in primetime between July 4th, 1974 to December 31st, 1976 to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the United States. Later, in 2021 we released a Director's Cut with extra material and now in 2026 for the 250th Anniversary of the USA we release the Super Special Longer 2006 Edition. This updated edition is over two and a half hours with about a half-hour of new material for 2026 including five segments recently unearthed for the first time in a half-century on Major Garrett of CBS News' podcast. Bicentennial Minutes covered in the 2021 version "Lucy's Bicentennial Minute" - https://papermoonloveslucy.tumblr.com/post/175503525253/lucys-bicentennial-minute Betty Ford Bicentennial Minute Materials (Gerald Ford Presidential Library and Museum): - https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/document/0126/1489543.pdf Press Release for Congressman Butler Derrick's (D-SC) appearance on the Bicentennial Minute on November 12, 1975 (University of South Carolina Library) - https://digital.tcl.sc.edu/digital/collection/derrick/id/89/ April 1975: Janet Leigh (Partial) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tWIoa1lhuk August 24, 1975: Congresswoman Bella Abzug (D-NY) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsnFrd63j4k August 31, 1975: Jessica Tandy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUoto1lsX50 January 8, 1976: Laurence Luckinbill - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir6pabr4CD0 January 22, 1976: Gary Lockwood - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hai2OxMwl9w March 9, 1976: Jim Hutton - https://youtu.be/zgwiC4TT9aM?t=499 March 18, 1976: Val Avery - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93s5mXL0WZk April 2, 1976: Darren McGavin (New to the SSL2026 Edition) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDoMXgmoncg May 7, 1976: Otto Preminger - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1HwX6TdHbk May 12, 1976: Mitchell Ryan - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TpBK7tZc2k May 20, 1976: Zubin Mehta - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7bt3SNBOrw May 27, 1976: Garson Kanin - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgxOYH7fHX4 June 4, 1976: Senator Fritz Hollings (D-SC) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHDXxzuXBok July 22, 1976: Will Rogers Jr. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfG8LHyRlNY December 20, 1976: Emlyn Williams - https://youtu.be/8nUKzWGVWe4?t=1671 December 31, 1976: President Gerald Ford (Last 42 Seconds) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0TB76tc5Tg Bicentennial Minutes covered in the 2026 SSL2026 Edition courtesy of Major Garrett's "The Takedown" March 26, 1976: Michael York: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrBhkPOS7xg&t=90s March 23, 1976: Kitty Carlisle and August 22, 1976: Bert Convy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRlOa_feAfU September 5, 1976: Vice Admiral Sam Gravely Jr. and March 6, 1976: Brigader General Madelyn Parks - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kJAHHb0ito March 25, 1976: William Holden and August 10, 1976: Joseph Cotten - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztwG6q2ooX0 August 24, 1976: Edith Head and March 19, 1976: Judith Crist - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wg4z3NxPPXc Bonus: YouTube user epaddon's compilation of all the surviving Bicentennial Minutes including the surviving Pre-Spring of 1975 Bicentennial Minutes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBDHgs90jiU
Last week, we mentioned Chain Reaction since it was one of the shows cancelled to make room for The David Letterman Show. We felt it was fitting to spotlight the first of numerous revivals of Chain Reaction, in all its Canadian glory. We even give a nod to the French language version from the same time.
To honor the Fourth of July, Greg and Dane continue from recently reviewing Vengeance '05 as they look at the 7/4/05 episode of Monday Night RAW featuring a big tag match with the Hulkster and HBK vs. Kurt Angle and Carlito. We also get Diva Search crap, Rene Dupree with a mustache, Bubbly Maria and Todd Grisham outside of Eric Bischoff's office!
The 46th anniversary of the debut of this program happened earlier this week. We decided to revisit it this week, as more footage of the show has found its way online in the last 6 years like Isaac Asimov talking about the future, Chuck Norris doing some martial arts, and Phil Donahue supposedly dating Bill Murray's grandmother. Also, a sitting senator was supposedly an occasional guest?!
It's Lost in Translation time. We're going down under for this installment, with a series that really pushed the envelope in Australia for most of the 70s, but barely made a whimper in the United States. Was it because the American version didn't have the edginess? Was it due to scheduling? Could there have been too much going on? Could it have been due to similar but more popular shows on other networks? (Yes times four.)
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.
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