Sliders and Wings

This week Val and Rachel welcome special guest Nita Pom-Pom discuss Parker Lewis Can't Lose, an American teen sitcom that originally aired on Fox from September 1990 to June 1993. It was produced by Clyde Phillips Productions in association with Columbia Pictures Television. During the last season, the series rebranded to Parker Lewis. The series depicts the tribulations of the title character Parker Lewis (played by Corin Nemec), a Santo Domingo High School student, for whom nothing is impossible. It was strongly influenced by the feature film Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Hot Topics include: 1.) Immediate Flowers for Algernon digression 2.) Parker Lewis' Max Headroom/Memphis design/ "living-cartoon-like" aesthetic 3.) Memories of Parker Lewis and defying gender stereotypes 4.) Corky, Corin and Joseph Charles 5.) Nita's college journal and connection to Parker Lewis star  Maia Brewton 6.) What IS a laserdisc? 7.) Unnecessary vests 8.) Parker's unique fashion style: Early John Fetterman? 9.) Quiz! 10.) What Ya Watchin': Berry, Better Call Saul, Outer Range, Killing It, Peggy Sue Got Married, Time After Time, Girls5Eva, Kids in the Hall   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parker_Lewis_Can%27t_Lose

This week Val and Rachel discuss The Outer Limits,  a television series that originally aired on Showtime, Syfy and in syndication between 1995 and 2002. The series is a revival of the original The Outer Limits series that aired from 1963 to 1965. The Outer Limits is an science fiction anthology of distinct story episodes, sometimes with a plot twist at the end. The revival series maintained an anthology format, but occasionally featured recurring story arcs that were then tied together during season-finale clip shows. Hot Topics include: 1.) Rachel's soft core sci-fi shock! 2.) Episode reviews: "Valerie," "Lithia," "Family Values," "A Stitch in Time" 3.) Remembering our first experiences with science fiction 4.) Background on the 1990s revival 5.) What Sci-Fi Ya Reading? 6.) Adjacent TV: Twilight Zone, Tales from the Crypt, Black Mirror 7.) Rachel's Alexa achieves the singularity  8.) The State of Sci-Fi 9.) What Ya Watchin': The World, The Flesh, and The Devil (1959, Harry Belafonte, Criterion Channel), All My Friends Hate Me (Rent on Prime), horror movie Mikey     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Outer_Limits_(1995_TV_series)

This week Val and Rachel discuss Grace Under Fire, an American sitcom that aired on ABC from September 29, 1993, to February 17, 1998. The show starred Brett Butler as a single mother learning how to cope with raising her three children alone after finally divorcing her abusive husband. The series was created by Chuck Lorre and produced by Carsey-Werner Productions.   Hot Topics include: 1.) Feeling stupid is the worst 2.) Val gets involved in local politics 3.) Bret Butler's substance issues, cast changes, and drama on set 4.) This is a dark show! (Even darker than Roseanne) Many sensitive issues are explored. (Many such cases) 5.) Supporting characters and cameos: Vietnam vets, John Goodman, & Dave Thomas 6.) Rookie of the Year sidebar 7.) Hela Under Fire.. Grace takes Eastern Europe  8.) Rachel administers the Comedian Sitcom Quiz to Val 9.) Val's Fun Facts about Chuck Lorre 10.) What Ya Watchin': Death on the Nile, The Girl Before (Both on HBO Max), Old Enough and Dave Foley on the Joe Rogan Experience (Aliens, Phil Hartman and Dave's sad custody story) 11.) Early Edition reboot!     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Under_Fire  

This week Val and Rachel and Special Guests Aaron and Greg (their respective spouses) discuss Get a Life, a television sitcom that was broadcast in the United States on the Fox Network from September 23, 1990, to March 8, 1992. The show stars Chris Elliott as a 30-year-old paperboy named Chris Peterson. Peterson lived in an apartment above his parents' garage (Elliott's parents are played by Elinor Donahue and his real-life father, comedian Bob Elliott). The opening credits depict Chris Peterson delivering newspapers on his bike to the show's theme song, "Stand" by R.E.M. Hot Topics include: 1.) Early FOX programming "The lunatics were running the asylum" 2.) How does Cabin Boy hold up? 3.) Adult Swim prototyping 4.) Chris Elliott's leading man appeal 5.) Greg and Aaron's celebrity lookalikes 6.) S.P.E.W.E.Y. 7.) Elliott's other projects: FDR biopic and Action Family 8.) Greg's superpower to annihilate conversations 9.) Rachel's obsolete Get a Life quiz   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_a_Life_(American_TV_series)

This week Val and Rachel discuss two radio workplace sitcoms from different eras: Newsradio and WKRP in Cincinnati.  NewsRadio is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC from March 21, 1995 to May 4, 1999, focusing on the work lives of the staff of a New York City AM news radio station. It had an ensemble cast featuring Dave Foley, Stephen Root, Andy Dick, Maura Tierney, Vicki Lewis, Joe Rogan, Khandi Alexander, Jon Lovitz, and Phil Hartman in his final regular role before his death in 1998. WKRP in Cincinnati is an American sitcom television series that features the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson and was based upon his experiences working in advertising sales at Top 40 radio station WQXI in Atlanta. Many of the characters and even some of the stories (including that of the Season 1 episode "Turkeys Away") are based on people and events at WQXI. Wilson once told The Cincinnati Enquirer that he selected WKRP as the call sign to stand for C-R-A-P.   Hot Topics include: 1.) Gardening & landscaping updates 2.) Time slot shenanigans 3.) Contemporary criticism of Newsradio 4.) The final haunted season after Phil Hartman's death 5.) The kookiest co-workers we've ever had 6.) Bailey and Jennifer: The Ginger and Mary Ann of the 70s 7.) The WKRP very special concert episode 8.) Adjacent TV, MAD Magazine, The Most 90s 9.) Cute v. pretty, Katherine with a K 10.) Radio DJ Quiz!!! 11.) What Ya Watchin'     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NewsRadio https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WKRP_in_Cincinnati

This week Val and Rachel sit down with our friend Nicole Restaino for an innovative new format: we'll be contrasting and comparing 90s TV show My So-Called Life with current HBO show Euphoria. Both shows depict teenagers with complexity and have passionate fan bases. We also finally break the one-hour mark, so hold onto your hats, dear listeners!   My So-Called Life is an American teen drama television series created by Winnie Holzman and produced by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. It originally aired on ABC from August 25, 1994, to January 26, 1995. Set at the fictional Liberty High School in a fictional suburb near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania called Three Rivers, it follows the emotional travails of several teenagers in the social circle of main character Angela Chase, played by Claire Danes. The show was officially canceled on May 15, 1995, despite being critically praised for its portrayal of adolescence and the commentary of its central character, Angela, and for receiving several major awards nominations, including Danes winning the Golden Globe for her acting work on the series. Besides Danes, the show also launched the careers of several other major actors of her generation, including Jared Leto and Wilson Cruz. Euphoria is an American teen drama television series created and written by Sam Levinson for HBO. It is based on the Israeli television miniseries of the same name created by Ron Leshem and Daphna Levin. The series follows a group of high school students through their experiences of identity, trauma, drugs, family, friendships, love, and sex. The show is the second most watched show in HBO history, behind Game of Thrones, and it was just renewed for a 3rd season.   My So-Called Life is available on Hulu, Euphoria is on HBO Max.   Hot Topics: 1.) What is "America Online"? 2.) The Alicia Silverstone connection 3.) Unfair comparisons: prestige TV vs. network television, style vs. realism, dyeing your hair vs. doing fentanyl 4.) Overuse of music and the ensuing emotional manipulation 5.) Antiheros, moral ambiguity, and unreliable narrators 6.) Voiceovers and getting teenage dialogue right 7.) Focusing on the MSCL episode "Other People's Mothers": drugs, teenagers, and traditional vs. permissive parenting styles 8.) Very Special Episodes(TM) 9.) The crazy Rainbow-style fashion aesthetic of Euphoria 10.) Friend crushes and moral stances  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_So-Called_Life   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphoria_(American_TV_series)

This week Val and Rachel chat with special guest Bennett Madison about Sisters, an American family drama television series that aired on NBC for six seasons from May 11, 1991 to May 4, 1996. Sisters focused on four very different sisters living in Winnetka, Illinois. Their recently deceased father, Thomas Reed, a doctor, had been absent and a workaholic, while their long-suffering mother, Beatrice, turned to alcoholism to cope with his neglect and affairs. Having always wanted sons, their father had called the girls by male versions of their full names: Alexandra was called Alex; Theodora, Teddy; Georgiana, Georgie; and Francesca, Frankie. Most episodes of the show featured a number of flashbacks, in which the characters would interact with or simply observe their younger selves (played by younger actresses). Although the show was a drama with soap opera–style storylines, the show was also quirky and offbeat in the style of other shows at the time like CBS's Northern Exposure. Hot Topics Include: 1.) Bennett argues that the four Sisters all have the same personality: "Crazy" 2.) The cross-dressing storyline 3.) The yucky psuedo-incestuous Mitch storyline 4.) The steam room scenes 5.) Kontemporary Kriticism Korner 6.) More crazy plotlines: talk shows, car bombs, Japanese cartoons, George Clooney, Judd & Rudd 7.) New fancy segments My Opinionation, Adjacent TV 8.) Iconic Imagery from Alex's house 9.) How bitchy is the mom, 0 being nice 5 being Mega Bitch 10.) Bennett's history as a phone psychic 11.) 10-way tie for Most 90s 12.) What Ya Watchin': Australian Survivor, Gilded Age, Raised by Wolves, Station Eleven, The Flight Attendant, Miracle Workers       https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sisters_(American_TV_series)

This week Val and Rachel discuss Diagnosis: Murder, an American action-comedy-mystery-medical crime drama television series starring Dick Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloan, a medical doctor who solves crimes with the help of his son Steve, a homicide detective played by Van Dyke's real-life son Barry. The series began as a spin-off of Jake and the Fatman, became a series of three television films, and then a weekly television series that debuted on CBS on October 29, 1993.    Hot Topics Include: 1.) Snow, sledding, and the Cleveland "Lake Effect" 2.) Listen to the Diagnosis: Murder spooky theme song! 3.) Does Betty White speak Finnish or any other "orphan languages"? 4.) How D:M gets realty and rock n' roll so very, very wrong. 5.) Fun facts about the show, including its connection to Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy. 6.) Check out the alien abduction episode starring multiple stars from Star Trek 7.) Jennicam: Ripped from the headlines! 8.) Dumb and Dumber digression 9.) Dick Van Dyke's impressive computer skills 10.) Gal Gadot and superhero fight rants 11.) What Ya Watchin': Lusty Men and M. Night's The Village, a great movie for kids    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diagnosis:_Murder

This week Val and Rachel discuss Men Behaving Badly, an American sitcom television series that ran on NBC from September 18, 1996, to December 17, 1997. It is based on the earlier British sitcom of the same name. Set in Indianapolis, Indiana, the show starred Rob Schneider, Ron Eldard, and Justine Bateman. Kevin (Eldard) and Jamie (Schneider) were college buddies sharing an apartment and living out a second childhood, much to the chagrin of Kevin's girlfriend Sarah (Bateman). Brenda (Dina Spybey) was an upstairs neighbor that Jamie flirted with. Eldard and Bateman left after the first season amid rumors that they clashed with Schneider and the show's producers. They were replaced by Ken Marino and Jenica Bergere, and Spybey was promoted from recurring to series regular. Hot Topics Include: 1.) Adult birthday parties and the deadly diversions of childhood 2.) What happened to this show in season 2 3.) British vs. American TV 4.) Trippiest MAD Magazine, ever! 5.) Epic Premier Event: The MAD Magazine game 6.) What Ya Watchin': More Olympics Documentaries, Gilded Age 7.) This show is FUNNY! [ED: Comment applies to Season 1 ONLY.]   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men_Behaving_Badly_(American_TV_series)

This week Val and Rachel and Special Guest (and Val's very own "pool boy")  Aaron Lange discuss Red Shoe Diaries, "an American anthology erotic drama series that aired on Showtime cable network from 1992 to 1997 and distributed by Playboy Entertainment overseas. It is a spinoff of an earlier film by the same name, also directed by Zalman King. Most episodes were directed by either Zalman King, Rafael Eisenman or both. The story-lines usually have a thin plot revolving around some intrigue and the sexual awakening of a girl or woman who often also narrates. Sensuous love scenes with nudity as well as sultry, moody music are characteristic for most episodes. There is no story arc or characters connecting the different stories other than Jake Winters introducing each episode." Hot Topics Include: 1.) The history and meaning of soft core porn and how it embodies the 90s zeitgeist 2.) Is erotica dead? 5.) Debate over David Duchovny's acting ability 6.) Val and Aaron regale us with their favorite episodes 7.) Aaron talks 90s lamps 8.) The grossest MAD magazine ever! 9.) What Ya Watchin': Search Party, Santa Clause TV series buzz, 70s sci-fi film Demon Seed, Species, Raised by Wolves, Sapporo 10.) AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) is coming! Get ready.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Shoe_Diaries

This week Val and Rachel discuss Boston Common, an American sitcom television series created by David Kohan and Max Mutchnick (from Will and Grace), and aired on NBC from March 21, 1996, to April 27, 1997. The series was one of the 10 highest rated shows in its first season as it ranked 8th in the yearly ratings with a 15.6 household rating, but with a move to Sundays in its second season, the show dropped from 8th to 52nd place.  Boyd Pritchett is a genial, easy-going twenty-something from Virginia who delivers his sister Wyleen to college in Boston. Then Boyd falls in love with Joy and decides to stay, much to Wyleen's dismay. Boyd eventually gets a job at the college to help pay his sister's tuition and shares an apartment with Wyleen. Hot Topics Include: 1.) Full-on trash-talking Boston 2.) Foxfire/Angelina Jolie, Shelley Long, Margot Kidder, Zach Galifinakis, Fun Bobby, and more! 3.) Tuna.com 4.) The reality of working at a university 5.) What Ya Watchin': Curb Your Enthusiasm, Jim Gaffigan's new comedy special, Search Party, Pen15 6.) What Ya Readin': Mystery on the Mount    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Common_(TV_series)

This week Val and Rachel discuss The Commish, an American comedy-drama television series that aired on ABC in the United States from September 28, 1991, to January 11, 1996. The series focuses on the work and home life of a suburban police commissioner in Eastbridge, New York. The series stars Michael Chiklis as Anthony J. "Tony" Scali, a former NYPD detective who is now the police commissioner in the small fictional suburban New York town of Eastbridge, and tends to work through problems with humor and creativity more often than with violence or force. The show focused on family situations as well as police drama. The series deals with a wide range of topical social issues such as police corruption, racism, homophobia, drug addiction, disabilities, child abuse, illegal immigration, and sexual harassment. Hot Topics Include: 1.) THE PEN, MY GOD THE PEN!!!! 2.) Michael Chiklis' age, or lack thereof!!! (What?) 2.) Just what is a Commish? And how does it relate to judgey legal ladies? 3.) Val dives deep into the crazy plots of multiple Commishes 4.) What Ya Watchin': Olivia Newton-John in A Mom for Christmas, The Witcher v. Lost in Space: Which is less terrible? 5.) It's not easy to be a completist these days!   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Commish

This week Val and Rachel discuss an American fantasy drama television series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994, and ran for 211 episodes over nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. The series stars Roma Downey as an angel named Monica, and Della Reese as her supervisor Tess. Throughout the series, Monica is tasked with bringing guidance and messages from God to various people who are at a crossroads in their lives.  Hot Topics Include: 1.) Our thirsty Instagram account: @slidersandwingspod2.) Roma Downey trivia: too tiny for tv costumes, marriage to Mark Burnett, not sounding Irish enough 3.) Is this show forgotten? 4.) Low-stakes angel case managers 5.) Val's detailed explanation of the Nordstrom return policy 6.) James Marsden, Jack Black, and Melissa Joan Hart star in Season 2, Episode 5, featuring a classic CD black market plot and it's fabulous! 7.) What Ya Watchin': The OG Spider-man, Sex and the City/And Just Like That...   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touched_by_an_Angel

This week Val and Rachel discuss Profiler, an American crime drama that aired on NBC as part of its Thrillogy block and CNBC Europe from 1996 to 2000. The series follows the exploits of a criminal profiler working with the fictional FBI Violent Crimes Task Force (VCTF) based in Atlanta, Georgia. Ally Walker starred as profiler Dr. Samantha Waters during the first three seasons (1996–99), and was later replaced by Jamie Luner as prosecutor-turned-profiler Dr. Rachel Burke during the show's final season. Robert Davi, Roma Maffia, Peter Frechette, Erica Gimpel and Julian McMahon co-starred throughout the show's run. Caitlin Wachs played Dr. Waters' daughter for the first two seasons, a role taken over by Evan Rachel Wood in 1998. Profiler shares a similar lead character and premise with the Fox Network series Millennium, created by Chris Carter. Both shows premiered at the beginning of the 1996–97 television season. Hot Topics Include: 1.) Christmas decorating stress 2.) The demented Santa Clause 3.) Profiler Pilot Plot confusion 4.) Goonies, Nip/Tuck, Twin Peaks, While You Were Sleeping, and Just the Ten of Us connections! 5.) Profiler vs. The Pretender 6.) Serial Killers, the plot device that never disappoints! 7.) What Ya Watchin': Southside, Succession, Lost in Space 8.) Christmas Shopping Strategy 9.) 90s book sensation Griffin and Sabine    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Profiler_(TV_series)

This week Val and Rachel discuss Early Edition, an American fantasy comedy-drama television series that aired on CBS from September 28, 1996, to May 27, 2000. Set in Chicago, Illinois, it follows the adventures of a man who mysteriously receives each Chicago Sun-Times newspaper the day before it is actually published, and who uses this knowledge to prevent terrible events every day. Created by Ian Abrams, Patrick Q. Page, and Vik Rubenfeld, the series starred actor Kyle Chandler as Gary Hobson, and featured many real Chicago locations over the course of the series' run. Hot Topics Include: 1.) Nintendo 2.) Dead or Alive Quiz: Classic TV Stars 3.) Fisher Stevens history of brown face and other facts about this fascinating character 4.) Chockablock guest stars 5.) This show is boring 6.) Panther the Cat 7.) Rachel's community theater audition story 8.) What Ya Watchin': Ma(re/yor) of (East/Kings)town (Paramount Plus), Dune (HBO Max), Palm Springs (Hulu), 20/20 Turpin House of Horrors episode (Hulu), Tea and Sympathy   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_Edition

This week Val and Rachel discuss Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, an American Western drama television series starring Jane Seymour, who plays Dr. Michaela Quinn, a physician who leaves Boston in search of adventure in the Old American West and settles in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The television series ran on CBS for six seasons, from January 1, 1993, to May 16, 1998. In total, 150 episodes were produced, plus two television movies which were made after the series was cancelled.   Hot Topics Include: 1.) America's love of prairie TV 2.) French and Saunders' parody and what a "quim" is 3.) Sully has big soft lips but can't ride a horse 4.) Funny or Die's Dr. Quinn-Breaking Bad mashup 5.) What Ya Watchin': Wes Anderson's latest film The French Dispatch and the first half of the new Dune (which is the first half of the first book) 6.) CBT, Bradley Cooper, Alias, Haley Joel Osment, and the mental effects of hyperstimulation 7.) Look out for "wet signing"!   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Quinn,_Medicine_Woman

This week Val and Rachel discuss The Ben Stiller Show, an American sketch comedy series that aired on MTV from 1990 to 1991, and then on Fox from September 27, 1992 to January 17, 1993. The Fox program starred Ben Stiller, Andy Dick, Janeane Garofalo and Bob Odenkirk. The program featured numerous filmed comedy segments, many of which parodied middle of the 1980s to beginning of the 1990s pop culture. Despite mostly positive reviews, Fox canceled the series after only 13 episodes, due to low ratings. Unlike most sketch comedy programs, The Ben Stiller Show did not use a studio audience, and was the first ever Fox sketch comedy program not to use a laugh track. After cancellation, the series won the 1993 Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program. Hot Topics Include: 1.) Judd Apatow and BSS's place in the history of comedy 2.) Gen X's lasting legacy of self-deprecation 3.) Our favorite sketches, in detail 4.) Remember when cybersex was considered raunchy? 5.) What Ya Watchin': You (Netflix), American Horror Story (Hulu), Stanning  Cody Fern and Sarah Paulson 6.) Community Theater Acting 101 7.) Underwhelming announcements for our new Instagram (@slidersandwingspod) and Youtube (just called Sliders and Wings, good luck with your search) accounts   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ben_Stiller_Show  

This week Val and Rachel discuss The Heights, an American musical drama series that aired Thursday at 9:00 pm on the Fox network from August to November 1992. The Heights centered on a fictional band (also called The Heights) made up of mostly working-class young adults. Episodes regularly featured one of their songs.   The eventual theme song for the show, "How Do You Talk to an Angel" (sung by cast member Jamie Walters), went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and was the first song from a television show to top the Hot 100 since 1985, as well as the first song by a fictional band to top the Hot 100 since 1969. The Heights premiered on August 27, 1992, to low ratings, and never gained a substantial audience. Fox canceled the series less than a week after the theme song fell from the number one spot. Hot Topics Include: 1.) Holiday Birthdays 2.) Halloween Date Drama 3.) Val and Rachel disagree! 4.) Tom Shales' scathing TV review of The Heights 5.) Offscreen Suburb Drama at Rachel's House 6.) Song clip from "Natalie O, She's Pretty" 7.) Comparisons to Melrose Place and Thirtysomething 8.) Jamie Walters post-Hollywood career pivots    WARNING: Rachel sings a LOT in this one.   Most episodes available on YouTube.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Heights_(American_TV_series)

This week Val and Rachel discuss Eerie, Indiana, an American horror science fiction television series that originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1991, to April 12, 1992. The series was created by José Rivera and Karl Schaefer, with Joe Dante serving as creative consultant.   Hot Topics Include: 1.) Comparisons to X-Files, Pete and Pete, Encyclopedia Brown, 3-2-1 Contact and Odd Squad 2.) Connections to Hocus Pocus and Picket Fences 3.) Halloween favorites Roseanne and Garfield 4.) Halloween What Ya Watchin': I Know What You Did Last Summer, Dune (Not Yet Watchin'), You (Only Val Watchin') 5.) Halloween costume planning      Correction: The Garfield Halloween Special theme song was sung by Lou Rawls, not Dr. John. Wah-wah!   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eerie,_Indiana

This week Val and Rachel discuss Northern Exposure, an American Northern comedy-drama television series about the eccentric residents of a fictional small town in Alaska that ran on CBS from July 12, 1990, to July 26, 1995, with a total of 110 episodes. It received 57 award nominations during its five-year run and won 27, including the 1992 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, two additional Primetime Emmy Awards, four Creative Arts Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globes. Critic John Leonard called Northern Exposure "the best of the best television in the past 10 years". Hot Topics Include: 1.) Is Northern Exposure more like a boring Twin Peaks or a boring Picket Fences (or a boring Schitt's Creek?)? 2) What would get this show "canceled" first-- poor representation or sexual power imbalances? 3) We dabble into strange waters.. "What Ya Listening To?" 4.) Celebrity Baby Names 5.) Rachel says "titillate" more than she should 6.) Dropping shows in their last season 7.) What Ya Watchin': Younger, Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell, Neon Joe: Werewolf Hunter, Cruella 8.) (Or a boring Doc Hollywood?)   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Exposure

This week Val and Rachel discuss Anything But Love, an American sitcom that aired on ABC from March 7, 1989, to June 3, 1992, spanning four seasons and 56 episodes. The show stars Richard Lewis as Marty Gold and Jamie Lee Curtis as Hannah Miller, coworkers at a Chicago magazine with a mutual romantic attraction who struggle to keep their relationship strictly professional. The series, from creator Wendy Kout and developers Dennis Koenig and Peter Noah, was produced by Adam Productions (a company run by John Ritter) in association with 20th Century Fox Television.   Hot Topics Include: 1.) Rachel hosting kids birthday party with Bouncy House = Vietnam-level Emotional Trauma 2.) Val's Special Memory of knowing who Richard Lewis was 3.) Why this show isn't that good 4.) How sexy IS Richard Lewis? 5.) Should we start a new segment called Mullet Count? 6.) Jamie Lee Curtis' patents 7.) What Ya Watchin': Only Murder in the Building (Hulu), Evil (Paramount Plus), Modern Love (Amazon), In This Our Life, Libeled Lady, 42nd Street (actual movies, who knows how to watch them?), Times Square (illegal Russian streaming service DUH) 8.) Rachel's freshman film class-level deep thoughts about classic movies   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anything_but_Love

This week Val and Rachel discuss The Norm Show, an American television sitcom that ran on ABC from March 24, 1999 to April 6, 2001. Starting in September 1999, the show's title was shortened to Norm. The series starred Norm Macdonald, who created the series with Bruce Helford.   Hot Topics Include: 1.) Hotel booking misadventures 2.) How many "Norm" Shows have there been? 3.) Dreaming about Norm and Jimmy Fallon 4.) Stand-up is hard 5.) The Most 90s, Accent Corner and MAD magazine 6.) What Ya Watchin': The Other Two, Nine Perfect Strangers, The Children's Hour 7.) The Secret of Nicole Kidman's Ears https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Norm_Show

This week Val and Rachel discuss The 5 Mrs. Buchanans, an American television sitcom that aired on CBS from September 24, 1994 to March 25, 1995. Set in the fictional town of Mercy, Indiana, the show centers on the small-town misadventures of four diverse women with one thing in common: their loathing for their monster of a mother-in-law. Hot Topics Include: 1.) Val is better at TV than Rachel, as evidenced by her awareness of this horribly obscure show!!!! 2.) Connections to The Bad Seed, X-Files, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch 3.) The Grossest MAD Magazine challenge to date 4.) What Ya Watching': Nine Perfect Strangers (Hulu), Seaquest (Peacock), The Other Two (HBO Max) 5.) Coming soon to HBO Max: Succession Season 3 and Paul and Jessica in Space!!  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_5_Mrs._Buchanans

This week Val and Rachel discuss SeaQuest, an American science fiction television series created by Rockne S. O'Bannon. It originally aired on NBC between 1993 and 1996. In its final season, it was renamed seaQuest 2032. Set in "the near future"—originally the year 2018 in the first season—seaQuest DSV originally mixed high drama with realistic scientific fiction.  Hot Topics Include: 1.) Rachel moving to the dreaded Burbs and Val learning math! 2.) RIP Jonathan Brandis, you coulda been Leonardo DiCaprio 3.) First ever DOLPHIN Accent Corner 4.) How the show changed from Season 1 to 2, from Stuffy Turtlenecks to Sexy Scuba Suits! 5.) Ladybugs!!!!! 6.) How well did Seaquest predict the future of video calls? 7.) What Ya Watchin': The Other Two and The Green Knight 8.) Real submarines v. Seaquest DSV https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SeaQuest_DSV

This week Val and Rachel discuss the FOX dating game show Studs, an American television game show that was produced by Fox Television Studios for local television stations. The series premiered on March 11, 1991 as a midseason series, did well enough in its run to be renewed for a full season, and aired for two more full seasons until September 3, 1993. The show was hosted by former game show contestant and comedian Mark DeCarlo, in one of his first TV hosting jobs. The show follows a format similar to those of The Dating Game and Love Connection, although it provoked some controversy because the questions used relied more heavily on sexual innuendo and double entendre. Hot Topics Include: 1.) Hiring movers and the sketchiness of Facebook Marketplace 2.) The adorable quaintness of game show contestants from the pre-internet age 3.) The Proto-Feminism of Studs (Suck It Bachelor and Bachelorette!) 4.) Mark DeCarlo, talk show hosts and the recent Jeopardy! fiasco 5.) No Accent Corner this week,  but we do Most 90s and Mad Magazine 6.) What Ya Watchin': Only Murders in the Building, The Chair, American Horror Story, (RIP Mindhunter), White Lotus (We love you Steve Zahn!) aaaand Inside Number 9. Boy, that's a lot of watchin'. Studs (game show) - Wikipedia

Two Guys and a Girl (titled Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place for the first two seasons) is an American television sitcom created by Kenny Schwartz and Danny Jacobson. The series started as a short-run (13 episodes) mid-season replacement on March 10, 1998, on ABC. The series ran for four seasons, ending with a planned series finale, its eighty-first episode, on May 16, 2001. The series starred Ryan Reynolds, Richard Ruccolo, and Traylor Howard as the title characters. The second season saw the arrival of two additional recurring characters, Johnny Donnelly (Nathan Fillion) and Ashley Walker (Suzanne Cryer). In 2000, for the fourth season, ABC bounced the sitcom from midweek to a Friday night death slot, leading to a steep drop in ratings. After the show moved back to Wednesday for a two-week trial in an unsuccessful attempt to regain ratings, it was cancelled in May 2001. The series finale was titled "The Internet Show", an episode in which fans of the show voted on the characters' outcome online. Hot topics include: 1.) Who poured you a double mocha grumpy today? 2.) Rachel's small-breasted idols 3.) TWO surprise Saved By the Bell connections 4.) Can this show BE more of a bland Friends rip-off? 5.) Are YOU Alpha-Delta? 6.) Now accepting members to our Society for the Prevention of 2 Hour+ Movie Run Times https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Guys_and_a_Girl

With Rachel in absentia, this week Val and Special Guest Aaron Lange discuss the pilot episode of RoboCop, a 1994 Canadian cyberpunk television series based on the RoboCop franshise. Twenty-two episodes were made, but the series was not renewed for a second season. The pilot episode runs two hours and was adapted from a discarded RoboCop 2 script, Corporate Wars, by the writers of the original RoboCop, Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. Made to appeal primarily to children and young teenagers, the television series ignores the events of the sequels and many character names are changed from the movie series. Hot topics include: 1.) RoboCops, Ghost Cops, and Vampire Cops 2.) The enduring entertainment value of 1980s techno-fascism! 3.) Cyberpunk vs. Splatter Punks 4.) Aaron's love/hate relationship with James Cameron 5.) A glimpse into the easy listening/psychedelic rock musical career of Dr. Cray Z. Mallardo 6.) Cleveland slander from Cleveland residents

This week Val and Rachel discuss the FOX show Models, Inc, an American prime time soap opera that aired on the Fox television network during the 1994–95 television season. A spin-off of Melrose Place, it is the third series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise. Models Inc. revolves around a Los Angeles modeling agency run by Hillary Michaels (Linda Gray), the mother of Melrose Place's Amanda Woodward (Heather Locklear). Models Inc. lasted only a single season and is the only series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise not to receive a DVD release to date.   Hot Topics Include: 1.) 90s magazine deep dive 2.) Is saxophone music vintage? 3.) Val's Mad Libs middle school crush 4.) Great Muppet Caper, Charles Grodin, Better Off Dead, and Space Balls references abound! 5.) Randy Spelling's new gig 6.) AP Bio Deep Thoughts   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Models_Inc.

This week Val and Rachel discuss the documentary Kid 90, which is directed by 80s child star Soleil Moon Frye and is primarily composed of her private homemade videos and answering machine messages. Currently streaming on Hulu, it's definitely worth watching if you were a kid or teen in the 90s. Don't worry, we also do some What Ya Watching, which includes A.P. Bio and Girls5Eva, both comedies streaming on Peacock.   If you are not old enough to remember answering machines, TURN BACK NOW!   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kid_90

This week Val and Rachel and Special Guest Bennett Madison discuss the pilot episode of All-American Girl, a 1994 American sitcom starring Margaret Cho. The series aired on ABC from September 14, 1994, to March 15, 1995. Cho starred as Margaret Kim, the rebellious daughter of Korean American bookstore owners in San Francisco, whose American attitude often comes into conflict with her more traditional parents (Jodi Long and Clyde Kusatsu). Among her co-stars were BD Wong as Cho's brother, and Amy Hill as her eccentric grandmother. The series is notable for being both groundbreaking and infamous. The series was the first prime time sitcom to feature an Asian American family as its focus; however, it received criticism for its stereotypical characters. ABC's attempts to reform the show resulted in the show having a lack of direction and led viewers away from the series. After the first season, ABC wished to revamp All-American Girl into an ensemble series, but these plans were unrealized. Hot topics include: 1.) Don't put away wet dishes! 2.) What do Judy Gold, Quentin Tarantino, and Jack Black have in common? 3.) Failures and controversies surrounding the show 4.) Grandma is the Urkel of this show 5.) Our final thoughts on Mare of Easttown    Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-American_Girl_(TV_series)

This week Val and Rachel and Special (returning!) Guest Emily Wade discuss the pilot episode and second season premiere of Love & War, which is an American sitcom television series which aired on CBS from September 21, 1992 to February 1, 1995. Created by Diane English, the series originally starred Susan Dey as Wally Porter, a New York City restaurateur, and Jay Thomas as Jack Stein, a newspaper columnist with whom she had an on-again, off-again romance. After the first season, however, the show was retooled and Dey was fired by the producers of the show, saying that she and Thomas had "no chemistry" together. She was replaced by Annie Potts as Dana Palladino, who bought Porter's restaurant and also became a love interest for Jack. The first season also featured moments when Jack or Wally would break the fourth wall and address the camera directly, generally using it as an opportunity to discuss an emotional crisis. This technique was dropped in later seasons. Hot topics include: 1.) How CBS ruined Emily's childhood 2.) Why this show was so weird 3.) RIP Hunky Teddy Bear Jay Thomas 4.) Murphy Brown comparisons 5.) 3 redheads is too many for one show (Annie Potts has redhead energy) 6.) TV used to be theater, now it's the internet 7.) Emily's Korean sitcom obsession 8.) Accent Corner, What Ya Watching, and MAD Magazine 9.) Rachel and Val discuss Ted Lasso and Nomadland, but save Mare of Easttown talk for next week 10.) #vanlife    Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_%26_War_(TV_series)

This week Val and Rachel and Special Guest Michelle Burlingame discuss the pilot episode of Dinosaurs, is an American family sitcom television series that aired on ABC from April 26, 1991, through October 19, 1994, and reruns were shown on Disney Channel. The show, about a family of anthropomorphic dinosaurs, was produced by Michael Jacobs Productions and Jim Henson Television. Hot topics include: 1.) Desperately Seeking Alan Rickman Sex Scene! 2.) Rachel's Vendetta Against Ted Lasso Begins in Earnest 3.) Actors Playing Comedians in Hacks on HBO Max 4.) Dinosaurs' hot topics for kids 5.) 3 human woman debate the hotness of a teenage dinosaur puppet 6.) Reminiscing about The Worst Witch with Tim Curry 7.) Geriatric Millennials and Their Side Parts Who Also Don't Get TikTok 8.) Mare of Easttown recap show   Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinosaurs_(TV_series)

This week Val and Rachel discuss the pilot of Herman's Head, an American sitcom that aired on the Fox network from September 8, 1991 until April 21, 1994. The series was created by Andy Guerdat and Steve Kreinberg, and produced by Witt/Thomas Productions in association with Touchstone Television. William Ragsdale stars as the title character, Herman Brooks. Herman's thought processes are dramatized in a "Greek chorus"-style interpretation, with four characters representing different aspects of his personality (played by Molly Hagan, Ken Hudson Campbell, Rick Lawless and Peter MacKenzie). Hot topics include: 1.) We pop our cherry with our first FOX show, and discuss the differences between FOX and the other networks (ie: FOX is dirt-ay!!!!) 2.) What emotions might there be in Val and Rachel's heads? 3.) Rachel's Acting Retirement Plan Revealed 4.) These two horndogs drool over Evan Peters and Alan Rickman. 5.) Lotsa Whatcha Watchin    Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman%27s_Head

This week Val and Rachel and Special Guest Dan Heyer discuss an episode of Xuxa, is an American children's television series hosted by Xuxa Meneghel that aired in first-run syndication between September 13 and December 31, 1993, for a total of 65 episodes. The show works with several blocks, where in each block, a game is presented. The program also received famous people or diverse professionals, as well as educational lessons. Hot topics include: 1.) Soo-sha or Shoo-sha? 2.) Aussie Talk(TM) with Dan and Rachel 3.) Why Xuxa didn't work in the US market 4.) BUTTERFLY MAN! 5.) What Xuxa means to Val 5.) Outer Limits, Tales of Perversion, and confusing Joe Pesci with Danny DeVito (again)   Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xuxa_(American_TV_program)

This week Val and Rachel discuss the pilot episode of Evening Shade, an American sitcom television series that aired on CBS from September 21, 1990, to May 23, 1994. The series stars Burt Reynolds as Wood Newton, an ex-professional football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who returns to rural Evening Shade, Arkansas, to coach a high-school football team with a long losing streak. Reynolds personally requested to use the Steelers as his character's former team, because he was a fan. Hot topics include: 1.) Burt Reynolds 2.) Burt Reynolds' tallywhacker 3.) Burt Reynolds' mustache 4.) Burt Reynolds without a mustache 5.) Vasectomies are funny! 6.) What Ya Watchin': finally, Val and Rachel are watchin' the same thing! Warning: Mare of Easttown spoilers!   Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evening_Shade  

This week Val and Rachel and special guest Caitlin McGurk (Associate Curator at THE Ohio State University's Billy Ireland Cartoon Library) discuss the pilot episode (plus more) Caroline in the City, an American television sitcom that ran on the NBC television network. It stars Lea Thompson as cartoonist Caroline Duffy, who lives in Manhattan. The series premiered on September 21, 1995, in the "Must See TV" Thursday night block between Seinfeld and ER. The show ran for 97 episodes over four seasons before it was cancelled; the final episode was broadcast on April 26, 1999.  Hot topics include: 1.) Comics, comics, comics! 2.) Greeting card industry shop talk 3.) How does Caroline in the City stack up against The Single Guy? 4.) Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats connection, for some reason 5.) Listen in as Rachel gets on a Very Special FBI internet watch list in just 3 seconds!    Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caroline_in_the_City

This week Val and Rachel and special guest Susie Underwood discuss the pilot episode of Xena: Warrior Princess, is "an American fantasy television series filmed on location in New Zealand. The series aired in first-run syndication from September 4, 1995 to June 18, 2001. The series narrative follows Xena (played by Lucy Lawless), an infamous warrior on a quest to seek redemption for her past sins against the innocent by using her formidable fighting skills to now help those who are unable to defend themselves. Xena is accompanied by Gabrielle (played by Renee O'Connor), who during the series changes from a simple farm-girl into an Amazon warrior and Xena's comrade-in-arms; her initial naïveté helps to balance Xena and assists her in recognizing and pursuing the greater good." Hot topics include: 1.) Rachel's death anxiety-Xena connection 2.) What IS syndication? 3.) Do bad special effects exist anymore? 4.) Xena and Gabrielle BOTH experienced immaculate conception? 5.) Is Xena really a princess? 6.) The Disneyfication of Greek mythology 7.) Are they or are they not (lezbians)?     Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xena:_Warrior_Princess

This week Val and Rachel and special guest Sequoia Medley discuss the pilot episode of Roar, an American fantasy adventure television series created by Shaun Cassidy and Ron Koslow. The series originally aired on the Fox network from July 14 until September 1, 1997. It is set in the year 400 AD, following a young Irish man, Conor (Heath Ledger), as he sets out to rid his land of the invading Romans, but in order to accomplish this, he must first unite the Celtic clans. The series also starred Vera Farmiga, Lisa Zane, John Saint Ryan, and Sebastian Roché. Roar was cancelled after 8 episodes due to low ratings, and the final 5 episodes were not broadcast by the network until 2000. Hot topics include: 1.) Housekeeping on Full House and Blossom 2.) Rachel's Australian Identity and Heath Connection 3.) Keri's Russell's hair 4.) Did Delia's do the costuming on this show? 5.) Did Sequoia marry her own Fergus? 6.) Inevitable comparisons to Braveheart and Xena 7.) Jesus Saves! 8.) Introducing Rowan Ledger, Roar fan fic author!   Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roar_(American_TV_series)

This week Val and Rachel discuss 5 episodes of Blossom, an American sitcom that aired for five seasons on NBC. It debuted as a pilot preview on July 5, 1990, and premiered as a mid-season replacement on January 3, 1991, and aired until May 22, 1995. Don Reo created the series, which starred Mayim Bialik as Blossom Russo, a teenager living with her father and two elder brothers. Hot topics include: 1.) Housekeeping from last week: Is Superman an adult picky eater? Or is he the Michael Phelps of superheroes? 2.) Full House is not funny and their catchphrases SUCK! 3.) Molloy, Molloy, Molloy! 4.) We get horny for Kirk Cameron, Joey Lawrence, Blossom's Dad, and Vinnie Bonitardi (David Lascher) 5.) High School Dating Stories! Totally 90s. 6.) Socks in bed? Y/N?     Wikipedia entry: Blossom (TV series) - Wikipedia   Terrifying photo of Michael Stoyanov: https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a852741/blossom-cast-where-now-mayim-bialik-joey-lawrence/

This week Val and Rachel discuss the pilot episode of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, an American superhero television series based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. It stars Dean Cain as Clark Kent/Superman and Teri Hatcher as Lois Lane. The series aired on ABC from September 12, 1993, to June 14, 1997. Developed for television by Deborah Joy LeVine, the series loosely followed the modern origin of Superman, established by writer John Byrne, where Clark Kent is the true personality and Superman a disguise. The series focuses on the relationship and romance between Lois and Clark as much as the adventures of Clark's alter-ego, Superman. Hot topics include: 1.) Val's sensitive skin and her year-long sunburn 2.) Is Lois & Clark a Lewis & Clark Expedition play-on-words? Coincidence? Wethinks not! 3.) More 90s TV schedule reminiscing 4.) Switching Jimmies & killing Lex off 5.) Review of the Superman canon 6.) Val regales us with her memory of watching Dean Cain on American Gladiators   Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lois_%26_Clark:_The_New_Adventures_of_Superman

This week Val and Rachel and special guest Naomi Brito discuss the second episode of VR.5, an American science-fiction television series first broadcast on the Fox network from March 10 to May 12, 1995. Ten of its thirteen episodes were aired during its original run. The title of the show refers to the degree of immersion the protagonist experiences in virtual reality. Hot topics include: 1.) Naomi's childhood TV rations 2.) Deep Jewish mysticism/Kabbalah themes in virtual reality 3.) How VR.5's VR manages to connect to someone's subconscious through their phone line? 4.) Where you can get your degree in Virtual Reality 5.) You will never believe how much VR.5 costs to produce! 6.) The MAD magazine segment competition really heats up 7.) We go hard on Lazy Lori's acting style 8.) This is definitely the worst show we have discussed so far on the podcast, so get ready for lots of laughter and confusion!   Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VR.5  

This week Val and Rachel discuss Cybill, an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre, which aired on CBS from January 2, 1995, to July 13, 1998. Starring Cybill Shepherd, the show revolves around the life of Cybill Sheridan, a twice-divorced single mother of two and struggling actress in her 40s, who has never gotten her big show business break. Alicia Witt and Dedee Pfeiffer co-starred as Sheridan's daughters, with Alan Rosenberg and Tom Wopat playing their respective fathers, while Christine Baranski appeared as Cybill's hard-drinking friend Maryann. You can watch all of Cybill on Amazon Prime.   Hot topics include: 1.) How our concept of 40-something women has changed since the 90s 2.) How Rachel almost had a boyfriend in middle school 3.) Deep thoughts on 90s v. contemporary hairstyle 4.) Cybill Shepherd, Les Moonves, and #metoo 5.) Cybill Shepherd's singing chops 6.) We describe our love for Amy and David Sedaris    Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cybill   We had a schedule change, Models, Inc. will be postponed until the week after next. ACTUAL next episode will be Fox's VR-5 with Special Guest Naomi Brito! VR-5 is hard to find, and we don't want to share the link because the last one was taken down, so good luck finding it.

This week Val and Rachel and Special Guest Sarah Cox (Rachel's VERY OWN SISTER) discuss The Torkelsons, whose pilot is on YouTube. The Torkelsons is an American sitcom television series which aired on the NBC television network from September 21, 1991, to June 6, 1993. The series starred Connie Ray, Olivia Burnette, and William Schallert. For the second and final season, the series was retooled and renamed Almost Home, at which point the show's setting moved from Oklahoma to Seattle and a young Brittany Murphy joined the cast.    Hot topics include: 1.) Recurring segments Accent Corner, What Ya Watching? (Val goes deep on The Queen's Gambit), The Most 90s Thing (Is The Torks timeless?) and new segment MAD Magazine headline  2.) Embracing the new cool slang "Fence Neighbors" 3.) Thrift store pride! 4.) Stick with us to the end and you will hear a special rendition of the Torkelsons theme song by the Cox Sisters, the closest thing to the Judds you will ever hear.   Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Torkelsons  

This week Val and Rachel and Special Guest Bennett Madison discuss Picket Fences, which is available on Amazon Prime. Picket Fences is an American family drama television series about the residents of the town of Rome, Wisconsin, created and produced by David E. Kelley. The show ran from 1992 to 1996 on CBS. It sometimes struggled to maintain a stable primetime audience and had fluctuating ratings, due in part to its Friday night death slot.   Hot topics include: 1.) Bennett reminisces about listening to Tiffany in high school 2.) Friday Night Death Slot can't hold the most teen-titillating crime-medical-legal-family drama of the 90s back! 3.) Recurring segments Accent Corner, What Ya Watching?, and The Most 90s Thing. 4.) The related movies Kindergarten Cop and Poison Ivy 5.) Val finds YET ANOTHER reason to shill for ER 6.) We invent the 90s Diet Binge Watch in real time: Hot tips for how to skip the binging and be more selective about which episodes to watch.   Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picket_Fences   Next week we will be discussing The Torkelsons, whose pilot you can see now on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNnvFqOeiZE

This week Val and Rachel discuss The Pretender, which aired from 1996 to 2000 on NBC's Saturday night Thrillogy lineup and starred a bunch of actors you have never heard of. From Wikipedia: "The series follows Jarod, a young man who is a "Pretender", a genius impostor able to quickly master the complex skill sets necessary to impersonate a member of any profession. Being kidnapped as a child by The Centre, a sinister think located in the fictional Blue Cove, Delaware, who exploited his Pretender abilities; Jarod escapes as an adult, and goes on the run. He is chased by a trio of Centre agents: Miss Parker, the daughter of a pivotal figure within The Centre; Sydney, a Centre psychologist who raised Jarod; and Broots, a Centre computer expert. In each episode, Jarod assumes a new professional identity (e.g., doctor, lawyer, soldier) to investigate a crime framed on someone else, and deliver justice to the actual culprits. In the meanwhile, Jarod searches for his origins."   Hot topics include: 1.) Val cleans house on her NBC Blackout theme error from last week 2.) We dig in to NBC Thrillogy history 3.) Rachel makes up facts about Pretenders, con men and grifters. 4.) We try to sound smart by discussing "plot structure" 5.) More beeper plot lines 6.) New segment unveiled: The Most 90s Thing! 7.) Jarod's caesar haircut: its origins, meaning and symbolism.   Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pretender_(TV_series)   For next week, we will be discussing Picket Fences (Season 1, Episode 17: Be My Valentine) with Special Guest Bennett Madison.

This week Val and Rachel and Special Guest Eric Hutchinson discuss The Single Guy, which aired from 1995 to 1997 on NBC's Must-See TV Thursday night lineup and starred Jonathan Silverman (from Weekend at Bernie's), Joey Slotkin Slotnick, Ming-Na Wen, and Ernest Borgnine. It has been considered a copycat of both Seinfeld and Friends, although it didn't muster enough enthusiasm to last longer. However, it was one of the highest rated shows to ever get canceled! The Single Guy is not available through any streaming service, but you can find a few episodes on YouTube.   Hot topics include: 1.) New Segment "What Ya Watchin'?" 2.) Accent Corner returns! 3.) Val's long-term relationship with ER 4.) Why The Single Guy failed even though it existed in the "Friends Universe" 5.) Creator Brad Hall's other project, the movie Bye Bye Love 6.) The first meeting of the Official Ming-Na Wen Fan Club comes to order 7.) Tenuous connections to The Monkees, The Everly Brothers, and The Brady Bunch 8.) 90s stuff like blind dates, beepers, Pay-Per-View, and answering machines 9.) Rachel becomes melancholy thinking about how many hours she wasted watching middling TV shows   Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Single_Guy   For next week, we will be discussing The Pretender, whose pilot you can see now on Dailymotion: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x78ofnf  

In the third installment of the podcast, Val and Rachel discuss Father Dowling Mysteries, a show that technically started in the 1980s, airing from January 20, 1989 to May 2, 1991. Prior to the series, a TV movie aired on November 30, 1987. For its first season, the show was on NBC; it moved to ABC for its last two seasons. Hot topics include: 1.) Favorable and unfavorable comparisons to Murder, She Wrote. 2.) We unveil a new segment called "Accent Corner". 3.) How erratic scheduling affects a show's prospects. 4.) Rachel's disgust for "cold fish" New Englander Jessica Fletcher. 5.) Digressions about grocery shopping at Aldi, Beauty and the Beast, the CLASSIC Meredith Baxter Birney made-for-TV movies Kate's Secret, and gaslighting children for fun.   Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father_Dowling_Mysteries   For next week, we will have a special guest on to discuss The Single Guy, whose pilot you can see now on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QT4UxhfHN4&t=10s

In the second installment of the podcast, Val and Rachel and Special Guest/Wings Groupie Emily Wade discuss NBC's Wings, which ran for 8 seasons from 1990-1997. You will be on the edge of your seat as we recap the pilot episode from 1990 and the later episode "The Waxman Cometh" from season 6. Starring Tim Daly and Steven Weber as brothers Joe and Brian Hackett, the show is set at the fictional "Tom Nevers Field" airport, a small two-airline airport in Nantucket, Massachusetts, where the Hackett brothers operate Sandpiper Air. Hot topics include: Did Emily Wade model her adult life around her love of the TV show Wings? Why was Wings so popular and long-running? Was it because of the irresistible charm of Steven Weber or because of a cushy time slot? Would we like to hang out in a tiny airport all day? Is Tailspin the kids version of Wings? Val uncovers connections between Wings and Christmas classic It's a Wonderful Life. We also dig into sitcom plot structure, cameos, and what it means to exist in the "Cheers universe" without being an actual spinoff.

In the first installment of Sliders and Wings, Val and Rachel discuss the pilot episode of Sliders, which premiered on Fox in March 1995. Starring Jerry O’Connell, Sabrina Lloyd, Cleavant Derricks, and Jonathan Rhys-Davies, Sliders ran for 5 seasons: the first 3 on Fox and the last 2 on the then-new SciFi channel. Short-attention-span-friendly rundown of topics discussed: Val and Rachel’s respective teenage TV addictions Show background and our personal histories with Sliders The universal sexless appeal of puppy-human hybrid Jerry O’Connell The psuedo-science gobbedly-gook of Sliding Detailed (if sometimes confused) recap of the double-length pilot episode The tragedy of a full-time Sliding lifestyle, especially if you didn’t bring extra underwear Rachel’s personal vendetta against Anti-Spectaclist Zack Morris is exposed for the first time Why Rembrandt “The Crying Man” Brown is the only likeable character More about Sliders: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sliders https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112167/ **Sliders is currently streaming for free on the Peacock streaming service.** Next week!!!! We will be discussing Wings Season 1, Episode 1: Legacy and Season 6, Episode 5: The Waxman Cometh. Email us at slidersandwings@gmail.com