Podcasts about Sports Night

Opening Takes: US beats Canada for 1st Gold Medal in 46 years, Darryn Peterson is Ben Simmons, Women's Sports Night replacing Sunday Night BaseballNFL minority coaching issue again?Top 10 QBs of 2025Bleacher Reports Top 100 QBs of all timeNBA All Star GameDrafting Greatest Sports Moments of All Time

Natalie has a job interview with Saturday Night Live. Tension at the studio builds as everyone worries about the future of the network. I don’t think you should be worried, though. Sure, there may be bells. There may be a siren. But Lex and Brian will be with you every step of the way. Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

Season 2 of Sports Night finds Aaron Sorkin's cult newsroom dramedy hitting its creative stride. Airing in 1999–2000 on ABC, the sophomore season deepens the tension between idealism and network interference as Casey McCall (Peter Krause) and Dan Rydell (Josh Charles) fight to preserve the integrity of their late-night highlight show. Felicity Huffman's Dana Whitaker continues to anchor the chaos as executive producer, balancing corporate pressure from the network's new ownership with loyalty to her staff.Behind the scenes, Sorkin pushed harder into serialized storytelling, moving away from the early laugh-track experiment and leaning into walk-and-talk dialogue, romantic entanglements, and ethical dilemmas about ratings, loyalty, and creative control. The season sharpens its critique of media consolidation while giving emotional weight to character arcs—especially Dana's authority, Natalie's growth, and Jeremy's insecurity. Smart, fast, and surprisingly heartfelt, Season 2 cements Sports Night as the blueprint for Sorkin's later triumphs.Disclaimer: The following may contain offensive language, adult humor, and/or content that some viewers may find offensive – The views and opinions expressed by any one speaker does not explicitly or necessarily reflect or represent those of Mark Radulich or W2M Network.Mark Radulich and his wacky podcast on all the things:https://linktr.ee/markkind76alsohttps://www.teepublic.com/user/radulich-in-broadcasting-networkFB Messenger: Mark Radulich LCSWTiktok: @markradulichtwitter: @MarkRadulichInstagram: markkind76RIBN Album Playlist: https://suno.com/playlist/91d704c9-d1ea-45a0-9ffe-5069497bad59 

Natalie has a job interview with Saturday Night Live. Tension at the studio builds as everyone worries about the future of the network. I don’t think you should be worried, though. Sure, there may be bells. There may be a siren. But Lex and Brian will be with you every step of the way. Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

"You see this? That's how you stretch!" It was a magical night for both Canes Hoops and Canes Baseball, which means it's time for Dan to give a soliloquy on the entire history of the University of Miami's athletic program since the days of Ichabod Crane. Plus, Nick Wright is playing in a poker game against guys named Señor Tilt, The Magician, and Doc Holliday with money on the line for the Shipping Container, but not for Nacho Man or Stone Cold Steve Bloated, who are in Pampano. Or Doral. Or Sunrise. Or maybe Delray. Today's cast: Dan, Greg, Roy, Jeremy, Mike, and Tony... plus Chris, Zas, and Domino on remote. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A humour-packed sports update show with foreign sports, news tit-bits and special interviews

Dan’s working to patch things up with everyone while he and Jeremy host a Seder for the team. Meanwhile, Casey’s figuring out his top favorite movies. Lex and Brian discover some overlap in their top movies too, but we’re best buds, so no need to patch anything up. Right Lex? … Lex? Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

Dan’s working to patch things up with everyone while he and Jeremy host a Seder for the team. Meanwhile, Casey’s figuring out his top favorite movies. Lex and Brian discover some overlap in their top movies too, but we’re best buds, so no need to patch anything up. Right Lex? … Lex? Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

An adult film star visits the office… and she’s Jeremy’s girlfriend, who is decidedly not a choreo-animator. Tensions are running high between Dan and Casey, and they even bleed into the TV broadcast, which is… not good. (Lex and Brian would never let that happen in this show.) And you know what IS good? Sorkin’ In It. Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

An adult film star visits the office… and she’s Jeremy’s girlfriend, who is decidedly not a choreo-animator. Tensions are running high between Dan and Casey, and they even bleed into the TV broadcast, which is… not good. (Lex and Brian would never let that happen in this show.) And you know what IS good? Sorkin’ In It. Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

Sports Night is an American half-hour comedy-drama centered on a fictional cable sports news program of the same name. Season 1 premiered on ABC on September 22, 1998, following the creative staff as they navigate friendships, romantic entanglements, and ethical dilemmas while producing a nightly broadcast under constant network pressure. Created by Aaron Sorkin and produced by Imagine Television and Touchstone Television, the first season established the show's fast, dialogue-driven style and tension between journalistic integrity and ratings demands.The ensemble cast includes Robert Guillaume as managing editor Isaac Jaffe, Felicity Huffman as executive producer Dana Whitaker, Peter Krause as anchor Casey McCall, Josh Charles as co-anchor Dan Rydell, Sabrina Lloyd as senior associate producer Natalie Hurley, and Joshua Malina as associate producer Jeremy Goodwin. Recurring guest roles in season one featured William H. Macy as ratings consultant Sam Donovan and Brenda Strong as rival producer Sally Sasser.Disclaimer: The following may contain offensive language, adult humor, and/or content that some viewers may find offensive – The views and opinions expressed by any one speaker does not explicitly or necessarily reflect or represent those of Mark Radulich or W2M Network.Mark Radulich and his wacky podcast on all the things:https://linktr.ee/markkind76alsohttps://www.teepublic.com/user/radulich-in-broadcasting-networkFB Messenger: Mark Radulich LCSWTiktok: @markradulichtwitter: @MarkRadulichInstagram: markkind76RIBN Album Playlist: https://suno.com/playlist/91d704c9-d1ea-45a0-9ffe-5069497bad59 

A humour-packed sports update show with foreign sports, news tit-bits and special interviews

A humour-packed sports update show with foreign sports, news tit-bits and special interviews

Doc Walker welcomes on Lynnell Willingham of Westwood One's Sports Night to discuss what he anticipates happening on the offensive side of the ball as the Commanders continue their search for a new offensive coordinator. They react to the firing of Kliff Kingsbury—something Lynnell admits surprised him but ultimately understands—and wrap up the conversation by debating whether Washington is more likely to hire from within or look outside the building for its next OC.

The team’s covering the NFL draft which might take a bit longer due to some cloudy skies. Jeremy says the line “It cannot, it must not rain at Indian Wells” (anybody want to guess whether it starts raining?) Meanwhile, Jeremy is a bit nervous because he invited his new girlfriend to visit the studio. And Dana has an inexplicable bandage on her face? Lex and Brian think some of this makes sense, and some … less so. Either way, all this talk of rain tells me we’ll definitely be Sorkin’ In It! Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

The team’s covering the NFL draft which might take a bit longer due to some cloudy skies. Jeremy says the line “It cannot, it must not rain at Indian Wells” (anybody want to guess whether it starts raining?) Meanwhile, Jeremy is a bit nervous because he invited his new girlfriend to visit the studio. And Dana has an inexplicable bandage on her face? Lex and Brian think some of this makes sense, and some … less so. Either way, all this talk of rain tells me we’ll definitely be Sorkin’ In It! Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

Actor Josh Charles joins Adam Schein to talk about his new show "Best Medicine" on FOX, his acting career, working on Sports Night, being a die-hard fan of the Baltimore Ravens, the loss the Steelers, his faith in Lamar Jackson, his favorite all-time Ravens, his favorite all-time Baltimore Orioles, and why he still can't forgive Richie Garcia for blowing the Jeffrey Maier call against the Yankees in '96. Adam and Bob Stew make their playoff predictions for the upcoming NFL postseason. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A humour-packed sports update show with foreign sports, news tit-bits and special interviews

A humour-packed sports update show with foreign sports, news tit-bits and special interviews

Dan isn’t one of the 100 Most Influential People in Sports, but Casey is. You can bet that goes over like a fart in church. Speaking of church - Dana visits one to get out of the rain… and likes it (the church, not the rain… or the fart). The rain also helps Jeremy continue his flirtation with Jenny. There’s so much Sorkin In It to do. We got you. Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

Dan isn’t one of the 100 Most Influential People in Sports, but Casey is. You can bet that goes over like a fart in church. Speaking of church - Dana visits one to get out of the rain… and likes it (the church, not the rain… or the fart). The rain also helps Jeremy continue his flirtation with Jenny. There’s so much Sorkin In It to do. We got you. Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

"Happy Chanookah." Dan refuses to let the crew celebrate their Jai Alai Battle Court title without being a troublemaker. Zaslow claims the Chiefs' dynasty is over, and the Bills will NOT win the Super Bowl, but Greg Cote does impressions. He's built different. Today's cast: Dan, Greg, Zaslow, Chris, Jeremy, Mike, Roy, and Tony. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jeremy meets an intriguing woman…primarily because he wasn’t invited to the office game of Celebrities. Breakups are hard. What’s not hard is breaking DOWN… another Sports Night episode. Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

Jeremy meets an intriguing woman…primarily because he wasn’t invited to the office game of Celebrities. Breakups are hard. What’s not hard is breaking DOWN… another Sports Night episode. Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

Ben & Woods open the 9am hour with The Reindl Report and a couple of Paul's top headlines from the weekend, including some NFL coaches looking for new gigs and whether or not “finders keepers” actually works? Then at the bottom of the hour we get ready for a MASSIVE sports night tonight with San Diego State basketball taking on #7 Michigan in Las Vegas and SDFC looking to keep their magical season alive in tonight's Western Conference Semfinals! Listen here!

Casey can’t see. It’s funny, even if it beggars belief. Sam’s leaving the show. That’s sad, even if it was inevitable. And there’s a break up on the show, but don’t worry, it’s not Brian and Lex. By some counts, this is our 100th show, and we’re still together, Sorkin’ In It. Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

Casey can’t see. It’s funny, even if it beggars belief. Sam’s leaving the show. That’s sad, even if it was inevitable. And there’s a break up on the show, but don’t worry, it’s not Brian and Lex. By some counts, this is our 100th show, and we’re still together, Sorkin’ In It. Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

Dan wants to see Tom Waits, which is hard to explain. (Wait a sec. Lex, did you write this? I happen to like Tom Waits. Anyway…) Dana inherits a gun, which is also strange (OK, we both agree here). William H. Macy’s Sam gets a big storyline and a dramatic moment, and the substitute anchor filling in for Dan is so terrible that it — you guessed it! — beggars belief. We’re Sorkin’ In It all, though, so let’s discuss. Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

Dan wants to see Tom Waits, which is hard to explain. (Wait a sec. Lex, did you write this? I happen to like Tom Waits. Anyway…) Dana inherits a gun, which is also strange (OK, we both agree here). William H. Macy’s Sam gets a big storyline and a dramatic moment, and the substitute anchor filling in for Dan is so terrible that it — you guessed it! — beggars belief. We’re Sorkin’ In It all, though, so let’s discuss. Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

The Caps & Wizards played last night, and it was just awesome.

Mike Salk, of Seattle Sports, joined The Drive to breakdown how Seattle is handling a night with Game 7 and MNF on at the same time.

Lex and Brian are back, and certainly missed you, dear listener. Sam’s back too, and Dana’s a bit “psyched out”. Meanwhile, the team lands an interview with Michael Jordan, but turns out there are strings attached; and Casey has to figure out how to talk to a bunch of 5th graders. What could go wrong? We’ll let you know as we do what we do: Sorkin’ In It. Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

Lex and Brian are back, and certainly missed you, dear listener. Sam’s back too, and Dana’s a bit “psyched out”. Meanwhile, the team lands an interview with Michael Jordan, but turns out there are strings attached; and Casey has to figure out how to talk to a bunch of 5th graders. What could go wrong? We’ll let you know as we do what we do: Sorkin’ In It. Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

The Phillies and the Eagles go down hard! The Eagles have lost back to back games and look like everything may be crumbling.

On today's 94 WIP Midday Show, Joe Giglio, Hunter Brody (filling in for Hugh Douglas), and Kyle Quinn react to what was truly a heartbreaking night in the world of Philadelphia sports. The Phillies lose to the Dodgers in Game 4 of the NLDS on an unfortunate mental error, and the Eagles get humiliated by the Giants on Thursday Night Football. What should we expect out of both teams moving forward? Listen to the Midday Show every day from 10am to 2pm on 94 WIP!

Dan and Casey cover a boxing match. Or at least, they try to. There are a couple challenges, including The Cut Man, a fast TKO, and Dan’s dad being a jerk. Luckily, neither Brian nor Lex is a jerk, nor do they insist you call them Cut Man. They just want you to join them for another edition of Sorkin’ In It. Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

Dan and Casey cover a boxing match. Or at least, they try to. There are a couple challenges, including The Cut Man, a fast TKO, and Dan’s dad being a jerk. Luckily, neither Brian nor Lex is a jerk, nor do they insist you call them Cut Man. They just want you to join them for another edition of Sorkin’ In It. Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

Cracks are forming in Dana’s dating plan while Dan is recruiting a reluctant Isaac for a special feature on, you guessed it, the Giants winning the pennant back in 1951. Sure, Lex and Brian are wondering how Sorkin continues to pick the strangest titles for his shows, but you, dear listener, need not worry. Just keep Sorkin’ In It. Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

Cracks are forming in Dana’s dating plan while Dan is recruiting a reluctant Isaac for a special feature on, you guessed it, the Giants winning the pennant back in 1951. Sure, Lex and Brian are wondering how Sorkin continues to pick the strangest titles for his shows, but you, dear listener, need not worry. Just keep Sorkin’ In It. Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

It's the start of the NFL Football season and we are in Philadelphia talking to people in groups in community about the game tonight moments before kickoff.

You know how Brian and Lex hate Dana’s dating plan for Casey? Boy oh boy, does it come to a head this week, in A Girl Named Pixley. On a podcast named Sorkin’ In It, two hosts named Lex and Brian are an emotion called annoyed. Also, Jeremy might win an award. (Spoiler: He doesn’t. Just ask Natalie.) Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

You know how Brian and Lex hate Dana’s dating plan for Casey? Boy oh boy, does it come to a head this week, in A Girl Named Pixley. On a podcast named Sorkin’ In It, two hosts named Lex and Brian are an emotion called annoyed. Also, Jeremy might win an award. (Spoiler: He doesn’t. Just ask Natalie.) Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

Fresh off his drug scandal, Dana’s brother is coming to visit. Casey tells her to be nice. Dan is TOO nice when reviewing Natalie’s audition tape — until he veers unnecessarily hard the other way. Casey is failing his audition for “best friend ever” with Brian and Lex, but no matter. We’re still Sorkin’ in it together. Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

Dana’s excited about a fresh NFL steroids scandal… until she realizes her own brother is caught up in the mix. Also, Jeremy eventually fires an intern who absolutely should be fired, even if maybe Jeremy’s motivation for the firing isn’t perfect. You know what IS perfect, though? Our analysis. Join Brian and Lex. Let’s Sorkin’ In It together. Lex Friedman and Brian Warren.

Decoder Ring is marking its 100th episode this year. To celebrate, we're revisiting our very first episode from 2018, which asks: What happened to the laugh track? For nearly five decades, the laugh track was ubiquitous, but beginning in the early 2000s, it fell out of sitcom fashion. What happened? How did we get from The Beverly Hillbillies to 30 Rock? In this episode we meet the man who created the laugh track, which originated as a homemade piece of technology, and trace that technology's fall and the rise of a more modern idea about humor. With the help of historians, laugh track obsessives, the showrunners of One Day at a Time and the director of Sports Night, this episode asks if the laugh track was about something bigger than laughter. You can read more in Willa's article “The Man Who Perfected the Laugh Track” in Slate. Links and further reading on some of the things we discussed on the show: Interview with Ben Glenn II on the history of the laugh track in McSweeney's See a Charlie Douglas Laff Box on Antiques Roadshow More of Paul Iverson's work restoring laugh tracks and inserting them into new shows The sitcom One Day at a Time Friends without a Laugh Track by Sboss “The Okeh Laughing Record” Tommy Schlamme and Aaron Sorkin's Sports Night This episode was written by Willa Paskin. It was produced and edited by Benjamin Frisch, who also created the episode art. Decoder Ring is produced by Katie Shepherd, Max Freedman, and our supervising producer Evan Chung. If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, email us at DecoderRing@slate.com, or leave a message on the Decoder RIng hotline at 347-460-7281. We love to hear any and all of your ideas for the show.  Want more Decoder Ring? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock exclusive bonus episodes. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the Decoder Ring show page. Or, visit slate.com/decoderplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Decoder Ring is marking its 100th episode this year. To celebrate, we're revisiting our very first episode from 2018, which asks: What happened to the laugh track? For nearly five decades, the laugh track was ubiquitous, but beginning in the early 2000s, it fell out of sitcom fashion. What happened? How did we get from The Beverly Hillbillies to 30 Rock? In this episode we meet the man who created the laugh track, which originated as a homemade piece of technology, and trace that technology's fall and the rise of a more modern idea about humor. With the help of historians, laugh track obsessives, the showrunners of One Day at a Time and the director of Sports Night, this episode asks if the laugh track was about something bigger than laughter.You can read more in Willa's article “The Man Who Perfected the Laugh Track” in Slate.Links and further reading on some of the things we discussed on the show: Interview with Ben Glenn II on the history of the laugh track in McSweeney's See a Charlie Douglas Laff Box on Antiques Roadshow More of Paul Iverson's work restoring laugh tracks and inserting them into new shows The sitcom One Day at a Time Friends without a Laugh Track by Sboss “The Okeh Laughing Record” Tommy Schlamme and Aaron Sorkin's Sports NightThis episode was written by Willa Paskin. It was produced and edited by Benjamin Frisch, who also created the episode art. Decoder Ring is produced by Katie Shepherd, Max Freedman, and our supervising producer Evan Chung.If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, email us at DecoderRing@slate.com, or leave a message on the Decoder RIng hotline at 347-460-7281. We love to hear any and all of your ideas for the show. Want more Decoder Ring? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock exclusive bonus episodes. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the Decoder Ring show page. Or, visit slate.com/decoderplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Decoder Ring is marking its 100th episode this year. To celebrate, we're revisiting our very first episode from 2018, which asks: What happened to the laugh track? For nearly five decades, the laugh track was ubiquitous, but beginning in the early 2000s, it fell out of sitcom fashion. What happened? How did we get from The Beverly Hillbillies to 30 Rock? In this episode we meet the man who created the laugh track, which originated as a homemade piece of technology, and trace that technology's fall and the rise of a more modern idea about humor. With the help of historians, laugh track obsessives, the showrunners of One Day at a Time and the director of Sports Night, this episode asks if the laugh track was about something bigger than laughter. You can read more in Willa's article “The Man Who Perfected the Laugh Track” in Slate. Links and further reading on some of the things we discussed on the show: Interview with Ben Glenn II on the history of the laugh track in McSweeney's See a Charlie Douglas Laff Box on Antiques Roadshow More of Paul Iverson's work restoring laugh tracks and inserting them into new shows The sitcom One Day at a Time Friends without a Laugh Track by Sboss “The Okeh Laughing Record” Tommy Schlamme and Aaron Sorkin's Sports Night This episode was written by Willa Paskin. It was produced and edited by Benjamin Frisch, who also created the episode art. Decoder Ring is produced by Katie Shepherd, Max Freedman, and our supervising producer Evan Chung. If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, email us at DecoderRing@slate.com, or leave a message on the Decoder RIng hotline at 347-460-7281. We love to hear any and all of your ideas for the show.  Want more Decoder Ring? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock exclusive bonus episodes. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the Decoder Ring show page. Or, visit slate.com/decoderplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Decoder Ring is marking its 100th episode this year. To celebrate, we're revisiting our very first episode from 2018, which asks: What happened to the laugh track? For nearly five decades, the laugh track was ubiquitous, but beginning in the early 2000s, it fell out of sitcom fashion. What happened? How did we get from The Beverly Hillbillies to 30 Rock? In this episode we meet the man who created the laugh track, which originated as a homemade piece of technology, and trace that technology's fall and the rise of a more modern idea about humor. With the help of historians, laugh track obsessives, the showrunners of One Day at a Time and the director of Sports Night, this episode asks if the laugh track was about something bigger than laughter.You can read more in Willa's article “The Man Who Perfected the Laugh Track” in Slate.Links and further reading on some of the things we discussed on the show: Interview with Ben Glenn II on the history of the laugh track in McSweeney's See a Charlie Douglas Laff Box on Antiques Roadshow More of Paul Iverson's work restoring laugh tracks and inserting them into new shows The sitcom One Day at a Time Friends without a Laugh Track by Sboss “The Okeh Laughing Record” Tommy Schlamme and Aaron Sorkin's Sports NightThis episode was written by Willa Paskin. It was produced and edited by Benjamin Frisch, who also created the episode art. Decoder Ring is produced by Katie Shepherd, Max Freedman, and our supervising producer Evan Chung.If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, email us at DecoderRing@slate.com, or leave a message on the Decoder RIng hotline at 347-460-7281. We love to hear any and all of your ideas for the show. Want more Decoder Ring? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock exclusive bonus episodes. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the Decoder Ring show page. Or, visit slate.com/decoderplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Decoder Ring is marking its 100th episode this year. To celebrate, we're revisiting our very first episode from 2018, which asks: What happened to the laugh track? For nearly five decades, the laugh track was ubiquitous, but beginning in the early 2000s, it fell out of sitcom fashion. What happened? How did we get from The Beverly Hillbillies to 30 Rock? In this episode we meet the man who created the laugh track, which originated as a homemade piece of technology, and trace that technology's fall and the rise of a more modern idea about humor. With the help of historians, laugh track obsessives, the showrunners of One Day at a Time and the director of Sports Night, this episode asks if the laugh track was about something bigger than laughter.You can read more in Willa's article “The Man Who Perfected the Laugh Track” in Slate.Links and further reading on some of the things we discussed on the show: Interview with Ben Glenn II on the history of the laugh track in McSweeney's See a Charlie Douglas Laff Box on Antiques Roadshow More of Paul Iverson's work restoring laugh tracks and inserting them into new shows The sitcom One Day at a Time Friends without a Laugh Track by Sboss “The Okeh Laughing Record” Tommy Schlamme and Aaron Sorkin's Sports NightThis episode was written by Willa Paskin. It was produced and edited by Benjamin Frisch, who also created the episode art. Decoder Ring is produced by Katie Shepherd, Max Freedman, and our supervising producer Evan Chung.If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, email us at DecoderRing@slate.com, or leave a message on the Decoder RIng hotline at 347-460-7281. We love to hear any and all of your ideas for the show. Want more Decoder Ring? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock exclusive bonus episodes. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the Decoder Ring show page. Or, visit slate.com/decoderplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Decoder Ring is marking its 100th episode this year. To celebrate, we're revisiting our very first episode from 2018, which asks: What happened to the laugh track? For nearly five decades, the laugh track was ubiquitous, but beginning in the early 2000s, it fell out of sitcom fashion. What happened? How did we get from The Beverly Hillbillies to 30 Rock? In this episode we meet the man who created the laugh track, which originated as a homemade piece of technology, and trace that technology's fall and the rise of a more modern idea about humor. With the help of historians, laugh track obsessives, the showrunners of One Day at a Time and the director of Sports Night, this episode asks if the laugh track was about something bigger than laughter. You can read more in Willa's article “The Man Who Perfected the Laugh Track” in Slate. Links and further reading on some of the things we discussed on the show: Interview with Ben Glenn II on the history of the laugh track in McSweeney's See a Charlie Douglas Laff Box on Antiques Roadshow More of Paul Iverson's work restoring laugh tracks and inserting them into new shows The sitcom One Day at a Time Friends without a Laugh Track by Sboss “The Okeh Laughing Record” Tommy Schlamme and Aaron Sorkin's Sports Night This episode was written by Willa Paskin. It was produced and edited by Benjamin Frisch, who also created the episode art. Decoder Ring is produced by Katie Shepherd, Max Freedman, and our supervising producer Evan Chung. If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, email us at DecoderRing@slate.com, or leave a message on the Decoder RIng hotline at 347-460-7281. We love to hear any and all of your ideas for the show.  Want more Decoder Ring? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock exclusive bonus episodes. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the Decoder Ring show page. Or, visit slate.com/decoderplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices