Podcasts within The It Was a Thing on TV Podcast Network include: * It Was a Thing on TV--the original podcast, well over 500 episodes strong, covering the short-lived and forgotten events in television history. * The Squared Circle Time Machine--Greg Diener and Dane Woychuk take you on a journey about some of the more memorable events in the history of pro wrestling. Coming September 2025: What is a Podcast?: An Unofficial Jeopardy! Podcast. Mike Klauss and 4-time Jeopardy! champion Brian H ...
…
continue reading
Chico Alexander Podcasts

1
The Squared Circle Time Machine: Episode 16 - WCW Great American Bash 1991
2:07:18
2:07:18
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
2:07:18In the latest episode of The Squared Circle Time Machine, we look back at one of the worst pay-per-views of all time in the 1991 Great American Bash from WCW. In this episode, we are joined by HypSports legend RickinBaltimore, who was at the Baltimore Arena in July of 1991, and we get his first-hand perspective on the crowd's reaction to Ric Flair …
…
continue reading

1
The Best of It Was a Thing on TV: Episode 47 - The Kids Guide to the Internet
48:28
48:28
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
48:28In our latest "Best of" we go back to Episode 47 and look at an instructional VHS tape put out in 1997 called "The Kids Guide to the Internet". Take a look at what all the kids in 1997 were doing when putting a web search on Yahoo! All the kids in 1997 wanted to surf to MTV dot com, get their sports scores, write an e-mail to Bill Clinton and watch…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 570–The 1981 MLB All-Star Game
1:01:15
1:01:15
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:01:15In 1981, Major League Baseball held its All-Star Game at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in Early August following a players' strike which cancelled two months of the season. There was a lot of mystery surrounding the game and how the fans would react to the players upon returning to action. What we got at the 1981 MLB All-Star Game was a lot of exciti…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 569--The Magnificent Marble Machine
41:40
41:40
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
41:40One thing all three of us enjoy is a good game of pinball. With the 50th anniversary of this show happening earlier this week, it was a natural for us to cover this show. What may have looked good on paper was not, for reasons ranging from the machine often broke down to the physics which made traditional pinball fun were non-existent.…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 568--The Adventures of Superpup (1958 pilot)
33:40
33:40
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
33:40In honor of the cinematic release of the new version of Superman, we look at a pilot that was sort of the spiritual successor to The Adventures of Superman, after its 6 season run. This is one of those pilots that makes you ask why, between the premise of the pilot, the creepy costumes, and the overall cheapness in quality. This time, we don't have…
…
continue reading

1
The Squared Circle Time Machine: Episode 15 - Georgia Championship Wrestling (07.03.82)
1:37:23
1:37:23
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:37:23In honor of the 4th of July, we take a look at the go-home show for Georgia Championship Wrestling on SuperStation WTBS, before their big 4th of July show at the Omni in Atlanta. In this episode, we get to see Tommy Rich, Don Muraco. Paul Orndorff, Ole Anderson and Stan Hansen among others. We also get to see Gordon Solie conduct a face-to-face int…
…
continue reading
This time, we look at another anomaly that got cancelled despite good ratings like Bridget Loves Bernie. Maybe CBS cooked Goodnight Beantown because the network wanted to go a different route on Sunday nights. Maybe a single mother having relations with her neighbor/co-worker was a bit too much. Maybe it's because the penultimate episode ruined sex…
…
continue reading

1
It Was a Thing on TV Presents: Before the Show VIII
54:32
54:32
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
54:32In our newest edition of "Before the Show", we look at the Italian Bowl in Toledo and a hurdler having multiple wardrobe malfunctions in Segment 1. Then, in Segment 2, we are joined by Chico as we discuss the lack of ticket sales of Hulk Hogan's Real American Wrestling at Cleveland State, along with an update on Greg's progress on "Knots Landing", …
…
continue reading
Summer movie season is upon us. This installment, we look at a very short-lived comedy about an old time movie theater and its cast of high school-aged workers, specifically one employee who dreams of making it big in the movies one day. The show died a quick death, in part, because it aired, ironically, on a day when many people go to the movies.…
…
continue reading
First-run syndication in the 1980s was a blessing for numerous sitcoms that might not have gotten a fair shake from the networks--Too Close for Comfort, Mama's Family, Out of This World. Charles in Charge had a similar fate. It didn't find enough eyes on CBS, but give it a year and a half, and it would become a comedy staple of the late 80s and ear…
…
continue reading
We celebrate the 99th anniversary of Paul Lynde's birth with this effort from the early 70s. (Lynde didn't join the cast until season 2.) Hospital hijinks happen with a wacky staff of nurses and orderlies working under a no-nonsense chief of staff. ABC must have had faith in the show, despite getting beaten in the ratings by multiple top 10 shows i…
…
continue reading

1
The Squared Circle Time Machine: Episode 14 - WCW Monday Nitro 10.02.95
55:03
55:03
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
55:03In honor of the late Steve "Mongo" McMichael and since the official WCW YouTube channel has posted some of the early Nitro's, Greg and Dane look at the fifth episode of WCW Monday Nitro from October of 1995. We go over Eddie Guerrero and Dean Malenko being so amazing, Kevin Sullivan dressed as a women, Randy Savage's colorful outfits and the Dungeo…
…
continue reading
Pilot Month 2025 comes to a conclusion with this entry about a shopping plaza whose occupants communicate primarily through song and dance. It sounds like Cop Rock (see Episode 450), but with significantly more singing and music. The open may give off a different sort of vibe. Regardless, this oddity is the perfect way to close up the pilot vault f…
…
continue reading

1
The Squared Circle Time Machine: Episode 13 - AAA/IWC When Worlds Collide 1994
1:07:04
1:07:04
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:07:04With AAA and WWE's NXT brand presenting "Worlds Collide" this week, we look at the last time AAA presented a PPV/PLE with that title, as in 1994, they partnered with IWC and WCW to present this PPV event. Greg and Dane in this episode of "The Squared Circle Time Machine", talk about Minis, La Parka, Tito Santana still in his El Matador get-up, the …
…
continue reading

1
Announcement about the future of It Was a Thing on TV
9:15
9:15
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
9:15Mike has some announcements about the future of the podcast. (No, we're not ending, at least now.) We hope you embrace some of the forthcoming changes to the podcast.By Mike Klauss, Greg Diener, and Chico Alexander
…
continue reading

1
Episode 562--Good Morning, Miss Bliss (pilot)
25:20
25:20
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
25:20Before it was a single season wonder on The Disney Channel and way before it became a stalwart on NBC Saturday mornings as Saved by the Bell, Good Morning, Miss Bliss had an aired pilot in summer 1987, with a different focus compared to the later series and an entirely different cast of students, which is a who's who of known actors. A little retoo…
…
continue reading

1
The Squared Circle Time Machine: Episode 12 - WWF World Tour 1990
1:10:19
1:10:19
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:10:19Greg and Dane travel the world from New York to London to Paris to Tokyo on this old WWF Coliseum Video VHS, which was recently uploaded to the WWE Vault YouTube channel. We'll see Bret Hart face Dino Bravo, Hulk Hogan face Randy Savage in Paris, and see TEMU Jewel Staite in a pink wig? NOTE: We recorded this episode last Tuesday before AEW Double …
…
continue reading
One of the more successful imports in the 60s and 70s was The Avengers. An American version was bound to happen, and it did from the genius that was Quinn Martin. The leads were played by a name mentioned on this podcast a bit the last few weeks, Granville Van Dusen, and Morgan Fairchild. CBS took a pass, but the Avengers franchise (non-MCU version…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 560--Every Guest Star on Hotel
1:37:55
1:37:55
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:37:55A couple of years ago, we did an episode about all the guest stars who appeared on "The Love Boat". For Greg's "Money in the Bank", we look at all the guest stars who appeared on Aaron Spelling's other show that featured a variety of guest stars in "Hotel". In this episode we encounter some old podcast favorites and discover some potential new ones…
…
continue reading
Back when we reviewed "Throb" last year, Greg and Chico were reminded of this movie a pre-Fast and the Furious Paul Walker did back in 1998. Two loser surf brothers from Hawaii are sent by their father to Yellowstone, where they are mistaken for park rangers and have to do battle with a paranoid Dennis Hopper doing weird Dennis Hopper things. We pr…
…
continue reading

1
The Squared Circle Time Machine: Episode 11 - The WWF SmackDown Pilot
1:24:40
1:24:40
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:24:40In 1999, the World Wrestling Federation and UPN teamed up to give us a network special that would become a regular series later in the fall with WWF SmackDown! Greg and Dane discuss the newly turned face Rock, the Corporate Ministry, X-Pac and Kane, the black wedding with Stephanie, and so so much more. Listen to this episode because later it will …
…
continue reading
In 1983, as Laverne and Shirley came to an end and as Happy Days was wrapping up its run, Garry Marshall came up with this series about high school friends, one of whom became a computer millionaire and the other becoming his assistant. The show came across as more of a showcase of Michael Richards' brand of physical comedy than anything else. The …
…
continue reading
This week, 40 years ago, the NBA held the first-ever draft lottery in New York City. The seven non-playoff teams from the 1984-85 NBA season watched to see if their team would end up with the services of Georgetown's Patrick Ewing. However, even 40 years later, controversy continues around this event. Did the NBA happen to rig the draft so that the…
…
continue reading
The year is 1983. Game shows are rebounding after going through a tough spell from 1980 through 1982. Nipsey Russell, a friend of the genre, is in a period of hosting different shows from different genres. Why not give Nipsey a crack at a game show? CBS and Mark Goodson Productions did just that with at least 3 pilots. Unfortunately for Nipsey but …
…
continue reading
25 years after The Saint with Roger Moore first appeared on television, an attempt at a revival was made. As you might imagine since this is pilot month, the reboot was unsuccessful. It was the first pilot ever shown on CBS's Summer Playhouse series. Despite not making past the pilot stage, the show received an overwhelmingly positive review from t…
…
continue reading

1
The Squared Circle Time Machine: Episode 10 - WWF In Your House I
1:26:20
1:26:20
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:26:20In honor of Mother's Day, Greg and Dane go back 30 years to when the WWF on Mother's Day held the first of a series of budget PPV's. Not only that but the WWF as part of the lead-up to the show advertised that they were giving away a house in Florida to one lucky fan! Make sure Dok Hendrix gets a tee time at the golf course because remember It's Li…
…
continue reading

1
The Best of It Was a Thing on TV: Episode 22 - Doctor Who: Dimensions in Time
37:45
37:45
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
37:45With the new season of Doctor Who happening right now on Disney+ and the BBC, we look back at one of our earliest episodes in 2020 when we looked at when Doctor Who did a special crossover with EastEnders in honor of the 30th Anniversary of Doctor Who. Also, Noel Edmonds is involved for some reason.By Mike Klauss, Greg Diener, and Chico Alexander
…
continue reading
Pilot month resumes with this entry about a lawyer who has a habit of having panic attacks while litigating cases. The cast was loaded. It had potential. Unfortunately, beyond panic attacks, this show had an identity crisis and did not make NBC's fall schedule in 2010.By Mike Klauss, Greg Diener, and Chico Alexander
…
continue reading

1
Episode 555--Ewoks and Droids Adventure Hour
50:01
50:01
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
50:01Yesterday, May the Fourth have been with you. Because of the unofficial holiday, this installment will cover a facet of the Star Trek universe. (How many of you checked out after that intentional faux pas?) The Ewoks were the breakout stars of the 3rd released movie of the Star Wars franchise, while droids were a big part of the series from the sta…
…
continue reading

1
The Squared Circle Time Machine: Episode 9 - Paul Bearer's Hits from the Crypt
1:12:38
1:12:38
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:12:38In the newest edition of "The Squared Circle Time Machine" Greg and Dane return to an old WWF Coliseum Home Video recently uploaded onto the WWE Vault YouTube channel. Paul Bearer in this VHS tape selects some of his favorite matches while giving us a tour of an old theater where he and The Undertaker hang out. Also, we get Stan Lane and Gorilla Mo…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 554--In the Lion's Den (1987 pilot)
36:48
36:48
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
36:48It's the start of our annual Pilot Month and we're starting off with a pilot two of the three of us didn't see much of, so one of us took one for the team. There's a kids show with a lion puppet and Marcia Gay Harden is involved. That's about all we cared for. It was a CBS Summer Playhouse entry, so it was earmarked for failure. We promise it gets …
…
continue reading

1
The ”It Was a Thing on TV” Hall of Fame Class of 2025
30:04
30:04
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
30:04It's our fourth annual Hall of Fame class here at "It Was a Thing on TV" and we induct 17 worthy inclusions to our Hall. They include a non-human, a former James Bond, and someone who wants to know what was in that danish.By Mike Klauss, Greg Diener, and Chico Alexander
…
continue reading
None of us take responsibility for selecting this show and putting it on our schedule, which must say how bad this show is. Two ex-cons produce a TV show about protecting people from scams, which makes sense; who'd know more about the scamming business than two reformed ex-cons? This show's shelf life was very short and for obvious reasons. At leas…
…
continue reading

1
The Squared Circle Time Machine: Episode 8 - WWF WrestleMania IX
1:46:02
1:46:02
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:46:02With WrestleMania in Las Vegas this weekend, Greg and Dane look at the last Mania held in Vegas in WrestleMania IX from Caesar's Palace! It's a double main event with the Hulkster returning with Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake to face Money Inc. for the WWF Tag Titles and Bret Hart defending the WWF World Title against Yokozuna! Also, we ask ourselves…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 552--Exposed! Pro Wrestling's Greatest Secrets
1:23:03
1:23:03
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:23:03At the height of the professional wrestling boom in the late 1990's, NBC aired a special "exposing" the "secrets" of the industry. Did you know in wrestling, there are good guys and bad guys, and that a guy arranges who wins and who loses? No? Did you also know that signs are planted and given to fans, and that a stunt granny gets pushed by one of …
…
continue reading

1
Episode 551--David Cassidy: Man Undercover
47:38
47:38
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
47:38The 70s were a heck of a time. Anybody could get their own variety series and a pretty boy teen idol from earlier in the decade could play a undercover cop? Keith Partridge himself was the lead in this series, a complete 180 to singing and playing the guitar not 5 years prior. Ultimately, this cop show was handily defeated by another cop show, one …
…
continue reading
A couple of years ago, on a Live Show, we watched Tim Conway, in one of the many Dorf VHS tapes, play Baseball. Now, in our latest Live Show, we see him try to teach us how to play Bingo. Is this one of the most painful things we've ever had to sit through? Get your dabbers ready as we watch Dorf Da Bingo King! Here's a link to download or watch th…
…
continue reading
As you surely know, the occasional personnel change on a TV show occurs for various reasons, ranging from health issues and death to just going in a different direction. In 1982, one of television's most popular shows, The Dukes of Hazzard, experienced such a change over salary issues. Out were the popular Bo and Luke Duke, in were Coy and Vance fo…
…
continue reading

1
The Squared Circle Time Machine: Episode 7 - WWA Inception/WWA Revolution
2:06:48
2:06:48
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
2:06:48In late 2001, Australian promoter Andrew McManus tried to capitalize on the lack of a strong number two promotion in pro wrestling after the death of WCW with World Wrestling All-Stars. Greg and Dane look at the first pay-per-views from this short-lived promotion, where they discuss Mark Madden's bad commentary, Norman Smiley being awesome, Bret Ha…
…
continue reading
We are a week into the 2025 baseball season. We chose this very short-lived series from 1983 about minor league baseball as our tribute to America's Pastime. This series featured an amazing 20 people who appeared on every episode, covering all the bases from the players, the coaches, their partners, and even the mascot. As one might guess with an e…
…
continue reading

1
Live Show 51–The UFL 2025 Season Opener
2:09:29
2:09:29
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
2:09:29The United Football League kicked off the 2025 season in Houston on Friday as the Houston Roughnecks hosted the St. Louis Battlehawks. In this live show we look at what notable names are in the UFL this season along with some discussion about NCAA March Madness and Opening Day in MLB.By Mike Klauss, Greg Diener, and Chico Alexander
…
continue reading

1
The Squared Circle Time Machine: Episode 6 - GCW (Georgia) Atlanta Omni House Show 02.26.84
1:04:38
1:04:38
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:04:38Thanks to the WWE Vault YouTube Channel, Greg and Dane look at this early 1984 Georgia Championship Wrestling House Show from The Omni in Atlanta that was recently unearthed. Among some of the discussion, differences in wrestling crowds then compared to now, Tommy Rich in a mask, Referee Gary Ewing, the greatness of Brad Armstrong and King Kong Bun…
…
continue reading
Some shows age like a fine wine. Others age like bad milk. This show falls under the latter, a show which would never see the light of day in 2025 but did get 13 episodes in 1988. Scott Bakula stars in this series as a new hotshot lawyer who has a way with the ladies, a year before Bakula would hit it real big. In true 1988 "don't give a darn" fash…
…
continue reading
The 21st century has brought new forms of inspiration for TV shows. This show is an example of that, taking one social media user's rants about his father as the basis of a comedy series. In what we believe is beautiful casting, the father is played by William Shatner, whose 94th birthday is coming this Saturday. With the Shat, you never know what …
…
continue reading

1
The Squared Circle Time Machine: Episode 5 - The Twisted Mind of Mr. Bob Backlund
1:41:41
1:41:41
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:41:41Greg and Dane, in Episode 5 of The Squared Circle Time Machine, do a deep psychological dive into their favorite maniac, Mr. Bob Backlund, who has never eaten Mary Jane! They go back to 1982 when Superstar Billy Graham destroyed his WWF championship belt to his loss to Sheiky Baby in '83 to him holding a cardboard championship belt to cope with his…
…
continue reading
Our second and last entry into our annual foray into shows that were lost in translation takes us to this Japanese import, where a show that started with almost 1000 competitors whittled the competition until one person survived, all while traveling around the world. Sounds sort of like contemporary shows Beast Games or Squid Game? Nope. Over 4 dec…
…
continue reading
It's Lost in Translation time on the podcast! To start, we look at the second attempt to Americanize the classic British comedy Fawlty Towers, but with Bea Arthur as the lead. It followed a stinker of a show. (Condo, see episode 79.) However, it also was up against one of the most popular series of the 1980s. Despite being evicted after 13 episodes…
…
continue reading

1
It Was a Thing on TV Presents: Before the Show VII
1:16:46
1:16:46
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:16:46In the newest edition of Before the Show, Greg and Mike discuss the shocking heel turn of an invisible man at the WWE Elimination Chamber PLE last week in Toronto. Mike also talks about the recently released Cheers trading card set from Rittenhouse. Then Chico joins us for Segment 2 where they discuss the Sun Belt Gauntlet, Doug Gottlieb's Reign of…
…
continue reading

1
The Squared Circle Time Machine - Episode 4 - WCW Uncensored 1995
1:18:09
1:18:09
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:18:09To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of this PPV, Greg and Dane are bringing you an unauthorized, unsanctioned, and UNCENSORED episode! WCW Uncensored 1995 is a show that has it all! It has a King of the Road match that transcends space and time! A Martial Arts Match! A Boxer vs. Wrestler Match! A Concession Stand Brawl! And most importantly Ric Flair…
…
continue reading

1
Episode 544--The Episode of Murder, She Wrote with Bryan Cranston and Linda Hamilton
39:51
39:51
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
39:51Our celebration of Bryan Cranston’s nice birthday continues with a tennis match gone wrong, Linda Hamilton with a frank & vivid illustration of the state of mental health in the mid-1980s, and in the middle of it all? Mystery writer and reluctant true-crime aficionado Jessica Fletcher. It’s one of his three appearances on Murder, She Wrote. Can she…
…
continue reading