Due to technical difficulties Jeffrey explains in the new intro to this archived episode, we are unable to bring you a new episode as we had hoped this week. So instead, with What We Do in the Shadows a cult hit on FX, we go to our archive for a look back at executive producer Paul Simms's first major series: The Larry Sanders Show. But before that, Jeffrey touches on our experience with Sapphire & Steel! We'll be back with a real new episode soon. Thanks for bearing with us, Taters!...
Aug 02, 2019•49 min
In this episode we wander down a dirt road to sit a spell with friends in a slower time. Wet your whistle, pull up a chair, and find out what it was like to spend the tumultuous 1960s...out of the fray. The Andy Griffith show lasted 8 seasons, 249 episodes, and nearly 6 decades of syndication, so something must be working for it, and it can't just be Don Knotts's sex appeal. Tune in to learn the connection between Mayberry and the Big Bang Theory, discover the difference between a "generic spino...
Jun 30, 2019•1 hr 6 min
When ABC decided it was time to air out two 70s classics from the incomparable Normal Lear collection, we agreed. Join us as we compare two original episodes of All in the Family and The Jeffersons with the star-studded tribute show hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and Lear himself. Can 45-year-old scripts sound fresh today? Which flavor of abrasive patriarch do we prefer, Archie Bunker or George Jefferson? And just how many times will we mispronounce Sherman Hemsley’s name? Episodes we watched: All in th...
May 27, 2019•47 min•Season 4Ep. 47
To commemorate 15 years since Friends stopped being there for us (in prime time, anyway), we take a look back at the pilot, searching for clues to the show’s eventual runaway success. Was this beloved sitcom a gem from the start? Is Netflix smart to spend ALL THE MONEY to secure the streaming rights? Is the show as “smutty” as The Washington Post’s original review would lead us to believe? And, most importantly, does Jeffrey still know how to do the Pepsi Summer Chill-Out? Listen in for a trip b...
May 06, 2019•35 min•Season 4Ep. 46
Hannah and Jeffrey return from a slightly longer-than-intended hiatus with big news about exciting changes on the home front and (hopefully) to the podcast! Then, your hosts load up the truck (it's a minivan, really) and head to Beverly... Hills, that is, for a look at one of the most popular series of all time and one of the most watched episodes in TV history. How do your self-acknowledged snooty suburbanite hosts take to this beloved slice of Boomer nostalgia? About as well as you think. LINK...
Apr 15, 2019•38 min•Season 4Ep. 45
As 2018 comes to a close, Hannah and Jeffrey look back at their favorites and least favorites of the third season. Listen in to learn what show Jeffrey puts on both his Top Five and Bottom Five lists! Keep listening to learn which episodes you absolutely must watch RIGHT NOW, and which series could be excised from our timeline, to no one’s detriment (except maybe Tim Daly’s - OOH, SPOILER). A big thanks to all our listeners for a great year. The Museum would never have grown to 45 exhibits witho...
Dec 31, 2018•33 min•Season 3Ep. 45
Journey back to the golden age of TV private eyes: the 1980s! Will big hair, man jewelry, and will-they-won't-they sexual chemistry help solve crimes and lock up bad guys? Will Hannah and Jeffrey stay awake long enough to find out? Listen in to learn how Remington Steele nearly didn't get made, find out how many puns can be made with "Steele", and discover which 80s classic almost featured Stephanie Zimbalist. If you enjoy this and other exhibits, be a patron at www.patreon.com/tvmuseum . Couch ...
Nov 19, 2018•40 min•Season 3Ep. 44
Join us in the 90s wing as we dust off the original comedy about six 20-somethings in the city. Listen in to learn the highlights of Queen Latifah's epic career, discover which 80s teen star made a young Jeffrey's heart beat faster, and find out why both Living Single and The Golden Girls owe a debt to Jane Austen. Read more: 25 years later, the cast speaks out in the Atlantic How the Golden Girls influenced everything Will there be a reboot? Kim Coles does everything ever If you enjoy this and ...
Nov 05, 2018•53 min•Season 3Ep. 43
Good evening. This week your humble hosts will be digging into the second most well-known black-and-white anthology series. How will Alfred Hitchcock Presents stack up against The Twilight Zone ? Will the Hitch maintain his title of the master of suspense within the constraints of the small screen? Will Jeffrey stay awake? All this plus reader mail, a hot take on The Conners , and play-at-home games (yes, plural!). Learn more: The AV Club takes on AHP Amazing interview with producer/director/act...
Oct 22, 2018•58 min•Season 3Ep. 42
The Museum is taking flight this week, as we soar through the 90s with a staple of NBC's famed Thursday night line-up. (If by staple you mean the show that ran between Cheers and LA Law while you were in the kitchen getting a snack.) Take a listen to find out which cast member got her showbiz start singing creationist novelty songs, discover which other 90s sitcom Jeffrey refuses to watch, and revisit your hosts' undying affection for Bebe Neuwirth's Lillith. Eager to learn more? Check out: Wing...
Oct 08, 2018•43 min•Season 3Ep. 41
This week your two incongruous and divergent hosts take on a classic from the late great Neil Simon and titan of 70s sitcoms Garry Marshall. Will we be charmed by comedic mismatch of Tony Randall and Jack Klugman? Or will we find the public's continued affection for this show just...odd? Listen in to discover who was Klugman's unexpected real life roommate, learn how to play Password , and enjoy an episode of Trivia Only Hannah Could Care About. For more Odd Couple, check out Dana Steven's tribu...
Sep 24, 2018•52 min•Season 3Ep. 40
Rev your motor and tighten that helmet, because we're hitting the road with the heroes of the California Highway Patrol. Come along with us, as the 70s merge into the 80s, a time when action was gentle, aviators were made for lowering suggestively, and racquetball reigned supreme. Listen in to learn how costars Estrada and Wilcox got along (or didn't), what surprising turns their later careers took, and just how much Jeffrey loves Airport 1975 . By listener demand we also take another (brief) lo...
Sep 10, 2018•58 min•Season 3Ep. 39
Wandering down this [podcast] we call life...it's good to know I have [listeners] who will always stand by me... Well, we hope you'll stand by us as we roll back to the peak of the 90s, with TGIF stalwart Boy Meets World. We watched child actors actually age gracefully while tackling a plethora of "very special" issues in a way only a 22-minute family-friendly sitcom can. Were we charmed by this particular boy and his world? Who comes out on top in the battle of the Savage wunkerkinds? Can we se...
Aug 27, 2018•42 min•Season 3Ep. 38
Seek not to contend, for it is the eyes that blind the man, so should the podcaster become the podcast. That's right, Couch Potatoes, we're busting open the fortune cookies and rolling back to the old west – and we're bringing former Shaolin Temple disciple and current Bruce Lee biographer Matthew Polly with us! Listen up to learn what Matt has in common with Kung Fu 's Caine, discover just what kind of adventures you can have on peyote in Laurel Canyon, and hear the groovy musical stylings of D...
Aug 13, 2018•1 hr 4 min•Season 3Ep. 37
If you like British comedy, we've got a classic this week that's quite the ticket. We'll take a close look at Watery Fowls -- er, Fawlty Towers -- the show deemed the greatest of all time by the British Film Institute. Will this 70s television treasure still shine today? Can the operatic virtuosity of Cleese and company overcome Hannah's antipathy for farce? Will Jeffrey talk at length about Monty Python? Tune in to learn more about the charms of Torquay, the peculiar British tradition of video ...
Jul 30, 2018•49 min•Season 3Ep. 36
It's Christmas in July! Grab some leftover roast goose and plum pudding (as we understand British folk tend to do after the holidays), because in this exhibit we’re taking a look at the 1987 "Christmas special" of A Bit of Fry & Laurie ! This British TV classic sprang, like Monty Python and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy , from Cambridge University’s Footlights comedy troupe. The titular Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie are now well-known on both sides of the pond, but you can listen in to ...
Jul 16, 2018•26 min•Season 3Ep. 35
Grab your towel and DON'T PANIC! We're off to discover the mysteries of the life with the universe's best-selling guidebook. Listen and learn about the many incarnation's of Douglas Adams's silly, subversive, and strangely intelligent space saga, find out what the cast is up to nowadays, and discover how Jeffrey can always slip in a joke at Gene Roddenberry's expense. Also, hear how fellow Taters responded to our Adam-12 exhibit. Want to be thanked on-air for your dedication to The Museum? Be a ...
Jul 02, 2018•45 min•Season 3Ep. 34
Buckle up, friends – we're on the beat with Officers Reed and Malloy. Join us as we cruise the mean streets of LA, apprehending camper thieves and saving the lives of kittens. Listen in to learn about the amazing "Webb" connecting Adam-12 to both Lost in Space and Columbo! Find out which Hollywood powerhouse guested in knee socks! Discover just how many jokes Jeffrey can make at Gene Roddenberry's expense! And don't forget to be a supporting member of the Tater Army. Sign up at our Patreon page ...
Jun 18, 2018•35 min•Season 3Ep. 33
Couch potatoes, please show your love by becoming a patr(e)on of the Museum! In this exhibit, join us for further wanderings through the Cop Shows Wing of the TV Museum as we take a look back at a long-running contemporary of Dragnet , the post- Perry Mason Raymond Burr vehicle Ironside . Learn what The Beastie Boys, Quincy Jones, and Quentin Tarantino all appreciated about this show, delight in what may be the most Planet of the Apes connections of any exhibit to date, and marvel at the difficu...
Jun 04, 2018•45 min•Season 3Ep. 32
Drive back in time to the Summer of Love and cruise the LA scene with two groovy cats– Sergeant Friday and Officer Gannon! Learn just how much of an overachiever series creator Jack Webb was, who guested on Dragnet years before running afoul of the real LAPD, and which of your devoted cohosts has an ex-hippie's distrust of the po-po. While you're listening, don't forget to pop over to Barkbox to sign up for a free extra month for our listeners. Your best pal will thank you!...
May 21, 2018•39 min•Season 3Ep. 31
Hop on your turnip truck/transatlantic ship/cherry red Mustang, and meet us in Chicago for a reunion with everyone's favorite mismatched cousins! In this exhibit, Jeffrey and Hannah unveil the Miller Boyett wing of the Museum and reminisce about the now-defunct concept of the branded programming block (thanks, streaming), while exploring a series that is equal parts pro-America 80s pabulum and charming hat tip to the classic slapstick comedy. Is Perfect Strangers perfect for a re-watch today? Tu...
May 07, 2018•49 min•Season 3Ep. 30
Snap on your helmets and buckle in, Couch Potatoes, because we're getting LOST IN SPACE! Join Hannah and Jeffrey aboard the Jupiter 2 to discover all the dangers of the solar system and beyond, from menacing cyborgs to vindictive produce. Learn which star recorded history's best novelty song, who was both a Robinson and a Von Trapp, and what Party of Five has to do with all this. We'll also give you our quick take on the new Netflix reboot (a preview of Exhibit 21,378, release date: May 5, 2038)...
Apr 23, 2018•52 min•Season 3Ep. 29
Given the mandate of the Museum, ripped-from-the-headlines topicality is not usually our bag. But in this exhibit we're diving headlong into the phenomenon that is Roseanne , both the first 9 seasons and the new version everyone's been talking about. Tune in to learn... who had more TV biopics in the early 90s, Roseanne Barr or Amy Fisher; how to pronounce Gary Sinise; how your hosts feel about The Big Lebowski ; and what exactly was the deal with Roseanne's insane season 9! Don't forget to help...
Apr 09, 2018•52 min•Season 3Ep. 28
“Hi, Bob.” Lie down on the couch, listeners, because we're taking you to America's favorite fictional, Midwestern psychologist! Before there was Newhart , there was The Bob Newhart Show. (And also... The Bob Newhart Show. Are you confused yet? Check out the exhibit, and all will be made clear.) Listen in to learn exciting trivia, such as which two Newhartites voiced seminal cartoon characters! Find out who compared Bob Newhart to a dragon-slaying choirboy! Discover which cast member went "the Fu...
Mar 26, 2018•38 min•Season 3Ep. 27
Join Hannah and Jeffrey deep in the vaults for a peek at a 60s cult hit that still maintains a vigorous fan club. Watch a pre-Bond Roger Moore rub elbows with the rich, larcenous, and murderous as he Robin Hoods his way through high society. Listen in to learn more about the long history of Simon Templar, the most popular pop culture icon you may have never heard of. Find out just how much James Bond echoes the Saint, why George Lazenby got to be Bond, and what Maester Pycelle and the Muppets ha...
Mar 11, 2018•34 min•Season 3Ep. 26
Grab some cheesecake, pour some OJ, and settle in! Hannah and Jeffrey end their unscheduled hiatus to look back at a groundbreaking stalwart of 80s* Saturday nights. Will the girls hold up thirty years later? Tune in to learn how Golden Girls connects to Mama's Family, what Julio Iglesias has in common with Quentin Tarantino, and just how Jeffrey feels about Park Overall. And while you're at it, be sure to support the show and get great audio content with a free trial from audible.com ! Finally,...
Feb 26, 2018•37 min•Season 3Ep. 25
Hannah and Jeffrey take a look back at the show-about-a-show that helped put HBO on the path to original programming greatness. If you missed Larry Sanders the first time around, start streaming now to see why this single-camera comedy of embarrassment is arguably as influential as The Big S itself.* *Yes, we just made up that nickname for Seinfeld . Listen in to learn whose ear was torn by Rip Torn, what was the other successful Delta Burke vehicle of the mid-late 80s, and which star of Entoura...
Jun 14, 2017•43 min•Season 2Ep. 24
Hannah and Jeffrey are finally taking on Star Trek ! In this exhibit we cover (in semi-exhaustive detail) the folks behind the scenes and in front of the camera on TV's most influential sci-fi series. Beam in to learn which cast member's bar mitzvah prompted a return engagement, which star did unspeakable (fictional) things to Angie Dickinson, and who got career advice from MLK, Jr. himself. Keep listening to find out which TV legends (more than one!) had a hand in getting Star Trek to air, and ...
May 26, 2017•1 hr 20 min•Season 2Ep. 23
Travel back with us to a time when men were men, the beach parking scene was laid back, and the cars were brown....1970s Los Angeles, where $200 a day (plus expenses) could get you the best private eye in town. Tune in as we assess the Rockford Files, a stalwart of syndication with a loyal following. Listen carefully and you'll learn ingenious tricks to avoid paying royalties, star James Garner's unfortunate birth name, and who had a battle of words with good ol' Newt Minow! Extra! Extra! Read m...
Apr 05, 2017•42 min•Season 2Ep. 22
Sometimes you want go...watch one of the 80s' defining sitcoms! In this Season Two opener of the Museum, we turn back to NBC's legendary Thursday night line-up for a look at Cheers . Like its namesake watering hole, this show feels like home to almost anyone who watched TV between 1982 and 1993. Though Cheers is surely familiar to most listeners, in this episode Jeffrey and Hannah seek to uncover new information about a classic. Questions which may be answered include: Which cast member's sister...
Jan 26, 2017•55 min•Season 2Ep. 21
