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 ...
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The Squared Circle Time Machine: Episode 13 - AAA/IWC When Worlds Collide 1994
1:07:04
1:07:04
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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 …
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Announcement about the future of It Was a Thing on TV
9:15
9:15
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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
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Episode 562--Good Morning, Miss Bliss (pilot)
25:20
25:20
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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…
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The Squared Circle Time Machine: Episode 12 - WWF World Tour 1990
1:10:19
1:10:19
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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 …
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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…
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Episode 560--Every Guest Star on Hotel
1:37:55
1:37:55
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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…
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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…
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The Squared Circle Time Machine: Episode 11 - The WWF SmackDown Pilot
1:24:40
1:24:40
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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 …
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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 …
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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…
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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 …
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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…
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The Squared Circle Time Machine: Episode 10 - WWF In Your House I
1:26:20
1:26:20
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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…
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The Best of It Was a Thing on TV: Episode 22 - Doctor Who: Dimensions in Time
37:45
37:45
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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
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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
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Episode 555--Ewoks and Droids Adventure Hour
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50:01
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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…
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The Squared Circle Time Machine: Episode 9 - Paul Bearer's Hits from the Crypt
1:12:38
1:12:38
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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…
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Episode 554--In the Lion's Den (1987 pilot)
36:48
36:48
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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 …
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The ”It Was a Thing on TV” Hall of Fame Class of 2025
30:04
30:04
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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
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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…
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The Squared Circle Time Machine: Episode 8 - WWF WrestleMania IX
1:46:02
1:46:02
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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…
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Episode 552--Exposed! Pro Wrestling's Greatest Secrets
1:23:03
1:23:03
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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 …
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Episode 551--David Cassidy: Man Undercover
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47:38
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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 …
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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…
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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…
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The Squared Circle Time Machine: Episode 7 - WWA Inception/WWA Revolution
2:06:48
2:06:48
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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…
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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…
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Live Show 51–The UFL 2025 Season Opener
2:09:29
2:09:29
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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
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The Squared Circle Time Machine: Episode 6 - GCW (Georgia) Atlanta Omni House Show 02.26.84
1:04:38
1:04:38
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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…
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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…
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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 …
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The Squared Circle Time Machine: Episode 5 - The Twisted Mind of Mr. Bob Backlund
1:41:41
1:41:41
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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…
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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…
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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…
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It Was a Thing on TV Presents: Before the Show VII
1:16:46
1:16:46
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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…
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The Squared Circle Time Machine - Episode 4 - WCW Uncensored 1995
1:18:09
1:18:09
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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…
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Episode 544--The Episode of Murder, She Wrote with Bryan Cranston and Linda Hamilton
39:51
39:51
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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…
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Episode 543--The Episode of Airwolf with Bryan Cranston
54:31
54:31
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54:31In honor of a very nice birthday coming up for Bryan Cranston we honor two guest appearances this week that he did early in his acting career. The first is a 1986 episode of "Airwolf" in a villain of the week turn in which he confronts his ex-girlfriend at a sorority reunion on the Queen Mary! Can the Airwolf crew manage to save the day? In this an…
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This coming Monday, Mike is celebrating his birthday (the big 5-0) and he chose this as his Money in the Bank pick, a cult classic about a police inspector with a hair trigger temper, as well as a hair trigger on his very large Magnum gun. It was good enough to squeak by for two seasons. As for this selection, trust Mike. He knows what he's doing.…
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The Squared Circle Time Machine: Episode 3 - WWF St. Valentine's Day Massacre
1:27:49
1:27:49
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1:27:49With love having recently been in the air Greg and Dane go back to 1999 and head to MEMAPHIS TENANASEE! for WWF St. Valentine's Day Massacre as Stone Cold and Mr. McMahon battle in a steel cage match for the WrestleMania XV title shot. Among some of the things discussed are Ken Shamrock's beef with Val Venis over his sister, the birth of Hardcore H…
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Episode 541--When Things Were Rotten Revisited
1:05:14
1:05:14
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1:05:14We first talked about this series 472 episodes ago. (Do the math.) We felt it was worth a revisit since it can now be seen every Saturday night on Catchy Comedy. In short, this show is the beta version of Robin Hood: Men in Tights, also from the brilliant mind of Mel Brooks. It couldn't be too bad since it has rerun on A&E, TV Land, Decades, and no…
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In a podcast first, we found a premise so flimsy that it almost broke the three of us...and this was deemed as okay to air during the family hour (and later on TGIF) on ABC?! This was a vehicle for the Smolletts, six kids in all, including that one. The less said about this train wreck, the better.By Mike Klauss, Chico Alexander, and Greg Diener
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As a belated tribute to Robert Wagner's 85th birthday, this installment covers a show which ran for a short period of time on ABC, and later shown in full on Lifetime. Beyond the regular struggles involving viewership, Lime Street also suffered a tragedy involving one of the cast members before debuting, unrelated to the show itself.…
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Steve Harvey’s a big deal nowadays, but even he had humble beginnings. Take this story of Steve as a widower balancing a 90s video store & three boys with the help of his mother-in-law. Entertaining as it was, time slots were not kind for “Me and the Boys”By Mike Klauss, Chico Alexander, and Greg Diener
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The Squared Circle Time Machine: Episode 2 - The First NWA-TNA PPV from 2002
1:39:01
1:39:01
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1:39:01Greg and Dane return for Episode 2 of The Squared Circle Time Machine where they look back at the birth of TNA when it was part of the National Wrestling Alliance back in 2002 with their first weekly Pay-Per-View. Among the topics discussed Jeff Jarrett, Scott Hall, Jackie Fargo, Don West, Flying Elvises and a pair of Wrestling Johnson's. But pleas…
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As we have said time and time again, a good format for a TV show never really dies, it goes away for a time and returns with a new twist. In this case, the timeless Neil Simon play The Odd Couple went from the Broadway stage to the big screen, then to the small screen with Tony Randall and Jack Klugman. Less than a decade later, it returned in this…
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Minisode 34–The Silent Minute at Super Bowl XX
18:37
18:37
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18:37Before you gear up to watch the seemingly twenty-hour pregame show on "Super Sunday" we look back to 1986 when NBC decided to kill some time during the pregame of Super Bowl XX by literally showing nothing but a black screen for an entire minute!By Mike Klauss, Chico Alexander, and Greg Diener
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Our lead-up to "The Big Game" continues with this look at a mid-70s competitor to the NFL, a league which actually got big names to join its league. Like start-up competitors from the past and the future, the league had a very short life for a number of reasons, one of which is not the dickerod.By Mike Klauss, Chico Alexander, and Greg Diener
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Episode 535--The Garbage Picking Field Goal Kicking Philadelphia Phenomenon
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46:52
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46:52"The Big Game" is coming up this Sunday. By coincidence, this installment is about a Disney made-for-TV movie centered around one of this year's "Big Game" participants, the Philadelphia Eagles. What happens when Tony Danza goes from being a garbageman to the team's place kicker? It's an ending only Hollywood could write in more ways than one.…
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The Squared Circle Time Machine: Episode 1 - The First Five WWF Royal Rumble's (1988-1992)
2:09:26
2:09:26
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2:09:26Greg and Dane are back with the first episode of their new wrestling podcast "The Squared Circle Time Machine" here on the IWATOTV Podcast feed. Greg and Dane look back at the first five Royal Rumble's and share some of their favorite memories including Ric Flair's epic title win in '92, Demolition going one-on-one to start the '89 Rumble, and lots…
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