Battle Of The Network Shows

The holidays mean holiday specials--or they used to--and we present second one. Tommy Smothers plays nonconformist Ted E. Bear in "The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas." While the rest of bear society hibernates, Ted wants to stay awake and go to Christmas. Does his dream come true, or does he succumb to the norms of bear society and biology? We get to the bottom of this and risk the ire of the Big Bear lobby by blowing the roof off its secret plans. Listen if you dare!

This week, we discuss one-season wonder "Voyagers!" Time traveler Phineas Bogg (Jon-Erik Hexum) and 12-year-old Jeffrey (the ubiquitous Meeno Peluce) try to set history straight in a rollicking adventure that features Cleopatra, Babe Ruth, Sir Isaac Newton, and Lucky Luciano! What brings these disparate figures together, how will the Voyagers turn the light from red to green, and how do we manage to squeeze Harold Lloyd into it? Find it all in a book--er, on Battle of the Network Shows!

Rick and Mike discuss a classic sitcom, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah Alex and Louie in a taxi race, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah Andy Kaufman doesn't do much in this one, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah Nardo might have to date Louie, eww, eww, eww, eww

This week, we discuss an episode of NBC's The Tomorrow Show With Tom Snyder from its final year. Tom sits down with BOTNS returning star Ricky Schroder. Iggy Pop performs three songs, bleeds a little, and chats with Tom. Plus "economist" Jerome Smith warns of impending 1980s doom, and "poet" Dorothy Greene-Pepper talks about loooove while Tom just tries to talk. Sit back, fire up a podtini, and chortle along with a broadcast legend (Tom, not us).

Cool, cool, cool! Master of cool Michael Knight gets into a spot of trouble when his cool talking car K.I.T.T. gets car amnesia and wanders into the wilderness. Luckily for them, cool kid Doug (Jason Bateman) finds K.I.T.T. Oh, and some dudes are trying to blow up a dam or something.

With the Justice League movie arriving in theaters, we sell out again, this time talking about the animated and friendly adventures of the Justice League from 1977 in The All-new Super Friends Hour. Yes, you get Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and even Aquaman, but you also get Robin, the Wonder Twins Zan and Jana and their space monkey Gleek, and Native American hero Apache Chief! Plus safety and health tips, craft segments, and the hard-to-beat Decoder. Also, the Secret Four, an escaped tiger, time travelers, and giant cobras! Holy buffets, Batman! What didn't they include?

This week, we look at The Sandbaggers, a classic British espionage series from the late seventies. Action takes a backseat to palace intrigue and political maneuvering as Director of Operations Neil Burnside (Roy Marsden) tries to rescue his primary operative from a hijacked plane. One of us compares this one to the prestige dramas of today, plus we offer "startling" evidence about the whereabouts of missing and presumed dead show creator Ian Mackintosh. NOTE: "Startling" means completely made up.

Celebrity Bowling: seventies celebrities strive to strike in a modified and slightly confusing version of the Sport of Kings! Leslie Nielsen and Susan Saint James face off against Angie Dickinson and Lloyd Bridges. What's not to love? You can almost smell cigarettes and fried food from here, and you never know who might stop by (hint--an Oscar winner!) We picked the wrong week to stop using our Amana Radar Range.

This week, we tackle not one but two episodes the zaniest of zany comedies Three's Company and try to decide once and for all: Roper or Furley. In "Ground Rules," Jack, Janet, and Chrissy try to establish some rules for alone or alone-with-someone time in the apartment, and Jack has a man-to-man discussion with Mr. Roper about "building shelves." In "Double Trouble," Jack has to convince Furley that he has a macho twin brother named Austin. Wait till Furley tries to throw a party...for both of them!

In our season three premiere, we tackle the ABC light drama Eight is Enough and its season two finale "Who's on First?" Daughter Joanie needs help putting on a show to raise money for orphans, Nicholas gets put out when no one believes he was abducted by UFOs, Tom gets fed up when Nicholas won't commit to Abbott and Costello's "Who's on First?" routine, and everyone piles on David when he won't lend his "star power" to the show. Magic, comedy, music, and more! Will David come through? Did Nicholas get abducted by Aliens? Who is on first? (Yes.) We won't spoil the magic in this description, but we will say this is an historic episode for Eight is Enough! Find shown notes and more at our web site.

The special blue ribbon nominating panel has convened and issued its nominations for the season two BATTY Awards. Now Rick and Mike have to decide the winners in categories including Best Show, Best Episode, Outstanding Conrad, Best Performance by a Youth, and of course Best Facial Hair/Mustache! Plus, the first ever GENIUS Award!

For our season two finale, we finally take a look at perhaps the ultimate example of the Battle of the Network Shows era, our namesake, Battle of the Network Stars. In this first-ever Battle from 1976, Robert Conrad, Telly Savalas, and Gabe Kaplan lead teams from NBC, CBS, and ABC in athletic competitions for bragging rights and a sizeable prize. Celebrities, Howard Cosell, controversy, swimsuits, short shorts, Speedos, mustaches, the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat! This one has it all!

This week, we dive into the world of game shows with a look at the syndicated "Face the Music" and NBC's fast-paced "$ale of the Century." Plus, an all-new TV Guide Game! Will one of us go home with a brand-new car?!

In this episode, we take another look at the animated toy tie-in phenomenon of the mid eighties with the granddaddy of them all He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Skeletor's "friend" Monteague, a toad-like wizard, unleashes Hannibal and Black Beard on Eternia in a plot to recruit He-Man into his army and, um, take over the universe or something. Listen. He drank a bunch of martinis with his pinky before he hatched the plan. He probably doesn't even understand it. Will Monteague prevail (doubtful)? Will Orko annoy us (probable)? Will we get to the bottom of Skeletor's anatomy (doubtful, but we'll try)? Plus, a band-new game: PICK YOUR PINE.

This week in a crass attempt to cash in on the Wonder Woman movie, we take a look at the 1970s TV show and Lynda Carter's definitive performance as the Amazon princess. This one features some of our favorite discussion topics: superheroes, seventies fashion, unique guest stars, and disco. Wonder Woman has to stop an espionage ring using telepathy to steal state secrets, but she also has to survive going to a disco.

In 1978, aliens walked among us in the form of Robin Williams in his breakout role as Mork from Ork. In "Mixed Emotions," a little encouragement and a kiss from Mindy (Pam Dawber) release Mork's emotions all at once. They overwhelm in a flurry of comic activity. We discuss this and more, including the complexities of Orkan anatomy, the shape of Jay Thomas' face, and Conrads.

This week, we introduce you to one of the shows that inspired the podcast. In Search, private security agents use a high-tech approach to solve problems. "The Murrow Disappearance" features Hugh O'Brian, one of three rotating lead actors, as suave, unflappable Hugh Lockwood plus a crew of technicians led by the grouchy Burgess Meredith and the sassy Angel Tompkins. Plus, we say the word "cool," like, 300 times.

This week, we look at two episodes of classic eighties sitcom Silver Spoons. First, Ricky (Ricky Schroder) struggles to fit in at his new school and deal with a bully named Ox. Ricky's dad Edward (Joel Higgins) doesn't help matters by hiring a bodyguard for Ricky...Mr. T (Mr. T). After a different incident, Ox sues Ricky, and Ricky requests a jury of his peers--kids. Plus, the BOTNS return of Erin Gray and the BOTNS debut of Leonard Lightfoot!

Loyal listener Amy recommended this Saturday-morning drama about an Army-trained German shepherd on the run for a crime he didn't commit! Kristy McNichol guests as a girl who takes in Joe against her father's wishes. Plus, "What We'd Like to See"!

Tickets to the world premiere and after party for Mr. Burt Reynolds' latest movie land the Golden Girls in exactly the wrong place--jail...for prostitution. Will they get out in time to meet Burt and the rest of the Burt Pack? Will Rose ever get over losing Butter Queen? Will Burt lead a game of Win, Lose, or Draw? It all depends on the kindness of Sophia! Uh-oh.