Can't Turn It Off

Season 7 of the podcast has featured a deep dive into failed television, all of which has fallen under the broad umbrella of comedy. That ends today, with a deep dive into a failed network drama that debuted nearly 29 years ago and was forgotten after its 17-episode run. Forgotten by most, but not the host. With fresh eyes and a faded memory, the host revisits a show he doesn't remember. Is it better or worse than he imagined?  And it's a deep dive... so deep the host doesn't have time for a monologue! (Thank him later.)

How does the actor behind a beloved TV character such as Seinfeld's Cosmo Kramer fail to dazzle a television audience as the star of his own NBC sitcom? It wasn't hard, as it turned out, and Michael Richards proved it during the fall of 2000. The host examines how he did it. And after deconstructing a failed sitcom, the host's closing monologue unloads more opinions on pizza than any one person should be allowed to have.

During the early 1970s, a simple show about the merger of two half-families spawned characters that have lived on for generations. The host looks back at several ways a lovely lady, three very lovely girls and four men, living all together, have touched the lives of millions of Americans. And then he'll shake his head in disbelief at the musical variety show that first reunited them, and is remembered fondly by almost no one. Listen here! 

The 1970s were a splendid time for television, at least it seemed like it at the time. In the spirit of all that was entertainment during the '70s, NBC introduced us to Pink Lady in 1980, and brought Jeff along for the ride. Who were they and why is their TV show frequently cited among the worst TV shows of all time. Find out here! 

What did a group of Las Vegas showgirls have to do with the Fonz, Mr. C and the rest of the Happy Days gang? That's the beauty of a short-lived, unspectacular sitcom that most people couldn't name if their Final Jeopardy lives depended upon it. And rightfully so. But it's an impressive display of just how formulaic network television could be back in the day, when networks ruled the world. Beyond a look back at the glitz and glamour of Vegas, the host unloads one of his most famous tirades, just in time for Thanksgiving. 

Was it a show ahead of its time, a show that was just too offensive or a show that was too progressive for its network? Perhaps it was all of those things, or maybe it was just a victim of the wrong place and the wrong time. The host looks at a 2001 sitcom that should have had more success than it did.

Turn back the clock to 2002, the geniuses at Fox Broadcasting had found a worthy successor to one of their early sitcom successes, "Married with Children." Or had they? They filmed eight episodes of a show they went on to cancel before you were able to see one of them. And what pairs better with a Fox sitcom than an American hot dog?

This time around, we turn back the clock to either 2006 or 2002, depending upon your perspective, as we look at a television series that never aired on network TV, despite seven intentions for it to do so. And just as important, the host commemorates the career of a retiring game show host.

Season 7 of the podcast is underway. The format is a bit different than past seasons, and the host is still learning how to cram 10 pounds of podcast into a five-pound sack. The podcast team will smooth out the edges soon enough. In the meantime, enjoy a visit to a mostly forgotten piece of history and buy a ticket to a WNBA game.

This is it, the long-awaited end of the longest season of Can't Turn it Off. After a few minutes of chat between the host and Brad Farrell, two nerds who love a forgotten, short-lived '80s sitcom starring Jason Bateman, the host closes out the season with a monologue sharing a footnote from his life.     

Another holiday season is upon us, and in the spirit of the holidays, the host will share fond memories of a game show legend who passed away not so long ago, and would have turned 100 years old this month. And then it's onto new content with past guests. In this case, we revisit our conversations with two gentlemen who have spent a fair amount of time on the radio airwaves in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area over the years.  

What better way to close out the Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States than with a monologue from the host of the podcast, sending out sincere thanks to a variety of folks. And to top it off, enjoy more colorful conversation with a season 6 guest who will favor us with a few of his impressions of people you probably don't know.

The end of season 6 is underway, a season delayed thanks to both striking writers and actors. But the team perseveres, and this week we bring you bonus content from two women who were featured during season 6. You’ll hear from them after you hear the host boast and brag. And stumble once or twice. His mouth can’t keep up with his brain. There’s a scattershot of thoughts at the beginning and end of the episode, including an update about one of our past guests. 

Not long ago, the podcast featured Erin Dietrich, a Minnesota woman who had a unique experience. The podcast is on its hiatus, so that means more from Erin, right? Not exactly, but we will learn more about her adventure as the hiatus begins. And we learn about it after we find out why the host thinks too many viewers of TV's Wheel of Fortune are ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. You haven't heard the host do a monologue in a while, so fasten your seatbelt, you're in for a doozy. 

A Minnesota woman and her husband accomplished something few people do. She recalls their adventure after the producer tries to figure out what they did. Confused? You won't be after the next episode of Can't Turn it Off.        

Plenty of people switch careers during their life, and our guest is one of them. Radio broadcasting today is far different than it was in the 1980s, and Phil Huston was part of that '80s scene, working for two prominent Minneapolis pop music stations. He reminisces about those days with the podcast host, who use to listen to Phil on WLOL way back when. Thanks to Jeff Sibinski and radiotapes.com for the supplemental material in this episode. 

Is this a Jeopardy podcast!? No, it's not, but this is the fourth time the host has interviewed a Jeopardy! contestant. in our season of celebrating Minnesota, where this podcast originates, we chat with a recent Jeopardy champion who didn't grow up here, but is investing part of her Jeopardy! winnings in a very Minnesota way.

It has been more than a year since our last chat with the podcast's annual guest, and the latest conversation goes off the rails a bit, but it was a lot of fun for both parties. A lot has changed since we last talked with Izzy, and this episode is very different from every interview we've ever done with the rock and roll prodigal son from Minnesota.

As children across the United States, and presumably elsewhere around the world, prepare for an evening of trick-or-treating, the host recalls his modest childhood fascination with the wacky world of haunted houses, and his adult experiences with the many entities that have haunted the greater Minneapolis area for the past 25 years. He'll ask questions he has no answer to and recount a vague, yet unforgettable, experience at a Minneapolis theater circa 2000. 

It's 2022, and a Minnesota man dedicates a lot of time and effort to his blog, which focuses on two unrelated subjects. It's the latter of the two that has entertained the Can't Turn it Off host in recent years. And if you've ever reminisced about yesteryear in the town or city where you grew up, you'd be lucky to have your own version of Aaron Wallace.