TODAY on Battle of the Network Shows!

This week the winner of our "workplace sitcom" listener poll gets its spotlight. Slap that bass, folks, and get a cup of coffee because it's time for Barney Miller!

Click right here to go to our official website or get the episode wherever you find your podcasts. Don't you dare miss it!

LAST WEEK on Battle of the Network Shows and TODAY on Battle of the Network Shows!

From the home office in Duluth, Minnesota...

 

Yes, it's Late Night with David Letterman! And the episode we focus on is Camping with Barry White. Music, comedy, and camping tips all in one package. It's more fun than any one podcast should be allowed to have, and it's right here on Battle of the Network Shows. Don't you dare miss it!

 

 

Yes, I somehow didn't publish this last week, and now it's time for another episode of the podcast. Popeye Meets the Man Who Hated Laughter in this season's animation spotlight. Learn about The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie  and listen to us try to figure out this bizarre but enjoyable rarity.

 

 



Today on Battle of the Network Shows

Our 50th full-length episode calls for the return of one of the most BOTNS-ish series ever...CHIPS!

Like Roller Disco, the two-parter The Great 5K All Star Race and Boulder Wrap Party features celebrities, troubled youths, and bumbling crooks. Does this one live up to the greatness of Roller Disco? Will Actors and Others for Animals make another appearance?

Click right here to go to our website, or you can get the show wherever you get your podcasts. Don't you dare miss it!

Today on Battle of the Network Shows!

Just looking out of the window, hearing the podcast show...

That's right it's Good Times on this week's pod!  The Evanses vs. The Haters! James vs. Easy Money! Jimmie Walker vs. John Amos!

Click right here to go to our website, or you can grab the episode wherever you get podcasts. Don't you dare miss it!

Today on Battle of the Network Shows!

Our ongoing exploration of the TV of the past takes us on a journey into the future as we discuss Buck Rogers in the 25th Century!

Buck faces not just a vampire, but a SPACE VAMPIRE in this memorable episode. Click right here to go to our official page, or you can find it wherever you get your podcasts. Don't ya dare miss it!

Today on Battle of the Network Shows!

I like to think Lou Grant would never listen to a podcast, but Mike and I return to the character (after last week's  discussion of The Mary Tyler Moore show) as we tackle Lou Grant the series!

Politics, the press, Smuckers...it's all here on the Battle of the Network Shows podcast! Click here to go to our website. Don't ya dare miss it!

Today on Battle of the Network Shows: We might just make it after all!

Today on the podcast, Mike and I discuss The Mary Tyler Moore Show, certainly one of the more acclaimed series we have covered. Yeah, Emmy voters and millions of viewers loved it, but what do we think? What star of another seventies sitcom threatens to steal the third-season episode we analyze?

Click the image to go to the official Battle of the Network Shows website or go wherever you get your podcasts! Don't you dare miss it!

Today on Battle of the Network Shows

 

 

 

Why is Dean Martin laughing? Believe it or not, he's not watching former BOTNS subjects like Alf  or The Facts of Life. No, he's enjoying one of the many Celebrity Roasts over which he presided for many years on NBC.

 

This week Mike and I talk about the show itself and the impressive roster of celebrities lined up to roast the Man of the Hour Peter Marshall! Click it right here to check out the episode, and don't ya dare miss it!

Today on Battle of the Network Shows: Dynasty!

The podcast that discusses TV of the 1970s and 1980s one episode at a time looks at one of the biggest hits of the Reagan years...for a while, anyway! We dive into a season finale of Dynasty despite not having seen any episodes in decades...if ever. Will we figure out what's going on? Do we need to figure it out? Does the presence of Grant Goodeve make up for the absence of Emma Samms?

Find out by heading to our website or wherever you get your podcasts. Don't you dare miss it!

Today on Battle of the Network Shows

I imagine there's a huge natural crossover between fans of Honeymooners and Hazel and Punky Brewster. Today, the fourth season of our podcast talking about TV of the 70s and 80s examines the NBC kidcom.

Click it right here to check out the latest Battle of the Network Shows. Don't you dare miss it!

Shameless self-promotion: Podcast update

Hey, everyone! Just a quick note to remind you that we are in the middle of our third season of Battle of the Network Shows, the podcast on which my friend Mike and I discuss television of the 1970s and 1980s. As Mike explains in this post, our episodes are now available on YouTube!

This episode from our first season looks at the original In Search Of's treatment of Amelia Earhart and the Loch Ness Monster. This season, we've covered Super Friends, Three's Company, Celebrity Bowling, Knight Rider, and more, and there's more to come!

So just remember, in case I forget to bother--uh, remind you each week, new episodes premiere each Thursday wherever you get podcasts, but you can always find us at www.battleofthenetworkshows.com

BOTNS returns!

Season 3 of Battle of the Network Shows premieres today! Head on over and download this episode, in which Mike and I discuss the season two finale of Eight Is Enough!

You'll laugh! You'll cry! You'll see yet another failed attempt at replicating the "Who's on First?" routine!

And you can see what THIS is all about:

Battleofthenetworkshows.comwww.battleofthenetworkshows.com is the place, and stick around each Thursday for new episodes of chat about TV of the 1970s and 1980s!

Brooks on Books: Golden Girls Forever

(Note: this post originally appeared yesterday on Battle of the Network Shows, where you can hear our podcast episode covering The Golden Girls)

Every TV show that runs, oh, more than 5 seasons and 125 episodes or so ought to have its own definitive book, but not many are that lucky. Despite its continued success in reruns and its appeal to multiple demographic groups, I was surprised to see a thick, fancy-looking hardback book devoted to the long-running NBC hit The Golden Girls. Jim Colucci has created what is surely the most comprehensive print collection of  information on the show. It's a slam dunk for anyone who loves the series, but even casual fans will find a lot of interest in here.

The first thing that stands out content-wise about the volume is the access Colucci has gained. Despite its release coming after the death of several key figures, the text makes frequent use of interviews with everyone. He personally interviews bea Arthur, Betty White, and Rue McClanahan and uses archival material for some thoughts of Estelle Getty. He also talks to the producers, writers, and many of the more notable guest stars and supporting players involved with  the show during its 8 seasons.

It starts off with a general history of the show and continues with a selective episode guide. It's surprising that such a hefty book does not include a comprehensive episode guide, but Colucci is not just listing the plots. Rather, he uses the episode chapters to work in other details about the series, how it was made, and the many guests who appeared. If you have a favorite episode, chances are it's included in this section.

Several things stand out from reading this book: 1) Everyone working on The Golden Girls took pride in it and felt they did good work. 2) Bea Arthur could be really prickly as a collaborator. Many stories in here begin with someone talking about how she was cold or distant to them, though they often take pains to say she was a real pro. 3) Estelle Getty's memory issues plagued her from the beginning. Several anecdotes center around her inability to remember lines, an unfortunate circumstance which often annoyed others on the set (including, yes, Arthur).

And I'm not saying this because the author happens to be gay (he mentions this), but there is a significant amount of coverage of the show's appeal in "the gay community," and there is extensive coverage of the fate of Coco, the live-in housekeeper who was axed after the pilot. There are a few appendices asking "Which Golden Girl Are You?" or questions like that, with the respondents being gay showbiz figures. It's no secret that the show has a following in that sector, and I am not complaining, but I will say that while any fan will love this book, gay fans will really  love it.

It's an outstanding piece of work by Colucci and a valuable source of info about a beloved sitcom. The commentary from the cast and creative team is useful, of course, but this book goes the extra mile by getting info from the likes of guest stars (Debbie Reynolds) and even bit players like Quentin Tarantino. I'd be a happy man if every show we covered on the podcast inspired this kind of book--well written, detailed, and offering attractive design and fine production values.

TODAY on Battle of the Network Shows!

Today on Battle of the Network Shows, we finally talk about the series that inspired our title, one of the most era-ish shows of the BOTNS era!

Check it out right here. Don't ya dare miss it!

TODAY on Battle of the Network Shows

WEEEEE HAAAAVE THE POWERRRRR!

 

 

It's He-Man on today's episode. Check it out right here, folks. Don't ya dare miss it!

TODAY on Battle of the Network Shows

Our first episode of June combines two of our favorite things: Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman and disco. Check it out right here. Don't ya dare miss it!

TODAY on Battle of the Network Shows

It's Mork and Mindy on the show today! Click here to go to the website and get the episode, and don't you dare miss it!

TODAY on Battle of the Network Shows

We pity the fool  who misses this one:

Click right here to get the new episode. Don't ya dare miss it!

TODAY on Battle of the Network Shows!

Thank you for being a reader...and a listener...and a friend! How about doing me one more solid and listening to our newest episode? Anyone interested?

Click right here to find this week's show. Don't ya dare miss it!

TODAY on Battle of the Network Shows

This week on our third episode of season 2, it's something different: a look at 1980s NBC infotainment show Real People:

Allen! Stevenson! Purcell! Raftery! And...Billingsley? Yep!

Click right here for the episode. Don't you dare miss it!