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That Was a Show?

That Was a Show?

Author: Radio Gizmo: Brynn, Aaron & Barry

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The podcast about failed or forgotten sitcoms from the 80s and 90s.

Many sitcoms have stood the test of time and have millions of adoring fans—but those shows were diamonds in the rough. This podcast is not about those diamonds, it's about the rough. Some sitcoms were briefly popular in their time, some were cancelled almost immediately. You probably won't recognize most of these, and you'll say 'that was a show?'

Hosted by Brynn Byrne, Aaron Yeger, and Andrew "Barry" Helmer.

A Radio Gizmo Production.

Artwork by Brian Walker.

thatwasashow.com
81 Episodes
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Partners WAS a show. This short-lived sitcom is about two young architects in San Francisco, Bob (Jon Cryer) and Owen (Tate Donovan.) Off the top, Owen gets engaged to Alicia (Maria Pitillo), and his best friend Bob competes for attention as something of a third wheel. It’s a fairly standard hangout show about dating and friendship dynamics with vague references to work, but with slightly saltier language because it was on Fox. It’s almost like a West-Coast version of Friends, with a rotating cast of guest stars featuring the likes of Lisa Edelstein, Kathy Griffin and even Jennifer Anniston. Brynn, Aaron and Barry try to draw up a blueprint of why this one didn’t last. Visit our website! thatwasashow.com Follow us on Instagram @thatwasashow Merch: redbubble.com/people/thatwasashow Hosted by: Brynn Byrne @brynnabyrne Aaron Yeger @aaronyeger Andrew “Barry” Helmer @andrewhelmer Podcast logo and artwork by Brian Walker @briguywalker
Flying Blind WAS a show. It ran on Fox from September, 1992 to May, 1993, lasting a total of 22 episodes. It’s the story of a relationship between young, uptight and somewhat nebish Neil (Corey Parker) who lives at home with his parents, and the free-wheeling and sexually liberated Alicia (Téa Leoni) who lives with cool New York artist-loft party types. It features cameos from a veritable revolving door of great comedic actors including favourite of the pod Lisa Kudrow. Brynn, Aaron and Barry don their most chic attire, head over to what I can only assume is the meat-packing district, and try to figure out why this party fizzled out. Visit our website! thatwasashow.com Follow us on Instagram @thatwasashow Merch: redbubble.com/people/thatwasashow Hosted by: Brynn Byrne @brynnabyrne Aaron Yeger @aaronyeger Andrew “Barry” Helmer @andrewhelmer Podcast logo and artwork by Brian Walker @briguywalker
1989 saw the release of one of the most memorable cinematic comedies of all time, the John Hughes classic Uncle Buck starring the incomparable John Candy and Macaulay Culkin. A mere one year later, a sitcom version was released featuring practically none of the original cast. The replacements try their darnedest to replicate the unique charm of the film, which is of course the story of three kids left in the care of their rough-around-the-edges uncle Buck Russell whilst their parents leave town to attend to a family emergency. The show has a premise that has been modified in dark and strange ways to suit the format of an ongoing series. Brynn, Aaron and Barry light up cigars, hop in the old ‘77 Mercury and try to figure out why this version of the heartwarming family story backfired. (Fans of the movie will get that reference!) Visit our website! thatwasashow.com Follow us on Instagram @thatwasashow Merch: redbubble.com/people/thatwasashow Hosted by: Brynn Byrne @brynnabyrne Aaron Yeger @aaronyeger Andrew “Barry” Helmer @andrewhelmer Podcast logo and artwork by Brian Walker @briguywalker
For the 2023 very special holiday episode, the TWAS team watches Christmas episodes from three classic shows: a very successful show (Family Matters), a failed or forgotten show (Soul Man) and a wild card episode of a show with a particularly unusual format (The Nanny)...and learn more than they ever wanted to know about Stefan Urquelle. Join Brynn, Aaron and Barry as they usher in a nice relaxing holiday season. Visit our website! thatwasashow.com Follow us on Instagram @thatwasashow Merch: redbubble.com/people/thatwasashow Hosted by: Brynn Byrne @brynnabyrne Aaron Yeger @aaronyeger Andrew “Barry” Helmer @andrewhelmer Podcast logo and artwork by Brian Walker @briguywalker
Hardball WAS a show. This baseball themed workplace sitcom aired on Fox in the fall of 1994 and centred around the exploits of the fictional American League team The Pioneers. Sitting on the bench for this one were some actors who’d go on to be some real heavy hitters themselves, like Bruce Greenwood, Mike Starr, Phill Lewis, Joe Rogan and Steve “Kenny Bania” Hytner.  Join Brynn, Aaron and Barry as they bunt, hit a homer, run the bases and…uh some other baseball stuff. Visit our website! thatwasashow.com Follow us on Instagram @thatwasashow Merch: redbubble.com/people/thatwasashow Hosted by: Brynn Byrne @brynnabyrne Aaron Yeger @aaronyeger Andrew “Barry” Helmer @andrewhelmer Podcast logo and artwork by Brian Walker @briguywalker
Going Places WAS a show. In fact, it was part of ABC’s famous TGIF lineup during the 1990 to 1991 season, and lasted just 19 episodes. It was about two brothers from Chicago who move to LA to take jobs as TV comedy writers, and move into a house owned by the show’s producer. Also living with them are two women who also write for the show. Hijinks ensue? Going Places stood out as a workplace comedy for adults, as compared to the more typically family-oriented shows in the Friday night block like Full House and Family Matters, the mainstays of TGIF. Brynn, Aaron and Barry get in an old convertible, drive down to LA and run out onto the beach at sunset…which will make sense once you listen to the episode! Visit our website! thatwasashow.com Follow us on Instagram @thatwasashow Merch: redbubble.com/people/thatwasashow Hosted by: Brynn Byrne @brynnabyrne Aaron Yeger @aaronyeger Andrew “Barry” Helmer @andrewhelmer Podcast logo and artwork by Brian Walker @briguywalker
Soul Man WAS a show. It ran from April 15, 1997 to May 26, 1998 for a total of 25 episodes. Starring official Blues Brother Dan Aykroyd, it’s the story of Mike Weber, a widowed Episcopal priest and single father of four children in Royal Oak, Michigan. It takes place in the Home Improvement Sitcom Universe due to crossover episodes featuring Al Borland, and also features occasional guest appearances from the one and only John Goodman as Mike Weber’s old friend. Brynn, Aaron and Barry are eager to see if this classic piece of nostalgia can still carry a tune. Comin' to ya on a dusty road; Good lovin' I got a truck load; And when you get it you got something; So don't worry cause I'm coming…I'm a soul man, I'm a soul man, I'm a soul man, I'm a soul man… Visit our website! thatwasashow.com Follow us on Instagram @thatwasashow Merch: redbubble.com/people/thatwasashow Hosted by: Brynn Byrne @brynnabyrne Aaron Yeger @aaronyeger Andrew “Barry” Helmer @andrewhelmer Podcast logo and artwork by Brian Walker @briguywalker
1996 was a solid year for hangout shows about Gen-Xers. Boston Common is about Boyd and Wyleen Pritchett, a brother and sister from Virginia (played by Anthony Clark and Hedy Burress) who move to Boston. It lasted two years and 32 episodes. Wyleen’s there to attend college, and Boyd is just driving her there as a favour. The twist is that he stays because he meets Joy Byrnes (played by Traylor Howard) and also randomly gets offered a handyman job at the school. Basically he has nothing else going on. So he moves in with his sister—as in they literally share a one room bachelor apartment. Brynn, Aaron and Barry hit the books for an intense study session to figure out why this show flunked out. Visit our website! thatwasashow.com Follow us on Instagram @thatwasashow Merch: redbubble.com/people/thatwasashow Hosted by: Brynn Byrne @brynnabyrne Aaron Yeger @aaronyeger Andrew “Barry” Helmer @andrewhelmer Podcast logo and artwork by Brian Walker @briguywalker
1987 saw the release of the Academy Award winning film Harry and the Hendersons. That Oscar was for makeup and hairstyling, which makes sense when you consider that the star of the story is in fact a bigfoot. It was adapted into a sitcom a mere four years later. Both were produced by Amblin Entertainment, best known as the Spielberg-helmed production company responsible for another 1980s family-meets-fantasy-creature-drama E.T. The Extra Terrestrial…the image of which is right in their logo. This very Hairy show replaced John Lithgow and Melinda Dillon with Bruce Davison and Molly Cheek, as the parents of a family who happen upon a friendly bigfoot and adopt him into their family. Brynn, Aaron and Barry go on a hike in the Pacific Northwest and try to determine if Harry’s ‘feets’ are in fact…too big. Visit our website! thatwasashow.com Follow us on Instagram @thatwasashow Merch: redbubble.com/people/thatwasashow Hosted by: Brynn Byrne @brynnabyrne Aaron Yeger @aaronyeger Andrew “Barry” Helmer @andrewhelmer Podcast logo and artwork by Brian Walker @briguywalker
The next episode of That Was a Show? is coming October 1st. Listen to this fun Radio Gizmo network promo to find out what it is!
On February 26, 1996 CBS pulled off quite possibly the greatest crossover marketing stunt in sitcom history with “Liz Night.” Four different prime time shows featured an ongoing stunt plot with Elizabeth Taylor and a lost black pearl necklace that she needs to promote her new fragrance. The story kicked off with the first show in the lineup—The Nanny. Brynn and Aaron watch the episode and try not to lose the thread. They first discovered this phenomenon by accident during TWAS episode 59 about the show High Society, which is where the missing pearls are finally found. Visit our website! thatwasashow.com Follow us on Instagram @thatwasashow Merch: redbubble.com/people/thatwasashow Hosted by: Brynn Byrne @brynnabyrne Aaron Yeger @aaronyeger Andrew “Barry” Helmer @andrewhelmer Podcast logo and artwork by Brian Walker @briguywalker
The year was 1987 and comedies about multiple straight men raising children together and acting domestic was all the rage! That year saw the movie Three Men and a Baby, the start of Full House…but wait, there was one more lesser known show to hit the airwaves: My Two Dads! Starring Paul Reiser and Greg Evigan as the two dads, and Staci Keanan as the daughter who enters their lives by surprise at the age of 12. Her mother passed away and left her to the care of these two men in her will, because one of them is the biological father—but nobody knows which one. Oh, and the judge who presided over allowing this to actually happen also becomes their landlord. Brynn, Aaron and Barry marvel at what might actually be the most extreme New York loft they’ve ever seen on TV. Visit our website! thatwasashow.com Follow us on Instagram @thatwasashow Merch: redbubble.com/people/thatwasashow Hosted by: Brynn Byrne @brynnabyrne Aaron Yeger @aaronyeger Andrew “Barry” Helmer @andrewhelmer Podcast logo and artwork by Brian Walker @briguywalker
Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place was the 1998 sitcom about Gen-X career and relationship angst. It featured Ryan Reynolds as Berg (Guy 1), Richard Ruccolo as Pete (Guy 2) and Traylor Howard as Sharon (a Girl). They hang out at Beacon Street Pizza in Boston (a Pizza Place) where the Guys work. After season two, the pizza place is dropped from both the story world and the title, and it becomes Two Guys and a Girl—a title that is both preposterously generic and numerically inaccurate, as another Guy as well as another Girl are added to the main cast. Whatever…the point is this slightly younger, slightly edgier version of Friends is best known for helping launch the career of superhero/gin/football tycoon Ryan Reynolds. These two guys and a girl (Barry, Aaron and Brynn) grab a few slices and give it a taste. Visit our website! thatwasashow.com Follow us on Instagram @thatwasashow Merch: redbubble.com/people/thatwasashow Hosted by: Brynn Byrne @brynnabyrne Aaron Yeger @aaronyeger Andrew “Barry” Helmer @andrewhelmer Podcast logo and artwork by Brian Walker @briguywalker
The Crew WAS a show! Before he found success with Desperate Housewives, Mark Cherry co-created this workplace/hangout/romcom sitcom about hot young flight attendants based in Miami. It was a sufficiently horny romp for the 90s Fox line-up but didn’t quite “land” the same pop culture impact as Friends or Living Single. Brynn, Aaron & Barry book a flight on this fictional airline to discuss the many love triangles and polo shirts in primary colours in this forgotten sitcom. There’s also a tangent about tennis bracelets and a couple of cat cameos! Buckle in and prepare for take-off. Visit our website! thatwasashow.com Follow us on Instagram @thatwasashow Merch: redbubble.com/people/thatwasashow Hosted by: Brynn Byrne @brynnabyrne Aaron Yeger @aaronyeger Andrew “Barry” Helmer @andrewhelmer Podcast logo and artwork by Brian Walker @briguywalker
High Society WAS a show. The year was 1995, and women all over New York City were winning publishing companies in divorce settlements. Such was the case with Dorothy "Dott" Emerson, played by Mary McDonnell. She published the trashy yet highly successful romance novels penned by her best friend Ellie Walker, played by Jean Smart. The show is pretty much just about the daily comings and goings of Dott and Ellie as they live it up as outrageously as possible amongst New York’s high society scene. What did Elizabeth Taylor have to do with all of it, and what exactly was Liz Night on CBS?! Brynn, Aaron and Barry put on their best black tie and jewellery, pop some champagne, and try to figure out why this show didn’t get invited to any more parties. Plus, tune in to find out what they mean when they say that this show has major BWD energy! Visit our website! thatwasashow.com Follow us on Instagram @thatwasashow Merch: redbubble.com/people/thatwasashow Hosted by: Brynn Byrne @brynnabyrne Aaron Yeger @aaronyeger Andrew “Barry” Helmer @andrewhelmer Podcast logo and artwork by Brian Walker @briguywalker Music: Caribbean Steel Drum Happiness - Doug MaxwellSupport by RFM - NCM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6odKJYly3Q
Father Ted WAS a show…in fact it was the most successful Irish sitcom ever! This surprisingly dark, twisted sitcom left an indelible mark on the Emerald Isle, but it’s been largely forgotten over on this side of the pond. It’s about three Catholic priests who were banished to the fictitious Craggy Island for various sins, and now live together as roommates. How did this show become so uniquely iconic with a mere 25 episodes in existence? Brynn, Aaron & Barry hop on a plane and fly to Ireland to find out! Visit our website! thatwasashow.com Email: thatwasashow@aol.com (Because 90s AOL still exists for some reason!) Follow us on Instagram @thatwasashow Merch: redbubble.com/people/thatwasashow Hosted by: Brynn Byrne @brynnabyrne Aaron Yeger @aaronyeger Andrew “Barry” Helmer @andrewhelmer Podcast logo and artwork by Brian Walker @briguywalker
Be Kind, Rewind! For this bonus episode, it’s a look back at the recently reviewed show The Single Guy. This show was created by Brad Hall (husband of Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and aired right before Seinfeld. The first time around there was some speculation about an episode featuring a cameo appearance from this comedy star best known for portraying Elaine Benes. Brynn and Aaron decide to give it a watch! Visit our website! thatwasashow.com Email: thatwasashow@aol.com (Because 90s AOL still exists for some reason!) Follow us on Instagram @thatwasashow Merch: redbubble.com/people/thatwasashow Hosted by: Brynn Byrne @brynnabyrne Aaron Yeger @aaronyeger Andrew “Barry” Helmer @andrewhelmer Podcast logo and artwork by Brian Walker @briguywalker
Bob WAS a show. After successful runs on both The Bob Newhart Show and Newhart, Bob Newhart brought his famous stammering deadpan stylings to a third sitcom… but uh, this one, it was, it uh, it was just called…well, it uh, it was called Bob. So in this show Bob Newhart plays Bob McKay, an artist who created a comic book called Mad-Dog 20 years ago, but now works for a greeting card company. Suddenly a publisher comes knocking with a plan to bring back Mad-Dog, but with an edgy 90s spin! Bob ditches his greeting card job and chases his dream! —until a second two retooling when the comic publisher gets shut down and Bob gets asked to take over the greeting card company by its owner…Betty White! Visit our website! thatwasashow.com Email: thatwasashow@aol.com (Because 90s AOL still exists for some reason!) Follow us on Instagram @thatwasashow Merch: redbubble.com/people/thatwasashow Hosted by: Brynn Byrne @brynnabyrne Aaron Yeger @aaronyeger Andrew “Barry” Helmer @andrewhelmer Podcast logo and artwork by Brian Walker @briguywalker
Love & War WAS a show. It’s basically what happens when Diane English, the legendary creator of Murphy Brown, makes a sitcom in the 80s rom-com style of movies like When Harry Met Sally. Love & War is about rough around the edges New York City newspaper columnist Jack Stein (Jay Thomas) and his attempts at romance—first in an on-again off-again relationship with restaurateur Wally Porter (Susan Dey), and then after a second season retooling, in a will-they or won’t-they with chef Dana Palladino (Annie Potts). Brynn, Aaron and Barry head on down to The Blue Shamrock (that’s the dive bar / fancy restaurant where it takes place!) to break the fourth wall (which they initially do but then stop doing!) to speak right to you, the audience, about why this show got sent back to the kitchen. Visit our website! thatwasashow.com Email: thatwasashow@aol.com (Because 90s AOL still exists for some reason!) Follow us on Instagram @thatwasashow Merch: redbubble.com/people/thatwasashow Hosted by: Brynn Byrne @brynnabyrne Aaron Yeger @aaronyeger Andrew “Barry” Helmer @andrewhelmer Podcast logo and artwork by Brian Walker @briguywalker
If you were to open a time capsule containing all the artifacts of the cynical postmodernism and depraved celebrity trolling of 1995 to 1998, you would also find a VHS tape containing all 3 seasons of The Naked Truth. Téa Leoni plays Nora, a recently divorced former photojournalist who, despite being only 26, was already nominated for a Pulitzer back before her controlling and two-timing wealthy ex-husband destroyed her career. Now she’s trying to rebuild her reputation, but the only job she can get is for a sleazy tabloid run by Holland Taylor’s ruthless Camilla. Brynn, Aaron & Barry hop a fence, pull out the telephoto lens and take a shot at figuring out why this show left the newsstands. Visit our website! thatwasashow.com Email: thatwasashow@aol.com (Because 90s AOL still exists for some reason!) Leave us a voice message at anchor.fm/thatwasashow and it might make it into a future episode! Follow us on Instagram @thatwasashow Merch: redbubble.com/people/thatwasashow Hosted by: Brynn Byrne @brynnabyrne Aaron Yeger @aaronyeger Andrew “Barry” Helmer @andrewhelmer Podcast logo and artwork by Brian Walker @briguywalker
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