Forgotten TV
The podcast that brings you TV memories of the 70s and 80s! Including short lived shows, pilots and TV movies you might have forgotten about!
Episodes
In this special episode of Forgotten TV, journey back to the fall of 1986, when NBC urged America to “Come Home,” ABC proclaimed, “We Belong Together,” and CBS asked viewers to “Share the Spirit.”
Through rare promos, network image campaigns, and the debut of new shows including ALF, L.A. Law, Head of the Class, Designing Women, My Sister Sam (and several others you probably don't remember), expl...
Forgotten TV is reader/listener supported. These podcast notes may contain affiliate links to Amazon or other retailers. As an affiliate, Forgotten TV earns royalties from these purchases, at no extra cost to you.
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In this episode of Forgotten TV, we begin a deep dive into the 1985 NBC sci-fi comedy Misfits of Science, starting with the pilot telefilm “Deep Freeze.” From a Cold...
In this special episode of Forgotten TV, dive into the origins, post-series afterlife, and cultural impact of The Brady Bunch. Beginning with 1969’s “The Voice of Christmas,” the show’s only holiday episode and a pivotal moment that may have saved the series from early cancellation, examine why its themes of belief, family, and unity still resonate more than fifty years later.
From there, trace the Bunch's ...
Step into the shadows with Forgotten TV as we uncover the eerie history behind ABC’s short-lived 1981 anthology series Darkroom, hosted by James Coburn.
In this feature-length episode, we trace the chilling lineage of radio and television horror—from the crackling terror of The Witch’s Tale and Lights Out to the haunting glow of TV anthologies like The Twilight Zone, Thriller, and Night Gallery. You’ll hear ...
In this episode, Forgotten TV explores the origins of humanity’s first space stations—both real and imagined. From the secret Soviet Almaz military program and America’s Skylab, we'll look back at how these milestones were foreshadowed by decades of speculative fiction as well as futurist visions such as Gerard O’Neill’s massive orbital colonies of the 1970s.
But before we were able to gaze at these fa...
A look at the life and work of prolific Argentinian pianist, composer, and conductor Lalo Schifrin - who has contributed over 100 film/TV themes to our popular culture.
Forgotten TV is reader/listener supported. These podcast notes may contain affiliate links to Amazon or other retailers. As an affiliate, Forgotten TV earns royalties from these purchases, at no extra cost to you.
Listening recommendations:
My tribute to legendary film/TV composer Alf Clausen, who provided 27 years of underscore music and original songs for The Simpsons, many of which will forever reside in my heart. Clausen died May 28, 2025.
Forgotten TV is reader/listener supported. This article or podcast may contain affiliate links to Amazon or other retailers. As an affiliate, Forgotten TV earns royalties from these purchases, at no extra cost to you.
...Popi debuted May 2, 1975 on CBS at 8/7pm Central. This sitcom pilot was based on the 1969 film Popi with Alan Arkin and Rita Moreno.
"Popi had a dream...and the only way he could make it come true was to put his two boys in a rowboat and set them adrift in the ocean."
This podcast contains a short review of the Popi film, as well as a bit of behind-the-scen...
The Forgotten TV website is relaunching with a completely new, modern look!
Daily content posted on Facebook, X/Twitter, or Bluesky
Here's Boomer aired on NBC-TV first as a mid-season replacement late in the 1979-80 season. Hear about the show concept, the origins of its shaggy star, its ties to the Benji film series, the show concept they abandoned, Boomer's first appearance in The Red Hand Gang, as ...
The introduction of the Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew characters in 1927/1930 is considered, as well as the Nancy Drew 1938/39 Warner Brothers films; the Hardy Boys Mickey Mouse Club serials; 1957 Nancy Drew CBS pilot; 1967 Hardy Boys NBC pilot; 1969 Hardy Boys animated ABC series; and especially The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries 1977-79 ABC series.
The behind-the-scenes segment covers the origin, production, scheduling, merchandising, r...
An episode by episode consideration of NBC's 1982 series Voyagers! starring Jon-Erik Hexum and Meeno Peluce. Series created by James D. Parriott. Followed by a full behind the scenes documentary exploring the origin and production of the series, public and critical reactions, casting, locations, and the legacy of Voyagers.
0-1:15:32 intro/episode rundown
1:16:45 Behind the Scenes: show creation, critical reception, casting, th...
An overview of the post-Voyagers roles of Jon-Erik Hexum and an extended look at his tragic death on the set of Cover Up. Part of an upcoming full podcast on NBC's Voyagers, coming to this podcast feed.
Sources of quotes and background information:
The Show Must Go on: How the Deaths of Lead Actors Have Affected Television Series by Douglas Snauffer
Bob Shayne's Cover-Up Memories at the Jon-Erik Hexum Rememberance Page.
This is the first of a new podcast format that will focus on a segment broken out of the regular show. It is my hope these will expose Forgotten TV to a wider audience in a much more digestible format.
This focus on the life and work of composer Jerrold Immel is part of a consideration of the 1982 NBC TV series Voyagers! coming soon to this podcast feed.
Sources of quotes and background information came from the books:
Podcast episode 57. An examination of the post-MASH work of McLean Stevenson, who chose to leave the series in 1975. Series considered include The McLean Stevenson Show, In the Beginning, Hello, Larry, Condo, and Dirty Dancing.
A look at the extreme popularity of MASH as well as the national mania revolving around the series finale "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen" is included.
0:00 Intro/Stevenson's early work, MASH 16:50 The Mc...
Podcast episode 56. An examination of the circumstances of the 1979 disappearance of James Dallas Egbert III and its significant impact on pop culture and society, inspiring a moral panic over the game Dungeons & Dragons and arguably kicking off the 1980s Satanic Panic. Includes a review of the 1982 CBS TV movie Mazes and Monsters as well as the Satanic Panic and Procter & Gamble scare. See if you can decode the secret mess...
Podcast episode 55. A complete look at Korg 70,000 B.C. airing on ABC's 1974-75 Saturday morning lineup. Produced by Hanna-Barbera. Starring Jim Malinda, Bill Ewing, Naomi Pollock, Christopher Man, Charles Morteo, and Janelle Pransky. Created by Fred Freiberger.
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Podcast episode 54. A complete look at Monsters, the syndicated series from Laurel Entertainment which ran 1988-1991. The origins of George Romero, Night of the Living Dead, the birth of the modern zombie, Romero's Laurel Entertainment, and the films that led up to the creation of Monsters. Full episode guide and behind the scenes of show production, structure, writing, effects, and the people involved in the making of your f...
Podcast episode 53. A trip through Saturday mornings of the 1980s with a focus on animated spin-offs or adaptations of live-action TV shows and characters. Background and behind the scenes of production are given for most shows covered.
The Tarzan/Lone Ranger/Zorro Adventure Hour 1980-1982 (Lone Ranger/Zorro Vol 1 / Vol 2) The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang 1980 Laverne & Shirley in the Army 1981 Mork & Mindy 1982...
Podcast episode 52. A complete look at NBC's V: the Series from 1984-85. A full episode rundown, a look at the unfilmed finale, behind the scenes of production, and revival attempts are all comprehensively discussed.
Timecodes
Episode rundown 0-1:35 Behind the scenes 1:35-3:00 Next time/credits 3:00-3:08
Buy V: The Series DVD on Amazon (Amazon Video link)
Podcast episode 51. A complete look at 1983's V and 1984's V: The Final Battle! Originally airing on NBC, created by Kenneth Johnson.
V review and behind the scenes of V 0-1:26:40
V: The Final Battle review/behind the scenes 1:26:40-2:14:45
Next time/credits 2:14:45-end
Buy V on Bluray on Amazon (DVD link)
Buy V: The Final Battle on Amazon
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