See full episode artwork → Episode artwork by Ian O’Phelan. “it takes a psycho” (April 30, 2023) Barry is not a sitcom, though it was frequently one of the funnier shows on TV. We’re doing a bonus summer episode about it anyway because its gay character, NoHo [...]
See full episode artwork → Episode artwork by Ian O’Phelan. “The Perils of Punky” (October 20, 1985) This might be the most famous weird episode of any TV show ever, and with good reason: it is utterly inexplicable how this parade of horrors came to be. It [...]
See full episode artwork → Episode artwork by Ian O’Phelan. “Empty Nests” (May 16, 1987) Happy summer! This is an episode of Backdoor Pilots, our summer Patreon series looking into the times famous sitcoms attempted to use a backdoor pilot to launch a spinoff. This particular example [...]
See full episode artwork → Episode artwork by Ian O’Phelan. “Flaming Moe” (January 16, 2011) Today, LGBTQ characters on The Simpsons get to be more than walking gay jokes, and, really, this is one of the first episodes that shows Smithers as a (mostly) out member of [...]
See full episode artwork → Episode artwork by Ian O’Phelan. “Mama Loves Mambo” (May 3, 1956) While Ralph Kramden never met an out gay character on screen, he did once tussle with a new neighbor, Carlos Sanchez (Charles Korvin), who embodies all the traits of the “latin [...]
See full episode artwork → Episode artwork by Ian O’Phelan. “Blood Crieth Unto Heaven” (January 27, 2013)Yes, we’re giving you two American Dads this season, with this one representing how this show uses high-concept premises better than most other sitcoms. In this one, the show presents itself as a [...]
See full episode artwork → Episode artwork by Ian O’Phelan. “Bad Girl” (November 12, 1996) If you were not the target audience (and target age) for this live-action Nickelodeon series, you may be shocked to find out that The Secret World of Alex Mack is a sci-fi [...]
See full episode artwork → Episode artwork by Ian O’Phelan. This week, we’re joined by Matt Baume, author of the new book Hi Honey, I’m Homo, about the history of LGBTQ representation on American TV. Instead of a single episode, we’re talking about several, including some we’ve [...]
See full episode artwork → Episode artwork by Ian O’Phelan. “I Love You! My Dear, Dear Ukyo” (May 18, 1990) This week, we’re pivoting away from traditional sitcoms to discuss Ranma ½, a long-running anime that combines martial arts, romance, mysticism and… zany misunderstandings that are actually [...]
See full episode artwork → Episode artwork by Ian O’Phelan. “The Driver’s Seat” (November 30, 1993) We’re giving another shot to Roseanne, because perhaps it’s been long enough that you all want to listen to stories about this iconic series. Perhaps not! Regardless, this show offered us [...]
