Fanacek

S8 E3 Pilot Season: "Diff'rent Strokes"

Yes, it's another Fanacek episode about a show you probably don't enjoy, but you absolutely must revisit this pilot as it is almost as batshit crazy as the rest of the series.  Mr. Drummond plays white savior to two black orphans who just lost their mother.  Lucky for them, they don't have a chance to grieve because Mr. D is "shaking hands like a brother", showering them with toys and a pony, and offering a soak in his jacuzzi.  What could have been an interesting commentary on loss and racial divides became this cotton candy descent into lunacy.  Enjoy.

S8 E2 Pilot Season: "The Golden Girls"

That's right.  The Golden Girls.  The horniest show in television history...and maybe, pound for pound the "jokiest" show in television history.  Take a ride with me as I travel back in time to discuss the pilot episode of this series while also examining the television and cultural landscape in which it was birthed.  Yep.  I said birthed.  Enjoy.

S8 E1 Pilot Season: "All in the Family"

"Boy the way Glen Miller played.  Songs that made the hit parade..  Guys like us we had it made.  Those were the days".  Ahh...a classic intro for a classic show.  This season I will be focusing on pilot episodes of classic television shows and there is no better pilot episode to start with than 1971's "Meet the Bunkers".  Three different pilots were filmed before Norman Lear finally perfected this recipe of stellar writing, perfect acting, and...controversy.  Archie Bunker would soon become a lightning rod for debates about bigotry, tradition, and change and America would love every minute of it.  Join me and a returning guest as we dissect the episode and discuss how it has aged and how it is still shockingly relevant.  So, stifle yourself and play the damn episode.

Thom Shubilla, Author of King Kong Versus Godzilla "The Most Colossal Conflict The Screen Has Ever Known".

Welcome to 2026, folks!  I'm starting the year off with a bang by bringing back author Thom Shubilla.  Thom's new book, "King Kong Versus Godzilla" explores the origins of King Kong, Godzilla, and dozens of other movie monsters as Kong and Godzilla make their way toward their inevitable showdown in the 1962 classic film, King Kong vs. Godzilla.  During our chat, we'll also explore Kong and Godzilla exploitation films, the rise of monsters films on television, the aborted Batman vs Godzilla movie, the various marketing campaigns used to promote the films, and King Kong becoming a Green Lantern!  The book is great, the author is great, and I hope you enjoy the interview.  Happy New Year!

The Season 7 Finale! Hall of Famer? Randy Quaid

Sure, the character of Cousin Eddie is a definite Hall of Famer and a Christmas staple...but what abut the actor playing him?  Let's dive into the resume of Mr. Quaid and take a close look at the legendary directors and fellow actors he's worked with during his 50+ year career.  We'll also chitchat about his tumultuous personal life while also discussing my personal connection to Not Another Teen Movie, Chuck Bronson not being a "fun" guy, the craziness that is The World According to Garp, the girl I dumped in 7th grade, my experience with Independence Day, and my Elvis audition that never happened.  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!  Like the shitter, my heart is full.

S7 E13 Child Star resumes: A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

Ahh...Thanksgiving season...the gateway to Christmas.  A time for family, food, booze, football, and the Peanuts gang!  This special has become a staple of my family's Thanksgiving season, and probably yours as well, so why not take a look at the young folks who lent their voices to this 1973 classic?  Along the way, we'll also chat about Jeremy Miller, taking my 11 year old to Las Vegas, Jay and Silent Bob, MetLife, and meeting Martin Kove!  Happy Thanksgiving, folks.

S7 E12 Hall of Famer? Warren Oates (Part 2)

More Fanacek and more Warren Oates!  What could be better than that?  This episode will pick up where we left off and look at Warren's late 60s credits before he crushes it in the 1970s.  Warren also began the 80s with a bang, but sadly he died young at the age of 53 on April 3, 1982.  Come with me as I dive into his resume to determine if he is a card carrying Hall of Famer!

S7 E11 Hall of Famer? Warren Oates (Part 1)

Warren Oates.  You either LOVE him or have no effing clue who he is.  Either way, you need to join me as we journey through his credits to determine his Hall of Fame eligibility.  Part 1 focuses on his early TV years as he guests on dozens of western TV shows like The Rifleman, The Westerner, Johnny Ringo, and Trackdown.  In only his fist few years of screen acting, Warren shares the screen with legends like James Coburn, Charlton Heston, and Robert Culp.  More importantly, he forges a friendship with Sam Peckinpah that will soon begin to pay major dividends.  Enjoy!

S7 E10 Child Star resumes: Justin Henry

At only 8 years old, Justin Henry was the youngest Academy Award nominee ever...but what did he do next?  Well, I'm gonna take you on a deep dive of his acting resume while also blowing your minds with tales of making short films with the chick from Saturday Night Fever, watching Charmed without the sound, hanging out with Mark Volman of The Turtles, Ashley Scott lying on the ground, meeting Pauly Shore, and ordering season 1 of Thirtysomething on Ebay.  It's a gem of an episode.

S7 E9 Hall of Famer? Matt Dillon

Matt Dillon has had an odd career.  Not quite A-List, not quite B-List; he's consistent but not always a star.  Has he done enough in his nearly 50 year career to be called a Hall of Famer?  I'm gonna do my damndest to dig into his resume and find out.  I'm also gonna do my damndest to entertain you with tails of a Chubby George Clooney's back tattoo, my time with the fellas from Workaholics, my love for Shavar Ross, and my distaste for Andrew McCarthy.