Sunday, June 7, 2026

Flopcast 735: Monkeeing Around in 1986

Sixty years ago, The Monkees debuted as a TV show about a band, quickly grew into a real band, were wildly successful for just a few years, then faded away. Forty years ago, reruns on MTV inspired a new generation of Monkeemania, and so Micky, Davy, and Peter hit the road for the big 1986 Monkees reunion tour. Kevin saw them on that tour, and our guest this week did too! We're joined by Elaine, co-host of the fine podcast Monkeeing Around, which you'll find right here on the ESO Network. And our conversation includes: A breakdown of the whole Monkees set list (including their 80s hit "That Was Then, This Is Now"), the opening bands (a 60s nostalgia lineup of Herman's Hermits, Gary Puckett, and the Grass Roots), attending the show on a broken foot, getting lost in the parking lot, Micky's 80s synth drums, Davy's 80s mullet... and through it all, the nonstop screaming girls. Join us as we take the last train back to 1986, when the silly TV band from the 60s suddenly had the hottest tour of the summer. Alas, Mike Nesmith wasn't there, but we were.

Sunday, May 31, 2026

Flopcast 734: Monkey Muscle

In the early 80s, video games were so popular that they inspired a weird pack of Saturday morning cartoons. The Pac-Man cartoon was first, and was soon followed by Saturday Supercade, Dragon's Lair, and Pole Position. Saturday Supercade featured short segments based on several games: Donkey Kong (both original and Junior), Frogger, Kangaroo, Pitfall, Q*Bert, and Space Ace. And this week we're joined by Eclectic Lee, a longtime friend of the Flopcast, for a Top 4 ½ List of characters from these goofy shows. Along the way, we'll discuss the voice actors, the games themselves, and the mystery of Quickclaw, Pitfall Harry's eyepatch-wearing pet lion. Maybe Frogger can help us, since according to his cartoon, he isn't just a frog who gets squished by trucks. He's also an investigative journalist. (Did we mention that these shows are weird?)

Sunday, May 24, 2026

Flopcast 733: Angry Green Elephants

Our ongoing series of Wizard of Oz adaptation reviews reaches Journey Back to Oz, an animated movie that Filmation started producing in 1962. However, they ran out of money, and the movie sat around unfinished for a full decade, until Filmation had some cash rolling in from their cheapo Saturday morning cartoons. Was Journey Back to Oz worth the wait? Yeah, sort of. It boasts an all-star cast led by Liza Minnelli as Dorothy, the role her mom played in the classic 1939 movie. Also in the cast: Margaret Hamilton (the Wicked Witch back in 1939, now playing Aunt Em), Ethel Merman, Danny Thomas, Mickey Rooney, Larry Storch, Mel Blanc, Milton Berle... and Paul Lynde. (Yikes, with Paul on board, they could have skipped the movie and just played a round of Hollywood Squares.) And yes, Journey Back to Oz also features a talking signpost, a wooden horse, Jack Pumpkinhead, evil trees, gay trees, and plenty of chickens. Watch it just once, and inside your brain, the angry green elephants will never stop screaming. Plus: Kevin is on another American Sci-Fi Classics online panel all about Supergirl, just in time for the new movie! (But we still love the old movie.)

Sunday, May 17, 2026

Flopcast 732: Happy Days Are Weird Again

Inspired by last week's Happy Days cast reunion event (which we attended as part of our court-ordered community service), we're finally taking a deep dive into this classic goofy sitcom of the 70s and 80s. Including: How Happy Days and American Graffiti sort of created each other! The Happy Days pilot episode of Love, American Style! Tom Bosley on Wait Till Your Father Gets Home! The mystery of Chuck Cunningham! The dreaded arrival of Ted McGinley! Those wacky Tuscadero sisters, Pinky and Leather! A visit from The Amazing Randi! Potsie sings "Pump Your Blood"! Ralph Malph vs. Captain America! Fonzie vs. Karate Tom Hanks! Fonzie dates a nun! Joanie dates Steve Trevor! Marcia Brady dates Kaptain Kool! And some other stuff that's too ridiculous to mention! And yikes, we're not even done yet. A follow-up episode (exploring all those Happy Days spin-off shows) is coming soon. Meanwhile, to hear this episode, just walk up to any jukebox and give it a good whack.

Sunday, May 10, 2026

Flopcast 731: Holding Out for a Tractor Fight

We actually left the studio a few times this week, so this show is just a quick recap of our various silly activities. Including: Beloved folk singer-songwriter Dar Williams live in concert! The Footloose musical live from New Hampshire! Losing at trivia to Britney Spears's lower back tattoo! And a live Happy Days cast reunion with Henry Winkler, Anson Williams, and Donny Most! This is The Flopcast's big chance to jump the shark, and we shall not disappoint.

Sunday, May 3, 2026

Flopcast 730: Dream of the Nineties

The Flopcast Book Club is back in session as we discuss Even the Good Girls Will Cry, the new memoir from Melissa Auf der Maur. Melissa was just a young photography student in Montreal when she was recruited to play bass in Courtney Love's band Hole, and suddenly found herself in the eye of the 90s alt-rock storm. And yikes, she has stories. We'll learn about life on the road with Hole (yeah, it was as crazy as you think), Lollapalooza bus trips with Sinéad O'Connor, haunted houses on fire in New Orleans, tea with Ozzy Osbourne, leaving Hole and joining Smashing Pumpkins, going solo, and finally walking away from it all. And we even recall the time we met Melissa a few years back, which shockingly is not covered in the book. (Gotta leave something for the sequel, right?) Also: Kevin joins Joe and Gary for another online American Sci-Fi Classics panel! And this time we're discussing the world of Sid and Marty Krofft! Slip into a Sleestak costume and join us.

Sunday, April 26, 2026

Flopcast 729: Rusty and Dandy

A few months before the debut of their classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer cartoon, Rankin/Bass produced their very first prime time animated TV special. And it was very, very different. So this week we're looking at yet another Wizard of Oz adaptation: 1964's Return to Oz. The animation was simple, but a little of that classic Rankin/Bass weirdness was already present. Including: Munchkins who look like turnips, a mayor with a top hat, some of the same voice actors from Rudolph, flying crocodiles to complement the flying monkeys, and a chicken. It's goofy fun and it's waiting for you on YouTube right now. Also: How to cross the street during the Boston Marathon. (It's complicated.)

Sunday, April 19, 2026

Flopcast 728: Turkeys Walk the Earth

It's another extra-quick show because we're extra-sleepy. But we do cover: Running with turkeys! Old comic books starring Superman and Supergirl! A new comic book starring a decapitated chicken! Celebrating Record Store Day with German disco Christmas music! And celebrating the 40th anniversary of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns with the American Sci-Fi Classics Track! Next week we'll have more going on, assuming we're done relaxing.

Sunday, April 12, 2026

Flopcast 727: Hard Knock Flop

We've been poking through our stack of old Dynamite magazines again, and we fished out a good one. This issue is from 1982, and the cover features Aileen Quinn, star of Annie. Inside we learn that Annie auditions were held in Boston! We should have slipped into a curly red wig and tried out. Also: Weird sherbet recipes! The Mayor at the Baseball Hall of Fame! The Dynamite Duo at summer camp! A futuristic flying monkey known as the Flunkey! How to eat a taco! The secret history of the popsicle! Darth Vader's birthday! Facts of Life underwear! Styx vs. Air Supply! An angry Star Trek fan! Dynamite Bummers! And lots more early 80s silliness. Dynamite was the best. It hasn't been published since the early 90s, but we're still trying to renew our subscription.

Sunday, April 5, 2026

Flopcast 726: Television of 1976 - Lousy With Detectives

Say, what was on TV fifty years ago this week? Let's check our local listings and find out. Okay, the answer is: Lots of sitcoms, lots of variety shows, and about 6,000 detective shows. But as we go through the week, we'll also find: Weird cartoons about Noah's Ark and the Easter Bunny! Carl Reiner as an angel who grants wishes! Joanie loves Potsie! Gerald Ford loves truckers! A pilot about pilots! Helen Hunt is shipwrecked! Tony Orlando meets the cast of Hee Haw! Gilbert Gottfried meets Bea Arthur! Bob Newhart meets the Winter Warlock! And much more Bicentennial television weirdness! If your all-time favorite shows are Jigsaw John, The Blue Knight, and Bronk, this was your week.