Battle of the Network Shows

Each week, hosts Rick Brooks and Mike Cowgill explore the TV of the '70s and '80s through hand-picked episodes.

Episode 13-5: Kate and Allie 11/20/2025

Episode 13-5: Kate and Allie Things get iffy between everyone's favorite single-mom roommates Kate and Allie when Kate's demanding college friend moves in for an extended stay. Allie tries to handle it with aplomb because she's "just great!" Plus, a cool T-shirt and a lively guest star turn as a bartender, so get yourself some authentic New York bread and deli, pop on your headphones, and remember just when you think you're all by yourself you're not. #podcast #tv #retrotv #sitcoms #eighties #kateandallie #susanstjames #janecurtin #breadanddeli Read full show notes and more at Join our Facebook group at Support the show by buying merch at /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/38373990

Episode 13-4: The Greatest TV Lineups of the '70s and '80s 11/13/2025

Episode 13-4: The Greatest TV Lineups of the '70s and '80s We've talked about a lot of great shows over the course of the podcast, and sometimes, we've mentioned great lineups that dominated a particular night and era or even single season. This week, we go more in depth with a completely subjective list of the top 10 greatest TV lineups of the BOTNS era. Using strict criteria, Rick compled this list, and he justifies his choices. Mike pipes in with his two cents. Expect a few suprises and maybe even a controversy or two along the way. #podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #eighties #lineups #schedules #greatestlineups Read full show notes and more at Join our Facebook group at Support the show by buying merch at /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/38356120

The Celebrity Height Game 11/06/2025

The Celebrity Height Game New from the BOTNS Games Lab: The Celebrity Height Game! Mike has to guess if the celebrity heights listed in one Rick's vintage books match the "official" heights listed on IMDB! Can you get this kind of action anywhere else? Read full show notes and more at Join our Facebook group at Support the show by buying merch at #podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #eighties #games #celebrityheights /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/38378700

Episode 13-3: Doug Henning's World of Magic 10/30/2025

Episode 13-3: Doug Henning's World of Magic In the seventies and early eighties, magic had a face, and that face had a big mustache. It also had long hair and wore sparkly versions of hippie clothes and had assistants in hot pants. That face appeared on Broadway in two magic-themed musicals and all over TV from talk shows to the Muppet Show to a series of successful specials on NBC. That face had a name--Doug Henning. He invited audiences to believe in illusions and wonder and joy. In his second World of Magic special, he invited Michael Landon, Joey Heatheron, and Ricky Jay along for the fun, and we talk about it all on Battle of the Network Shows! #podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #eighties #magic #illusions #doughenning Read full show notes and more at Join our Facebook group at Support the show by buying merch at /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/38345490

Episode 13-2: The Girl, The Gold Watch, and Everything 10/23/2025

Episode 13-2: The Girl, The Gold Watch, and Everything What's the opposite of an all-time classic? The Girl, The Gold Watch, and Everything might provide the answer. Ths syndicated TV movie from 1980 stars Robert Hays (Airplane!) as its amiable if hapless hero, who inherits a gold watch and a lot of trouble from his eccentric uncle. He also gets involved with Pam Dawber (Mork & Mindy) after the worst meet-cute in film history. Other recognizable faces round out the cast, but can they salavage this one? Unlikely. Read full show notes and more at Join our Facebook group at Support the show by buying merch at #podcast #tv #retrotv #eighties #tvmovie #roberthays #pamdawber /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/38330085

Episode 13-1: The Bob Newhart Show 10/16/2025

Episode 13-1: The Bob Newhart Show We open our 13th season in the Windy City with an all-time classic, The Bob Newhart Show. In "Mister Emily Hartley," psychologist Bob Hartley reluctantly takes an IQ test only to learn he has a lower IQ than his wife Emily (Suzanne Pleshette). Attending the Chicago High IQ Club dance as Emily's plus-one only confirms his feelings of inferiority as he suffers indignity after indignity. We discuss this along iwth the show's high-level consistency, stellar cast, and questionable fashions. Read full show notes and more at Join our Facebook group at Support the show by buying merch at #podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #thebobnewhartshow #bobnewhart #sitcoms #mtm /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/38328030

Season 12 BATTY Awards 03/13/2025

Season 12 BATTY Awards Get ready for the biggest night in retro TV podcasting, the Season 12 BATTY Awards! Actors clash with actors, duos duel with duos, mustaches face off with eyebrows all for the chance to win a coveted BATTY Award! We have some all-time classic shows like All in the Family and Sesame Street up against each other. We also have Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous and TV's Blooper's and Practical Jokes. Will the Quinn Martin shows cancel each other out? Will Donny and Marie cancel each other out? Will someone finally become a BEGOT, and who will win the Robert Pine Genius Award? Tune in, download, and find out! #podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #eighties #battyawards #awardshows Read full show notes and more at Join our Facebook group at Support the show by buying merch at /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/35535000

Episode 12-14: Sesame Street 11/28/2024

Episode 12-14: Sesame Street It took us 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 seasons, but we finally found our way to Sesame Street, episode 900 to be specific, "Sing-along in Bert and Ernie's Bathroom." The title says it all, and if it missed something, Bert's eyebrow has us covered. Help us wrap up the season in style with Bert, Ernie, David, Bob, Gordon, Maria, Big Bird, the Count, and Grover plus appearances by Kermit, Cookie Monster, and Luis in disguise. How do you spell fun and educational? B-O-T-N-S! #podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #eighties #sesamestreet# #bertandernie #kermitthefrog #grover #cookiemonster #bigbird #singalong Read full show notes and more at Join our Facebook group at Support the show by buying merch at /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/34159295

Episode 12-13: The Streets of San Francisco 11/21/2024

Episode 12-13: The Streets of San Francisco For the second time this season, we explore the gritty world of Quinn Martin Productions with The Streets of San Francisco. In season one episode "The Takers," Karl Malden and Michael Douglas hit those very streets to discover who killed two young women in their own apartment. Was it jealous ex and airline pilot Rex Riley, their former roommate, the building manager, the little jewelry salesman, or someone else? Expect more twists and turns than Lombard Street in "The Takers"! #podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #streetsofsanfrancisco #quinnmartin #karlmalden #michaeldouglas Read full show notes and more at Join our Facebook group at Support the show by buying merch at /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/33956977

Episode 12-12: Blake's 7 11/14/2024

Episode 12-12: Blake's 7 This week, we travel across the pond and into the far-flung future of cult classic UK sci-fi show Blake's 7, where a rag-tag group of former criminals turned rebels tries to take down the evil Federation. In the series two episode "Pressure Point," they return home to Earth to take down the Federaton's computer control system...Control! The plan doesn't go as planned for them or the Federation, and one of our heroes...dies! It's adventure at standard by 10 on this week's Battle of the Network Shows! #podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #eighties #scifi #blakes7 #brittv #telly Read full show notes and more at Join our Facebook group at Support the show by buying merch at /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/33862702

List-O-Rama: Forgotten Shows 11/07/2024

List-O-Rama: Forgotten Shows For this bonus episode, Rick used a set of strict criteria to compile a list of 10 forgotten shows from the BOTNS era. Instead of short-lived shows, though, he chose long-running, relatively successful shows that have little to no home video, streaming, or syndication presence these days. Join us to find out the 10 "winners" and to see if any of your favorite shows made the list. #podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #eighties #forgottenshows #list Read full show notes and more at Join our Facebook group at Support the show by buying merch at /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/33626367

Episode 12-11: Gilligan's Island 10/31/2024

Episode 12-11: Gilligan's Island For this season's Retro Retro episode, we head back to Gilligan's Island! News comes in on the radio that Mr. Howell has been rescued, which comes as a surprise to the castaways, especially Mr. Howell! The real Howell whips the castaways into a frenzy to get him home to stop the imposter Howell from spending his money and, to a far lesser extent, ruining his reputation. Things get weirder when the imposter washes up on the island. #podcast #tv #retrotv #sixties #gilligansisland Read full show notes and more at Join our Facebook group at Support the show by buying merch at /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/33620407

Episode 12-10: TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes 10/24/2024

Episode 12-10: TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes The mid-eighties saw the rise of blooper-mania, and nothing exemplified that more than TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes, starring Dick Clark and BOTNS semi-regular Ed McMahon! If you've never seen the show, don't be fooled by the title, though. It's really TV's Bloopers, Commercial Compilations, Comedy Bits, Dance Montages, and Practical Jokes! Also appearing in this episode Nancy and Phil McKeon and Dr. Joyce Brothers. #podcast #tv #retrotv #eighties #bloopers #practicaljokes #tvsbloopersandpracticaljokes #dickclark #edmcmahon #nancymckeon #phimckeon #drjoycebrothers Read full show notes and more at Join our Facebook group at Support the show by buying merch at /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/33555472

Episode 12-9: Chico and the Man 10/17/2024

Episode 12-9: Chico and the Man Things get rough for Chico and the Man when THE Man tells them Chico can't live in the Man's van. Also, they go to a diner and crack some jokes. #podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #chicoandtheman #freddieprinze #jackalbertson #sitcom Read full show notes and more at Join our Facebook group at Support the show by buying merch at /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/33466612

Bounty or Palmolive 10/10/2024

Bounty or Palmolive In the seventies and eighties, two stars of screen and stage also graced our televisions in long-running ad campaigns, offering their advice and years of wisdom to to America. Nancy Walker played Rosie the Bounty paper towels lady, and Jan Miner played Madge the Palmolive dish soap lady. In this bonus game, Mike quizzes Rick on their careers and lives outside of those ad campaigns. Who worked with the Village People? Who once played Della Street? Who appeared in a terrible movie with nearly every actor in Hollywood? #podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #eighties #games #nancywalker #janminer #bounty #palmolive Read full show notes and more at Join our Facebook group at Support the show by buying merch at /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/33377242

Episode 12-8: Dungeons and Dragons 10/03/2024

Episode 12-8: Dungeons and Dragons Just in time for the 50th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons the game, we take a look at Dungeons & Dragons the Animated Series. The Dungeon Master goes missing, and the kids go looking for him, encountering frog men, pig men, Warduke, and of course Venger along the way. Will they find DM before his "life force" runs out? Plus, one of the group decides to go his own way and runs into a whole other set of problems. #podcast #tv #retrotv #eighties #dungeonsanddragons #dandd #saturdaymorningcartoons Read full show notes and more at Join our Facebook group at Support the show by buying merch at /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/33271967

Episode 12-7: Rhoda 09/26/2024

Episode 12-7: Rhoda After four seasons on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Mary's best pal Rhoda (Valerie Harper) returned to New York City for a visit and ended up staying for her own show, aptly titled Rhoda! At the behest of the man with the golden gut Fred Silverman, the creative team rushed her into marriage with Joe (David Groh), a decision that ultimately led to major creative changes. We delve into that, then look at episode 10 "The Honeymoon," which doesn't turn out exactly how Rhoda and Joe expected it to thanks Rhoda's parents. #podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #rhoda #valerieharper #marytylermooreshow #spinoff Read full show notes and more at Join our Facebook group at Support the show by buying merch at /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/33171562

Encore: The Mary Tyler Moore Show 09/19/2024

Encore: The Mary Tyler Moore Show Love is all around as we revisit our episode about the iconic sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Mary wants a raise. Instead, she has to mastermind WJM's new "fun" news format. Everything should run smoothly as long as no one tells Ted he's the straight man. Oops! Plus...Gilligan's Island? #podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #marytylermoore #themarytylermooreshow #mtm Read full show notes and more at Join our Facebook group at Support the show by buying merch at /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/32963822

Episode 12-6: Lifestyles of the Rich And Famous 09/12/2024

Episode 12-6: Lifestyles of the Rich And Famous This week, we cover another listener poll runner-up, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous with Robin Leach. As you'd expect, this 1985 episode includes a lot of rich and famous people living their lives in style from the "discreetly opulent" St. James Club in Antigua to Beverly Hills to Miami to Mexico City. We're possibly more interested in Sucrets and aspirin than champagne and caviar but keep an ear out for the likes of Joan Collins, Julio Iglesias, Liza, Ann-Marget, and Esther Williams. #podcast #tv #retrotv #robinleach #eighties #lifestylesoftherichandfamous Read full show notes and more at Join our Facebook group at Support the show by buying merch at /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/32963727

Episode 12-5: Donny and Marie 09/05/2024

Episode 12-5: Donny and Marie Last season, Sonny and Cher narrowly beat out Donny and Marie in a listener poll, but we promised to cover Donny and Marie this season, and here we are! In our cutest episode to date, the brother-sister duo celebrates the history of TV with regular Paul Lynde and the likes of Milton Berle, Art Linkletter, and the one and only George Gobel! This one has everything you'd expect from a seventies variety show: celebrities, singing, dancing, "comedy"...and ice skating. #podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #varietyshow #donnyandmarie #osmonds Read full show notes and more at Join our Facebook group at Support the show by buying merch at /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/32857237

Episode 12-4: Dan August 08/29/2024

Episode 12-4: Dan August After 12 seasons, we finally talk about a Quinn Martin Production--Dan August! Before Burt Reynolds was BURT REYNOLDS, he starred as the titular homicide detective Dan August for one season alongside Norman Fell, Richard Anderson, and in this episode a galaxy of guest stars. A murder of a young woman leads Dan into the dark alleys of California politics, where he encounters a scoundrel, an old smoothie, and a sparkplug political operative. If you're lucky, he might make a leaping tackle or three! #podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #quinnmartinproduction #burtreynolds #burt #copshow #danaugust /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/32726402

Encore: The Golden Girls 08/22/2024

Encore: The Golden Girls This week, we revisit an episode from all the way back in season two. Tickets to the world premiere and after party for Mr. Burt Reynolds' latest movie land the Golden Girls in exactly the wrong place--jail...for prostitution. Will they get out in time to meet Burt and the rest of the Burt Pack? Will Rose ever get over losing Butter Queen? Will Burt lead a game of Win, Lose, or Draw? It all depends on the kindness of Sophia! Uh-oh. #podcast #tv #retrotv #eighties #sitcom #goldengirls #beaarthur #bettywhite #burtreynolds /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/32583547

Episode 12-3: The Kid with the Broken Halo 08/15/2024

Episode 12-3: The Kid with the Broken Halo BOTNS proposes, our listeners dispose...or something like that. We held another listener poll, and as always, our listeners have spoken. This time we asked them to choose between the Gary Coleman-Robert Guillaume "Kid" trilogy. It was close, but the middle TV movie "The Kid With the Broken Halo" won. In it, Coleman's angel-in-training Andy has to solve three "cases"...or else he'll find himself hanging out with Sammy Davis Jr. and Christopher Lee. With the mild assistance of Guillaume's grumpy Blake, he heads to Earth to use his charms and street smarts to help a family have fun, a pro football player retire with grace, and a bitter Golden Age film star/widow find joy. #podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #eighties #tvmovie #garycoleman #robertguillaume #angels /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/32433097

Episode 12-2: The 1984 Summer Olympics 08/08/2024

Episode 12-2: The 1984 Summer Olympics Do you have Olympic fever? We do...for the 1984 Summer Games in L.A. We can't cover it all, but we try to hit some of the high marks of this peak eighties event: Carl Lewis, Mary Lou Retton, Mary Decker and Zola Budd, Al Michaels, Jim McKay and Peter Jennings, 84 grand pianos playing "Rhapsody in Blue," Lionel Richie, and a flying saucer! #podcast #tv #retrotv #eighties #olympics #summerolympics #1984 #1984summerolympics #carllewis #marylouretton #lionelrichie #flyingsaucer /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/32331277

Episode 12-1: All in the Family 08/01/2024

Episode 12-1: All in the Family To open season 12, we finally turn to the foundation of the Lear-verse, the controversial, groundbreaking, list-making, terlet-flushing all-time great All in the Family. We've got Archie, we've got Edith, we've got Gloria, and, yes, we have Meathead...with a purse! Plus one of our favorite sports as Archie tries out for an "exclusive" bowling team and learns a thing or two about the way of the world. #podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #eighties #allinthefamily #normanlear #archiebunker #meathead #sitcom #bowling /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/32299617

Season 11 BATTY Awards 12/28/2023

Season 11 BATTY Awards Live whenever you’re hearing it from Southfork Ranch, it’s the season 11 BATTY Awards! Join the stars, the youths, the non-humans, and the dopes for the biggest night in retro TV podcasting! We might not have a choir of 500 people or Oprah on a rooftop, but we do have a random number generator and two Dennises the Menace! #podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #eighties #battyawards #awardsshow /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/29222413

Encore: Holiday Special - The Leprechaun's Christmas Gold and A Family Circus Christmas 12/21/2023

Encore: Holiday Special - The Leprechaun's Christmas Gold and A Family Circus Christmas This holiday season, gather round the ol' fireplace, roast some chestnuts, sip some hot chocolate and join us we go all the way back to our first ever holiday special, and nothing says the holidays like dopey kids, ghosts, leprechauns, and hags! Rankin and Bass weave one of their most complicated stories yet in The Leprechaun's Christmas Gold, and Jeffy Keane takes a trip into own subconscious to learn the meaning of Christmas...or something. Come to think of it. You might want some eggnog for this one. #podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #eighties #holidayspecial #familycircus #rankinbass #leprechauns /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/29139308

Episode 11-14: Dallas 10/05/2023

Episode 11-14: Dallas In our Season 11 finale, all roads lead to Dallas and Southfork Ranch! That's right. We finally tackle the grandpappy of the nighttime soaps, and we go all the way back to the very first episode. This one has everything you'd expect: oil, scheming, bakstabbing, family feuds, and cowboy hats! It also have a few things you might not expect like grounded sincerity. Join us for all the fun and a few Larry Hagman chuckles. #podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #eighties #dallas #soaps #larryhagman #patrickduffy #victoriaprincipal #oil #jrewing /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/28222889

Episode 11-13: NBC's Disastrous 1983 09/28/2023

Episode 11-13: NBC's Disastrous 1983 For the 1983-1984 TV season, NBC asked audiences to "Be there!" Audiences had somewhere else to be, and by the end of the season, the network had canceled all nine new shows it had introduced in the fall. What could lead to such a catastrophe? Why wouldn't people want to watch shows about talking orangutans, manimals, ghosts, and more? This week, we dig into this season and talk about some of these failed shows to see if we can find some answers. Be there! #podcast #tv #retrotv #1983 #eighties #NBC #Manimal #mrsmith #jenniferslepthere #disaster /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/28135037

TV Guide Card Game 09/21/2023

TV Guide Card Game Using a set of trading card-sized reproductions of TV Guide covers, we wing our way through a new game, The TV Guide Card Game. Like baseball cards, each card features stats and trivia on the back, and Rick uses that to see if Mike can guess the cover subjects. Play along and maybe learn some "fun facts" about some of your favorite BOTNS-era shows! #podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #eighties #games #tvguide #trivia /episode/index/show/battleofthenetworkshows/id/28058661

Battle of the Network Shows

TOPICS