Can't Turn it Off

Do you enjoy a good story, with a side of observation? Join host Mike Hanks as he shares stories about the interesting world around him. His goal is to share a story so compelling that you Can't Turn It Off.

091 - The Michael Richards Show 06/01/2025

091 - The Michael Richards Show How does the actor behind a beloved TV character such as Seinfeld's Cosmo Kramer fail to dazzle a television audience as the star of his own NBC sitcom? It wasn't hard, as it turned out, and Michael Richards proved it during the fall of 2000. The host examines how he did it. And after deconstructing a failed sitcom, the host's closing monologue unloads more opinions on pizza than any one person should be allowed to have. /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/36806165

090 - The Brady Bunch Hour 04/20/2025

090 - The Brady Bunch Hour During the early 1970s, a simple show about the merger of two half-families spawned characters that have lived on for generations. The host looks back at several ways a lovely lady, three very lovely girls and four men, living all together, have touched the lives of millions of Americans. And then he'll shake his head in disbelief at the musical variety show that first reunited them, and is remembered fondly by almost no one. Listen here! /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/36236920

089 - Pink Lady and Jeff 02/06/2025

089 - Pink Lady and Jeff The 1970s were a splendid time for television, at least it seemed like it at the time. In the spirit of all that was entertainment during the '70s, NBC introduced us to Pink Lady in 1980, and brought Jeff along for the ride. Who were they and why is their TV show frequently cited among the worst TV shows of all time. Find out here! /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/35170525

088 - Blansky's Beauties 11/17/2024

088 - Blansky's Beauties What did a group of Las Vegas showgirls have to do with the Fonz, Mr. C and the rest of the Happy Days gang? That's the beauty of a short-lived, unspectacular sitcom that most people couldn't name if their Final Jeopardy lives depended upon it. And rightfully so. But it's an impressive display of just how formulaic network television could be back in the day, when networks ruled the world. Beyond a look back at the glitz and glamour of Vegas, the host unloads one of his most famous tirades, just in time for Thanksgiving. /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/33962217

087 - Some of My Best Friends 10/15/2024

087 - Some of My Best Friends Was it a show ahead of its time, a show that was just too offensive or a show that was too progressive for its network? Perhaps it was all of those things, or maybe it was just a victim of the wrong place and the wrong time. The host looks at a 2001 sitcom that should have had more success than it did. /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/33459812

086 - The Grubbs 09/07/2024

086 - The Grubbs Turn back the clock to 2002, the geniuses at Fox Broadcasting had found a worthy successor to one of their early sitcom successes, "Married with Children." Or had they? They filmed eight episodes of a show they went on to cancel before you were able to see one of them. And what pairs better with a Fox sitcom than an American hot dog? /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/32953087

085 - The Jake Effect 06/03/2024

085 - The Jake Effect This time around, we turn back the clock to either 2006 or 2002, depending upon your perspective, as we look at a television series that never aired on network TV, despite seven intentions for it to do so. And just as important, the host commemorates the career of a retiring game show host. /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/31572667

084 - 704 Hauser 05/06/2024

084 - 704 Hauser Season 7 of the podcast is underway. The format is a bit different than past seasons, and the host is still learning how to cram 10 pounds of podcast into a five-pound sack. The podcast team will smooth out the edges soon enough. In the meantime, enjoy a visit to a mostly forgotten piece of history and buy a ticket to a WNBA game. /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/31135343

083 - Hiatus Spectacular 20 02/14/2024

083 - Hiatus Spectacular 20 This is it, the long-awaited end of the longest season of Can't Turn it Off. After a few minutes of chat between the host and Brad Farrell, two nerds who love a forgotten, short-lived '80s sitcom starring Jason Bateman, the host closes out the season with a monologue sharing a footnote from his life. /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/29960563

082 - Hiatus Spectacular 19 12/23/2023

082 - Hiatus Spectacular 19 Another holiday season is upon us, and in the spirit of the holidays, the host will share fond memories of a game show legend who passed away not so long ago, and would have turned 100 years old this month. And then it's onto new content with past guests. In this case, we revisit our conversations with two gentlemen who have spent a fair amount of time on the radio airwaves in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area over the years. /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/29214243

081 - Hiatus Spectacular 18 11/26/2023

081 - Hiatus Spectacular 18 What better way to close out the Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States than with a monologue from the host of the podcast, sending out sincere thanks to a variety of folks. And to top it off, enjoy more colorful conversation with a season 6 guest who will favor us with a few of his impressions of people you probably don't know. /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/28791433

080 - Hiatus Spectacular 17 11/11/2023

080 - Hiatus Spectacular 17 The end of season 6 is underway, a season delayed thanks to both striking writers and actors. But the team perseveres, and this week we bring you bonus content from two women who were featured during season 6. You’ll hear from them after you hear the host boast and brag. And stumble once or twice. His mouth can’t keep up with his brain. There’s a scattershot of thoughts at the beginning and end of the episode, including an update about one of our past guests. /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/28592463

079 - Hiatus Spectacular 16 10/02/2023

079 - Hiatus Spectacular 16 Not long ago, the podcast featured Erin Dietrich, a Minnesota woman who had a unique experience. The podcast is on its hiatus, so that means more from Erin, right? Not exactly, but we will learn more about her adventure as the hiatus begins. And we learn about it after we find out why the host thinks too many viewers of TV's Wheel of Fortune are ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. You haven't heard the host do a monologue in a while, so fasten your seatbelt, you're in for a doozy. /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/28194911

078 - Erin Dietrich 08/27/2023

078 - Erin Dietrich A Minnesota woman and her husband accomplished something few people do. She recalls their adventure after the producer tries to figure out what they did. Confused? You won't be after the next episode of Can't Turn it Off. /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/27859395

077 - Phil Huston 04/30/2023

077 - Phil Huston Plenty of people switch careers during their life, and our guest is one of them. Radio broadcasting today is far different than it was in the 1980s, and Phil Huston was part of that '80s scene, working for two prominent Minneapolis pop music stations. He reminisces about those days with the podcast host, who use to listen to Phil on WLOL way back when. Thanks to Jeff Sibinski and for the supplemental material in this episode. /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/26698494

076 - Crystal Zhao 04/23/2023

076 - Crystal Zhao Is this a Jeopardy podcast!? No, it's not, but this is the fourth time the host has interviewed a Jeopardy! contestant. in our season of celebrating Minnesota, where this podcast originates, we chat with a recent Jeopardy champion who didn't grow up here, but is investing part of her Jeopardy! winnings in a very Minnesota way. /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/26627136

075 - Izzy Presley 11/06/2022

075 - Izzy Presley It has been more than a year since our last chat with the podcast's annual guest, and the latest conversation goes off the rails a bit, but it was a lot of fun for both parties. A lot has changed since we last talked with Izzy, and this episode is very different from every interview we've ever done with the rock and roll prodigal son from Minnesota. /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/24923307

074 - Strange Days Indeed Vol. 6 — Halloween 10/30/2022

074 - Strange Days Indeed Vol. 6 — Halloween As children across the United States, and presumably elsewhere around the world, prepare for an evening of trick-or-treating, the host recalls his modest childhood fascination with the wacky world of haunted houses, and his adult experiences with the many entities that have haunted the greater Minneapolis area for the past 25 years. He'll ask questions he has no answer to and recount a vague, yet unforgettable, experience at a Minneapolis theater circa 2000. /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/24843675

073 - Aaron Wallace 09/11/2022

073 - Aaron Wallace It's 2022, and a Minnesota man dedicates a lot of time and effort to his blog, which focuses on two unrelated subjects. It's the latter of the two that has entertained the Can't Turn it Off host in recent years. And if you've ever reminisced about yesteryear in the town or city where you grew up, you'd be lucky to have your own version of Aaron Wallace. /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/24339459

072 - Ron "Boogiemonster" Gerber 08/01/2022

072 - Ron "Boogiemonster" Gerber The hiatus is over and the host returns with an interview featuring his new favorite radio show host. Yes, it's a radio show, not a podcast, but you don't have to dust off the old boom box to dial up the correct FM frequency, of course. You'll learn more than you ever imagined about the music of yesteryear, and how to hear it, during our interview with the host of "Crap From The Past." /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/23917980

071 – Sandy Ann Perez Photography 06/05/2022

071 – Sandy Ann Perez Photography The host has been following a Minneapolis-based photographer for about a year. In this episode of the podcast, he learns about the inspiration, methods and process involved in capturing her distinct, memorable images. And he does so without ever asking about the photography equipment she employs. Following the interview, the host finally explains when and how he realized celebrity autographs weren't as big of a deal as they once were. It's a story he rarely tells, and yes, he will name drop during the story. /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/23332976

070 – John Sherman 04/24/2022

070 – John Sherman The host welcomes his colleague, a longtime high school sports reporter, to the podcast. Yes, the colleague has many stories he could tell about his five decades covering boys and girls high school soccer, basketball and hockey. But those aren't the stories the host is most interested in. /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/22893002

069 – It's Your Move 04/03/2022

069 – It's Your Move Season 6 of the podcast begins with a deep dive into that failed 1980s sitcom the host never forgot, and talked about in episode 68. The host isn't the only person who remembers the show fondly, the foremost authority on the show joins the podcast to discuss the sometimes-brilliant sitcom known as "It's Your Move." That discussion follows the first guest of season 6, the host's former colleague who had a recent brush with cinematic greatness. /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/22662152

068 - Hiatus Spectacular 15 02/28/2022

068 - Hiatus Spectacular 15 It's the season finale, really. Unless it's not. It's time to move forward with season 6, but not before a brief visit with our buddy Izzy Presley, who surprised the host with a recent Twitter revelation. But first, the host gets overly excited about a TV show you've never heard of, and spends too much time telling you about a chance encounter in Las Vegas. /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/22276106

067 – Hiatus Spectacular 14 02/07/2022

067 – Hiatus Spectacular 14 As the hiatus nears its conclusion, this episode features a new story from season 5 guest Jeff Walker, who reminisces about his first trip to Vegas. Following Jeff, the host shares a few tidbits about past guests. /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/22046099

066 - Hiatus Spectacular 13 01/17/2022

066 - Hiatus Spectacular 13 After a holiday hiatus following the close of season 5, the host returns with something you've never heard him do in any previous episode of the podcast. But first, it's story time. The host recalls his unexpected Halloween evening, spent in Las Vegas. /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/21798644

065 - Comic Book Expo 11/15/2021

065 - Comic Book Expo The podcast has had a longstanding invitation to take the show on the road, specifically to Bloomington, Minnesota, for a comic book show. As a podcast that has occasionally called upon the world of comic books for source material, it seemed like a logical destination. Don't read comic books? It shouldn't matter. We talked about things even we didn't expect to. /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/21161840

064 – Izzy Presley 09/25/2021

064 – Izzy Presley You never know what the podcast's annual guest is up to in Hollyweird, unless you follow him on a social media platform via @realizzypresley. This year's chat includes discussion of a new gig our buddy has landed. And we close with the story of a very Izzy road trip. /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/20599190

063 – Strange Days Indeed Vol. 5 — Las Vegas 08/30/2021

063 – Strange Days Indeed Vol. 5 — Las Vegas The Las Vegas version of Strange Days Indeed introduces us to characters whose peculiar actions leave the host wondering what the story was behind those moments when strangers crossed paths. The host's interactions, direct and indirect, raise questions that may never be answered, and most likely will not be forgotten. /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/20301284

062 - Strange Days Indeed Vol. 4 08/22/2021

062 - Strange Days Indeed Vol. 4 What do Free Blockbuster, Jeopardy!, a baby named Robbie and a possible drug addict in Las Vegas have to do with each other? Even the host would admit, not a thing. /episode/index/show/cantturnitoff/id/20219966

Can't Turn it Off

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