"Terry Unmarried" (February 20, 2011)

The second season of the Family Guy spinoff makes the surprising decision to have Terry, Cleveland's womanizing coworker buddy, come out as not straight. And while that's good, it's sort of weird how no one ever suggests that he might be bisexual. This retcon underscores problems with bi representation in media, but we're also going to talk about how during the four years it was on Fox, The Cleveland Show was one of the only black sitcoms on broadcast TV… for better or for worse.

Please note: This is the one and only time this podcast will discuss Auntie Momma.

Listen to the first episode of our new bonus series, The Fox Files, on Patreon.

Also listen to the latest installment of The Cartoons That Made Us Gay, on the "Beware the Creeper" episode of Batman.

"A Kiss Is Still a Kiss" (December 3, 1987)

We're supporters of Shelley Long on this podcast, but in advocating for the Diane years of Cheers, we've overlooked the Rebecca years. As such, we're bringing Jonathan Bradley Welch back in to speak about what works well during the back half of the show. In a lot of ways, Kirstie Alley saved Cheers, but does what she became IRL affect how we should feel about her heyday? Well, it's complicated, but we'll talk you through our feelings on the subject.

We have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson. This episode's art was designed by Ian O'Phelan. Sound cues for this podcast were composed by Meika Grimm.

"Handsome Ransom" (October 25, 2009)

Let's say this at the top: We are both fans in general of The Venture Bros, but this extremely homosocial show has a tendency to tiptoe up to being full-on gay and then laughing it all off as a joke. It's a product of its time, and even explicitly gay characters like The Alchemist and Shore Leave don't get their own episodes. So when it comes to picking one installment of the Adult Swim series that comes closest, we had to go with the one with Captain Sunshine, which sort of works but also makes the mistake of approaching pedo humor in the same manner it did gay humor. And that's kind of a fuck-up?

Warning: Despite the presence of Brock Samson the art, Brock does not appear in this episode. We apologize.

There are two Patreon-exclusive episode that tie into this one, if you're willing to pay the very low fee of $1 a month! There's an episode all about The Tick: https://www.patreon.com/posts/cartoons-that-us-129745700

And one about Jonny Quest: https://www.patreon.com/posts/cartoons-that-us-131953014

Both have a lot to do with how Venture Bros. ended up becoming the show it did! Have a listen!

"The Throuple" (January 17, 2017)

We're back! Officially, but also now bimonthly — or biweekly, depending on how you want to look at it. And we are coming back in grand Canadian style by doing a show that Drew for years refused to do: Schitt's Creek! Because you asked! And asked and asked and asked! But have chosen not to do a Patrick epsiode for reasons that are well-known to loyal listeners.

And special thanks to Patreon supporter curlsthefanenby for finally getting us to do this show!

We have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson. This episode's art was designed by Ian O'Phelan. Sound cues for this podcast were composed by Meika Grimm.

"Switching Places" (October 4, 1993)

If you're reading this and deciding that Power Rangers is not a sitcom, you're correct! We're doing it anyway, and as elder millennials who were just a little too old for MMPR when it originally aired, we're bringing in a ringer in the form of Sina Grace — artist, writer and bonvivant. whose work in the comics world has included writing for these very teenagers with attitude. In this episode, Billy and Kimberley swap bodies and so David Yost and Amy Jo Johnson have fun imitating each other while also commenting on gender norms… inasmuch as that's possible in a 20-minute-long TV episode about superheroes who fight giant monsters.

Buy Sina's latest comic, West Hollywood Monster Squad.

Support Sina's Kickstarter for his book about dog grief, Life on Paws.

For more on the story of Saban, listen to our Cartoons That Made Us Gay episode about Samurai Pizza Cats.

And here is the This American Life episode that Drew refers to

We have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson. This episode's art was designed by Ian O'Phelan.

"Mama Mork, Papa Mindy" (November 5, 1981)

Thus far, we have not attempted the Happy Days universe of TV shows, and we're starting with this season four Mork & Mindy that has our interspecies marrieds creating a baby that redefine their gender roles. Essentially, Mork hatches an egg from which comes a child that puts a shocked Mindy in the role of father. It's silly, but as returning guest Diamond Feit helps us explain, it's also modelling parenthood outside typical gender conventions.

Listen to Diamond's previous episode with us about Ranma 1/2!

Listen to our previous adult baby episode (a Patreon exclusive!) with guest Nina Matsumoto!

We have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson. This episode's art was designed by Ian O'Phelan.

This week, in a first-ever solo episode, Drew talks you through not just one episode of the cult series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman instead the whole of the show's art for its two gay characters, Ed and Howard. What's remarkable about this nuanced portrayal of a same-sex couple is that by virtue of airing before the AIDS crisis, the showrunners didn't need to make these two characters angel gays. They're as neurotic and complex as any of the straight characters on the show, which means it's an example of a progressive representation back in 1976.

If you want to see Ed and Howard (and everyone else) in action, check out the supercut of their whole story on Patreon. It's free for everyone, so even people who aren't pledging can watch it. There is not another place online where you can easily watch Ed and Howard's whole story.

But also check out Matt Baume's 2020 video on why this show's gay storyline still matters.

We have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson. This episode's art was designed by Ian O'Phelan.

"Bear of Beeftown Adventure" (April 7, 2024)

About a hundred episodes later, this podcast is pleased to report that The Great North got even gayer with the season four addition of Aunt Dirt, voiced by Jane Lynch. She's been living in a bunker for sixty years and in this episode she learns about what it means to be a lesbian in the 2020s.

Listen to our previous episode about The Great North and our interview with Charlie Kelly, who wrote both the episodes we've covered.

We have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson. This episode's art was designed by Ian O'Phelan.

"Wesley's Friend" (January 31, 1986)

Yes, it's this episode. If you've seen any bit of it, it's probably the one line delivered by the focus character, and while we will admit it's a major groaner, it's not representative of this whole episode. No, this is a Mr. Belvedere "very special episode" that has its heart in the right place and which mostly lands well all these years later.

This is our second Mr. Belvedere outing, and yes, the first one really is about Mr. Belvedere discouraging a teenager from being gay.

We have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson. This episode's art was designed by Ian O'Phelan.

"Kimmy Goes to Her Happy Place!" (April 15, 2016)

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is a funny show. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is a flawed show. These two things can both be true simultaneously, and you can not like the plotline given to Jane Krakowski's character, where it turns out she's actually Lakota posing as white, and still enjoy other elements of the show. Case in point: Titus Andromedon (Tituss Burgess) is exactly the kind of messy, selfish, desperate gay character people want to see realized onscreen. What's more? He's very, very funny — and so it this episode, which features a puppet cameo you won't see coming.

We even have episode transcripts courtesy of Sarah Neal. Our logo was designed by Rob Wilson. This episode's art was designed by Ian O'Phelan.