Sam Pancake Presents the Monday Afternoon Movie

Welcome back to Monday Afternoon Movie! This week, Sam is joined by comedian, writer, and actor Solomon Georgio for a trip to the sun-baked, scandal-soaked raisin capital of the world: FRESNO!

Originally airing on CBS over five nights in 1986, Fresno is a gloriously ridiculous send-up of prime-time soaps like Dallas, Dynasty, and Falcon Crest. Carol Burnett stars as Charlotte Kensington, the grand dame of a struggling raisin empire locked in a bitter battle with rival raisin tycoon Tyler Cane, played by Dabney Coleman.

And because this is Fresno, control of the raisin business naturally involves blackmail, murder, forbidden romance, family secrets, water rights, courtroom drama, enormous Bob Mackie gowns, and Gregory Harrison wandering around as a mysterious ranch hand named Torch who seems deeply opposed to wearing shirts.

The cast is kind of insane: Carol Burnett, Dabney Coleman, Teri Garr, Charles Grodin, Gregory Harrison, Valerie Mahaffey, Anthony Heald, Bill Paxton, Jerry Van Dyke, Michael Richards and more. It's six hours of people treating raisins with the gravity normally reserved for oil empires and international espionage.

Sam and Solomon head into the vineyards to talk about the Kensingtons, the Canes, the costumes, the melodrama, the surprisingly complicated politics of raisin production, and a miniseries that somehow asks the question: What if Dynasty… but dried fruit?

Pour yourself something strong, grab a tiny red box of Sun-Maid, and join us in Fresno.

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This episode was engineered & produced by Meika Grimm.

***Editors Note: This episode contains topics of sexual assault. Please be advised***

This week on Sam Pancake Presents the Monday Afternoon Movie, Sam welcomes actor, comedian, writer, director, Oscar winner, and Greendale Community College's most fashion-forward administrator, Jim Rash, for a watch-along of the deliciously unhinged 1993 TV movie A Stranger in the Mirror.

You probably know Jim best as the gloriously inappropriate Dean Craig Pelton on Community, but he's also an Academy Award-winning screenwriter, having won Best Adapted Screenplay for The Descendants alongside Nat Faxon and Alexander Payne. Jim and Nat also wrote and directed The Way, Way Back, starring Sam Rockwell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney and Steve Carell. So yes, an actual Oscar-winning screenwriter has agreed to spend his afternoon watching THIS with Sam. We couldn't be happier.

A STRANGER IN THE MIRROR (1993) Originally aired: October 24, 1993 (ABC) Directed by Charles Jarrott Based on the novel by Sidney Sheldon Starring Perry King, Lori Loughlin, Christopher Plummer, Juliet Mills and Geordie Johnson

Perry King stars as Toby Temple, an ambitious comedian who claws his way to superstardom and develops an ego roughly the size of Southern California. Lori Loughlin is Jill Castle, an aspiring actress whose own pursuit of Hollywood fame puts her directly into Toby's orbit. Add Christopher Plummer, showbiz scheming, sex, betrayal, revenge and enough melodrama to power several weeks of daytime television, and we've got ourselves a classic recipe for an ABC Movie of the Week.

Love what you hear? Want to show your support for Sam Pancake & The Monday Afternoon Movie? Make sure to follow the official Patreon page and pledge a few bucks if you are able! You'll get access to a new bonus episode every month, four behind-the-scenes exclusive videos, as well as all past episodes and content for hours upon hours of Pancake action.

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SHOW LINKS:

Sam Pancake's Instagram Sam Pancake's Linktree Jim Rash's IMDb

This episode was engineered & produced by Meika Grimm.

*This week's show contains topics regarding eating disorders. Please be advised.* Our movie of the week for this episode is Kate's Secret, orignally released in 1986. Joining Sam in studio today is Margee Magee. She has been a TV writer since 2010, working in all formats (multi-cam, single cam, animation, hybrid,… even muppets!) on all platforms (network, cable, and streaming). She has been staffed on numerous series, and has also sold, developed, and produced original projects, as well as series adapted from I.P. Prior to her TV writing career, Margee received her BFA in Musical Theater from The University of Michigan and went on to brief stints as a Radio City Rockette, an End-of-Life Doula, and proprietor of a bakery called hello cupcake! Continuing along that super linear career path, Margee became a member of The Groundlings, where she still teaches and performs.

Kate's Secret (1986) is a made-for-TV drama that tackled eating disorders long before they were widely discussed. Directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman, produced by Stephanie Austin and Robert A. Papazian, written by Susan Seeger and Denise DeGarmo, with music by J. Peter Robinson, the film stars Meredith Baxter, Ben Masters, Edward Asner, Tracy Nelson, Shari Belafonte, Georgann Johnson, Leslie Bevis, and Mackenzie Phillips.

Kate appears to have the perfect suburban life, but she's secretly struggling with bulimia. As hiding her illness becomes harder, the cracks in her carefully crafted image begin to show, forcing her family to face a problem they've never seen coming. The film focuses on the emotional toll of the disorder and Kate's difficult journey toward recovery.

Filmed in Southern California, the movie used its suburban locations to reinforce the illusion of a picture-perfect family. Meredith Baxter's performance was widely praised, and the film was considered unusually honest for network television in the 1980s, helping bring attention to eating disorders years before they became common subjects in film and TV.

Love what you hear? Want to show your support for Sam Pancake & The Monday Afternoon Movie? Make sure to follow on the official Patreon page and pledge a few bucks if you are able, and get access to a new bonus episode every month, 4 behind-the-scenes exclusive videos, as well as all past episodes and content for hours upon hours of Pancake action. Sam's Patreon Page Show Links: Sam Pancake's Instagram Sam Pancake's Linktree

Margee Magee's Instagram Margee Magee's dog's TikTok This episode was engineered & produced by Meika Grimm.

This week on Monday Afternoon Movie, Sam Pancake is joined by the hilarious Michael Cyril Creighton. Michael is an award-winning actor, writer, and comedian best known for playing the lovable Howard Morris on Only Murders in the Building. Raised on Long Island and based in New York, he first gained attention with his Writers Guild Award-winning web series Jack in a Box before appearing in acclaimed projects including Spotlight, High Maintenance, American Fiction, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Together, they revisit the 1992 made-for-TV thriller A Woman Scorned. They will most certainly come to the conclusion that revenge is a dish best served cold.. and on network television. A Woman Scorned (1990) is a tense made-for-television thriller directed by Conrad Janis and written by Philip Rosenberg, with a suspenseful score by Dana Kaproff. The film stars Shannon Tweed, Andrew Stevens, Kim Morgan Greene, and Robin Strasser.

After a seemingly perfect marriage begins to unravel, a woman pushed to her emotional limits finds herself caught in a dangerous spiral of betrayal, obsession, and revenge. As secrets surface and tensions boil over, the conflict escalates into a high-stakes game of survival where the winner takes all.. and the loser just might be dead.

Love what you hear? Want to show your support for Sam Pancake & The Monday Afternoon Movie? Make sure to follow on the official Patreon page and pledge a few bucks if you are able, and get access to a new bonus episode every month, 4 behind-the-scenes exclusive videos, as well as all past episodes and content for hours upon hours of Pancake action. Sam's Patreon Page Show Links: Sam Pancake's Instagram Sam Pancake's Linktree

Michael Cyril Creighton's Instagram This episode was engineered & produced by Meika Grimm.

Note to isteners: this episode covers topics of sexual assualt and abuse. Discretion is advised. Joining Sam Pancake today is Katie O'Brien, an actress, writer, producer, and showrunner. With her comedy group, The Katydids, she co-created, wrote, executive-produced, and starred in TV Land's hit comedy Teachers, which ran for three seasons and fifty episodes. She went on to write and co-executive produce Disney+'s The Santa Clauses, starring Tim Allen. Most recently, she was the creator and showrunner of Tubi's first original scripted series, The Z-Suite, starring Lauren Graham and Nico Santos.

Based on the award-winning novel by Richard Peck, Are You in the House Alone? is a 1978 made-for-television thriller directed by Walter Grauman and adapted for the screen by writer Judith Parker. The film centers on Gail Osborne, played by Kathleen Beller, a bright and artistic high school student whose ordinary suburban life spirals into terror after she begins receiving anonymous threats from a mysterious stalker. What begins as unsettling notes in her locker and disturbing phone calls soon escalates into psychological torment, leaving Gail isolated and increasingly fearful that no place — not even her own home — is truly safe. Her parents, portrayed by Blythe Danner and Tony Bill, struggle to understand the growing horror surrounding their daughter as suspicion falls on several young men in her life, including a volatile character played by a young Dennis Quaid.

Unlike many sensationalized thrillers of the era, the film approaches its subject matter from a very grounded place, focusing less on graphic violence and more on the emotional devastation caused by fear and victimization. Director Walter Grauman, known for his work in television suspense dramas, gives the movie a stark realism that makes its moments of terror feel disturbingly plausible. The haunting score by composer Charles Bernstein — who would later score A Nightmare on Elm Street — heightens the atmosphere with an uneasy orchestra that underlines Gail's growing paranoia and helplessness. Produced for CBS during the height of late-1970s psychological thrillers, Are You in the House Alone? was filmed in several California locations, including the historic Ahmanson Mansion in Hancock Park, Los Angeles, scenes around Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, and John Burroughs Middle School in Los Angeles, which doubled as the movie's high school campus.

Love what you hear? Want to show your support for Sam Pancake & The Monday Afternoon Movie? Make sure to follow on the official Patreon page and pledge a few bucks if you are able, and get access to a new bonus episode every month, 4 behind-the-scenes exclusive videos, as well as all past episodes and content for hours upon hours of Pancake action. Sam's Patreon Page Show Links: Sam Pancake's Instagram Sam Pancake's Linktree

Katie O'Brien's Instagram Teachers on Paramount+ This episode was engineered & produced by Meika Grimm.

Due to the success of the MONDAY AFTERNOON MOVIE Patreon Bonus Series SAM & SARAH WATCH A BONKERS MOVIES, Sam Pancake and Sarah Burns are coming out from behind the MAM Paywall and launching a new scary funny weekly podcast in the same vein as SASWABM called "OH, THE HORROR! with Sam & Sarah" that starts on Friday June 5! They will cover a different theatrically released horror movie every week, from the classics to the stinkers, from the early days of cinema to current favorites, in their own hilarious style AND they will be performing scenes from these movies every week too! Stay tuned for more info and get ready to listen on Friday June 5, 2026! YEEEHAWWWW!!

Our April Monday Afternoon Movie is taking us on a trip to the early 1990's and it sure is loaded with some big, dangerous names. Joining Sam Pancake today is fellow creator and podcast host, Stuart Ross. Stuart hosts Another Gay Podcast, and runs the Gay Horror Club.

Directed by Tobe Hooper and inspired by a story by Cornell Woolrich, I'm Dangerous Tonight (1990) is a supernatural horror thriller starring Mädchen Amick, Corey Parker, Anthony Perkins, R. Lee Ermey, and Dee Wallace.

Originally produced as a made-for-television film for the USA Network, it centers on a cursed ceremonial cloak discovered inside an ancient altar, a garment said to awaken the darkest instincts in anyone who wears it.

College student Amy O'Neill, already burdened by family responsibilities and caring for her elderly grandmother, unknowingly brings the evil into her life after purchasing a trunk from an estate sale connected to the artifact. Drawn to the blood-red fabric hidden inside, she transforms the mysterious cloak into a glamorous dress for a school dance. The moment it is worn, jealousy, desire, and violence begin to spread through everyone it touches.

Love what you hear? Want to show your support for Sam Pancake & The Monday Afternoon Movie? Make sure to follow on the official Patreon page and pledge a few bucks if you are able, and get access to a new bonus episode every month, 4 behind-the-scenes exclusive videos, as well as all past episodes and content for hours upon hours of Pancake action. Sam's Patreon Page Show Links: Sam Pancake's Instagram Sam Pancake's Linktree

Stuart's Podcast Instagram Stuart's Gay Horror Club Instagram Stuart's Patreon Page for Another Gay Horror Podcast This episode was engineered & produced by Meika Grimm.

Another bonus episode of Sam and Sarah watch a Bonkers Movie for all of you Monday Afternooners! If you've never had the pleasure of watching the 1976 film The Food of the Gods, Sam and Sarah will be happy to walk you through the madness of this Canadian tale of oversized out of control critters. When a weird suggestive looking bubbling goo comes out of the ground, Mr. and Mrs. Skinner consider it to be a gift from the Gods, and proceed to feed it to their chickens, causing them to grow to unusual sizes. Other animals and insects begin to feed on the weird ooze as well, and begin to feed on and attack any and all humans in their paths, causing an entire island of creatures of large and terrifying sizes. All new main feed episode of Monday Afternoon Movie in a few weeks. Happy Monday everyone! Sam Pancake's X (Formerly known as Twitter) Sam Pancake's Instagram Sarah Burns' Instagram Sarah Burns' Linktree Get a custom Cameo video from Sarah! Visit the Monday Afternoon Movie website

Facebook / X / Spotify / Google Play / Apple Podcasts This podcast was edited by Meika Grimm. Follow her on Instagram, or hire her for your audio/video/web needs. 😊

It's a rare treat for the main podcast feed: A watch-along movie adventure! Heads up, there's a showdown at the ol' spooky corral coming your way. We're headed to the old west with this one, so put on your chaps and spurs and let Sam Pancake is take you along for the ride.

Black Noon (1971), directed by Bernard L. Kowalski and starring Roy Thinnes, Yvette Mimieux, Ray Milland, Lynn Loring, and Gloria Grahame, is a haunting Western horror tale set in the classic backdrop of the desert frontier.

The story follows Reverend John Keyes (Thinnes), a struggling preacher, and his devoted wife Lorna (Mimieux), as they journey west in search of a new start. When their wagon breaks down, they are rescued by the residents of an isolated settlement known as San Melas. Welcomed with unexpected generosity, the couple finds temporary refuge among the town's inhabitants, including the quiet but alluring Deliverance (Loring) and the imposing patriarch Joseph (Milland).

As John begins preaching to the townspeople, his sermons are met with extreme enthusiasm, seemingly revitalizing both his faith and his sense of purpose. However, Lorna's health begins to mysteriously deteriorate, and subtle signs of unease creep into their new surroundings. Strange rituals and an almost hypnotic devotion among the townsfolk suggest that something far more sinister lies beneath their hospitality.

Love what you hear? Want to show your support for Sam Pancake & The Monday Afternoon Movie? Make sure to follow on the official Patreon page and pledge a few bucks if you are able, and get access to a new bonus episode every month, 4 behind-the-scenes exclusive videos, as well as all past episodes and content for hours upon hours of Pancake action.

Sam's Patreon Page Show Links: Watch today's film: Black Noon Sam Pancake's Instagram Sam Pancake's Linktree This episode was engineered & produced by Meika Grimm.

Your ol' pal Sam Pancake has started a brand new show for you to take into your earballs: Sam and Sarah Watch a BONKERS Movie. This time, he's bringing along a co-host: actor Sarah Burns! The chemistry in these Patreon-only recordings was too hot to be contained there, so he's bringing it to the main feed for you to enjoy. The film selection rules are a little looser in this one, so Sam and Sarah will be covering classics from multiple decades and release formats. Today's focus on this new foray is The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane, a 1976 theatrical release starring Jodie Foster, Martin Sheen, and Alexis Smith. In a quiet New England town, a secretive young girl draws the inquisition of a local woman when she starts to realize that she might be hiding a very dark secret. She is soon hounded by a creepy pervert, the town cop, and more as her carefully plotted plan starts to unravel. Hope everyone has a great rest of your week! Sam Pancake's X (Formerly known as Twitter) Sam Pancake's Instagram Sarah Burns' Instagram Sarah Burns' Linktree Get a custom Cameo video from Sarah! Visit the Monday Afternoon Movie website

Facebook / X / Spotify / Google Play / Apple Podcasts This podcast was edited by Meika Grimm. Follow her on Instagram, or hire her for your audio/video/web needs. 😊