The First Ones

This month Queen Mel and Sarcastro sit down with their guests, The Slayer and Fatty, to discuss the first episode of 1981's Gimme a Break which starred Nel Carter as some sort of live in housekeeper/cook/mother figure to a gruff police chief and his three daughters. After observing the family dynamic and seeing that Nel is appartetnly the only character who isn't a fish out of water they determine if this could be remade today and if so, would it still be a sitcom. They also rate it on the Blansky-Benson scale to see where it will earn it's place is The First Ones history.

Intro and outro interpreted and performed by Banky on behalf of Sarcastro.

This month Queen Mel and Sarcastro are joined by Fatty and Mr. The Slayer (Mel's co-host on The Sunnydale Diaries) to discuss the first episode of WKRP in Cincinnati from 1978 which is about a struggling AM easy listening station that's getting a facelift to become a rock station and it's quirky cast of characters. Somehow it's a show that everyone except Sarcastro had seen growing up. Queen Mel also introduces the new season rating board where she and Sarcastro will determie the best shows reviewed each season.

Intro and outro interpreted and performed by Banky on behalf of Sarcastro.

This month Queen Mel and Sarcastro discuss the first episode of the sitcom Benson from 1979. A spin-off of the series Soap starring Robert Guillaume as the titular Benson DuBois who has been hired as the head of household for fish-out-of-water Governor Gatling of a never confirmed state played by James Noble. Benson meets some of the staff of the mansion consisting of the Chief of Staff, Secretary to the Governor and a sizeable German woman who appears to handle most of the duties of the house staff as the housekeeper and cook. Benson spends this episode solving a problem for the Governor who is trying to do what he thinks is right in saving wildlife but puts him on the outs with his daughter.

Intro and outro interpreted and performed by Banky on behalf of Sarcastro.

In the season two opener of The First Ones Sarcastro and Queen Mel are joined by guest commentator Fatty and producer Banky to talk about Blansky's Beauties, a Garry Marshall show that was so good at getting cancelled they made the same show twice using several of the cast members under a different show name and on two networks. Starring Nancy Walker of Rhoda and The Dick van Dyke Show fame, as Nancy Blansky, a showbiz veteran who is spending her twilight years raising her nephews (played by Eddie Mekka and a very young Scott Baio) while managing a group of show girls at what may be one of the seediest hotels in Las Vegas. Oh did we mention there's a Great Dane named Blackjack in the show, because, why not?

Intro interpreted and performed by Sarcastro

This month in the season one finale of The First Ones, Sarcastro is joined by Queen Mel who has become part of the POoRCHoices family and the official co-host of the show moving forward. Fatty and Banky also sat in on the episode to talk about Mork & Mindy from 1978, based on a cameo character on another Garry Marshall show, Happy Days, and helped to launch the career of Robin Williams and co-starred Pam Dawber.

Intro and outro performed and interpreted by Sarcastro with an assist from Banky.

This month Sarcastro is joined by Corporal and Banky to discuss the Washington, DC neighborhood sitcom, 227 from the grand old year of 1985. Somehow this is a show that Sarcastro never watched growing up but one that Corporal remembers in the deepest chambers of his mind. Starring Marla Gibbs, Hal Williams, and an extremely saucy and overly sexually charged up Jackée Harry it was definitely a show for the time and the pilot episode teaches the gang about the perils of being honest, or perhaps the friendships you can make when you try to deceive people.

Intro and outro interpreted and performed by Sarcastro.

This month Sarcastro is joined by Fatty, Banky and friend of the show and co-host of The Sunnydale Diaries, a Buffy the Vampire Slayer podcast, Queen Mel to talk about a show she recommended, Tales from the Darkside. A horror anthology series in which Sarcastro was the only one on the show who had never heard of it.

The first episode happened to be an actual aired pilot that first hit television around Halloween in 1983 and was about a loan shark played by Barnard Hughes (Grandpa from The Lost Boys) and who happened to enjoy Halloween so much he put on a free haunted house for the kids of the indebted parents in town. The episode also stars Max Wright making his second appearance on The First Ones from the premier episode on ALF.

Intro and outro interpreted and performed by Sarcastro.

Be sure to check out The Sunnydale Diaries wherever you listen to podcasts and follow them on their socials and visit them at www.thesunnydalediaries.com.

This month Sarcastro selected the late 80's show, My Secret Identity, starring a young Jerry O'Connell just three years off of starring in Stand By Me and 6 years before his stint on Sliders. Banky joins in to help recall how much they actually don't remember about the show and question the writers' decision to have the power of flight propelled by hairspray cans used to rescue a damsel in distress when the main character had super speed. As they look to find who could play the main character in a reboot of the series, Sarcastro suggests using Prince Sarcastro as the new teen star and Captain (Sarcastro's dad) as the crazy scientist neighbor.

Intro and outro interpreted and performed by Sarcastro

This month on The First Ones, Sarcastro is joined by Fatty and Banky to talk about The Facts of Life which Sarcastro noted he had some help selecting which series to cover for this episode from friend of the show and co-host of The Sunnydale Diaries: A Buffy Podcast, Melanie. With a premier in the fall of 1979 none of them realized how large of a cast the first episode had and that future star Molly Ringwald was in the first season and Nancy McKeon's rough and tough, street-wise Jo Polniaczek wasn't. Which makes them wonder, had they ever seen the first season let alone the first episode at all?

Intro and outro interpreted and performed Sarcastro.

This month on The First Ones, Sarcastro is joined by Corporal Fatty, Banky to discuss the first episode of Andy Richter Controls the Universe from 2002. Turns out it's a show where Andy Richter may not be the nice guy he imagines himself to be based on the dubious plan to get his new office mate fired and repeatedly imagines the bigoted deceased founder of his company talking to him which may make Andy a bigot as well. The fact that it was from 2002 shocked Banky as he thought it was much more recent and Corporal points out that it was a staple to watch for him while living at The Porch.

Intro and outro interpreted and performed Sarcastro.