The Satellite Show

When The Doctor and Ruby Sunday land on the Welsh coastline, he breaks a fairy circle and immediately disappears. Ruby’s key will not work in the TARDIS, and she is forced to fend for herself in the nearby Welsh town. Making her way home to London, she also discovers a mysterious woman is hovering 73 yards away. Whenever anyone tries to talk to the woman, she inspires fear in them and a contempt for Ruby. With The Doctor still missing, Ruby gets on with her life, but will a chance reference to something he told her reveal her true purpose?

Justin and Erik discuss the personalities of the 14th and 15th Doctors. They also get lost in the Welsh countryside for a time. Erik gets into the trouble of modern Doctor Who discourse. Millie Gibson proves to be a capable lead as she takes point in this episode. Erik outlines the true mystery of faith. The ambiguity of the episode leads to differing opinions. Erik’s critical English accents re-appears while Justin considers some of his family’s past with the British Empire.

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Tread Perilously’s annual Doctor Who month celebrates 20 years of the new series, starting with the Jodie Whittaker era episode “Eve of the Daleks.”

New Year’s Eve 2021. Sarah, the owner of Elf Storage in Manchester, must keep the lights on because a certain client always turns up just before midnight on 31 December to deposit items in his storage space. He turns up, naturally enough, but so do The Doctor, Yaz, and Dan. And, soon, Daleks arrive, too. When they exterminate everyone in the building, a time loop occurs … but all quickly becomes aware of it. Can they figure out the secret behind the loop and stop the Dalek?

Erik gets into the weeds about the use of the term “reboot” in media. He also makes the case against Dan. Justin comes to his own appraisal about the character. While some gripes about then-showrunner Chris Chibnall get aired, the pair praise him for various choices in this episode. Guest stars Aisling Bea and Adjani Salmon also prove to be MVPs. Guesses are made about cuisine in Middle-earth. Despite a number of tropes, the story ends up feeling fresh. The problem with The Doctor/Yaz relationship is discussed and Dalek voices abound.

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Tread Perilously’s Movies on TV month concludes with an episode of Teen Wolf called “Lunatic.”

Following the incident at school, Scott and Allison are on the outs … and it seems to be having a profound effect on his wolfy nature. Allison, meanwhile, is starting to notice how strange people are behaving — particularly her father and aunt. Derek is on the run as he is the prime suspect in the school incident and Scott can’t decide if he or the Alpha is making him go feral. Jackson sees an opportunity to get closer to Allison and Stiles proves to be too good of a friend.

Erik and Justin get into the weeds with the original Teen Wolf film. The Twilight and Vampire Diaries vibes are unavoidable as well. Erik cannot deny he is a Crystal Reed fan. Stiles turns out to be the surprising favorite in this version of the tale. The problem of high school shows is addressed. The pair find a new role for Bruce Campbell. Justin tries to figure out why the show bothered to use the Teen Wolf branding. Geography Corner leads to a surprising filming location. It is unclear if star Tyler Posey is a lead and the difficulties of depicting werewolves in live action are explored.

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Tread Perilously’s month of TV shows based on feature films continues with an episode of Alien Nation called “Fifteen With Wanda.”

When a Newcomer limo driver is witness to a crime on his wedding night, he enters witness protection with Sikes and Francisco as his detail. Unfortunately, the Newcomer took an aphrodisiac as part of the wedding/bonding tradition and must spend the next three weeks wanting nothing more than the 15 minutes with his bride to complete the mating ceremony. And with his day in court soon approaching, he is targeted for extermination. Meanwhile, Francisco’s son gets involved with Lori Petty.

Justin recalls the reason why he never watched Alien Nation despite being a big fan of the movie. Memories of the Fox network in the 1990s are examined, including The X-Files and M.A.N.T.I.S. The pair also recall what genre movies and TV were like before it all got Whedon-ized. Star Gary Graham proves to be the weakest link in moving Alien Nation to television. Co-star Eric Pierpoint proves more successful as TV’s Mandy Patinkin. The power of 1990s Lori Petty cannot be denied. Geography Corner leads to Southern California colleges. Justin learns a key detail about Newcomer physiology. Erik and Justin pitch a modern version of Alien Nation and discover the old Dr. Spock joke now requires a ton of context.

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Tread Perilously’s Movies On TV month continues with an episode of Gidget called “Gidget’s Foreign Policy.”

When Gidget’s father allows an associate’s daughter to spend the week before classes begin at UCLA at their home, Gidget comes face-to-face with a more rigid way of life: the Swedish way! But her attempts to get the timid Inge to loosen up work too well and, soon, the exchange student is chasing the boys Gidget usually keeps on a leash. Will her boyfriend choose Inge over her? And what will happen when Inge’s fiance returns from San Francisco to discover what’s become of his intended?

Erik and Justin immediately seize on the weirdness of Sweden as a truly foreign country. Erik accidentally stumbles on a possible Opus Dei conspiracy. Star Sally Field is discussed for her obvious presence, but lack of chops as Gidget. The character’s name is also discussed. Justin tries to figure out the premise and its connection to the film. The innocence of the series throws the pair for a loop. Special guest star Walter Koenig and a member of the film’s cast leads down a very specific alley. The importance of a good burger bun is emphasized. Gerd Shockley makes an unexpected appearance and Cliff Robertson is celebrated.

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Tread Perilously begins a month of movies squeezed and stretched into television series with the RoboCop: The Series episode called “Inside Crimes.”

When William Ray “Pudface” Morgan’s latest heist becomes fodder for the OCP Television series Inside Crimes, ratings go through the roof. The executive producer, naturally, wants to feature the criminal — and RoboCop — more frequently, but the cops, the OCP Chairman, and a security detail protecting $1.2 billion in gold bullion beg to differ. Will RoboCop sniff out Pudface’s real scheme before it’s too late? And will the Inside Crimes EP get more than she bargained for when she enlists Pudface’s direct help?

Erik and Justin determine whether or not the series continues the story from the film. Characters like Madigan and the OCP Chairman come under the microscope. The overall notion of canonicity also gets discussed. Star Richard Eden’s performance as RoboCop is assessed. RoboCop 3 is exhumed. Frank Miller becomes important, as does satire. The relative quality of RoboCop: The Series is also appraised. A joke leads to a chat about The Kids in the Hall. Vic Mackey continues to invade any and all cop show conversations. Ronald McDonaldland turns into a cesspit of crime and, for reasons, actor Paul McCrane is celebrated.

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Tread Perilously’s ’80s flashback month concludes with an episode of The Love Boat called “Miss Mom/Who’s the Champ/Gopher’s Delusion”

The Pacific Princess‘s latest Mexican coast sailing comes with a twist — a wrestling match between “Lover Boy” Bob and Thomas ‘The Mangler’ Sharkey. The promoter even retained the services of Terry “Hulk” Hogan to do ringside commentary! But when The Mangler’s sister has a lovely interaction with Lover Boy, will it turn the kayfabe into a serious grudge? Meanwhile, Cruise Director Judy tries to find a man for her cousin, Gretchen — and potentially succeeds — even as Gopher is hypnotized into believing he is Captain Stubing.

Justin finally faces an episode of The Love Boat. Erik pitches guest actor Tim Rossovich for the other version of Superman III that never got made. Both are surprised by the show’s anthology structure. The presence of the Hulkster, and Caitlyn Jenner as one of the wrestlers, leads down certain directions — including an appreciation of “Macho Man” Randy Savage. A wild Teri Hatcher appears! The old Navy Seals joke gets dissected. The myth of Ted McGinley is also addressed. Erik identifies a couple of guest stars from their Star Trek: The Next Generation appearances. Jenner’s 1980s hairstyle gets dubbed “the Pete Rose” and Erik realizes a startling connection between Gopher and Star Trek‘s Pavel Chekhov.

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Tread Perilously’s 1980s flashback month continues with an episode of Magnum P.I. called “Kiss of the Sabre.”

When Magnum is evicted from the guest house, he gets to know its new inhabitant: novice writer Betty Windom. Constantly suffering writer’s block during her attempts to plot a tale of superspy Sebastian Sabre, she decides to butt into Magnum’s latest case. Is a simple job verifying details of an insurance claim more than it seems? Magnum doesn’t think so, but when Betty sees him nearly killed by a backhoe, it becomes clear things are not so cut-and-dry. And, maybe, it is the exact thing Sebastian Sabre needs.

Erik immediately declares the episode to be a broadcast version of an Andy Sedaris movie. Another bevy of guest stars suggests the real reason he chose this episode. Justin’s attempt to recall the premise of Magnum P.I. leads in strange directions. The pair doubt star Tom Selleck could have launched the Indiana Jones film series. They also evaluate Magnum’s case and the Sabre story it inspired. Justin suggests a reason for the cast to play their regular parts and the characters in Betty’s book. The first digression into Better Off Dead of 2025 occurs. Guest star Patrick Collins earns his name and Erik completely fails to create a Howard Cosell impression.

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