EP 18 - SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS

Robbie-Ann joins the iconic Midnight Mastermind game on BBC2Radio! Host Phil Williams takes on Robbie-Ann's topic: Columbo

Also...in what may be the highlight of her life, Robbie-Ann receives a transatlantic happy birthday song courtesy of Phil and BBCRadio.

The Girls (as Amy DeFazio and Robbie-Ann Feeney) do a Deep Dive into 70s sitcom classic Laverne and Shirley. The iconic shabby basement apartment, which Amy reports was also the former set of another classic sitcom. The show's frequent 'winter' settings. Landlady Mrs. Babish. Lenny Kosnowski and Andrew 'Squiggy' Squiggman - David Lander and Michael McKean...and the surprising origins of their characters. Did Shirley and Laverne date Lenny and Squiggy, or what? Robbie-Ann wonders about a Steinbeck influence on their characters. Carmine - Shirley's 'sweetheart.' Character analysis: Shirley Feeney. Were you Shirley or Laverne? Boo-Boo Kitty - Cindy Williams' ad lib. The origins of the famous nonsense hop-scotch intro "5, 6, 7 8..." Some ocean-floor level deeeep-dive trivia on the iconic theme song sung by Cyndi Greco, and its connections to the Happy Days theme song. How producers discovered Cyndi Greco singing at an amusement park. Sidebar: go find the documentary The Wrecking Crew about the famous musicians who played on pretty much EVERYTHING between 1960 and 1980. The Ron Hicklin Singers: the surprising "Making Our Dreams Come True" theme connection with The Partridge Family, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Kawasaki and McDonald's jingles, and a long list of 60s and 70s hits. Robbie-Ann reports the 'WHAAAT?!" connection with the "Making Our Dreams Come True" song and...."We Are the World?!" Character breakdown: Laverne DeFazio. The iconic 'L' monogram on her sweaters, which Penny Marshall contributed to Laverne's costume. The abomination of 'milk and Pepsi.' Amy reports on Laverne's backstory. The incredible physical comedy from the two leads. Shirley's disappearance from the last season of the show - the 'marriage' excuse. Michael McKean's exit to shoot "Spinal Tap" - and Amy reports a stunning announcement that Spinal Tap actually appeared on an episode in the last season. The final episode of Season 8 - a Carmine spin-off? The show's move to Burbank that jumped the shark. Laverne and Shirley in Burbank: gift wrappers? "Big Rosie" as their nemesis in early episodes. When Mrs. Babish married Laverne's father Frank, but leaves him in the lurch in later episodes. Robbie-Ann's issue with sitcoms that got serious: just be funny please. Sidebar: Seinfeld's wise 'no hugs' policy on the sitcom. Amy liked those episodes though, because it was unexpected. The 80s hair and wardrobe of the later seasons, even though it was supposed to be late 60s. The lost season 5 when Laverne and Shirley joined the Army Reserves. The show's great use of the street-level window as a comedy device. How Cindy Williams and Penny Marshall initially got on the show, and their connection to...Francis Ford Coppola? Penny Marshall's marriage to Rob Reiner, and Cindy Williams' marriage to Bill Hudson of the Hudson Brothers. The infamous terms 'Vo-di-oh-do-do' and 'hot to trot.' The 're-virginization' of Laverne and Shirley. Rumors of off-camera antics: partying? Diva behavior? Drugs? The effects of the show's success on egos and the work environment. The cozy first seasons and the focus on the characters' friendship. Didn't every little girl think she would grow up to live with her best friend? 

The Girls recall a kid's eye view of the World of Grown-Ups. Eavesdropping on your parents' adult drama. "He smelled like a brewery"... "Well he was three sheets to the wind..." Listening to your mother's gossipy phone calls. Amy's household crime sprees while her mother was tethered to the phone. Amy's Aunts judging outfits and drunks. Robbie-Ann's parents' big summer barbecue parties. Genny Cream Ale and Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. Ladies with cigarettes and unfortunate perms. Tons of hairspray. Oversized eyeglasses. 60s hair helmet holdovers. Frosted "hair cap" tips. Amy's parents' bbq parties: no shirts on the guys, Farrah hair, long maroon nails, clogs and tube tops on the ladies. Kenny Rogers on the radio. Grown-up side jobs - tending bar and waiting tables. Amy watching from the pool. What the grown-ups drove to the bbq. The hot mom and the dad who drove the Corvette. Amy's nonplussed Uncle Ray and his dolphin running shorts. 80s Divorce: a generation of latchkey kids are born. Amy's mom's friend Katie: the "Fun" mom. The 70s King Tut exhibition. Sidebar: energy levels and why two hours is the max to do anything. Modern adults: marrying later, having kids later, staying together. Amy's exceptional talent for making things "fun." Robbie-Ann's "fun" uncle. The catalyst for Amy's dark turn in her teenaged years: what her mom's friend Katie wrote in a letter to Amy's mom that crushed Amy's teenaged heart. Find out if Amy and Katie ever made amends. 

The Girls do a deep dive off Gilligan's Island, with special guest and Gilligan Expert, Robbie-Ann's childhood bestie Karen. Karen talks about her all-things Tiki obsession, which evolved into a Gilligan's Island obsession. Robbie-Ann asks, and Karen answers, the tough questions: how did they get years out of that radio battery? Why didn't they build a boat? Where did they get all those wardrobe changes from just a three-hour tour (a threeee hour tour...)? Amy talks about her after-school joy watching Gilligan's Island, and her love for the vibrant colors on the show. Karen and Robbie-Ann reminisce about getting off the kindergarten bus at Karen's house and spending the afternoon on the Island. Amy reveals the shocking world tragedy event that occurred on the day the cast were filming the pilot episode, and how you can see a reference to it in the original opening sequence. Amy goes on to describe Sherwood Schwartz' origins of the show, as something of a political statement. Shocker: when Schwartz first conceived the series, the seven characters originally represented the Seven Deadly Sins. Can you identify who was which? The Girls discuss. Karen reveals her favorite episode, featuring the fictional Beatle-esque band the Mosquitos. The Girls dissect the Honey Bees' (Ginger, Mary Ann and Mrs. Howell) song "You Need Us." Naturally this leads to discussing the iconic tv Gilligan's Island theme song, and Karen reveals a crazy fact about the Wellingtons, who sang it. Amy reveals that the original pilot's Calypso theme song was co-written by none other than Star Wars, Jaws, Indiana Jones and E.T. composer John Williams. BUT - then Amy also reveals what Christmas classic was written by George Wyle, who co-wrote the historic "Just sit right back..." theme song that ended up in the show. Amy reports the five basic plot lines that covered almost all of the episodes. Gilligan's opera-radio reception in his teeth. The Dream Sequence episodes. Trivia: The Skipper's real name. The Professor's real name. Mrs. Howell's maiden name. Which cast member was the only one allowed by Sherwood Schwartz to improvise? The 1978  "Rescue from Gilligan's Island" tv movie. Casting Could-have-beens: could Jane Mansfield have been Ginger? Tina Louise, "method actor." The old Ginger vs. Mary Ann debate. Gilligan's first name: a controversy. Raquel Welch or Pat Priest as Mary Ann? Carol O'Connor as the Skipper? Dabney Coleman as The Professor? Dawn Wells, Natalie Schafer and their "Ice Cream Diet." Which Gilligan's Island stars ended up on Sherwood Schwartz' next sitcom, The Brady Bunch? Jim Backus' stellar acting pedigree. The show's enduring effect on its cast: typecasting. Which cast members embraced their roles after the show, and who didn't. Which cast member ended up being the only one still earning residuals decades later? The Gilligan's Island tie-in to the "Very Brady Sequel" movie. Sidebar: the 1990's Brady movies. "Gilligan's Planet?!!" "Aloha Paradise" - who remembers this show? The Gilligan's Island "warm fuzzy." Mary Ann's navel: snuck by the network standards and practices. The various island inventions: the car, the washing machine. Sidebar: Robbie-Ann and Karen talk about their kindergarten friendship, and the outfits they wore. Gilligan's Island shooting locations - where Seinfeld and Roseanne were also filmed. Who was the only Gilligan's Island star who did not guest star on The Love Boat? Sidebar: a discussion of their Gen X Childhood friendship. Robbie-Ann describes going to see Shaun Cassidy with Karen in 1978, and Amy wants to know what Karen and Robbie-Ann wore to the show. Who had better toys, Karen or Robbie-Ann? Robbie-Ann coveted Karen's Bionic Woman Dome House, her I Dream of Jeannie doll and bottle-house playset, and her Pet Ghost. Robbie-Ann describes the first day of kindergarten 40+ years ago, when she and Karen met. Karen and Robbie-Ann talk about kindergarten life in the 70s, and Robbie-Ann's bravery in the face of being told she couldn't play with the boy's better toys at recess. Final thoughts on the "warm fuzzy" of Gilligan's Island: there was no villain, no romance on the island, and Karen celebrates the real life friendship between Mary Ann, and Natalie Schafer. 

David Yontef, host and creator of the iconic, dish-y "Behind the Velvet Rope" podcast, returns to chat with The Girls about 80s icons, and how David was the last person to interview the late Tawny Kitaen. David shares his impression of the 80s video vixen and actress, and how Tawny dished about Harvey Weinstein and O.J. Simpson! Next, David talks about interviewing The Real Housewives of Orange County's "ZZ Top Girl" 80s video vixen Jeana Keough: yawns? Ru Paul's Drag Race fan Amy asks about David's interview with iconic drag queen Alaska: did Real Housewife Lisa Rinna kick Alaska out of the dressing room at an event? Gia Gunn: thumbs up from David as an interviewee who did not hold back. Soap Diva Susan Lucci: one of David's most celebrated "gets." Donna Mills. Audrey Landers. Charlene Tilton" a total sweetheart. Brian Dunkleman! Carol Baskin: ...did she do it? Cassandra Peterson, a.k.a. Elvira. Robbie-Ann shouts-out Donna Mills again. [sorry for the audio echo issue, couldn't be fixed...] Will Martha Stewart step Behind the Velvet Rope?! Sidebar: David's minty Christmas candle, wrapping, mailing gifts, Amy's last minute shopping and Robbie-Ann's secret to Christmas shopping without anxiety.

The Girls discuss a few of their favorite things from Christmases of yore... which Wrapping Type was your house? Random Slapdash, Artform Wrapping, or Gift Wrapped at The Store? The Giant Barbie Head. String tinsel. Robbie-Ann's magical mid-70s favorite cozy Christmas, when the power went out: a fire in the fireplace, her family intact. The Traditions: Amy reveals her family's Christmas Eves spent at her grandmother's house in Los Angeles. 60s ornaments, and all the vintage decorations. Groovy wrapping paper. The Nut Bowl. Christmas carols and the Christmas ham. Robbie-Ann describes the vast difference between her father's parents' (Oma and Opa) perfect formal Christmas Eve dinners, and her mother's parents' (Bill and Helen) chaotic but fun Christmas Day meals at their restaurant tavern. Oyster stew. Sticking a Cheeto inside a Bugle. Tiny vintage Coke bottles. Robbie-Ann's Oma: Wrapping Artist. Gramma Helen and Grampa Bill's cast of thousands at Christmas Day dinner. "Hasty" present wrapping. Total chaos when the kids tore the gifts open. Gramma Helen's maximalist decorating style - every inch covered with garland and holiday tchotchkes. Robbie-Ann and her cousin Michelle's almost-matching gifts. Pre-divorce Christmas vs. Post-Divorce Christmas. Amy describes the magic of dressing up with ribbons and tights and patent leather shoes. The end of the formal holidays. Amy and Robbie-Ann talk about restoring the formality. Inviting the TV for dinner: killer of family interaction or much-needed friend to the latchkey kid? Sidebar: Robbie-Ann recommends the movie Avalon for a stunning movie about how TV destroyed the "family." Amy disagrees, offering the value of TV to a lonely latchkey kid. Amy discusses the awkward phase when you are no longer the adorable center of attention, and when you grow up and have to actually work on Christmas. Blanking out unhappy Christmases. The Psyche Wounds of GenX Kids after divorce. The Girls talk about an infamous Christmas they spent together years ago after a miserable 7am-3pm shift at The Famous Deli: drinking their sorrows away in a ratchet strip mall Old Man Bar. Amy recalls several lonely Christmases, staring at her apartment wall. Sidebar: TV is a friend and companion for the lonely and sad. Amy's window on the world, through the TV. The Rankin-Bass specials: celebrating Misfits. Look up behind the scenes of the Rankin-Bass videos on YouTube! Robbie-Ann's staunch belief in the Magic of Christmas, fed by movies and television. Amy reveals she was never told about Santa Clause. Robbie-Ann recalls believing at four years old, when Santa wrote her a nice note explaining why she couldn't get a camera for Christmas. The Proxy Santa. The Food! Baked goods, ribbon candy, the Lifesaver story book gift sets. The Bonne Bell Lipsmacker gift set.  Robbie-Ann's memory of receiving grown-up Blue Jean perfume. Amy recalls Tinkerbell bath products. The ritual trip to Hickory Farms. Christmas cookies. Peppermint bark. Peanut butter cookies with Hershey's kisses mushed in the top. The cornflake green wreath cookies. Gingerbread houses. The music. The smells. Real vs. Fake Trees. Is there a loss of "specialness" of Christmas rituals and traditions because we can get anything we want any time we want? The right Christmas "vibe," the right Hallmark Christmas movie. Stocking gifts: batteries and Lipsmacker. Wonky bossa nova "modern" Christmas Carols from the late 60s.  Robbie-Ann describes working during Christmas season at the record store: little grammas trying to buy modern music for their grandkids. Christmas shopping back in the day: decorations wall-to-wall, big crowds. PSA: be KIND to your local retail clerk during Christmas Season. They are in hell. Robbie-Ann shares her magic, never-fail secret for surviving busy Christmas shopping, handed down to her by a fellow cocktail waitress when she lived in New York City. Sidebar: yes, Robbie-Ann was once a cocktail waitress in a big Times Square nightclub. Hello to our listeners all around the world, and Merry Christmas!

The Girls remember Halloween of Yore...Robbie-Ann's first costume memory, as a toddler: wearing a onesie kitty outfit in her Oma's neighborhood Halloween parade. Amy recalls her first-grade plastic "Cinderella" mask, paired with patent leather shoes and blue socks, and her shocking costume contest loss. Homemade vs. Store-bought costumes. God Bless the non artsy-craftsy moms. Robbie-Ann's faux 'princess' costume, created with her mother's old nightgown and last year's costume cape. The rubber band on the plastic masks, held together with The World's Flimsiest Staple. Robbie-Ann's "Community Center" Halloween, and the bag of dried apricot ears. The Candy. Big ticket items: a full sized Reeses Peanut Butter cup, a full-sized Snickers bar. Robbie-Ann rejects Milky Ways and Three Musketeers - why were there always so many of them? The five pennies taped together. Raisins. Sweet little old ladies who handed out popcorn balls. Robbie-Ann realizes later in life the care and effort it took to tape all those pennies and make those popcorn balls. The Rules: no eating on the road, all candy had to be inspected by Mom and Dad. Trading candy with Cousin Michelle. Smarties: the first candies on the table. Performance-Based candy rewards: a full-sized Snickers bar. SNOW on Halloween?! Amy's candy brokering. The no-name orange and black wrapped nougat candies. Dum-Dums. Bazooka bubble gum pieces. Unwrapped, open random Twizzlers in the bag: thrown out immediately by Mom. Fun-sized candy bars. The poisoned candy urban myth, and why Robbie-Ann's mother would not allow her to eat trick-or-treat apples. Robbie-Ann reports the history of Three Musketeers, and a shocking revelation about the candy bar's origin. The razor in the apple urban legend: was it real? Amy reports on the controversy, and uncovers a horrible story about a child murder in the 70s. Halloween II: the emergency room scene with a kid who bit into a razor blade hidden in an apple. Candy Corn: iconic. Robbie-Ann defends the much-maligned candy and explains how you're supposed to eat it. Jelly beans. The mystery flavor abomination known as the sponge peanut. Tootsie Rolls: problematic. Milk Duds: they taste like they're supposed to be something else.  Pumpkin Carving!! Pumpkin Patch vs. Supermarket Pumpkins. The family carving ritual, with newspapers and roasted pumpkin seeds. Screwing up the teeth and eyebrows. The TV specials: The Great Pumpkin.  Witches Night Out, the 1978 Halloween animated special starring Gilda Radner. Robbie-Ann shares a warm memory from Gramma Helen's kitchen on a cold fall night. The Headless Horseman cartoon. Chilling Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House record. Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day. The Monster Mash. TV series Halloween "special" episodes. Alice smashes Mrs. Brady's ceramic bust because the boys kept scaring everyone with fake ghosts. 

The Girls dive into the 80s teen movies from John Hughes. Which characters did you relate to? Sixteen Candles resonates with Amy: Samantha's eye-rolling and disgust. The grandparents - both sets. Hughes' nod to the Twilight Zone when two grandparents appeared on screen. Robbie-Ann relates to Ally Sheedy's "The Basket Case" Breakfast Club character. How well he wrote female characters - Amy reveals Hughes grew up with three sisters. Molly Ringwald as muse. Hughes' sort of absurd sense of humor: the lady with the squeaky shoes in Sixteen Candles. His start in advertising: Amy reveals that he created the corn pop cowboy character, and the credit card "stubble check" for razors! He wrote a comedy essay called "Vacation 58" for National Lampoon, which led to his script for 1983's Mr. Mom. Robbie-Ann talks about Mr. Mom being one of the funniest movies ever made, and how the dialogue became part of her lexicon for life. Sidebar: She describes her hunt for the Cape Cod style house they used in the movie, and finally finding it during the summer of 2021. She's Having a Baby, Hughes' autobiographical story starring Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern. Robbie-Ann reveals the secret meaning behind  license plate numbers on the characters' cars used in Hughes' movies.  Ferris Bueller's Day Off: the gamble they took using a Beatles song.  Breakfast Club casting: John Cusack as Bender? Joan Cusack as The Basket Case? And Jennifer Beals in Pretty in Pink? Molly Ringwald's inspiring headshot that led to Sixteen Candles. How John Hughes got Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall to get along on the movie. Farmer Ted and Samantha Baker - dating??? More what-if casting: a different Duckie? What led to Hall and Hughes falling out. Molly Ringwald bails on Some Kind of Wonderful, possibly igniting a feud? Viggo Mortensen as Jake Ryan? What? Weird Science. Chet! Kelly LeBrock's smart, hot "together" woman, who teaches Wyatt and Gary how to stand up for themselves. Pretty in Pink: the infamous original ending and Andrew McCarthy's wig in the reshoot. Robbie-Ann's shooting location obsession leads her to the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, to see the prom scene room. The soundtrack. All the soundtracks - Hughes' deliberate music choices. Tarquin Gotch, his music supervisor. Home Alone, another gigantic Hughes hit, directed by Chris Columbus. Vacation, directed by Harold Ramis - another incredible soundtrack. 2009 in New York City: Amy reports on the day of his death. Some Kind of Wonderful what-if casting: Kim Delaney? Kyle McLaughlin? Michael J. Fox? Ferris Bueller's Day Off: Amy's revelation about Ferris and where he came from. Robbie-Ann talks about The Car - a fiberglass fake? The lost subplot between Jennifer Grey and Charlie Sheen. Chicago as a character in Hughes's movies. Rest in Peace, John Hughes, GenX thanks you for giving us some hope when we were teenagers. Random shout out to our European listeners! Bonjour! Hallo! Ciao! 

The Girls delve into what made Happy Days one of the most beloved and iconic sitcoms of the Twentieth Century. Which came first, American Graffiti or Happy Days? Or Love, American Style? The first season, a single-camera dramedy and older brother Chuck. Fonzi's windbreaker. The multi-camera sitcom that Happy Days became. Fonzi's hoodlum evolution and Henry Winkler's contributions to the character. Incredible sidebar: a deeeeeep dive into the theme songs, "Rock Around the Clock," and "Happy Days," and a shocking vocal revelation about Jim Haas, the guy who sang it: find out who the late Jim Haas "ghost sang" for...hint: it was a huge disco hit by a verrrrry famous teen idol. Aaaand all the other songs the incredible Jim Haas lent his vocals to, plus the *iconic* classic rock band he toured with as a backup singer. Robbie-Ann gets way too excited about it all. The Girls discuss their favorite characters. Fonzi's brown bomber motorcycle jacket and the Standards and Practices reason why Fonzi always leaned on his bike when he wore it in the early seasons. How did Fonzi get away with dating all those girls? The Girls discuss waiting on some of the cast members at the famous deli where they worked, or at the World's Largest Disco. The Henry Winkler Mystique: Yale?! Amy talks about waiting on beautiful Marion Ross and seeing Scott Baio in L.A. Clubs. Robbie-Ann remembers the lovely Mrs. C's banana pancake order and Amy recalls her saying she was going to exercise class. The spin off cast members and guest stars: Ted McGinley. Crystal Barnard. Morgan Fairchild. Tom Hanks. Brady Christopher Knight. Cheryl Ladd. Lenny & Squiggy. Charlene Tilton. Robbie-Ann describes waiting on Michael McKean, aka Lenny, aka David St. Hubbins. Amy's friend annoys Scott Baio in a club with the Charles in Charge theme. Mork: a spin off character from Happy Days and why he was a space alien. Amy explains how Robin Williams became Mork. Sidebar: Mork and Mindy. Sidebar: Robbie-Ann finds the real Golden Girls house, and the murder house from Halloween in Los Angeles. Amy's sitcom house meditation technique, and the Happy Days set. Cousin Spike. Amy reports on his date with Joanie, and the origin of the characters' names. The infamous Pinky Tuscadero demolition derby two-part episode. The Malachi Crunch! Fonzi, and later the show, Jumps the Shark: the Girls discuss. Arnold's vs. Al's. Fonzi's cold-ravioli Thanksgiving. 80s hair in the 60s. Amy does Chachi's "wah wah wah." Linda Purl, Fonzi's real girlfriend. Donny Most and Anson Williams, Ralph Malph and Potsie Weber. Joanie Loves Chachi, and what went wrong there.

The Girls reminisce about their school-aged summer vacations. Amy describes her last day of third grade, and the glorious feeling of being done with all things "school" for two months. Robbie-Ann still feels relief that she has no homework to do. Robbie-Ann describes her last day of 5th grade; the height of Shaun Cassidy and Queen's "We Will Rock You." Her 55-pound school back pack. The snack cupboard: Fritos, potato chips, and...chipped beef? Summer uniforms: a Honey Nut Cheerios t-shirt, "Dove" shorts and iron-on tank tops. Amy's iconic pink Huffy Sweet Thunder bike, and staffing her summer theater productions. The Public Pool: chlorine and pink eye. Robbie-Ann's elaborate Star Wars doll planets, created in her back yard. Robbie-Ann's glitter-purple banana seat bike. Summer Chores: Amy's dusting with way too much Pledge, vacuuming, polishing hardwood floors with Life-O-Wood. Emptying the dishwasher. Helping mom with the grocery shopping. Summer vacations, or lack thereof. Dad's cut-offs and barbecue parties. Sidebar: shout out to listeners in France, Germany, Turkey, Spain and other countries far and wide. We love you! Swimming in a quarry. Dazed and Confused: the ultimate 70s summer movie. Fast Times at Ridgemont High: the ultimate 80s high school movie. Melting crayons in the car. Amy's days at the beach. The smell of fresh cut grass. Charcoal. Coconut Coppertone tanning oil. Sea N Ski. Zinca. Summer nights: sunburn, snacks and watching the Love Boat in your nightgown, after your shower to wash the sand off.  Amy's "box of stuff." Robbie-Ann's pet salamander. Fireflies - not a myth! Bug Zappers. Fly strips: yuck! The freeze of air conditioning when you walked into a fast food restaurant on a hot day. The Boogeyman, living in the summer woods. Iron-ons.