The S1E1 Podcast

"Saved by the Bell" is a sitcom revival that premiered on Peacock in 2020, returning viewers to the halls of Bayside High nearly three decades after the original gang graduated. When California Governor Zack Morris closes several underfunded high schools, students from those schools are transferred to the much wealthier Bayside, where they quickly discover just how different their worlds are.

Critics were surprisingly receptive to ...

"Saved by the Bell: The College Years" is a sitcom that premiered on NBC in 1993, following Zack Morris, Slater, and Screech as they leave High School behind and head off to California University. The series attempted to age up the "Saved by the Bell" formula, trading the halls of Bayside for dorm rooms and slightly more grown-up problems.

Unlike the original series, "The College Years" made the jump from Saturday mornings to NBC's...

"Saved by the Bell: The New Class" is a sitcom that premiered on NBC in 1993, picking up at Bayside High shortly after the original gang had moved on. With Mr. Belding (Dennis Haskins) still running the school, a brand-new group of students arrives to fill the familiar roles. The similarities to the original series weren't exactly subtle, but "The New Class" gave NBC a way to keep the halls of Bayside open and "Saved by the Bell" a...

"Good Morning, Miss Bliss" is a sitcom that premiered on the Disney Channel in 1988, starring Hayley Mills as Carrie Bliss, an eighth-grade teacher in Indianapolis. The series follows Miss Bliss as she attempts to guide her students through the trials and tribulations of adolescence. The show also features a young Zack Morris among the kids roaming the school's halls. 

"Good Morning, Miss Bliss" lasted just 13 episodes, but ca...

"Z Rock" is a semi-scripted comedy that premiered on IFC in 2008, starring the real-life Brooklyn rock band ZO2 as fictionalized versions of themselves. The band spends their nights chasing rock stardom as ZO2, but by day they pay the bills performing children's birthday parties as The Z Brothers. The show follows the band's struggle to keep their kiddie-party gigs from completely destroying their hard-rock credibility.

"Z Rock" la...

"Tenacious D" is a comedy series that premiered on HBO in 1997, starring Jack Black and Kyle Gass as fictionalized versions of themselves The show follows the duo as they chase rock & roll glory while dealing with everything from writer's block to encounters with Sasquatch. Each episode blends absurd comedy with live performances of songs that would eventually become staples of the real-life Tenacious D.

Despite premiering in 1...

"Girls5eva" is a sitcom that premiered on Peacock in 2021 where members of a one-hit-wonder girl group from the late '90s unexpectedly get another shot at fame when their biggest song is sampled by a popular young rapper. Now juggling the realities of getting older, the girls decide to reunite and prove their pop-star dreams don't have an expiration date. The series combines ridiculously catchy original songs with the rapid-fire co...

"The Monkees" is a sitcom that premiered on NBC in 1966, following the misadventures of a struggling four-piece rock band as they chase fame but somehow stumble into chaos wherever they go. Starring Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork, the series blended slapstick comedy and music videos years before MTV existed. Inspired by the success of A Hard Day's Night, the show quickly became one of the most energetic a...

"Just Shoot Me!" is a sitcom that aired on NBC from 1997-2003. The show stars Laura San Giacomo as Maya Gallo, an outspoken journalist who reluctantly goes to work at her father's fashion magazine. Surrounded by an eccentric staff, Maya finds herself constantly clashing with the superficial world she's been thrown into. With its sharp ensemble cast and fast-paced writing, the series carved out its own place during NBC's legendary M...

"The Unicorn" is a sitcom that premiered on CBS in 2019 starring Walton Goggins as Wade Felton, a recently widowed father who's reluctantly encouraged to jump back into the dating world. Much to his surprise, Wade quickly discovers he's exactly what many single women are looking for, a rare "unicorn". The series manages to explore themes like grief without ever losing its sense of humor.

While "The Unicorn" only lasted two seasons,...

"Newhart" is a sitcom that aired on CBS 1982-1990, starring comedy legend Bob Newhart as Dick Loudon, a New York author who trades city life for a quiet Vermont inn. Alongside his wife Joanna, Dick quickly discovers that running a country inn means dealing with an endless parade of eccentric guests and even stranger locals. Anchored by Newhart's signature dry wit and deadpan delivery, the series turned a simple fish-out-of-water pr...

"Son of a Critch" is a Canadian sitcom that premiered in 2023 on CBC. Based on comedian Mark Critch's bestselling memoir, the series follows him as an 11-year-old growing up in 1980s St. John's, Newfoundland. He possesses an "old soul" that makes him seem mature beyond his years, yet he remains vulnerable to the classic pitfalls of adolescence. Mark is often left feeling like an outsider in his own junior high.

While "Son of a Crit...

"True Originals" is an unaired sitcom pilot produced for UPN in 2003. The comedy follows a group of eccentric twenty-somethings that work at a nostalgia and collectibles shop. This pilot is legendary in Hollywood circles because of the incredible ensemble of future stars it featured right before they broke out, and how its failure directly shaped TV history. Famously this pilot is directly responsible for John Krasinski landing his...

“Brockmire” is a comedy that aired on IFC from 2017-2020. The show stars Hank Azaria as Jim Brockmire, a legendary baseball announcer whose spectacular on-air meltdown sends his career into a decade-long tailspin. After years of self-destruction, he gets a second chance calling games for the Frackers, a minor league team in Morristown, Pennsylvania. As he struggles to stay sober and rebuild his reputation, Brockmire dis...

“My Two Dads” is a sitcom that aired on NBC from 1987-1990 about two friends turned rivals who need to reunite to raise a 12-year-old girl after her mother passes away. The series explored an unconventional family dynamic years before non-traditional households became a common television theme. What could have been a gimmicky setup instead became a surprisingly warm sitcom about friendship and the idea that family is ab...

"Emeril" is an NBC sitcom that premiered in 2001 and starred celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse as a fictionalized version of himself. Set behind the scenes of a successful television cooking show, the series was a workplace and family comedy rolled into one, attempting to cash in on Emeril's massive Food Network appeal at the time.

Despite boasting a talented cast and the popularity of Emeril Lagasse at the height of his fame, the seri...

The Bob Newhart Show was a sitcom that aired on CBS from 1972-1978. The series stars Bob Newhart as Dr. Robert Hartley, a Chicago psychologist balancing the eccentric personalities of his patients with the equally colorful characters in his personal life. Unlike many sitcoms of its era, The Bob Newhart Show relied less on broad slapstick and more on sharp writing and dry wit.

Many fans consider The Bob Newhart Show to be Bob's fine...

“Hank” was a sitcom that premiered in 2009 on ABC. The show starred Kelsey Grammer as Hank Pryor, a CEO whose lavish lifestyle comes crashing down after he loses his job and is forced to leave Manhattan behind for the small town of River Bend, Virginia. There he attempts to reconnect with his wife, kids, and a more grounded way of life. The series leaned heavily into the classic fish-out-of-water sitcom formula, mixing ...

The Goldbergs was an ABC sitcom that aired from 2013-2023. The show was based on the childhood of show creator, Adam F. Goldberg. Equal parts family comedy and time capsule, The Goldbergs packed nearly every episode with references to ’80s movies, music, trends, and the kind of parenting style that probably wouldn’t survive today.

Critics and audiences embraced the series for its mix of heart and nostalgia, helping it b...