Episodes
Tuesday Oct 01, 2024
1984 Episode 31 - Sunday in the Park with George
Tuesday Oct 01, 2024
Tuesday Oct 01, 2024
Despite being a classic of the American theater and winning a rare Pulitzer along the way, Sarah & Joe were largely unfamiliar with Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George, but that has all changed! It Happened One Year once again wanders into the rare live theater corner and kicks around the musical painting biopic for good and all. Along the way there's some discussion of what makes a good musical, what are particularly bad musical-to-movie adaptation, and not nearly as much singing as you'd expect!
Tuesday Sep 17, 2024
1984 Episode 30 - The Muppets Take Manhattan
Tuesday Sep 17, 2024
Tuesday Sep 17, 2024
101 episodes and nearly three years later, It Happened One Year is finally talking Muppets again! Given the rousing success of Season One's breakdown of 1994's felt properties, it was only natural that Sarah & Joe would tackle that beloved classic from '84 - The Muppets Take Manhattan! From its sorrowful place as the final, big screen Jim Henson Muppet outing to the singularity of its setting and vibe in the franchise canon, from the outstanding bunch of cameos to the solid batch of songs, all corners of Manhattan Melodies and the gang's tribulations in dragging their college show to Broadway are discussed!
Wednesday Aug 21, 2024
1984 Episode 29 - The Games of the XXIII Olympiad! Los Angeles!
Wednesday Aug 21, 2024
Wednesday Aug 21, 2024
Despite the Paris games wrapping up, Olympic fever still grips It Happened One Year, as it's time to cover the glittering Los Angeles Summer Games of 1984! Sarah & Joe tackle some of the biggest stories and stars of those contests, including the rise of women's American gymnastics, fronted by Mary Lou Retton, the record-setting run (and jumps) of Carl Lewis, the controversial collision of Mary Decker and Zola Budd, the amazing streak of Edwin Moses, and much more! Then, as season three of the show has now stretched across multiple sports' years, the hosts again tackle predictions for the onrushing NFL season - with particular emphasis on the hometown Bears burgeoning chances!
Friday Aug 02, 2024
Friday Aug 02, 2024
Recorded on the day Joe Biden decided to drop out of the presidential race, Sarah & Joe take a pretty unhinged tact in attempting to discuss the cult classic film pitting Buckaroo Banzai and the Hong Kong Cavaliers against Dr. Emilio Lizardo aka John Whorfin and his gang of aliens! Kamala Harris's chances as the potential first female president, the greatness of Ellen Barkin, Donald Bigbooté, rankings of all significant northeast Pennsylvania figures, the future Joe Biden Presidential Library, lamenting the Buckaroo Banzai sequel that never was, Perfect Tommy, Liz Cheney, the Syracuse University history department, and much more fills this wild evening's show. Listen as a pizza is made live on tape!
Friday Jul 19, 2024
Biden's Gaffes and Trump's Survival at the End of the World
Friday Jul 19, 2024
Friday Jul 19, 2024
Originally intended as the wrap-up to Episode 27's discussion of 1984 and Joe Biden's floundering campaign, this follow-up recording went completely off the rails with the hours-old assassination attempt on candidate Donald Trump, and so - in order to not overwhelm the creaky narrative of that show - here is the rest of Sarah & Joe's conversation from that day. Enjoy?
Friday Jul 19, 2024
1984 Episode 27 - George Orwell's 1984, Book & Movie!
Friday Jul 19, 2024
Friday Jul 19, 2024
It's true, the classic novel was published in 1949, but it's quite obviously relevant to this season, and to the modern day, and thus - It Happened One Year is going all-in on George Orwell's 1984! Sarah & Joe discuss the history of the novel and their reactions from recent reads. Then, the greatest marketing tie-in of all time - Michael Radford's 1984 starring John Hurt and Richard Burton, filmed during the timeframe of the novel's setting, and released in that title year! Suck it, 2012 (2009) and Blues Brothers 2000 (1998)! Finally, some little discussion of our current verging-of-dystopia here in America - the impending (possible) Biden v. Trump rematch.
(This all leads directly into the bonus episode, also available right now!)
Tuesday Jul 16, 2024
1984 Episode 26 - Hey Chicago, What Do You Say? The Cubs are Gonna Win Today
Tuesday Jul 16, 2024
Tuesday Jul 16, 2024
Just in time for the All-Star Game, baseball is back on the show! Prior to 2016, the one Chicago Cubs team that lived in local memory as the best chance to break the World Series drought was the squad from 1984, and It Happened One Year is there! Sarah & Joe recount the basics of the '84 team's run to the NLCS, how No Lights at Wrigley played a part in the overall discourse, the progression of the franchise from that point until the eventual first championship in 108 years, and their personal connections with the team. Along the way, much discussion is had about the current ownership group, and why that has so negatively affected their interactions with the north side team.
Wednesday Jun 26, 2024
1984 Episode 25 - This is Jeopardy!
Wednesday Jun 26, 2024
Wednesday Jun 26, 2024
Back-to-back game show episodes?! Well, sort of! Recorded an absurdly long time ago, Sarah & Joe go into all things Jeopardy - from the original Art Fleming show straight through to this year's wild three-rounded Celebrity Jeopardy, with all the Ken Jennings and Becky Lynch trivia along the way! What is the eerie fate that befell both longtime show hosts? How does Pluto offering a Jeopardy channel affect the IHOY hosts' lives? What other programs did Alex Trebek helm before (and during) his record setting run reading the answers? Also - as this show was recorded on a significant commemorative holiday for the hosts - Sarah & Joe take a weird trip down memory lane, with many references to people and places you've never heard of. Enjoy!
Saturday Jun 08, 2024
Big Bucks, No Whammies
Saturday Jun 08, 2024
Saturday Jun 08, 2024
Serial get-rich-quick fanatic Michael Larson was almost out of schemes to earn the elusive buck. Bills piling up, kids needing school clothes, ice cream truck season ending - obstacles were plentiful. So when he filled the living room with a dozen television sets to allow the universe to deliver his next great idea for success, the family was understandably skeptical. But the events that followed would go down in television history, as Larson hopped a bus to Los Angeles and tackled the newest game show sensation - Press Your Luck...
It Happened One Year presents its fourth fully scripted, full cast episode, covering the incredible story of Larson and family, the nail-biting recording session for the famed contest, and its manic aftermath. Come along and commemorate the fortieth anniversary of this historic event, in vintage IHOY style!
Written by Nick Perfetto
Directed by Joe Cetta
Cast
Teresa Harrington - Alex Ferrer
Michael Larson - Nick Perfetto
Bill Carruthers - David Munchak
Bobbi Richmond - Lana Cooper
Marge Brockman - Sarah
Agent Davis - Becky Schmidt
Agent Richie - Joe
Jim - Dave Gardon
Judy - Clare Kalemba
Peter Tomarken - Brett Benge
Darlene - Lauren Morgan
Paul - Jon Deiner
Howard E. Cheetum - John Kozempel
Pam - Kristen Gaydos
Phil - Kevin Donlin
Nancy - Sara Stefanski
Adrienne - Sarah Dichkewich
Ed Jenkins - Duke Tumbleweed
Janie Lester - Eileen Linnabery
Jennifer - Abigail Perfetto
Julie - Susie Cetta
Eugene - Danielle Harris
Additional Voices - Brack Reed, Jerron
DJ Frankie Wango - Scott Fata
Friday May 31, 2024
1984 Episode 23 - Baby the Parrot and Sandy the Lobster
Friday May 31, 2024
Friday May 31, 2024
1984 wasn't just the Presidential election and the Olympics and bustin' ghosts - there were also amazing tales of crimefighting parrots and the raffle for a century-old lobster, where nothing turns out the way you'd expect! This landmark It Happened One Year episode sees Sarah & Joe finally tackle the existence of God, while batting around some of the greatest animal stories in podcast history. And afterward - stick around for a preview of the new scripted episode - Big Bucks, No Whammies - coming June 8th!