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PODCAST

The S1E1 Podcast

Join us every week where we’ll be picking a different sitcom and judging it solely on its very first televised episode. In doing so we’ll be challenging ourselves to erase any knowledge of future episodes so we can deliver an unbiased opinion. At the end of each show we’ll tell you if this is a show we would green light or cancel. Tune in to find out which mega shows wouldn’t make the cut, what forgettable mistakes we give a pass, and who started exactly where they should be.

tv & film tv reviews

All Episodes

96:54

S1E1: The Neighborhood

The S1E1 Podcast ·

2025/11/06

"The Neighborhood" is a CBS sitcom that first premiered in 2018. The show stars Max Greenfield as Dave Johnson, a relentlessly upbeat Midwesterner who moves his wife and kids to a predominantly Black neighborhood in Pasadena. His overly friendly approach doesn’t exactly win over his new next-door neighbor, Calvin Butler (Cedric the Entertainer), who’s not thrilled about the Johnsons’ arrival. What follows is a clash of cultures that slowly turns into an unlikely friendship.Critics were a little

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109:09

S1E1: Santa Clarita Diet

The S1E1 Podcast ·

2025/10/30

"Santa Clarita Diet" was a dark comedy series that aired on Netflix from 2017-2019. The show starred Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as suburban realtors Sheila and Joel Hammond, whose quiet California life gets flipped on its head when Sheila mysteriously transforms into an undead, flesh-craving zombie. Instead of leaning into horror tropes, the show mined humor from the couple’s desperate attempts to keep their family and careers intact while hiding the fact that Mom is now snacking on human

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101:08

S1E1: Tabitha

The S1E1 Podcast ·

2025/10/23

"Tabitha" was a short-lived sitcom that aired on ABC in 1977, serving as a spin-off of the iconic series Bewitched. The show followed Tabitha Stephens (played by Lisa Hartman), now all grown up and blessed with her mom's powers, working as a television producer in Los Angeles. While Bewitched thrived on suburban domestic chaos, Tabitha shifted the formula into a workplace setting.Despite its familiar pedigree and Hartman’s charm, Tabitha struggled to find its footing. Critics felt the show lacked

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111:09

S1E1: Not Dead Yet

The S1E1 Podcast ·

2025/10/16

"Not Dead Yet" is sitcom that aired on ABC from 2023-2024. Loosely inspired by Alexandra Potter’s novel "Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up". The series stars Gina Rodriguez as Nell Serrano, a down-on-her-luck journalist who moves back to the States after a messy breakup only to find herself stuck writing obituaries. But there’s a catch: every time she writes one, the ghost of her subject shows up to hang out. With the help of these not-so-dead mentors, Nell navigates her quest to get her life

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75:30

S1E1: Maniac Mansion

The S1E1 Podcast ·

2025/10/09

Maniac Mansion was a sitcom that aired on The Family Channel from 1990 to 1993. The show was created by Eugene Levy and produced by George Lucas’s Lucasfilm Television. Loosely based on the cult-favorite 1987 video game of the same name. While the series took its name from the cult video game, the show used little to none of the source material, opting instead for a domestic sitcom laced with surreal, science-fiction twists. The premise centered on Dr. Fred Edison (Joe Flaherty), a well-meaning

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100:45

S1E1: Good Grief

The S1E1 Podcast ·

2025/10/02

“Good Grief” is a sitcom that aired on Fox from 1990 to 1991. It centered around a very unusual setting for a comedy: a family-run funeral home. The show’s offbeat concept was part of Fox’s early push into unconventional sitcom territory during the network’s formative years. The premise revolved around Warren Pepper, a straight-laced mortician who ran the “Sincerity Mortuary” with his sister Debbie. Their operations were disrupted when Debbie’s flamboyant, wisecracking husband Ernie Lapidus became a

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90:30

S1E1: Bust Down

The S1E1 Podcast ·

2025/09/25

“Bust Down” is single-camera sitcom created by and starring Langston Kerman, Jak Knight, Chris Redd, and Sam Jay that premiered on Peacock in 2022. It centers on four friends who work low-wage jobs at a casino in Gary, Indiana. The show leans heavily into raunchy humor and over-the-top scenarios, with the creators noting they wanted it to be “raunchy, irreverent, and complicated".Critics generally responded positively and praised Bust Down's bold comic voice and willingness to push boundaries

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98:23

S1E1: Welcome To Sweden

The S1E1 Podcast ·

2025/09/18

Welcome to Sweden was a sitcom that aired from 2014-2015. The series was produced in collaboration between Sweden’s TV4 and NBC in the U.S., making it one of the rare cross-Atlantic sitcoms of the 2010s. The show follows Bruce Evans, an American accountant who leaves his career behind in New York to move to Sweden with his Swedish girlfriend, Emma Wiik. Much of the comedy stemmed from Bruce’s struggle to adapt to Swedish culture.Welcome to Sweden earned an International Emmy nomination and

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103:56

S1E1: That's My Bush

The S1E1 Podcast ·

2025/09/11

That’s My Bush! was a Comedy Central sitcom that aired in 2001. It was created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the duo behind South Park. The show, which was a satirical look at life in the White House was green lit with the understanding that the show would focus around whoever ended up winning the 2000 presidential election. The show’s premise was less about politics and more about lampooning the conventions of the American sitcom.Although reviews were generally positive, praising the show as a

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104:57

S1E1: It's Garry Shandling's Show

The S1E1 Podcast ·

2025/09/04

"It’s Garry Shandling’s Show" was a sitcom that aired on Showtime from 1986 to 1990 where Garry Shandling plays a fictionalized version of himself living in a suburban condo. The series was notable for breaking television conventions at the time, with Shandling directly addressing the audience, acknowledging that he was in a sitcom, and routinely mocking the artificial structures of television comedy. Its theme song even playfully narrated itself (“This is the theme to Garry’s show…”), further

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01:37:24

S1E1: Corner Gas

The S1E1 Podcast ·

2025/08/28

"Corner Gas" is a sitcom that aired from 2004 to 2009 on CTV. The premise centers around Brent Leroy (played by show creator Brent Butt), who runs the town's gas station. Known for its dry humor and character-driven storytelling, the show avoids traditional sitcom laugh tracks and instead leans on witty dialogue and understated situational comedy rooted in Canadian small-town life.Reception for Corner Gas was overwhelmingly positive and became one of the highest-rated Canadian television comedies

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01:51:08

S1E1: The Building

The S1E1 Podcast ·

2025/08/21

"The Building" is a CBS sitcom that premiered in 1993. It was created, written, and executive-produced by Bonnie Hunt. The show centers on Bonnie Kennedy a commercial actress who returns to Chicago and moves into her old apartment building across from Wrigley Field after separating from her fiancé. "The Building" was theatrical in tone with many Second City alumni as cast members. Episodes featured improvisational dialogue, overlapping speech, and even the occasional mistake left intact to preserve

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01:35:12

S1E1: 227

The S1E1 Podcast ·

2025/08/14

"227" is a sitcom that aired on NBC from 1985 to 1990, spanning five seasons and 116 episodes. Created by C.J. Banks and Bill Boulware, it was adapted from a 1978 stage play of the same name. The show was set in a middle-class apartment building in Washington, D.C., and became one of NBC’s popular Saturday night staples in the mid-to-late 1980s. It was notable for being a vehicle for Marla Gibbs, who had gained fame on The Jeffersons, and for introducing Jackée and future star Regina King in her

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01:43:35

S1E1: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

The S1E1 Podcast ·

2025/08/07

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is a sitcom that aired on NBC from 1990 to 1996. The show was produced by Quincy Jones and Warner Bros. Television and introduced Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, who moves from West Philadelphia to live with his affluent relatives in Bel-Air, California. Upon its debut, the show was met with solid ratings and quickly gained popularity. Its humor, and iconic theme song made it a cultural staple of the 1990s.The legacy of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is

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01:45:44

S1E1: Gary Unmarried

The S1E1 Podcast ·

2025/07/31

"Gary Unmarried" aired on CBS from 2008-2010. Created by Ed Yeager, the show starred Jay Mohr as Gary Brooks, a recently divorced painting contractor navigating life as a single dad while re0e for the first time in thirty years. This was used as one of the shows in CBS’s effort to build a solid comedy block."Gary Unmarried" received mixed-to-positive reviews. Critics often praised Jay Mohr's likability and comic timing, but some found the writing predictable and derivative. It earned a 2009

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01:41:57

S1E1: $#*! My Dad Says

The S1E1 Podcast ·

2025/07/24

"$#*! My Dad Says" was a sitcom that aired on CBS from 2010-2011. Inspired by the popular Twitter feed created by Justin Halpern, the series starred William Shatner as Ed Goodson, a cantankerous and outspoken father whose blunt life advice often clashed with modern sensibilities. Jonathan Sadowski played his adult son, Henry, who moved back in with Ed after losing his job, setting up a premise filled with intergenerational humor, father–son banter, and sitcom hijinks.The show drew attention because

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01:49:15

S1E1: Salute Your Shorts

The S1E1 Podcast ·

2025/07/17

Salute Your Shorts is a sitcom that aired on Nickelodeon from 1991-1992, set at the fictional Camp Anawanna. The show follows a group of teenage campers navigating a summer of friendships, rivalries, and pranks. All of which while under the half-watchful eye of their counselor, "Ug". The show's appeal lies in its ability to balance silly slapstick humor with a level of gritty realness and authenticity.Despite only running for two seasons, Salute Your Shorts carved out a lasting legacy and became

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01:35:26

S1E1: Suddenly Susan

The S1E1 Podcast ·

2025/07/10

Suddenly Susan is sitcom that ran from 1996-2000 on NBC. In it Brooke Shields starred as Susan Keane who begins a journey of self-discovery after leaving her fiancé at the altar. She then returns to her job at The Gate, a trendy publication owned by her ex’s brother. He offers her a new role: writing a column about navigating single life, aptly titled “Suddenly Susan.” This sets the stage for a workplace comedy filled with quirky colleagues and personal reinvention.Critics were divided on Suddenly

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01:47:51

S1E1: Florida Girls

The S1E1 Podcast ·

2025/07/03

Florida Girls is a Pop TV original sitcom that aired in 2019. The show follows the lives of four women living in a small, working-class town in Florida. Despite their ages they have not yet fully embraced adult responsibilities. Instead of pursuing typical career paths or higher education, they spend their time partying and making poor life choices.The show was praised for its funny, fresh perspective on female friendship, and for its quirky, offbeat characters. Critics appreciated the show’s blend

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01:45:10

S1E1: Two and a Half Men

The S1E1 Podcast ·

2025/06/26

"Two and a Half Men" is a CBS sitcom that aired from 2003 to 2015. The show was created by Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn, and became one of the most successful sitcoms during its run. The story begins when Alan (Jon Cryer), a neurotic and unlucky-in-love chiropractor, is kicked out of his house by his ex-wife, Judith, and shows up at the Malibu beach house of his older brother, Charlie (Charlie Sheen). Charlie, a wealthy bachelor and jingle writer, leads a carefree life filled with alcohol, women

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243 results

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