"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 remains.
Critics praised the sharp writing and the show’s ability to balance over-the-top gore with genuine sweetness. Netflix controversially canceled "Santa Clarita Diet" in 2019 without resolving its story. Since then, it’s earned cult-favorite status among viewers. Is this one as finger licking good as it sounds? Listen as the S1E1 boys sink their teeth into the pilot episode, "So Then a Bat or a Monkey".
Starring: Drew Barrymore, Timothy Olyphant, Liv Hewson, Skyler Gisondo, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Richard T. Jones, Ricardo Chavira, Joy Osmanski, Andy Richter, & Nathan Fillion
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S1E1: Tabitha
"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 the wit and chemistry that made Bewitched a classic, and audiences didn’t fully connect with its new direction. Ratings were low, and the series was canceled after just eleven episodes. So, is this magical spin-off worth the watch? Listen as the boys dust off the pilot episode and decide.
Starring: Lisa Hartman, Robert Urich, Mel Stewart, David Ankrum, Karen Morrow, Timothy Blake, Eric Server, & Barry Van Dyke
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Instagram & X (Twitter): @S1E1POD
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S1E1: Not Dead Yet
"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 back on track.
Reviews were cautiously optimistic, praising Rodriguez’s charm and the show’s mix of goofy gags with genuine warmth. The ratings didn’t exactly resurrect network sitcoms from the grave, but the show carved out a small fanbase for its oddball sincerity. So the big question: is this sitcom a spirited winner or a flatlined flop? Listen as the S1E1 boys crack open Not Dead Yet's pilot episode.
Starring: Gina Rodriguez, Hannah Simone, Lauren Ash, Rick Glassman, Joshua Banday, Angela E. Gibbs, & Martin Mull
www.S1E1POD.com
Instagram & X (Twitter): @S1E1POD
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1:51:09
S1E1: Maniac Mansion
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 scientist whose home experiments often created bizarre predicaments for his family. The mix of conventional family humor and absurdist elements gave the show a tone that was equal parts sitcom, parody, and sketch comedy.
Critics and audiences received Maniac Mansion with curiosity but mixed feelings. Fans of the video game were surprised by the lighter, kid-friendly direction, while TV reviewers highlighted its eccentric humor and offbeat charm from the show's SCTV roots. Though it never broke through as a mainstream hit, the series gained a modest cult following. Is this this show going to be more Spooky or Dookie with the boys? Listen as they deep dive the show's pilot episode, "The 10th Anniversary Special" and find out.
Starring: Joe Flaherty, Deborah Theaker, Kathleen Robertson, Avi Phillips, George Buza, John Hemphil, & Mary Charlotte Wilcox
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Instagram & X (Twitter): @S1E1POD
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S1E1: Good Grief
“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 partner in the business.
Good Grief received a very mixed reception. Ratings were modest at best, and after thirteen episodes, Fox opted not to renew it. Though largely forgotten today, it remains a curious example of early '90s television experimenting with taboo subjects in a sitcom format. Listen as the S1E1 boys deep dive Good Grief's pilot episode, "Ladies and Gentlemen... Ernie Lapidus!".
Starring: Howie Mandel, Joel Brooks, Sheldon Feldner, Wendy Schaal, Ruth Manning, Jack Yates, & Danny Silver
www.S1E1POD.com
Instagram & X (Twitter): @S1E1POD
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.
Brasil