S1E1: Just the Ten of Us

Just the Ten of Us is a sitcom that aired on ABC from 1988 to 1990. The show was developed by Steve Marshall as a spin-off of Growing Pains. The series follows high-school coach Graham Lubbock (Bill Kirchenbauer), who relocates his large family from New York to California after taking a job at an all boy Catholic school. Now the Lubbock's will deal with the chaos and culture shock of the move mixed with Graham having to keep an entire school away from his teenage daughters. The series was part of ABC's successful TGIF lineup. However, despite decent ratings and winning its time slot, the show was abruptly cancelled in the Spring of 1990. This was largely in part to the networks growing relationship with Miller-Boyett, who produced every TGIF show except Just the Ten of Us. Over time, the show has settled into “deep-cut” sitcom status. Will the S1E1 boys enjoy this one? Listen as they deep dive the show's first episode, "Move It or Lose It". Starring: Bill Kirchenbauer, Deborah Harmon, Heather Langenkamp, Jamie Luner, Brooke Theiss, JoAnn Willette, Matt Shakman, Heidi Zeigler & Dennis Haysbert www.S1E1POD.com Instagram & X (Twitter): @S1E1POD

Miracle Workers is a TBS comedy series that aired from 2019-2023, created by Simon Rich and based on his book What in God’s Name. The first season is set in Heaven, where God (Steve Buscemi) has grown bored and cynical about humanity and decides it might be time to wipe Earth off the board entirely. Standing in the way of total annihilation are two low-level angels—Craig (Daniel Radcliffe) and Eliza (Geraldine Viswanathan). The result is a workplace sitcom filtered through divine bureaucracy, with Heaven run like a deeply inefficient corporate office. Critics responded positively to Miracle Worker's absurd premise and offbeat tone, praising its willingness to commit fully to big swings and philosophical jokes wrapped in dumb humor. While later seasons reinvent the series entirely, the first season stands out for its tight concept and clear emotional stakes. Listen as the S1E1 boys deep dive the pilot episode, "2 Weeks". Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Geraldine Viswanathan, Karan Soni, Jon Bass, Sasha Compère, Lolly Adefope, Angela Kinsey, & Steve Buscemi www.S1E1POD.com Instagram & X (Twitter): @S1E1POD

Fisk is a comedy that premiered on ABC TV Australia in 2021. The show was created by and starring Kitty Flanagan who plays Helen Tudor-Fisk, a blunt, no-nonsense lawyer whose once-successful career implodes, forcing her to take a humiliating new job at a struggling suburban wills-and-probate firm. The show’s humor is dry, and often weaponized through awkward pauses and Helen’s razor-sharp disdain for everyone around her. Critics and audiences quickly embraced Fisk for its sharply observed writing and Flanagan’s perfectly calibrated performance, praising it as a masterclass in low-key comedy. After finding success in Australia it made it's way to Netflix where its turned into a word-of-mouth favorite, proving that a sitcom about wills could still be laugh-out-loud funny. Listen as the S1E1 boys deep dive the show's pilot, "Portrait of a Lady", to see whether this minimalist workplace comedy hits harder than it looks. Starring: Kitty Flanagan, Julia Zemiro, Marty Sheargold, Aaron Chen, Alison Whyte, Chi Nguyen, Max Brown, & Glenn Robbins www.S1E1POD.com Instagram & X (Twitter): @S1E1POD

Dweebs was a short-lived CBS sitcom that premiered in 1995, arriving right in the middle of the ’90s tech boom—before most network TV really knew what to do with computer nerds. The show centered on a group of socially awkward but intellectually gifted twenty-somethings working at a wildly successful software company called "Cyberbyte" and the computer illiterate woman hired to be the new office manager. Long before The Big Bang Theory or Silicon Valley, Dweebs leaned hard into stereotypes of tech culture, cubicle life, and the gap between brains and basic social skills. Critics didn’t quite know what to make of it, and audiences never really found it, leading CBS to pull the plug after just seven episodes. Still, Dweebs has gained a niche reputation as a proto-tech sitcom that arrived a decade too early. Watching it now feels like peeking into an alternate timeline where network TV briefly tried to understand programmers and immediately gave up. Listen as the boys dive into Dweebs pilot episode to see if this forgotten dot-comedy was ahead of its time or doomed from the start. Starring: Farrah Forke, Peter Scolari, Stephen Tobolowsky, Corey Feldman, David Kaufman, Adam Biesk, & Holly Fulger www.S1E1POD.com Instagram & X (Twitter): @S1E1POD

Diff’rent Strokes is a classic sitcom that aired on NBC from 1978 to 1986. The show stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and Willis Jackson, two young brothers from Harlem who are taken in by wealthy businessman Philip Drummond (Conrad Bain) after the death of their mother. Uprooted from their old life and dropped into a Park Avenue penthouse. While often remembered for catchphrases and very special episodes, the show was more ambitious than that, frequently tackling issues such as racism and class disparity. Critics were mixed, but audiences made it a massive hit, turning Gary Coleman into one of the biggest child stars of the era and keeping the show alive through network moves and cast changes. Over time, it’s become a defining artifact of late-’70s and ’80s television: equal parts comfort and cultural time capsule. But can Diff'rent Strokes catch the eyes of the S1E1 boys with just the first episode? Listen as they deep dive "Movin' In" Starring: Conrad Bain, Gary Coleman, Todd Bridges, Dana Plato & Charlotte Rae www.S1E1POD.com Instagram & X (Twitter): @S1E1POD

"The Moodys" is a holiday-themed sitcom that premiered on Fox in 2019. It was adapted from the Australian series "A Moody Christmas". The show centers on the wildly dysfunctional Moody family as they gather for Christmas. The series leans hard into awkward silences & brutal honesty. The show is full of the kind of family arguments that feel a little too real. Critics appreciated The Moody's dry tone and Leary’s perfectly calibrated cynicism. The Moodys lasted two seasons before Fox pulled the plug, leaving it as one of those modern network comedies that quietly came and went, but feels tailor-made for modern binge-watching during a stressful family visit. Now the boys sit down with the pilot to see if this holiday meltdown comedy delivers genuine laughs or just hits a little too close to home. Starring: Denis Leary, Elizabeth Perkins, Francois Arnaud, Chelsea Frei, Jay Baruchel, Josh Segarra, María Gabriela de Faría, & Gerry Dee www.S1E1POD.com Instagram & X (Twitter): @S1E1POD

All in the Family is a sitcom created by Norman Lear that aired on CBS from 1971 to 1979. The show centers on Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor), a loud, stubborn, working-class man whose beliefs are constantly challenged by his son-in-law and daughter. What set the show apart was its ability to use comedy to put taboo subjects like racism, sexism, politics, and religion front and center. Initially divisive, All in the Family quickly became both a massive ratings hit and a cultural lightning rod. Critics recognized it as bold, as it trusted audiences to laugh while being uncomfortable. The series spent five consecutive seasons as the number-one show on television. Decades later, it remains one of the most influential comedies ever made. Listen as the S1E1 boys deep dive the show's pilot episode, "Meet The Bunkers". Starring: Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, Sally Struthers, Rob Reiner, & Mike Evans www.S1E1POD.com Instagram & X (Twitter): @S1E1POD

"The Dick Van Dyke Show" is a landmark sitcom that originally aired on #CBS from 1961 to 1966. The series stars #DickVanDyke as Rob Petrie, the head writer for the fictional Alan Brady Show, and #MaryTylerMoore as his wife, Laura. Arguably the blueprint for every witty, modern sitcom couple that followed. Splitting its time between Rob’s chaotic writers’ room and his suburban home, the show blended sharp workplace banter with warm, domestic storytelling. Its physical comedy, and clever scripts set a new standard for sitcom structure, pacing, and charm. Critics and audiences adored #TheDickVanDykeShow from the beginning. The show went on to win 15 Emmy Awards and became one of the foundational pillars of the modern sitcom. Even decades later, its influence is everywhere. Listen as the boys take a look at the pilot, "The Sick Boy and the Sitter", to see if this show was this iconic from the its first episode. Starring: Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam, Larry Mathews, & Richard Deacon www.S1E1POD.com Instagram & X (Twitter): @S1E1POD

"Rules of Engagement" is a sitcom that ran from 2007-2013 on CBS. Built around the different stages of a relationship, through two couples and their single friend. The series plays heavily on the contrast between cynicism and idealism, long-term comfort and honeymoon-phase cluelessness. Warburton’s deadpan delivery and Spade’s chaotic energy became the anchors of the series, helping it survive multiple schedule moves and inconsistent marketing. Though critics never fully embraced the show—often calling it formulaic or old-fashioned—it quietly developed a dedicated fanbase. The series become one of those sturdy, middle-of-the-road sitcoms that never topped the charts but always delivered exactly the kind of comfort-food comedy its fans wanted. Listen as the boys dive into the show's pilot to see if Rule's of Engagement long overstayed its welcome. Starring: Patrick Warburton, Megyn Price, Oliver Hudson, Bianca Kajlich, David Spade, Audra Blaser, Smith Cho, Lauren Stamile, Gloria LeRoy, & Don Perry www.S1E1POD.com Instagram & X (Twitter): @S1E1POD

"Some of My Best Friends" was a short-lived sitcom that premiered on CBS in 2001. After Warren (Jason Bateman) is dumped by his boyfriend, he posts and add as a GWM ("Gay White Male") looking for a roommate. Macho Italian guy, Frankie (Danny Nucci) responds assuming that GWM stands for "Guy With Money". The show is loosely based on the 1997 indie film, "Kiss Me, Guido" and provides us with a new twist on the odd-couple dynamic. Despite a strong cast and a premise that tried to blend culture clash with early-2000s LGBTQ-inclusive humor, the show struggled to find an audience. After airing only a handful of episodes, CBS pulled the plug, leaving it as one of those “blink-and-you-missed-it” sitcoms that sitcom nerds still bring up when listing Bateman’s pre-Arrested Development projects. So how will the boys feel about this mismatched-roommate relic from the early millennium? Listen as they deep dive "Some of My Best Friends" pilot episode. Starring: Jason Bateman, Danny Nucci, Alec Mapa, Joe Grifasi, Camille Saviola, Michael DeLuise, & Jessica Lundy. www.S1E1POD.com Instagram & X (Twitter): @S1E1POD