Episodes
The TMI guys are back with their most epic episode yet, diving DEEP into the bewitching television classic and its hidden history as a groundbreaking queer/feminist text. You'll learn all about the behind-the-scenes drama that led to the legendary Darrin switch, the twisted on-set love triangle, and the distressingly high number of cast members who died during production. Dick York's Dickensian childhood represents the darkest moment in the podcast's history, rivaled possibly by the...
Published 11/10/24
The TMI Guys dive deep on the meta '90s horror classic that did for cordless phones with 'Psycho' did for showers. You'll learn all about the secret story Drew Barrymore told herself to summon real tears during the iconic opening scene (which was originally written as a one act play!), the surprising early choices for the part of Sidney Prescott, the controversial origins of the Ghostface mask, and all the ways director Wes Craven and writer Kevin Williamson broke new ground with their cast...
Published 10/31/24
Alex and Jordan continue their TMI Halloween Spooktacular celebration by delving into the creation of this deathless novelty number that pays tribute to the golden age of monster movies. You'll learn about the wildly prolific (and possibly legally insane) producer behind the track, its tentative ties to James Brown, the early '60s pop royalty who sang on it, and Bobby Pickett's dogged attempts to continually update his song with the times. They'll also talk about Elvis' burning hatred of "The...
Published 10/23/24
Gore-dan and HELL-ex take a dive into the musty vaults of the early '90s to unearth the SLASHinating facts behind "Tales From the Crypt," arguably the scariest thing to come out of Joel Silver's career, except for all the things that haven't been unsealed! [incredibly irritating high-pitched laugh] But yes, that's right BOILs and GHOULS, they're looking into the HBO phenomenon that turned a desiccated corpse with a Borscht Belt sensibility into a household name -- and no, we're not talking...
Published 10/14/24
Your final answers of frivolity are here to tell you all about this titanic trivia franchise that burned fast and bright across the Y2K landscape. In addition to Jordan's personal anecdotes from his traumatic time on the show, you'll learn about all the ways the set and music was designed to psychologically break contestants and hear all about the victorious few who made good on the show's titular promise and walked away with the million dollars. In addition to trying your hand at some of the...
Published 10/07/24
Your bushmen of balanity have returned to take you on a tour of the Australian outback with Paul Hogan's iconic creation — a one-man ambassador for the local charm and natural beauty found down under...or a one-man stereotype, depending on your point of view. You'll learn all about the truly insane real-life story that kinda-maybe-sorta inspired the plot, the tabloid love triangle that emerged from the production, the late Aussie rock star who helped bring the movie to the big screen, and all...
Published 09/30/24
How’s the family?! Jordan and Alex brave the storm of their two-part series by exploring what happened when the 'Purple Rain' hit the silver screen. They’ll marvel over the Nietszchean force of will Prince manifested to force this thing off the ground, dive into the depressing original draft of the movie once titled 'Dreams,' spotlight the man at the front of the Time, Mr. Morris Day, and drill down into the precise manufacturing specs of Prince’s iconic guitar and motorcycle. Things get real...
Published 09/20/24
Dig if you will the picture of two white nerds in their 30s trying to get to grips with the world power that was Prince in 1984 as the TMI boys cover 'Purple Rain' — in both mediums! Week 1 starts off with the album, as Prince's famously stringent rehearsals and recording practices are detailed. Go crazy with details about the protracted genesis of the titular song, from a demo for Stevie Nicks to the version we know and love featuring a teenaged Wendy Melvoin's iconic intro! Know what it...
Published 09/13/24
Your leather-clad lizard kings of kinda cool stories are here to go deep on the Doors groundbreaking debut album — and, of course, the electric shaman himself: Mr. James Douglas Morrison. You'll hear all about Jim's tumultuous upbringing with a father who quite possibly started the Vietnam War and his estranged relationship with his family, as well as all of the literary (and pharmaceutical) influences that went into his lyrical poetry, and numerous run-ins with censorship and the law. You’ll...
Published 09/02/24
Jordan and Alex take a trip to True Crime country and it drive them to the brink of insanity as they unravel the tangled web of the most famous haunted house in America. You'll learn about the horrific real-life murder at the center of the story, which took place at 112 Ocean Avenue in 1974 and claimed the life of six members of the DeFeo family. Then you'll learn about the puzzling saga of the next family to move into the home, the Lutz's, who claimed they were tormented by evil spirits...
Published 08/16/24
Your Pop Art impresarios of pretty awesome facts are back to examine a groundbreaking album that lobbed a grimy East Coast grenade into the Summer of Love. In addition to droning on about drones and other avant-garde musicians of the period, Jordan and Alex offer the behind-the-scenes drama of band patron Andy Warhol’s Factory scene, a partial history of electro-shock therapy, and the Velvet’s hilarious blood feud with Frank Zappa. The boys debate the merits of Lou Reed’s lyrical talents by...
Published 08/05/24
Your sensei’s of pop culture trivia celebrate the 40th anniversary of one of Heigl’s formative influences. You’ll learn how the Karate Kid led Clint Eastwood to ban all Coca-Cola products from his sight, the real life war heroes Mr. Miyagi's story sheds light on, Pat Norita’s surprising early career as a boundary-pushing Catskills comic, all the leads we nearly had before they landed on Ralph Macchio, and the array of real-life martial arts heavies involved in the film. Heigl, a real life...
Published 07/29/24
Today Jordan and Alex set the sights on one of the most unique albums of the ‘90s, which turns 30 years old this summer. The record is a tantalizing glimpse at one of the great unfulfilled musical promises of the decade. Jeff Buckley was a one-of-a-kind talent who was at the start of what seemed like a long, and fascinating career when he drowned in Memphis at age 30. You’ll learn about the deeply fraught family saga at the heart of his music, the reason why label execs hated the cover, and...
Published 07/22/24
Your titans of trivia are back for the ultimate showdown of nerdery as they quiz one another on their pet obsessions. Alex tests Jordan on everything related to the Titanic disaster, while Jordan asks Alex about all things punk rock. It's a smorgasbord of scatalogical, sentimental and stimulating anecdotes, with a (un)healthy dose of conversational diversions thrown in for good measure.
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Published 07/14/24
Jordan and Alex get Presidential with their look at the ‘90s aero-thriller. They’ll uncover how Harrison Ford sweet-talked Bill Clinton into giving him a tour of the real Air Force One, how the prop plane nearly caused a scary real-life military incident, and how the movie delayed the release of James Cameron’s ‘Titanic.’ They’ll also dive into Donald Trump’s ardent passion for this film, the rejected score from Randy Newman (yes, the ‘Toy Story’ guy), and Harrison Ford's numerous piloting...
Published 07/05/24
Your gurus of gameshows are back to reveal the inner workings of America’s favorite word puzzle-related wheel — and those who serve it. You’ll learn about Pat Sajak’s surprisingly storied background in Vietnam — which helped serve as the inspiration for the Robin Williams’ film ‘Good Morning, Vietnam’ — and his days working at the Pentagon. You’ll also hear Vanna White’s Cinderella -esque origin story that saw her go from sleeping on floors to wearing over 8000 gowns, holding one of the most...
Published 06/30/24
Strap on your DJ headphones and don your best bald cap, because TMI is tackling one of the best-selling (and most "sold-out") albums of the Nineties: Moby's 'Play.' The pair will track down the source of all those haunting vocal samples, discuss the practice of "folk song collecting" and how it shaped music in the second half of the 20th century, and muse over the thorny racial and ethical implications of sampling! Along the way, they'll detour into how every single one of "Play"'s 18 tracks...
Published 06/20/24
Your specters of specificity are back — and they see dead people. Jordan and Alex set their sights on M. Night Shyamalan's masterpiece that balances horror with deeply emotional storytelling. You'll learn all about the time we almost got a future Arrested Development star in the lead, why Bruce Willis was forced into his part, and the sting of clever clues sprinkled throughout the movie that point to its iconic twist ending. (Errr, spoiler alert?) Alex shares his own experience with ghosts,...
Published 06/08/24
Jordan and Alex don their most severe clothing and geometric haircuts to dive in the Big Bang of post-punk and goth: Joy Division’s “Unknown Pleasures!” They’ll trace the band’s origins to a pre-fame Sex Pistols gig in Manchester attended by virtually every member of the city’s musical luminaries to the maddening conditions of recording with insane genius producer Martin Hannett, who maybe tried to suffocate and/or poison their drummer? They’ll also re-litigate 1980s Manchester’s most famous...
Published 06/02/24
To kick off summer, Jordan and Heigl dive deep into the history of the controversial-yet-ubiquitous beachwear, from ancient times through to solar powered swimwear that can charge your cell phone — and one special bikini that costs $30 million! They'll explore the unexpected influence of the atom bomb, the competition between two Frenchmen to craft the tiniest two-piece, and the blowback from movie stars and religious leaders alike. Plus they'll also turn their attention to iconic bikini...
Published 05/24/24
Your poets of pop culture podcasts stand on their desks and sound their barbaric yawps in salute to this uplifting classic of the twinkly-eyed cinema canon — which made Robin Williams into a dramatic star and an untold number of kids crack open 'Leaves of Grass.' You'll learn about the hilarious aborted start to the movie (which resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars of sets being torched after Robin Williams failed to show up) and the sweet bond that formed between Robin and Ethan...
Published 05/20/24
iHeart's resident Mogwais accidentally got splattered with water, and they've emerged from their cocoons all sticky and vicious -- and ready to talk about 1984's 'Gremlins.' They'll dive into the absolute murderer's row of 80s luminaries involved — Chris Columbus! Steven Spielberg! Joe Dante! — and the real stars of the film: the puppets! — and the man who nearly killed himself bringing them to life, SFX icon Chris Walas. Along the way they'll trace the aviation-related source of the word...
Published 05/10/24
Your professors of pop culture embark on a three hour tour of trivia about this beloved monolith of mid-century sitcom kitsch. It's a ride as wild as the S.S. Minnow's doomed voyage as Jordan and Heigl somehow manage to link CIA mind control experiments, the JFK assassination, numerous tragic Hollywood deaths to talk of the seven castaways. You'll learn all about the hilarious feud among the cast, the ridiculously petty secret meaning behind the boat's name, all the ways Mary Anne was a...
Published 05/06/24
Jordan and Alex close out APE-ril by traveling back in time -- or is it forward? -- to the original Planet of the Apes! No aspect of the original will be free of their dirty paws as they probe the original novel, written by the guy who wrote Bridge on the River Kwai and initially translated as "Monkey Planet!" No APE-spect of the film's torturous run-up to production will be missed, from the 30 drafts Rod Serling wrote to the revolutionary makeup that cost more than the actors! Oh, and...
Published 04/27/24