The S1E1 Podcast

S1E1: Fisk

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
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S1E1: Dweebs

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
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S1E1: Diff'rent Strokes

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
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S1E1: The Moody's

"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
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S1E1: All in the Family

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
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S1E1: The Dick Van Dyke Show

"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
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S1E1: Rules of Engagement

"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
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S1E1: Some of My Best Friends

"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.
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S1E1: The Paper

"The Paper" is a mockumentary-style sitcom that premiered on Peacock in 2025. The show is the first official spin-off of one of the all time greatest shows, "The Office". It picks up with the fictional documentary crew attempting to do a follow up with Dunder Mifflin and winding up in Toledo, Ohio, where they instead focus on the declining historic newspaper, the Toledo Truth Teller. 
Critics have given The Paper a generally favorable reception. It's been praised for capturing the spirit of the original while attempting to update the workplace comedy setting. The Paper is positioning itself not just as nostalgia, but as a fresh chapter spun out of the original universe. Will this long awaited spin-off land well with the S1E1 boys? Listen as they deep dive the show's pilot episode.
Starring: Domhnall Gleeson, Sabrina Impacciatore, Chelsea Frei, Melvin Gregg, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Alex Edelman, Ramona Young, Tim Key, & Oscar Nunez
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S1E1: The Ugliest Girl in Town

"The Ugliest Girl in Town" was an ABC sitcom that aired from 1968–1969. In it Timothy Blair (Peter Kastner), a Hollywood talent agent who falls in love with a British actress and through a series of truly sitcom-level circumstances, ends up becoming a fashion model in London… while disguised as a woman. Under the persona “Timmie,” he becomes an overnight sensation, forcing him to juggle his double life, hide his secret identity, and somehow keep his long-distance romance alive.
Critics at the time were confused, and the show quickly became an instant punchline for its outlandish setup and broad humor. Ratings weren’t kind, leading ABC to cancel it after just 20 episodes. Over the years it’s earned a strange cult curiosity status as one of the most “What were they thinking?” sitcoms ever put on television. How will the boys react? Listen as they dive into The Ugliest Girl in Town's pilot episode, and see what they make of this oddball artifact.
Starring: Peter Kastner, Patricia Brake, Gary Marshal, Jenny Till, Nicholas Parsons, Rose Alba, Michael Balfour, Jeffry Wickham, & Richard Steele
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