For a long time I have thought about how TV shows from our childhood (I'm assuming every single one of you is exactly my age) are so different than what the kids are watching now.

I think our shows were typically better. I mean, obviously they produced such specimens as every single one of us. You guys. TV raised me. When Bob and Cathie were busy making prank calls to the Home Shopping Network (true), Mr. Rogers was there to teach me how crayons were made.

(Bob and Cathie are my heroes for the above and more)

But do you guys remember how occasionally there would be the "special" episode that was about some real-life problem that was totally traumatizing to watch?

Those episodes stuck with me. To this day I have moments where I think that I had a friend once who stopped eating and then fainted on a treadmill at the gym and then I'm like "oh wait. That was D.J. Tanner from Full House."

Well, there's one show in particular that had a super traumatic episode about refrigerators and a little while ago I decided that I wanted to do a full Strangerville segment on this topic and specifically try to find out how impactful this and other similar examples from 80s and 90s programming was/is on our generation.

I finally did so, with several awesome contributions from you (most of them unwitting SO SUE ME), and I am thrilled to present it to you today in this Halloween episode of Strangerville. It is one of my favorite things I've ever put together (rethinks whole life) and I hope you will enjoy it.

If you think of any examples from TV shows that took a dark turn for a special episode that I did not mention in the segment, please let me know. I currently have a small obsession with this topic.

Also, I'm supposed to ask you to consider becoming a Strangerville Patron, which is where you go onto the Internet and send money to Meg so she can feed her children and pay for her lavish lifestyle.

As we expand and grow Strangerville, producing it becomes more and more expensive. We have a lot of things we would love to do with the show and unfortunately those things cost some money. Patreon is an opportunity to donate to the cause, no matter how small (that's a lie. I think $1 a month is a minimum. Sorry I lied to you. NOT THAT WE KNOW WHAT LYING IS.). No pressure, and we love you just for listening. But if you feel so inclined, consider it for a moment.

Also also, if you or anyone you know is interested in sponsoring Strangerville, shoot me or Meg (meg@strangerville.org) an email.

Thanks for listening!


This time in Strangerville, four stories about exaggerated fear. College kids cause a stir in their small town. A child remembers a gas station encounter much more colorfully than his father. A bunch of 80s and 90s kids discuss a traumatizing episode of a popular children’s show. And a woman reflects on her trick-or-treating past. Stay tuned, and watch some people get irrationally scared in this special Halloween episode.

Intro: by Eli McCann

Segments:

1. Murder on Main (9:19), by Grandpa Boyd and Meg Morley Walter

2. The Stabbing (14:53), by Ben and Mike Miller

3. Refrigerator Death (25:52), by Eli McCann, contributions by Jennifer Friess, DeAnne Hale, and several others

4. Trick or Treat (50:50), by Meg Morley Walter

Production Assistance by Derrick Clements and Jolyn Metro




~It Just Gets Stranger