Episode 154 - BILLY MADISON

The schoolyard bell signals the end of our Summer of Sandler, as we head back to class with the comedy that launched the Sandman to stardom: Billy Madison. And while we struggle to remember the year of the Spanish Armada, so much of Adam Sandler's buffoonery remains firmly entrenched in our minds. But beyond debating the merits of shampoo versus conditioner, this episode inspires us to relive our own school years, when we too dreamed of our crushes, annoyed our bus drivers, and peed our pants. (It's the coolest!)

Daren Sprawls brings his teacher voice back to the pod as we finish our seasonal salute to Adam Sandler. Listen closely, and you may discover that somewhere in this rambling, incoherent episode, we approach something that resembles a rational thought. May God have mercy on our souls.

Billy Madison (1995)
Directed by Tamra Davis
Produced by Robert Simonds
Written by Adam Sandler and Tim Herlihy
Starring Adam Sandler, Bradley Whitford, Bridgette Wilson, Larry Hankin, Darren McGavin, Josh Mostel, Chris Farley, Steve Buscemi, and Jim Downey

Episode 122 - SAVED BY THE BELL

Saved by the Bell was a high school sitcom that was never really intended for high schoolers. Each episode was a candy-coated PSA asking tweens to imagine that their teenage years would be full of wholesome hijinks, mild predicaments, and overly attentive principals. Today, it's a rich document for cultural archaeologists curious about the style, slang, and sexism of the American teenager circa 1990.

Kristal Bailey and Kevin Taylor join our clique for a reunion at Bayside High, as we examine some of the show's most indelible--and infamous--moments. Go Tigers!

Saved by the Bell (1989-1993)
Created by Sam Bobrick
Produced by Peter Engel
Starring Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Mario Lopez, Dustin Diamond, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Elizabeth Berkeley, Lark Voorhies, Leanna Creel, Ed Alonzo, and Dennis Haskins

Episodes featured in this podcast:
"The Mamas and the Papas" (aired 11/11/1989)
"Save the Max" (aired 9/22/1990)
"Jessie's Song" (aired 11/3/1990)
"Pipe Dreams" (aired 11/26/1991)
"Day of Detention" (aired 10/3/1992)

Episode 93 - KINDERGARTEN COP

After almost three decades, Kindergarten Cop still represents an aspirational standard for the thespian trapped in a cycle of typecasting: Arnold Schwarzenegger, at the crest of his rough-and-ready muscleman trajectory, poking fun at his brawny persona and spinning it into comedy gold. Real-life educators Daren Sprawls and Ariel Quist Sprawls help us rate the movie's classroom verisimilitude and celebrate its tremendous quotability, evident in its contributions to a classic prank call soundboard.

How do six-year-olds stack up against a former Mr. Universe? Why are so many family classics filmed in Astoria, Oregon? Who is your daddy, and what does he do? Find the answers to these questions and much more in this special back-to-school episode!

Kindergarten Cop (1990)
Directed by Ivan Reitman
Produced by Ivan Reitman and Brian Grazer
Written by Murray Salem and Herschel Weingrod & Timothy Harris
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Pamela Reed, Penelope Ann Miller, Richard Tyson, Carroll Baker, Christian Cousins, Joseph Cousins, and Linda Hunt

Episode 69 - HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE

School is most assuredly in session during Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, a film tasked with translating a massive publishing phenomenon to the screen while conveying the franchise's emphasis on fantastical world-building and staunchly humanist themes. It's a whirlwind of new information that only scratches the surface of what's to come.

Professed Potter-head Kristal Bailey joins us to describe the thrill of seeing Hogwarts for the first time, and helps us determine if repeat viewings of this exposition-heavy introduction feel more like remedial education.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
Directed by Chris Columbus
Produced by David Heyman
Written by Steve Kloves
Based on the novel by J.K. Rowling
Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Ian Hart, and Richard Harris

Episode 34 - BEAKMAN'S WORLD and BILL NYE THE SCIENCE GUY

Throughout the 1990s, countless kids were edutained by two of every substitute teacher's best friends: Beakman's World and Bill Nye the Science Guy.  For years these nutty professors brought the science fair into the living room, answering our burning questions about everything from astronomy to zoology and blowing our minds with the stunning versatility of paper towel tubes and empty milk cartons.

Grab a number two pencil and get ready to record some data as we let the dying embers of summer form the spark of knowledge in our back-to-school special!

Beakman's World (1992-1997)
Created by Jok Church

"Gravity, Beakmania, and Inertia"
Aired September 26, 1992

"Snow, Beakmania, and Natural Selection"
Aired December 9, 1995

Bill Nye the Science Guy (1993-1998)
Created by Bill Nye, James McKenna, and Erren Gottlieb

"Light Optics"
Aired September 10, 1994

"Pseudoscience"
Aired January 26, 1996