Gizmo

I don't care it's a random sampling of the 80s. It's a fantastic, funny show. Nitpicking isn't worth it.

Fist of Doom

Agreed on both counts. The showrunner was born in 1976, so it makes sense the 80s all kind of blur together for him. It also allows the writers to explore stuff from the whole decade each episode.

whotony

Nitpicking on the time line of this show is the number 1 dumbest thing to complain about on any show ever complained about.

Btw Wawa in PA doesn't sell alcohol.

JimRochester

I can't stand this show. They said they went to see Star Wars on August 22nd. Everyone knows it didn't come out until August 24th. AMATEURS.

starseed1981

This.

collven

I was born in '71, so this show is right in my wheelhouse, age wise. Timeline inconsistencies don't bother me because the '80's are pretty much a blur in my mind.

I don't remember the exact year any of this stuff happened, so they can just cram as many references into the episodes as they can. It's fun to relive that stuff.

writer106

Watched the Thanksgiving episode earlier and I liked it for the most. It was good seeing Murray's brother again. I didn't like the subplot of Bev faking an injury to get the others to help.

Bandoman

Bev just wanted to connect with her daughter. Of course it was over the top, but it was fun and funny.

Rex Fenestrarum

Well, I know you guys are going to make fun of me yet again, but last night's episode was the worst one yet when it comes to screwed up timelines: it took place, of course, in "nineteen eighty something", but heavily featured New Kids on the Block. Problem is, the boys found a videotape of a much younger Erica (like, 12 years-old) gushing about how much she loves the band, while wearing a NKOTB t-shirt, with posters and pillows and such in the background of her room.

But NKOTB didn't become a "thing" outside New England until 1988. So either Erica was 12 in 1988, and this episode was actually set in 1993-ish, or in this universe NKOTB became popular in 1982. What's more, how come Barry had no idea his older sister worshiped NKOTB? I can buy that Adam might have been too young to remember Erica's obsession, but not Barry. What's more, assuming that Erica was, in fact, 12 when she recorded the videotape, and is 17 now, that's five years: NKOTB were very much on the way out by then.

I guess this stuff wouldn't bother me as much if they didn't show the "real-life footage" at the end of every episode. It's like... here's this show that's a pastiche of your childhood, with cultural references thrown in willy-nilly with no regard to continuity... but at the end of every episode we're going to show actual video from the time as if to emphasize how unreal this show actually is. It's like... imagine if The Wonder Years threw in references to Jimmy Carter and the Sex Pistols, but then added real-life footage at the end to remind you that Jimmy Carter and the Sex Pistols weren't "things' yet in that universe.

Eh, still a fun show, though... although this wasn't the best episode. And, for the record, I had a look up NKOTB dates on Wikipedia. I knew they became a "thing" late in my high school career, but didn't remember the actual dates.

cleaver

No 80s bands would have made sense because none of them suck as bad as NKOTB

CPA-ESQ.

My GF was in heaven watching this episode! She was like Erika and was all giddy when they showed her room - she had the posters, shirts, tapes, etc..

She said that the first NKOTB album was '88 - '89 but was unnoticed until their 2nd album, then everyone discovered the first album.

Again - I like how the show is a mish mash of our memories - like we are telling a story from our past framed "do your remember when..."

We both loved that they showed the video he made of him and his brother at the end and put it side by side with the original. Even my GF was surprised that there were boys who liked them so much that they dressed up like them and made a video.

So count me in as "I loved it" -- now if only they will do a Bestie Boys episode (Adam says he really wants to highlight this from his past)

starseed1981

I see what you did there...

mphtrilogy

The ending was a real treat with his old videos and the current cast, great stuff.

yeah the timelines were all screwy on this, but who cares, just a really fun show.

Rex Fenestrarum

I think their first album was in '86, and it was unnoticed until Hangin' Tough came out in '88. And no, I didn't know this off the top of my head: I looked that shit up on Wikipedia before writing my little rant. I'd forgotten that NKOTB got partially tangled up in the Milli Vanilli incident, too (after Milli Vanilli were busted for lip syncing, there was a kind of witch hunt against other bands that might do the same; apparently NKOTB were a prime target).

Well, you've totally got me there. Even "We Built This City" wasn't as bad as NKOTB.

JimRochester

You're right. The show sucks they should stick with reality. Since there was no real sister they should just bounce her like Chuck from Happy Days. I refuse to watch until they follow actual time to the day, maybe even the hour.

Actually I am going to make fun of you. If you know you can't enjoy the show with jumbled timelines, and you know they are going to jumble the times, why do you watch it, just to get aggravated?

sportsfan64

Here's my nitpick. Adam mentioned it was January 7, which would be in the middle of WINTER. The show takes place in Jenkintown, PA, outside of Philly, yet no jackets, no snow, nothing. Most shows at least try to show the seasons changing if it's mentioned where they take place.

dek

This.

Xbox69

I know the NKOTB craze was in the late '80s.

In fact, I distinctly recall they appeared on "It's Showtime At The Apollo" on the very same weekend (same hour too) that Kirk Gibson came up to face Eckersley in Game 1 -- October 1988.

No Wikipedia needed. I lived it!

JimRochester

Yeah I was light years away by that time. I was 29, married with a kid on the way in 88 so NKOTB would have been a foreign language. Didn't really pay much attention to pop culture in those days.

cleaver

I can't believe they referenced the death of Optimus Prime on a sitcom in 2015. Awesome.

CPA-ESQ.

I thought that was great - they even showed clips from the movie!! I started singing the song that played at the end of that movie "You got the touch.." I remember feeling very sad watching that ending montage of that movie.

We have come so far since then.. today people would be on internet boards talking about that, posting movies like Adam made on youtube, etc. But back then all you could do was talk about it on the playground.

starseed1981

I'm still not over the death of Optimus. But yeah, awesome episode. The mini-Bev and mini-Murray were great.

JimRochester

I never watched the animated Transformers, but it seems Optimus getting killed is a common thread from that and the movies.

DJariya

Optimus was killed in the 1986 theatrical film.

chrisih8u

I think this is my favorite comedy. Some of my favorite lines from the last few weeks: "Who watches ET and roots for the FBI agents?" and "It's like I'm actually skiing!" when Adam was playing skiing on the original NES.


PS As for tonights episode, I looked it up. The Eagles did not have a kick return TD against the Cowboys in the 80s.