Forgotten Television

Joe & Carlos

Forgotten Television The White Shadow Revisited

  1. 2d ago

    Forgotten Television Episode 15 - The White Shadow Rewatch: “The Links,” “The Stripper,” and “Gonna Fly Now”

    Send us Fan Mail The White Shadow Rewatch: “The Links,” “The Stripper,” and “Gonna Fly Now” Joe and Carlos recap three Season 2 episodes of The White Shadow focused on Coach Ken Reeves and the Carver High team. In “The Links,” Reeves golfs with his brother-in-law’s country club crowd, brings Coolidge, Thorpe, and Salami, and the players face overt racism when they can’t be served at the 19th hole; the episode also includes Reeves dating a club member’s daughter, Salami’s awkward double date at a drive-in, and pop-culture references (Chico Escuela, EF Hutton), plus notes like Alan Alda’s father appearing. In “The Stripper,” Reeves dates chemistry teacher Sybil Buchanan, who performs as a dancer; the team sees her at Papillon, gossip spreads (including via New York), Salami’s father leads a book-banning effort, and Buchanan resigns. In “Gonna Fly Now,” a PCP talk leads into Phil’s drug flashback/party incident, a rooftop suicide, and Reeves helping his police-officer girlfriend bust a drug lab. 00:00 Three Episodes Tease 00:59 Links Setup Golf Invite 03:59 Reeves Double Date Chaos 07:26 Pop Culture Bits 08:16 Country Club Racism 11:17 Links Wrap and Trivia 12:47 The Stripper Begins 14:00 Salami Dad Book Ban 15:55 Strip Club Discomfort 17:27 Art vs Porn Debate 18:20 Reeves Ultimatum Disaster 18:54 Students Spot Teacher 21:06 School Board Fallout 22:32 PCP Warning Assembly 23:27 Big Game Celebration 24:36 Phil Gets Dosed 28:03 Rooftop Jump Shock 30:33 Questionable Probable Cause 31:53 Wrap Up and Next Week

  2. Aug 11

    Forgotten Television - Episode 14 - The White Shadow Season 2 Midpoint: Pain Pills, Hidden Talent, and Salami’s Affair

    Send us Fan Mail The White Shadow Season 2 Midpoint: Pain Pills, Hidden Talent, and Salami’s Affair On The Forgotten Television podcast, Carlos Figueroa and co-host Joe Reilly discuss three mid–season two episodes of The White Shadow—“Feeling No Pain” (aired Jan. 1, 1980), “The Artist,” and “Salami’s Affair”—which they jokingly label the “salami sandwich.” In “Feeling No Pain,” Salami injures his knee in a gambling game, receives large prescriptions of uppers and downers (“greenies”), and a school hearing leads to team discipline and forfeited games; they note an Easter egg about “Miss Pringle” confiscating pills and debate realism and pain treatment. “The Artist” reveals Thorpe’s serious art talent and pressures from his father and basketball dreams, including a museum trip and scholarship talk, plus cast trivia about Gloria Foster. “Salami’s Affair” centers on Salami’s failing history grade, tutoring that becomes an inappropriate teacher-student relationship, its fallout at school, and Reeves’ new romantic setup at a Sadie Hawkins dance. 00:00 Welcome Back Carver High 01:12 Season Two Salami Trilogy 02:22 Feeling No Pain Setup 03:36 Doctor Prescribes Greenies 06:21 School Dealer And Peer Pressure 07:52 Hearing And Team Forfeits 10:28 Pain Treatment Then And Now 12:38 The Artist Thorpe Revealed 18:46 Museum Trip And Oracle Cameo 20:19 Big Game Suspensions And Scout 21:14 Recruiting Realities 22:06 Parents and Pressure 23:18 Manning Family Spotlight 24:20 Vikings Sack Story 25:11 Killing Dreams Debate 26:36 Evening Shade and Delivery 27:20 Burt Reynolds Trivia 27:52 Salamis Affair Setup 30:45 Tutor Turns Romantic 32:53 Busted and Fallout 37:56 Wrap Up and Next Episodes

  3. Aug 4

    Forgotten Television - White Shadow S2, Eps 10–12: Literacy, Dolores, and a Very ’70s Christmas

    Send us Fan Mail The White Shadow Season 2, Episodes 10–12: Literacy, Dolores, and a Very ’70s Christmas Carlos and Joe discuss three Season 2 episodes of The White Shadow: “Sliding By,” “Dolores,” and “A Christmas Present.” In “Sliding By,” a star transfer from Idaho, Wade, arrives at Carver, but his functional illiteracy and cheating expose how athletes can be pushed through school; the hosts also digress into modern college sports and NIL. “Dolores” centers on Jackson’s former girlfriend returning from San Francisco under the guise of modeling while actually fleeing prostitution and a pimp, with Sybil noticing red flags like shoplifting; they highlight the episode’s stark tone and open-ended ending and note actors’ later careers. “A Christmas Present” features Sybil’s sudden-seeming marriage, pregnancy, and separation, Reeves’s loneliness, Phil’s house-party chaos, Coolidge’s attempt to earn money for a doll, and several moments that wouldn’t play the same today. They promote their Facebook/YouTube community, note the show’s limited availability, and preview upcoming Salami-focused episodes. 00:00 Friday Catch Up 01:28 Sliding By Setup 03:33 Illiteracy And Athletes 05:56 Student Athlete Illusion 09:03 Cheating And Getting Caught 11:16 Sliding By Wrap 12:33 Dolores Seinfeld Detour 13:27 Dolores Plot Reveal 16:20 Stark Reality Scenes 19:27 Cast Notes And Ending 21:37 Pimp To Cop Trivia 22:20 Sybil Christmas Episode 24:23 Sybil Marriage Twist 25:58 Lonely Coach And Scuba 26:40 Hallway Tree Antics 28:41 Phil Party Panic 30:51 Hill Street Blues Callback 32:20 Coolidge Doll Mission 34:59 Next Week Salami Spotlight 35:37 Community And Watch Links 37:32 Substack Hug Watch 38:44 Wrap Up And Goodbye

  4. Jul 28

    Forgotten Television - Episode 12 - The White Shadow Season 2 Deep Dive: Harlem Globetrotters, “Me,” and “The Needle”

    Send us Fan Mail White Shadow Season 2 Deep Dive:  Harlem Globetrotters, “Me,” and “The Needle” Joe and Carlos review three White Shadow season two episodes that shift from light to very dark. They celebrate the Harlem Globetrotters episode—directed by Bruce Paltrow—as a nostalgic, comedic story where an overconfident Carver High team on a 10-game streak refuses a charity car wash, then gets humbled in a scrimmage by “car wash workers” revealed as the Globetrotters, complete with classic bits and Goldstein as the foil; they also note the episodes aired out of order because Nicky appears before his official introduction. In “Me,” Thomas Carter Haywood’s directorial debut, Nicky joins the team, and Morris Thorpe contracts VD after sleeping with Coolidge’s girlfriend, leading to a free-clinic visit and a tense, mature resolution. In “The Needle,” Haywood’s cousin dies from heroin, Haywood seeks the dealer and buys a gun, Coach Reeves intervenes, and Haywood ultimately chooses not to kill the dealer. 00:00 Weekend Catch Up 00:51 Globetrotters Nostalgia 02:30 Carver Confidence Spike 03:32 Out of Order Nicky 04:40 Car Wash Scheme 07:50 Scrimmage Humbling 10:03 Globetrotters Bits 11:48 Shift to Serious 12:22 Meet Nicky Properly 12:57 Sex Ed VD Lesson 14:48 Thorpe Confession Fallout 15:32 Free Clinic Realism 16:46 Heywood Direction Notes 17:47 Posters Tattoos Details 18:36 Bizarre Clinic Rant 19:29 Thorpe Breaks Bad News 20:34 Hooker Cover Story Plan 21:15 Coolidge Confronts Girlfriend 21:43 No Easy Answers 23:44 Diving Into The Needle 24:34 Heroin Hits Home 26:18 Car Names And Smoking 27:58 Porno Movie Reference 30:35 Hayward Seeks Revenge 32:35 Coach Reeves Intervenes 33:56 Choosing Not To Kill 35:13 Wrap Up And Next Week 36:02 Listener Shoutouts 36:36 Kolchak Night Stalker Tease 37:33 Final Goodbye

  5. Jul 21

    Forgotten Television - Episode 11 - The White Shadow Season 2 Sudden Death

    Send us Fan Mail The White Shadow Season 2 : “Sudden Death,” “A Silent Cheer,” and “No Place Like Home” The hosts discuss three Season 2 episodes of The White Shadow. In “Sudden Death,” freshman Randy Judd tries out for Coach Ken Reeves despite his mother’s objections; he collapses from an aneurysm, leading to a tense hospital confrontation with the grieving parents, and the hosts note the episode’s high IMDb rating and guest appearance by Haywood Nelson plus cast facts about Hal Williams and Madge Sinclair. In “A Silent Cheer,” an overbearing father pushes his hearing-impaired son Carl Simpson onto Reeves’ team; teammates misread his behavior while Reeves supports inclusion, as Reeves also considers an NBA tryout with the Portland Trail Blazers amid money and car-repair pressure. In “No Place Like Home,” Coolidge’s home burns, Reeves houses him, and a party erupts while Reeves is on a date; the hosts share production and actor trivia and preview an upcoming Globetrotters episode. 00:00 Cold Open and Duane 00:57 Sudden Death Setup 01:36 Parents and Permission Slip 04:29 Practice Warning Signs 05:19 Collapse and Hospital Fallout 07:45 Guest Stars and Trivia 12:50 Silent Cheer Begins 14:47 Hearing Loss and Inclusion 16:21 Scout Visits Reeves 17:48 Car Trouble and NBA Money 18:24 League Minimum Reality 19:45 Coolidge Free Throw Craze 20:54 Silent Cheer Wrap-Up 21:26 Cast Trivia Nuggets 23:59 Coolidge Home Fire 26:38 Party At Reeves Place 29:42 More Tidbits And Callbacks 32:54 Next Up Globetrotters 35:30 Season Two Outlook

  6. Jul 14

    The White Shadow Season 2 Kickoff: Gambling, Race, and Crosstown Transfers

    Send us Fan Mail The White Shadow Season 2 Kickoff: Gambling, Race, and Crosstown Transfers Joe and Carlos discuss The White Shadow season two’s early episodes, starting with “On the Line,” where Jackson is drawn into betting and point-shaving by a neighborhood gambler while a student reporter pursues an exposé; they note the episode’s prescience amid modern sports gambling, a post-Watergate “investigative reporter” theme, and a broadcast-order continuity issue with the season’s games. They then cover “Albert Hodges,” about a wrongfully convicted student returning with anger about racism, challenging Ken Reeves’ leadership and prompting team conflict over naming Salami captain, alongside a powerful exchange between Albert and the principal and another Ken Reeves “connection” securing a Boston College opportunity. In “Crosstown Hustle,” Reese transfers to a wealthy, mostly white school under the pretext of integration, faces “ghetto ball” rhetoric and harsh coaching, and learns he’s barred from returning until an assistant coach helps him avoid ineligibility; they mention Jay Bilas’ cameo and Haywood’s absence due to a suspension. 00:00 Heat Wave Banter 00:43 Season Two Kickoff 01:14 Jackson and Gambling Trap 02:34 Betting Then and Now 03:56 Student Reporter Angle 06:33 Reeves Spots the Fix 07:14 Broadcast Order Tangent 09:27 Episode Wrap and Cubs Hat 10:45 Albert Hodges Returns 11:21 Race Tensions and Sex Ed 13:07 Reeves Self Reflection 15:58 Reeves Pulls Strings 17:13 Captain Salami Controversy 18:34 Locker Room Goof 19:20 Teacher Foreshadowing 19:59 Principal Confronts Racism 21:37 Why Albert Has a Point 22:55 Switching to Crosstown Hustle 23:03 Suburban Coach From Hell 25:05 Transfer Rules and Integration 25:55 Ghetto Ball and Dog Whistles 26:51 Reese Trapped by Eligibility 27:34 Cameos and Apes Tangent 29:23 Black QBs and Sports Bias 33:01 Carver Game Twist and Win 34:16 Haywood Missing Explained 35:26 Shower Song and Wrap Up

  7. Jul 7

    Forgotten Television - Episode 9 - Beyond The White Shadow: Pitching Our Next Rewatch

    Send us Fan Mail Beyond The White Shadow: Pitching Our Next Rewatch Carlos and Joe chat about Minnesota’s summer heat and the upcoming Fourth of July weekend, then pivot to sports, with Joe saying he likes a Timberwolves trade that could bring in LaMelo Ball to relieve pressure on Edwards despite sadness over Naz Reid leaving, and both dismissing LeBron-to-Minnesota as unlikely. They then discuss their “Forgotten Television” rewatch of The White Shadow, noting they’ve finished season one and are preparing to dive into season two while reflecting on how their memories of the show differ from what they’re seeing. They brainstorm potential future rewatch topics, including The Rockford Files, St. Elsewhere, MASH, WKRP in Cincinnati, The Six Million Dollar Man, Lou Grant, All in the Family, Match Game, Land of the Lost, Hogan’s Heroes, Cheers, and the short-lived Ball Four, and plan to poll listeners. 00:00 Summer Small Talk 00:50 Timberwolves Trade Talk 01:59 LeBron Rumor Reality Check 03:43 Forgotten Television Setup 04:12 Rockford Files Candidate 05:41 St Elsewhere Memories 08:19 MASH Dramedy Debate 10:30 WKRP And Music Rights 12:38 Six Million Dollar Man Nostalgia 14:48 Lou Grant Mention 15:04 Lou Grant Love 16:02 Newsroom Memories 16:44 All in the Family 18:03 Archie and Meathead 19:43 Match Game Classics 21:48 Land of the Lost 23:17 Hogan's Heroes Deep Dive 27:27 Cheers and Ball Four 30:03 Polls and Next Steps 30:26 White Shadow Season Two 32:16 Wrap Up and Goodbye

  8. Jun 27

    Forgotten Television - Episode 8 - The White Shadow - Mainstream, Little Orphan Abner, and the LeGrand Finale: Wrapping Up Season 1

    Send us Fan Mail The White Shadow Season 1 Wrap: Mainstreaming, Abner Goldstein, and “LaGrande Finale” Joe and Carlos discuss Minnesota summer, then recap three Season 1 episodes of The White Shadow. In “Mainstream,” Coach Ken Reeves works with an autistic student being mainstreamed around the basketball team, including a peanut mascot costume gag, an ambiguous ending about whether the student scores, and period language that feels jarring today; they note mainstreaming history, compare school experiences, and praise the actor. Trivia includes guest star James Cromwell (tallest Oscar nominee) and Barbara Babcock (Emmy winner). In “Little Orphan Abner,” Abner Goldstein, whose parents died in a car crash, deals with his grandfather’s heart attack while teammates use his unsupervised house for a party; they mention respectful religious portrayal and guest stars including Ernie Hudson. In “LaGrande Finale,” Morris Thorpe dates Karen LaGrande amid reputation rumors, the team sings Brady Bunch-style, Reeves buys jackets, and the season ends with Reeves fitting in and hints of tension with Miss Buchanan. They promote their YouTube, tease Season 2, and plan a transitional episode and giveaway for show suggestions. 00:00 Corn Talk Cold to Steamy 01:26 Back to Carver High 02:20 Mainstreaming Plot Setup 04:09 School Integration Then Now 05:46 Peanut Mascot Chaos 08:18 Ending Debate and Language 10:36 Guest Star Trivia Corner 14:30 Wrap Mainstream Episode 16:01 Little Orphan Abner Begins 17:41 Abner Family and Faith 18:58 Party House and Beer Era 20:52 Memory Tricks Meatballs 21:35 Coolidge Memory Check 22:18 Appointment TV Days 23:24 Guest Stars Spotlight 25:25 Abner Episode Wrap 25:53 LaGrande Finale Setup 26:42 Dating and Reputation 29:21 Memory and Rewatch Lens 30:56 Season Finale Takeaways 32:47 Team Goes Full Glee 35:47 Looking Ahead to Season Two 38:00 Principal and Recruiting Notes 39:55 YouTube and Fan Community 41:21 Next Episode and Giveaway 42:27 Closing Thanks and Signoff

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Forgotten Television The White Shadow Revisited