64 episodes
Gimmicks Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective
-
- TV & Film
-
-
4.7 • 9 Ratings
-
A podcast about the high-concept, experimental, structure-breaking gimmick episodes of TV! From musicals, to noirs, to bottle episodes and more -- we look at any television episode that breaks from its own formula in some way.
Derek B. Gayle and David Arnold (and occasionally guests!) dig into a different episode of a different show across the entire TV landscape every other Monday!
-
Reairing: SLIDERS tells three stories about love, fate, and time (with Annie Fish)
Sliders: "As Time Goes By"
We're revisiting this early episode of Gimmicks from 2022 with new commentary! First, David provides his thoughts on Sliders and Jerry O'Connell (famously NOT our favorite Slider), while Derek is still in awe that no network has tried to reboot it.
Then, we present the original episode with Annie Fish, author of the Think of a Roulette Wheel blog, who joins to talk about this bizarre love story that stretches over three worlds and destroys at least one universe.
Find more from Annie:
Think of a Roulette Wheel: earthprime.com/roulette
Annie's website: violetmice.com
Annie's Patreon: patreon.com/FEELS
A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective
Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website
Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod
Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Season 1 Theme song: "Swift Electric" by Cyberbear | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Episode Sources:
Earth Prime | Dimension of Continuity | Original Think of a Roulette Wheel Episode Post -
BOB’S BURGERS tunes into a WWII spy story
Bob's Burgers: "Radio No You Didn't"
Milioti May concludes as Bob's Burgers does a paranoia thriller period piece! Cristin Milioti is unrecognizable as Bob Belcher's grandmother, the protagonist of a tense Hitchcock-style story in the 1940s that centers on a Nazi spy, a crying baby, and a very heavy old radio. We discuss how this episode plays its genre homage very straight while still being hysterically funny, and reflect on the way we use objects to tell stories and keep people's spirits alive long after they're gone.
A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective
Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website
Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod
Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Sources:
Bob's Burgers Subreddit | PopCulture article on Milioti's casting -
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER shows The Mother’s journey
How I Met Your Mother: "How Your Mother Met Me"
As one of the seminal sitcoms of the 2000s, CBS's HIMYM eventually had to do the impossible: introduce the titular mother that had been teased for nine years and somehow get us all to like her. This 200th episode positions The Mother as the lead character in a nine-year-long journey to learn how to love again, packed with references and returning guest characters... and they pull it off! We talk Cristin Milioti's standout performance, a well-done gay kiss, and how the "manic pixie dream girl" archetype can work when the character is fleshed out (singing english muffins, ukuleles, and robot paintings notwithstanding).
A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective
Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website
Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod
Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Sources:
Wesleyan Argus interview with Carter Bays, Part 1 and Part 2 | TV Guide 200th Episode Interview | Reddit's Umbrella Error Theories | Fandom Wiki -
THE WEST WING works late
The West Wing: "17 People"
In what's widely regarded as one of TV's all-time best bottle episodes, the staff of The White House stays late for two reasons: a tense confrontation in the Oval Office about the President's health, and a writers' room punch-up of Correspondents' Dinner jokes. Time to talk turn-of-the-century liberal politics with Aaron Sorkin's Emmy sweeping series -- including the stacked cast who do "walk and talks" and speak in meter, why Martin Sheen makes a good TV president, how young Bradley Whitford was so much less hot than he is now, and how the show does (or doesn't) hold up in a 2020s political landscape.
A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective
Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website
Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod
Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Sources:
Aaron Sorkin Empire interview | Vulture's article defining a bottle episode | Den of Geek's list of best bottle episodes | The Ringer's list of best bottle episodes | Seventeenpeople.com | West Wing Weekly podcast | EW's catalogue of West Wing guest stars | William Ritchert's plagiarism website | Roger Ebert's North Review -
DRAGON BALL Z's heroes learn to drive (with Stik Braxton)
Dragon Ball Z: "Goku's Ordeal" (aka "License Mastery? Goku's Newest Trial")
Author and Podcaster Stik Braxton returns for Akira Toriyama's hugely influential anime and one of the most famous filler episodes of all time -- the one where Goku and Piccolo try to get their driver's licenses! We discuss Toriyama's legacy, the heydey of Toonami, the strange dubbing history of the Dragon Ball franchise, and of course those ultra fresh fits.
More from Stik:
Twitter: @stikaround54 | Instagram: @stikaround54
Stik’s books: braxtonbooks.com
Stik's podcasts: linktr.ee/cluelesscreative
A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective
Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website
Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod
Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Sources:
Kotaku | Sean Schemmel on Reddit | Dubs on Reddit -
SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH gets addicted to pancakes
Sabrina the Teenage Witch: "Pancake Madness"
The answer to the riddle is cakes on the griddle! In this parody of Very Special Episodes and Reefer Madness, Sabrina (Melissa Joan Hart) gets hooked on pancakes... and we're pretty sure it got this show a tax credit from the government! We talk about the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and ad campaigns from the Partnership for a Drug Free America, and how the government damaged public health messaging by getting TV shows to produce over-the-top, ineffective anti-drug propaganda. Luckily, Sabrina bucks the problem by making its "anti-drug" story one of the funniest, most surreal episodes of the show that lambasts the very concept.
A proud part of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective
Tip us on Ko-Fi | Gimmicks Website
Email: gimmickspodcast@gmail.com | Twitter: @gimmickspod | Instagram: @gimmickspod
Theme song: "Disco Tears" by Raven | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Sources:
Women Who Binge | Daniel Forbes with Salon |
Howard Kutz and Sharon Waxman with The Washington Post I Sabrina pilot film | Sabrina Wiki
Customer Reviews
Fun and Informative
Derek and his guests dive into the format-breaking gimmicky episodes of television and if you’re a tv nerd or someone interested in the history of the medium this podcast is a must-listen. Full of interesting information and commentary. One of my go-to podcasts!
Fantastic stuff
Gimmicks is such a great idea for a show, and it's always a rewarding listen whether you're already familiar with the episode or show being talked about or know absolutely nothing about it. Never a miss!
Brilliant Idea Brilliantly Executed
I love this concept, drilling down into what makes “very special” episodes so darn special. With a wide variety of topics to cover, I hope it lasts forever. Also the podcast sound quality is great!