Gimmicks Podcast
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gimmickspod.bsky.social
Gimmicks Podcast
@gimmickspod.bsky.social
190 followers 230 following 160 posts
A #podcast about the high-concept, experimental, structure-breaking GIMMICK episodes of TV, hosted by @DerekBGayle.bsky.social and @dmuma.bsky.social

Part part of the #queer #podcast collective @glitterjaw.bsky.social ✨🏳️‍🌈
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gimmickspod.bsky.social
Come on in, and pull yourself up a chair (Like Chairry!) @kevshindig.bsky.social joins us to talk about the alt-comedy and punk roots of the hugely popular (and very queer) Pee-wee's Playhouse, and the melancholy Pee-wee-light clip show goodbye for its series finale.

Find us at gimmickspodcast.com
GIMMICKS Paul Reubens as Pee-wee Herman and Lynne Marie Stewart as Miss Yvonne holding a For Sale sign in the final episode of Pee-wee's Playhouse PEE-WEE'S PLAYHOUSE "Playhouse for Sale"
November 19, 2025 at 1:38 PM
gimmickspod.bsky.social
Bonus episode! We're talking about late night and all of its recent metaphorical tumbling and compare that to a literal flip when LATE NIGHT WITH DAVID LETTERMAN rotated the image 360 degrees over a whole episode.

Find the pod: gimmickspodcast.com
David Letterman mid rotation on his show
November 12, 2025 at 1:44 PM
gimmickspod.bsky.social
When the TV sequel to Terminator 2 has a climactic face-off with a cyborg Big Bad, it does so in style -- following our disparate ensemble of heroes from different perspectives until they come together in Mexico!

We're talking The Sarah Connor Chronicles on all podcast apps: gimmickspodcast.com
GIMMICKS Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles "Mr. Ferguson Is Ill Today"
November 5, 2025 at 1:48 PM
gimmickspod.bsky.social
We've covered a loads of weird TV episodes that veer into spooky monsters and straight-up horror! If you want some Halloween TV and podcast listening recs, here are just a few favorites we've done over the years... 🧵
Left to right, top to bottom -The killer from Boy Meets World's "And Then There Was Shawn" -Possessed Marlena from Days of Our Lives -The Michael Keaton-voiced Pig-costumed Trip Larson in the King of the Hill episode "Pigmalion" -Sam Beckett as a vampire in Quantum Leap's "Blood Moon" -The Gentlemen of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's "Hush" -A vampire in The X-Files, "Bad Blood" -The costumed leads in My So-Called Life's "Halloween" -The monster in the Power Rangers Lost Galaxy Episode "The Rescue Mission: -The Cthulhu-inspired monster Dragomon in the Digimon episode "His Master's Voice"
October 29, 2025 at 3:12 PM
gimmickspod.bsky.social
Coming up this November!

We're (finally) tackling Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and then talk the series finale of Pee-wee's Playhouse! And as a bonus, we go full circle on the time David Letterman rotated the cameras on Late Night.

Find the pod at gimmickspodcast.com!
GIMMICKS November 5 Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles "Mr. Ferguson is Ill Today" November 12 Bonus Episode 360-Degree Late NIght November 19 Pee-Wee's Playhouse "Playhouse for Sale" (with Kevin Cafferty)
October 27, 2025 at 12:38 AM
gimmickspod.bsky.social
Mulder from the X-Files with the caption [Believing intensifies]
October 25, 2025 at 12:59 PM
gimmickspod.bsky.social
Wow, great timing!
Post from a calendar website with an image of the shoe Crocs saying that Thursday, October 23 is "National Croc Day" Join in on the fun and celebrate National Croc Day by showing off those Crocs in style and comfort! Killer Croc looking embarrassed and ashamed in Batman: The Animated Series
October 23, 2025 at 12:50 PM
gimmickspod.bsky.social
What happens when Batman's rogues gallery plays poker together? They tell stories about their greatest foe! @lanpitts.bsky.social joins us for this series of vignettes told by the Bat's villains (and Killer Croc, who just threw a rock at 'im.)

Find the pod at gimmickspodcast.com
GIMMICKS Shot from Batman: The Animated Series of Batman villains playing poker. Left to right: Penguin, Poison Ivy, Joker, Two Face, Killer Croc Batman: The Animated Series "Almost Got 'Im"
October 22, 2025 at 12:59 PM
gimmickspod.bsky.social
Bonus episode! We're talking about the WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS series finale and its three different parody "hypnosis" scenes that differed depending on when you watched! Listen to David learn about and watch these alternate scenes for the very first time!

Find the pod: gimmickspodcast.com
Harvey Guillen and Kavan Novak in bed together for the Newheart ending of #WWDITS Anthony Atamanuik (as Sean) and Kristen Schaal as detectives in an office in front of a bulletin board filled with papers in The Usual Suspects ending Natasia Demetriou holding a demon baby and a Colin Robinson baby with Matt Berry in the Rosemary's Baby scene
October 15, 2025 at 1:36 PM
gimmickspod.bsky.social
Bad news?! @mattbr.bsky.social joins to discuss the reality TV spin of the vampire comedy WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, along with the history of home renovation programs, what they've become, and how watching them might be really bad for our brains.

Listen to the pod at gimmickspodcast.com
Gimmicks What We Do In The Shadows "Go Flip Yourself"
October 8, 2025 at 1:15 PM
gimmickspod.bsky.social
We're going full Halloween all October with a month of vampires and costumed villains!

Talking the WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS home renovation reality show, the alternate versions of its series finale, and BATMAN's rogues gallery telling stories about their foe.

Find the pod: gimmickspodcast.com
Gimmicks Schedule October 8 What We Do In The Shadows "Go Flip Yourself" (With Matt Bruneau-Richardson) October 15 Bonus Episode The What We Do In The Shadows finale October 22 Batman: The Animated Series "Almost Got 'Im" (with Lan Pitts)
October 1, 2025 at 11:51 PM
gimmickspod.bsky.social
It's one of the smartest takes on a silent episode when the murder mystery dramedy ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING takes on the perspective of its deaf character Theo! Plus, we talk about the nature of true crime podcasting and this show's nuanced take on the subject.

Find the pod: gimmickspodcast.com
GIMMICKS Shot of James Caverly as Theo looking out the window menacingly ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING "The Boy from 6B"
September 24, 2025 at 1:43 PM
gimmickspod.bsky.social
TV fans know "jump the shark" to mean a moment when a TV show goes downhill, and it all started with this infamous moment in Happy Days when Henry Winkler showed off his real-life waterskiing skills. Is it as bad as history suggests?

We get into it on our recent episode at gimmickspodcast.com!
September 23, 2025 at 8:55 PM
gimmickspod.bsky.social
Bonus episode! We talked about jumping the shark last week, so we decided to chat about our many favorite instances of TV shows doing the opposite! We get into the concept of "growing the beard" -- moments when shows that started out rocky became their best selves.

Find us at gimmickspodcast.com
Riker from Star Trek: The Next Generation and his famous beard Bojack Horseman RuPaul's Drag Race season 3 cast Mulder and Scully from the X-Files
September 17, 2025 at 12:37 PM
gimmickspod.bsky.social
"A loving father sometimes even says it to his son... SIT ON IT!"

Here's where our end song from this week's episode came from. We're very sorry.
September 15, 2025 at 12:27 AM
gimmickspod.bsky.social
SHOUTING FROM THE ROOFTOPS
September 13, 2025 at 8:53 PM
gimmickspod.bsky.social
You know the phrase "jump the shark." But what about the episode that created it?

We're talking TV history with Happy Days, and the beach vacation (and Jaws riff) that led to Fonzie waterskiing over a shark and defining "TV shows going downhill" for the ages!

Find the pod at gimmickspodcast.com
GIMMICKS Happy Days: "Hollywood, Part 3" Image of Henry Winkler as Fonzie waterskiing. #HappyDays
September 10, 2025 at 12:34 PM
gimmickspod.bsky.social
GIMMICKS is a podcast about the high concept, experimental, structure-breaking gimmick episodes of television — from musicals, to bottle episodes, genre homages and more! Hosted by @derekbgayle.bsky.social and @dmuma.bsky.social every other Wednesday.

Listen to our backlog at gimmickspodcast.com!
September 7, 2025 at 9:18 PM
gimmickspod.bsky.social
Our new season starts with big moments in TV history!

We're talking the infamous moment Happy Days literally "jumped the shark" -- and a bonus follow-up about the times bad TV shows became great. Then, we cover a massively innovative take on a "silent" episode!

Find the pod at gimmickspodcast.com
September 10 Happy Days “Hollywood, Part 3” September 17 Bonus Episode TV Shows that Grew the Beard September 24 Only Murders in the Building “The Boy From 6B” #OMITB #StarTrek #HappyDays
September 7, 2025 at 3:53 PM
gimmickspod.bsky.social
Today is the final re-airing of a previous episodes (with new commentary from Derek and David) with the #Roseanne episode which eerily predicted the future, "An Officer and a Gentleman," with the replay of our episode with @bridgemt.bsky.social.

On all podcast apps: gimmickspodcast.com
Gimmicks cover art featuring John Goodman (woof) and Laurie Metcalf in the iconic Roseanne kitchen and the words "Gimmicks Roseanne An Officer and a Gentleman"
September 3, 2025 at 1:23 PM
gimmickspod.bsky.social
The re-airing of previous episodes (with new commentary!) will continue until things get really, really weird.

And this time we discuss #KingofTheHill and replay our episode with
@awkwardcomma.bsky.social about the bizarre"Pigmalion!"

On all podcast apps: gimmickspodcast.com
Cover art for the gimmicks podcast featuring a man in a pig costume climbing a ladder
August 20, 2025 at 3:47 PM
gimmickspod.bsky.social
Happy 70th birthday to Wayne Knight! Hope you kept your birthday wish!
Wayne Knight as his character Newman, a postman, from the series Seinfeld. In the picture he is caught in the middle of blowing out his birthday candles
August 8, 2025 at 10:49 AM
gimmickspod.bsky.social
Summer continues and we're re-airing previous episodes with NEW commentary by David and Derek!

And it's all earworms as we discuss #DeadEndParanormalPark and replay our episode with
@ickybooley.bsky.social about "Phantom of the Theme Park!"

On all podcast apps: gimmickspodcast.com
Gimmicks cover art featuring two animated characters - Pauline Phoenix and Norma both in a stage of trance/possession and the title "Dead End: Paranormal Park 'Phantom of the Theme Park.'"
August 6, 2025 at 1:16 PM
gimmickspod.bsky.social
It's summer break and we're re-airing old episodes with NEW commentary by David and Derek!

This time we remember the groundbreaking #MOONLIGHTING, and replay our episode with @kevshindig.bsky.social about "Atomic Shakespeare!"

On all podcast apps: gimmickspodcast.com
Gimmicks cover art featuring Cybil Shephard and Burce Willis in Victorian Garb and the text MOONLIGHTING "Atomic Shakespeare"
July 23, 2025 at 10:26 AM
gimmickspod.bsky.social
Our fantastic four
The first season cast of Sliders (left to right) Cleavant Derricks as Rembrandt Sabrina Lloyd as Wade John Rhys-Davies as Arturo Jerry O'Connell as Quinn
July 20, 2025 at 5:27 PM