u/Johnblyth1989

I was reading about behind-the-scenes sitcom drama recently and realised just how miserable Max Wright (Willie Tanner) was during the filming of ALF.

Apparently, filming a single 30-minute episode took anywhere from 12 to 25 hours because the entire set had to be built on raised platforms with trapdoors for the puppeteers. Since he was a classically trained theatre actor, he reportedly hated playing second fiddle to a puppet that received all the best lines while everyone else waited around endlessly.

He was essentially trapped in a "golden handcuffs" situation; the show was a huge success, and the paycheck was far too big to walk away from, so he couldn't really quit.

The wildest rumor I came across (I think Artie Lange talked about it on a podcast) was that Wright eventually snapped during a rough shoot and actually physically attacked the ALF puppet, screaming about how they were all just puppets on sticks. There's no footage of it, but a few people who worked on the set have mentioned how bad the tension got.

Apparently when the final scene wrapped in 1990, he didn't even go to the wrap party or say goodbye. He just packed his bags, got in his car, and left.

60+ years of grading flour and the bowler hat stays glued to his head. He'll tip it, but he never lets anyone see what’s underneath. Absolute legend.

Loved Christopher Eccleston as Nine, but I'm curious about the real reason he left after Series 1—plus, I really want to find a jacket like his!

I just finished Series 1, and Eccleston was phenomenal. It really bummed me out that he only stayed for one season, especially given how much energy he brought to bringing Doctor Who back. I've read mixed things online—was it on-set politics, clash with production, or did he just always intend to do one series? 

Also, can we talk about his jacket? The double-breasted black leather coat gave Nine such a distinct, grounded look. Does anyone know the specific style (I've heard it looks like a vintage German U-boat or reefer jacket), or has anyone bought a solid replica online that they'd recommend?

Standing at the bar in his finest tartan jacket, pint in hand, delivering absolute gold with a completely straight face. Trigger will always be one of the greatest characters in British TV history.

What’s your favorite Trigger line or moment?

Karen Carpenter had a voice like warm velvet—effortless, intimate, and deeply haunting. She could make millions of strangers feel completely understood, yet she spent her short life fighting a lonely, silent battle with anorexia at a time when nobody knew how to name or treat it.

We lost her at just 32, but her music remains a bittersweet gift: a reminder of incredible talent, the hidden weight people carry, and why we need to take care of the human behind the art.

What’s your favorite Carpenters track that still hits you every time?

Bobby Driscoll was the heart and soul of early live-action Disney. As the voice of Peter Pan and the star of Treasure Island, he brought genuine warmth to the screen, earning a special Academy Award for his talent. But the moment puberty hit and his voice deepened, the studio abruptly canceled his contract in 1953.

Cast aside by the industry that raised him, Driscoll fell into deep severe depression and addiction. Stripped of his identity as an actor, he moved to New York to join Andy Warhol's art scene, but never recovered. In 1968, at just 31 years old, he died alone in an abandoned Manhattan tenement. Tragically, because he had no identification, he was buried in an unmarked potter's field on Hart Island. His own family didn't learn of his passing until a year later.

He gave magic to millions, yet received none when he needed it most. Rest in peace, Bobby.

This incredible rendering by Oceanliner Designs captures the eerie calm just before disaster. The RMS Empress of Ireland, a proud ocean liner, sank in the Saint Lawrence River after colliding with the SS Storstad, with the loss of over a thousand lives. It is a tragedy often overlooked, yet it was one of the largest peacetime maritime disasters in history, occurring just over two years after the sinking of the Titanic. This picture shows the ship moments before the collision, a powerful reminder of how quickly tragedy can strike. I've always found this particular story to be so sad and compelling. The speed at which it all happened is horrifying.

Henry Winkler was originally offered the role of Danny Zuko in the 1978 movie adaptation. He passed on the part to avoid being typecast after playing Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli on Happy Days and a similar 1950s greaser in The Lords of Flatbush. 

Indian Dunes in Valencia, California, was a legendary 600-acre off-road park and one of Hollywood’s most popular outdoor filming locations before closing in 1990.
While infamous for the tragic 1982 Twilight Zone: The Movie helicopter accident, many famous movies and TV shows were filmed there:

Movies

Escape from New York (1981)

Red Dawn (1984)

RoboCop (1987)

The Beastmaster (1982)

Piranha (1978)

TV Shows

The A-Team

The Dukes of Hazzard

CHiPs

Knight Rider

Airwolf

MacGyver

On July 23, 1982, actor Vic Morrow and two child actors, Myca Dinh Le (7) and Renee Shin-Yi Chen (6), were killed on the set of Twilight Zone: The Movie in one of the most infamous production disasters in cinematic history. During a late-night shoot depicting a Vietnam War sequence, a low-flying helicopter lost control after ground pyrotechnics detonated too close to its tail rotor, causing it to crash directly onto the performers below. The tragedy exposed severe regulatory breaches—including the fact that the children had been hired illegally to bypass California's child labor laws and late-night work bans. Though director John Landis and several crew members were ultimately acquitted of involuntary manslaughter after a lengthy high-profile trial, the public outrage permanently overhauled safety standards, union enforcement, and labor protections across the entire film industry.

I randomly remembered this UK puppet show today and had to track down a picture of it.
It used to air on CITV back in the early 90s, featuring Tommy, Sybil, Fred, and the rest of the gang in Bottle Bay. The puppets had such a distinct look—kind of charming, kind of spooky, and definitely unforgettable.
Did anyone else watch this growing up, or am I the only one who had this unlocked core memory hit them today?

(Art credit: Gregor Burns)

On Nov 22, 1987, an unidentified hacker hijacked Chicago’s WGN and WTTW signals. Theories range from disgruntled broadcast engineers and tech-savvy university students (like the famous Reddit "J—" thread theory) to a local guerrilla art collective with access to expensive microwave equipment.

Given the technical expertise, line-of-sight positioning to the Sears Tower, and high-powered RF gear required—who is your top suspect?

If they toned down the chaotic 90s energy, replaced the screaming and celebrity-tackling with something gentler, and leaned into an actual cute design... could he actually become a lovable mascot for a new generation? Or is pure, unhinged madness the entire point of his existence?

Hey everyone,
I was born in May 1989, so obviously I never saw Tommy Cooper’s final performance live on April 15, 1984.
I was reading about it recently and had a few questions for anyone who remembers it or knows the history behind that night:

1. Can you watch the full, unedited performance anywhere?

2. Did the theatre audience know something was wrong when he fell?

3. Did viewers watching at home realize something was wrong?

Did anyone here watch it live on TV back in '84, or have parents who were watching? What was the reaction at the time?

This owl was my absolute favorite toy as a kid in the early '90s. Pulling the string made his eyes roll and wings flap while playing music.

Because good photos of these are super rare online, I used AI magic to generate a pristine version of the owl, along with the matching pink elephant from the same line!

Does anyone else remember these musical pull-string nursery toys?

Does anyone else remember these? Pulling the string to make his eyes roll and wings flap while it played music was pure magic to me back in the day.
(Image not mine—just found a picture of it online and was hit with a wave of nostalgia!)

Back when children’s fast-food restaurants had their shine and crysmer, Vid Kid was the cool one and the leader. I think he was my favourite and to other 90s kids.