Season 1

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  N/A/100 votes

  The Max Headroom Incident of 1987

  Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 7/5/2012

  On the night of Sunday, November 22nd, 1987, a mysterious figure in a Max Headroom mask hijacked two Chicago TV stations. Spoiler alert: The perpetrators were never found.

  Director: Unknown

  Writer: Unknown

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  N/A/100 votes

  Emergency Broadcast Salute

  Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 7/19/2012

  An informal (not to mention, loose) history of Civil Defense Broadcasting in the U.S.

  Director: Unknown

  Writer: Unknown

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  N/A/100 votes

  TV Sign-offs

  Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 8/2/2012

  Remember when TV stations used to go off the air late at night? Anyone?

  Director: Unknown

  Writer: Unknown

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  N/A/100 votes

  Local TV Special

  Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 8/16/2012

  Interested in seeing a clown so laid-back, he forgets he's on camera? Now about a Hawaiian teen idol with a pen fetish? Maybe an American Bandstand ripoff with an evil spirit hosting? If you answered yes to any of these questions, watch this episode--then seek immediate professional help.

  Director: Unknown

  Writer: Unknown

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  N/A/100 votes

  American EXXXtacy (and other C-band nastiness)

  Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 8/30/2012

  The Archive's most infamous episode--for some reason.

  Director: Unknown

  Writer: Unknown

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  N/A/100 votes

  Conservative Folk Music

  Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 9/13/2012

  Meet the artists that made the likes of Joan Baez and Pete Seeger fear for their careers.

  Director: Unknown

  Writer: Unknown

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  N/A/100 votes

  Format Wars

  Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 9/27/2012

  VHS or Beta? Laserdisc or CED? What the hell is a CED anyway? These burning questions (amongst others) answered in this episode!

  Director: Unknown

  Writer: Unknown

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  N/A/100 votes

  1-900-ARCHIVE

  Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 10/11/2012

  Join Ben as he launches his own 1-900 number. What could possibly go wrong?

  Director: Unknown

  Writer: Unknown

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  N/A/100 votes

  Halloween Special 2012 (Strange VHS Endings)

  Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 10/25/2012

  We still get a lot of flack for this episode (did you really think there were 37 minutes of odd VHS endings out there?). Nonetheless, it's still a favorite.

  Director: Unknown

  Writer: Unknown

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  N/A/100 votes

  Captain Midnight / Vrillon

  Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 11/8/2012

  An Archive double header: The two most famous occurrences of Broadcast Signal Hijacking (well, save for the Max Headroom Incident) are discussed here.

  Director: Unknown

  Writer: Unknown

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  N/A/100 votes

  Pay TV (but not Cable or Satellite)

  Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 11/15/2012

  The Oddity Archive will now be switching to scrambled mode. Please turn on your (preferably, circa 1984) decoder box now.

  Director: Unknown

  Writer: Unknown

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  N/A/100 votes

  Top (Thanksgiving) Turkeys of the (19)90's

  Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 11/22/2012

  Because we always like to go the extra mile (at least, when it's convenient), the Archive tackles TWO lists of the worst of the (19)90's: The top 4 Trendy Turkeys and the top 4 Technological Turkeys of the (again, 19)90's.

  Director: Unknown

  Writer: Unknown

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  N/A/100 votes

  Local TV vol. 2 (Kiddie Show Hosts)

  Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 12/6/2012

  The 13th episode is a very unlucky one for Ben as he discusses some (all too often, rather off) U.S. Kiddie Show hosts from the early 1950's through the late 1990's.

  Director: Unknown

  Writer: Unknown

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  N/A/100 votes

  Christmas Special (A Fair Use Christmas)

  Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 12/20/2012

  All Ben wanted for Christmas was a silent night...

  Director: Unknown

  Writer: Unknown

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  N/A/100 votes

  Teletext Heaven (or Hell)

  Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 1/3/2013

  Ceefax and Keyfax, Nite-Owl and Cable Chuckles, oh my...

  Director: Unknown

  Writer: Unknown

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  N/A/100 votes

  Intermission

  Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 1/10/2013

  It's movie day at the Archive! Unfortunately, due to copyright issues, you're not invited. But, at least you can join us for an intermission reel (conveniently containing all Public Domain footage!).

  Director: Unknown

  Writer: Unknown

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  N/A/100 votes

  Prehistoric Television

  Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 1/17/2013

  Given how much we discuss TV on the Archive, a history lesson seemed in order.

  Director: Unknown

  Writer: Unknown

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  N/A/100 votes

  gniksaM sdrawkcaB (Backwards Masking)

  Season 1 Episode 18 - Aired 1/31/2013

  ?segassem lanimilbus tahW ?huH Everyone knows there are no subliminal messages in music...(!slatrom nwod wob ,woN)

  Director: Unknown

  Writer: Unknown

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  N/A/100 votes

  Valentine's Day Special (Dating Services)

  Season 1 Episode 19 - Aired 2/14/2013

  Join Ben as he discusses some of the Dating Services of the 1980's to present. And, if you're good, maybe Ben will let you join him in his own quest for a date.

  Director: Unknown

  Writer: Unknown

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  N/A/100 votes

  Local TV vol. 3 (Public Access)

  Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 2/28/2013

  Temporarily exiled from the big leagues of Internet TV, Ben (again, temporarily) sets up camp at his local Public Access outlet.

  Director: Unknown

  Writer: Unknown

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  N/A/100 votes

  Protect & Survive

  Season 1 Episode 21 - Aired 3/14/2013

  It's the feel-good episode of the year as Ben discusses the (in)famous British Nuclear War preparedness campaign.

  Director: Unknown

  Writer: Unknown

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  N/A/100 votes

  Duck & Cover

  Season 1 Episode 22 - Aired 3/28/2013

  Because you can (apparently) never have enough nukes...

  Director: Unknown

  Writer: Unknown

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  N/A/100 votes

  Scary Logos (and other Nostalgic Video Terrors)

  Season 1 Episode 23 - Aired 4/11/2013

  What is it about end logos and FBI Warnings that scared so many children of the VHS era?

  Director: Unknown

  Writer: Unknown

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  N/A/100 votes

  Hell's Bells (The Dangers of Rock and Roll)

  Season 1 Episode 24 - Aired 4/25/2013

  Can pure rock sound really hard-boil an egg? Of course not. It does make for some wicked "deviled" eggs though.

  Director: Unknown

  Writer: Unknown

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  N/A/100 votes

  Employee Training Videos

  Season 1 Episode 25 - Aired 5/9/2013

  Things have gotten so dire at The Archive that Ben's been forced to take a "real" job. Join him as he takes a look at his potential employers' training videos.

  Director: Unknown

  Writer: Unknown

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  N/A/100 votes

  VHS Vault vol. 1 (Amvest Video)

  Season 1 Episode 26 - Aired 5/23/2013

  Ever wanted to know the absolute root of the Oddity Archive? Well, it involves a creepy guy in a Hamster costume...

  Director: Unknown

  Writer: Unknown