From John Denver & The Muppets to Rankin/Bass, Charlie Brown, Claymation, Christmas concerts, forgotten TV specials, and the weird holiday stuff we all secretly love — this episode is a full-on nostalgia dive into everything that made Christmas feel magical on TV and in music.

We’re talking: 🎶 iconic Christmas albums 📺 must-watch holiday specials 🎤 concert events and variety shows 🦌 Rudolph, Peanuts, Muppets, and more 🎄 deep cuts you forgot existed (and instantly remembered)

This is the episode you throw on while decorating the tree, wrapping gifts, or just vibing on the couch wondering why Christmas doesn’t hit the same anymore.

👇 Drop a comment and tell us: What’s ONE Christmas special or album you HAVE to watch or listen to every year?

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#christmasspecials #christmasnostalgia #popculture #muppets #charliebrown #rankinbass #christmasmusic #holidaytraditions #80snostalgia #90snostalgia

In this episode of Whatever This Is Called Podcast, we dive deep into The Monster Squad (1987) — the cult classic 80s horror-comedy directed by Fred Dekker and written by Shane Black.

Joined by our guest Chris, we break down why The Monster Squad has become one of the most beloved 80s horror movies of all time — from Dracula’s terrifying presence to the emotional arc of Frankenstein’s Monster, and yes… “Wolfman’s got nards.”

We discuss:

• Is The Monster Squad better than people remember?
• How it compares to 80s classics like The Goonies and Gremlins
• Whether the Squad exists in the same universe as Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• The practical effects and Universal Monsters legacy
• Plot holes, cult status, and why this movie bombed in theaters but won on VHS

If you love 80s movies, cult horror films, practical monster effects, and nostalgic deep-dive movie podcasts, this episode is for you.

New episodes of Whatever This Is Called Podcast drop weekly. Subscribe for more movie reviews, film analysis, horror breakdowns, and pop culture deep dives.

#themonstersquad #monstersquad #80smovies #80shorror #cultclassic #horrorcomedy #dracula #universalmonsters #buffythevampireslayer #movietheory #filmanalysis #horrorpodcast #moviepodcast #whateverthisiscalled

The 1980s gave us more than just the obvious classics — it also delivered bold, strange, and wildly underrated movies and TV shows that disappeared way too soon. In this episode, we revisit some forgotten gems and ask why they never found their audience.

We’re talking:

• Johnny Dangerously (1984) – a post-Airplane! gangster spoof that leaned hard into absurdity
• The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd – smart, character-driven TV before its time
• D.A.R.Y.L. – a surprisingly emotional sci-fi kid movie everyone forgets
• Manimal – an all-time “only in the 80s” TV swing
• Tales of the Gold Monkey – pulpy adventure TV that deserved a longer run

If you love cult classics, short-lived TV experiments, and pop-culture deep cuts, this episode is for you.