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This week we go way, way back in our time machine.  Think the 1940s, except older.  Yep, we’re heading back to the 1930s, far before our hosts were born. It’s Daniel’s turn, and we’re watching a classic: Popeye.  If you are to young to know Popeye the sailor, then here’s his schtick: Popeye adores his lady, Olive Oyl, and he loves to eat spinach, which makes him super strong.  When he opens a can, Popeye might as well be the Megazord.  He sails, too. You will need a Netflix Watch Instantly subscription to view the episode we discuss. If you already have an account, then click the link that we provide, and you are ready to watch the show with us! We will be watching the first episode: Popeye the Sailor  Meets Sinbad the Sailor Here is the link for this week: Popeye the Sailor  Meets Sinbad the Sailor You can find Alex (@SaundosaurusRex), Candice (@CandiceHatesYou), Daniel (@ScruffySquirrel) and Klaus (@psohb) on Twitter! Don’t forget to rate The Floor is Lava on iTunes!  And if there is a show that you would like us to watch, share it in the “Leave a Response” section below — just make sure that the show is on Netflix Watch Instantly!

If you are the host of a podcast about retro kid’s television shows, and Netflix drops a load of Cartoon Network gold in your lap, what do you do?  Watch all of it, of course! Watching is the easy part; however, picking where to start can be hard. As with Nickelodeon in the early and mid-1990s, Cartoon Network had a lineup of wonderful cartoons by the end of the decade.  I would be shocked if many of our listeners didn’t have fond memories of The Powerpuff Girls, Cow & Chicken, Johnny Bravo, etc. To boot, many of the shows still hold up more than a decade later.  Someday, I hope to share Dexter’s Laboratory with my kid (or kids). I could sit down and marathon all of the shows, but of the bunch, Courage the Cowardly Dog wins the blue ribbon.  It’s my favorite.  John Dilworth created a gem, and I dig the supernatural vibe. And don’t worry; knowing Klaus, as well as myself, we will surely watch many – if not all – of the cartoons from Cartoon Network’s golden era. You will need a Netflix Watch Instantly subscription to view the episode we discuss. If you already have an account, then click the link that we provide, and you are ready to watch the show with us! We will be watching episode one of season one: A Night at the Katz Motel/Cajun Granny Stew. Here is the link for this week: A Night at the Katz Motel/Cajun Granny Stew Don’t forget to rate The Floor is Lava on iTunes!  And if there is a show that you would like us to watch, share it in the “Leave a Response” section below — just make sure that the show is on Netflix Watch Instantly!

Our beloved Klaus brings many smiles to the show this week.  OK, so Klaus can make us laugh at the drop of a coin, but, to his credit, he picks perhaps the best show that we have watched  in recent episodes.  Join us as we all realize that He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2012) is pretty fucking awesome. Regardless of which show you preferred, the original 1980s cartoon or the 2000 reboot, we hope that you will watch with us this week.  The reboot was very well done, so even if you are a purist, I hope that you can get some enjoyment out of the show. Unfortunately, we had some technical difficulties this week.  Skype, foul mistress, cut our call short toward the end of the episode; however, as always, we promise you a full show.  This week, you will have to watch the final three minutes of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe without our banter and jokes about piercing lava penises and mountain buttholes.  As I said before, though, the cartoon is great, so you will be fine. And not that there has ever been any question, but Klaus does the best Skeletor impersonation that you will hear any day of the week. You will need a Netflix Watch Instantly subscription to view the episode we discuss. If you already have an account, then click the link that we provide, and you are ready to watch the show with us! We will be watching episode four of season one: The Courage of Adam. Here is the link for this week: The Courage of Adam Don’t forget to rate The Floor is Lava on iTunes!  And if there is a show that you would like us to watch, share it in the “Leave a Response” section below — just make sure that the show is on Netflix Watch Instantly!

Mr. Magoo is a powder keg.  Bet you didn’t expect to read that today. I remember The Mr. Magoo Show as a comical chronicle of the daily adventures of a myopic kindly old man; however, as with many cartoons of the mid-20th Century, the creators really didn’t hide — or even try to — stereotypes or racism.  It’s laid on thick, as you will see in the first short cartoon, “Ten Strike Magoo,” which features Charlie, an Asian character based on stereotypes.  You could get away with a lot more in the 1940s and 1950s. And though the content is cringe-worthy at times, we urge you to join us for this week, as we watch The Mr. Magoo Show. You will need a Netflix Watch Instantly subscription to view the episode we discuss. If you already have an account, then click the link that we provide, and you are ready to watch the show with us! We will be watching episode two of season one. Here is the link for this week: The Mr. Magoo Show Don’t forget to rate The Floor is Lava on iTunes!  And if there is a show that you would like us to watch, share it in the “Leave a Response” section below — just make sure that the show is on Netflix Watch Instantly!

We check off a big name this week.  You know, one of those shows that we must watch.  It seems that among our hosts, I have the corner on the Transformers market. This week we are all about Transformers: Generation 1, the show, based on a Japanese toy line popularized by Hasbro, that started a phenomenon.  If you look at all of the clothes, toys, movies and spin-offs, the series has incredible staying power.  And there is good reason, too:  Giant robots fighting each other is just plain cool! You will need a Netflix Watch Instantly subscription to view the episode we discuss. If you already have an account, then click the link that we provide, and you are ready to watch the show with us! We will be watching episode eight of season one: S.O.S. Dinobots. Here is the link for this week: S.O.S. Dinobots Don’t forget to rate The Floor is Lava on iTunes!  And if there is a show that you would like us to watch, share it in the “Leave a Response” section below — just make sure that the show is on Netflix Watch Instantly!

Continuing what began with Saved by the Bell, we are branching  off of the “we only watch cartoons” theme.  Don’t worry; we will still have plenty of cartoons for you to enjoy (or make fun of); however we also want to expand into family sitcoms and, well, television shows that star real people.  At least that way Klaus and I can’t pick 1990s CG nightmares. This week we go old school and watch Dennis the Menace (1959).  In other words, not that film version (1993) with Walter Matthau, which you may or may not be too young to remember. And, unsurprisingly, not even Dennis the Menace is safe from our jagged and shard-like wit.  Klaus says, “Nothing is sacred.”  At least in the realm of television, I think that we’re proving him right. You will need a Netflix Watch Instantly subscription to view the episode we discuss. If you already have an account, then click the link that we provide, and you are ready to watch the show with us! We will be watching episode four of season one: Grandpa and Miss Cathcart. Here is the link for this week: Grandpa and Miss Cathcart Don’t forget to rate The Floor is Lava on iTunes!  And if there is a show that you would like us to watch, share it in the “Leave a Response” section below — just make sure that the show is on Netflix Watch Instantly!

I have good news and bad news.  Inevitably, sometimes, you have to take the bad with the good.  First, to soften the blow, the good news: We are watching Voltron, and Tim Curry lends his voice to the show.  Unfortunately, this probably isn’t the Voltron that you want to watch, and Tim Curry doesn’t sing. Regardless, we promise that you will still have a good time.  Don’t we always? If nothing else, you will learn about proper coffee maker use.  Should be common knowledge, right?  Apparently not. You will need a Netflix Watch Instantly subscription to view the episode we discuss. If you already have an account, then click the link that we provide, and you are ready to watch the show with us! We will be watching episode three of season one: Building the Forces of Doom. Here is the link for this week: Building the Forces of Doom   Don’t forget to rate The Floor is Lava on iTunes!  And if there is a show that you would like us to watch, share it in the “Leave a Response” section below — just make sure that the show is on Netflix Watch Instantly!

Despite his awe-inspiring mustache, his ability to delight a room full of German opera fans, and his blue ribbon in the Robotnik look-alike contest, Klaus gets nightmares after watching Gumby, whom most people associate with a warm smile and joyful demeanor.  Klaus calls Gumby “terrifying.”  That is not the Gumby that I remember.  I used to hang with that dude all the time — in the sense that he was a toy, and I pretended that he could understand me. I mean Gumby wouldn’t hurt a fly, would he?  Would he!?! After watching an episode of The Gumby Show with us, you might change your tune. Disclaimer: The Floor is Lava does not condone putting dinosaur eggs into ovens.  Save the babies! You will need a Netflix Watch Instantly subscription to view the episode we discuss. If you already have an account, then click the link that we provide, and you are ready to watch the show with us! We will be watching episode six of season one: The Eggs and Trixie/Egg Trouble/Odd Balls. Here is the link for this week: The Eggs and Trixie/Egg Trouble/Odd Balls Don’t forget to rate The Floor is Lava on iTunes!  And if there is a show that you would like us to watch, share it in the “Leave a Response” section below — just make sure that the show is on Netflix Watch Instantly!

Do you like Power Rangers?  Do you like programs that are like Power Rangers but much worse?  If so, then you will be on the edge of your seat for this entire episode. For at least the second time in the history of The Floor is Lava, I pick a television show that will likely have you asking, “Why the hell was this on cable?”  No doubt, Big Bad Beetleborgs came about because of the wild success of Power Rangers, another Saban, uh, classic.  The similarities are undeniable.  And even though Big Bad Beetleborgs settles at the bottom of the entertainment barrel, it, like almost every other show, has at least a modicum of entertainment value — no matter how insipid. If you have never heard of or watched this show, here is a brief summary:  Candice refers to it as H.R. Pufnstuf of the 1990s.  Did we lose you?  No?!?  You are a brave one. You will need a Netflix Watch Instantly subscription to view the episode we discuss. If you already have an account, then click the link that we provide, and you are ready to watch the show with us! We will be watching episode four of season one: The Ghost is Toast. Here is the link for this week: The Ghost is Toast Don’t forget to rate The Floor is Lava on iTunes!  And if there is a show that you would like us to watch, share it in the “Leave a Response” section below — just make sure that the show is on Netflix Watch Instantly!

I am going to share a secret: On a rare occasion, we get together and watch a show that all of us enjoy.  It’s true! Of course, all of these shows once seemed spectacular; however, once you view them as an adult, you find that many of them don’t hold up quite as well as you might like.  You know, as happens with video games.  This week, though, we watch a timeless cartoon that anyone with a shred of sanity can smile at: Rocky & Bullwinkle — & Friends. You don’t want to hear my Boris and Natasha impersonations, but Klaus does a delightful Bullwinkle, which I think you will get a real kick out of. You will need a Netflix Watch Instantly subscription to view the episode we discuss. If you already have an account, then click the link that we provide, and you are ready to watch the show with us! We will be watching episode two of season three. Here is the link for this week: The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends. Don’t forget to rate The Floor is Lava on iTunes!  And if there is a show that you would like us to watch, share it in the “Leave a Response” section below — just make sure that the show is on Netflix Watch Instantly!

I don’t know why, but I think Klaus wants to punish us this week.  We don’t do repeats, but he found a loophole in our system: We never said anything about watching different shows based on  the same character.  With that in mind, I hope you are prepared to watch the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. Jaleel White, everyone’s favorite television nerd from the 1990s and voice of Sonic the Hedgehog, makes his return to The Floor is Lava.  If Family Matters comes to Netflix streaming, I guess we will have to watch that too. You will need a Netflix Watch Instantly subscription to view the episode we discuss. If you already have an account, then click the link that we provide, and you are ready to watch the show with us! We will be watching episode nine of season one: Momma Robotnik’s Birthday. Here is the link for this week: Momma Robotnik’s Birthday. Don’t forget to rate The Floor is Lava on iTunes!  And if there is a show that you would like us to watch, share it in the “Leave a Response” section below — just make sure that the show is on Netflix Watch Instantly!

Apparently we didn’t learn anything from our pilot episode.  For our first unofficial show, if you remember, we watched H.R. Pufnstuf, and it was just weird. Not the good kind of weird either.  It was the stuff of nightmares.  Klaus still calls me in the middle of the night, screaming, “Don’t make me get on the boat to Living Island!” So, either we suffer from severe amnesia or we are gluttons for punishment. For episode 18, we travel back into the weird wilds of Sid and Marty Krofft, and we watch Sigmund and the Sea Monsters.  And, once again, we wonder why we subject ourselves to such horror — a.k.a. Johnny Whitaker’s face. Even as an adult, I am not sure that I am prepared to sit and watch a Krofft bros. jam. You will need a Netflix Watch Instantly subscription to view the episode we discuss. If you already have an account, then click the link that we provide, and you are ready to watch the show with us! We will be watching episode nine of season one: The Curfew Shall Ring Tonight. Here is the link for this week: The Curfew Shall Ring Tonight Don’t forget to rate The Floor is Lava on iTunes!  And if there is a show that you would like us to watch, share it in the “Leave a Response” section below — just make sure that the show is on Netflix Watch Instantly!

Surprise!  Our special guest host from last week, Daniel “Boone” Riha, joins us for another week of debauchery!  This time with more cheese!  Yes, almost three minutes of this episode are devoted to a delicious cheese roundtable, but that’s what you come here for, right?  A feta, a cheddar and a nice havarti?  Right? OK, so no you don’t, but you’re in luck; we included it this week — free of charge! Anyway, let’s get down to brass tacks, shall we? This week we watch a favorite from the Fox Kids lineup: Bobby’s World.  You will get to see Howie Mandel before he went nutso and shaved his head, and you will meet a young boy whose imagination is crazy enough to have seven imaginary friends. And on top of it all, this episode features a surprise appearance by comedy legend John Candy!  Or some who could win a John Candy look-alike contest. You will need a Netflix Watch Instantly subscription to view the episode we discuss. If you already have an account, then click the link that we provide, and you are ready to watch the show with us! We will be watching episode 10 of season one: The Revenge of Dr. Noo. Here is the link for this week: The Revenge of Dr. Noo Don’t forget to rate The Floor is Lava on iTunes!  And if there is a show that you would like us to watch, share it in the “Leave a Response” section below — just make sure that the show is on Netflix Watch Instantly!

And we’re back!  It has taken us longer than expected to get back on track, but we are finally ready to pump more beloved (and ridiculed) children’s television shows into your bloodstream. Dear friend Daniel Riha, also known as ScruffySquirrel on Twitter, joins us for episode 16, as we watch Heathcliff. Yes, the second orange cat in our hearts gets his chance to shine.  Many kids grew up loving Garfield, a lazy, lasagna-loving cat who had a television show, a weekly comic strip and a line of funny books, but Heathcliff managed to gain his own share of adoration.  And despite what Klaus says, I am certain that he has a soft spot for Heathcliff, too. You will need a Netflix Watch Instantly subscription to view the episode we discuss. If you already have an account, then click the link that we provide, and you are ready to watch the show with us! We will be watching episode four of season one: Rebels Without a Claws/The Farming Life Ain’t For Me. Here is the link for this week: Rebels Without a Claws/The Farming Life Ain’t For Me Don’t forget to rate The Floor is Lava on iTunes!  And if there is a show that you would like us to watch, share it in the “Leave a Response” section below — just make sure that the show is on Netflix Watch Instantly!

As the year comes to a close, we also close the book on The Floor is Lava in 2012.  Don’t worry, though; we will be back so soon you won’t have time to miss us.  Before we go, we have a whopper of a final episode for you. During many shows, we asked this question: When are we going to do He-Man?  Surely, we had to watch He-Man during our first batch of episodes, right?  Right.  We won’t be watching any episode, though.  In this show, episode 15, we watch He-Man and She-Ra: A Christmas Special. From all of us at The Floor is Lava, we wish your family a very happy, healthy, and stress-free holiday season. You will need a Netflix Watch Instantly subscription to view the episode we discuss. If you already have an account, then click the link that we provide, and you are ready to watch the show with us! We will be watching He-Man and She-Ra: A Christmas Special. Here is the link for this week: He-Man and She-Ra: A Christmas Special Don’t forget to rate The Floor is Lava on iTunes!  And if there is a show that you would like us to watch, share it in the “Leave a Response” section below — just make sure that the show is on Netflix Watch Instantly!