Oddity Archive

Total Seasons :13Total Episodes : 289

The Oddity Archive is a web series that revolves around the "cultural dustbin", especially as it pertains to media. The Archive also functions as an actual archive of sorts, with a modest collection of off-air Betamax and VHS recordings (about 400 total as of June, 2014). There's also a decent collection of ephemeral video, "ripoff" and "drugstore" LP's/cassettes/8-tracks, as well as (working) ob...

Episodes(26)

The Max Headroom Incident of 1987

1. The Max Headroom Incident of 1987

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.

Air Date : 2012-07-05

Emergency Broadcast Salute

2. Emergency Broadcast Salute

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

Air Date : 2012-07-19

TV Sign-offs

3. TV Sign-offs

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

Air Date : 2012-08-02

Local TV Special

4. Local TV Special

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.

Air Date : 2012-08-16

American EXXXtacy (and other C-band nastiness)

5. American EXXXtacy (and other C-band nastiness)

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

Air Date : 2012-08-30

Conservative Folk Music

6. Conservative Folk Music

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

Air Date : 2012-09-13

Format Wars

7. Format Wars

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

Air Date : 2012-09-27

1-900-ARCHIVE

8. 1-900-ARCHIVE

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

Air Date : 2012-10-11

Halloween Special 2012 (Strange VHS Endings)

9. Halloween Special 2012 (Strange VHS Endings)

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.

Air Date : 2012-10-25

Captain Midnight / Vrillon

10. Captain Midnight / Vrillon

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

Air Date : 2012-11-08

Pay TV (but not Cable or Satellite)

11. Pay TV (but not Cable or Satellite)

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

Air Date : 2012-11-15

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

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

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.

Air Date : 2012-11-22

Local TV vol. 2 (Kiddie Show Hosts)

13. Local TV vol. 2 (Kiddie Show Hosts)

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.

Air Date : 2012-12-06

Christmas Special (A Fair Use Christmas)

14. Christmas Special (A Fair Use Christmas)

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

Air Date : 2012-12-20

Teletext Heaven (or Hell)

15. Teletext Heaven (or Hell)

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

Air Date : 2013-01-03

Intermission

16. Intermission

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!).

Air Date : 2013-01-10

Prehistoric Television

17. Prehistoric Television

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

Air Date : 2013-01-17

gniksaM sdrawkcaB (Backwards Masking)

18. gniksaM sdrawkcaB (Backwards Masking)

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

Air Date : 2013-01-31

Valentine's Day Special (Dating Services)

19. Valentine's Day Special (Dating Services)

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.

Air Date : 2013-02-14

Local TV vol. 3 (Public Access)

20. Local TV vol. 3 (Public Access)

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

Air Date : 2013-02-28

Protect & Survive

21. Protect & Survive

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

Air Date : 2013-03-14

Duck & Cover

22. Duck & Cover

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

Air Date : 2013-03-28

Scary Logos (and other Nostalgic Video Terrors)

23. Scary Logos (and other Nostalgic Video Terrors)

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

Air Date : 2013-04-11

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

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

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

Air Date : 2013-04-25

Employee Training Videos

25. Employee Training Videos

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.

Air Date : 2013-05-09

VHS Vault vol. 1 (Amvest Video)