2019 BOTNS Show of the Year!

It's time to begin a new annual tradition: the selection of a Show of the Year! To be the Show of the Year, a TV program need not be the "best." It need not even be "good" nor even "coherent." 

Also, this is not one of our shows--so, not a podcast episode. It doesn't need to be something we covered on the show in 2019. It is outside the world of the Battys. It just has to be something that made an impact in the past year, something that provided joy, entertainment, or massive confusion.

I am pleased to announce that the Battle of the Network Shows Show of the Year for 2019 is...

Spider-Woman!

Yes, the 1979 cartoon aired just one season and 16 episodes on ABC, but it brought me immeasurable happiness with its bizarre villains, nonsensical storylines, and utter disinterest in internal logic.

I could go on and on about the show itself (and maybe I--and Mike--will at some point; would you like to see us cover this on the pod?) but let me focus on some of the more symbolic reasons this is Show of the Year.

Spider-Woman showed that even in the vast and famous Disney library there are gems lurking and that we shouldn't ignore the value of the back catalog when considering the streaming services proliferating. Sure, Disney + is thriving because of originals like The Mandalorian, but folks like me (and I suspect many of our listeners) are just as excited to see 40-year-old TV cartoons.

The series has an important spot on Disney +, too. If you go to the Marvel section and sort by year (doesn't everyone have the instant impulse to find the oldest material first on any streaming service?), guess which TV/movie appears first? The '67 Spider-Man? No. The live-action 1977 Spidey series? No. The 1967 Fantastic Four cartoon? No.  

The 1978 Dr. Strange TV movie? No.

The 1979 Captain America? No.

Well, gee, now I'm upset again that all that stuff is missing. The point, though, is that the very first thing people see, the symbolic oldest piece of Marvel content on the service, is Spider-Woman. For fans of vintage television, that means something.  

I am tempted to figure out a way to auto-play the show all day and rack up the streams because I want Disney + to give us more like this show.  Well, I shouldn't say more like this show because there is nothing like this.  That's why it's so much fun and one reason why it is Show of the Year.