PODCAST · comedy
The Tom Gulley Show
by Tom Gulley
Your official headquarters for things about stuff.
Episodes
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Chuck Yeager: The Pilot Who Broke the Sound Barrier | Aviation Legend
Discover the incredible true story of Chuck Yeager, the legendary American pilot who became the first person in history to break the sound barrier. In this episode, we explore Chuck Yeager’s journey from a young West Virginia farm boy to World War II fighter ace, elite test pilot, and the man who...
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The Greatest Sports Inventions That Changed the Game Forever
Discover the most game-changing sports inventions in history on this episode of The Tom Gulley Show! From the humble beginnings of the baseball glove and catcher's chest protector to modern breakthroughs like the computerized ball and strike detector, we dive deep into the innovations that...
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Fantasy Island: The Classic 1970s TV Series Where Dreams Came True
Dive deep into the mysterious world of Fantasy Island on this episode! Join host Tom Gulley as he explores the iconic 1970s–80s ABC anthology series that turned every guest’s deepest wish into reality—for a price—on a remote tropical paradise. Discover the behind-the-scenes stories of Ricardo...
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Jack LaLanne: The Godfather of Fitness Who Revolutionized American Health & Exercise
Discover the incredible life and lasting legacy of Jack LaLanne, the pioneering fitness icon known as the “Godfather of Fitness.” Born in 1914, LaLanne transformed from a sugar-addicted, unhealthy teen into America’s original exercise and nutrition guru after a life-changing lecture. In this...
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Schoolhouse Rock! The Catchy Songs That Taught a Generation Math, Grammar & Civics
Relive the magic of Schoolhouse Rock! — the iconic educational animated series that turned multiplication tables, parts of speech, American history, and how a bill becomes a law into unforgettable songs. From “Three Is a Magic Number” and “Conjunction Junction” to “I’m Just a Bill” and “The...
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Fatal Niagara Falls Stunts: The Nitwits Who Met Their Demise Going Over the Falls
Discover the tragic true stories of the daredevils who attempted to conquer Niagara Falls—and paid the ultimate price. From barrel plunges that ended in disaster to failed jet-ski and kayak attempts, this episode of The Tom Gulley Show explores the fatal history of people who went over the mighty...
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James Bond: From Ian Fleming to Modern 007 Shaken, Not Stirred
Dive deep into the legendary world of the world’s most famous secret agent. This episode explores the full history of James Bond—from Ian Fleming’s original novels and the creation of the iconic character to the classic films, evolving portrayals, memorable gadgets, villains, and the cultural...
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Labor Day: How American Workers Won a Holiday & Why It Still Matters
Labor Day is more than the unofficial end of summer or a long weekend for barbecues and sales. It’s a hard-won tribute to the American worker—born from the late 19th-century labor movement’s fight for fair wages, shorter hours, safer conditions, and dignity on the job. In this episode we dig into...
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Kung Fu: The Iconic 1970s TV Series with David Carradine as Kwai Chang Caine
Dive into the legendary 1970s TV series Kung Fu, the groundbreaking martial arts Western that captivated audiences with David Carradine’s unforgettable portrayal of Kwai Chang Caine, the peaceful yet powerful Shaolin monk wandering the American Old West. Airing on ABC from 1972 to 1975, this...
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McDLT: The McDonald’s Burger That Kept the Hot Side Hot and the Cool Side Cool
Remember the McDLT? McDonald’s legendary 1980s burger that promised to keep the hot side hot and the cool side cool. In this episode of The Tom Gulley Show, we dive deep into the rise and fall of one of fast food’s most innovative (and environmentally controversial) sandwiches. From its...
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The Great Video Game Burial: Why Atari Entombed Thousands of Cartridges In An Alamogordo Landfill
In 1983, at the height of the video game crash, Atari buried hundreds of thousands of unsold video game cartridges, consoles, and equipment in a landfill in Alamogordo, New Mexico. The infamous mass burial included the notorious flop E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial along with titles like Pac-Man,...
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John Wayne: America’s Iconic Cowboy & Western Hero, Pilgrim
Discover the enduring legacy of John Wayne, the legendary actor known as “The Duke,” in this episode of The Tom Gulley Show. Explore the life, career, and cultural impact of Hollywood’s greatest Western star—from classic films like Stagecoach, The Searchers, True Grit, Rio Bravo, and The Quiet…
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Dummies Climbing Everest: Unprepared Climbers Who Never Return
In this intense episode of The Tom Gulley Show, we examine the sobering reality of unprepared climbers who perish while attempting to summit Mount Everest. Every year, ambitious adventurers pay tens of thousands of dollars and risk everything to reach the top of the world—yet many never return…
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The Worst Show Business Decisions of All Time – Career-Killing Moves & Hollywood Blunders
What are the biggest, most costly mistakes in Hollywood history? In this episode of The Tom Gulley Show, we break down the worst show business decisions of all time — the career-killing moves, missed fortunes, and head-scratching choices that still haunt actors, studios, and executives decades...
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Baretta: Robert Blake’s Iconic 1970s Undercover Cop & the Legend of Fred the Cockatoo
Dive into the gritty, unforgettable world of Baretta, the classic 1970s ABC police drama that turned Robert Blake into a television icon. From 1975 to 1978, Blake starred as Detective Tony Baretta—the street-smart, rule-bending plainclothes cop who lived by his own code, shared a rundown hotel...
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MAD Magazine: The Ultimate Guide to Satire, Parody & Alfred E. Neuman’s Legacy
Dive deep into the wild, irreverent world of MAD Magazine — the legendary American humor magazine that redefined satire, parody, and comic culture for generations. From its groundbreaking debut in 1952 as a comic book to its iconic run as a full magazine, explore how MAD Magazine skewered…
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John Lydon: Anger Is An Energy, Sex Pistols, Public Image Ltd And Beyond
John Lydon didn’t just sing for the Sex Pistols — he detonated a cultural bomb that still echoes today. In this episode of The Tom Gulley Show, Tom takes a deep dive into the life, career, and uncompromising attitude of the man the world knows as Johnny Rotten. From the chaotic streets of 1970s...
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The Urban Legend Super Outbreak: A Time Of Scary Clowns, Satanic Panic, With Pop Rocks And Soda
In the mid-1970s, America was hit by a Super Outbreak of urban legends that spread like wildfire through schools, parties, and late-night conversations. On this episode of The Tom Gulley Show, we dive deep into the most unforgettable myths of the era that terrified and fascinated a generation....
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1971: The Year That Broke Old Hollywood
1971 delivered some of the most influential, bold, and unforgettable films ever made. In this episode of The Tom Gulley Show, we dive deep into the legendary year that changed cinema forever. From Stanley Kubrick’s controversial masterpiece A Clockwork Orange to Clint Eastwood’s iconic Dirty…
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The Rubik’s Cube: The Little Puzzle That Drove the World Crazy
The Rubik’s Cube is one of the most recognizable puzzles ever created—and one of the most maddening. Invented in 1974 by Hungarian architect and professor Ernő Rubik, the puzzle began life as the “Magic Cube” before becoming a worldwide phenomenon after its international launch as the Rubik’s…
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Dolly Parton: The Voice, And The Lungs, That Dominated Show Business
Dolly Parton is one of the most recognizable entertainers in the world—but the story behind that famous voice, larger-than-life personality, and unmistakable image is every bit as fascinating as the music. From a childhood in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee to country music superstardom,...
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The Dick Van Dyke Show: The Sitcom That Knew Exactly What Was Funny
The Dick Van Dyke Show is one of the greatest sitcoms in television history—and more than 60 years after it premiered, its comedy still works. Starring Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Morey Amsterdam, Rose Marie and Richard Deacon, the classic CBS sitcom turned a television comedy writer's life…
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Tupperware: How A Simple Plastic Bowl Became A Party
Before “food storage container” became a generic kitchen category, there was Tupperware. Beginning in 1946, Earl Tupper’s ingenious airtight containers introduced Americans to a completely different way of storing food. But the real story of Tupperware wasn’t just about plastic—or even the famous...
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The Dating Game: Love, Celebrities, And The Occasional Serial Killer
Before dating apps, before The Bachelor, before reality television turned romance into a spectator sport, there was The Dating Game. Premiering on ABC in 1965, The Dating Game took the simple idea of finding a date and turned it into one of television's most entertaining formulas: one contestant...
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The Great Moon Hoax of 1835: A Newspaper Convinced The World There Were People on the Moon
In August 1835, the New York Sun began publishing one of the most extraordinary stories in the history of American journalism: a supposed discovery of life on the Moon. According to the newspaper, the Moon was populated by bizarre animals, lush forests, oceans—and intelligent, winged humanoids.…
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Hayden Panettiere: We Saved The Cheerleader, But Couldn’t Save Her World
Hayden Panettiere was already working in show business before she was old enough to remember it. A commercial at 11 months old launched a career that would take her from daytime television and A Bug’s Life to Remember the Titans, Heroes, Scream 4, and Nashville—and make her one of the most...
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The Gong Show: The TV Game Show That Let Really Bad Be Really Good
The Gong Show was unlike anything else on American television. Part game show, part comedy spectacle, and part gloriously unpredictable talent competition, Chuck Barris’s bizarre 1970s TV phenomenon turned ordinary people, outrageous performers, celebrity judges, and the unmistakable sound of a...
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Roadside Attractions: The Strange, Bizarre, Spectacular Stops That Make Unforgettable Roadtrips
Roadside attractions are as American as the open road: giant fiberglass animals, mysterious monuments, bizarre museums, oddball tourist traps, dinosaur parks, miniature towns, gravity-defying buildings, and spectacularly strange places that exist for one reason — to make you stop the car. Before...
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JAWS: The Great Big Bloody Cultural Phenomenon That Changed Movies Forever
Jaws, the 1975 Steven Spielberg thriller, didn't just become one of the biggest movies in Hollywood history—it changed the way audiences experienced movies. Based on Peter Benchley's bestselling novel, Jaws turned a relatively simple story about a great white shark into a cultural phenomenon, a...
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Victor Lustig: The Con Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower
Victor Lustig may be the greatest con man you’ve never heard of—and he actually sold the Eiffel Tower. Not once, but twice. A master of deception, forged documents, false identities, elaborate confidence games, and sheer nerve, Victor Lustig built a criminal career around convincing people to...
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The Immortal: The 1970s TV Series Where Death Wasn’t An Option
The Immortal was one of those fascinating television shows that seemed to arrive out of nowhere—and disappeared almost as quickly. Premiering in 1970, this unusual science-fiction adventure series starred Christopher George as Ben Richards, a man whose extraordinary blood made him virtually…
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The Great Emu War: How Australia Lost A War To Big, Dumb Birds
The Great Emu War of 1932 sounds like a joke, but it actually happened. In Western Australia, thousands of emus were destroying crops, and the Australian government responded by sending soldiers armed with machine guns to deal with them. What followed became one of the strangest episodes in...
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John Belushi: The Rise and Tragic End of a Comedy Legend
From Saturday Night Live to National Lampoon's Animal House and The Blues Brothers, few entertainers left a mark on American comedy like John Belushi. His explosive energy, unforgettable characters, and fearless performances helped redefine sketch comedy and inspired generations of comedians,...
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Roadkill Cuisine: Hit By A Car, But Still Good Eatin’
Would you eat a meal made from roadkill? It may sound unbelievable, but across America, roadkill cuisine has a long and surprisingly legal history. From deer and elk to wild turkey and even more unusual finds, thousands of people salvage animals killed on the nation's highways every year—whether...
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The Brady Bunch: America’s First Mixed Family Of Corny Comedy
Few television shows have become as deeply woven into American pop culture as The Brady Bunch. Although it wasn't a ratings juggernaut during its original run, the series exploded into a worldwide phenomenon through syndication, inspiring movies, spin-offs, reunion specials, cartoons, stage...
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The Kool-Aid Jammers Disaster: My Frustrating Experience with Kraft Foods
What started as a simple purchase turns into a frustrating battle with one of the biggest food companies in America. Tom reveals the strange packaging problem he discovered after buying a 10-pack of Kool-Aid Jammers—and the surprising series of conversations that followed with Kraft Foods. A...
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Wallets: From Ancient Coins to Modern Cash and Beyond
What do you carry in your wallet... and why? The humble wallet is something almost everyone owns, yet few people ever stop to think about where it came from, how it evolved, or why it's designed the way it is. On this episode of The Tom Gulley Show, Tom explores the fascinating history of...
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Hot Pockets: The Scalding Hot Accidental American Food Phenomenon
From college dorm rooms to office break rooms, few frozen foods have become as recognizable as Hot Pockets. Love them or joke about them, these microwaveable sandwiches have carved out a unique place in American culture—and their story is far more fascinating than most people realize. On this...
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Peter Gunn: The Coolest Detective TV Ever Created
Step into the stylish, jazz-soaked world of one of television's most influential private detectives. On this episode of The Tom Gulley Show, Tom explores the groundbreaking TV series Peter Gunn, the classic detective drama that redefined crime television with sophisticated storytelling,...
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Richard Pryor: The Comic Genius Who Changed Stand-Up Forever
Richard Pryor didn't just make audiences laugh—he transformed stand-up comedy forever. Fearless, brutally honest, and often controversial, Pryor took his own life experiences, pain, addiction, race, relationships, and triumphs and turned them into some of the most influential comedy ever…
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The Iroquois Theater Fire: The Deadliest Night in American Theater History
On December 30, 1903, Chicago's brand-new Iroquois Theatre proudly advertised itself as "absolutely fireproof." Within minutes, that claim became one of the deadliest lies in American history. In this episode of The Tom Gulley Show, Tom examines the horrific Iroquois Theater Fire, a catastrophe...
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The Cocoanut Grove Disaster: America’s Deadliest Hot Nightclub
On November 28, 1942, what began as a glamorous Saturday night in Boston ended in one of the deadliest disasters in American history. The Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire claimed 492 lives in just minutes, exposing deadly building design flaws, overcrowding, locked exits, and safety failures that...
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Pompeii: A Volcanic Case Of Unfortunate Real Estate
For nearly 2,000 years, the destruction of Pompeii has fascinated historians, archaeologists, and anyone captivated by history's greatest disasters. In A.D. 79, Mount Vesuvius unleashed one of the deadliest volcanic eruptions in recorded history, burying entire cities beneath volcanic ash and...
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The Crash At Crush: Crashing Steam Locomotives Head-On On Purpose
In 1896, a Texas railroad staged one of the most unbelievable publicity events in American history—and it ended in catastrophe. The Crash at Crush was promoted as a spectacular head-on collision between two full-sized steam locomotives in front of an estimated 40,000 spectators. What was intended...
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Lake Nyos: The Silent Killer That Strangled Thousands
The Lake Nyos Disaster remains one of the strangest and deadliest natural disasters in modern history. In 1986, a peaceful volcanic lake in Cameroon suddenly released an enormous cloud of carbon dioxide that silently rolled through nearby villages, killing more than 1,700 people and thousands of...
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Banacek: Solving TV Mysteries With Style & Sophistication
What made Banacek one of the smartest detective series ever to air on television? Starring the legendary George Peppard, this NBC mystery series turned impossible crimes into must-see television and proved that brains could be just as entertaining as bullets. On this episode of The Tom Gulley…
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World Cup 2026 Autopsy 2: The Complete Review
The biggest FIFA World Cup in history is officially over, and now it's time for the autopsy. On this episode of The Tom Gulley Show, Tom takes a comprehensive look back at World Cup 2026, separating the tournament's biggest triumphs from its biggest frustrations. From unforgettable matches,...
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The Model T Ford: The Car That Put America on Wheels
The Model T Ford didn't just change transportation—it transformed the way people lived, worked, traveled, and built communities. More than a century after its introduction, Henry Ford's revolutionary automobile remains one of the most influential inventions in American history. On this episode of...
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Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman: Turning Soap Operas Into Comedy Legend
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman wasn't just another sitcom—it was one of the strangest, smartest, and most influential television shows ever made. Premiering in 1976, the groundbreaking syndicated series turned the soap opera format completely upside down, blending deadpan comedy, social satire, and...
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US National Team World Cup 2026: The Ultimate Sports Buzzkill
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is over for the United States Men's National Team—and now comes the hard part: figuring out what it all means. On this episode of The Tom Gulley Show, Tom breaks down the USMNT's entire World Cup campaign, from the encouraging moments that fueled optimism to the crushing...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Your official headquarters for things about stuff.
HOSTED BY
Tom Gulley
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Tom Gulley Show have?
The Tom Gulley Show currently has 100 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
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Your official headquarters for things about stuff.
How often does The Tom Gulley Show release new episodes?
The Tom Gulley Show has 100 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
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Who hosts The Tom Gulley Show?
The Tom Gulley Show is created and hosted by Tom Gulley.
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