What's On Tonight (Saturday): The story of us

The Wonder Years, "Independence Day" (via Giphy)

Hello, friends! Tonight's WOT was specifically designed as the final WOT on the Pop Culture Disqus channel (Pop Culture version). A lot of it doesn't translate as a standalone piece outside of that place; it needs context. So, please keep that in mind as you read it. I thought of a full reformat, but this serves as a good backstory of how this community/site came about. For you listing seekers, you will have to scroll, but in the end you will find... what's on television for tonight, Saturday, August 24!

But sir, I don't want to go. 

We must. This land we sit in now will soon be no more. It is time to settle in new pastures, greener and more bountiful for our needs. 

How about one final story before we depart? 

I can manage that. In fact, it'll be a true story, one that some people here have even lived for the better part of the decade. How one website crafted a feature that birthed its own community by the sheer will of the commenters. So gather round everyone.

Star Trek: The Next Generation, "All Good Things" (via Giphy)

This, friends, is the story of us...

Welcome to the 792nd and final edition of Pop Culture's signature What's On Tonight!

Now, those 792 editions of What's On Tonight are only a fraction of the total What's On Tonights in our canon. After all, this space is more The New What's On Tonight. There were roughly 1,700 WOTs before this Pop Culture channel even existed, and all our regular comment features came about in the previous' later years.

In the beginning, there was The AV Club.

EARLY PRIMETIME

Doctor Who 📺 (Retro TV, 6 p.m.): In a parallel world, the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) sees the world collapse in an inferno when the Earth's crust is penetrated to the point of no return. When he returns to his world, he must stop Director Stahlman (Olaf Pooley) from causing the same fate. This is also the last call for companion Liz Shaw (Caroline John). Later, in the first episode of "Terror of the Autons," we are introduced to Jo Grant (Katy Manning), Mike Yates (Richard Franklin) and... The Master (Roger Delgado).

Frankie Drake Mysteries (Ovation, 7 p.m.): FINALE. Frankie and Trudie get hired at Bess Starkman's illegal casino which has been robbed. Later, Frankie becomes a magician's assistant to solve a murder.

FOR THE RECORD: Injustice with Nancy Grace (Oxygen, 6 p.m.)

Doctor Who, "The End of Time, Part 2" (via Giphy)

There were other variations of What's On Tonight at other places on the internet well before 2011 (and there still are... shocking, I know), but when Emily Van Der Werff wrote the first WOT back in October 2011, it was the start of our origin story. Most of us here, myself included, weren't around at the time. Some were present, including Jay S. and MarkInTexas. Others were around but making the column a part of the nightly routine would happen in the months and/or years to follow. Little has changed about its publishing ⁠— it's still posted at 1 AM Eastern and there's no Saturday edition.

Emily wrote every WOT until the following February when Erik Adams began sharing the writing duty. The two of them wrote WOTs for the next 17 months, though Alasdair Wilkins stepped in on (rare) occasion earlier in summer 2013.

During this era, the long-time What's On Tonight format was established — What's On Tonight OG. For years, it didn't change. There was the sometimes sassy headline and then every column started:

Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for [Day], [Date], [Year]. All times are Eastern.

To kick off the column was the "Top Pick(s)", usually a show that was receiving TV Club coverage unless there was a big event special or premiere worth nothing for sass possibilities. Next was "Regular Coverage" for the shows that would receive episodic coverage that night and then, when applicable, "TV Club Classic" for those throwback shows receiving coverage... the good old days. Though not around in the early days, "Elsewhere in TV Club" became a way to highlight other TV features that went live alongside WOT and a number of pieces worth spotlighting (TV Roundtable, Random Roles, For Our Consideration, TV Club 10, 100 Episodes, Emmy This... I'm probably the only person who remembers the latter.)

"What Else Is On?" varied in size, highlighting the obscure TV, movies, specials, and sports. It was where the column had its best variety and really let the writer show off their voice. To wrap it up was "In Case You Missed It," which highlighted a TV review from the night before.

It was also in those early months and years that the first comment features, which still exist today, began to emerge.

The Golden Girls, "One Flew Out of the Cuckoo's Nest" (via Giphy)

🕗 EASTERN / 🕖 CENTRAL

Mortal Engines 🎥 (HBO, 8 p.m.): In a post-apocalyptic world (is there any other kind?) where cities ride on wheels and consume each other to survive, Hera Hilmar and Robert Sheehan meet in London to stop a conspiracy. I remember seeing part of a trailer for this, and it used Vivaldi’s "L'estate," which didn't fit at all.

Svengoolie: Strait-Jacket 🎥 (MeTV, 8 p.m.): After a twenty-year stay at an asylum for a double murder, a mother (Joan Crawford) returns to her estranged daughter (Diane Baker) where suspicions arise about her behavior.

V.C. Andrew's Heaven Casteel Saga: Web of Dreams 🎥 (Lifetime, 8 p.m.): FINALE. The miniseries comes to an end! In the past, Leigh has to escape from Farthinggale Manor and the secrets she harbors. Falling into the arms of Luke Casteel Sr., and with a baby girl on the way, she hoped for a chance at happy ever after.

FOR THE RECORD: Boise Boys (HGTV); Ridiculousness (MTV)

Howdy Doody, "Clarabell's Big Surprise" (via Giphy)

In 2012, Franko bought Soap on DVD, and wanting to write some commentary as he worked his way through five episodes at a time, Thoughts On was born in early September.

Two of the more endearing character teams, Mulligan/Wass and Helmond/Damon, hit the ground running. The scene where Danny tries to kill an unaware Burt (who just wants to make a sandwich) in episode 4 is the first of many classic moments between them.

Through the years, the feature has reviewed The Golden Girls, Frasier, Hogan's Heroes, and Columbo. Even Banacek and The New Show got the Thoughts On treatment, among many, many others.

Also one of the oldest threads: StillMeridith's Canadian TV listings, which started in August 2013.

When Jeopardy began its 30th season in mid-September 2013 and Jared Hall continued his winning streak, there was a WOT comment thread discussing the premiere episode. Jay suggested a recap of the show, and the next day, the Jeopardy Recap was born.

There have been nearly 1,400 Jeopardy episodes since then, and nearly all of them have a recap by Jay. Those early days were short, but still had color: 

Impressive $42K win for the champ Jared, bringing his 4-day total to over $130K. He dominated the DJ round, hitting both DDs and with confident $5K bets both times, turned it into a runaway. Jared picked up another $10K by being to only one to get this Final correct:

Category: U.S. Places 

A: A logo on this town's website includes its incorporation date, 1981, as well as the historic date Dec. 17, 1903

Q: What is Kitty Hawk, NC? 

So unless you ignored the 1981 red herring and focused on recalling the date of the Wright Bros. flight, you were screwed on this one. 

Annoying celebrity cameo dept.: Kathie Lee and Hoda gave the clues in the Potent Potables category, providing a terrifying glimpse into what a real-life Cougar Town would be like.

There were other comment features that popped up for varying timeframes. The first of three variations highlighting TCM movies (Meanwhile, on TCM) was in mid 2012, and the movies that got the WOT spotlight frequently ignited discussions, a quasi-precursor to Debate Club. There were semi-regular threads about UK shows, DVD releases, and movie cinematography, too.

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, "Episode 30.120" (via Giphy)

🕘 EASTERN / 🕗 CENTRAL

All Summer Long (Hallmark Channel, 9 p.m.): Hardworking lawyer and capable sailor Tia captains a dinner cruiser for the summer but is upset to learn her ex-boyfriend Jake is chef. However, they probably start to feel the old spark again despite not wanting to. Then Tia is offered partnership at her firm but Jake doesn't like the prospect. Drama. But they will still end up together and happy.

Hitsville: The Making of Motown (Showtime, 9 p.m.): This new documentary focuses on Motown during its days in Detroit.

FOR THE RECORD: Black Love (OWN); Cake Boss (Discovery Family); Lakefront Bargain Hunt: Renovation (HGTV); Live PD (A&E, finale); New Japan Pro Wrestling (AXS TV); Restaurant: Impossible (Food Network); Say Yes to the Dress (TLC); The Vanilla Ice Project (DIY); The Zoo: San Diego (Animal Planet)

Happy Days, "Passages" (via Giphy)

In July 2013, the gates were opened as more writers took on the WOT mantle with Caroline Framke and Caroline Siede being the first. Sonia Saraiya began her WOT career a few months later, and completing the first, more-than-two-people WOT writing team — Emily, Erik, Sonia, Caroline, and Caroline. Alastair joined the rotation for a bit in winter while the two Carolines were more fill-ins by spring.

In summer 2014, there was a changing of the guard. Emily left The AV Club for Vox and the What's On Tonight was soon given largely to freelancers. It saw the start of LaToya Ferguson, and the writing lineup was soon Erik, Caroline, Alasdair, LaFergs, Sonia, and Caroline. Sonia left soon after and Dennis Perkins and Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya soon made their WOT debuts.

Times were changing. Emily's exit led to a gradual decline in classic TV coverage. "Regular Coverage" was reduced to listings-only and "Also Noted" was added for a few shows that were not the Top Pick, but still worth noting overall, often meaning they got TV Club coverage treatment.

At times, TV Club coverage made cuts and the WOT consistency began to vary, some writers spending their time writing some quality work and including a large variety while others... could never remember Fargo, among MANY other shows.

Us commenters still did our part, adding more to the feature in 2015 and really increasing the overall comment count. In July, Evil Lincoln started IMDb birthdays, Sillstaw started Last Week Tonight recaps in late summer, I started Roll Call in September, about the same time Velocirapstar started the then-occasional Trumpdate. There were weekly discussions of several B-level shows that the AV Club didn't note anymore, especially streaming shows, and reviews of recent shows like Deadwood, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Veronica Mars, adding to the commentary beyond Thoughts On.

In March 2016, Whats On Tonight got a makeover. It wasn't a good one. All program listings were dwindled down to "Top Picks," "Premieres and Finales," "Regular Coverage," and the real oddball that never fit in: "Streaming Pick." The obscure and hidden treasures were largely no more. At least we won against the feature being moved to mornings. All this wasn’t too long after Debate Club started to be a thing.

All in the Family, "The Stivics Go West" (via Giphy)

🕙 EASTERN / 🕘 CENTRAL

77 Sunset Strip 📺 (Decades, 10 p.m.): An astrologer hires Jeff when he begins receiving threatening phone calls, but Jeff discovers his secretary may be the real target. Yep, this gets binge treatment for a second weekend. *snap snap*

Black Women Own the Conversation (OWN, 10 p.m.): PREMIERE. Voting rights activist Stacey Abrams, singer Monica and comic Kym Whitley join 100 black women to discuss the topic of beauty, including hair, colorism, body shape, and more.

FOR THE RECORD: The Case That Haunts Me (ID, premiere); The Vet Life (Animal Planet)

M*A*S*H, "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" (via Giphy)

While it didn't affect WOT, the mass cut in TV Club coverage in summer 2016 didn't sit well with anyone. Suddenly, the site says that a substantial portion of its TV coverage isn't fiscally smart. In February 2017, numerous red flags went up when the WOT freelance gang of LaFergs, Les, Caroline, Dan, and Dennis signed off, and the feature went back to staff writers, most of whom obviously saw the feature as a burden to write. The next day, the feature was gutted with the introduction of the Wild Card and elimination of nearly all listings outside the Top Pick.

On June 9, 2017, with this Business Insider story that stated the AV Club would join the Kinja at some point during the summer, we knew the end was near and there was no stopping it. A mere two weeks later, our channel founder CaliCheeseSucks did a soft launch with a minimal post but nonetheless a soft launch for more than 3,770+ discussions/threads to follow. On August 7, Whistler took control of the WOT listings and spearheaded the feature here for the next 650 nights, only absent for handful of nights.

The demise of The AV Club, our motherland, eventually arrived. We all said our goodbyes in the last WOT. And on August 23, 2017, at about 10 AM, the Dark Ages began, from which it hasn't returned. Over the next couple hours, the Kinja slowly took over all pages. [*Ernie laughs with delight*]

Cheers, "One for the Road" (via Giphy)

🕚 EASTERN / 🕙 CENTRAL

Dragon Ball Super (Adult Swim, 11 p.m.):  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Gen: Lock (Adult Swim, 11:30 p.m.): Team members begin rigorous training to master their mecha. During the first field mission, a new threat emerges from the shadows.

FOR THE RECORD: Mountain Mamas (HGTV)

Pop Culture had already opened for business well before the Kinjapocalypse. It was two years ago today that this channel officially replaced the Old Country for many of us. Thoughts On, Politics Corner, Cancellation League, and Jeopardy all made the transition seamlessly. Pop Culture Weekend and WM&R were two of the first semi-original features to be birthed on the channel, though their initial concepts are AVC-inspired. ADverse, Table Talk, and Whatcha Listenin' To all followed over the next couple months. In the months and years that followed Morning Headlines, Box Office Discussion and (more recently) Sportsballs were all added.

Our WOT homeland became a ghost town. (Has it ever crossed the 100-comment mark since?) The WOT here has remained quite lively with the old comment holdovers still around – Debate Club, Birthdays, Canadian listings, Roll Call, and TV Ratings, and even some new ones.

Barney Miller, "Landmark, Part 3" (via Giphy)

💤💤😴💤💤

Black Clover (Adult Swim, 1:30 a.m.): In the final match of the selection exam, Yuno and Bell unveil a new spell with surprising results to get the upper hand against Rill's artistic magic.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (Adult Swim, 2 a.m.): Discontent continues to grow inside Hidden Leaf because of the Byakuya Gang's influence; Ryogi, haunted by his past, casts his friendship with Shikadai into doubt and stops meeting him for their regular shogi game.

Dr. Stone (Adult Swim, midnight): SERIES PREMIERE. A light sweeps across the world, turning every person to stone, but high school friends Senku and Taiju remain conscious and emerge from their confinement 3,700 years later; Senku combines his brains with Taiju's brawn to craft a cure for the others.

Fire Force (Adult Swim, 12:30 a.m.): Iris seems to vanish until she turns up at Company 5's compound.

Food Wars! (Adult Swim, 1 a.m.): A brutal training camp is underway and those in Polar Star Dorm are determined to survive. Soma may have met his match.

Hill Street Blues 📺 (Heroes & Icons, midnight): The classic drama's season two masterpiece arc begins with a gruesome murder perpetrated by a gang at a night club. Meanwhile, Belker (Bruce Weitz) runs in a guy who thinks that he is the superhero Captain Freedom (Dennis Dugan), a series highlight arc.

Lupin the Third Part 5 (Adult Swim, 3:30 a.m.): Lupin gets involved in a car race while seeking a missing kingpin's hidden wealth in South America.

Mobile Suit Gundam the Origin: Advent of the Red Comet (Adult Swim, 3 a.m.): Ace pilot Char Aznable and his sister, Sayla Mass, become entangled in power struggles and the advent of new war machines as Earth and its outer space colonies spiral toward all-out war.

My Hero Academia (Adult Swim, 4 a.m.): When the licensing exam finally begins, all the competitors target Class 1-A.

LATE-NIGHT TV

The Greg Gutfeld Show (Fox News, 10 p.m.): Jon Morris, Joe DeVito, Kat Timpf, and Tyrus
Johnny Carson 📺 (Antenna TV, 10 p.m.): Janelle Commissiong, Charles Nelson Reilly, Norm Crosby, and Evelyn Keyes (28 Jul 1977)

The Mary Tyler Moore Show, "The Last Show" (via Giphy)

It felt appropriate to reach the two-year anniversary and then bid adieu. What's On Tonight certainly isn't the sole feature here as it was back when we first moved here, but it was the foundation, the feature that is the reason we're all here. If not for the AVC's WOT, who knows what would've happened to us two years ago. For me, this channel is a place for dialogue I could never have with my geographically nearby friends, and generally have a pretty damn good time no matter what kind of day I've had. That's a rarity on the Internet with people who haven't met face to face.

What's On Tonight isn't going anywhere. Tomorrow night's WOT will be business as usual. (And for Matthew's birthday!) It will just be in a different location. It's a location that has long been our backup home in case of emergency, and with the end of Disqus channels next week, it is time to spread our wings move on over. Plus we're adding some new friends/channels as we drive on over.

Archives are important. Who knows what might become PC-era WOT or the archive of AV Club and Disqus comments and features in the distant future. So for that, I wrote about it here. To ensure that a small piece -- my limited perspective -- is compiled and made known with the hope that others can add to and clarify the story.

So on behalf of all the moderators and Matthew and me, your regular WOT writers, thanks for reading and commenting (*whispers* and clicking Recommend) – even you lurkers out there. I hope you all join us at the new pad.

Also a thank you to Cali and Whistler for helping establish this place in its early days. I think you ladies did a great job.

And with that, we turn the lights off for What's On Tonight on Pop Culture.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show, "The Last Show" (edited) (via Giphy)

----------

Sources: The Futon Critic; Zap2it
📺: Throwback
🎥: Movie