A Great Day in Hip Hop | When Gordon Parks Captured the Soul of Hip Hop's Golden Era →

On September 29, 1998, Harlem became the center of the hip hop universe. More than 175 artists — from Rakim and Slick Rick to A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang Clan, and De La Soul — gathered on 126th Street for A Great Day in Hip Hop, captured by the legendary Gordon Parks for XXL Magazine.

This was more than a photo. It was a time capsule - a single frame connecting past, present, and future. A day when the architects, innovators, and dreamers of the culture stood side by side. Sometimes history doesn’t just move, it stands still.

Atlanta and Donald Glover: The Price of Surreal Success →

Donald Glover’s Atlanta changed television forever.

Part comedy, part social commentary, part dream sequence — Atlanta blurred the line between reality and hallucination, between fame and identity. Each season peeled back another layer of the surreal cost of success. This retrospective explores how Atlanta turned absurdity into truth.

From the invisible car to Teddy Perkins, from local hustle to existential fame, we unpack how Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, and Hiro Murai built a show that captured what it feels like to make it — and lose yourself in the process.

The Price Is Right: When Women Were Part of the Prize →

On the surface, The Price Is Right was America’s most joyful daytime ritual—spinning wheels, shiny prizes, and Bob Barker calling you to “Come on down!” But behind the flashing lights was a paradox: women known as “Barker’s Beauties,” central to the spectacle yet treated as silent props.

At the center was Dian Parkinson, the show’s most famous model, whose 18-year career embodied both the glamour and the voicelessness of the role. From her pageant beginnings to her Playboy covers, from her presence on stage to her lawsuit against Barker, Parkinson’s story reveals the troubling legacy beneath the joy.

Daria: How a 90s Soundtrack Defined the Last Generation Before the Internet →

MTV’s cult classic wasn’t just a cartoon—it was the most brutally honest portrait of 90s teen life. Cynical, awkward, unpolished… and soundtracked by the very songs that defined a generation. Hole. Garbage. Fiona Apple. Tori Amos. The Offspring. These weren’t background cues—they were survival kits for the last analog teens, coming of age just before the internet rewired everything.

The Rise and Fall of NBC’s Must See TV: When Thursday Nights Ruled the World →

Thursday nights in the 1990s weren’t just TV — they were an event.

NBC branded it Must See TV, and for nearly two decades, it owned the culture. Friends, Seinfeld, Frasier, and ER pulled in more than 70 million viewers on a single night. Rival networks waved the white flag, and advertisers paid record prices just to be part of the lineup.

But every empire falls. By the 2000s, Seinfeld was gone, Friends said goodbye, and spin-offs like Joey couldn’t fill the gap. CBS fought back with Survivor and CSI. ABC countered with Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal. Streaming, DVRs, and YouTube shattered the watercooler moment forever.

In this High and Low Retrospective, we explore the rise and fall of NBC’s Thursday Must See TV:

How the slogan was born in 1993 and became a cultural truth
Why NBC’s lineup dominated for over a decade
The shows that defined an era (Friends, Seinfeld, Frasier, ER)
The rivals that ended NBC’s reign - And why the end of Must See TV marked the death of the last true network monopoly

Degrassi: The Teen Drama That Changed Everything →

What started with The Kids of Degrassi Street in 1979 grew into Degrassi Junior High, Degrassi High, The Next Generation, and Next Class. For over four decades, the franchise pushed boundaries—teen pregnancy, AIDS, suicide, bullying, mental health—long before anyone else on television dared.

In this High and Low Retrospective, we dive into:

How Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood created a uniquely Canadian series that became a global cultural export.
The continuity that set Degrassi apart - Spike’s pregnancy becoming Emma’s backstory, Snake growing into Principal Simpson, Joey Jeremiah’s evolution
How Degrassi launched careers for Nina Dobrev, Shenae Grimes, and Drake (Aubrey Graham)
Why its raw realism influenced later shows like Skins, Euphoria, and 13 Reasons Why
The delicate balance between realism and melodrama-and whether Degrassi’s honesty would still work in today’s streaming era

A Different World: What Happened After Lisa Bonet Left →

A Different World wasn’t just about Denise Huxtable going off to college. Under Debbie Allen’s direction, it transformed into a groundbreaking portrayal of life at a Historically Black College and University. The show tackled race, class, gender, colorism, AIDS, and apartheid—all while celebrating Black love, friendship, ambition, and the everyday beauty of HBCU life. In this High and Low Retrospective, we explore how A Different World reframed Black college life for primetime television and inspired an entire generation to view education—and themselves—differently.

Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: Comedy, Catharsis, and Black Boy Joy →

In this High and Low Retrospective, we explore how The Fresh Prince reframed Black Boy Joy through humor, class migration, and emotional honesty. From Will’s fish-out-of-water antics in Bel-Air to his iconic breakdown in the classic episode "Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse" (“Why don’t he want me, man?”) - the show taught audiences that joy could be resistance, and vulnerability could be strength.

We’ll look back at:

The show’s origins and Quincy Jones’ vision
Will Smith’s leap from rapper to sitcom star
James Avery’s legendary performance as Uncle Phil
Guest stars like Queen Latifah, Tyra Banks, Don Cheadle, and Boyz II Men who expanded its cultural reach
How the series shaped masculinity, identity, and belonging for a generation

More than nostalgia, Fresh Prince was care, catharsis, and comedy all in one. And decades later, its lessons still resonate.

The Neon Legacy of Miami Vice: Music, Style, and TV History →

This is the story of Miami Vice—the neon-soaked, pastel-drenched drama that transformed television in the 1980s. Don Johnson’s Sonny Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas’ Rico Tubbs weren’t just cops—they were cultural icons, gliding through Miami nights with Phil Collins, Tina Turner, and Glenn Frey providing the soundtrack. Unlike other procedurals of its time, Miami Vice used music, fashion, and color as narrative tools. It blurred the lines between MTV and NBC, making every episode feel cinematic. With Edward James Olmos’ quiet gravitas as Lt. Castillo, Saundra Santiago’s toughness as Gina, and guest stars ranging from Bruce Willis and Julia Roberts to Miles Davis and Willie Nelson, the show became a living time capsule of 1980s culture. In this High and Low Retrospective, we explore how Miami Vice pioneered the “music video aesthetic,” why it mattered, and how its legacy still shapes TV and film today. From its iconic use of “In the Air Tonight” to its lasting influence on everything from CSI to John Wick, this is how Miami Vice changed television forever.

Malcolm in the Middle: The Sitcom That Redefined Family Chaos →

Before “gentle parenting” became a trending term, there was survival parenting. And no show captured it better than Malcolm in the Middle. From 2000 to 2006, Malcolm’s chaotic, hilarious, and painfully honest family flipped the sitcom formula upside down—ditching the laugh track, breaking the fourth wall, and showing us the messy reality of raising kids when there’s no time (or money) to be perfect. In this High and Low Retrospective, we revisit the brilliance of Malcolm in the Middle—how it blended sharp comedy with moments of real emotional truth, challenged the idealized image of the TV family, and influenced a new era of sitcoms. We’ll explore: - The origins of the show and why it broke every sitcom rule - Why Lois and Hal are two of TV’s most underrated parents - How “survival parenting” shaped the Millers’ world - Iconic episodes that still hold up today (yes, we’ll talk about the burnt lightbulb scene) - The legacy it left for modern TV comedies

The Fall of Icons: Diddy, Kanye, Cosby, and the Memory We Can’t Shake →

What happens when the artists who shaped your childhood… fall from grace? From the sitcoms that raised us to the music that moved us, this is the story of what happens when memory collides with morality. In this special episode of High and Low Retrospective, we unpack the weight of complicated nostalgia—that gut-check feeling when the art you once loved is tied to someone you no longer recognize. From Bill Cosby and The Cosby Show, to Michael Jackson, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Kanye West, Will Smith, and J.K. Rowling, we explore the moments that broke the spell—and ask whether it’s possible to still enjoy the work when the creator’s legacy turns dark. Is it still okay to listen? Can we ever watch the reruns the same way again? And who gets forgiven… and who doesn’t? This isn’t just about cancel culture. It’s about identity, betrayal, and what we choose to carry with us—even when the truth hurts.

Martin: The Funniest Show of the 90s? →

Martin wasn’t just a sitcom, it was a comedy revolution.

With unforgettable characters like Sheneneh, Otis, Jerome, and Dragonfly Jones, Martin Lawrence turned a prime-time show into a one-man variety showcase. Set in Detroit, Martin blended loud, raw, physical humor with real relationship tension—especially between Martin and Gina—and pushed Black sitcoms into unpredictable, unfiltered territory.

But behind the laughs was a story of creative genius, off-screen tension, and a show that burned bright before burning out.

In this episode, we dive into Martin's wild energy, cultural legacy, and the behind-the-scenes drama that changed the series forever.

Sex and the City: Female Freedom or Fairytale? →

Sex and the City wasn’t just a show, it was a movement. But as time passed, so did the fantasy. In this High and Low Retrospective, we revisit the show that redefined what it meant to be single, successful, and unapologetically female in turn-of-the-millennium New York City. From designer shoes and brunch tables to taboo-breaking dialogue and friendship that felt like religion, Sex and the City gave us a glittering version of liberation. But was it empowerment or just an expensive illusion? We explore the cultural impact, the criticism, and the legacy of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte, from the groundbreaking highs to the very narrow lens of who got to feel “free.” What happens when we rewatch the show that raised a generation of women and ask what it left out?

BMW Films: The Viral Movie Series That Changed the Internet in the 2000s →

In the early 2000s, BMW took a massive gamble: invest millions into a series of high-octane short films directed by some of Hollywood’s best and distribute them... online. No TV ads. No trailers. Just cinematic storytelling, sleek BMWs, and a mysterious driver played by Clive Owen. This episode of High and Low Retrospective dives into the cultural phenomenon of BMW Films: The Hire. We explore how this experimental campaign redefined internet marketing, attracted directors like Ang Lee, Guy Ritchie, and Wong Kar-wai, and helped launch the digital short-form revolution. It was the moment when advertising, art, and action cinema collided—and changed the rules for everyone. We revisit the best stunts, the wildest episodes, and why The Hire still holds up as a masterclass in brand storytelling. If you love Drive, Ronin, or even John Wick, this is the origin story you didn’t know you needed.

Married With Children: TV’s First Anti-Sitcom →

Before Family Guy. Before The Simpsons. Before South Park. There was Married... with Children—the show that blew up TV wholesomeness.

In this episode of High and Low Retrospective, we revisit the brutally funny, unapologetically cynical sitcom that redefined the American family. Premiering on Fox in 1987, it turned the classic sitcom inside out and gave us a dysfunctional family we couldn’t stop watching.

We explore its origins, the backlash, and how it helped build Fox’s empire. Was it sharp satire or shameless lowbrow comedy?

Join the conversation: Was Al Bundy a hero, a warning, or both?

Watch now and subscribe for more deep dives into the shows that shaped (and warped) our culture.

The Cosby Show and Complicated Nostalgia: Can You Separate the Art from the Artist? →

The Cosby Show wasn’t just a hit TV show—it was a cultural reset. Premiering in 1984, it redefined how Black family life was portrayed on television, introducing audiences to the Huxtables: educated, successful, and deeply relatable. It wasn’t about struggle—it was about joy, intelligence, and dignity.

But what happens when the man behind the legacy falls?

In this High and Low Retrospective, we rewind to examine The Cosby Show’s revolutionary impact and the long shadow cast by Bill Cosby’s downfall. From its groundbreaking portrayal of Black excellence through the performances of Phylicia Rashad, Malcolm Jamal-Warner, Lisa Bonet, Tempestt Bledsoe and Keshia Knight Pulliam to the devastating betrayal of its central figure, we explore how the show became both a symbol of progress and a case study in complicated nostalgia.

Cheers and the Third Place Theory: The Sitcom That Made You Feel Seen →

Before coffee shops were meetups and coworking spaces became community, there was a bar in Boston where everybody knew your name.

In this High and Low Retrospective, we revisit Cheers—the 1980s sitcom that became a blueprint for belonging. From its rocky 1982 debut to its rise as one of TV’s most beloved shows, Cheers turned a neighborhood bar into a lesson on third spaces: places that aren’t home or work, but feel like both.

We explore its cultural impact, cast chemistry, and the timeless pull of connection—asking whether spaces like Cheers still exist in today’s digital world. So pull up a seat, grab a drink, and let’s talk about community, nostalgia, and the need to just be known.

X-Men: The Animated Series Changed Marvel and Superheroes Forever →

Before the MCU. Before Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. Before superhero shows took over streaming… there was X-Men: The Animated Series.

Premiering in 1992, X-Men: TAS didn’t just adapt the comics—it redefined superhero storytelling for a generation. With serialized plots, complex characters, and fearless social commentary, the show tackled everything from identity and discrimination to time travel and loss—on Saturday morning TV.

In this episode of High and Low Retrospective, we revisit:

- How the show changed the game for animated storytelling

- The iconic voice cast that gave these mutants life

- The legendary theme song that still hits today

- Its lasting impact on superhero media and the birth of the Marvel empire

Saturday Night Live: What is SNL's Greatest Season? →

Which season of Saturday Night Live was the greatest of all time? In this episode of High and Low Retrospective, we go deep into the season that redefined late-night sketch comedy—featuring a legendary cast, breakout sketches, cultural moments, and a creative high point that hasn’t been matched since.

Was it the era of Eddie Murphy’s superstardom? The rise of Will Ferrell and Tina Fey? Or maybe the early days of Bill Murray and Gilda Radner? We break down: The cast that made it iconic, the cultural and political backdrop, the sketches that still live rent-free and why this season still resonates decades later.

The Party Machine with Nia Peeple: Inside The Forgotten Arsenio Hall Spinoff →

Before TikTok dance trends and MTV’s TRL, there was The Party Machine with Nia Peeples—a short-lived but unforgettable late-night music and dance show that hit the airwaves in 1991. Spun off from the massive success of The Arsenio Hall Show, The Party Machine aimed to be the after-party for America’s night owls, mixing R&B, hip hop, club vibes, and high-energy dance floors all under one neon-lit roof.

In this High and Low Retrospective, we revisit the electric atmosphere of The Party Machine, its place in early ’90s pop culture, and how Arsenio Hall’s trailblazing influence helped launch one of TV’s most unique experiments in late-night programming. From guest appearances by rising stars to its connection with Black culture, club scenes, and televised music performances, this retrospective uncovers why the show burned bright—even if just for a moment.