Against the Odds - Nick Knacks Episode

[@MissAshley42]

That Dr. Livingston bit is probably the best "He said the thing!" gag I've ever seen.

[@MaxineLunaZorua]

Not gonna lie. That Dr. Livingston bit made me laugh more then it should have.

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

It was clever.

[@jeffharrisTXB]

Another solid episode! I agree that Against The Odds shouldn't be a scapegoat to why the Schneider era was a failure. If anything, it felt like something that actually had thought behind it. Gerry Laybourne's kid wrote it off because he was probably more into sci-fi, fantasy, and action shows of the day or, you know, only saw history in one frame of reference that didn't really affect him, and this one awesomely made people squirm and feel uncomfortable. When you bring in discomfort, you're getting to the audience, and this could have been bigger. Heck, I think in time, it did get bigger because Nick News pretty much feels like Against the Odds' successor, presenting history and news to the youth but also putting THEM in the story, but I'm sure you'll get to that when you discuss the long-running Emmy-and-Peabody-winning series in, I don't know, 2024 or something.

[@SpongeyTheEditor]

Well damn, it's 2024 and will likely be done this year, hopefully lol

[@ChuckD79]

Good episode, and Bill Bixby actually made a cameo appearance on an Out of Control episode during this time, supposedly wandering onto the set while looking for the AtO studio...Dave Coulier then unsuccessfully tried to get him mad so he'd turn into The Incredible Hulk!

[@jenniferschillig3768]

I remember that!

[@rmyers99]

Dude, thanks for making these videos. This is important fucking work and I worry that without these things being lost to the ages. I grew up watching Nickelodeon in the early 1980s and while I never watched this show in particular, I completely agree that it should be remembered.

[@christopherwaldrop5293]

I liked Against The Odds. I was eleven or twelve at the time and found the contrast of seriousness and occasional silliness amusing, but it was really the introduction to historic people that appealed to me. And I'm surprised the episode on Lenin and Charles Darwin wasn't more controversial.

[@joeybaseball7352]

Wow. Neil Cicierega is one of your patrons.

[@ToxBoxProductions]

He mentioned it on his podcast Guaranteed Audio at some point, that's how I found out about this series.

[@kevinodonnell4094]

TV says donuts are high in fat, kazoo. Found a hobo in my room.

[@Rocketboy1313]

I appreciate that it took a more grey perspective on history. I too think that history programs aimed at children sand the edges off too often. I can recall lessons from middle school on the Trail of Tears that by the end of them I did not know who was president at the time, what the cause was, or what the fallout was. Just that it had happened and it was sad.

[@jmn327]

I teach high school history; I can't stress enough how little understanding of history kids are getting in elementary school right now, and I think a big reason why is the push to "sand the edges", as you say, to avoid confronting exactly why topics like racism and hatred are so scary - because they're not just random bad things that happened, they're connected with how our society is structured and have to be confronted. There's a lot of places where that's thankfully changing, but it's a long process.

[@meepmoop2308]

I never even learned about the trail of tears in school

[@weirdotzero7065]

I was THE top student in history class for my entire grade in MIddle School, and I don't even remember ever being told How the Trail of Tears even happened.

[@starpetalarts6668]

I am not ashamed that if I had lived back then as a young boy I would watch and enjoy this.

[@albion65]

Yes! You are finally doing "Standby, Lights! Camera! Action!"

[@TsukiCondor]

Thats gonna be a fun episode

[@jenniferschillig3768]

Can't wait! I watched that show around the time I was getting into Star Trek (also thanks to Nickelodeon and their airing of the Filmation animated series) and enjoyed the episode that covered Star Trek III and had Leonard interviewing his buddy George Takei. (That's also where I first heard Sulu's first name, Hikaru--years before it was "officially" canonized.)

[@JoeBushOnline]

I appreciate you putting this lens on this show! Had no idea it was so controversial

[@acer3573]

I remember the ATO "wackiness!" I was 8 when it aired and it caused me to remember it for well over 30 years! Thank you for this trip down memory lane!

[@thomasstone3480]

the cut in to the segment where the guy who voiced owl is presenting says 'anal completed' on the newspaper headline important facts

[@wheeledjustice7381]

Vidic and Howard share a voice actor? I'm so shook

[@bbeppler]

I stumbled upon your channel and am thoroughly impressed. To tackle Nickelodeon from its inception and cover all of its programming is something that is not an easy task, but rewarding to us viewers. The pinwheel episode really made me curious about the other programs of the 80s, such as Against the Odds and other eventual episodes. Can't wait for my favorite shows, like Kablam and Ren and Stimpy, but also looking forward to shows I have somewhat of a recollection of, like Roundhouse. This series is a true gem

[@sawbonesquad4876]

That Dr.Livingston bit was kinda awesome, I dunno.

[@willcarroll3712]

I kept expecting to see the Monty Python Flying Circus opening to play out

[@ericariley1696]

@@willcarroll3712 Me too. It made me think of Monty Python. I was hoping for the giant foot to appear lol.

[@deborahearle4151]

I learned a lot from that program.

[@unclelou4839]

These are always a blast -- thanks, man!

[@CinnamonGrrlErin1]

This isn't one of those shows I remember actively watching (I was a toddler), but I think I would've liked it, especially the Terry Gilliamesque animation (Muppet Babies used similar animation too with good effect). I always liked these "how things are made" types of shows as a kid.

[@GreenFlash1790]

I was NOT bored by this show! I probably retained more knowledge from this show than history in grade school.

[@Alverant]

I was 8 when AtO was on the air and I loved it. I don't remember many details but I found it fascinating. It didn't have high ratings, but I didn't care. Some of their biographies shaped me into the person I am. I remember the episode on Carnagre and his quote "A man who dies rich, dies disgraced."

[@LethalBubbles]

This show looks awesome. The sound FX and cheap collage-esque animation is fun. Geraldine Laybourne was wise to use it as a symbol of what not to do though. Her vision was brilliant. It replaced one that was perfectly good for what it was but it's the intuitive ideas that come up when brainstorming what the channel would become. So others provided similar content. She made a revolution.

[@dn22pkkdd476]

" *So Take A Look At Me Now .* *Well There's Just An Empty Space* *And There's Nothing Left Here To Remind Me* *Just The Memory Of Your Face* *Ooh, Take A Look At Me Now* *Well There's Just An Empty Space* *And You Coming Back To Me Is Against The Odds* *And That's What I've Got To Face* "

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

Cy Schneider seems like the type of person the Laybourne-era Nickelodeon would lampoon as the fuddy-duddy no-nothing grown-up kids hated, and it's pretty easy to think that after seeing Against The Odds, but as you put it, it was still a relatively new medium at the time when cable started, and these things simply didn't have a proper formula yet.

[@TheHeroOfTomorrow]

“Against the ninja~”

[@elizabethpenrose3440]

At the same time Bixby was depressed and anxious, he was still keeping up with Brandon Cruz, who was having his own problems at the time.

[@razorblade4395]

Bro your videos are so Good You have a great voice

[@sarahchauvin3189]

Not gonna lie...I was a small child at the time, loved The Incredible Hulk, and so I watched just for Bill Bixby. Although, seeing that weird animation they used, I guarantee it is a key factor in why my brain is so wonky now.

[@daelen.cclark]

PATREON and LIKE A ROCK seem to have the same syllable count, and I love that!

[@claymoore719]

Man, I’m loving this series! If I could offer one tiny bit of criticism it would be this- the word “especially” is not pronounced “eck-specially”. Sorry for the nitpicking, but I thought I’d point it out. Solid, solid work!

[@benjaminkellog7311]

And forty years later, Netflix hits upon the same exact formula with "The Who Was Show." Two historical figures loosely connected by a certain theme, their stories profiled through sketches, songs, and animations. In the words of one Alan Ludden, "The password is redundancy." Aw heck, I'll look this one up, too. If I can't have more than two episodes of Video Comics floating around, I can darn sure have my question I never thought I wanted to ask, "What if Cheddar did profile pieces using mid-80s video and editing techniques hosted by the human half of The Incredible Hulk?"

[@DigiRangerScott]

Call the gods. It’s Against the Odds!

[@SonofMrPeanut]

Win of the Day: Finding out Phil Proctor was in Assassin's Creed.

[@TheCaptainSquid]

Why is the nick knacks logo red instead of orange

[@poparena]

It's a perhaps overly cautious attempt to not violate trademark.

[@TheCaptainSquid]

poparena hey while you’re here - was this series inspired by Game Boy world, the Jeremy parish video series

[@poparena]

Not exclusively inspired by, but I'm definitely a fan of Parish's work.

[@bradyanderson1142]

poparena is history being taught in ATO?

[@jbanks979]

I think more than anything, it’s less a knock on the quality and merits of the show itself, but just what it represented in the larger context of their lineup at the time. It was the leafiest, vitamin enriched, doctor recommended, packed with protein green vegetable in a lineup that was almost nothing but at the time. It’s not to say the network was wrong to pursue children’s entertainment like this, but absent the Roger price shows, there was little that could be considered a “snack” or “junk food”. As noble as intentions may have been behind making a PBS that you pay for, and I say this as a kid who enjoyed a lot of PBS growing up, you’re never going to sell a kid exclusively on programs that are good for them. There’s got to be enough of a hook and entertainment value in the program itself to maintain their interest. *i actually don’t remember this show at all, so I can’t speak from experience, but I think the presentation could have been tightened up a bit. Maybe ditch the Bill Bixby narration and focus on the animated historical bits. Sometimes kids will be the most willing to eat their vegetables if they think it’s actually a treat

[@ryanortega1511]

Sir, you are very wonderful with this show. I can't wait for when you reach The Loud House in the future. It's gonna be pretty amazing.

[@packgrog]

I don't remember much about this, but I vaguely recall thinking it was ok.

[@CinnamonHopes]

Watching this in June 2020, like "Owwwch"

[@thomasstone3480]

were the metropolis/frau im monde cuts original to this or were they clips from the show?

[@schizoidboy]

I liked this show when it was on, I study history and I suppose this show had an influence on me because a lot of the people discussed here weren't otherwise mentioned anywhere else in history classes. Considering history one should remember all the children's programing was on PBS in the days, the Disney Channel didn't arrive for a few more years, and I'm not sure people wanted to use Saturday morning cartoons as starting point for children's television at the time because they were meant to be entertaining rather than educational (save the Schoolhouse Rocks shorts they used to show along with In the News shorts.)

[@asskinf]

Keep these Video coming love your work

[@cameronmarnoch5236]

Really liked this episode. Just a shame Stanley was a super-nasty racist even for a colonial explorer. But apart from that, this show seems fine. And you placed it into history really well!

[@ericariley1696]

Can't believe they got away with showing the middle finger on a kid's historic documentary. Times sure have changed since the early 80s.

[@rrsaga]

I remember pinwheel, I remember Mr wizard, I remember you can’t on television, BUT THIS I don’t remember at all. That forgettable

[@DirtiestDMusic]

Spider-Man cameo at 2:25

[@turnonmyaxel]

Its so weird how 25 years later how history programing for kids changed and there is now great models of how to engage children in history education. Against the odds does seem great though for introducing preteen audiences to matieral

[@jenniferschillig3768]

I am going to out myself as completely uncool: I rather liked this show as a kid of about nine. The one episode I really liked was the one that covered P.T. Barnum and Harry Houdini.

[@SPDYellow]

I thought the little cartoony flourishes were kind of neat. I probably would have really enjoyed this show, but then again, I was a weird kid, so my experiences probably wouldn’t line up with everyone else’s

[@chrisjt86]

12:00 and 13:52 His eyes haunt me oh god help plz

[@meyerj75]

I have to confess. I wasn't crazy about Against the Odds at all. I just see this as out-of-place for a kids' network. How do you compare You Can't Do That On Television and Pinwheel to what's being offered on Against the Odds for example? There's no knock on host Bill Bixby who only appears twice every episode and I knew where he was coming from. He must have went through 26 episodes of hell from that point. Maybe Cy Schneider wanted a history show for Nickelodeon which is was absent from at that point and even after some 35+ years to this point, still is. This was far too deep but did add a bit of comedic relief at times even if it wasn't up to standards. (Think In Search Of... meets Monty Python's Flying Circus animation segments) Really, why did the network waste 3 years of their time with a program that should have been proper on the Arts Network and just settle for just 3-6 months on Nickelodeon and the rest on the Arts Network? Why did Ms. Laybourne keep that show for an additional year on her wing and allowed the network to go to hell in 1985 before recovering with Double Dare a year later? Guess we'll never know. The network had 24 programs up to that point. Some came and went, some were still on. And to put it lightly, most if not all were pretty good. The program with Against the Odds is that it was on the wrong channel, the same channel that was managed by Cy Schneider who created it. So it's safe enough to say that he didn't want to be a traitor and air it on another cable station but its own. But why the 3 years? None of the narrators and people involved sounded excited with the project, including Bill Bixby in his post Hulk role as host. Regardless of what people might say about it, the title says it all. Against the Odds did go Against the Odds, 2 years longer than expected, perhaps.

[@SuperRob-qe5rz]

Wait the guy from Hulk tv show was on this show

[@zacharybusch338]

I think I saw this in the nineties

[@Tacom4ster]

Your last outro made me think this was gonna a be very negative review, but this was interesting.

[@TheTVsTim]

For some reason, I can't play the video.

[@razorblade4395]

I never been this early before

[@Musicradio77Network]

This show has nothing to do with the title “Against All Odds” by Phil Collins.

[@mattmc5069]

This era failed because in my opinion, many of the shows of this era where the type of shows your teacher showed in the classroom. This show was more edgy then your typical dry documentry, but i feel the number 1 show then spoke volumes: "you can't do that on television." That show was wild, gross, crude humor and full of slime. That was more kids speed. Sure history class can be fun but its alot more fun to hang with your friends outside school to be more free. The next era of nick, "the clubhouse" era, refelected this. I think alot of kids just rolled thier eyes at this before they watched it, quick to label it a "boring" history show.

[@bradyanderson6311]

Is history being taught in this show?