Cheap Seats (2004)
Cheap Seats without Ron Parker, commonly shortened to Cheap Seats, is a television program broadcast on ESPN Classic hosted by brothers Randy and Jason Sklar. The brothers appear as fictional ESPN tape librarians who amuse themselves by watching old, campy sports broadcasts and wisecracking about them. Cheap Seats debuted on February 4, 2004, with an episode that showed ESPN sportscaster "Ron Parker" getting buried under a shelf full of tapes, forcing the Sklars to fill in, as they were behind Parker on the "hosting depth chart". The founding production team behind "Cheap Seats" included Mark Shapiro, Showrunner, Todd Pellegrino, James Cohen and Joseph Maar. Cheap Seats was originally an hour-long program. There were about 10 one hour-long episodes in the first season, all of which were subsequently cut down to fit a 30 minute time slot.
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Episode 1 - This Is Inside Cheap Seats
Release Date: 2006-04-17Enter the sacred arena where the episodes you see on air are developed, written and shot. On this special episode we take a look at the intense physical and psychological preparations that go in to making a ½ hour show with two of the most demanding stars on the sports comedy television circuit. The Answer Dog, Beamy, and The Score Settler return to shed some light on intricacies behind, above, and inside Cheap Seats.
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Episode 2 - 1996 Spelling Bee (Part 2)
Release Date: 2006-06-05Lingering questions are answered and familiar faces return for the conclusion of the 96' Bee. While Rebecca Sealfon concentrates on word origins and crazy people impersonations, Randy and Jason concentrate on keeping their jobs. Ron Parker has one thing on his mind, and it’s not figuring out a way to get the Cheap Seats flat screen home. He is after that elusive comeback host of the year award. The award he is after may not exist, but the new season of Cheap Seats does. Special guests: Paul Rudd , Michael Showalter
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Episode 3 - 1985 Rollergames
Release Date: 2006-06-12Roller skates may be considered passé today, but it doesn’t take long to see why they rocked in the 80’s. We take pride in bringing you the most exciting sport involving competitors racing around an oval track on four wheels. Sorry NASCAR fans, but it’s true. And if the skating isn't hot enough for you, watch as women and men lift their skates in a steamy work out video.
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Episode 4 - Evel Kneivel
Release Date: 2006-06-19With the help of Evel Kneivels life, we answer the burning question that no one has asked. Is it possible to tell the story of a man in a ½ hour (23 minutes if you take into consideration commercials)? On Cheap Seats we prove that not only is 23 minutes ample time to examine the highs and lows of Kneivel’s life, but it’s enough time to watch an Evel inspired music video as well.
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Episode 5 - 1990 Battle of the Corperate Stars
Release Date: 2006-06-26As if getting beat by your own boss isn’t sufficient, here’s a competition where you can lose to bosses and employees from other companies. Three legs will race, tricycles will be mounted, and jobs will be lost, as corporations gather to let less important people (us), have an inside look at this glorified company picnic disguised as a battle. Special Guests - Michael Ian Black, Zack Orth.
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Episode 6 - 2005 U.S. Open of Competitive Eating
Release Date: 2006-07-03Here at Cheap Seats we often embrace some or all of 7 Deadly Sins so it's only natural that something dealing with Gluttony would intrigue us.
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Episode 7 - 1985 World's Strongest Man
Release Date: 2006-07-10Some of the world's strongest men gather, not to chat, but to perform amazing though impractical feats of strength. That is unless you consider being able to hold two mini Liberty Bells for as long as possible, practical.
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Episode 8 - 2004 Juggling Championships, Ultimate Frisbee
Release Date: 2006-07-17Sport or Hobby? Some men take themselves too seriously and the next thing you know hobbies are called sports, championships are held, and people who have no business being on TV, get their 15 minutes of fame on "The Ocho" . Watch and judge for yourself, but if your uncle does it at a birthday party (juggling), or your dog does it at the beach (catches a Frisbee), we're fairly certain that a championship is unnecessary.
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Episode 9 - 1996-97 High School Slam Dunk Contests
Release Date: 2006-07-24Future stars show that they have always been stars. Kobe, Baron Davis and Shane Battier are a few competing in the dunk contest and 3 point shootout. A young Ron Artest is also there, and believe it or not, he gets the crowd involved.
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Episode 10 - Steve Garvey Celebrity Skiing
Release Date: 2006-07-31Garvey and his gang of C-listers return for a free vacation on the slopes. Buck Rogers is there but sadly no Twiggy. Floorwax returns and brings some new material to the mountain.
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Episode 11 - ICW Superstars of Wrestling
Release Date: 2006-08-07Mil Mascaras, Dick "The Bulldog" Brower, Ernie Ladd, and others do their best to make wrestling look both, like a “sport”, and what people outside the business call “real.” We’ll allow them to do there thing. Mil Mascaras will even show us how to avoid socially awkward situations while saving face, when at large gatherings.
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Episode 12 - 2003 ISKA Karate Championships
Release Date: 2006-08-16The Karate Kid's got nothing on Randy and Jason. In this episode, the brothers offer up their martial arts expertise and overdubbing skills as they watch the 2003 ISKA Karate Championships.
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Episode 13 - Unbelievable Sports, Part 1
Release Date: 2006-08-21Does calling a sport unbelievable automatically make it unbelievable? We argue no, in an episode that looks at three sports that would not exist if the men and women competing were not unbelievably bored. Broomball? Footbag? Medieval Games? These so-called sports prove that non-athletes can get their day in the sun, and take themselves too seriously while sun bathing.
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Episode 14 - Games with Animals- Horse Pulling, Bull Racing, Rattlesnake Challenge
Release Date: 2006-08-28We are taught at a young age that animals have feelings too, but what they don’t tell you is that these animals, if used properly, can be a source of income and sport. Men gather rattlesnakes in the Arizona desert, young boys ride bulls in Thailand, and horses pull obscene amounts of weight in New England - watch as humans play games with animals, all in pursuit of the almighty buck.
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Episode 15 - 1991 Rose Bowl
Release Date: 2006-09-04We look at the 1991 version of the granddaddy of them all. We look back at a time when the Rose Bowl was just the Rose Bowl, presented by no one, but for everyone. When Keith Jackson had yet to retire only to return the next season, when midriffs were bare, and when the words "Oh Nellie" forced the hairs on the arms of men young and old to stand on end. Special Guest: Aziz Ansari.
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Episode 16 - Wide World- Snow vs Sand
Release Date: 2006-09-11Randy and Jason debate which is better, Snow or Sand.
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Episode 17 - 1993 Radical Outdoor Challenge
Release Date: 2006-09-18Radical is an early 90's adjective that has thankfully faded from the American vernacular, but sadly ROC's unradical host, Ryan Seacrest hasn't. Watch as miserable unpaid children run through mud, swim in dirty water, and ride bikes over twigs and rocks . Its summer camp - Radicalized. Special Guests: A.D Miles and Michael Showalter.
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Episode 18 - Stupid Car Tricks
Release Date: 2006-09-25The guys watch various auto related events.
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Episode 19 - Bodybuilding
Release Date: 2006-10-02Randy and Jason skewer both male and female bodybuilding.
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Episode 20 - 1998 Corporate Sports Battle
Release Date: 2006-10-09The 1998 Corporate Sports Battle.
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Episode 21 - 1998 and 1999 College Bowling Championships
Release Date: 2006-10-16The guys watch the 1998 and 1999 College Bowling Championships with the first hosted by David Allan Grier.
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Episode 22 - Amazing Games- International Toughmen
Release Date: 2006-10-23The brothers watch Florentine Football, Muay Thai Kickboxing and Mongolian Wrestling.
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Episode 23 - NFL-MLB Arm Wrestling
Release Date: 2006-10-30The Sklar brothers watch excerpts from the 1988 NFL and the 1986 MLB Arm Wrestling Championships.
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Episode 24 - Unbelievable Sports 2
Release Date: 2006-11-06This batch of unbelievable sports include skim boarding, arctic snow and go, yo-yo and sumo wrestling.
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Episode 25 - Pimpin' Your Pet 2
Release Date: 2006-11-13In the second installment of Pimpin' Your Pet the guys watch sports that feature horses, elephants and bulls.
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Episode 26 - Cleaning Out the Closet
Release Date: 2006-11-20In the final episode of Cheap Seats, the Sklar brothers watch excerpts that were not long enough to warrant an entire episode.