Oddity Archive(2012)
Documentary
First Air Date: 2012-07-05
Average Runtime: 30m
Rating: 8.0
Votes: 1
Seasons: 14
Episodes: 298
The Oddity Archive is a web series that revolves around the "cultural dustbin", especially as it pertains to media. The Archive also functions as an actual archive of sorts, with a modest collection of off-air Betamax and VHS recordings (about 400 total as of June, 2014). There's also a decent collection of ephemeral video, "ripoff" and "drugstore" LP's/cassettes/8-tracks, as well as (working) obsolete technology.
Keywords
technologybroadcastingcardboard boxhidden face
Seasons & Episodes
Season 1
Episodes: 26E01
The Max Headroom Incident of 1987
Air Date: 2012-07-05
On the night of Sunday, November 22nd, 1987, a mysterious figure in a Max Headroom mask hijacked two Chicago TV stati...
E02
Emergency Broadcast Salute
Air Date: 2012-07-19
An informal (not to mention, loose) history of Civil Defense Broadcasting in the U.S.
E03
TV Sign-offs
Air Date: 2012-08-02
Remember when TV stations used to go off the air late at night? Anyone?
E04
Local TV Special
Air Date: 2012-08-16
Interested in seeing a clown so laid-back, he forgets he's on camera? Now about a Hawaiian teen idol with a pen fetis...
E05
American EXXXtacy (and other C-band nastiness)
Air Date: 2012-08-30
The Archive's most infamous episode--for some reason.
E06
Conservative Folk Music
Air Date: 2012-09-13
Meet the artists that made the likes of Joan Baez and Pete Seeger fear for their careers.
E07
Format Wars
Air Date: 2012-09-27
VHS or Beta? Laserdisc or CED? What the hell is a CED anyway? These burning questions (amongst others) answered in th...
E08
1-900-ARCHIVE
Air Date: 2012-10-11
Join Ben as he launches his own 1-900 number. What could possibly go wrong?
E09
Halloween Special 2012 (Strange VHS Endings)
Air Date: 2012-10-25
We still get a lot of flack for this episode (did you really think there were 37 minutes of odd VHS endings out there...
E10
Captain Midnight / Vrillon
Air Date: 2012-11-08
An Archive double header: The two most famous occurrences of Broadcast Signal Hijacking (well, save for the Max Headr...
E11
Pay TV (but not Cable or Satellite)
Air Date: 2012-11-15
The Oddity Archive will now be switching to scrambled mode. Please turn on your (preferably, circa 1984) decoder box ...
E12
Top (Thanksgiving) Turkeys of the (19)90's
Air Date: 2012-11-22
Because we always like to go the extra mile (at least, when it's convenient), the Archive tackles TWO lists of the wo...
E13
Local TV vol. 2 (Kiddie Show Hosts)
Air Date: 2012-12-06
The 13th episode is a very unlucky one for Ben as he discusses some (all too often, rather off) U.S. Kiddie Show host...
E14
Christmas Special (A Fair Use Christmas)
Air Date: 2012-12-20
All Ben wanted for Christmas was a silent night...
E15
Teletext Heaven (or Hell)
Air Date: 2013-01-03
Ceefax and Keyfax, Nite-Owl and Cable Chuckles, oh my...
E16
Intermission
Air Date: 2013-01-10
It's movie day at the Archive! Unfortunately, due to copyright issues, you're not invited. But, at least you can join...
E17
Prehistoric Television
Air Date: 2013-01-17
Given how much we discuss TV on the Archive, a history lesson seemed in order.
E18
gniksaM sdrawkcaB (Backwards Masking)
Air Date: 2013-01-31
?segassem lanimilbus tahW ?huH Everyone knows there are no subliminal messages in music...(!slatrom nwod wob ,woN)
E19
Valentine's Day Special (Dating Services)
Air Date: 2013-02-14
Join Ben as he discusses some of the Dating Services of the 1980's to present. And, if you're good, maybe Ben will le...
E20
Local TV vol. 3 (Public Access)
Air Date: 2013-02-28
Temporarily exiled from the big leagues of Internet TV, Ben (again, temporarily) sets up camp at his local Public Acc...
E21
Protect & Survive
Air Date: 2013-03-14
It's the feel-good episode of the year as Ben discusses the (in)famous British Nuclear War preparedness campaign.
E22
Duck & Cover
Air Date: 2013-03-28
Because you can (apparently) never have enough nukes...
E23
Scary Logos (and other Nostalgic Video Terrors)
Air Date: 2013-04-11
What is it about end logos and FBI Warnings that scared so many children of the VHS era?
E24
Hell's Bells (The Dangers of Rock and Roll)
Air Date: 2013-04-25
Can pure rock sound really hard-boil an egg? Of course not. It does make for some wicked "deviled" eggs though.
E25
Employee Training Videos
Air Date: 2013-05-09
Things have gotten so dire at The Archive that Ben's been forced to take a "real" job. Join him as he takes a look at...
E26
VHS Vault vol. 1 (Amvest Video)
Air Date: 2013-05-23
Ever wanted to know the absolute root of the Oddity Archive? Well, it involves a creepy guy in a Hamster costume...
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