Episode 107 — Top 10 New TV Shows of 1996

On Episode 107 of The Sleepover Retro Countdown Show, hosts Guido Sanchez and Rob Ribar rewind the remote to 1996 and count down the Top 10 TV shows that premiered that year. Sitcoms, dramas, animation, talk shows, and cult favorites all collide as they debate what truly defined television three decades ago.

From short-lived oddities to long-running classics, this episode celebrates the creativity, risks, and cultural impact of mid-90s TV — with plenty of side tangents, nostalgia, and analog love along the way.

The Top 10 New TV Shows of 1996:

1. Third Rock from the Sun
2. Muppets Tonight
3. Profiler
4. KaBlam!
5. The Rosie O'Donnell Show
6. The Pretender
7. Boston Common
8. Nash Bridges
9. The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
10. Savannah

It’s a stacked year, a subjective countdown, and another reminder that 1996 was absolutely overflowing with memorable television.

Be kind. Rewind your childhood.

Episode 106: Top 10 VHS Rentals of January 1986

In Episode 106 of the Sleepover Retro Countdown Show, Guido and Rob travel back forty years to January 1986, using the official Billboard Video Cassette Rental Chart dated January 11, 1986 to explore what Americans were actually renting during the peak of the VHS era. Working directly from the Top 40 rentals of that week, they count down the ten titles they would have brought home from the video store at the time—guided by in-the-moment rental instincts rather than hindsight, and including at least one title they hadn’t seen or barely remembered.

The episode offers a snapshot of mid-1980s rental culture, when tapes could remain popular for months, horror franchises were taking shape, teen movies dominated repeat viewings, and New York–set films helped define the cultural mood.

Our Top 10 VHS Rentals

• The Best of John Belushi
• Just One of the Guys
• Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend
• Starman
• Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning
• The Terminator
• The Breakfast Club
• A Nightmare on Elm Street
• Ghostbusters
• Desperately Seeking Susan

Also Discussed

The episode closes with a look at the actual Top 10 rentals from that week—including Ladyhawke, Fletch, Gremlins, and Beverly Hills Cop—highlighting the difference between mass-market hits and deeper catalog favorites.

Recorded by Sleepover Trading Co. inside the historic Community Theatre in Catskill, New York.

Be kind. Rewind your childhood.

Sleepover Retro Countdown Show – Episode 105

Top 10 Action Figure Playsets

This week, Rob and Guido head straight to the toy aisle and argue over what really makes a great playset. Elevators, trapdoors, laser games, falling chandeliers, questionable scale, and at least one monorail all come into play. From childhood grails to deep cut oddities, this countdown is all about big plastic worlds that took over our living rooms and imaginations. Bust out the figures and watch your step. Something is always about to fall apart. 📼🧸

Topics & Timestamps

00:00 Welcome to the Sleepover Retro Countdown Show

01:30 What counts as a playset and the rules for this list

05:10 #10 vs #9 battle begins

14:45 Micro Machines and the power of tiny detail

22:30 Turtles sewer hangouts and scale problems

32:10 Snake Mountain, skull faces, and electronic voice tricks

41:20 Phantom of the Opera and the loosest definition of playset

49:40 Mighty Max goes big with Skull Mountain

58:30 Thundercats Cat’s Lair and laser tag dreams

1:08:20 Eternia enters the chat

1:18:10 Final showdown and crowning the winner

1:28:00 Wrap-up and childhood repair memories

The Top Ten Countdown

#10 She-Ra Crystal Castle

Pink, impractical, and beloved. Fur rug included, somehow always missing.

#9 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Technodrome

Iconic villain HQ with a rotating eye and wildly questionable scale.

#8 Star Wars Micro Machines Royal Guard Playset

Tiny throne room packed with figures and big Return of the Jedi energy.

#7 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Sewer Playset

More hangout than battlefield, complete with periscope fire hydrant.

#6 Phantom of the Opera Playset (McFarlane Toys)

A falling chandelier earns it the playset title. Barely.

#5 Masters of the Universe Snake Mountain

Purple menace with trapdoors and voice-modulating chaos.

#4 Thundercats Cat’s Lair

Massive, cartoon-accurate, and armed with infrared laser battle tech.

#3 Mighty Max Skull Mountain

Big skull energy with traps, fireballs, and Rube Goldberg mayhem.

#2 Masters of the Universe Eternia

Three towers, a working monorail, and an entire plastic kingdom.

#1 G.I. Joe Terror Drome

Cobra’s ultimate HQ with launching jets, prison cells, and room to actually play.

Available On

The Sleepover Retro Countdown Show is available on all major audio platforms and on YouTube for video.

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Retro toys, action figure playsets, 80s toys, 90s toys, VHS nostalgia

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