Tread Perilously — Supernatural: ScoobyNatural

Tread Perilously’s crossover month continues as Baby and the Mystery Machine collide in the Supernatural episode called “ScoobyNatural.”

When Dean is awarded a widescreen TV for defeating a haunted dinosaur toy, he and Sam are transported into the animated reality of Scooby Doo, Where Are You! — episode 16, “A Night of Fright Is No Delight” to be exact. While Sam frets about being a drawn character, Dean turns into a total fan even as he attempts to tempt Daphne away from Fred. But the merriment may get cancelled when the lighthearted events of the plot turn to real murder. Will a haunted television turn this crossover into something lethal?

Justin admits to never being a Muppets guy, but he shares Dean’s affection for Scooby Doo. A discussion of children’s cartoons and the Looney Tunes breaks out. Erik envisions voice actor Frank Welker’s mobile recording studio. Justin argues for Velma Dinkley as a Bisexual Icon. Justin waxes about the musical chases in the original series. The Scooby Doo and Supernatural formats are examined. The tendency toward real estate developers as the villain is explained. Matthew Lillard once gets all the praise, as does Grey Griffin. Velma and Sam prove to be a fruitful pairing and Erik tries to figure out why the episode’s animation leaves him cold.

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Tread Perilously — Magnum P.I./Murder She Wrote: Novel Connection & Magnum on Ice

Tread Perilously finally delivers the long-promised month of crossovers, starting with the Magnum P.I./Murder, She Wrote event — “Novel Connection” & “Magnum on Ice.”

When Robin Masters’ latest house guests appear to be marked for assassination, Higgins does everything in his power to dissuade Magnum from digging into the case. As it happens, Masters’ agent has brought in help of her own: Jessica Fletcher. And while Magnum keeps saying he doesn’t want the case and Jessica maintains she is no investigator, the pair end up looking into the problem once Magnum stands accused of murdering a local he insists is the contract killer hired to kill one of the guests.

Erik and Justin plot a “Crisis of Infinite Podcasts.” They also take another look at both Magnum and Murder, She Wrote as different types of detective shows. Higgins’ absolute fascination with Jessica proves to be the crossover’s greatest asset — and that’s considering the presence of Jessica Walter in the guest cast! The strange ending of the Magnum episode leads Erik to suspect a “safety” conclusion was filmed for syndication. The mystery of Robin Masters is once again explored. Wolverine proves to be a bad man. Tom Selleck’s leading man quality is appraised and Ronny Cox leads the “untrustworthy screen presence” chart.

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Tread Perilously — Mrs. Columbo: A Riddle For Puppets

Tread Perilously’s first Grab Bag month of the year concludes with a look at the infamous Mrs. Columbo via the episode called “A Riddle for Puppets.”

When ventriloquist and puppet maker Victor March is murdered, police are baffled by the killing. They believe it’s a robbery, but Kate Columbo suspects something else when she meets March’s former protege, Noel Abbott. A ventriloquist of some renown, he has seemingly lost control of his dummy, who both refuses to do their routines and openly admits he hates Abbott. But this is all just Abbott externalizing his own issues, right? Will Kate be able to wrangle a confession for Abbott or will his dummy squeal?

Erik’s Kate Mulgrew impression gets a workout. The difference between Kate Columbo and Mrs. Columbo is explored. Justin delivers more understanding about Night Court. Both outline a 1950s version of The Terminator. Another reason why Mulgrew was miscast as Columbo’s wife is discovered. Ventriloquism turns out to be a virulent disease. Pinhead returns to reveal more of Hell’s hierarchy and why improv is so important. A special warning is issued about the Black Forest. A portal of weeds opens when the pair try to explain “Clown can’t talk” and Crackers the Demon Puppet makes his debut.

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Tread Perilously — Supertrain: Where Have You Been Billy Boy

Tread Perilously celebrates its 400th podcast with the final episode of Supertrain — “Where Have You Been Billy Boy.”

When the FBI arranges for a fugitive transfer aboard Supertrain, Randall gets anxious. But will it matter to an aggressive magazine writer, a pregnant woman, a newlywed couple, and an old man when the fugitive — who continues to maintain his innocence — accidentally takes them hostage in the dining car? Will Randall be able to handle the situation? Will Flood make things worse? And will a small town sheriff turn Supertrain into a passenger liner of blood? Meanwhile, Penny gets accosted by a traveler.

Erik momentarily forgets Skipjack. Justin hears the laugh track for the first time … again! The sound editors who added the canned laughter finally get memorialized with a sketch. Penny is chosen as Supertrain‘s series MVP. Justin recalls the train is nuclear powered and supersonic. A discussion about airplane disaster movies breaks out. The pair also stump for Carnival of Souls. Justin finds a new role for Weird Baby Man. Surprising guest stars lead to many potential future podcasts. Rue McClanahan makes a surprising appearance. A final analysis of Supertrain is made and the ghost of Bob Crane haunts the proceedings.

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Tread Perilously — Night Court: It’s Just A Joke

Tread Perilously’s first Grab Bag month of 2023 takes a look at the original Night Court with an episode called “It’s Just a Joke.”

When Dan’s favorite comedian is hauled into court for obscenity by a headline-grabbing reverend, Harry sees it as an open-and-shut First Amendment case. But when the comedian — Monte Potter, aka “The Potty Man” — goads Harry into holding him for contempt, the judge begins to suspect there is more to this case than meets the eye. Will he be able to suss out the truth and discover the possibility of collusion? Meanwhile, Bull self-publishes his autobiography.

Erik sets up the wrong microphone, proving his purchases for the studio were indeed correct. Gerd Shockley returns to prove there was no collusion. Wahl’s Herring Candy also returns with a surprise twist. The pair prove to be comedy historians with references to Bill Hicks, Sam Kinison, Richard Jeni, Ray Combs, and more. The Manhattan night court turns out to be real. Memories of Night Court‘s original run on NBC are exchanged; Justin turns out to know a lot about it. Erik reveals his dislike of Linda Ronstadt. The real life equivalents of the plot’s comedian and the reverend are explored and Tex-Mex haggis becomes a new delicacy.

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Tread Perilously — Baywatch: Snake Eyes

“The Ballad of John D. Cort” continues as Tread Perilously heads back to the beach for an episode of Baywatch called “Snake Eyes.”

When John D. Cort invites Shauni and Eddie to an illegal casino aboard a rusting boat, he thinks it’s all in good fun. But when Eddie catches a streak of beginner’s luck and wins $2,000, he also catches the gold fever. Returning to the boat the next day, he gives it all back and signs a marker totaling three grand. Will he come clean to Shauni and the others? And will Cort figure out a way to bail out his hapless pal?

Erik and Justin try to determine Cort’s G.I. Joe codename. Eddie’s failures as a character leave them to question if it’s all a joke at actor Billy Warlock’s expense. Several TV shows get pitched thanks to Cort’s hijinks. The Full Peril film list continues to grow. Werner Herzog returns. Justin becomes the expert in a beach-focused Geography Corner. Erik explains why David Hasselhoff and Sharon Stone never shared the screen. Justin outlines what a date with John D. Cort would be like. He also finds something to like about Mitch. Comedian Brian Haley gets a special spotlight and Casino becomes the most important film recommendation of the last few weeks.

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Tread Perilously — The Librarians: And The Fables Of Doom

The final Patreon request of January takes Tread Perilously to an episode of The Librarians called “And The Fables of Doom.”

The Librarians make their way to the Pacific Northwest when a seemingly ordinary bridge accident leads to something decidedly out of the ordinary: a bridge troll. But the creature is just one aspect of a decidedly weird town where the sheriff is getting more wolfish by the day, Bo Beep has lost her sheep, and the mayor goes for his morning job sans tracksuit. Jenkins begins to suspect a certain magical object as the cause of the problems — will it absorb the other Librarians into its realm of stories?

Erik and Justin immediately get derailed by discussing Evangeline Lilly’s latest career move. They also laud Librarians stars Rebecca Romijn, John Larroquette, Lindy Booth and episode director Jonathan Frakes. Frank Miller gets raked over the coals for certain contributions to culture. The pair try to figure out The Librarians premise from the episode and their limited knowledge of the prior Librarian TV Movies. The connections to Leverage and Star Trek are discussed. Night Court is also referenced. Naturally, a Star Wars detour happens. Erik finds a place for The Librarians in the TV landscape and Merlin appears to say his famous Excalibur line.

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