Episodes
"Pretty in Pink" (1986) vs. "Some Kind of Wonderful" (1987): Part 1
On this special two-part deep dive, Jason and Dee are joined by friends of the show and Patreon all-stars Jill McCormick and Melissa Mingle to tackle the final face-off of the classic John Hughes teen era: Pretty in Pink vs. ...
Van Halen "5150" (1986): Track by Track!
Jason and Dee are back with another deep-dive episode of the Surely You Can’t Be Serious podcast, and this time they’re tackling one of the most pivotal albums in rock history — Van Halen’s 5150. Track by track, the guys brea...
Van Halen "1984" (1984): Track by Track!
This week on the Surely You Can’t Be Serious Podcast, Jason and Dee plug into one of the biggest albums of the decade — 1984 by Van Halen. From the opening synth blast to the final notes, the guys break down every track and e...
Top 5 Songs of 1986
Jason and Dee take on what should be a simple task: ranking their Top 5 songs of 1986. Of course, there’s a twist. Thanks to past episodes and the upcoming podcast calendar, huge chunks of the year are completely off-limits—n...
Rush "Moving Pictures" (1981): Track by Track!
Jason and Dee roll out the red carpet for one of the most important rock albums of all time as they’re joined by Rush super fans Brad Moore and Tim Epp to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Moving Pictures. Together, they dive...
REO Speedwagon "Hi Infidelity" (1980): Track by Track!
Jason and Dee fire up the jukebox for one of the biggest albums of the MTV era as they welcome special guest Doug Gray, noted REO Speedwagon expert, to break down 1981’s chart-dominating blockbuster Hi Infidelity. Track by tr...
Behind the scenes with the Surely Podcast
What really goes on behind the microphone? In this special crossover episode, Jeff Johnson steps in from the A Film Bypodcast to turn the tables on Jason and Dee, asking the questions listeners have always wondered about. How...
Level 5: Defender! (1981) - The Game That Flipped Space Invaders Upsi…
Defender! revolutionized arcade gaming in 1981 with its sideways-scrolling chaos and button-overload controls. In our series finale, we rank all five legendary 1981 games and reveal how we'd spend our last five quarters: Donk...
Level 4: Ms. Pac-Man (1981) - College Kids vs. Gaming Giants
College students took on a video game empire—and won. Then they did the impossible: they improved the greatest game ever made. Hear how Ms. Pac-Man became the queen of 1981 arcades, outsmarted the ghost AI, and still looks am...
Level 3: Frogger (1981) - The Untold Story Behind the Arcade Classic
One young woman's courage changed video game history forever. Discover the secret origin of Frogger, explore every way to die (there are many!), hear the iconic music's story, and learn about a record-breaking high score that...
Level 2: Galaga (1981) - How It Beat Space Invaders at Its Own Game
Galaga took everything Space Invaders started, added Galaxian's colors and sounds, and created a 1981 masterpiece. Discover behind-the-scenes secrets of this arcade legend, insider development stories, and why the Challenging...
Level 1: Donkey Kong (1981) - The Popeye Game That Changed Nintendo F…
Donkey Kong almost starred Popeye, Olive Oyl, and Bluto. Learn the shocking origin story behind Nintendo's 1981 breakthrough hit: the near-fatal lawsuit, how Mario and Donkey Kong got their names, and why their lawyer became ...
Level 0: The History of Video Games Before 1981 - Pong to Pac-Man
Why was 1981 the greatest year in arcade gaming history? Before Jason and Dee dive into Donkey Kong, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Frogger, and Defender, discover the revolutionary games that paved the way. From Pong's simplicity to S...