Mental Floss

TV

Jim Henson attends the 1985 BAFTA Awards at London's Grosvenor Hotel.

If there’s anyone to thank for your early childhood television obsessions—specifically of the puppet variety—it’s Jim Henson.

Olivia Truffaut-Wong


William Zabka and Ralph Macchio reunite in Cobra Kai.

'Cobra Kai'—the continuation of 'The Karate Kid' saga starring Ralph Macchio and William Zabka—has been a hit for Netflix, but it wasn't the first time Ralph Macchio heard a Daniel LaRusso reboot pitch.

Jake Rossen


Henry Cavill and Anya Chalotra in The Witcher (2019).

'The Witcher'—the Netflix series based on Andrzej Sapkowski's fantasy book series, which spawned a popular video game franchise—became an immediate pop culture phenomenon when it debuted in December 2019.

Scott Beggs












Kurt Russell speaking at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con International.

Kurt Russell, the actor famous for films like 'Escape From New York' and 'The Thing,' once had a close encounter with a UFO he didn't publicly discuss for decades.

Jake Rossen




The cast of Cop Rock—in a rare moment of not singing about law and order.

There’s a time and a place for a jaunty Hall & Oates pastiche, but—as the creators of 'Cop Rock' discovered the hard way—it’s probably not in the middle of a self-described “baby merchant” getting caught in a child abduction sting.

Jon O'Brien




Tom Ellis stars as Lucifer Morningstar in Lucifer.

'Lucifer' has been through a lot in its five seasons (and counting), including one petition to be canceled before it ever even aired, an actual cancelation after three seasons, and a resurrection thanks to fans—and Netflix.

Scott Beggs