GCP: Saturday Night Grit - Star Trek Secrets, the MTV Era, and the Mystery of Comet Atlas

Kick off the new year with the Grit City Podcast crew as Jeff, Scott, and Mike ring in 2026 with a deep dive into the nostalgia of the 1980s. This episode of Saturday Night Grit starts with a trip down memory lane to the 1981 launch of MTV, tracing its evolution from "Video Killed the Radio Star" to the reality TV powerhouse it became. The hosts share their own coming-of-age stories tied to the "Music Television" era, before transitioning into some legendary television history. They explore a recent Star Trek documentary, revealing the complicated life of Gene Roddenberry and the surprising reality that the franchise only survived thanks to Lucille Ball’s business savvy and the financial success of I Love Lucy reruns.

The conversation takes a cosmic turn as the guys analyze the bizarre behavior of Comet A/I (Atlas). From its mysterious "anti-tail" to its unexplained non-gravitational acceleration, the hosts debate why the scientific community seems to be downplaying its unique characteristics. This leads to a larger social commentary on the current state of information in 2026, with the crew drawing eerie parallels between modern headlines and films like Idiocracy and Don’t Look Up. They discuss the "hoax of affordability" and the frustration of being told to ignore the data right in front of your eyes.

Wrapping things up with some true Midwestern "grit," the trio discusses the unique winter culture of floating ice bars and the high-stakes risks of driving trucks onto frozen lakes. Mike shares some harrowing stories of Minnesota ice safety, which sparks a broader debate on American close-mindedness and the necessity of travel to gain perspective. Whether it’s debating the geography of the equator or reminiscing about the legendary "Mr. Oinge" in Elko, this episode is a quintessential mix of pop culture, conspiracy, and regional banter.

Chapters:
00:00 – Welcome to 2026: The State of the World
03:19 – New Year’s Recap: Die Hard and 15th Birthday Parties
04:09 – Gaming Interlude: Goober Dash and the Multitasking Myth
07:34 – Boy Scout Memories and Knot-Tying Skills
09:32 – The Launch of MTV: "Video Killed the Radio Star"
12:18 – The Golden Era: Remote Control, TRL, and The Real World
16:41 – The Decline of Music Television and the YouTube Shift
21:33 – Headbangers Ball and Heavy Metal Memories
23:30 – Star Trek History: Gene Roddenberry’s Complicated Genius
25:40 – The Desilu Funding: How Lucille Ball Saved the Federation
28:13 – "Don't Kill Spock": The Infamous Fan Death Threats
31:19 – The Mystery of Comet A/I (Atlas) and its "Anti-Tail"
34:52 – Idiocracy, Don’t Look Up, and Modern Information Hoaxes
39:27 – Floating Ice Bars and Ice Fishing Safety
45:06 – Driving on Frozen Lakes: Minnesota vs. Washington
48:19 – Crossing the Equator: A Geography Check
49:37 – The "Close-Mindedness" of America and the Need to Travel
52:49 – Elko, Ely, and the Legend of "Mr. Oinge"
55:40 – Sign-off and Website Info

• The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek (TV Series 2021–2022) - IMDb — Chronicles rare and fascinating details of how "Star Trek" began, where it's been, and how it's going where no television series has gone before.
• MTV Stopped Playing Music Videos. Someone Built a Site to Bring Them All Back. - RVA Mag
• MTV Channels Going Offline Like They Began, with 'Video Killed the Radio Star'
• Star Trek | Official Site
• Star Trek - Wikipedia
• CIA Will Neither Confirm Nor Deny Records on 3I/ATLAS
• Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS isn't an alien spacecraft, astronomers confirm. 'In the end, there were no surprises.' | Space
• Fire department 'sets the record straight' on Sleeping Bear Dunes rescues
• Warning sign at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan. It took me about 30 min to climb : r/pics
• List of brothels in Nevada - Wikipedia
• Nineteen Eighty-Four - Wikipedia