View Full Version : That’s Incredible! The Most Sadistic Show on TV (and We LOVED It)


TMC
06-18-2026, 09:07 PM
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That's Incredible! was one of the biggest hits in 1980s TV history — a Monday night ABC phenomenon that had John Davidson, Cathy Lee Crosby, and Fran Tarkenton introducing some of the most bizarre people and dangerous stunts ever seen on American television. It was Gen X nostalgia before we even knew what nostalgia was. But behind the scenes of this classic 80s family TV show, stuntmen were getting seriously hurt — and the show kept airing the footage anyway. Time magazine called it the most sadistic show on television ... but that didn't stop us from watching it!
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00:00 The crazy stunt that the show couldn't broadcast
02:02 The Hosts: John Davidson, Cathy Lee Crosby, Fran Tarkenton
02:55 I loved the Bowmar NFL Reading Kit
03:27 That's Incredible! guests who became famous
05:28 The critics were merciless
06:23 Spanky and the Pyramid of Cars
06:51 Stanley Kruml's Fiery 50-yard dash
07:27 Steve Lewis, the man who jumped over speeding cars
09:16 Alan Landsburg's one goal
10:02 The downfall of That's Incredible!

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In this video we look back at the real story behind That's Incredible — including a five-year-old Tiger Woods, Alicia Witt's incredible origin story, the FedEx guy John Moschitta, the Gary Wells Caesars Palace motorcycle crash, the Steve Lewis lawsuit, and why this forgotten ABC reality TV pioneer disappeared after four seasons. If you grew up watching '80s television, this one's for you.