Grumpy Old Men on WBNS came with a ridiculous amount of commercials, and the local news started with a murder report at Big Walnut Creek. A man walking his dog had found a body near his ostrich farm; the report kept returning to a set of dentures while I was wondering what kind of cougar hangs around an ostrich farm. I was getting into the report when the picture jumped.
Suddenly the tape was on NBC, with promos for Tom Clancy's Op-Center and Hart to Hart, then A Woman of Independent Means. I stopped to work out what I was watching and whether we'd just gone backward in time. That second stretch has its own Columbus flavor: Meijer explains its produce trucks, Dominion Homes pitches its decorating center, and Big Bear offers double coupons and Vision Value. By the later breaks I was weighing Meijer, SnackWell's and Big Bear for my favorite ad of the night. The movie, the news and the miniseries are all here in the watched portion, but there's still more tape to watch.
Content inventory
Shows and segments (playback order)
Playback sequence
- Grumpy Old Men on WBNS/CBS
- WBNS local news: Big Walnut Creek murder report
- A Woman of Independent Means, part 1, on WCMH/NBC
- A Woman of Independent Means, part 2, on WCMH/NBC
WBNS/CBS transition
- Murder, She Wrote credits
Commercial inventory
WBNS/CBS: Grumpy Old Men and adjacent breaks
- Toenail Fungus commercial (Jansenn)
- Plymouth Neon, Plymouth Prowler
- Frosted Flakes – people confessing to eating their kids cereal (Tony in a TV studio)
- Kay Jewelers with Cindy Crawford
- Ghost Myst by Coty
- Herbal Essences by Clairol
- Ford Windstar
- McDonald’s Olympics big mac commercial – Thomas, Thomas, Thomas, and Thomas (Lucy from Twin Peaks)
- Opcon-A: Now available without a prescription
- Lexus – artsy ad
- Target spring sale and furnishings
- 96 accord
- Dear Dave (Thomas) – I 1/4lb deluxe double stack for 99c
- Big Bear w/ the buckeyes and a jingle
- Mazda SE-5
- Zantac 75
- Colour Endure lipstick
- Pontiac Bonneville
- Easy Spirit walking shoes
- Burger King – Wild Thing western whopper ad
- Dodge Dakota
- Best Buy ad – wall of TVs and pushy salesman
- Time-Life Medical video series – now at your pharmacy
- Country Time lemon berry sippers
- Dirt Devil broom vac
- McDonald’s disney home video happy meal toys
- Cigna Health Care
- Lever 2000 body wash
- Vanish Power System – it makes the toilet water blue
- Hidden Valley Ranch
- Aquafresh flex direct
- Waffle Crisp Cereal – grandmas making waffles
- Ford Windstar
- Serta – weird ad
- Pizza Hut triple decker pepperoni pizza
- Plymouth Voyager – its got two sliding doors
- Pathfinder on Safari – Nissan
- Disney Aristocats now on home video
- Perfume commercial – ici
- KFC Tender Roast
- Healthy Choice Almond crunch with raisins – guy golfing on roof
- 626 Mazda performance
- Whiskas canned cat food
- Toyota Savings time
WBNS/CBS: Grumpy Old Men continuation
- Lexus ES 300.
- Behr Premium Plus at Home Depot.
- McDonald's Big Mac: breaking news, coupon in this Sunday's paper; Phil Hartman, Olympics logo.
WCMH/NBC: A Woman of Independent Means, part 1
- Magnavox mini system with seven CDs.
- 1-800-COLLECT: As seen on TV; dial it today.
- Purina Dog Chow: Don't upset your dog's tummy.
- Vicks NyQuil.
- Genuine Chevrolet Lumina.
- Meijer: Trucks have two drivers; one drives while the other sleeps to bring the freshest produce from California.
- Toyota Avalon — $22,758.
- Dominion Homes — computerized decorating center.
- Riverside Methodist Hospital health update: heart attack PSA, Tony Joseph, MD.
- Pillsbury Pizza Doughboy — pizza crust.
- Glick's Power Buys through Monday (Glick's furniture).
- Toyota Camry coupe.
- The Repair Shop at RadioShack: VCR not taking a tape.
- KFC Value Challenge — Mega Meals; more meal for your money.
- Excedrin: Better than Tylenol for headaches.
- Polaner All Fruit: Don't call it jelly.
- Lazarus Presidents Day sale.
- Ricart pickups.
WCMH/NBC: A Woman of Independent Means, part 2
- Piggy bank dropping — New York Life.
- T. K. Crowley — MCI Friends and Family customers.
- Frosted Mini-Wheats: Teacher talking about her inner kid voice.
- Joy dish soap: You'll save without a coupon.
- “Gut be gone”: Guy drives car through cake — Isuzu Rodeo.
- Toyota Avalon.
- L'Oréal Excellence cream.
- Diet Dr Pepper: Men working, detour truck — “Give me more.”
- Beef: It's what's for dinner!
- Ziploc green-thumb commercial.
- Motrin.
- Tyson Holly Farms: Fresh chickens; catcalling lady.
- National Eagle Sale (advertiser uncertain).
- Contadina pasta-ready sauce.
- Burger King: 75% more beef than McDonald's hamburger.
- Advil for headaches: Works better than Tylenol.
- Mud bath for stress — Isuzu Rodeo.
- Sugar-free Extra gum — good jingle.
- Downy fabric softener isn't watered down.
- Boboli: Bored with dinner?
- Zales.
- Ricart full-size pickups: “We're dealin'.”
- The Phone Works: Cellular One donating to Easter Seals.
- Pillsbury Pizza Crust.
- Villa Milano.
- Pampers Stretch.
- Ford Windstar.
- Tylenol Extended Release.
- Palmolive antibacterial.
- SnackWell's crackers: These ladies love crackers.
- Time and weather phone spot (advertiser uncertain)
- IBM — India — “Solutions for a small planet.”
- Clorox Clean-Up.
- Diet Pepsi: Old butler, best-by date.
- Banana Nut Crunch cereal.
- KFC Value Challenge.
- Don't get stuck in the snow; get a Jeep!
- Big Bear: Double coupons and Vision Value.
- Amazing Grapes — Welch's grape juice: Kind of like a snack.
- Burger King: Two burgers and two fries for $2.22.
- Mazda America: “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” animated ad.
- Villa Milano: They bring the party.
- Maybelline mascara.
- Special K: Only 110 calories — one sexy cereal ad.
- Payless Shoes canvas sale.
- Centrum: “I feel better knowing I'm taking it.”
- Toyota Corolla.
Station and show promos
WBNS/CBS: Grumpy Old Men and adjacent breaks
- Nanny/Dave's world promo
- Silence of the lambs may 1 on CBS
- WBNS promo – Kennedy rocking chair sold
- Eyewitness news – nail guns are dangerous
- A Season In Purgatory promo
- Sleepless in Seattle network premiere promo
- Murphy Brown/Cybill promo
- CBS Wild: Forces of Nature promo
- Monday on the Late Show – Daves mom shares her cooking secrets (promo)
- Kurt Ludlow news promo
- Silence of the Lambs CBS premier promo
- WBNS – pay before you pump
- 10TV goes undercover as a homeless person – Lonely Streets
- Smithsonian fantastic journey promo
- Oprah lottery winners getting millionaire makeovers promo
WBNS/CBS: Grumpy Old Men continuation
- WBNS tease: Gas prices are up; how to beat the prices.
- CBS Tuesday Movie world premiere tonight: Unforgivable.
- The Silence of the Lambs CBS premiere promo.
WCMH/NBC: A Woman of Independent Means, part 1
- Tom Clancy's Op-Center next Sunday on NBC.
- Hart to Hart promo.
- In the Line of Duty: Kidnapped.
- The More You Know: women beaten by loved ones.
- Soap Opera Award Winners on NBC.
- The Body Shop — NBC Nightly News Monday.
- Frasier — “Home Malone” Tuesday.
- NBC 4 at 11: World's oldest person celebrating a birthday.
- Must See TV: Mad About You, Friends, Seinfeld.
- Leno with Kelsey Grammer and other famous people.
- Conan hatches from eggs — Bill Maher, Tori Amos.
- Dateline investigates “Cops on Disability.”
WCMH/NBC: A Woman of Independent Means, part 2
- Live from Hollywood! — Screen Actors Guild Awards.
- Must See TV (same as earlier).
- Tom Clancy's Op-Center — NBC Sunday.
- “Home Malone” Tuesday (same as earlier).
- Tomorrow on Today: Simpson attorney.
- Stephanie Hummer murder case break: Human body parts found in Texas; Cathy Donahue at 11.
- “Home Malone” again.
- Screen Actors Guild Awards again.
- NBC Nightly News.
- News 4 at 11: Stephanie Hummer murder.
- News: Cathy Donahue — get out of sticky situations.
- “Home Malone” ad again.
Tape details
- Format: Home Recording
- Viewed dates: 2026-09-06, 2026-09-29 (partial)
- Recording date: WBNS movie identified in notes as April 28, 1996; WCMH blocks undated
- Viewing extent: Unfinished; last noted in part 2 of A Woman of Independent Means
- Archive ID: VHS-2026-564
