This is not a complete list of BÖC's television appearances, but does include the majority of their television appearances. If you have any further appearances and can provide accurate broadcast information, please contact us for addition to this list.

Thanks to the wonder of YouTube, now there are links to point you to where you can watch some of these gems.

The Merv Griffin Show

81-07-25

BÖC's first television appearance.

"Burnin' For You"
"(Don't Fear) The Reaper"

Part 1 (YouTube)
Part 2 (YouTube)

The Uncle Floyd Show

New York Area cable access show
82-10-31

"Burnin' For You"

A vintage photo of the band was shown, taken at a bar mitzvah they'd played in 1970 for show producer Joel Gallin.

The Tomorrow Show

81-10

"Joan Crawford"
"Burnin' For You"

Interview Segment with Charles Grodin

That Teen Show

1981

Interview segment with Eric Bloom, Buck Dharma and Allen Lanier discussing violence in rock & roll. Excerpts of "Born to be Wild" from the "Black and Blue" movie shown.

Watch "That Teen Show" on YouTube

Take Off

1981

Take off was an special edition of "Night Flight". Filmed at the same time/location as the Joan Crawford video. Sound bites with Eric Bloom discussing freedom of expression.

Fridays

1981

A short-lived competitor to Saturday Night Live. Allen Lanier guests on piano with the Jim Carroll Band. Carroll performs 3 songs.

Watch "Day & Night" on YouTube
Watch "It's Too Late" on YouTube
Watch "People Who Died" on YouTube

Search

date unknown (early '80s)

Allen Lanier participates in a piece about rock musicians and hearing loss. Tom Snyder narrates.

Watch "Search" on YouTube

MTV

1982

Eric Bloom and Rick Downey appear with Martha Quinn.

Interview segments between videos.

MTV

1983

Interview with Joe and Allen. "Veteran of the Psychic Wars" video shown.

(Different parts of this same interview were shown on "Night Flight" [below])

Night Flight

1983

Interview Segment with Allen Lanier & Joe Bouchard. Joan Crawford video is aired.

(Segments of this same interview were also aired on MTV [above])

Blotto - "Metal Head"

1983

Buck Dharma cameos as a frustrated aspiring guitarist in hilarious video by upstate New York band, Blotto. He also plays the solo in the song.

Watch "Metal Head" on YouTube

Hear 'n' Aid

1986

Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma participate in "heavy metal" "We Are The World" with Ronnie James Dio and others.

BBC4 MTV Metal Hammer

89-03-19

Buck, Eric and Jon Rogers interviewed. "Astronomy" video aired.

Into the Night with Rick Dees

91-05-08

"Godzilla"
"(Don't Fear) The Reaper"
performed live in the studio.

Interview segment with Eric & Buck.

Music Underground

92-04-25

Cable Access show. Interview and "Stairway to the Stars" live.

C. C. Rock

Local San Francisco Area Cable Access
1999

Interview Segments and song excerpts.

VH-1

Where Are They Now?
99-08

Interview Segments with Allen, Buck and Eric. Song excerpts from Philadelphia show.

VH-1

100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock
2000

Brief interview segment with Buck, Eric and Allen. Clips from various videos and comments from rockers Blackie Lawless (WASP), Sebastian Bach (Skid Row), Scott Ian (Anthrax), and James Hetfield (Metallica).

VH-1

Pop-Up Video
2000

"Burnin' For You" is lampooned with pop-up word balloons.

VH-1

All Roads Lead to The Chip
2003

A feature program about the classic rock concerts that happen at the famous Buffalo Chip Campground during the Sturgis biker festival. Concert footage and interview segments with BOC.

The Simpsons

FOX
1996, 2001

Homer exclaims, "Stop harvesting me with your eyes"

In the 1996 "Homerpalooza" episode, Homer says "This man doesn't fear the reaper!"

Season Premiere 2001: Homer displays a medallion with the BOC logo on it. BOC mentioned twice. "Don't Fear the Reaper" played over closing credits. [view this clip]

Jeopardy!

ABC
1987, 2001

1987: Question about "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" used.

2001: Rock 'n' Roll Celebrity Jeopardy, Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon fails to correctly respond to his question (the answer was "Blue Oyster Cult".) A disappointed Cronin replies, "Ah, Geez, and I know those guys, too!"

Mercedes Commercial

1995

Voiceover lists many fantasies that one might have dreamed of, including "jamming with Blue Oyster Cult", suggesting that at least one of them (owning a Mercedes) is achievable.

That '70s Show

FOX
2000

Three different references on three different episodes:

Character says "I thought you said Blue Oyster Cult was the soundtrack to the revolution"

"(Don't Fear the Reaper)" is used in the episode.

Character "Donna" has a BOC 5 guitars poster on her wall.

"Cities on Flame with Rock & Roll" appears on the "That '70s Show Presents That '70s Album (Rockin)" CD.

Saturday Night Live

2000

Guest host Christopher Walken stars in a skit as record producer Bruce Dickinson, in the studio as Blue Oyster Cult (played by SNL cast) records "(Don't Fear) the Reaper". Things get strange when "Gene" (the actor playing the Eric Bloom character) gets "jiggy wit" the cowbell.
[view this clip]

Web Street Securities Commercial

2000

The "(Don't Fear the Reaper)" solo section is used in the background of commercial

Who Wants to be a Millionaire

ABC
2000

Question about Blue Oyster Cult

Nikki

WB Network
2000

Two different references in two different episodes:

Main character Nikki is a showgirl at a Las Vegas casino. In a scene that takes place backstage, there is a bulletin board on the wall, and above it is a large BOC logo.

Nikki does a dance routine to "Godzilla" while dressed in a Godzilla costume.

Food Network

The Food Network
2000

Wolfgang Puck was cooking with blue tipped oysters and exclaimed "Just like the band Blue Oyster Cult!"

Ed

NBC
2001

"Burnin' For You" plays in the background of a scene.

Good Day L.A.

FOX
2001

Guest Chris Titus, commenting about Jillian Barbeire's Harley Davidson outfit said that she "was dressed to go backstage at a BÖC concert."

Annie goes to Hollywood

BBC1 (UK)
May 9, 2001

This documentary about the quiz show, "The Weakest Link," explores the launch of the show in the U.S.

At one point host Anne Robinson, dressed in customary black, steps up to the podium, backlit with flashing blue lights and surrounded by smoke while "Don't Fear the Reaper" plays in the background.

The Late Show with David Letterman

CBS
2001 & 2003

2001: "Don't Fear the Reaper" is played by the band for Jenna Elfman's ("Dharma & Greg") walk-on. Dave quips, "We just don't hear enough Blue Oyster Cult these days" to which Bandleader Paul Schaefer replied that the connection was that BOC has a member named "Buck Dharma", and of course, Ms. Elfman plays "Dharma" on the aforementioned show.

2003: Newly acquired NY Yankee baseball player, Hideki "Godzilla" Matsui, reads the Top 10 List. Introducing the segment, Paul Shaffer & the band plays "Godzilla".

Witchblade

TNT
2001

"(Don't Fear) The Reaper played at the close of an episode.

Chris Isaac Show

Showtime
2001

Two mentions:
Mentioned Blue Oyster Cult in his live set saying "We're going to play a lot of songs and we get done with them, we're going to play all the Blue Oyster Cult songs!"

He was being interviewed by a ficticious TV reporter who asked how he came up with his songs. Chris said "We take some Abba and some Blue Oyster Cult, play it backwards, and change the lyrics a little"

Nash Bridges

CBS
1996

A mention of Blue Oyster Cult in epsidoe titled "Hit Parade," original airdate 11/22/96.

Motorcycles: Born to be Wild

The Learning Channel
2001

In a show about the 95th anniversary of Harley Davidson, there is a bit about the Sturgis Rally. Host Peter Fonda mentions the music at Sturgis, they use a clip with Blue Oyster Cult onstage playing "E.T.I."

Sifl & Olly

MTV
2000 (?)

Sock puppets Sifl & Olly perform "Don't Fear The Reaper" on this MTV show.

Six Feet Under

HBO Original Series
2001

Episode 21, Season 2, "The Most Wonderful time of the Year" features "Don't Fear The Reaper" as character Nate is given the keys to a motorcycle and rides off... the song continues over end credits.

Late Night with Conan O'Brien

NBC
Oct 02 2002

"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" served as a backdrop for a skit which portrayed the Grim Reaper as an absolute loser--experiencing humiliating failures whatever the situation, including losing in basketball, parallel parking, shrinking his outfit in the wash and inability to perform in the bedroom.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

UPN
Oct. 15, 2002

Season 7, Epsiode 4: "HELP"
Buffy, when faced with a group of kids attempting to sacrifice a girl to a demon taunts their ineptitude with a roundabout BÖC reference. "I bet it's because you forgot the boombox playing some heavy metal thing, like... Blue Clam Cult? Isn't that the music to raise lame demons?"

Mystery Science Theatre 3000

ci Fi Channel
Jul 25, 1998

Episode: 910. During the feature movie, The Last Sacrifice," when a movie character asks "if he knows who he's dealing with ... its a cult"

To which Crow (the robot) responds "yeah and they worship blue oysters."

25 Years of Punk

VH-1
1995

One interviewee is wearing a Blue Oyster Cult logo ball cap.

Smallville

WB Network
Apr 28, 2003

Episode: Precipice. An acoustic cover of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" by the band "Gus" is played near the end of the episode when Lex proposes to Helen.

VH-1

I Love the 70s / I Love the 80s
2003

"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" used in two epsiodes of "I Love the 70s: 1973 & 1975". "Burnin' For You" video used in "I Love the 80s: 1981"

Live with Regis & Kelly

12/23/2003

"Hot Rails to Hell" was used as bumper music. As it led back into the show, Regis says "Hey That was "Hot rails" by Blue Oyster Cult. They're great. Whatever happened to them?"

VH-1

2003

Short interview bit with Eric Bloom as he recounts the influence of the Beatles on the 40th anniversary of their arrival in the USA.

I'm Alan Partridge

2004

Episode: "To Kill A Mocking Alan". In this BBC comedy about an aging TV/Radio personality there is a scene where a DJ (David Clifton) is heard announcing "Don’t Fear The Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult," followed by about 5 seconds of the song's intro.

CNN Headline News

2004

"Stairway to the Stars" was used as bumper music to bring in a story on an astronomy-related topic.

Veronica Mars

UPN 2004

"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" is background music for a scene in the pilot of this series about a teenager detective.

Supernatural

UPN 2005

BOC has been used on at least two episodes of this series. In episode #12, "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" is played. In episode #17, BOC is prominently (subliminally) included. "Burnin' For You," and "Godzilla" are all heard as background music, and one character actually sings a bit of "Fire of Unknown Origin". The "Fire of Unknown Origin" album cover gets some screen time, as well as the BOC logo is shown, being used by young people as a fake religious symbol.

Life On Mars

BBC (UK) 2006

In this cop/time travel drama, an accident befalls a policeman, and wakes up way back in 1973. "Stairway to the Stars" punctuates his experience in the first episode.