Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Toy Department – Episode 211

  By toyAdmin | April 30, 2020 - 11:32 pm | Uncategorized
Leave a comment

In Episode 211, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky literally discuss the weather and their pets before navigating through:

  • This week’s episode of Top Chef (2:20) and Leanne’s impressive cockroach impersonation…
  • This week’s episode of The Challenge: Total Madness (15:05) and the incredible level of danger this season’s challengers are facing…
  • Episodes 3 & 4 of the Michael Jordan/Chicago Bulls documentary The Last Dance (31:25) and the Bulls’ epic battles with Detroit…
  • The season finale of Jason Segel’s Dispatches from Elsewhere (47:10) and what to take away from a bizarre adventure…
  • Mindy Kaling’s new Netflix creation Never Have I Ever (54:10) and whether it distinguishes itself in a crowded landscape of high school-based entertainment…
  • A very special quarantine episode of Parks & Recreation (57:30) and how much fun it is to hang with the characters we love so much…
  • The HBO movie Bad Education (1:01:15) and whether good performances can elevate a story without a lot to like…
  • Homework for next week (1:06:45), including: new episodes of Top Chef & The Challenge, two more episodes of The Last Dance, Hulu’s new show Normal People, HBO’s new skater show Betty, and Upload on Amazon Prime, plus the return of Billions on Showtime…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS

The Toy Department – Episode 210

  By toyAdmin | April 25, 2020 - 2:47 pm | Uncategorized
Leave a comment

In Episode 210, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky talk a little NFL Draft before blazing through:

  • The first two episodes of the new Michael Jordan/Chicago Bulls documentary The Last Dance (6:40) and what we have to look forward to in the 10-part series…
  • This week’s episode of The Challenge: Total Madness (17:25) and Ashley’s implosion in the bunker…
  • This week’s episode of Top Chef (26:40) and the elimination of some Toy Department favorites…
  • The season finale of AMC’s Better Call Saul (34:25) and how it sets us up for an explosive final season…
  • The new Netflix show #BlackAF (39:45) and how Kenya Barris is embracing his new home on a streaming network…
  • Netflix’s new comedy specials from Middleditch & Schwartz (45:30) and whether the improv format translates to a streaming comedy special…
  • A few thoughts on Netflix’s new sex-ban reality show Too Hot to Handle (48:20) and how stupidity can be incredibly watchable…
  • The new Steve Kerr/Pete Carroll podcast Flying Coach (51:30) and the insights two champion coaches can offer in audio format…
  • Homework for next week (53:55), including: new episodes of Top Chef & The Challenge, two more episodes of The Last Dance, the season finale of Dispatches from Elsewhere, the HBO movie Bad Education, Mindy Kaling’s new show Never Have I Ever on Netflix and a very special episode of Parks and Recreation…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS

The Toy Department – Episode 209

  By toyAdmin | April 16, 2020 - 10:43 pm | Uncategorized
Leave a comment

In Episode 209, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky break down a couple of coronavirus-related memes before discussing:

  • This week’s episode of MTV’s The Challenge (4:45) and the heavy hitters who played big roles…
  • This week’s episode of Bravo’s Top Chef (21:00) and the joys and challenges of having family in your kitchen…
  • FX/Hulu’s new Cate Blanchett vehicle Mrs. America (36:20) and the appeal of a dislikable central character…
  • The new HBO series Run (42:15) and what exactly is going on beyond the star-powered charm of the lead actors…
  • The return of BBC America’s Killing Eve (46:10) and whether the show has maintained its urgency in its third season…
  • The return of HBO’s Insecure (50:05) and how a bit of same-ness doesn’t hurt it too much…
  • The new Netflix comedy Brews Brothers (54:20) and whether it stands up to its creators’ previous effort, The League…
  • Homework for next week (1:00:05), including: new episodes of Top Chef & The Challenge, the new Michael Jordan/Chicago Bulls documentary The Last Dance on ESPN, a listen to the new Steve Kerr/Pete Carroll podcast Flying Coach, the new Netflix show #BlackAF from Black*ish creator Kenya Barris, and the new comedy specials Middleditch & Schwartz…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS

The Toy Department – Episode 208

  By toyAdmin | April 9, 2020 - 10:53 pm | Uncategorized
Leave a comment

In Episode 208, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky discuss the younger Kolsky’s new walking ability before moving on to:

  • This week’s episode of Top Chef (3:35), how Derek’s fantasy team is falling apart and the Mount Rushmore of potential winners…
  • This week’s episode of The Challenge: Total Madness (23:05) and how it left the guys wanting more of the show’s mainstays…
  • The HBO Sports documentary The Scheme (38:05) and how the main takeaway was an embarrassing job by federal authorities…
  • The Netflix sports documentary Screwball (48:15) and how it told an insane story in an interesting and enjoyable way…
  • The film The End of the Tour (56:15) and how it’s a heck of a good watch if you like watching a couple of dudes talk for two hours…
  • The old Showtime/Spike Lee pilot Sucker Free City (1:00:10) and how it makes you long for a series that never happened…
  • The end of the third season of Netflix’s Ozark (1:03:40) and how wonderful and entertaining a show it continues to be…
  • Homework for next week (1:12:35), including: new episodes of Top Chef & The Challenge, the return of Killing Eve, the fourth season of HBO’s Insecure, the new HBO series Run, FX/Hulu’s new Cate Blanchett show Mrs. America, and the Netflix comedy Brews Brothers…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS

The Toy Department – Episode 207

  By toyAdmin | April 4, 2020 - 4:29 pm | Uncategorized
Leave a comment

In Episode 207, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky discuss their personal COVID-19 ordeals before getting into:

  • Week 3 of Bravo’s Top Chef (7:55) and all the intrigue therein…
  • The premiere of The Challenge: Total Madness (29:25) and who’s back for what looks to be a wild and twisty season…
  • Netflix’s documentary sensation Tiger King (52:40) and how everyone on the show is awful and awfully bizarre…
  • A few thoughts on Netflix’s Ozark (1:04:10) and a promise to get deeper into it next week when both guys have finished Season 3…
  • A review of the new Pearl Jam record Gigaton (1:06:50) and how it manages to feel both topical and like a classic Pearl Jam album…
  • Last week’s somber episode of Last Week Tonight on HBO (1:12:15) and what political comedy shows are doing in this strange time…
  • Homework for next week (1:19:10), including: new episodes of Top Chef & The Challenge, the end of Ozark Season 3, the HBO Sports documentaries The Scheme and Screwball, the film The End of the Tour (available on Netflix) and the old Showtime movie Sucker Free City (rentable on Amazon and viewable on YouTube)…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS

The Toy Department – Episode 206

  By toyAdmin | March 27, 2020 - 10:53 pm | Uncategorized
Leave a comment

In Episode 206, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky are still surviving somehow, and find time to discuss:

  • This week’s episode of Top Chef (4:20) and its great Jonathan Gold-inspired LA food tour…
  • The new Hulu movie Big Time Adolescence (19:45) and how it turned out to be strangely moving…
  • AMC’s Dispatches From Elsewhere (24:30) and how its madcap plot and general insanity don’t hinder its charm…
  • AMC’s Better Call Saul (33:05) and the near-fever pitch it has reached as it builds towards a final season…
  • The new Amazon film Blow the Man Down (39:15) and the guys’ differing views on its enjoyability…
  • The old FX show Terriers (42:50) and how it makes a great binge during our time of quarantine…
  • Homework for next week (47:15), including: another episode of Top Chef, Tiger King on Netflix, the return of Netflix’s Ozark, the new season of The Challenge, the new Pearl Jam record Gigaton and a check-in with political comedy shows Last Week Tonight and Patriot Act, which should be very interesting given where we’re at as a world…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS

The Toy Department – Episode 205

  By toyAdmin | March 19, 2020 - 10:50 pm | Uncategorized
Leave a comment

In Episode 205, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky are still adjusting to our strange new reality as they hop through:

  • The challenges of living in a COVID-19 world (1:00) and the potential pitfalls of working from home…
  • The return of Bravo’s Top Chef (10:45) and thoughts on all the All-Star competitors in this year’s LA-based season…
  • The season four premiere of IFC’s Brockmire (28:30) and what a marvelous delight it continues to be, regardless of whether anyone seems to be watching it…
  • Season two of Black Monday on Showtime (35:30) and whether it stands out from the pack in a crowded TV landscape…
  • The first couple episodes of Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere (38:35) and what an interesting show it seems to be, though Reese Witherspoon treads familiar ground…
  • HBO and David Simon’s The Plot Against America (49:20) and how it’s really just an awful lot to digest at a time like this…
  • Homework for next week (54:40), including: another episode of Top Chef, the new Hulu movie Big Time Adolescence, the new Amazon Prime movie Blow the Man Down, check-ins on Better Call Saul and Dispatches from Elsewhere, and a quarantine streaming special — the old FX show Terriers, which is now available on Hulu…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS

The Toy Department – Episode 204

  By toyAdmin | March 14, 2020 - 8:01 pm | Uncategorized
Leave a comment

In Episode 204, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky are settling into life in a COVID-19 world and delve into:

  • Some thoughts on what life has been like over the last week (2:05) and what it may be like moving forward…
  • The season finale of HBO’s The Outsider (9:35) and what a great 10-episode run it had…
  • The series premiere of FX’s Hulu-specific series Devs (17:45), the mystery therein and a dramatic turn from Nick Offerman…
  • FX’s new series Dave (24:55) and how star Lil’ Dicky sucks you in and makes you laugh…
  • FX’s Better Things (28:10) and how it continues to soar as a shining example of great sitcom-style television…
  • Netflix’s I Am Not Okay With This (37:15) and the charmingly distinct style of its creator…
  • The Netflix-made Lil’ Peep documentary Everybody’s Everything (42:55) and how it’s probably more for the late rapper’s fans than the general public…
  • Marc Maron’s new Netflix stand-up special End Times Fun (49:45) and his apparent mastery of his craft…
  • The HBO Sports documentary Women of Troy (53:20) and how much each guy learned about some stars in women’s basketball past…
  • Homework for next week (1:01:05), including: the return of Top Chef, the return of Brockmire on IFC, the return of Black Monday on Showtime and David Simon’s Philip Roth adaptation The Plot Against America on Amazon…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS

The Toy Department – Episode 203

  By toyAdmin | March 5, 2020 - 7:17 pm | Uncategorized
Leave a comment

In Episode 203, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky have MUCH to discuss, so dive right into:

  • The HBO Sports documentary Ali & Cavett: Tale of the Tapes (1:25) and how it adds something to the historical record on a well-covered sports titan…
  • Dwyane Wade’s documentary Life Unexpected (8:00) and how it is very much the Dwyane Wade version of the Dwyane Wade story…
  • PBS’ American Masters episode on Miles Davis, entitled Birth of the Cool (14:55) and what a complete picture it painted of a complicated man who was truly one of the great musicians in human history…
  • The return of Better Call Saul on AMC (24:00) and how it is probably the best show on television right now…
  • The new Amazon show Hunters (30:55) and the surprisingly understated performance of Al Pacino…
  • AMC’s new show Dispatches from Elsewhere (37:00) and how producer/writer/director/star Jason Segel has created a fascinating and exciting curiosity through two oddball episodes…
  • The new Netflix comedy Gentefied (44:55) and how it fails to really grab the viewer in its first couple episodes…
  • Pete Davidson’s Netflix standup special (48:10) and how he’s a promising young comedic talent…
  • Homework for next week (57:40), including: the return of Better Things on FX, the end of The Outsider on HBO, Devs on FX/Hulu, Dave on FXX (it’s an FX-heavy week), the Netflix Lil Peep documentary Everbody’s Everything, Netflix’s I Am Not Okay With This, the HBO Sports documentary Women of Troy and Marc Maron’s new special End Times Fun…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS

The Toy Department – Episode 202

  By toyAdmin | February 20, 2020 - 11:04 am | Uncategorized
Leave a comment

In Episode 202, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky discuss their feelings about camping before jumping into:

  • The new Tame Impala album The Slow Rush (4:30) and how it hit the ears of each of our hosts…
  • The new film The Photograph (16:05) and where it falls a little short of its potential…
  • The new Hulu show High Fidelity (23:10), the charm of Zoë Kravitz and when the series really locks in, plus thoughts on Hulu’s mediocre interface…
  • A check-in on TBS’ Miracle Workers (30:45) and what makes it entertaining as it really gets into its new premise…
  • The latest season of Brooklyn 99 (34:50) and how it has grown (or not) over its life as a series…
  • Homework for TWO weeks from now (39:45), including: Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes, the end of The Outsider on HBO, the new show Hunters on Amazon Prime, the new comedy Gentefied on Netflix, the return of Better Call Saul on AMC, the Dwyane Wade documentary Life Unfiltered on ESPN and PBS’ Miles Davis doc Birth of the Cool…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS