Tag Archives: Golden State Warriors

The Toy Department – Episode 170

  By toyAdmin | June 12, 2019 - 2:42 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 170, Derek Madden travels and Matt Kolsky braves a heat wave with no noisy fan so they can discuss:

  • The conclusion of Season 4 of Showtime’s Billions (3:10), a wrap discussion and some thoughts on where we are heading…
  • The start of Season 2 of HBO’s Big Little Lies (13:05), with thoughts on the tremendous Meryl Streep and the direction of the plot…
  • Netflix’s new season of Black Mirror (18:30), whether the show retains its ability to shock and some more excellent acting performances…
  • Some NBA Finals thoughts (39:00) after the crushing blow of Kevin Durant’s achilles injury…
  • Homework for next week (58:10), including: the conclusion of the NBA Finals, actually catching up with AMC’s new supernatural series NOS4A2, starting Euphoria on HBO and City on a Hill on Showtime, and checking out When They See Us on Netflix…

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The Toy Department – Episode 168

  By toyAdmin | May 29, 2019 - 11:37 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 168, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky briefly discuss Madden’s tummy-ache before soldiering through and into:

  • The season finale of The Challenge (2:15) and why this is the absolute peak of reality TV entertainment…
  • The second season of Spike Lee’s Netflix show She’s Gotta Have It (15:45) and the undeniable charm of the film-making and lead actress…
  • The action thrill-ride of John Wick 3 (25:30) and how Derek probably should have just skipped it…
  • Derek’s experience watching Netflix’s horror-thriller The Perfection (46:45) and Kolsky’s decision to spend his time elsewhere…
  • The second season of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag on Amazon (49:40) and how nobody is better at being Phoebe Waller-Bridge than Phoebe Waller-Bridge…
  • The new reports detailing the rampant dysfunction in the LA Lakers organization (54:10) and just where the blame for the mess lies, plus some thoughts on Kevin Durant and people’s odd refusal to listen to what he actually says…
  • Homework for next week (1:16:30), including: wrapping up Season 2 of Killing Eve, heading to the theater to see Rocketman, the premiere of Good Omens on Amazon, the new Netflix show How To Sell Drugs Online Fast, the Netflix rom-com Always Be My Maybe, HBO’s new Deadwood movie and the NBA Finals…

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The Toy Department – Episode 166

  By toyAdmin | May 8, 2019 - 12:48 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 166, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky discuss the advantages of listening to podcasts at 1.5x speed before honing in on:

  • The third-to-last episode of Game of Thrones (4:40) and how its many critics are our surest sign of social decay…
  • The Netflix film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (32:05) and how its treatment of the Ted Bundy story makes for an odd and ultimately unsuccessful ride…
  • The new Netflix show Dead to Me (37:55) and how the charm of its lead actresses and some pitch perfect camp make it an extremely enjoyable experience…
  • A check-in on three show favorites: Billions on Showtime (42:05), Barry on HBO (49:00), and AMC/BBC America’s Killing Eve (55:05)…
  • A few thoughts on the NBA Playoffs (59:00), specifically the Warriors-Rockets series…
  • Homework for next week (1:03:50), including: HBO’s Chernobyl, the return of Sneaky Pete on Amazon, the return of Easy on Netflix, another episode of Game of Thrones and LOTS MORE NBA playoff action…

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The Toy Department – Episode 165

  By toyAdmin | May 1, 2019 - 11:36 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 165, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky waste little time with pleasantries (or unpleasantries) before covering:

  • Yet another return to Westeros (0:55), this time for the Battle of Winterfell, which delivered on the expectations of both hosts, leaving them perplexed at some of the negative response…
  • The Netflix film Someone Great (38:40) and how it is every bit as charming and enjoyable as the performance of lead actress Gina Rodriguez…
  • The new Lizzo album Cuz I Love You (51:25) and the promising future of a young pop artist…
  • The Baron Vaugh/Open Mike Eagle show The New Negroes (56:25) and how both guys were a little surprised by the format…
  • The sketch comedy disaster I Think You Should Leave (58:10) and Kolsky’s view that Tim Robinson represents the decay of society…
  • NBA Playoff talk (1:01:15) with special focus on the Warriors-Rockets battle in the Western Conference second round…
  • Homework for next week (1:14:30), including: the new HBO show Chernobyl, the Netflix movie Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile — starring Zac Efron as Ted Bundy, check-ins on pod favorites like Barry, Billions and Killing Eve, another episode of Game of Thrones and EVEN MORE NBA playoff action…

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The Toy Department – Episode 163

  By toyAdmin | April 18, 2019 - 12:06 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 163, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky go through the nitty gritty of Kolsky’s new job as an in-home nurse before navigating through:

  • The return of Game of Thrones (8:50) and why one of our hosts liked the long-awaited season premiere more than the other…
  • The apparent binge sensation Schitt’s Creek (19:35) and whether it’s worthy of the recommendations the guys had been given…
  • Netflix’s Our Planet (23:50) and the joy of watching wildlife shot from incredible angles in brilliant high definition…
  • The debut full-length from young pop prospect Billie Eilish (35:20) and how she continues to show the makings of a star…
  • The start of the NBA Playoffs (423:05), with special focus on the Warriors’ massive collapse in Game 2 against the Clippers…
  • Homework for next week (54:45), including: more NBA Playoffs, the new Netflix show Huge in France, The New Negroes with Baron Vaugh and Open Mike Eagle on BET/Comedy Central, the Netflix anthology Love, Death and Robots, and Hanna on Amazon Prime…

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The Toy Department – Episode 142

  By toyAdmin | November 14, 2018 - 12:22 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 142, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky briefly discuss sick days and nap time and puppies before jumping into:

  • A little check-in on the NBA (2:30) covering the recent spat between Warriors’ stars Kevin Durant and Draymond Green, plus some discussion of the Wolves’ Jimmy Butler trade…
  • Amazon’s new series Homecoming (12:40), with focus on director Sam Esmail and a very impressive cast…
  • John Leguizamo’s Netflix special Latin History for Morons (20:00), and how it hit Madden and Kolsky differently…
  • Season 2 of Room 104 (27:30), HBO’s Duplass-produced anthology series, and whether it has anything to offer…
  • Vince Staples’ new album FM! (34:10), and how it is a success as an ode to radio, though it may not have many bangers…
  • Homework for next week (40:15), including: seeing the new movies Widows and Green Book (for real this time), Netflix’s The Kominsky Method, and the new Showtime series Escape at Dannemora (with an all-star cast directed by Ben Stiller)…

By the way, if you like this podcast, TELL A FRIEND!! And if you want to subscribe via iTunes/Stitcher/Google Play/etc. you can just click on the link below the player (and don’t forget to leave us a review!!)… And if you want to contact the Toy Department, it’s easy — find us at ToyDepartmentPod (at) gmail.com… or tweet us: @MaddenOnAir & @thekolsky.

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The Toy Department – Episode 124

  By toyAdmin | July 3, 2018 - 12:10 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 124, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky talk a little Fourth of July before they dive into:

  • The wild weekend of NBA free agency (4:50) including LeBron James going to the Lakers and Boogie Cousins heading to the Golden State Warriors…
  • The 2018 FIFA World Cup (19:45) and just how delightful it has been through most of the Round of 16…
  • A quick discussion of Drake’s new album Scorpion (28:15) and how the Canadian pop artist continues to disappoint…
  • The new season of GLOW (32:45), how wonderful the show is and how great a job it does of honoring the diversity and complicated nature of humanity…
  • A check-in on I’m Dying Up Here (41:05) and a chat about how it has really climbed up the TV rankings for both Madden and Kolsky…
  • A check-in on Succession (49:25) and how it presents a world of miserable, terrible people that somehow both guys still want to watch…
  • Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger (53:50) and how it differs from most superhero fare and whether Derek liked it enough to continue watching through the first season…
  • Homework for next week (1:01:40), including: HBO’s new Amy Adams-starring series Sharp Objects, more World Cup and NBA offseason discussion and some subset of films currently in theaters (like Ant Man & The Wasp, Jurassic World 2, The Incredibles 2, Sicario 2 and Tag)…

By the way, if you like this podcast, TELL A FRIEND!! And if you want to subscribe via iTunes/Stitcher/Google Play/etc. you can just click on the link below the player (and don’t forget to leave us a review!!)… And if you want to contact the Toy Department, it’s easy — find us at ToyDepartmentPod (at) gmail.com… or tweet us: @MaddenOnAir & @thekolsky.

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The Toy Department – Episode 121

  By toyAdmin | June 12, 2018 - 2:18 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 121, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky whine about their jobs briefly before discussing more interesting fodder, including:

  • The conclusion of the NBA Finals (3:25) including thoughts on LeBron’s hand injury and a look ahead to the offseason and beyond…
  • The new film Ocean’s 8 (16:40) and why it falls flatter than the guys hoped and expected…
  • Season 2 of Netflix’s Dear White People (26:45) and just how excited and hopeful both guys are for a potential Season 3…
  • The Season 3 finalé of Billions (31:20) and how it has risen to the top of current television options…
  • A quick return to Dear White People (41:00) to highlight the exceptional Episode 9 of the second season…
  • The new 4-episode documentary Evil Genius (44:20) and how it stands up in Netflix’s wave of documentaries…
  • Homework for next week (52:10), including: finally getting around to Lost in Space on Netflix, and Kolsky getting into MTV’s The Challenge…

By the way, if you like this podcast, TELL A FRIEND!! And if you want to subscribe via iTunes/Stitcher/Google Play/etc. you can just click on the link below the player (and don’t forget to leave us a review!!)… And if you want to contact the Toy Department, it’s easy — find us at ToyDepartmentPod (at) gmail.com… or tweet us: @MaddenOnAir & @thekolsky.

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The Toy Department – Episode 120

  By toyAdmin | June 5, 2018 - 2:35 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 120, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky return after a week off to break down:

  • A few thoughts on Kanye West’s new album (3:20) and whether it’s really worth getting into…
  • Some closing thoughts on Killing Eve’s first season (11:30) and where the show might be headed for its second season…
  • Madden goes iso to talk about the series finalé of The Americans (21:15) and pleads for people to watch it…
  • Some final thoughts on the FX series Trust (34:45) and how it was an excellent single-season television effort that seemed to achieve all its goals…
  • HBO’s new series Succession (42:15) and whether a very pilot-y first episode did the job of getting the guys excited for the full run…
  • A few quick thoughts on I’m Dying Up Here (49:30) and how it’s a fun show hitting its stride…
  • An NBA Finals discussion (51:50) covering how long the series will last and the greatness of LeBron James…
  • A brief World Cup preview (59:40) as we head towards a tournament without the USMNT…
  • Homework for next week (1:07:05), including: the Netflix documentary Evil Genius, a wrap-up conversation for Dear White People (also on Netflix) and maybe even a chat about Lost In Space (once again – Netflix)…

By the way, if you like this podcast, TELL A FRIEND!! And if you want to subscribe via iTunes/Stitcher/Google Play/etc. you can just click on the link below the player (and don’t forget to leave us a review!!)… And if you want to contact the Toy Department, it’s easy — find us at ToyDepartmentPod (at) gmail.com… or tweet us: @MaddenOnAir & @thekolsky.

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The Toy Department – Episode 119

  By toyAdmin | May 21, 2018 - 4:06 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 119, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky actually managed a semi-shortened episode, despite the topic list growing far beyond its original purview to include:

  • Some on-air pre-production (0:55) re: next week’s plans for a Killing Eve pop-in…
  • A brief discussion about the best shows on TV right now (2:30) and just how good Showtime’s Billions is…
  • Kolsky’s new Cheers habit (8:50) and what a delightful tv comfort food that show makes…
  • The news that Barack and Michelle Obama have partnered with Netflix (16:05) on a new production company that will make a variety of different things…
  • The final mini-season of New Girl (22:10) and whether it was worth having…
  • Ali Wong’s new comedy special on Netflix (29:30) and the apparent lack of growth in her comedy since her first special…
  • Homework for next week (35:05), which will be an even SHORTER episode: just the Season 1 wrap-up for Killing Eve and a topic list for the following week…
  • Some quick NBA thoughts (36:05) at the midway point of the conference finals…

By the way, if you like this podcast, TELL A FRIEND!! And if you want to subscribe via iTunes/Stitcher/Google Play/etc. you can just click on the link below the player (and don’t forget to leave us a review!!)… And if you want to contact the Toy Department, it’s easy — find us at ToyDepartmentPod (at) gmail.com… or tweet us: @MaddenOnAir & @thekolsky.

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