Tag Archives: prestige TV

The Toy Department – Episode 133`

  By toyAdmin | September 11, 2018 - 10:49 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 133, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky open with a digression into the greatest mistakes in Oscars history before focusing in on:

  • The return of NFL football (6:50) and Derek’s non-financial-contributor philosophy for the season, plus some early returns…
  • A mid-season check-in on AMC’s Better Call Saul (16:25) which is one of the best shows going and has really ratcheted up the intensity without losing anything in the acting and writing…
  • Showtime’s new show Kidding (24:00) starring Jim Carrey and directed by Michel Gondry, and how the pilot does a good job of setting up a show with a ton of potential…
  • The return of The Deuce (31:00) on HBO, and how both guys trust it to come through despite an oddly stagnant time jump…
  • A wrap-up discussion on Season 6 of Orange is the New Black (36:30) and how truly exceptional it can be in its best moments…
  • Homework for next week (49:10), including: several new shows — Forever (starring Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen) on Amazon Prime, The First (starring Sean Penn) on Hulu; plus the return of American Vandal on 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 132

  By toyAdmin | September 4, 2018 - 10:17 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 132, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky are at it early thanks to Kolsky’s new radio schedule, covering:

  • Amazon’s new show Jack Ryan (2:15) and how terribly flat it falls for both guys…
  • The return of Netflix’s Ozark (10:15), the engaging and exciting nature of the characters and the great acting performances it creates space for…
  • The new film To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (16:35) and how Netflix has a huge hit on its hands in the delightful romantic comedy…
  • Drew Michael’s new standup special on HBO (25:30), the ways it is original and interesting, and where it fails to stand out…
  • Nearer My God (36:50), the new album from the indie rock band Foxing, and how both guys think it is one of the year’s best…
  • The return of the NFL (44:15), Derek’s decreasing interest in the league and some thoughts on how the season will turn out…
  • Homework for next week (1:10:05), including: Showtime’s new Jim Carrey/Michel Gondry collab Kidding, the return of The Deuce on HBO, a wrap-up of Orange is the New Black (Season 6) and a check-in on Better Call Saul…

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 130

  By toyAdmin | August 22, 2018 - 3:39 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 130, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky are a day late thanks to Kolsky suffering from a nasty cold, but still manage to get through:

  • Nicki Minaj’s new album Queen (4:15) and how its lack of focus and extended length take a little away from its high points…
  • Mitski’s new album Be The Cowboy (12:35) and how remarkable precision within an eclectic approach makes it a triumph…
  • USA’s show The Sinner (19:10) and whether Season 2 has sucked the guys in yet…
  • Stories from the life of Derek Madden including his new dog (27:55) and seeing a couple of old bands in concert – specifically Pearl Jam (32:10) and Smashing Pumpkins (37:00)…
  • Some quick thoughts about the Oakland A’s (43:40) and the state of baseball in general…
  • Homework for next week (47:50), including: Travis Scott’s album ASTROWORLD, an episode or two of AMC’s new show Lodge 49 and the season finalé of Sharp Objects on HBO, plus Madden is seeing Hamilton and will report back…

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 129

  By toyAdmin | August 14, 2018 - 1:51 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 129, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky return for a varied pop culture discussion covering:

  • Two returning HBO shows — Insecure (1:35) and Ballers (9:50) — and how not much has changed with either show, though that means very different things for each…
  • The new Spike Lee joint BlackkKlansman (12:15) and how it successfully creates a vibe and feeling from a different era that says a lot about today…
  • Another new film, Eighth Grade (29:10), written and directed by Bo Burnham, and how it took both Kolsky and Madden back to the turbulent times and emotions of that period in their lives…
  • The return of AMC’s Better Call Saul (42:15) and how it continues to build on its sturdy foundation, heading towards the inevitable crash before the start of the Breaking Bad timeline…
  • Madden confronts Kolsky over a golf tweet (49:00) before challenging his enjoyment of golf with a variety of alternative sporting events…
  • Homework for next week (1:06:20), including: the first few episodes in the new season of The Sinner on USA (starring Carrie Coon), plus whatever else Madden and Kolsky come up with during the week…

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 116

  By toyAdmin | May 1, 2018 - 1:21 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 116, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky ignore the small Venezuelan woman knocking on the door of Kolsky’s room and get right into:

  • Kanye West’s apparent Trump support (6:20) and whether it changes the receptiveness to his music…
  • The season 2 premiere of The Handmaid’s Tale (14:45) and whether the guys are prepared to depress themselves for another season of television…
  • The return of IFC’s Brockmire (25:55), how much fun the show is and how hopeful both guys are for the future of this season…
  • Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Crashing (33:15), an originally British show that is now available on Netflix and brings some filthy fun to the table…
  • FX’s Legion (43:05) and whether things have gotten too insane to handle for either of the hosts…
  • The second round of the NBA Playoffs (52:50) including thoughts on LeBron, the 76ers, the Celtics and the Raptors…
  • Homework for next week (1:03:15), including: Dear White People on Netflix, checking in on Westworld, Billions and Atlanta, the return of Showtime’s I’m Dying Up Here, the new Janelle Monáe album (plus the movie she released on YouTube along with it) and John Mulaney’s new Netflix stand-up special…

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 115

  By toyAdmin | April 24, 2018 - 2:23 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 115, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky explain themselves for missing last week (spoiler alert — Kolsky had surgery) before getting down to business with:

  • The return of HBO’s Westworld (2:35) and whether the show is living up to the buzz that has surrounded it over its two years of existence…
  • A discussion of whether FX’s television lineup has surpassed HBO’s (9:25) as far as show quality…
  • The new Andre the Giant documentary (15:40), produced by Ringer Films for HBO…
  • The first few episodes of Killing Eve (27:45), a new show on BBC America starring Sandra Oh and created by young British super-talent Phoebe Waller-Bridge…
  • The new album from indie psych-rock band Unknown Mortal Orchestra (36:40), called Sex and Food, and whether Kolsky has finally recommended music that Derek can enjoy…
  • A chat about Madden’s Beyoncé fatigue (42:10) and whether the cultural conversation around her is over-the-top and inappropriately devoid of any criticism…
  • A quick summary discussion about the first round of the NBA playoffs (57:20), including lots of Russell Westbrook thoughts and some boosting of the 76ers and Pelicans…
  • Homework for next week (1:11:15), including: checking out a few episodes of Crashing on Netflix (another Phoebe Waller-Bridge show), the Season 2 premiere of The Handmaid’s Tale, and the Season 2 premiere of Brockmire, plus exciting sports content with Champions League soccer and NBA Playoffs…

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 114

  By toyAdmin | April 10, 2018 - 4:11 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 114, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky open with a distressingly un-fun chat about Facebook before returning to the appropriate purview of the podcast to get into:

  • A check-in with FX’s Atlanta (7:10) to sort through Derek’s feelings about Episode 6 of the second season, Teddy Perkins…
  • The second season premiere of FX’s Legion (13:40) and whether it can keep Madden’s attention if it doesn’t lock into a more straightforward approach to plot and story…
  • The first episode of the new TBS sitcom The Last O.G. (25:45), starring Tiffany Haddish and Tracy Morgan, which both guys are hopeful about after watching the pilot…
  • The new album from Cardi B (34:15), Invasion of Privacy, and how it may represent the culture passing Derek by…
  • A quick description of Madden’s experience at Cafe Spiaggia (53:10), Top Chef Winner Joe Flamm’s restaurant in Chicago…
  • A wrap-up discussion on the Netflix documentary series Wild Wild Country (57:45), despite some technical difficulties…
  • The Al Pacino-starring HBO film Paterno (1:08:45), and the difficulties of making a movie about the short period of time that it focuses on…
  • Homework for next week (1:22:20), including: getting to the film A Quiet Place some time in the next two weeks, the Andre the Giant documentary on HBO, BBC America’s new Sandra Oh-starring series Killing Eve and the new album from the indie/psych-rock band Unknown Mortal Orchestra…

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 113

  By toyAdmin | April 3, 2018 - 4:43 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 113, Derek Madden teaches Matt Kolsky about the history of One Shining Moment before they discuss a variety of television entertainment, including:

  • Judd Apatow’s Garry Shandling documentary on HBO (5:10), The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling, which both guys found gripping and moving, and leads to some discussion of the impressive quality of recent documentaries…
  • A check-in on Kolsky’s project of catching up with Showtime’s Billions (24:35), which is going swimmingly and has him very excited about getting current with the show…
  • The new FX series Trust (35:45), which examines the Getty kidnapping story — the debut impressed both Madden and Kolsky considerably, particularly the performance of legendary actor Donald Sutherland (make sure you listen to the end of the pod for additional thoughts on Danny Boyle’s direction)…
  • The conclusion of season 2 of Amazon’s Sneaky Pete (41:20), whether the show held the level of season 1 and where it may be headed in the future…
  • The new Alex Garland film Annihilation (48:00) and how it succeeds as a sci-fi thriller without drawing too much attention to its own accomplishments in diversity…
  • Homework for next week (56:50), including: the season 2 premiere of Legion on FX, the series premiere of The Last OG (starring Tiffany Haddish and Tracy Morgan), finishing Wild Wild Country on Netflix, and the new HBO film Paterno (starring Al Pacino)…

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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