Tag Archives: Toy Department

The Toy Department – Episode 162

  By toyAdmin | April 10, 2019 - 2:35 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 162, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky talk about Madden’s rough day and Minneapolis’s impending blizzard before making their way through:

  • The series finalé of FX’s You’re the Worst (3:35) and how it will go down as a personal favorite for one host and a great peak tv comedy for the other…
  • The premiere of Season 3 of IFC’s Brockmire (16:25) and its incredible hit rate of hilarity…
  • HBO’s documentary The Inventor (25:25) and the way it tells the bizarre story of Elizabeth Holmes…
  • The return of BBC America’s Killing Eve (34:55) and how excited both guys are to return to the world that Season 1 established…
  • Showtime’s The Chi (40:10) establishing itself as a well-executed premium drama as it begins its second season…
  • The first episode of FX’s Fosse/Verdon (48:35) and whether there’s more here than enthralling acting performances…
  • Some thoughts on the NBA MVP debate (54:35) between Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden and a quick preview of the playoffs (which begin this weekend)…
  • Homework for next week (1:14:45), including: GAME OF THRONES IS BACK!!! plus Billie Eilish’s new album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? and watching Schitt’s Creek and Our Planet on Netflix…

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The Toy Department – Episode 161

  By toyAdmin | April 3, 2019 - 11:17 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 161, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky literally make small talk about weather before getting serious on:

  • Derek’s viewing of Jordan Peele’s Us (3:25) and whether Kolsky is being a big ol’ wimp about seeing it…
  • The TV premiere of What We Do in the Shadows (17:05) on FX, and how it compares to the film it is based on…
  • The start of the seventh season of Veep on HBO (21:00) and how the show has changed over time…
  • The return of HBO’s Barry (26:25) in a somewhat pilot-y fashion, resetting the world we got to know in Season 1…
  • The end of Miracle Workers on TBS (29:05) and how it made an enjoyable little treat…
  • The end of Season 1 of Black Monday (33:55) and whether there’s enough on the bone to bring an effective satire back for a second season…
  • The end of HBO’s documentary series The Case Against Adnan Syed (38:50) and the ongoing injustices of the story we first heard through Serial…
  • Homework for next week (54:40), including: the return of several show favorites on TV — Killing Eve, Brockmire and The Chi — plus the series finale of You’re The Worst, the series premiere of Fosse/Verdon and a few movies for the back burner: The Inventor and Native Son (both on HBO) and The Highwaymen on Netflix…

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The Toy Department – Episode 160

  By toyAdmin | March 27, 2019 - 2:44 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 160, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky address a recent major life event before discussing:

  • The NCAA Tournament’s opening weekend (2:15) and what the lack of upsets means for the remainder of the event…
  • The Dirt (8:35), Netflix’s Mötley Crüe biopic, and how it moves through the life of one of rock’s wildest bands…
  • Hulu’s new comedy Shrill (27:35) and how Aidy Bryant has created a really honest and honestly hilarious show…
  • The Act (35:05), also on Hulu, the intensity of its acting performances and compelling nature of its mysteries…
  • The career of the recently retired Rob Gronkowski (40:05) and how he stacks up with the all-time greats at the tight end position…
  • Homework for next week (56:10), including: Barry and Veep on HBO, the end of Miracle Workers on TBS and the Adnan Sayed docu-series on HBO, and the premiere of What We Do in the Shadows on FX, plus Derek tries to watch US…

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The Toy Department – Episode 159

  By toyAdmin | March 20, 2019 - 12:22 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 159, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky literally talk about weather before moving into the world of pop culture to break down:

  • The upcoming NCAA Tournament (1:35) and Kolsky’s decision not to fill out a bracket…
  • The season finalé of Top Chef (9:30), with thoughts on food, contestants, judges and (of course) Padma…
  • Netflix’s new movie Triple Frontier (21:05) and whether it’s worthy of its cast…
  • The return of Showtime’s Billions (26:25) and how well it has developed a big cast of interesting characters…
  • The premiere of the final season of Catastrophe (32:00) on Amazon and whether it is still breaking new ground in season four…
  • The series finale of Pete Holmes’ HBO show Crashing (35:30) and how the guys would have liked to see more…
  • Homework for next week (43:50), including: the Mötley Crüe biopic The Dirt on Netflix, plus two Hulu shows — The Act and Shrill, and LOTS of college basketball…

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The Toy Department – Episode 158

  By toyAdmin | March 13, 2019 - 11:11 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 158, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky talk about the onslaught of peak television before focusing in on:

  • HBO’s The Case Against Adnan Syed (3:05), the frustrations of watching authorities bungle a case and a heartfelt look at a heartbreaking story…
  • Netflix’s new docu-series Losers (15:10) and how the episodes tell heartwarming tales of human triumph from the sports world…
  • Ricky Gervais’ new show After Life (24:40), also available on Netflix, which tells the story of a heartbroken and initially somewhat charmless widower finding his way back to being human…
  • The Canadian show Workin’ Moms (29:45), ALSO available on Netflix, and how it didn’t quite connect with either of the guys despite a lot of appealing aspects…
  • A check-in on FX’s You’re the Worst (35:41), a true pod favorite, in the midst of its final season…
  • Some assorted thoughts on peak tv and upcoming shows and movies (44:20) including Crashing and Deadwood on HBO…
  • Homework for next week (49:15), including: wrapping up Crashing and trying to get Derek into Deadwood, the Ben Affleck-fronted Netflix film Triple Frontier, the return of Showtime’s Billions, a new season of Catastrophe on Amazon and the season finalé of Top Chef (and perhaps watching the show Schitt’s Creek at some point in the not-too-distant future)…

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The Toy Department – Episode 157

  By toyAdmin | March 6, 2019 - 10:56 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 157, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky tempt fate with the prediction of a short show (spoiler alert — it actually came true!!) before breaking down:

  • The return of FX’s Better Things (1:25), a pod favorite, and how its brilliance appears intact after the departure of co-creator Louis C.K…
  • The Netflix film Paddleton (8:45), how it manages to be enjoyable and distinctly Duplass-y despite a persistent sadness and what it says about the movie industry’s changing status quo…
  • The HBO film O.G. (25:05), featuring a typically tour de force performance performance from Jeffrey Wright in a clinical look at incarceration…
  • Gary Clark, Jr.’s new album This Land (34:10) and how its eclectic mix of blues-tinged genre-jumping makes for a really good album that may not do much for his popularity…
  • Homework for next week (45:10), including: The Case Against Adnan Syed on HBO, Losers and Workin’ Moms on Netflix and check-ins on HBO’s The Shop and FX’s You’re the Worst…

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The Toy Department – Episode 156

  By toyAdmin | February 27, 2019 - 11:23 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 156, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky rap briefly about Kolsky’s bizarre schedule before delving into:

  • Some debriefing on Sunday’s 91st Academy Awards (1:20) including winners, losers and over-reactors…
  • The premiere of the third season of Documentary Now on IFC (30:30) and what turned out to be a hilarious take on Wild Wild Country…
  • A wrap-up discussion of HBO’s True Detective Season 3 (37:00) and why Derek really didn’t like it at all…
  • The new film Fighting With My Family (46:55) and how it was a charming, if not entirely true-to-life, look at the early life and career of WWE’s Paige…
  • The first episode of Desus & Mero in their new home on Showtime (56:35) and how both guys think it can be a huge success and will make an interesting test case for new-look late night television…
  • Homework for next week (1:01:55), including: actually seeing the new HBO film O.G, the return of Pamela Adlon’s Better Things on FX, and the Netflix movie Paddleton (plus whatever else pops up during the week)…

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The Toy Department – Episode 155

  By toyAdmin | February 20, 2019 - 9:25 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 155, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky briefly discuss their irregular recording time before spreading out over:

  • The question of Netflix programming v. Hulu programming (1:30) and what that even means…
  • Hulu’s new middle school comedy/drama PEN15 (5:10) and how it has some appeal but falls flat in comparison to other shows covering similar territory…
  • Netflix’s new sci-fi/fantasy drama The Umbrella Academy (12:40), which Kolsky talks himself even more into as he attempts to convince Derek it’s worthwhile…
  • Hugo Blick’s Black Earth Rising (20:05), also available on Netflix, and how the high level of execution on all parts does little to make it easier to watch…
  • A check-in on Top Chef (27:45) after the fried chicken and Muhammad Ali episode…
  • Some NBA chatter (42:00) as the league heads out of the All-Star Break and into the home stretch, including whether or not the league has a player empowerment problem…
  • Homework for next week (56:55), including: actually seeing Fighting With My Family in theaters, the end of True Detective’s third season, an episode of Documentary Now (allegedly mocking Wild Wild Country), the premiere of Desus and Mero on Showtime and the new HBO Film O.G…

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The Toy Department – Episode 154

  By toyAdmin | February 13, 2019 - 11:03 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 154, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky start with a quick back-and-forth about Madden’s recent weather and dog experiences before breaking down:

  • The new Netflix show Russian Doll (3:30) and the many delights of creator/lead Natasha Lyonne…
  • The new Netflix film High Flying Bird (13:50) and the many delights of director Steven Soderbergh and stars Andre Holland and Zazie Beetz…
  • The Valentine’s Day special episode of Netflix’s Big Mouth (22:45) and how the show is at the absolute peak of its powers…
  • The return of MTV’s The Challenge (29:10), its explosive first episode, plus the appeal of this season’s specific format…
  • A check-in on Top Chef (37:15) and the current front-runners, plus Kolsky is unnecessarily critical of Kentucky Sarah…
  • The premiere of Miracle Workers on TBS (49:45), its bizarre Game of Thrones-parody theme song, and how it’s not quite what the guys expected (but it certainly gave them enough to come back next week)…
  • Homework for next week (56:25), including: watching Hulu’s PEN15, trying out Umbrella Academy on Netflix, actually watching Black Earth Rising on Netflix and seeing the new film Fighting with my Family about WWE wrestler Page (plus Kolsky watches the NBA All-Star game and has fun, whether you like it or not)…

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The Toy Department – Episode 153

  By toyAdmin | January 30, 2019 - 11:25 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 153, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky begin by addressing Derek’s horrifying weather predicament, before staying calm and carrying on through:

  • The season finale of The Good Place (3:50) which satisfied one host more than the other…
  • Killer Mike’s Trigger Warning (9:25) on Netflix, and whether or not it thinks itself through properly or delivers enough punch to have real impact…
  • Lifetime’s YOU (20:55) – available on Netflix – its odd tone and addictive nature, and the prospect of a step up (or sideways?) for future seasons…
  • The delightful premiere of the final season of Comedy Central’s Broad City (27:40) and the guys’ hopes for a thrilling conclusion…
  • Comedy Central’s new show The Other Two (31:05) and whether it bears further consideration…
  • Some thoughts on the upcoming Super Bowl (37:00) and the more intriguing of available prop bets…
  • Homework for next week (57:55), including: the shows Black Earth Rising and Russian Doll, both available on Netflix, and the new albums by Sharon Van Etten (Remind Me Tomorrow), Toro y Moi (Outer Peace) and Malibu Ken (self-titled debut from Aesop Rock/Tobacco collaboration)…

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