The Toy Department – Episode 73

In Episode 73, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky overcome a late night for Kolsky and a bit of a hangover for Derek to give you insightful breakdowns of:

  • Kolsky’s experience at the Roger Waters concert (1:15)…
  • The NBA Finals so far (11:00) and what it means for the future of the NBA…
  • The series finale of The Leftovers (26:20) and where it ranks in the pantheon of Peak TV shows…
  • The newest DC Comics Universe film Wonder Woman (40:10) and whether Derek was enable to enjoy it despite his superhero fatigue…
  • Madden’s enjoyment of the Tom Petty concert (52:25) and the joy of classic bands playing their hits, plus the wildly underrated Joe Walsh…
  • This week’s episode of AMC’s Better Call Saul (1:01:00) with a special focus on the stellar acting performances of Bob Odenkirk and Michael McKean…
  • Homework for next week, or possibly two weeks from now (1:09:25): including FX’s Fargo, a last-chance effort to get Derek to enjoy a superhero movie with Logan, and the upcoming new season of Orange is the New Black (to prepare for future special guest Julie Lake, aka OITNB’s Angie Rice)…

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

The Toy Department – Episode 70

In Episode 70, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky ride some emotional twists and turns through:

  • A brief discussion of the passing of legendary rock singer Chris Cornell… RIP.
  • A brief digression into The Pretty Reckless, also known as the rock outfit fronted by former actress Taylor Momsen…
  • Netflix’s Master of None, and Aziz Ansari’s creative excellence in making the show…
  • AMC’s Better Call Saul, the increased intensity and excitement, and the changing moral dynamic…
  • The new Hulu drama The Handmaid’s Tale, whether the guys will watch it and how Kolsky is a relative stranger to the work of Elisabeth Moss…
  • The NBA Playoffs, the general lack of excitement throughout the postseason so far and the controversy over Zaza Pachulia’s foul on Kawhi Leonard…
  • Next week’s homework – a couple of films in Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol 2 and Colossal… also the Sundance show Top of the Lake and potentially the Amazon show I Love Dick…

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

The Toy Department – Episode 46

In Episode 46, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky address the decision to skip last week’s pod and the impact of election results (sorry for the non-Toy Department detour) before getting back to business regarding:

  • This week’s episode of Saturday Night Live, hosted by Dave Chappelle (10:20), which addressed the election, among other things…
  • Some thoughts on AMC’s Walking Dead and HBO’s Westworld (23:00), and how they are piling up on both guys’ DVRs…
  • HBO’s 30-minute comedy/drama Insecure (27:05) and how Kolsky is completely in love with it… which leads to some discussion of easy-to-watch television in tough emotional times… and an aside about Bar Rescue, the Toy Department’s favorite reality show…
  • The cancellation of Bill Simmons’ show Any Given Wednesday (42:35)… The guys discuss Simmons’ brief feud with Chris Collinsworth… and also get into what worked and what didn’t about the show (50:55), and how Simmons’ endeavors look moving forward…
  • This week’s homework – the 3rd new episode of Black Mirror, entitled Shut Up and Dance (1:01:25)… The guys have pretty differing stances on this particular episode…
  • A quick look ahead to next week’s Black Mirror episode (1:11:05) – San Junipero is arguably the most uplifting and happy-feeling episode of the show yet, and will be discussed in depth next week…

By the way, if you like this podcast, TELL A FRIEND!! And if you want to subscribe via iTunes you can just click on the link below the player… Some other links down there as well… And if you want to contact the Toy Department, it’s easy — find us at ToyDepartmentPod (at) gmail.com.