Tag Archives: Apple TV+

The Toy Department – Episode 362

  By toyAdmin | October 20, 2023 - 8:29 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 362, Madden and Kolsky lament the sickness passing through the Kolsky household (and the overall joys of parenthood) before diving in on:

  • TJ’s Final on The Challenge: USA Season 2 (2:40) and a wrap-up discussion on a truly excellent Challenge season that featured arguably the greatest rookie season in the franchise’s history…
  • Netflix’s new thriller Fair Play (48:40), about which our hosts have rather disparate opinions…
  • The unremarkable and in fact largely unpleasant return of Frasier (1:01:40) and how it’s essentially and empty suit of a throwback sitcom…
  • The Brie Larson vehicle Lessons in Chemistry on Apple TV+ (1:07:25) and how it’s relatively hollow and predictable despite reasonably good acting and directing…
  • Homework for next week’s THURSDAY episode (1:18:25), including: the start of the new season of the flagship Challenge — Battle for a New Champion, and actually getting to The Fall of the House of Usher…

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The Toy Department – Episode 359

  By toyAdmin | September 29, 2023 - 10:58 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 358, Madden and Kolsky celebrate a (relatively) problem-free recording environment before getting right into:

  • Kolsky’s misadventures with the National (1:25) and the development of an understanding of why he struggles so much to listen to them…
  • The high school comedy Bottoms (7:05) and why one of our hosts HATED it and the other really quite enjoyed it…
  • The underwhelming film Cassandro (21:45) and how both hosts were left feeling unsatisfied and wishing they knew more about the movie’s subject…
  • The crown jewel of this week’s culture, Apple TV+’s British rom-com Still Up (27:25) and the undeniable charm of the relationship at its center…
  • Another week of action from The Challenge USA: Season 2 (32:00) which continues to deliver excellent daily and elimination challenges and has no shortage of drama as we careen towards the TJ’s Final…
  • Homework for next week (58:35), including: another episode of The Challenge: USA Season 2, the new show Gen V (a spinoff of The Boys) on Amazon Prime Video, the Paramount+/Showtime movie Heist 88 and the Wes Anderson-directed Roald Dahl adaptation The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar on Netflix…

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The Toy Department – Episode 357

  By toyAdmin | September 15, 2023 - 10:11 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 357, Madden and Kolsky briefly address their literal physical proximity before diving right into the culture with:

  • The return of Apple TV+’s expensive and totally insane The Morning Show (2:50) and how, ridiculously, it somehow manages to be wildly enjoyable without really having any recommendable qualities…
  • The second season of Welcome to Wrexham (10:35) and how great documentary film-making and a real heart at the center continue to make it one of the best watches on TV, whether you know the results of the soccer games or not…
  • Apple TV+’s new show The Changeling (18:40) and how it turns out to be significantly darker than our hosts may have expected…
  • The most recent episode of The Challenge: USA Season 2 (25:25) and how Survivor finally got theirs, plus the total domination of the Challenge vets…
  • A look ahead to the coming season of the flagship Challenge (52:40) and the newly-released list of participants…
  • Homework for next week (57:35), including: another episode of The Challenge: USA Season 2, the return of Netflix’s Sex Education, British heist series The Gold on Paramount+, the new movie A Million Miles Away on Amazon Prime Video and Mitski’s new album The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We…

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The Toy Department – Episode 350

  By toyAdmin | June 30, 2023 - 12:57 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 350, Madden and Kolsky discuss the moving process for Kolsky’s family and the generally unsettled nature of his life before zeroing in on:

  • Whether or not it’s worth slowing yourself down (3:50) and savoring the shows you love, even if they are available all at once…
  • Season 2 of Hulu’s The Bear (6:40) and how absolutely excellent it is, thanks to the incredible narrative tension and wonderful acting throughout…
  • The return of Black Mirror on Netflix (14:00) and how it’s not quite the Black Mirror you might remember, but remains quite effective…
  • Boots Riley’s new Amazon Prime show I’m A Virgo (23:15) and how it is pretty direct and even heavy-handed with some of its thematic messaging, but also fantastical and enjoyable and really very funny…
  • Idris Elba’s plane thriller Hijack on Apple TV+ (31:30) and the delight of high-quality popcorn programming…
  • The television industry’s need for better decision-making on which shows to make binge-able (35:20) and how our hosts are available to fill that need if necessary…
  • Homework for TWO weeks from now (40:20), including: finishing Black Mirror on Netflix and also The Bear on Hulu, the new Marvel show Secret Invasion on Disney+, the return of The Afterparty on Apple TV+ and the new Netflix film The Out-Laws…

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The Toy Department – Episode 349

  By toyAdmin | June 16, 2023 - 2:34 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 348, Madden and Kolsky get into the difficulties of the moving process — especially for weird old semi-hoarders — before locking into the pop culture of the week:

  • The second episode of HBO’s Idol (6:50) and how at least one of our hosts is done with it, and neither think it’s working very well at all, largely due to the presence and mediocrity of Abel Tesfaye (aka The Weeknd)…
  • The British drama Somewhere Boy (16:40) and how it creates some extra curiosity with its storytelling style, but still may not have enough to keep the guys interested…
  • Apple TV+’s new Tom Holland show The Crowded Room (19:20) and how it uses similar style of storytelling but to better effect…
  • The new Eva Longoria-directed film Flamin’ Hot (27:15) and how it tells an inspiring story in a fun way…
  • Peacock’s new show Based on a True Story (34:05) and the appeal of its lead actors — Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina…
  • A few thoughts on the NBA Champion Denver Nuggets (44:45) and their incredibly charming superstar Nikola Jokic…
  • Homework for TWO weeks from now (52:50), including: the return of Black Mirror on Netflix, the return of The Bear on Hulu, Boots Riley’s new show I’m A Virgo and Idris Elba’s Hijack on Apple TV+…

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The Toy Department – Episode 347

  By toyAdmin | June 4, 2023 - 3:09 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 347, Madden and Kolsky are working on a Sunday, JUST FOR YOU, chatting about:

  • The first Paris episode of Top Chef: World All-Stars (1:35) and what a wonderful episode of the series it was, plus the guys give their thoughts on Padma’s impending departure from the show…
  • The series finalé of Succession (25:45) and how rare it is for a show to be so consistently great throughout its entire run…
  • The Apple TV+ comedy Platonic (40:25) and the delightful chemistry between Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne…
  • Another Apple TV+ comedy — High Desert (43:20) and the powerhouse performance of Patricia Arquette…
  • The HBO/Max movie Reality (47:50) and how it left both of our hosts with more questions than answers; both about its subject Reality Winner and the choices of the filmmakers…
  • Homework for next week (57:50), including: the new HBO series The Idol, The American Gladiator Documentary on ESPN+, and the surfing docu-series 100-Foot Wave on Max… PLUS the finalé of Top Chef Season 20 (World All-Stars) on Bravo… and some NBA Finals talk as well!

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The Toy Department – Episode 344

  By toyAdmin | May 12, 2023 - 3:15 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 344, Madden and Kolsky somehow compare Derek to LeBron James before getting back to reality and into:

  • The latest from The Challenge: World Championships (2:20) and how Sarah and Danny’s nutty gameplay somehow worked out for them as we have reached TJ’s Final…
  • This week on Top Chef: World All-Stars (26:15) and an absolutely stacked field heading into the final few weeks…
  • The new FX/Hulu show Class of ’09 (39:00) which features more questions than answers over its first couple of episodes…
  • Apple TV+’s new series Silo (43:55) and how it feels awfully and uncomfortably incomplete in its storytelling…
  • A few thoughts on the continuing drama of the NBA Playoffs (50:45) and some Nikola Jokic appreciation…
  • Homework for next week (1:12:05), including: Pete Davidson’s new Peacock show Bupkis, the new Amazon Freevee show Jury Duty and the Tupac docu-series Dear Mama on Hulu… PLUS the FINAL of The Challenge: World Championship on Paramount+ AND another week of Top Chef Season 20 (World All-Stars) on Bravo…

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The Toy Department – Episode 339

  By toyAdmin | April 7, 2023 - 2:51 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 339, Madden and Kolsky revisit Derek’s mom’s letter to Matt (which you may remember being mentioned a couple weeks ago) before getting to the business of the day:

  • The latest from Top Chef Season 20 (9:25) and how a home cooking challenge put some of the top restaurant chefs on the bottom…
  • This week’s action on The Challenge: World Championship (24:45) and the critical strategy mistakes made by strategy master Wes…
  • Hulu’s delightful new sitcom Unprisoned (46:10) and the positive effects of a powerhouse cast…
  • The new Amazon Prime drama The Power (54:40) and whether this is a superpower show that Derek can stomach…
  • Apple TV+’s new film Tetris (58:55) and the incredible story behind the making of one of the most popular games of all time…
  • The return of FXX’s Dave (1:04:20) and how it seems to be peaking, in part because the show is understanding itself better than ever…
  • Homework for next week (1:11:40), including: Netflix’s new series Beef, Hulu’s new series Tiny Beautiful Things and two music documentaries – Music Box’s Jason Isbel doc on HBO Max and the Hulu/New York Times doc on J Dilla… PLUS another week of The Challenge: World Championship on Paramount+ AND Top Chef Season 20 (World All-Stars) on Bravo…

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The Toy Department – Episode 338

  By toyAdmin | March 31, 2023 - 11:42 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 338, Madden and Kolsky complain about the Kolsky children’s germs and the Minneapolis weather before locking in on:

  • This week in The Challenge: World Championship (4:25) and how this season’s penchant for cliffhangers is bothering both of our hosts, despite an episode that was otherwise very entertaining…
  • The latest from Bravo’s Top Chef Season 20 (33:25), the relatively light touch of Tottenham propaganda and the tournament-style challenge that sent a very good chef to Last Chance Kitchen…
  • The return of HBO’s Succession for its final season (51:20), the fact that it is absolutely firing on all cylinders and a couple thoughts on a potential spin-off…
  • The return of Showtime’s Yellowjackets for its second season (1:03:25) and how much faith each of our hosts have in the show’s ability to stay at a high level…
  • Apple TV+’s new charming comedy The Big Door Prize (1:09:55) and how the streamer seem to consistently produce pretty good stuff…
  • A few thoughts on the totality of the first season of Shrinking (1:13:40), how well Bill Lawrence and Jason Segel seem to fit as the creators of this show and Harrison Ford’s tremendous work (especially for an 80-year-old)…
  • Paramount+’s new spy thriller Rabbit Hole (1:22:10) and how Kiefer Sutherland is right in his wheelhouse in the midst of mysterious espionage…
  • Homework for next week (1:27:15), including: Apple TV+’s new movie Tetris, the return of Dave on FXX/Hulu, Amazon Prime Video’s new show The Power and Hulu’s new sitcom Unprisoned… PLUS another week of The Challenge: World Championship on Paramount+ AND Top Chef Season 20 (World All-Stars) on Bravo…

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The Toy Department – Episode 336

  By toyAdmin | March 17, 2023 - 3:11 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 336, Madden and Kolsky chat about Kolsky’s crowded house before distracting him with:

  • A few thoughts on the Oscars (1:50) and what was a largely satisfying — if unremarkable — experience…
  • The return of Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso (8:40), the heel turn of Nate the Great and what is in store for the final season…
  • A wrap-up of the first season of HBO’s The Last of Us (16:20) and what an excellent season of television it turned out to be…
  • Netflix’s Luther film (26:30) and how it is essentially just a longer episode of Luther, which is perfectly good!
  • The second week of Top Chef Season 20 (World All-Stars) on Bravo (30:55), the rise of May and the fall of Dawn…
  • A rather lackluster episode of The Challenge: World Championship (51:15) and the impending (and insane) Wrath of KellyAnne…
  • Homework for next week (1:07:15), including: Amazon Prime Video’s new Donald Glover comedy/drama/thriller/horror show Swarm, Bob Odenkirk’s new AMC show Lucky Hank and the Disney movie Chang Can Dunk… PLUS another week of The Challenge: World Championship on Paramount+ AND Top Chef Season 20 (World All-Stars) on Bravo…

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