Tag Archives: Showtime

The Toy Department – Episode 143

  By toyAdmin | November 21, 2018 - 11:05 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 143, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky debate the finer points of the many flavors of M&M’s before focusing in on:

  • The new film Widows (6:25) and a mild disagreement over its overall quality but general agreement about a lot of excellent performances…
  • The new film Green Book (21:30) and how it is effectively a perfect holiday-time, Oscar-bait movie…
  • Netflix’s new Chuck Lorre dramedy The Kominsky Method (32:55) and how it represents an impressive turn to quality for the prolific producer…
  • Showtime’s Escape At Dannemora (38:00) and how it’s tough to say too much about a show after one oddly paced episode…
  • The 13th season of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (41:20), particularly the season finalé, and where the show goes from here…
  • Homework for next week (49:15), including: the Coen Brothers/Netflix film The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, the limited series Little Drummer Girl on AMC, Trevor Noah’s new standup special (available on Netflix) and a season wrap-up discussion of The Challenge: Final Reckoning…

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 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 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 123

  By toyAdmin | June 26, 2018 - 4:43 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 123, Derek Madden tells Matt Kolsky about his bad mood and warns everyone that he’s been drinking Haterade before they get into:

  • Showtime’s The Affair (2:25), which Kolsky jumped in on at the start of Season 4, and how well the central gimmick of the show functions…
  • Marvel’s Luke Cage on Netflix (14:40) and how Derek finds it to be very one-dimensional…
  • IFC’s Brockmire (26:00) after two seasons, whether the second season upheld the promise of season one, and what might be in store moving forward…
  • A brief detour into MTV’s The Challenge (36:30) and Kolsky’s new love for the show…
  • Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s new collaborative album EVERYTHING IS LOVE (39:25) and the guys’ wildly divergent opinions on its quality…
  • The World Cup (54:30): group stage results, the fun of the event and the growth of soccer spectatorship in America…
  • Homework for next week (1:05:40), including: Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger on Freeform, the return of GLOW on Netflix, and check-ins on Succession and I’m Dying Up Here…

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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The Toy Department – Episode 117

  By toyAdmin | May 8, 2018 - 11:23 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 117, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky do a bit of housekeeping from last week’s show (figurative housekeeping, not literal) before addressing:

  • The second season of Dear White People (4:40) on Netflix, and how it manages to be a lot of fun while still speaking to relevant social issues…
  • A return to HBO’s Westworld (13:00) to discuss both Madden and Kolsky’s fading interest in it…
  • The second season premiere of Showtime’s I’m Dying Up Here (28:35) and how it succeeds in being a good hang despite some swings and misses on bigger themes…
  • A check-in on Showtime’s Billions (36:00), wherein Kolsky raves about just how wonderful a show it is…
  • Janelle Monáe’s awesome new album Dirty Computer (53:15) and the less-awesome 48-minute video released alongside it…
  • The new Childish Gambino video (1:03:30) and its powerful artistic statement about America…
  • John Mulaney’s Netflix stand-up special Kid Gorgeous (1:08:40) and his skill as a comedy writer…
  • Homework for next week (1:15:55), including: the season finalé of Atlanta, a few episodes of David Letterman’s show on Netflix and possibly a movie or two — come back next week to find out!!

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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The Toy Department – Episode 111

  By toyAdmin | March 20, 2018 - 1:59 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 111, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky are feeling healthy and fresh as they leap into:

  • The NCAA Tournament (0:50) and whether March Madness is losing its luster…
  • AMC’s new show McMafia (13:30) and all the ways it fails to impress…
  • The Lifetime show UnREAL (16:50) and its success as a prime time soap opera and satire piece…
  • The new limited series Collateral (34:20), which is available on Netflix and potentially not worth the hype it has received, though there are things to like about it…
  • The season finale of Showtime’s The Chi (40:10) and how it represents a step up in show quality for the network and stands out as a great season of television…
  • A wrap-up discussion on Netflix’s Love (46:25), which just dropped its final season, and is a truly excellent show…
  • Homework for next week (50:10), including: the upcoming Bill Heder-starring HBO show Barry, the return of Silicon Valley, some more episodes of Sneaky Pete and Atlanta, and the new Duplass-brothers-produced documentary Wild Wild Country on Netflix, with perhaps some Billions coming down the road…

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 94

  By toyAdmin | November 14, 2017 - 11:53 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 94, the distinctly non-toy department intrudes yet again, as Derek Madde and Matt Kolsky discuss:

  • The confirmation of Louis CK’s sexual assault (0:55) and whether we can or should separate art from the creator…
  • The new 30 for 30 documentary Nature Boy (32:05) about all-time professional wrestling great Ric Flair…
  • The Showtime show Shameless (43:20) which was tough for a newcomer to get into…
  • Showtime’s new comedy/drama SMILF (48:00) and whether it is standard Showtime fare or something more interesting and impressive…
  • The series finale of HBO’s Vice Principals (52:45) and how the end of the season improved upon its shaky start…
  • Homework for next week (56:45) including: The Toy Department goes to the movies!! (specifically to see the films Lady Bird and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) and Kolsky is gonna start watching Justified, finally…

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 90

  By toyAdmin | October 17, 2017 - 11:11 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 90, Matt Kolsky and Derek Madden bravely fight through a Skype failure at Madden’s Minneapolis studios to break down:

  • Kolsky’s disappointment with the critically-acclaimed Blade Runner 2049 (2:00) and the state of film criticism…
  • Madden’s experience at the Imagine Dragons show (11:40) and the merits — or lack thereof — of backloading your concert set list…
  • The season premiere of Mr. Robot (17:10) and the split feelings of the hosts…
  • HBO’s The Deuce (22:40) and why you should stick with it, even if the lack of major plot developments have you concerned…
  • Showtime’s new comedy White Famous (31:20) and where its first two episodes fail and succeed…
  • The new St. Vincent album MASSEDUCTION (40:35) and all the things that make Annie Clark a star…
  • The start of the NBA season (45:25) and how it’s going to be a great one despite the championship being somewhat of a foregone conclusion…
  • Homework for next week (1:14:10) including: Beck’s new album Colors, the new Billie Jean King/Bobby Riggs film Battle of the Sexes, and new Netflix series Mindhunters and American Vandal…

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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