Tag Archives: Cristin Milioti

The Toy Department – Episode 309

  By toyAdmin | August 5, 2022 - 11:43 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 309, Madden and Kolsky are eager to get into their pop culture topics today, including:

  • The latest episode of The Challenge USA (1:20) and how Tyson continues to separate himself from the competition despite a questionable strategy for elimination nominations…
  • The second season of FX/Hulu’s Reservation Dogs (22:40) and how it transports the viewer right back to its totally unique and wonderful world…
  • The Peacock mystery/thriller The Resort (28:45) and how it just didn’t quite live up to our hosts’ expectations, despite a delightful cast and interesting premise…
  • The surprisingly excellent Paper Girls (34:35) and how the Amazon Prime time travel show has some wonderfully developed young characters…
  • Homework for next Friday (42:05), including: at least the first episode of Season 2 of Industry on HBO Max, the new season of All or Nothing on Amazon Prime (featuring Arsenal), the new Netflix series The Sandman (based on a Neil Gaiman comic) and Disney+’s I Am Groot, plus the next episode of The Challenge USA on CBS…
  • A brief detour into the state of Disney+ television properties (48:15), particularly Marvel and Star Wars… (and you want want to miss the out-take from our pre-show meeting)

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The Toy Department – Episode 299

  By toyAdmin | May 13, 2022 - 11:24 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 299, Madden and Kolsky open with a disturbingly detailed discussion of the horrors of vomiting (sorry about that), before moving on to less disgusting topics, including:

  • The Challenge: All-Stars 3 (3:15), how they seem to have really found the sweet spot for the “Senior Circuit,” and the prospects for what looks to be a highly entertaining and dramatic season…
  • The latest from Top Chef: Houston (26:40), or perhaps we should say Top Chef: Galveston, and how the top three chefs continue to distinguish themselves from the rest…
  • The new Showtime show I Love That For You (42:35) and how it just doesn’t feel like a fully realized television program as much as an SNL skit stretched to 30 minutes…
  • The new Paramount+ offering The Offer (46:15) and how it was a pleasant surprise as a really wonderful and entertaining show…
  • The return of Made for Love on HBO Max (51:30), which feels a lot like a slightly less essential extension of Season 1…
  • Homework for next Friday (58:30), including: more Top Chef: Houston, more of The Challenge: All-Stars 3, new music from Kendrick Lamar and The Smile, the return of Hacks on HBO Max and the end of Ozark on Netflix…

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The Toy Department – Episode 256

  By toyAdmin | April 13, 2021 - 11:00 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 256, Madden and Kolsky are feeling fresh and ready to get into:

  • This week’s episode of Top Chef in Portland (1:25), featuring a really tough and incredibly entertaining quickfire challenge, more greatness from Shota and the potential coining of the term “chefsplain”…
  • The new Netflix comedy Thunder Force (32:30) and how Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer elevate an otherwise ordinary superhero parody flick…
  • HBO Max’s new Cristin Milioti show Made for Love (39:45) and how the streaming service continues to do great work in the “this is really clever and funny and interesting” space…
  • Homework for next Tuesday (48:55), including: another episode of Top Chef in Portland, the Disney+ show Big Shot (starring John Stamos) and the new HBO show Mare Of Easttown… and DON’T MISS our coverage of The Challenge: Double Agents AND the first season of The Challenge All Stars on Thursday!!!

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The Toy Department – Episode 242

  By toyAdmin | January 5, 2021 - 11:09 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 242, Madden and Kolsky welcome in the new year with clear eyes and full hearts (and talk a teensy bit of The Challenge) before bidding 2020 adieu with discussions about:

  • The Charlie Brooker dark comedy pseudo-documentary special Death to 2020 (3:45) and the experience of laughing at the horrible events of last year, while trying not to wallow in them…
  • The third season of Netflix’s Cobra Kai (11:35) and the problems that this still-enjoyable show is going to have to work through moving forward…
  • The Steve McQueen film Lovers Rock (21:50), the second in his Small Axe series on Amazon, the director’s impressive execution and the wonderful mood created by a simple and relatively short movie…
  • The new Pixar joint Soul (29:25) and the greatness of Pixar animation in general…
  • The new love story drama Sylvie’s Love (39:35) and the impressive work of lead actors Nnamdi Asomugha and Tessa Thompson in a relatively straightforward dramatic film…
  • A few thoughts on the NFL Playoffs (51:50) with an extra special 6-game Wild Card Weekend on deck…
  • Homework for of next Tuesday (1:06:10), including: the HBO Max show How To with John Wilson, the Apple TV+ show Mythic Quest, the new TIger Woods documentary on HBO and the new Netflix film History of Swear Words (narrated by Nic Cage!!!) not to mention NFL playoffs and NBA basketball… and DON’T MISS our coverage of The Challenge: Double Agents on Thursday!!!

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The Toy Department – Episode 220

  By toyAdmin | July 16, 2020 - 11:25 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 220, Madden and Kolsky discuss the fact that one of them will be finishing a bottle of rosé (or is it rosado?) throughout the program before getting into:

  • This week’s season finale of The Challenge: Total Madness (2:30) and the anticlimax that was a one-episode, less-insanely-difficult-than-imagined final…
  • A turn to the world of movies (22:55) starting with the Charlize Theron action vehicle The Old Guard…
  • An examination of the Andy Samberg/Cristin Milioti film Palm Springs (30:40) and its unique take on a well-worn concept…
  • Eric Andre’s Netflix stand-up special Legalize Everything (43:35) and how both guys might appreciate a little more deep thinking from a talented comedian…
  • Homework for next week (50:20), including: the reunion episode of The Challenge, the new Peacock app show Brave New World, the new HBO documentary Showbiz Kids and Amy Schumer’s new HBO Max series Expecting Amy…
  • A detour into some return-of-sports discussion (53:20) with MLB set to start in a week…
  • Some more thoughts on The Challenge (1:01:05) and the upcoming reunion before saying goodbye…

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