The Toy Department – Episode 324

In Episode 324, Madden and Kolsky missed each other deeply but equally deeply they long to discuss the two weeks of Challenge action on the docket so it’s straight into:

  • Two action-packed weeks of The Challenge: Ride or Dies (1:20), whether that name still fits the season and all the various strategic fallout from the game’s big twist(s)…
  • Showtime’s George & Tammy series (24:20) and how neither of our hosts much enjoy the country music but one of them definitely enjoyed this show more than the other…
  • The second season of Apple TV+’s Slow Horses (29:55) and how it remains a highly entertaining spy drama with some really excellent characters and a fantastic lead performance from Gary Oldman…
  • A few World Cup thoughts leading up to Sunday’s final (36:30), from the beauty of Messi to the messiness of Fox’s coverage…
  • Homework for next Friday (50:00), including: the next episode of The Challenge: Ride or Dies… AND NOTHING ELSE!! Because it’s going to be Best of 2022 Week!! But feel free to get started on Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio, which Derek forgot to watch this week 🙂

The Toy Department – Episode 288

In Episode 288, Madden and Kolsky have a little laugh about the sadness of missing The Challenge before getting networky with:

  • The underwhelming How I Met Your Father on Hulu (2:20) and how it’s super networky, despite being a streaming-only show, and mediocre-at-best…
  • The more enjoyable Abbott Elementary on ABC/Hulu (8:25) and where it succeeds, though mileage may vary person to person on really loving it…
  • Fox/Hulu’s Pivoting (13:15) and the irrepressible charm of its cast…
  • The new Duplass joint Somebody Somewhere on HBO (20:25) and how nice it is to have the brothers back in their sincere, heartwarming wheelhouse…
  • The beginning of the final season of Netflix’s Ozark (29:00) and how the stakes just keep getting higher on a really great TV program…
  • Some thoughts on arguably the greatest weekend of NFL playoff football ever (40:55) and where we’re headed now that it’s down to the final four…
  • Homework for next Tuesday (59:15), including: Single Drunk Female on Freeform/Hulu, the film The Last Duel (now on HBO Max), The Afterparty on Apple TV+ and Netflix’s new Kristen Bell show The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window… plus hopefully another great weekend of NFL Playoffs!!

The Toy Department – Episode 229

In Episode 229, Madden and Kolsky are alive and employed, which means good in 2020, and ready to discuss:

  • The new season of PEN15 on Hulu (3:05) and how one of our hosts has really come around on the show…
  • The new Ryan Murphy show Ratched (10:35) and just what exactly he is doing with all of Netflix’s money…
  • Fox’s new show LA’s Finest (19:40) and how it follows a pretty successful formula to being exactly what you think it is…
  • A check-in on HBO’s Lovecraft Country (36:00) after a bottle episode starring an old veteran of The Challenge…
  • A brief NFL chat (48:50) about quick takeaways from the first two weeks of pro football…
  • Some thoughts on the NBA Playoffs (51:45) with particular focus on Tyler Herro’s tremendous performance…
  • Homework for our next show, on October 6 (1:07:35), including: the new Netflix show Sneakerheads, season four of Fargo on FX, Showtime’s new movie The Comey Rule and the new Amazon show Utopia… plus EVEN MOAR NBA Playoffs and Weeks 3 & 4 of the NFL season…

The Toy Department – Episode 137

In Episode 137, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky are either one or two days late, depending on your perspective, and Madden is miserable in the Minnesota weather, but they still manage to squeeze in chats about:

  • The Jimmy Butler drama (2:55) with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and just who is at fault in this situation…
  • A wrap-up discussion on Amazon’s Forever (14:30), which sparks a significant disagreement between the two hosts…
  • A wrap-up discussion on Netflix’s Maniac (29:30), which sparks a less significant disagreement between the two hosts…
  • A sad breakdown of The Cool Kids (39:10) on Fox, and what a typically bad network sitcom looks like, despite having a star-studded, hope-inspiring cast…
  • The start of Season 2 of Netflix’s Big Mouth (47:20) and the standout star power of Maya Rudolph as the Female Hormone Monster…
  • The season finale of AMC’s Better Call Saul (56:30) and how it was the best show on television all summer, thanks in large part to the incredible performance by Rhea Seehorn…
  • Homework for next week (1:06:55), including: heading to the movie theaters to see A Star is Born and Bad Times at the El Royale, checking out a couple episodes of the new NBC drama Manifest and watching the series premiere of Camping on HBO, plus possibly a check-in on The Deuce…

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.

The Toy Department – Episode 136

In Episode 136, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky briefly banter about their inability to execute a short version of the podcast before long-winded discussions centering on:

  • The world of baseball (1:30) as the playoffs begin, which — in a bad sign for baseball — devolves into a brief discussion of the Atlanta Hawks…
  • An attempt to find new network television worth watching (16:00) which ends with the selection of one new drama and one new comedy that Kolsky and Madden will try out for at least two episodes…
  • The return of NBC’s The Good Place (30:25) and how incredible a job it does of playing to all audiences while also remaining incredibly smart and original in today’s network climate…
  • FX’s new Australian offering Mr. In-Between (37:10) which both guys find intriguing after an episode or two…
  • Lil Wayne’s new album (42:20) and how its highlights show off Wayne’s skills but aren’t enough to prop up 23 tracks…
  • The season finale of HBO’s Insecure (48:05) and the unique lack of particular excitement or cliffhangers…
  • Homework for next week (53:40), including: finishing Forever on Amazon, starting The Cool Kids on Fox, the return of Big Mouth on Netflix and the season finale of AMC’s Better Call Saul…

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.

The Toy Department – Episode 88

In Episode 88, Matt Kolsky and Derek Madden get right into it with:

  • The passing of Tom Petty (1:25) and his place in the pantheon of American rock music, leading to…
  • A breakdown of the Mount Rushmore (7:15) of American rock artists…
  • The new Fox show Ghosted (20:05) starring Adam Scott and Craig Robinson…
  • Another Fox comedy, The Mick (24:35) as it begins its second season…
  • The newest entry into the Law & Order canon – True Crime (28:55), focusing on the Menendez brothers murders…
  • The definitive debate about the all-time Law & Order fantasy cast team (39:00) – starring Lennie Briscoe, obviously, but WHO ELSE?!?!
  • Homework for next week (1:01:30) including: new albums from the bands Alvvays and Death From Above 1979, the USA v. Panama soccer game coming up on Friday, Episode 5 of Bojack Horseman and the new Netflix cartoon Big Mouth (from the mind of Nick Kroll) and revisiting The Deuce on HBO…
  • A few words on the NFL’s continued blackball of Colin Kaepernick (1:07:00)…

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.