The Toy Department – Episode 386

In Episode 386, Madden and Kolsky discuss the content of and response to the Tom Brady Roast on Netflix before diving into:

  • A thrilling episode of The Challenge All-Stars 4 (9:15) and where things stand as we pass the halfway mark of the season…
  • Top Chef Wisconsin’s Restaurant Wars (29:15) and some slight format changes, focusing on the challenges of staying consistent through a full night of service…
  • The much-discussed Netflix show Baby Reindeer (47:40) and the emotional intensity it delivers…
  • John Mulaney’s limited live Netflix series (57:05) and what exactly in the name of all things holy is even going on there…
  • Elisabeth Moss’s new Hulu spy series The Veil (1:04:40) and whether it has enough about it to stand out in a crowded espionage TV landscape…
  • A check-in on the NBA Playoffs (1:08:20) and the ascension of Ant-man as Round 2 rolls along…
  • Homework for next week (1:28:15), including: another episode of Top Chef Wisconsin, more of The Challenge All-Stars 4, Apple TV+’s Dark Matter, Netflix’s new true-crime-pod-mock-umentary Bodkin and Season 3 of HBO’s Hacks…

The Toy Department – Episode 281

In Episode 281, Madden and Kolsky discuss Derek’s morning drinks and Kolsky’s morning show appearance before remembering to talk about…

  • Tom Hanks’ new Apple TV+ film Finch (3:15) which is not a bad movie but forgettable enough that Derek can’t keep the title in his head for more than seven consecutive minutes…
  • The new Netflix western film The Harder They Fall (10:20) and how it’s a highly entertaining bit of popcorn cinema…
  • The return of Netflix’s treasured Big Mouth (23:00) and spoiler alert: it’s still great!
  • Another momentum-shifting week on The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies (27:40) as the Emerald Cell finally loses a daily challenge and faces infiltration via an overdramatic elimination starring Amanda as one of the great heels in show history…
  • The Season 2 premiere of The Challenge All-Stars (46:35) and how the episode was somewhat disappointing, but there’s still a lot of hope for a good season…
  • Homework for next Thursday (59:00), including: more of The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies, AND more Challenge All-Stars, plus Yellowjackets on Showtime, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on Disney+ and Mayor of Kingstown on Paramount+…
  • A few minutes on USA Men’s Soccer (1:00:45) ahead of a critical USA v. Mexico matchup in World Cup Qualifying play…

The Toy Department – Episode 197

In Episode 197, Derek Madden struggles to remember which host is which before properly identifying Matt Kolsky and jumping into:

  • A conversation about Oscar nominees (1:40) where the Academy did well and where they’re screwing the pooch…
  • The new Netflix comedy Medical Police (22:25) and how well it executes its particular brand of stupid comedy…
  • John Mulaney’s Netflix special The Sack Lunch Bunch (26:35) and how it artfully parodies a weekend children’s special…
  • Leslie Jones’ new standup special (31:15) also on Netflix, and how she’s very funny even if this is not necessarily a standout stand-up set…
  • The film The Last Black Man in San Francisco (35:05), currently available on Amazon, and what an oddly beautiful movie it is…
  • Homework for next week (41:40), including: Avenue 5 and The Outsider on HBO, the film 1917, the new Awkwafina show Nora From Queens on Comedy Central and season two of Netflix’s Sex Education…

The Toy Department – Episode 117

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.