The Toy Department – Episode 322

In Episode 322, Madden and Kolsky discuss the Kolsky-family-induced pivot in their recording situation before transitioning seamlessly into:

  • The new Hulu/FX show Fleishman is in Trouble (2:15) and how engaging the story and acting performances are…
  • Sylvester Stallone’s new show Tulsa King (10:20) and what a surprising delight it turned out to be…
  • The Sam Rockwell film See How They Run (18:30) and how our hosts have VERY different views of the movie, plus thoughts on the recent trend of colorblind casting…
  • The definitely not good Don’t Worry Darling (33:05) and how it fails to do justice to an extremely talented cast…
  • The latest episode of The Challenge: Ride or Dies (40:40) including the incredible performance of Jordan and the emotional display from Laurel, plus the idiocy of Jay (and Michele)…
  • Homework for TWO Friday’s from now (1:04:05), including: the Netflix documentary Stutz, the new Hulu show Welcome to Chippendales, the Netflix show Wednesday from Tim Burton, the FIFA Uncovered documentary on Netflix and OF COURSE the next TWO episodes of The Challenge: Ride or Dies…

The Toy Department – Episode 190

In Episode 190, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky are off to a late start, so waste no time getting into:

  • Kolsky’s investment in Disney+ (1:00) and how he feels about it, with plans to get Madden involved for next week…
  • The new Taika Waititi film Jojo Rabbit (5:35), how incredible the cast was and what an interesting, thoughtful movie it turned out to be…
  • The new cycle of Hasan Minhaj’s Patriot Act on Netflix (17:20) and the fundamental struggle for comedy/news programs in our bizarre and confusing times…
  • A deep dive on MTV’s The Challenge (25:55), the remarkable twists and turns of the War of the Worlds 2 season and some specific strategy points and player analysis…
  • Homework for next week (53:15), including: watching the first couple episodes of The Mandalorian on Disney+, back to the theaters for the movie Ford vs. Ferrari, the new Hulu show Dollface and the new Netflix film Earthquake Bird…

The Toy Department – Episode 162

In Episode 162, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky talk about Madden’s rough day and Minneapolis’s impending blizzard before making their way through:

  • The series finalé of FX’s You’re the Worst (3:35) and how it will go down as a personal favorite for one host and a great peak tv comedy for the other…
  • The premiere of Season 3 of IFC’s Brockmire (16:25) and its incredible hit rate of hilarity…
  • HBO’s documentary The Inventor (25:25) and the way it tells the bizarre story of Elizabeth Holmes…
  • The return of BBC America’s Killing Eve (34:55) and how excited both guys are to return to the world that Season 1 established…
  • Showtime’s The Chi (40:10) establishing itself as a well-executed premium drama as it begins its second season…
  • The first episode of FX’s Fosse/Verdon (48:35) and whether there’s more here than enthralling acting performances…
  • Some thoughts on the NBA MVP debate (54:35) between Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden and a quick preview of the playoffs (which begin this weekend)…
  • Homework for next week (1:14:45), including: GAME OF THRONES IS BACK!!! plus Billie Eilish’s new album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? and watching Schitt’s Creek and Our Planet on Netflix…

The Toy Department – Episode 145

In Episode 145, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky deliver the usual senseless patter before focusing in on:

  • Creed II (1:45), the first of two films the guys watched this week, and how while it was relatively entertaining, it failed to deliver on the promise of the first Creed movie…
  • The Front Runner (15:55) and how it was not necessarily great but is certainly very relevant to our current political landscape…
  • Netflix’s new Narcos: Mexico (25:20) and how both guys are all in after watching the first two episodes…
  • A brief detour into the market saturation of the trailer for Vice (29:45) and how excited the podcast is to cover it…
  • A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships, the new album by The 1975 (34:45) and how both guys have become real fans of this band…
  • Anderson .Paak’s new album Oxnard (39:35) and how it doesn’t quite rise to the standards of his masterwork Malibu, but it is still very good and highly enjoyable…
  • Homework for next week (46:10), including: the return(s) of Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon and Top Chef on Bravo, plus comedy on Netflix with Russell Brand’s stand-up special Rebirth and the Jeff Ross/Dave Attell collab Bumping Mics and some catch-up on Homecoming and Escape at Dannemora…

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