The Toy Department – Episode 377

In Episode 377, Madden and Kolsky have an in-depth Kylian Mbappe discussion before pressing record, then address Kolsky’s terrible Valentine’s Day before locking in for:

  • The first episode of TJ’s Final on The Challenge: Battle for a New Champion (1:50) and the cathartic joy of seeing Jay sent home with nothing to show for his embarrassing display over the course of the season…
  • Jon Stewart’s return to The Daily Show (33:20) and whether it’s a worthy pursuit in the depressing chaos of 2024…
  • The new season of Ryan Murphy’s Feud, covering Truman Capote v. The Swans (45:35) and another chapter in the seemingly weekly serial Why Are We Doing This???
  • Apple TV+’s fashion/WWII show The New Look (53:00) and how it distinguishes itself in this current TV landscape simply by feeling like it has something worthwhile to say…
  • Some final thoughts on Super Bowl LVIII (57:45) and whether Kyle Shanahan bears the brunt of responsibility for another 49ers defeat on the biggest stage in sports…
  • Homework for next week (1:09:50), including: the (hopefully) thrilling conclusion of The Challenge: Battle for a New Champion, two Oscar-nominated films — Oppenheimer and Past Lives — and on a lighter note, the Taika Waititi film Next Goal Wins (now on Hulu)…

The Toy Department – Episode 250

In Episode 250, Madden and Kolsky briefly discuss Chris Harrison’s departure from The Bachelor franchise and the younger Kolsky’s new belly-centric hobby before moving on to:

  • Kolsky’s experience with the Patrice O’Neal documentary Killin’ Is Easy (6:30), despite Derek’s failure to find it…
  • The new Hulu movie The United States vs. Billie Holiday (9:55), Andra Day’s Golden Globes win and how a strong lead performance is not enough to save a messy film…
  • The instant cult classic comedy Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (23:55) and some of the things that make it so wonderfully enjoyable…
  • Netflix’s Pelé documentary (31:40) and the interesting picture it paints of the man who was in many ways the world’s first sports celebrity…
  • Homework for next Tuesday (43:55), including: starting watching Apple TV+’s The Morning Show for discussion in two weeks, the Eddie Murphy sequel Coming 2 America, Raya and the Last Dragon on Disney+, the Real World Reunion on Paramount+ and Netflix’s new Notorious B.I.G. documentary Biggie: I Got A Story to Tell… and DON’T MISS our coverage of The Challenge: Double Agents on Thursday!!!

The Toy Department – Episode 199

In Episode 199, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky check in on Kolsky’s radio schedule and the mood in Minnesota in the run-up to Super Bowl LIV before sprinting through:

  • The new Aaron Hernandez docu-series on Netflix (3:25) and how it leaves a little something to be desired when compared to the golden age of documentaries…
  • Comedy Central’s Awkwafina vehicle Nora From Queens (12:20) and whether it has any really redeeming qualities…
  • Tiffany Haddish’s new Netflix stand-up Black Mitzvah (17:00) and how it’s always fun to laugh with Tiffany but there’s nothing special here…
  • Guy Ritchie’s new film The Gentlemen (19:20) and how both guys had a great time at the theater…
  • Season two of Hulu’s Shrill (27:20) and how it seems to be even more enjoyable than the first season…
  • A nice, big Super Bowl LIV discussion (34:20) with both a game preview and a nice prop bet breakdown…
  • Homework for next week (1:09:30), including: the new docu-series Cheer on Netflix, McMillions on HBO, Amazon’s Troop Zero, the new season of Miracle Workers on TBS, the series finale of The Good Place and of course a Super Bowl wrap-up discussion…

The Toy Department – Episode 183

In Episode 183, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky briefly address Madden’s recent travels before flying through:

  • Good Talk with Anthony Jeselnik on Comedy Central (2:10) and how he combines a podcast-like chat show with his signature evil humor…
  • ESPN’s new 30 for 30 on Dennis Rodman (8:05) — called Dennis Rodman: For Better or Worse — and the incredible story it tells…
  • Amazon’s trippy new series Undone (22:10), the effect of the animation style and the magnetism of Rosa Salazar…
  • A check-in on MTV’s The Challenge (29:35) which is absolutely thriving right now and providing peak reality entertainment…
  • A brief detour into social media (42:05) and sports commentary…
  • Homework for TWO weeks from now, after an off-week (45:00), including: Netflix’s Sacha Baron-Cohen drama The Spy, new network TV shows Stumptown and Mixed-ish, the return of The Good Place and NOT watching Shane Gillis on SNL…

The Toy Department – Episode 86

In Episode 86, Matt Kolsky scolds Derek Madden for his persistent failure to complete homework assignments before they discuss what he DID manage to get to, including:

  • The Emmy Awards (5:55) and the state of television in general…
  • The beginning of the new season of Netflix’s Bojack Horseman (22:00) and whether it was enough to convince Kolsky to watch more…
  • The seas0n premiere of Comedy Central’s Broad City (28:20) and whether the Sliding Doors-esque design got the job done…
  • Top of the Lake: China Girl (32:00) and how it marks a significant change in tone from the first season of that show…
  • The National’s new album Sleep Well Beast (44:00) and the fundamental differences between Madden and Kolsky’s respective musical tastes…
  • Homework for next week (1:06:30) including: Madden’s make-up work (Better Things on FX and Netflix original film The Fundamentals of Caring), the new seasons of HBO’s Vice Principals and NBC’s The Good Place, the movie Patti Cake$ (if available) and the new album Wash & Set by rapper Leikeli47

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