The Toy Department – Episode 289

In Episode 289, Madden and Kolsky have a somber philosophical rumination about dogs getting old before snapping out of it and getting into:

  • The film The Last Duel (4:25) and the difference between the hosts’ opinions on whether it’s worth watching…
  • Apple TV+’s new comedy The Afterparty (17:55) and how the deep roster of comedy talent makes for a great time…
  • The new Freeform sitcom Single Drunk Female (25:15) and how the first couple episodes really lean on the charm of the lead actress…
  • Netflix’s new Kristen Bell-led satire The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window (29:15) and whether it is caught in-between parody and satire…
  • A check-in with The Book of Boba Fett (33:50) and how the Disney+ series seems to be leveling up in its last couple of episodes…
  • Some NFL talk (43:00) as the league goes through multiple scandals at once…
  • A few quick thoughts on USMNT soccer (1:12:05) and the decision to play in freezing cold Minnesota…
  • Homework for next Friday (1:17:25), including: the new Aziz Ansari stand-up special Nightclub Comedian, Hulu’s new show Pam & Tommy, the new Netflix series Murderville and the new Reacher series on Amazon Prime…

The Toy Department – Episode 241

In Episode 241, Madden and Kolsky wish 2020 a very good riddance and discuss the odd new 2020 movie experience before jumping into:

  • The new superhero blockbuster Wonder Woman 1984 (4:30) and all the many and varied disappointments within…
  • The first film in Steve McQueen’s Small Axe collection (17:50) — called Mangrove — and what a high-quality, artful production it is despite being a very tough hang…
  • The new Netflix movie Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (28:40) and how it feels very specifically like a play but also features tremendous performances from Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis, among others…
  • Hulu’s holiday lesbian rom-com Happiest Season (38:45) and how it’s a perfectly good, if relatively standard-issue, romantic comedy…
  • Homework for of next Tuesday (43:35), including: the second of the five films in Steve McQueen’s Small Axe collection (called Lovers Rock), the new season of Cobra Kai on Netflix, the Charlie Brooker (of Black Mirror fame) mockumentary special Death to 2020 and the new film Sylvie’s Love, starring Tessa Thompson and former All-Pro cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha… and DON’T MISS our coverage of The Challenge: Double Agents on Thursday!!!

The Toy Department – Episode 37

In Episode 37, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky return without the illustrious Kate Scott to talk about:

  • The series finale of HBO’s The Night Of (2:55), and whether it lived up to the high bar set by the series in general… Followed by a little bit of general TV banter…
  • Colin Kaepernick’s national anthem protest (20:00) and the firestorm of criticism and commentary surrounding him… Veering out of the toy department, but only because the world intruded upon us…
  • The start of the college football season (46:20) and why Madden loves it and Kolsky does not…
  • The MTV Video Music Awards (54:15) and their decreasing relevance in pop culture, and MTV’s decreasing relevance in general…

By the way, if you like this podcast, TELL A FRIEND!! And if you want to subscribe via iTunes you can just click on the link below the player… Some other links down there as well… And if you want to contact the Toy Department, it’s easy — find us at ToyDepartmentPod (at) gmail.com.