Bill Hader – The Toy Department

The Toy Department – Episode 341

In Episode 341, Madden and Kolsky are trying to move quickly before Derek’s voice gives out to his cold, so it’s right into:

The return of HBO’s Barry (1:40) and how it continues to deliver an utterly unique, genre-bending experience in its fourth season…
Netflix’s WWII escape drama Transatlantic (9:05) and how it’s a surprisingly fun show given the subject matter…
The gloriously ridiculous Cocaine Bear (15:00) and how one of our hosts gets more mileage out of dumb stuff than the other does…
This week on The Challenge: World Championship (21:50) where strange strategy plays and bickering partners continue to dominate the landscape…
The latest from Top Chef Season 20 (40:15) where the competition is remarkably fierce and anyone could go home at any time… but usually it’s the chef that goes too far outside their comfort zone!
A few thoughts on the NBA Playoffs (51:50) as the first round rolls along…
Homework for next week (1:05:00), including: Peacock’s new show Mrs. Davis, The Diplomat on Netflix and the David Cronenberg show Dead Ringers on Amazon prime… PLUS another week of The Challenge: World Championship on Paramount+ AND Top Chef Season 20 (World All-Stars) on Bravo…

In Episode 298, Madden and Kolsky are back after a two-week break to deliver the pop culture commentary you’ve become accustomed to, covering:

Hulu’s Jon Krakauer adaptation Under the Banner of Heaven (1:50) and how its spooky darkness does not detract from its quality…
The return of HBO Max’s Kaley Cuoco vehicle The Flight Attendant (10:35) and how it remains a lot of fun despite being somewhat ridiculous…
The start of season three of HBO’s Barry (17:05) and how original and creative the show continues to be…
HBO’s new David Simon show We Own This City (20:25) and how it is, in many ways, The Wire — The Later Years, but is also incredibly well-done…
Showtime’s new show The Man Who Fell to Earth (29:05) and how it’s pretty damn entertaining and features some BIG and very enjoyable acting performances…
The latest in Top Chef: Houston (33:40), whether the right chef was eliminated and who has distinguished themselves as favorites heading into the final few episodes…
A few preliminary thoughts on the upcoming premiere of The Challenge: All-Stars 3 (52:20) and all the excitement that awaits our hosts and all the dedicated Challenge fans out there…
Homework for next Friday (58:30), including: more Top Chef: Houston, along with THE PREMIERE of The Challenge: All-Stars 3, the new Showtime show I Love That For You, the new Paramount+ show The Offer and the return of Made for Love on HBO Max…

In Episode 161, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky literally make small talk about weather before getting serious on:

Derek’s viewing of Jordan Peele’s Us (3:25) and whether Kolsky is being a big ol’ wimp about seeing it…
The TV premiere of What We Do in the Shadows (17:05) on FX, and how it compares to the film it is based on…
The start of the seventh season of Veep on HBO (21:00) and how the show has changed over time…
The return of HBO’s Barry (26:25) in a somewhat pilot-y fashion, resetting the world we got to know in Season 1…
The end of Miracle Workers on TBS (29:05) and how it made an enjoyable little treat…
The end of Season 1 of Black Monday (33:55) and whether there’s enough on the bone to bring an effective satire back for a second season…
The end of HBO’s documentary series The Case Against Adnan Syed (38:50) and the ongoing injustices of the story we first heard through Serial…
Homework for next week (54:40), including: the return of several show favorites on TV — Killing Eve, Brockmire and The Chi — plus the series finale of You’re The Worst, the series premiere of Fosse/Verdon and a few movies for the back burner: The Inventor and Native Son (both on HBO) and The Highwaymen on Netflix…

In Episode 156, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky rap briefly about Kolsky’s bizarre schedule before delving into:

Some debriefing on Sunday’s 91st Academy Awards (1:20) including winners, losers and over-reactors…
The premiere of the third season of Documentary Now on IFC (30:30) and what turned out to be a hilarious take on Wild Wild Country…
A wrap-up discussion of HBO’s True Detective Season 3 (37:00) and why Derek really didn’t like it at all…
The new film Fighting With My Family (46:55) and how it was a charming, if not entirely true-to-life, look at the early life and career of WWE’s Paige…
The first episode of Desus & Mero in their new home on Showtime (56:35) and how both guys think it can be a huge success and will make an interesting test case for new-look late night television…
Homework for next week (1:01:55), including: actually seeing the new HBO film O.G, the return of Pamela Adlon’s Better Things on FX, and the Netflix movie Paddleton (plus whatever else pops up during the week)…