Tag Archives: Hulu

The Toy Department – Episode 269

  By toyAdmin | July 27, 2021 - 11:28 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 269, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky start by chatting about recent Olympic events and the recent trend of athletes stepping away to prioritize their mental health, then move through:

  • Season 2 of Ted Lasso on Apple TV+ (16:20) and how the show remains tremendously charming but the release schedule is an unanticipated annoyance…
  • Another Apple TV+ original, Schmigadoon! (22:35) and whether it is a parody musical or just a mediocre musical…
  • The new documentary Woodstock ’99: Peace, Love and Rage (28:05) from the Music Box series, a very well-made doc that tells a story about the past but ties directly to our present…
  • The new season of TBS’ Miracle Workers (48:35) and how the show retains a lot of its charm but definitely has some diminishing returns…
  • Hulu’s docu-series McCartney 3, 2, 1 (54:10) and how much mileage each of our hosts get out of old men telling stories — spoiler alert, it varies…
  • Homework for next Tuesday (1:04:05), including: Tig Notaro: Drawn on HBO Max, the Behind the Music revival on Paramount+, the Iliza Schlesinger Netflix rom-com Good on Paper and Dr. Death on Peacock; plus, LOTS of sports content between the Olympics, the NBA Draft and the MLB trade deadline…

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The Toy Department – Episode 265

  By toyAdmin | June 29, 2021 - 11:16 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 265, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky briefly discuss a soccer game that will be long over by the time you listen to this podcast, then get into:

  • The latest episode of Top Chef in Portland (3:40), whether or not the non-elimination elimination was the right decision and thoughts on the final three chefs…
  • FX’s new talk show Choe Show (30:55), the bizarre brilliance of David Choe and how the show represents a kind of peak version of a modern television talk show…
  • Netflix’s docu-series This Is Pop (43:25) and its place as as sort of documentary innings-eater…
  • The special extra episode of HBO’s I’ll Be Gone in the Dark (48:45) and what purpose it was intended to serve…
  • Homework for next Tuesday (54:55), including: the FINALÉ of Top Chef in Portland, the premiere of Top Chef: Amateurs, the start of the NBA Finals, the USWNT documentary LFG on HBO Max, the new Questlove film Summer of Soul on Hulu and the new Steven Soderbergh joint No Sudden Move…

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The Toy Department – Episode 250

  By toyAdmin | March 2, 2021 - 10:45 am | Uncategorized
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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!!!

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The Toy Department – Episode 249

  By toyAdmin | February 23, 2021 - 10:56 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 249, Madden and Kolsky address Kolsky’s improving health and Madden’s old-man-moment with SNL before getting into:

  • Netflix’s new Rosamund Pike film I Care a Lot (5:10) and why, despite being generally an enjoyable watch, it just doesn’t quite work…
  • The new Hulu movie Nomadland (16:30), the community it features and the consistently incredible Frances McDormand…
  • HBO Max’s AIDS crisis miniseries It’s a Sin (31:50) and the rich tapestry of humanity painted by a tremendous show…
  • The new NBC sitcom Young Rock (39:55) and how Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson remains essentially undefeated…
  • Homework for next Tuesday (45:20), including: Netflix’s new Pelé documentary, the new Hulu film US vs. Billie Holiday, the Patrice O’Neal documentary Killin’ Is Easy on Comedy Central and the new release movie Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar… and DON’T MISS our coverage of The Challenge: Double Agents on Thursday!!!

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The Toy Department – Episode 229

  By toyAdmin | September 24, 2020 - 11:46 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 229, Madden and Kolsky are alive and employed, which means good in 2020, and ready to discuss:

  • The new season of PEN15 on Hulu (3:05) and how one of our hosts has really come around on the show…
  • The new Ryan Murphy show Ratched (10:35) and just what exactly he is doing with all of Netflix’s money…
  • Fox’s new show LA’s Finest (19:40) and how it follows a pretty successful formula to being exactly what you think it is…
  • A check-in on HBO’s Lovecraft Country (36:00) after a bottle episode starring an old veteran of The Challenge…
  • A brief NFL chat (48:50) about quick takeaways from the first two weeks of pro football…
  • Some thoughts on the NBA Playoffs (51:45) with particular focus on Tyler Herro’s tremendous performance…
  • Homework for our next show, on October 6 (1:07:35), including: the new Netflix show Sneakerheads, season four of Fargo on FX, Showtime’s new movie The Comey Rule and the new Amazon show Utopia… plus EVEN MOAR NBA Playoffs and Weeks 3 & 4 of the NFL season…

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The Toy Department – Episode 228

  By toyAdmin | September 17, 2020 - 11:53 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 228, Madden and Kolsky steel themselves to work through arguably the weirdest content week in Toy Department history, featuring:

  • The exceedingly weird Netflix film I’m Thinking of Ending Things (2:05) from the mind of Charlie Kaufman…
  • The new HBO series We Are Who We Are (25:20) and what the guys make of some weird vibes and a lack of background or explication in the first episode…
  • The new HBO mini-series The Third Day (36:25) and what exactly is happening with both the airing of the show and the content…
  • Hulu’s new Lamorne Morris-starring show Woke (46:25) and how it’s a nice place to spend some time…
  • The topsy-turvy NBA Playoffs (52:10) and what the Nuggets’ big upset of the Clippers means…
  • A few thoughts on Week One of NFL action (1:19:35), featuring the San Francisco 49ers’ somewhat surprising loss to Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals…
  • Homework for next week (1:25:55), including: the probably terrible new Fox show LA’s Finest, the new season of PEN15 on Hulu and the new Netflix/Ryan Murphy show Ratched… plus MOAR NBA Playoffs and Week 2 of the NFL season…

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The Toy Department – Episode 215

  By toyAdmin | June 4, 2020 - 11:10 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 215, Madden and Kolsky can’t avoid a short discussion of the serious issues going on in the world before jumping back into the Toy Department with:

  • This week’s episode of The Challenge (9:15) and the epic elimination between Wes and Johnny Bananas…
  • This week’s episode of Top Chef (34:20) and the fearsome foursome heading towards the final…
  • Netflix’s new Steve Carrell show Space Force (48:10) and how it fails to distinguish itself…
  • Season 2 of Ramy on Hulu (51:50) and how it hits better for one host than the other…
  • HBO Max’s Love Life (55:05) and the irrepressible charm of Anna Kendrick…
  • Homework for next week (1:02:05), including: the latest from both The Challenge and Top Chef, HBO’s I May Destroy You, the new Run the Jewels record (RTJ 4) and ESPN’s Bruce Lee documentary Be Water…

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The Toy Department – Episode 214

  By toyAdmin | May 29, 2020 - 11:52 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 214, Madden and Kolsky spend a few minutes lamenting the state of America before turning to the lighter fare of:

  • This week’s episode of Top Chef (4:05) and how things look as we head to a new country and towards the finalé…
  • This week’s episode of The Challenge (22:45) and the prospects for players still in search of their red skull…
  • Hulu’s new show The Great (44:15) and how it is a bundle of fun in the vein of The Favourite, among other things…
  • A few quick words on Patton Oswalt’s new comedy special (52:30), but it’s nothing special…
  • Far more words on Hannah Gadsby (54:40), her new special Douglas and the excitement of a talented new comedic voice…
  • Season 2 of Homecoming (1:06:05) and whether or not it even really needs to exist…
  • TNT’s Snowpiercer (1:10:20) and whether its potential is weighed down by its TNT-ishness…
  • Homework for next week (1:15:05), including: more from both Top Chef and The Challenge, HBO Max’s initial offering Love Life (with Anna Kendrick), Netflix’s new show Space Force, the return of Ramy on Hulu and ESPN’s 30 for 30 on Lance Armstrong…

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The Toy Department – Episode 212

  By toyAdmin | May 7, 2020 - 11:11 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 212, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky dive right into:

  • This week’s restaurant wars episode of Top Chef (1:40) and the unsuspenseful upset that it delivered…
  • This week’s episode of The Challenge (17:10) and the many dangers of Total Madness…
  • Two more episodes of The Last Dance (34:50) and the singular maniacal drive of Michael Jordan…
  • The return of Showtime’s Billions (52:40) and whether there’s enough growth to keep the show’s momentum going…
  • HBO’s new skater show Betty (56:15) and whether a pilot episode with no pilot can grab your interest…
  • Upload on Amazon Prime (1:00:40), where it falls short and why it remains a reasonably enjoyable watch…
  • Hulu’s new show Normal People (1:04:20) and its unique, perhaps novelistic style…
  • Homework for next week (1:08:10), including: new episodes of Top Chef & The Challenge, two more episodes of The Last Dance, finishing this season of Brockmire, the second season of Dead to Me and Jerry Seinfeld’s new stand-up special (plus HBO’s new show I Know This Much is True, which was not mentioned)…

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The Toy Department – Episode 206

  By toyAdmin | March 27, 2020 - 10:53 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 206, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky are still surviving somehow, and find time to discuss:

  • This week’s episode of Top Chef (4:20) and its great Jonathan Gold-inspired LA food tour…
  • The new Hulu movie Big Time Adolescence (19:45) and how it turned out to be strangely moving…
  • AMC’s Dispatches From Elsewhere (24:30) and how its madcap plot and general insanity don’t hinder its charm…
  • AMC’s Better Call Saul (33:05) and the near-fever pitch it has reached as it builds towards a final season…
  • The new Amazon film Blow the Man Down (39:15) and the guys’ differing views on its enjoyability…
  • The old FX show Terriers (42:50) and how it makes a great binge during our time of quarantine…
  • Homework for next week (47:15), including: another episode of Top Chef, Tiger King on Netflix, the return of Netflix’s Ozark, the new season of The Challenge, the new Pearl Jam record Gigaton and a check-in with political comedy shows Last Week Tonight and Patriot Act, which should be very interesting given where we’re at as a world…

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