Tag Archives: Indiana Pacers

The Toy Department – Episode 424

  By toyAdmin | June 13, 2025 - 11:32 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 424, Madden and Kolsky are aiming for a short show, so it’s more or less right into:

  • A predictable but nevertheless emotional finalé for Top Chef: Destination Canada (1:30) and the remarkable run of Tristen Epps…
  • The Bong Joon Ho film Mickey 17 (15:35) and how it just never totally comes together or manages to live up to a very appealing trailer…
  • Amazon Prime’s new thriller The Better Sister (23:05) and streamers’ new obsession with the family-drama-murder-thriller niche…
  • A couple quick NBA thoughts on the way out (31:10) as the Pacers-Thunder Finals has been thrilling and surprising…
  • Homework for next week (38:45), including: the Amazon Prime film Deep Cover, the Netflix series Tires in its second season and the documentary Becoming Led Zeppelin (also on Netflix)…

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The Toy Department – Episode 423

  By toyAdmin | June 6, 2025 - 10:54 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 423, Madden and Kolsky make haste with pleasantries and hustle their way through:

  • The penultimate episode of Top Chef: Destination Canada (2:25) where one of Kolsky’s beloved Chicago chefs headed home from Milan…
  • The HBO Max film Mountainhead (7:25) and the Succession team’s take on the tech bro-pocalypse…
  • Hulu’s new 20-somethings-in-the-city sitcom Adults (16:35) and whether our hosts are too old to reasonably evaluate it…
  • Apple TV+’s frivolous new show Stick (23:35) and the ever-confounding question of what Apple TV+ is doing as a studio…
  • A few thoughts on the NBA Finals (29:40) after a remarkable Game 1 upset by Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers…
  • Homework for next week (40:20), including: the final finalé of Top Chef: Destination Canada, the Bong Joon Ho film Mickey 17 on HBO Max, a discussion on Sinners now that Derek can see it at home, and the thriller series The Better Sister on Amazon Prime…

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The Toy Department – Episode 422

  By toyAdmin | May 30, 2025 - 12:35 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 422, Madden and Kolsky have a quick Chelsea FC digression before they dive on in to:

  • A semifinal to remember on Top Chef: Destination Canada (4:05) and how the scenery and cookery combined with emotional moments for a tremendous episode of television…
  • The new Max show Duster (17:50) and how it makes you wonder why we haven’t seen more of Josh Holloway…
  • The disappointing new Guy Ritchie movie Fountain of Youth (22:50) and how it could have come to exist…
  • The enjoyable and well-executed Black Bag (28:40) and how Steven Soderbergh is always good for 90 minutes of quality…
  • Apple TV+’s new comedy Murderbot (33:40) and Alexander Skarsgård’s hilarious turn as an android with a television addiction…
  • Two more really good episodes of Black Mirror (36:35) featuring a tour de force from Paul Giamatti and a satisfying sequel to USS Callister…
  • Homework for next week (49:55), including: the finalé of Top Chef: Destination Canada, the new HBO Max film Mountainhead, the new Apple TV+ show Stick and Hulu’s new 20-something sitcom Adults…

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The Toy Department – Episode 388

  By toyAdmin | May 23, 2024 - 4:19 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 388, Madden and Kolsky discuss Derek’s busy schedule before locking right into:

  • The latest from The Challenge: All-Stars 4 (2:45) where Killa Queen Kam is making moves and dominating political gameplay (not to mention a bouncy elimination challenge) as the show heads into the home stretch…
  • This week’s Savannah roller coaster on Top Chef Wisconsin (24:00) plus the dominance of Danny and what to expect from the second Last Chance Kitchen winner…
  • The utterly bizarre (and possibly sneaky Christian?) The Book of Clarence (39:50) and what exactly the cast and crew set out to do when they started this film…
  • The feels-inducing delight of Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza (47:30) and the incredible musical legacy of Perry Farrell…
  • A quick chat about the end of the Premier League season (1:07:10) and Chelsea FC’s Commitment to ChaosTM…
  • Some thoughts on the NBA Playoffs (1:13:30) with the conference finals in progress…
  • Homework for next week (1:23:10), including: new episodes of Top Chef Wisconsin and The Challenge All-Stars 4, the now-rentable The Fall Guy and The Big Cigar on Apple TV+…

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The Toy Department – Episode 386

  By toyAdmin | May 9, 2024 - 11:08 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 386, Madden and Kolsky discuss the content of and response to the Tom Brady Roast on Netflix before diving into:

  • A thrilling episode of The Challenge All-Stars 4 (9:15) and where things stand as we pass the halfway mark of the season…
  • Top Chef Wisconsin’s Restaurant Wars (29:15) and some slight format changes, focusing on the challenges of staying consistent through a full night of service…
  • The much-discussed Netflix show Baby Reindeer (47:40) and the emotional intensity it delivers…
  • John Mulaney’s limited live Netflix series (57:05) and what exactly in the name of all things holy is even going on there…
  • Elisabeth Moss’s new Hulu spy series The Veil (1:04:40) and whether it has enough about it to stand out in a crowded espionage TV landscape…
  • A check-in on the NBA Playoffs (1:08:20) and the ascension of Ant-man as Round 2 rolls along…
  • Homework for next week (1:28:15), including: another episode of Top Chef Wisconsin, more of The Challenge All-Stars 4, Apple TV+’s Dark Matter, Netflix’s new true-crime-pod-mock-umentary Bodkin and Season 3 of HBO’s Hacks…

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