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The Toy Department – Episode 340

  By toyAdmin | April 14, 2023 - 3:34 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 340, Madden and Kolsky talk a little grilled cheese before locking in on:

  • This week’s monumental episode of Succession (2:50) and all the little pieces of brilliance that went into it…
  • Hulu’s NYT J Dilla documentary (13:55) which is reasonably interesting and relatively informative but feels like it leaves a lot on the table…
  • HBO’s Music Box documentary about Jason Isbell (23:45) and how it paints a really complete emotional picture of a pretty interesting man and musician…
  • Hulu’s Tiny Beautiful Things (30:35), the magnetism of Kathryn Hahn and how the series brings together a multi-generational story of moms and daughters…
  • Netflix’s Beef (34:40) and the intensity of watching people attempt to express their ultimately impotent rage…
  • This week’s episode of The Challenge: World Championship (39:35) and a significant elimination…
  • An apparently easily-judged episode of Top Chef (58:05) and the incredibly high level of talent remaining on this season…
  • A few thoughts on the NBA (1:10:15) as we head into the playoff season…
  • Homework for next week (1:24:45), including: the return of Barry on HBO, Netflix’s new World War II show Transatlantic and Cocaine Bear (now available on Peacock)… PLUS another week of The Challenge: World Championship on Paramount+ AND Top Chef Season 20 (World All-Stars) on Bravo…

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The Toy Department – Episode 339

  By toyAdmin | April 7, 2023 - 2:51 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 339, Madden and Kolsky revisit Derek’s mom’s letter to Matt (which you may remember being mentioned a couple weeks ago) before getting to the business of the day:

  • The latest from Top Chef Season 20 (9:25) and how a home cooking challenge put some of the top restaurant chefs on the bottom…
  • This week’s action on The Challenge: World Championship (24:45) and the critical strategy mistakes made by strategy master Wes…
  • Hulu’s delightful new sitcom Unprisoned (46:10) and the positive effects of a powerhouse cast…
  • The new Amazon Prime drama The Power (54:40) and whether this is a superpower show that Derek can stomach…
  • Apple TV+’s new film Tetris (58:55) and the incredible story behind the making of one of the most popular games of all time…
  • The return of FXX’s Dave (1:04:20) and how it seems to be peaking, in part because the show is understanding itself better than ever…
  • Homework for next week (1:11:40), including: Netflix’s new series Beef, Hulu’s new series Tiny Beautiful Things and two music documentaries – Music Box’s Jason Isbel doc on HBO Max and the Hulu/New York Times doc on J Dilla… PLUS another week of The Challenge: World Championship on Paramount+ AND Top Chef Season 20 (World All-Stars) on Bravo…

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The Toy Department – Episode 338

  By toyAdmin | March 31, 2023 - 11:42 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 338, Madden and Kolsky complain about the Kolsky children’s germs and the Minneapolis weather before locking in on:

  • This week in The Challenge: World Championship (4:25) and how this season’s penchant for cliffhangers is bothering both of our hosts, despite an episode that was otherwise very entertaining…
  • The latest from Bravo’s Top Chef Season 20 (33:25), the relatively light touch of Tottenham propaganda and the tournament-style challenge that sent a very good chef to Last Chance Kitchen…
  • The return of HBO’s Succession for its final season (51:20), the fact that it is absolutely firing on all cylinders and a couple thoughts on a potential spin-off…
  • The return of Showtime’s Yellowjackets for its second season (1:03:25) and how much faith each of our hosts have in the show’s ability to stay at a high level…
  • Apple TV+’s new charming comedy The Big Door Prize (1:09:55) and how the streamer seem to consistently produce pretty good stuff…
  • A few thoughts on the totality of the first season of Shrinking (1:13:40), how well Bill Lawrence and Jason Segel seem to fit as the creators of this show and Harrison Ford’s tremendous work (especially for an 80-year-old)…
  • Paramount+’s new spy thriller Rabbit Hole (1:22:10) and how Kiefer Sutherland is right in his wheelhouse in the midst of mysterious espionage…
  • Homework for next week (1:27:15), including: Apple TV+’s new movie Tetris, the return of Dave on FXX/Hulu, Amazon Prime Video’s new show The Power and Hulu’s new sitcom Unprisoned… PLUS another week of The Challenge: World Championship on Paramount+ AND Top Chef Season 20 (World All-Stars) on Bravo…

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The Toy Department – Episode 337

  By toyAdmin | March 24, 2023 - 3:12 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 337, Madden and Kolsky recognize the longevity of American Dad and engage in a quick detour about British tv-watching habits before locking into today’s primary subjects:

  • Donald Glover’s new Amazon Prime Video horror show Swarm (6:30) and just how bizarre the first couple/few episodes are…
  • The new AMC/Bob Odenkirk show Lucky Hank (18:30) and how it seems to be a sort of meditation on middle age and mediocrity that happens to take place at a middling university, which both our hosts are on board for…
  • Disney+’s teen flick Chang Can Dunk (22:20) and how it’s a near-flawless execution of a high school basketball dramedy…
  • This week’s episode of The Challenge: World Championship (27:40) and the remarkable talent level of the remaining teams…
  • The latest from Top Chef Season 20 (48:15) and how even pub food turns into a beautiful thing in the hands of a remarkable group of chefs…
  • Homework for next week (1:03:45), including: the return of Succession on HBO & Yellowjackets on Showtime, the new Paramount+ spy thriller Rabbit Hole and Apple TV+’s The Big Door Prize… PLUS another week of The Challenge: World Championship on Paramount+ AND Top Chef Season 20 (World All-Stars) on Bravo…
  • A few thoughts on Major League Baseball (1:06:05) and the rule changes heading into the start of the 2023 regular season…

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The Toy Department – Episode 336

  By toyAdmin | March 17, 2023 - 3:11 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 336, Madden and Kolsky chat about Kolsky’s crowded house before distracting him with:

  • A few thoughts on the Oscars (1:50) and what was a largely satisfying — if unremarkable — experience…
  • The return of Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso (8:40), the heel turn of Nate the Great and what is in store for the final season…
  • A wrap-up of the first season of HBO’s The Last of Us (16:20) and what an excellent season of television it turned out to be…
  • Netflix’s Luther film (26:30) and how it is essentially just a longer episode of Luther, which is perfectly good!
  • The second week of Top Chef Season 20 (World All-Stars) on Bravo (30:55), the rise of May and the fall of Dawn…
  • A rather lackluster episode of The Challenge: World Championship (51:15) and the impending (and insane) Wrath of KellyAnne…
  • Homework for next week (1:07:15), including: Amazon Prime Video’s new Donald Glover comedy/drama/thriller/horror show Swarm, Bob Odenkirk’s new AMC show Lucky Hank and the Disney movie Chang Can Dunk… PLUS another week of The Challenge: World Championship on Paramount+ AND Top Chef Season 20 (World All-Stars) on Bravo…

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The Toy Department – Episode 335

  By toyAdmin | March 10, 2023 - 11:01 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 335, Madden and Kolsky address Kolsky’s complaint about Bravo’s programming schedule deception and Derek’s potential relationship with Padma before launching into:

  • The debut episode of Top Chef Season 20 (5:25), the old favorites who have returned as All-Stars and the exciting crop of international chefs who have joined the proceedings…
  • The premiere of Paramount+’s The Challenge: World Championship (31:50), a very impressive field of contestants (other than the Argentine contingent) and how the partnerships shaped up after the first night of episodes…
  • The Oscar-nominated film Women Talking (55:40) and how a great cast and heavy premise don’t quite get to the point of making a particularly interesting or exceptional viewing experience…
  • The surprisingly enjoyable and well-executed Daisy Jones and the Six on Amazon Prime Video (1:04:35) and how sometimes just doing an established thing at a really high level is enough to be a really good show…
  • Mel Brooks’ History of the World, Part II (1:07:40) and how it’s a lot like Part 1 — which is to say incredibly stupid and pretty damn funny, though one of our hosts enjoyed it more than the other…
  • Homework for next week (1:11:15), including: the end of the first season of HBO’s The Last of Us, the premiere of the final season of Apple’s Ted Lasso and the Luther movie on Netflix… PLUS another week of The Challenge: World Championship on Paramount+ AND Top Chef Season 20 (World All-Stars) on Bravo…

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The Toy Department: Episode 313

  By toyAdmin | September 16, 2022 - 3:07 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 313, Madden and Kolsky briefly discuss their varying vaccination adventures before pushing viruses aside to share views on:

  • The conclusion of The Challenge USA on CBS/Paramount+ (2:20), how the baffling finish to the final struck our hosts and where are they at on the Challenge Universe’s expansion plans… plus a little tease for the new season of the flagship (21:55) which is right around the corner…
  • The brilliantly entertaining Bad Sisters (25:40) and how Apple TV+ continues to produce quality content, whether folks are watching it or not…
  • Peacock’s new movie Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul (29:50) and how it comes up short of both expectations and the talent of its leading actors…
  • Showtime’s new series American Gigolo (34:45), the pure unbridled sexiness of Jon Bernthal and whether the guys believe in this series after just one episode…
  • Homework for next Friday (39:30), including: the return of Atlanta on FX for its final season, Hulu’s new comedy Reboot, Patton Oswalt’s new stand-up special We All Scream and the new Star Wars series Andor on Disney+…

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The Toy Department – Episode 312

  By toyAdmin | September 9, 2022 - 11:59 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 312, Madden and Kolsky have just a little slander for the recently departed Queen of England before locking into pop culture to go through:

  • The intrigue and excitement from several weeks of The Challenge: USA (5:35), some of the questionable strategic decision-making and the show’s place and role in the larger Challenge universe…
  • The new HBO fantasy epic House of The Dragon (35:40) and how it has engaged our hosts despite a somewhat narrow purview through the first three episodes…
  • Amazon’s big fantasy swing with The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (42:55) and how it hits a solid double for Kolsky but strikes out hard for Madden…
  • The delightful documentary series Welcome to Wrexham (49:55) and how it’s much more than just a show about a downtrodden football club (aka soccer team)…
  • Hulu’s new drama The Patient (59:20) and how the lead actors are thriving and the show is throwing cliffhangers at you…
  • Homework for next Friday (1:04:25), including: Madden’s audible into Bad Sisters on Apple TV+, the new Peacock movie Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul, and Showtime’s new American Gigolo series, plus the conclusion of The Challenge USA on CBS/Paramount+…

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The Toy Department – Episode 311

  By toyAdmin | August 19, 2022 - 2:41 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 311, Madden and Kolsky have an uncomfortably specific discussion about the Kolsky family’s recent bout with hand-foot-mouth disease before shaking it off and diving into:

  • A few thoughts on the ending of AMC’s Better Call Saul (6:55) and what a truly spectacular show it turned out to be…
  • Apple TV+’s new offering Black Bird (13:55) and how Paul Walter Hauser is a uniquely dynamic performer, particularly in the sort of creepy role he inhabits here…
  • Netflix’s forgettable film offering The Man from Toronto (20:45) and just what exactly is going on with the remarkable quality of bland content on that service…
  • Amazon’s new League of Their Own show (24:05) and how it’s watchable and not bad, but just doesn’t quite come together how one might hope…
  • This week’s episode of The Challenge USA on CBS (29:00) and how Leo deserves some flowers (and also maybe some sympathy for his failing businesses?) plus thoughts on the latest twist in the game…
  • Homework for TWO Fridays from now (41:50), including: HBO’s new Game of Thrones show House of the Dragon, Amazon’s new Lord of the Rings show The Rings of Power, and Netflix’s Manti Te’o doc Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist, plus the more of The Challenge USA on CBS…

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The Toy Department – Episode 310

  By toyAdmin | August 12, 2022 - 3:52 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 310, Madden and Kolsky refuse to waste time before diving into this week’s pop culture smorgasbord:

  • The latest episode of The Challenge USA (1:25) and whether these CBS competitors are using the wrong strategy, plus the Fear of Tyson that seems to be pervasive in the house…
  • The latest Disney+ Marvel release, I Am Groot (32:00) and how it’s relatively insubstantial but largely enjoyable, plus a discussion of Vin Diesel’s voice-over workflow…
  • The second season of HBO’s Industry (37:40) and what makes it so interesting to Derek while Kolsky can’t get into it…
  • The newest season of All or Nothing, focusing on the Arsenal football club (46:20) and how entertaining a watch it is, thanks in large part to the wild insanity of Arsenal’s last season, which Madden experienced live as a die-hard fan…
  • The new Netflix fantasy series The Sandman (57:25) and how it’s really quite good and incredibly entertaining and watchable…
  • Homework for next Friday (1:08:00), including: Amazon Prime Video’s adaptation of A League of Their Own, the Netflix film The Man from Toronto and the limited series Black Bird on Apple TV+, plus the next episode of The Challenge USA on CBS…

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