Tag Archives: Mark Long

The Toy Department – Episode 306

  By toyAdmin | June 30, 2022 - 11:16 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 306, Madden and Kolsky are sneaking in a late-night Thursday recording before they each go on (very different) vacations, so it’s right into:

  • The penultimate episode of The Challenge: All-Stars 3 (1:50) and how it sets up for a very exciting finalé (despite the unforgiven transgression of the previous episode)…
  • The new Apple TV+/Maya Rudolph show Loot (19:15) and how it’s a delightful comedy with a heart that really lets its lead actress shine…
  • The 90-minute dick joke Beavis & Butthead Do the Universe (23:25) and what reason there was for making this film besides Paramount+’s thirst for “new” content…
  • The Disney film Rise (28:20) and the absolutely unbelievable and wildly inspiring story of the Antetokounmpo brothers…
  • The return of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building (35:50) and how the show remains very enjoyable, though it might not have a particularly long shelf life at its current speed…
  • Some thoughts on a turbulent week in the NBA (40:50) and potential destinations for Kevin Durant after his trade request in Brooklyn…
  • Homework for Friday, July 22 (1:01:30), including: the end of The Challenge All-Stars 3 and the beginning of the newest entry in the franchise – The Challenge USA on CBS… Have a great summer break, everybody!!

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The Toy Department – Episode 305

  By toyAdmin | June 24, 2022 - 11:06 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 305, Madden and Kolsky begin with some personal sadness before moving on to the beautiful distractions of:

  • A totally unacceptable ending to this week’s episode of The Challenge: All-Stars 3 (3:10) and all the drama that would have made it a great episode if not for that travesty…
  • The new Netflix comedy God’s Favorite Idiot (21:25) and how it charmed both of our hosts and seems like a real keeper…
  • The two spy drama/thrillers The Old Man and Slow Horses (25:35), how they are both good but The Old Man seems to stand above and apart…
  • The 30-minute restaurant drama The Bear (35:00) and how its uniqueness and attention to detail make it a tremendously interesting show…
  • A few thoughts on the NBA Draft (42:45) and the disappointing television coverage thereof…
  • Homework for next Friday (50:05), including: potentially the finalé of The Challenge: All-Stars 3, the new Disney+ film Rise about the Antetokounmpo brothers, the new movie Beavis & Butthead Do the Universe on Paramount+, the return of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building and the new Maya Rudolph show Loot on Apple TV+…

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The Toy Department – Episode 304

  By toyAdmin | June 17, 2022 - 12:09 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 304, Madden and Kolsky begin with a Toy Department pod tradition, breaking off into a sports topic for an insanely long time, as they get into:

  • The Warriors’ latest NBA Championship (1:00), wherein Derek allows Kolsky to do 30 minutes of the show he would have done today if he was still on the radio…
  • HBO Max’s new show Irma Vep (33:15) and how it isn’t exactly bad but also isn’t particularly interesting or exciting, despite the great work of Alicia Vikander…
  • The new Netflix teen/high school dramedy Metal Lords (38:55) and how much both hosts loved it…
  • The widely acclaimed film Everything Everywhere All At Once (44:00) and how our hosts had EXTREMELY different experiences watching it…
  • The latest from The Challenge: All-Stars 3 (54:10) as we start to careen towards the final, and how the players’ various strategies are panning out…
  • Homework for next Friday (1:14:45), including: more of The Challenge: All-Stars 3, Derek will actually watch (and we will discuss) the new Netflix comedy God’s Favorite Idiot, two FX shows — the spy drama The Old Man (starring Jeff Bridges) and the restaurant comedy The Bear, plus the Apple TV+ show Slow Horses…

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The Toy Department – Episode 303

  By toyAdmin | June 10, 2022 - 11:39 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 303, Madden and Kolsky are tremendously delayed by an overlong pre-show discussion and Derek tempts fate by predicting a short show, so they hop in with:

  • The latest from The Challenge: All-Stars 3 (1:55) and the tragic errors from Sylvia and the Treehouse in a week of wanton stupidity…
  • The return of Amazon Prime Video’s The Boys (21:00), its eternal commitment to upping the ante in terms of gross-out violence, and its overall success as a television show…
  • Danny Boyle’s FX series Pistol (30:05), the fascinating 70’s punk world it transports you too and the cultural impact of the Sex Pistols…
  • Norm MacDonald’s posthumous comedy special Nothing Special (38:35) and how the post-show conversation featuring a collection of comedy greats helps to contextualize and appreciate Norm’s work and life…
  • Adam Sandler’s new Netflix film Hustle (46:45) and how it’s a really good dramatic film about basketball, featuring a really wonderful cast of both actors and real hoopers…
  • Homework for next Friday (58:20), including: more of The Challenge: All-Stars 3, the new HBO Max show Irma Vep, the Michelle Yeoh-starring film Everything Everywhere All At Once (now available on various VOD platforms), the new Melissa McCarthy Netflix show God’s Favorite Idiot and the new film Metal Lords (also on Netflix)…

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The Toy Department – Episode 302

  By toyAdmin | June 3, 2022 - 11:51 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 302, Madden and Kolsky discuss a new addition to the Kolsky family before switching over to their critical pop culture concerns:

  • The newest entry in the Star Wars canon, Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi (5:30) and how it just isn’t nearly as enjoyable (or original) as our hosts had hoped…
  • The insanely un-funny Rhys Darby standup special Mystic Time Bird (13:25) and both guys’ general confusion about what exactly happened here…
  • HBO Max’s Our Flag Means Death (17:40) and how Taika Waititi has once again produced a very funny television show that essentially harnesses the silliness of a workplace comedy into a ship full of (mediocre) pirates…
  • The absolutely spectacular finale of Top Chef: Houston (20:40), the beautiful dinners prepared by the three finalists and some thoughts on what was an elite season of the long-running reality series…
  • The latest from The Challenge: All-Stars 3 (31:05) and how Beth is an absolute piece of garbage who should never be invited back, plus strategy concerns for the high-level players that remain…
  • Reaction to Game 1 of the NBA Finals (1:01:25) and what it means for the rest of a series that will hopefully be long and entertaining…
  • Homework for next Friday (1:20:30), including: more of The Challenge: All-Stars 3, the new Danny Boyle-directed FX show Pistol (about the Sex Pistols), the new season of Amazon’s The Boys, Norm Macdonald’s posthumous-release stand-up special Nothing Special on Netflix and the new Adam Sandler film Hustle (also on Netflix)…

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The Toy Department – Episode 301

  By toyAdmin | May 27, 2022 - 11:55 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 301, Madden and Kolsky are dealing with the world in their own ways and also by focusing on the toy department of life, specifically:

  • The return of the Kids in the Hall (2:25) and how their stuff is just as good and funny as it was the first time around…
  • A check-in on Better Call Saul (10:55), the guys’ reactions to the first half of the final season and expectations for the final six episodes…
  • The Hulu series Conversations with Friends (23:50) and how it is from the same vein as Lenny Abrahamson’s previous series Normal People, which is to say very deep and interesting…
  • The latest from The Challenge: All Stars 3 (35:30) after an epic elimination and an unwelcome addition to the cast…
  • The penultimate episode of Top Chef: Houston (51:00) and the incredibly high level of cookery that has characterized the last few weeks…
  • A few thoughts on the NBA (59:55) as we head towards a likely Finals matchup between the Celtics and Warriors…
  • Homework for next Friday (1:13:00), including: the finalé of Top Chef: Houston, more of The Challenge: All-Stars 3, the Rhys Darby stand-up special Mystic Time Bird on Amazon Prime, the HBO Max show Our Flag Means Death and Disney+’s new Obi-Wan Kenobi show…

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The Toy Department – Episode 300!!

  By toyAdmin | May 20, 2022 - 12:13 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 300 (!!!) Madden and Kolsky have too much to talk about for idle banter, so it’s directly into:

  • The series finale of Ozark (0:45) which has Kolsky DEEP in his feelings…
  • The return of Hacks on HBO Max (28:20) and the specific lane that it fills to great effect…
  • The new album A Light for Attracting Attention (32:05) from The Smile, the newest project from Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood (featuring a tremendous drummer named Tom Skinner)…
  • Kendrick Lamar’s new album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (36:30) and how Kendrick continues to make compelling, interesting, deep music, warts and all…
  • The latest from The Challenge: All-Stars 3 (54:15), the mystery of potential replacement players and how some competitors need to lock in or go home…
  • The last Top Chef: Houston episode before a venue change (1:10:55), and the no-good-very-bad week that ended one lovable chef’s run…
  • Homework for next Friday (1:25:05), including: more Top Chef: Houston, more of The Challenge: All-Stars 3, Amazon’s new The Kids In The Hall series, the Hulu series Conversations with Friends and a check-in on Better Call Saul after its mid-season finale…

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The Toy Department – Episode 299

  By toyAdmin | May 13, 2022 - 11:24 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 299, Madden and Kolsky open with a disturbingly detailed discussion of the horrors of vomiting (sorry about that), before moving on to less disgusting topics, including:

  • The Challenge: All-Stars 3 (3:15), how they seem to have really found the sweet spot for the “Senior Circuit,” and the prospects for what looks to be a highly entertaining and dramatic season…
  • The latest from Top Chef: Houston (26:40), or perhaps we should say Top Chef: Galveston, and how the top three chefs continue to distinguish themselves from the rest…
  • The new Showtime show I Love That For You (42:35) and how it just doesn’t feel like a fully realized television program as much as an SNL skit stretched to 30 minutes…
  • The new Paramount+ offering The Offer (46:15) and how it was a pleasant surprise as a really wonderful and entertaining show…
  • The return of Made for Love on HBO Max (51:30), which feels a lot like a slightly less essential extension of Season 1…
  • Homework for next Friday (58:30), including: more Top Chef: Houston, more of The Challenge: All-Stars 3, new music from Kendrick Lamar and The Smile, the return of Hacks on HBO Max and the end of Ozark on Netflix…

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The Toy Department – Episode 262

  By toyAdmin | June 8, 2021 - 11:31 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 262, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky plunge immediately into this week’s content, because Kolsky has a take he’s been anxious to share about:

  • The new Peacock series We Are Lady Parts (1:20) which is Kolsky’s clubhouse leader for SHOW OF THE YEAR in 2021…
  • Some thoughts on The Challenge: All Stars reunion (10:10) and what the future of the franchise may hold…
  • The latest from Top Chef: Portland (20:50) and the heavy hitters heading down the stretch of the competition…
  • Netflix’s new Zack Snyder film Army of the Dead (31:55) and just how terrible it actually is…
  • Bo Burnham’s new Netflix comedy special (41:35) and the incredibly creative and innovative style that captures the essence of our year of pandemic life…
  • A few sports thoughts (55:05), covering the NBA Playoffs, health vis a vis rest and some USMNT soccer talk…
  • Homework for next Tuesday (1:01:01), including: more Top Chef in Portland (and probably more NBA Playoffs action), the new Netflix show Startup, the new Michael B Jordan movie Without Remorse on Amazon Prime, the new HBO Max show Starstruck and the return of HBO’s Betty (a pod favorite… plus, Madden and Kolsky will break down EW’s list of the best Challenge contestants of all time…

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The Toy Department – Challenge All-Stars Finale Pt 2

  By toyAdmin | May 27, 2021 - 11:01 pm | Uncategorized
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It’s Part 2 of the Challenge All-Stars final, and they’re putting these old folks through the ringer… Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky talk about the mild upset winner, which competitors are really up to the Challenge and what the future of the franchise might look like, plus lots of other wild speculation…

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