Tag Archives: MTV

The Toy Department – Episode 464

  By toyAdmin | September 11, 2026 - 11:34 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 464, Madden and Kolsky have some tough truths to announce before they can reckon with:

  • The latest from The Challenge: Cutthroat (4:20) where the most recent episode ended with the group coming together to support a competitor with a real life situation to deal with but there has been plenty of explosive drama and silliness…
  • The new Disney+ exclusive episode of The Simpsons (32:55), entitled Yellow Mirror but not living up to its parody target in any noticeable way…
  • The Apple TV+ docu-series The Dynasty: UConn Huskies (37:35) and how one of our hosts couldn’t get past his distaste for Geno Auriemma…
  • Hulu’s excellent new show Furious (44:25) and the dynamic performances of its leading women…
  • The new movie Mother Mary (48:20) and how it’s a very specific and bizarre and surreal film but also fascinating and featuring two compelling leads…
  • A few soccer thoughts (we can only be ourselves) in the wake of an Arsenal-Chelsea game (51:25) that somehow has the loser feeling better about himself…
  • Thoughts for our FINAL EPISODE, in about a month or two (1:00:15) where we will discuss some Challenge and probably some English Football and probably some shit we watched and enjoyed and MAYBE, if you reach out, literally anything you want us to talk about… STAY TUNED!!!

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The Toy Department – Episode 463

  By toyAdmin | August 21, 2026 - 10:57 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 463, Madden and Kolsky’s summer of mess continues with a JAM PACKED episode, following an unexpected off-week (and a censored show intro) with an attempt to squeeze in conversations about:

  • Chirstopher Nolan’s The Odyssey (3:45) which both hosts enjoyed when they watched it weeks ago and have been chomping at the bit to discuss since…
  • The return of Apple TV+’s comedy gem Ted Lasso (11:50), the brilliance of the story they chose to tell and how some people need to chill out about some of its perceived feminist flaws…
  • Amazon Prime’s new buddy action-dramedy Ride or Die (21:10), a fun show driven by the enjoyability of the Hannah Waddingham/Octavia Spencer relationship at its center…
  • The continuing excellence and sometimes confounding politics of Special Ops: Lioness (23:45) and how the new season brings much more of the same…
  • The last two weeks of The Challenge: Cutthroat (34:55), where the veteran players are struggling to compete physically and some of the newer players are having off-the-field slip-ups…
  • A few thoughts on the Premier League (45:10) as the 2026-27 season begins with Derek’s Arsenal squad as the clear favorites and Kolsky’s Chelsea in hot pursuit…
  • Homework for next week (52:50), including: more of The Challenge: Cutthroat, HBO’s new DC Universe show Lanterns (written by Damon Lindelof), a very special episode of The Simpsons called Yellow Mirror (on Disney+), Apple TV+’s documentary The Dynasty: UConn Huskies, and the Anne Hathaway/Michaela Coel film Mother Mary on HBO Max (plus the Hulu show Furious, since we forgot to discuss it this week)…

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The Toy Department – Episode 462

  By toyAdmin | August 7, 2026 - 11:30 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 462, Madden and Kolsky are having a hell of a week, so it’s an ACTUAL SHORT EPISODE, focusing on:

  • The return of THE CHALLENGE: CUTTHROAT (1:35)!! That’s it, that’s all, with thoughts on the format, the new contestants and all the shenanigans that have already gone down in the first two episodes…
  • Homework for next week (31:15): which is mostly just last week’s homework, but adding the Hulu show Furious to the slate…

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The Toy Department – Episode 440

  By toyAdmin | December 5, 2025 - 12:00 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 440, Madden and Kolsky have a lot to discuss and very little time, so it’s right into:

  • The two episodes of TJ’s Final on The Challenge: Vets & New Threats (1:00), wrapping up an excellent 41st season with some high drama…
  • Netflix’s surprisingly delightful historical drama Death By Lightning (28:35) and the bizarre nature of history and legacy…
  • The second season of A Man on the Inside (34:50) which picks up right where the lovable first season left off…
  • The new Netflix thriller The Beast in Me (36:35) and how Claire Danes’ character (along with most of the others, frankly) is pretty unpleasant to be around…
  • Peacock’s missing child drama All Her Fault (40:15) and how it’s All Just Bad…
  • The Benedict Cumberbatch/Olivia Coleman rom/hate-com The Roses (45:05) and why one of our hosts liked it more than the other…
  • A few thoughts on last weekend’s Toy Department Derby (52:10) where Chelsea managed to fight to a draw despite going a man down in the first half…
  • Homework for TWO weeks from now (1:00:10) including: Noah Baumbach’s new Netflix movie Jay Kelly, the new Darren Aronofsky film Caught Stealing (also on Netflix), Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (yes, it’s on Netflix too), the HBO Music Box documentary It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley and the 50 Cent-produced docu-series Sean Combs: The Reckoning (say it with me—IT’S ON NETFLIX)…

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The Toy Department – Episode 419

  By toyAdmin | April 18, 2025 - 1:19 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 419, Madden and Kolsky are squeezing a taping into a naptime, so it’s right on into:

  • A couple of NBA Playoff thoughts (3:55) as we head into the first weekend of action…
  • The last episode of The Challenge All-Stars: Rivals (16:45), the appropriate winners and some thoughts on the season as a whole…
  • A surprising elimination on Top Chef: Destination Canada (27:00) and the stranglehold that Tristen seems to have on the competition even with the emergence of a new regular high finisher…
  • The new FX/Hulu series Dying for Sex (39:45), the tremendous lead performances and the overall quality of the network’s output…
  • Apple TV+’s latest offering Your Friends and Neighbors (43:20) and the difficulty of a generally detestable protagonist…
  • The HBO/Max sensation The Pitt (51:45) and Noah Wylie’s return to the emergency room…
  • Homework for next week (58:45), including: another episode of Top Chef: Destination Canada, a check-in on the latest season of HBO’s Hacks after four episodes, the first two episodes of Black Mirror’s most recent season and the second season of The Rehearsal…

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The Toy Department – Episode 418

  By toyAdmin | April 11, 2025 - 11:30 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 418, Madden and Kolsky return from an unscheduled absence to revisit the world of pop culture, blasting through:

  • Two episodes of Top Chef: Destination Canada (1:45), including the return of a Last Chance Kitchen champ and the emergence of a pretty clear favorite…
  • Two weeks of action on The Challenge All-Stars: Rivals (16:20), with the beginning of TJ’s Finals in the books and an unlikely pair at the top of the leaderboard…
  • A few thoughts on the recently-completed season of The White Lotus (37:15) and an apparently split reaction to the finalé…
  • The action-flick sequel Den of Thieves 2: Pantera (47:50) and the apparent attempt to build an action franchise…
  • Paramount+’s new British crime series MobLand (53:20), with a star-studded cast and a tangled web of plot…
  • The SZA/Keke Palmer movie One of Them Days (59:05), and the enjoyability of a classic buddy caper comedy…
  • Homework for next week (1:05:05), including: the (hopefully) epic conclusion of The Challenge All-Stars: Rivals, another episode of Top Chef: Destination Canada, FX/Hulu’s new series Dying for Sex, the Apple TV+ show Your Friends and Neighbors and a pod check in on new-ish show The Pitt…

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The Toy Department – Episode 417

  By toyAdmin | March 28, 2025 - 9:32 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 417, Madden and Kolsky get right down to business because Kolsky has important activities to get to (specifically a 3-year-old’s dance performance):

  • Two weeks of Canadian cooking on Top Chef: Destination Canada (1:20) including some distinctly north-of-the-border challenges and a couple of understated standouts…
  • Two weeks of action on The Challenge All-Stars: Rivals (9:15) including some legends falling and setting the scene for an imminent final…
  • The deeply mediocre Netflix/Russo Brothers film The Electric State (20:00) and what its remarkably bad critical reception says about the state of movie criticism…
  • Seth Rogen’s new Apple TV+ show The Studio (25:55) and how it’s failing to find its footing through two episodes…
  • Netflix’s deeply disturbing and ambitiously shot family drama Adolescence (31:05) and how British TV seems to have settled on a specific model (or two) for its shows…
  • Apple TV+’s crime drama Dope Thief (37:05) and the sheer magnetism of Brian Tyree Henry…
  • Homework for next week (40:35), including: new episodes of The Challenge All-Stars: Rivals & Top Chef: Destination Canada, the SZA/Keke Palmer movie One of Them Days, the Paramount+ series MobLand and the action sequel Den of Thieves 2: Pantera…

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The Toy Department – Episode 416

  By toyAdmin | March 14, 2025 - 10:40 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 416, Madden and Kolsky get into the transition from winter to spring and the many traps this season presents before shifting over to:

  • The season premiere of Top Chef (3:30) where it’s Destination Canada and they have the tuxedos to prove it…
  • The latest on The Challenge All-Stars: Rivals (24:25) where another team of heavy hitters heads home and the ladies of Era 1 seem to be in full control of the house…
  • The new documentary series Celtics City (38:40) and whether there’s a trick to watching great content about incredibly annoying stuff…
  • Hulu’s new comedy Deli Boys (46:35) and the abounding silliness therein…
  • A few thoughts on the upcoming (and uninspiring) Toy Department Derby (51:30) and our hosts’ respective Premier League teams…
  • Homework for two weeks from now (56:30), including: another two episodes of The Challenge All-Stars: Rivals, more Top Chef: Destination Canada, the new Netflix series Adolescence, the new Apple TV+ drama Dope Thief, the new Seth Rogen show The Studio and the new Netflix/Russo Brothers film The Electric State…

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The Toy Department – Episode 415

  By toyAdmin | March 7, 2025 - 10:29 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 415, Madden and Kolsky briefly recount Derek’s London experience before diving into:

  • The last two weeks of The Challenge All-Stars: Rivals (5:50) featuring plenty of drama and the elimination of a major favorite…
  • A trio of Netflix content:
    • The new basketball comedy Running Point (20:45), the Mindy-ness of it all and whether it passes muster with its basketball knowledge…
    • Olympic basketball docu-series Court of Gold (25:40) and the wonderful world of basketball’s many stars…
    • The new limited series Zero Day (30:30) and whether the content stands up to the massively talented cast…
  • Homework for next week (38:50), including: another episode of The Challenge All-Stars: Rivals, the return of Top Chef (this time in Canada), Bill Simmons’ documentary series Celtics City on Max and the new Hulu comedy series Deli Boys…

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The Toy Department – Episode 414

  By toyAdmin | February 21, 2025 - 11:19 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 414, Madden and Kolsky are pressed for time after missing last week, so it’s some quick pleasantries and right into:

  • Two weeks of action from The Challenge All-Stars: Rivals (1:15), the early leaders in the clubhouse and the unfortunate (for entertainment purposes) elimination of Ashley and Aneesa…
  • Our hosts’ thoughts on all of the SNL 50 content (22:25) from the past weekend…
  • A couple minutes on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (33:30) with Phish nominated for the first time…
  • The Oscar-nominated film The Substance (40:05) and the excellent performances at its core…
  • More spy-show fodder with Netflix’s The Recruit (50:00) and Apple TV+’s Prime Target (54:25) and how one of our hosts found a deeper enjoyment in one of them…
  • The return of White Lotus (57:25) and the excitement we all feel to have it back…
  • A reasonably unproductive discussion about the NBA All-Star fiasco (1:04:30) and the NBA MVP Award, which Derek is already furious about…
  • Homework for two weeks from now (1:18:40), including: two more episodes of The Challenge All-Stars: Rivals and a bunch of Netflix content — the new Olympic basketball doc Court of Gold, new limited series Zero Day and new comedy series Running Point…

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