Tag Archives: sports

The Toy Department – Episode 244

  By toyAdmin | January 19, 2021 - 10:54 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 244, Madden and Kolsky once again flirt with the concept of a short show before lengthy discussions about:

  • Sports!! Including some NFL postseason thoughts (1:15) and a brief chat about early-season NBA drama (4:20) after a big MLK Day of games…
  • The conclusion of HBO Max’s Tiger Woods documentary (9:00) and how fascinating the story of his rise and fall (and rise again) is…
  • The third film in Steve McQueen’s Small Axe series, called Red, White and Blue (20:15), and why it may have been the least satisfying of the movies so far…
  • The Amazon Prime film One Night in Miami (26:25) and the impressive debut directorial outing of Regina King…
  • The exciting new film Promising Young Woman (34:10) and all the things that make it so fantastic and unique…
  • Homework for next Tuesday (53:50), including: the new HBO Max film Locked Down, the next Small Axe film (called Alex Wheatle) and the new Netflix movie White Tiger; plus the NFL Conference Championship games and more NBA basketball… and DON’T MISS our coverage of The Challenge: Double Agents on Thursday!!!

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The Toy Department – Episode 223

  By toyAdmin | August 6, 2020 - 12:04 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 223, Madden and Kolsky talk a bit about the busy return of sports before switching to pop culture for discussions on:

  • A quick revisiting of HBO’s Perry Mason (4:45) to set up a longer discussion after this coming Sunday’s finale…
  • The second season of Netflix’s Umbrella Academy (11:55) and why the second season is even better than the first…
  • The Go-Go’s documentary on Showtime (19:10) and how it is a little too cookie cutter to really stand out…
  • Season Five of the Netflix docu-series Last Chance U (27:10) and the fertile storytelling ground that is Oakland’s Laney College…
  • HBO’s docu-series I’ll Be Gone in the Dark (36:20) and how it deftly covers two converging storylines…
  • Beyoncé’s new visual album Black is King (44:10) and the greatness of the Queen…
  • Homework for next week (52:30), including: the season finale of HBO’s Perry Mason, the new HBO Max film An American Pickle and the return of Hard Knocks (also on HBO), plus LOTS of sports action and maybe a touch of Shark Week…

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The Toy Department – Episode 222

  By toyAdmin | July 30, 2020 - 11:02 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 222, Madden and Kolsky start with a discussion of babies and zoos before getting into:

  • The second week of The Challenge: Total Madness Reunion (5:00) and the general let-down of this season’s end…
  • The return of HBO’s Room 104 (21:10) and just how delightful the first episode of this season was, even if it doesn’t make the show feel essential…
  • The new Amazon Prime film Radioactive (28:20) and some of the curious choices made by the filmmakers…
  • The return of sports (32:45) with MLB already underway (for now, at least), the NBA set to start and the NFL opening training camps…
  • Homework for next week (52:45), including: the new season of Umbrella Academy on Netflix, the fifth season of the Netflix docu-series Last Chance U, the new Go-Go’s documentary on Showtime, the end of HBO’s docu-series I’ll Be Gone in the Dark and revisiting HBO’s Perry Mason…
  • The new Taylor Swift record Folklore (57:15) and how it doesn’t quite resonate with either of our hosts…

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The Toy Department – Episode 221

  By toyAdmin | July 23, 2020 - 11:23 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 221, Madden and Kolsky convene for a less tipsy but possibly more tired morning recording session to discuss:

  • The first part of the Challenge: Total Madness reunion on MTV (1:20), the many twists and turns of a fascinating season and what — if anything — is left for part two…
  • The new Peacock app show Brave New World (34:10) and how it falls just short of compelling…
  • The new HBO documentary Showbiz Kids (41:00) and how it presents perhaps the first complete look at the experience of being a child star…
  • HBO Max’s new series Expecting Amy (50:45) and how wonderfully candid and open Amy Schumer is about her pregnancy and marriage…
  • A couple pieces of breaking news about sports team names (57:35) featuring Seattle hockey and Washington, D.C. football…
  • Homework for next week (1:02:35), including: the final reunion episode of The Challenge, the beginning of the MLB and NBA seasons, the Marie Curie movie Radioactive on Amazon Prime, the W Kamau Bell show on CNN — United Shades of America and the return of Room 104 on HBO…

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The Toy Department – Episode 220

  By toyAdmin | July 16, 2020 - 11:25 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 220, Madden and Kolsky discuss the fact that one of them will be finishing a bottle of rosé (or is it rosado?) throughout the program before getting into:

  • This week’s season finale of The Challenge: Total Madness (2:30) and the anticlimax that was a one-episode, less-insanely-difficult-than-imagined final…
  • A turn to the world of movies (22:55) starting with the Charlize Theron action vehicle The Old Guard…
  • An examination of the Andy Samberg/Cristin Milioti film Palm Springs (30:40) and its unique take on a well-worn concept…
  • Eric Andre’s Netflix stand-up special Legalize Everything (43:35) and how both guys might appreciate a little more deep thinking from a talented comedian…
  • Homework for next week (50:20), including: the reunion episode of The Challenge, the new Peacock app show Brave New World, the new HBO documentary Showbiz Kids and Amy Schumer’s new HBO Max series Expecting Amy…
  • A detour into some return-of-sports discussion (53:20) with MLB set to start in a week…
  • Some more thoughts on The Challenge (1:01:05) and the upcoming reunion before saying goodbye…

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The Toy Department – Episode 185

  By toyAdmin | October 9, 2019 - 10:30 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 185, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky address the many miseries of Madden’s Minnesota existence before talking through:

  • The return of Big Mouth on Netflix (5:15), which means more hilarious puberty jokes and horny hormone monsters…
  • HBO’s Diego Maradona documentary (9:10) and how it fell flatter than both hosts expected…
  • Netflix’s Between Two Ferns movie (15:05) and whether there’s enough to Zach Galifianakis’ sarcastic interview bit to last 90 minutes…
  • Ryan Murphy’s new Netflix show The Politician (22:30) and whether the Ryan Murphy of it all just becomes too much at some point…
  • Netflix’s Sacha Baron-Cohen drama The Spy (29:15) and how a great performance and some high stakes make for an enthralling viewing experience…
  • The new season of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (36:05) and how impressive its continued quality is…
  • Some thoughts on the NBA’s current debacle (38:15) involving Daryl Morey and the Chinese government…
  • Homework for next week (56:55), including: the Jesse Pinkman (of Breaking Bad) movie El Camino, an attempt to get to the theater for The Joker and the start of the fourth season of Mr. Robot…

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The Toy Department – Episode 183

  By toyAdmin | September 18, 2019 - 10:34 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 183, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky briefly address Madden’s recent travels before flying through:

  • Good Talk with Anthony Jeselnik on Comedy Central (2:10) and how he combines a podcast-like chat show with his signature evil humor…
  • ESPN’s new 30 for 30 on Dennis Rodman (8:05) — called Dennis Rodman: For Better or Worse — and the incredible story it tells…
  • Amazon’s trippy new series Undone (22:10), the effect of the animation style and the magnetism of Rosa Salazar…
  • A check-in on MTV’s The Challenge (29:35) which is absolutely thriving right now and providing peak reality entertainment…
  • A brief detour into social media (42:05) and sports commentary…
  • Homework for TWO weeks from now, after an off-week (45:00), including: Netflix’s Sacha Baron-Cohen drama The Spy, new network TV shows Stumptown and Mixed-ish, the return of The Good Place and NOT watching Shane Gillis on SNL…

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The Toy Department – Episode 181

  By toyAdmin | September 4, 2019 - 10:33 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 181, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky dive into a short list of topics including:

  • The return of MTV’s The Challenge (2:05) and the incredible prospects for high level entertainment with War of the Worlds II…
  • Netflix’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (19:40), a retelling of Jim Henson’s movie from the 80’s, and how it is really for kids…
  • The new Tool album Fear Inoculum (27:35) and how it may not win any new fans but it is definitely a strong late-period effort…
  • The now-imminent kickoff of the NFL season (36:30), the underwhelming season of Hard Knocks and how it looks at the top of the league…
  • A few thoughts on Travis Scott’s Netflix concert film/documentary Look Mom I Can Fly (53:20) and how it’s a decent look at Scott’s behind-the-scenes life…
  • Homework for next week (56:25), including: the return of The Deuce on HBO, the new film Late Night on Amazon, the new Hulu show Wu Tang: An American Saga, Good Talk with Anthony Jeselnik on Comedy Central and ESPN’s new 30 for 30 about Dennis Rodman…

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The Toy Department – Episode 179

  By toyAdmin | August 21, 2019 - 8:16 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 179, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky exchange pleasantries and childcare thoughts before shuffling through:

  • The new film Good Boys (3:15) and how producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have once again made a delightful film of a very specific type…
  • Another Rogen/Goldberg joint, Amazon’s The Boys (13:05) and how both guys feel after the conclusion of its first season…
  • The premiere of The Righteous Gemstones (26:10), another deeply Danny McBride-ish dark comedy on HBO…
  • The return of Netflix’s Mindhunter (33:45) and some of the things that make it one of the best TV shows going…
  • Homework for next week (50:10), including: the new Showtime series On Becoming a God in Central Florida, Dave Chappelle’s new stand-up special and The Let Down (an Australian dramedy) on Netflix, plus two new albums — Little Brother’s May the Lord Watch and Sleater-Kinney’s The Center Won’t Hold…

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The Toy Department – Episode 178

  By toyAdmin | August 15, 2019 - 9:50 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 178, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky discuss the weather in their respective climates before hustling through:

  • The new show BH90210 (2:55) and how interesting the idea behind it is, even for someone who didn’t watch the original 90210…
  • The return of HBO’s Succession (10:25) and how it picks up right where it left off with high-stakes billionaire family drama…
  • The end of the first season of HBO’s Euphoria (18:05) and what an incredibly unique and well-acted show it was…
  • The return of Netflix’s GLOW (27:25) and how it remains one of the most enjoyable shows to spend time with…
  • AMC’s Lodge 49’s second season premiere (34:50) and what exactly it is that Kolsky finds so charming about this show…
  • A few random thoughts on the Raiders (42:00) and Antonio Brown as Hard Knocks continues…
  • Homework for next week (46:10), including: the new movie Good Boys, the return of Netflix’s Mindhunter and the premiere of The Righteous Gemstones on HBO, plus whatever else they come up with during the week (including hopefully finishing Amazon’s The Boys)…

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