Appointment Television

Remember those little interviews they would air after every episode of Game of Thrones? And how they were always kind of bad? And how most HBO shows also do them and they’re almost always kind of bad? We talk about those. We also chat about the mockumentary format by way of FX’s What We Do In The Shadows, a show that is (thankfully) funny enough to outshine a threadbare format.   SHOW NOTES: What We Do In The Shadows: https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/what-we-do-in-the-shadows

 The Beets (from the cartoon Doug): https://doug.fandom.com/wiki/The_Beets

We decided to talk a little about the shows most viewers do actually watch, that get decidedly less attention than many of the buzziest, prestige-iest series. We talk about some specific examples, including Blue Bloods, Grey's Anatomy, and The Goldbergs, but we also try to think a little about how these shows work, what the appeal is, and what we lose out on by just sort of forgetting they're always out there.  Also, Margaret watches a show called Jonathan Creek for Kozy Mystery Korner, and we laugh quite a bit at his sweet sweet 90s boy hair. 

This week we chat about a report correlating TV viewing habits (and viewers' feelings about specific shows) with their political views. Then we talk about how we, as a society, just can't quit our reruns of sitcom rerun standbys like The Office and Friends. SHOW NOTES: Get your politics into my TV: http://www.mediaimpactproject.org/uploads/5/1/2/7/5127770/pcc-report_0422_pdf.pdf People can't stop watching these old-ass shows: https://www.adweek.com/tv-video/the-office-friends-and-greys-anatomy-were-netflixs-most-streamed-shows-last-year/ But there's something about The Office (US): https://www.adweek.com/tv-video/why-the-office-now-one-of-netflixs-biggest-hits-still-resonates-with-audiences/

It's time to check in with a bunch of new and upcoming series for the summer, a segment that includes discussion of such things as: Good Omens, The Society, Big Little Lies S2, Veronica Mars, and The Boys. It's also a very special edition of a Patreon Forcening, featuring an episode someone asked *MARGARET* to watch. The world turned upside down. 

This week, we revisit TV's biggest news about its biggest show, which is of course the show Bones. Then, we chat about Netflix's show Special, which is worth watching in concept despite its uneven execution.   Bones update update: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/stunning-bones-decision-fox-aims-wipe-128m-punitive-damages-1203988?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter   The Bones lawsuit, explained: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/bones-lawsuit-how-a-hit-885459   Hulu’s Ramy: https://www.hulu.com/series/ramy-4bcb6c3a-3d9a-4d49-b8e0-57fb7de9c8d6   Netflix’s Special: https://www.netflix.com/title/80987458   Where Netflix let Special down: https://www.tvguide.com/news/netflix-special-review/ ​

First we talk a bit about Barry and Fleabag, two shows which we thought did not need second seasons. It turns out we were wrong! But then, we jump on the bandwagon for an actually timely episode about this week's Game of Thrones battle, so that Andrew can give us a nice little technology corner about why exactly no one could see any of Game of Thrones. Turns out it's... compression! Also, your bad TV lights. Also did you ever calibrate your TV? 

This week, Kathryn finally settles her longrunning feud with wildlife expert-slash-goofball idiot Bear Grylls. Then, we gather around the watercooler to discuss the latest character to die on the final season of Game Of Thrones: the concept of watercooler television!! Of course, what is dead may never die. SHOW NOTES: You vs. Wild: https://www.netflix.com/title/80227574 Is Game of Thrones the last watercooler show? https://www.vulture.com/2019/04/game-of-thrones-the-last-show-we-watch-together.html Is watercooler TV just dead, then??? https://www.theocelot.co.uk/is-there-still-room-for-watercooler-tv-in-the-netflix-era/

Our first task this week is to help a patron in need of some recommendations for happy, slow-burning rom-com TV. At the beginning of the segment Kathryn laments how few options there are to provide this; several minutes later, many options are provided. The main course of this episode, though, is an in depth conversation about Hulu's recent series Shrill, the Aidy Bryant-led adaptation of Lindy West's memoir. Margaret. Has. Feelings. 

This week Andrew watches the first episode of Netflix’s Kantaro: The Sweet Tooth Salaryman, a deeply weird Japanese show about a dude who gets horny for traditional Japanese sweets. Then we get serious and talk about the ongoing situation between the WGA and Hollywood agents, agents who may or may not be profiting too much off of the efforts of writers. SHOW NOTES:

Kantaro: The Sweet Tooth Salaryman: https://www.netflix.com/title/80175348 The WGA’s fight with Hollywood Agencies, Explained: https://www.vulture.com/2019/03/wga-hollywood-agents-packaging-explained.html How Hollywood Writers Feel About Leaving Their Agents: https://www.vulture.com/2019/04/wga-writers-on-leaving-their-agents-8-weigh-in.html

Margaret updates us on some new offerings in the Cozy Mystery category, including a review of the new spin-off of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and a brand-new Acorn series about mystery writers who, naturally, solve mysteries. Then, we attempt to break down what is going on with the new Apple TV streaming service, including such important questions as: what does it cost? When will it be available? What will be on it? Will it be any good? (Spoiler: We have answers to almost none of those questions.) 

This week we hit all the HOT news about the long-canceled TV show Bones, and then we wrap up our TV Book Club about the first season of HBO's Deadwood (a show that we will, in all probability, revisit).  SHOW NOTES:  Bones! https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/fox-rocked-by-179-million-bones-ruling-lying-cheating-reprehensible-studio-fraud-1190346 Deadwood! https://www.hbo.com/deadwood

There is also a second segment to this episode, in which Andrew, Margaret and Kathryn all pitch imaginary TV shows about good journalism, and as per usual Margaret has an eerie number of truly fantastic TV ideas. But the main event here is that a patron forced Andrew to watch a truly awful TV show called Do No Harm aka Dr Facehands, and it was magnificent. 

It's all Deadwood again this week, as we continue our latest TV Book Club. And stay tuned til the end of the show for a Very Special Announcement. SHOW NOTES: Deadwood: https://www.hbo.com/deadwood Kathryn Loves Deadwood And Has Thought Pretty Hard About It: https://twitter.com/kvanaren/status/1097342752524767234 Malcolm In The Middle for some reason?: https://www.hulu.com/series/malcolm-in-the-middle-ca1ac46e-9883-4125-a6e8-97efce9a2bf5?dl=false

Is a picture of Natasha Lyonne holding a raw chicken the best way to sell you on watching Russian Doll? Netflix thought that's what would get Kathryn! We discuss the way Netflix personalizes its menus in order to hack your brain, and how creepy it is when brands act like people. Then we turn to a bigger discussion of Russian Doll, and how much we love it, and how it bears a resemblance to several other recent shows. 

This week it's all-Deadwood all the time. The show really starts coming into its own in these episodes, murdering its best-known historical figure and building out characters and just cussing until there are no more cusses to cuss. SHOW NOTES: Watch Deadwood dangit!! https://www.hbo.com/deadwood

Andrew and Margaret return to the skeptical and often controversial Kathrynth Circuit Court for a TV versus TV debate: what duo has the most TV chemistry? Kathryn makes a decision sure to infuriate truly everyone; please know that your hate mail will be received calmly and disregarded quickly.  They then turn to a discussion of how chemistry works on TV, who has it and who does not. Many things are agreed upon, except for Kathryn's ruling. 

In this week’s episode we SAY that we’re going to keep Kathryn from simply reciting every episode of Deadwood in its entirety, but we don’t do a very good job. Kathryn also makes some more recommendations for loyal listeners. SHOW NOTES CBS’s new… Frankenstein show???? https://ew.com/tv/2019/01/31/cbs-frankenstein-pilot/ Durrells in Corfu: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/shows/the-durrells-in-corfu/ Schitt’s Creek: https://www.netflix.com/title/80036165 Younger: https://www.paramountnetwork.com/shows/younger Acorn TV: https://acorn.tv/ Catastrope: https://www.amazon.com/Catastrophe-Season-1/dp/B00X8UKOUK Deadwood: https://www.hbo.com/deadwood Seth Bullock, Real Boy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth_Bullock Sol Star, Real Boy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sol_Star Al Swearengen, Real Boy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Swearengen

We chat about some recommendations for friendly life-affirming reality shows, courtesy of our patron Kirk. But then we turn to an even *more* life-affirming reality show - something called Forged in Fire: Knife or Death. Everyone giggles an almost unbearable amount. (On the podcast, that is. People on Forged in Fire are very, very serious.) You would not believe how hard it is to cut through a giant hanging fish. 

This week, Andrew gets to a request from one of our patrons and watches the pilot of Netflix's Travelers. Then, we chat about some listener-submitted ideas for Bandersnatch-style narrative adventures, and then Andrew is pleasantly surprised by Star Trek Discovery Season 2. SHOW NOTES McKenzie & Co, from the golden age of CD-ROM games: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McKenzie_%26_Co Netflix's Travelers: https://www.netflix.com/title/80105699 Choose Your Own Adventure books, mapped: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/cyoa-choose-your-own-adventure-maps Bootyspank was hard to make: https://www.vulture.com/2019/01/how-black-mirror-bandersnatch-was-made.html Extra Hot Great: http://previously.tv/shows/extra-hot-great/ Anson Mount is Hot Mitt Romney: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anson_Mount Discovery S2: https://www.cbs.com/shows/star-trek-discovery/

Before we discuss the final episodes of Killing Eve season one, we turn our steely, jaded gazes onto whatever the hell is going on with FOX’s new reality show The Masked Singer. It’s a dystopian fever dream! The judges are so terrible! We think one of them is T-Pain! But the end of Killing Eve is great, and so we talk about its greatness, Konstatin's daughter, and the fact that Eve's marriage is completely unnecessary.