Tim’s solution for a post-election TV news ratings boost; a whole lot more praise for “Soundbreaking”; and your letters. (Politics-averse people can jump ahead to 14:25 if they don’t want to hear anything more about the election.)
Jason and Tim return from relaxing trips (to Ireland and wine country, respectively) and end up right in the gaping maw of Election Night TV coverage. Plus, a new show arrives this weekend that’s right in Tim’s wheelhouse.
Like the Cubs in game seven, we’ve gone to the bullpen—David’s sitting in for Jason this week, and he and Tim talk about good girls, alien support groups, better things, lesser shows, oral histories, and shows that sneak up on you. Also, stay calm, you’re about to hit a deer.
Tim watches BBC America’s “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency”, “The Walking Dead” returns but Tim feels no need to review it, Mad Men’s creator gets an Amazon anthology, and the NFL ratings drop.
Hugh Laurie’s “Chance”, the return of “Walking Dead” and “Rectify”, and that guy you remember from that other sitcom now has a sitcom on CBS.
“Falling Water”, “American Housewife”, the return of “Black Mirror”, and your questions.
More on “Westworld”. Tim reviews “No Tomorrow”, “Divorce”, is excited about “Insecure”, and is trepidatious about “American Housewife.” And Jason travels back in time with “Timeless”.
Happy 100! Before jetting off to Vancouver, Tim stops by to review “Crisis in Six Scenes”, “Westworld”, “Conviction”, “Timeless”, “No Tomorrow”, and “Frequency”, Jason renews his time-travel-watching pact, and you tell us about how “Designated Survivor” is Not a Thing.
Reviews of “Lethal Weapon”, “Designated Survivor”, “Speechless”, “The Good Place”, and “Westworld”. Plus the Emmys aftermath, more new premieres, and the surprising reoccurrence of “Agent X” Watch and Not a Thing.
Jet-setting Tim interviews Jimmy Kimmel, plus reviews of “Black Mirror”, “Son of Zorn”, “Fleabag”, and more.
“You’re the Worst” and “Narcos” return, Tim and Jason finally watched “Stranger Things”, and Tim answers many more of your letters.
Tim’s back home from press tour! And he reviews Donald Glover’s “Atlanta”, the Italian crime series “Gomorrah”, and answers a whole lot of your letters.
Tim’s still in residence at the TV Critics Association summer Death March With Cocktails, and we’ve got his report on what’s up with broadcast, cable, and streaming. No, really, what’s up with streaming? Netflix’s binge problem. Amazon’s branding problem. CBS All Access’s attitude problem. And much more!
Live “in residence” at the Beverly Hilton, here’s Tim’s first report from the 2016 edition of the Death March With Cocktails. Tim discusses the difficulty in networks breaking through to TV critics and audiences in these times of confusion, drops a mind-blowing tidbit he got from Mitch Hurwitz about “Arrested Development”, and defines the roles of network and cable TV in the modern television era. Plus, a short review of Netflix’s new “The Get Down.” And Jason gets to place a phone call. Next we...
We’re not here! Jason’s on vacation and Tim’s at the Death March With Cocktails. Fortunately for you, we recorded this episode full of your letters last week so that you don’t miss us, not one bit.
A big week for satire shows and Stephen Colbert during the Republican National Convention; Jason brings Nerd News from Comic-Con; we discuss the Game of Thrones announcement that Winter is Coming… for seven episodes… next summer; and Tim just loves the Olympics!
Tim breaks down the 2016 Emmy Awards nominations, which left him in a very strange emotional state. Who is this sunny, happy person, and what have you done with Tim Goodman?! Just when all seems lost, though, Tim musters up some bile for a few Emmy snubs.
Next week “Mr. Robot” returns for a second season and Tim’s seen the first two hours. (Also, the Emmy nominations might come out next week, but Tim’s not sure.) Tim celebrates the avalanche of good stuff on TV and his inability to watch it all. And we answer your letters!
Tim laments the lack of the first great rock-and-roll drama while appreciating the humor that is “Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll.” Plus, we go over the 10 (cough 11 cough) most bingeable shows this summer. Then we dive deep into the mailbag, where Jason admits to a colossal error while uncovering a failure deep in the heart of the U.S. government.
Tim and Jason are back together and we’ve got Tim’s reviews of “Thirteen” and “American Gothic”, plus we dissect the failures of “Roadies” and “Vinyl”, worry about how the Brexit vote will affect fictional characters as well as our listeners in the +44, and answer many of your letters.
Tim is back in his natural habitat, and Permanent Guest Host David J. Loehr is back, as they reminisce about their trip to the fifth season of the ATX Festival in Austin, TX, last week. They talk about hanging out with showrunners, each other, BBQ, sitting in on panels, BBQ, seeing cast & crew reunions, hearing unfilmed pilots, BBQ, and did they mention the BBQ? (They blame/thank Moisés Chiullán for the trip to Micklethwait’s. Blame only because they’re hooked now.) Then on to other topics, like...
In this special Quantum Superposition Edition, Tim is simultaneously in Austin for the ATX television festival and here in podcast land answering your questions. How does he do it? (Answer: By pre-recording this week’s episode last week.) In any event, this episode is full of letters from listeners all around the world, huddled around their podcast players waiting for the TVTM’s simultaneous, worldwide release. Wait no longer.
This week Tim praises “The Dresser”, dislikes AMC’s David Schwimmer vehicle, and answers a pointed question about the future and pacing of “Game of Thrones.”
This week Tim lets a little love for “Game of Thrones” escape his heart, and brings some questionable balloon metaphors to the second season of “Bloodline.” Plus we answer a hastily assembled collection of your letters!
This week the networks had their big “upfronts” in New York, a dog-and-pony show for advertisers that the TV critics and viewers of the world watch with amusement and consternation. Tim explains why the week fascinates him, and explores what the networks are doing in a time of falling ratings and too much television.
It’s the week that the broadcast network announce cancellations and renewals, and so we take time to survey the dead and the living, at least a little bit. Plus, Tim beseeches the Emmys on behalf of “The Americans”, and Louis C.K. figures out life after “Louie.”
This week we talk about (cue dramatic music) a Netflix series from France, a Fox series we don’t understand, “The Americans”, and Tim rekindles his fears about Australian wildlife.
Back after a birthday weekend away from the podcast, Tim’s got the details on HBO’s huge debut weekend—and some serious trepidation about where the network goes next.
This week Tim reviews the new seasons of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”, “Orphan Black”, and “Fear the Walking Dead”, and reviews the new international series “Last Panthers.” Plus, we follow the latest self-inflicted wounds on “Sleepy Hollow” and read listener letters.
Tim survived “The Walking Dead” finale and returns to talk about it, along with happier news, like the arrivals of new seasons of “Catastrophe” on Amazon and “Outlander” on Starz. Jason shows a suspicious knowledge of music reality shows. And we issue a mea culpa about listening to “facts” from listeners.
