Appointment Television

Latest Episodes:

Episode 127: Black Mirror twiststravaganza Feb 01, 2018

Show notes

We return to the world of Black Mirror after a very long break, this time to do a swing through a few episodes of the new season. Each one of us watched a different episode, and we use this opportunity to play a little game - we describe most of the episode we saw, and the other two have to try to imagine what the inevitable Black Mirror twist will be. Kathryn watched "Hang the DJ," Margaret watched "Arkangel," and Andrew watched "USS Callister." Heads up: we definitely spoil all of them.

Episode 126: Better Never Than Late, and Slings and Arrows S01E01-02 Jan 25, 2018

Show notes

This week Andrew suffers through Better Late Than Never, a not-quite-reality show about old men being casually racist in a foreign country. Then, we chat about episodes one and two of Slings and Arrows, our latest TV Book Club.

SHOW NOTES

Better Late Than Never, which is truly terrible: https://www.hulu.com/better-late-than-never

Slings and Arrows episode 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4OL2DZLL7k

Slings and Arrows episode 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8ctDIGg_9s

Episode 125: 2018 resolutions and TV to look forward to Jan 18, 2018

Show notes

We spend a few moments thinking about our TV resolutions for the new year. For Andrew and Kathryn it's mostly about specific TV they'd like to check out; for Margaret it boils down to "actually watch some TV." We then take a look at the field of new TV to look forward to in the new year, and pick out some of our most anticipated series, including Sharp Objects, Good Girls, and the truly concerning 9-1-1. Finally, we announce our next TV Book Club, Slings & Arrows!

Episode 124: The Dreadful Jeremy Piven and the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Jan 11, 2018

Show notes

This week's episode is pretty much what it says in the title - we briefly celebrate the unceremonious and thoroughly deserved cancelation of Wisdom of the Crowd, and then we talk about the pleasant surprise that is the first season of Amy Sherman-Palladino's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

SHOW NOTES

Wisdom of the Crowd Canceled Amid Jeremy Piven Sexual Assault Scandal: http://tvline.com/2017/11/27/wisdom-of-the-crowd-cancelled-cbs-jeremy-piven-sexual-assault-allegations/

Me, Myself, and I also canceled: http://tvline.com/2017/11/01/me-myself-i-cancelled-cbs-season-1-bobby-moynihan/

Amy Sherman-Palladino talks Mrs. Maisel: http://www.vulture.com/2017/11/amy-sherman-palladino-the-marvelous-mrs-maisel.html

We need Hallmark movies because the world is a cold, uncaring place: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/we-cant-take-any-more-of-2017-so-weve-turned-to-the-hallmark-channel-in-desperation/2017/12/07/1ad3dab6-d6ca-11e7-b62d-d9345ced896d_story.html

Episode 123: Five Came Back and a 2017 TV retrospective Jan 04, 2018

Show notes

Margaret actually watched some television! She shares that information with us, and we make appropriately impressed noises.

We also think back on the year in TV, and the way 2017 shaped the stuff we watched, the stuff we stopped watching, and the stuff we watched but then completely forgot about. If you have not watched The Good Place, we do not spoil it! But you should really watch it.

Episode 122: The Crown, and trying to make fetch (and a podcast episode) happen Dec 28, 2017

Show notes

This week's abbreviated holiday week episode is all about characters that TV shows want to make "happen." Sometimes shows and showrunners have a character or a performer that they want us to love who we just can't love, and that would be fine if they'd just stop trying so hard.

SHOW NOTES

Kathryn's recaps of The Crown season two: http://www.vulture.com/tv/the-crown/

Jason Mantzoukas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Mantzoukas

Fred Armisen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Armisen

Fetch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjt9Qx9MBPk

Episode 121: A Christmas Prince Dec 21, 2017

Show notes

It's holiday time, so we dedicate the entire episode to a close reading of one of Netflix's forays into the wide world of dedicated Christmas programming: the Hallmark Christmas-style movie A Christmas Prince. Strap in for lying! Mothra! Negging! Jellied meats! Birther scandals! Romance! Tokenism! Constitutional crises! And so much more!

Episode 120: TV to binge over the holiday, and Alias Grace Dec 14, 2017

Show notes

This week, Kathryn makes a new round of TV recommendations, just in time for the holiday break. We then check in with the adaptation of Margaret Atwood's Alias Grace, available on Netflix in the US.

TV recommendations!

Northern Exposure: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Exposure
ER: https://www.nbc.com/er?nbc=1
Chuck: https://www.nbc.com/chuck?nbc=1
Happy Endings: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Endings_(TV_series)
Silicon Valley: https://www.hbo.com/silicon-valley
Slings and Arrows: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slings_%26_Arrows
Bob's Burgers: https://www.fox.com/bobs-burgers/
GLOW: https://www.netflix.com/title/80114988
Black-ish: http://abc.go.com/shows/blackish

Watch Alias Grace on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/80119411

Then read Kathryn's piece on the ending: http://www.vulture.com/2017/11/alias-grace-lets-talk-about-the-ending.html

Episode 119: Separating the art from the artist and Stranger Things 2 Book Club Part 3 Dec 07, 2017

Show notes

In the ongoing discussion about how we feel when we find out artists are jerks (or worse), we talk about separating the art from the artist. This discussion happened in the context of Louis C.K., but we think you'll find it relevant for all of your most recent #metoo-era feelings. Afterwards, we wrap up Stranger Things 2 and talk about our thoughts on Bob the Brain, the awesomeness of Dustin, and the less awesomeness of episode seven.

Episode 118: Lord of the Rings Redux and the Geico Caveman Show Nov 30, 2017

Show notes

This week we talk about Amazon's attempt to make the next Game of Thrones by revisiting the spring from which Game of Thrones sprang, and the kinds of Tolkien-flavored shows we'd really like to see. Then, one of our listeners and Patreon donors makes Andrew watch the pilot for Cavemen, the super-regressive short-lived mid-2000s sitcom based on the old insurance commercials.

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