Extra Hot Great: This Week In TV

Latest Episodes:

362: America's-Birthday Forcenings! Jul 07, 2021

Show notes

It's a holiday week: time for a good old-fashioned Forcening, in which each of your EHG regulars makes another one watch a TV episode or movie. This time, we're acknowledging July 4th by obliging one another to watch shows with "America" in the title, and Tara's first up, forcing Sarah to watch 2000's short-lived, extremely derivative, stupidly enjoyable Young Americans, a Dawson's Creek spin-off featuring references to Stephen King, Dead Poets Society, The Skulls, and kindling. ...Wait, that last thing was actually Kate Bosworth. Next, Sarah forced Dave to watch a third-season episode of cocaine fever-dream The Greatest American Hero -- a great theme song in search of half-decent CGI, a team of writers who would stay for the whole episode, and better costume strat. Finally, Dave made Tara take The American Bible Challenge, and we all learned that there's more than one Herod, it's hard to flip a fork, and Jeff Foxworthy might be America's Host. Praise God -- it's an all-new Extra Hot Great!

TOPICS

Lead Topic: 🧒 Young Americans S01.E01: Pilot

Lead Topic: 🦸🏻‍♂️ The Greatest American Hero S03.E08: Space Ranger

Lead Topic: 📖 The American Bible Challenge S03.E09: Grand Finale

NOTES

🗒 Full episode notes can be found on the episode 362 page on ExtraHotGreat.com

🧒 Young Americans on Dailymotion

🦸🏻‍♂️ The Greatest American Hero on Peacock

📖 And The American Bible Challenge on Netflix

361: Should You Join The Mysterious Benedict Society? Jun 30, 2021

Show notes

Disney Plus's latest series for teens and tweens is the very puzzle-y The Mysterious Benedict Society, based on a beloved novel, and Leigh-Ann Jackson is here to talk about how well it works! Around The Dial takes us through In Treatment, The Good Fight, Jiva!, Flack, the (sort of) final season of B-B-B-B-Bosch, CSI, and Derry Girls! Craig and Courtney argue for the Canon induction of the King Of The Hill episode "The Wedding Of Bobby Hill." Then after naming the week's Winner and Loser, we kick off a new Game Time season with a contest that may be something, or may be nothing. No need to pass any test: our latest podcast is right here for you to enjoy!

GUESTS

👤 Leigh-Ann Jackson

TOPICS

Lead Topic: 🧙‍♀️ The Mysterious Benedict Society

Around The Dial: 😶‍🌫️ In Treatment

Around The Dial: ✊ The Good Fight

Around The Dial: 💃🏽 Jiva

Around The Dial: 🧨 Flack

Around The Dial: 🅱️ Bosch

Around The Dial: 🍎 The Crime Apple

Around The Dial: 🇮🇪 Derry Girls

The Canon: 🏆 King Of The Hill S03.E14: The Wedding Of Bobby Hill

Winner & Loser: 👍 True-crime casting

Winner & Loser: 👎 Jared Padalecki

Game Time: 🧠 Once Again, Is This Anything?

NOTES

🗒 Full episode notes can be found on the episode 361 page on ExtraHotGreat.com

🐦 Leigh-Ann Jackson on Twitter

🛋 "New Pop Culture Tred Alert: the Black Lady Therapist" at Slate

👩‍🚒 Tara on the 9-1-1 franchise at Primetimer.com

🛍 Leanna Lin's Wonderland

360: Bouncing Into Physical Jun 23, 2021

Show notes

The latest new series from AppleTV+ is Physical, starring Rose Byrne as an aerobics addict in 1981 San Diego; Jeb Lund joins us to discuss whether the first three episodes left us wanting more, or...wanting more of GLOW (R.I.P.). Around The Dial takes us through Cruel Summer, Holey Moley, Exterminate All The Brutes, American Barbecue Showdown, the I'll Be Gone In The Dark special, and Epstein's Shadow: Ghislaine Maxwell. Tara and Sarah share a Tiny Triumph (thanks, Slate!), and Shan takes to Extra Credit to have us gender-swap TV detectives. Jeb makes his case for the Rick & Morty episode "The Ricklantis Mixup" to be inducted into the Canon. Then after naming the week's Winner and Loser, it's on to a Non-Regulation Game Time with a lot of pomp and circumstance. Pull on your leg warmers and join us!

GUESTS

👤 Jeb Lund

TOPICS

Lead Topic: 🤸‍♀️ Physical

Around The Dial: 😎 Cruel Summer

Around The Dial: ⛳️ Holey Moley

Around The Dial: 🪦 Exterminate All The Brutes

Around The Dial: 🍖 American Barbecue Showdown

Around The Dial: 🎑 I'll Be Gone In The Dark

Around The Dial: 😬 Epstein's Shadow: Ghislaine Maxwell

Tiny Triumph: 🎉 Again With Them in Slate

Extra Credit: 🕵️‍♀️ Flipping The Detectives

The Canon: 🏆 Rick And Morty S03.E07: The Ricklantis Mixup

Winner & Loser: 👍 Legendary

Winner & Loser: 👎 Michael Costello

Game Time: 🧠 Dads, Grads, And Brads

NOTES

🗒 Full episode notes can be found on the episode 360 page on ExtraHotGreat.com

🐦 Jeb Lund on Twitter

🏌️‍♂️ Vulture's roundup of Season 3's new Holey Moley holes

🧊 Tara's review of The Cube at Primetimer

🎄 Jeb's Hallmark podcast It's Christmastown on Facebook

🎑 Sarah's review of the I'll Be Gone In The Dark special at Primetimer

🎧 Slate's article on B-list stars' podcasts recapping their own shows

359: Is Loki A Good Time? Jun 16, 2021

Show notes

Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair is back to talk about the latest product off the Marvel industrial complex assembly line: Disney+'s Loki. We discussed everything from Religion 101 to DB Cooper to mid-century production design to canonical gender identity -- but should you make TIME (...sorry) for the show? Then we went Around The Dial with Younger, Starstruck, Bargain Block, Crime Scene Kitchen, The Housewife and the Hustler, and a weird movie on HBO Max, and then it got REALLY weird when we all sent in the clowns for David Ellis Dickerson's Extra Credit. Richard signed our yearbooks "I hope this overlooked-classic Simpsons episode stays sweet" in his Canon presentation; Farrow won and Toobin (and pooin') lost; and a role-playing Game Time had us all wondering if we'd (IMD)be crowning a season winner. Grab your timey-wimey remote: it's an all-new Extra Hot Great!

GUESTS

👤 Richard Lawson

TOPICS

Lead Topic: 🐊 Loki

Around The Dial: 🐣 Younger

Around The Dial: 💫 Starstruck

Around The Dial: 🏷 Bargain Block

Around The Dial: ⏲ Crime Scene Kitchen

Around The Dial: 💸 The Housewife And The Hustler

Extra Credit: 🤡 Send In The Clowns

The Canon: 🏆 The Simpsons S07.E25: Summer Of 4 Ft. 2

Winner & Loser: 👍 Catch And Kill

Winner & Loser: 👎 Ultimate Slip 'N Slide

Game Time: 🧠 Role-Playing Game

NOTES

🗒 Full episode notes can be found on the episode 359 page on ExtraHotGreat.com

🐦 Follow Richard Lawson on Twitter

🏚 Richard at Vanity Fair on HGTV: “Home Truths: How HGTV, Magnolia, and Netflix Are Building a Massive Space in the Stream”

👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨 Richard on Luca

👀 Richard's podcast Still Watching

🫅 Richard's other podcast Little Gold Men

⏳ And Richard's book, All We Can Do Is Wait

🐩 Rose Matafeo: Horndog on HBO Max

🖕 Tara's Kevin Can Go F*ck Himself review at Primetimer

🧐 VF's Chris Murphy on whether we can/should keep enjoying Housewives what with all the felonies

📷 Photo: Disney+

358: Getting A Taste Of Sweet Tooth Jun 09, 2021

Show notes

Netflix joins Amazon in boldly dropping a soft sci-fi story about an extremely contagious disease outbreak mid-covid pandemic...but at least Sweet Tooth, unlike Utopia, also has as its lead character a very cute little deer boy? New guest Santiago Melli-Huber joins us to talk about it. Around The Dial takes us to the premiere of We Are Lady Parts on Peacock, the finale of Pose on FX; then to AMC's Kevin Can F**k Himself; to Sarah's summer TV preview pick Mike Tyson: The Knockout (and related 30 For 30 episodes about Mike Tyson that might work better); and to The Boy In The Plastic Bubble, which we recently screened, watch-along style, with our high-pledge Patreon supporters (stay tuned for more details on future hangouts!). GuyIsDelightful challenges us to create TV news-based scripted series that actually feature and are about real news shows. Santiago makes his case for the Nonac induction of RuPaul's Drag Race's Season 12 episode "World's Worst." Finally, we name the week's Winner and Loser, and wrap up with a toes-up Game Time. Grab a sweet confection of your own and join us!

GUESTS

👤 Santiago Melli-Huber

TOPICS

Lead Topic: 🦌 Sweet Tooth

Around The Dial: 🦵 We Are Lady Parts

Around The Dial: 🙆🏽‍♀️ Pose

Around The Dial: 🖕 Kevin Can F**k Himself

Around The Dial: 🥊 Mike Tyson: The Knockout

Around The Dial: 🎾 30 For 30

Around The Dial: 🫧 The Boy In The Plastic Bubble

Extra Credit: 🎭 Like Studio 60...But Entertaining

The Nonac: 🤮 RuPaul's Drag Race S12.E03: World's Worst

Winner & Loser: 👍 Dennis Quaid

Winner & Loser: 👎 Helen Mirren

Game Time: 🧠 Death Becomes Them

NOTES

🗒 Full episode notes can be found on the episode 358 page on ExtraHotGreat.com

🐦 Santiago Melli-Huber on Twitter

💄 The Listen To Sassy podcast

📚 Exhibit B. Books

🫧 The Boy In The Plastic Bubble On YouTube

🧋 The Boy In The Plastic Bubble On Amazon Prime Video

357: Securing Crime Scene Kitchen, Investing In Small Fortune Jun 02, 2021

Show notes

Writer and co-host of The Nod Brittany Luse joins us for a double shot of summer TV fare, starting with NBC's well-hosted but incorrectly constructed Small Fortune. We like the dioramas; we're not sure about the durability of the games (or future guests). Then we ducked under the yellow tape to look at FOX's Crime Scene Kitchen, which isn't as bad as Sarah expected, but also isn't as good as it could be. Will any of us keep watching either of these? Is Curtis Stone the Joel Kinnaman of celebrity chefs? And did we actually invoke Quibi...favorably? Next we went Around The Dial with the Friends reunion, Legendary, Married At First Sight, Love After Lockup (instead of Who Killed Little Grégory?, but watch 'em both!), and Bad Batch. Kimberly hoped her Derry Girls Canon submission would have the luck of the Irish before Firefly Lane won and Alec Baldwin lost (...twice), and then we transitioned between scenes with a few bars of Game Time. Pour yourself a cup of lemon chiffon pie -- it's an all-new Extra Hot Great!

GUESTS

👤 Brittany Luse

TOPICS

Lead Topic: 🪙 Small Fortune

Lead Topic: 🔪 Crime Scene Kitchen

Around The Dial: 🛋 The Friends reunion

Around The Dial: 💃🏽 Legendary

Around The Dial: 👰‍♀️ Married At First Sight

Around The Dial: 💔 Love After Lockup

Around The Dial: ☠️ Who Killed Little Gregory

Around The Dial: 🤢 The Bad Batch

The Canon: 🏆 Derry Girls S01.E02

Winner & Loser: 👍 LaToya Ferguson

Winner & Loser: 👎 Alec Baldwin

Game Time: 🧠 Seven Days Since Our Last Incidental

NOTES

🗒 Full episode notes can be found on the episode 357 page on ExtraHotGreat.com

🐦 Follow Brittany Luse on Twitter

👁 Why Brittany's watching MAFS instead of planning her wedding, at Harper's Bazaar

☕️ The Friends creators' interview at THR

☘️ The Joey Irish-uncle meme

🔫 Alec Baldwin offered to off Tony Soprano

🌴 The Again With This podcast

🔎 Best Evidence

📷 Photos: FOX, NBC

356: Diving Into The 2021 Summer TV Preview May 26, 2021

Show notes

With summer nearly upon us, we're dusting off a format we haven't done in a while, looking at the premieres that are coming in the weeks and months ahead and each choosing one title we're into; one we SHOULD be into but aren't; and one NO ONE should be into. Joining us for this very important work is longtime listener, first-time guest Stacy Lambe! After we all offer our summer picks (and un-picks), we consider Dave In Chicago's Extra Credit question and answer which TV side character deserves their own Kevin Can F--- Himself-type star vehicle. We also play a notable scene from the Netflix original movie Stowaway and discuss whether it's Worse Than Jazz. Next, we debate whether Daria's "Dye! Dye! My Darling" should be inducted into the Canon. Finally, we name the week's Winner and Loser, and close out with a Game Time you might want to enjoy with a sachet of jordan almonds. Grab yourself a popsicle and join us!

GUESTS

👤 Stacy Lambe

TOPICS

Lead Topic: 👙 Summer TV Preview

Extra Credit: 🖕 Eff You Too!

Is This Worse Than Jazz?: 🎷 A scene from Netflix's Stowaway

The Canon: 🏆 Daria S04.E13: Dye! Dye! My Darling

Winner & Loser: 👍 Scripted true-crime projects

Winner & Loser: 👎 Glenn Gordon Caron

Game Time: 🧠 Just Married

NOTES

🗒 Full episode notes can be found on the episode 356 page on ExtraHotGreat.com

🐦 Stacy Lambe on Twitter

🎆 Entertainment Tonight Online

😎 "Summertime Lovin'" from Regular Show

🗣 Tara's interview with Allison Janney at VanityFair.com

355: A Talking Boat, The Queen and The End Of Liberty May 19, 2021

Show notes

EEHG 090: Dave Forces Everyone To Watch Thunder In Paradise S01.E13: Queen Of Hearts

Once upon a time there were two ex-Navy SEALs living in Florida. Then a whip bull-cracking Terry Funk visited riding on the hood of a monster truck. Also, here's The Queen Of England! Don't forget about Hulk Hogan's Bumblezebra beach onesie! And here's comes Truckasaurus! We haven't even seen Thunder The Boat yet! (Nov 13, 2020)

EEHG 106: Let's Watch David Copperfield Poof Lady Liberty!

In a 1983 TV special that stayed with Buntsy for decades, pop magician David Copperfield made the Statue of Liberty disappear. He also harassed Morgan Fairchild and saddled "an old lady" with two kids, and we're going to talk about all of it -- including the ads we didn't get to see. (Feb 19, 2021)

TOPICS

Lead Topic: 🌩 Thunder In Paradise S01.E13: Queen Of Hearts

Lead Topic: 🪄 The Magic of David Copperfield

NOTES

🗒 Full episode notes can be found on the episode 355 page on ExtraHotGreat.com

354: Girls5Eva Passes The Audition May 12, 2021

Show notes

Slate TV critic Willa Paskin is back to talk about Peacock's girl-group-comeback addition to the Tina Fey-verse, Girls5Eva. Did the panel's opinions on the show's quality harmonize? Is the bubblegum/TRL world of 20 years ago a familiar song? Does the thin writing of Busy Philipps's character hit a bum note? Has Sarah already started blaming that Wonder Woman piano for various clumsy incidents around her own home? You know the answer to that last one; you'll have to listen to learn the rest. We went Around The Dial with The Handmaid's Tale, The Big Shot With Bethenny Frankel, The Great Pottery Throw Down, and The Great British Sewing Bee before deciding whether Dave is NOT a crackpot for wanting to outlaw this-season-on montages. Later, we heard a dreamy Canon presentation for Bluey. Actors won, the Globes lost, and David T. Cole played us some variations on a ('90s TV) theme during a disconcerting Game Time. Park it on a memorial bench and enjoy an all-new Extra Hot Great!

GUESTS

👤 Willa Paskin

TOPICS

Lead Topic: 👩‍🎤 Girls5Eva

Around The Dial: 👁 The Handmaid's Tale

Around The Dial: 🎯 The Big Shot With Bethenny Frankel

Around The Dial: 🍯 The Great Pottery Throw Down

Around The Dial: 🪡 The Great British Sewing Bee

I Am Not A Crackpot: 🤪 Season-on Montages

The Canon: 🐶 Bluey S01.E08: Fruitbat

Winner & Loser: 👍 Gabrielle Carteris

Winner & Loser: 👎 The Hollywood Foreign Press Association

Game Time: 🧠 '90s Slow-Coms

NOTES

🗒 Full episode notes can be found on the episode 354 page on ExtraHotGreat.com

🐦 Follow Willa Paskin on Twitter

🎧 Listen to Willa's podcast, Decoder Ring

💿 Look forward to the Girls5Eva soundtrack album

🍩 The Guardian on the Bake Off formula and its discontents

👩‍👧 Tara's list of "12 Essential Mom Episodes" for Vulture

🐕 Sarah's review of The Sons Of Sam for Primetimer

📷 Photo: Peacock

353: Nice British People Doing Nice Things May 05, 2021

Show notes

A while back, we put out a call for six-word pitches to program a whole episode of this podcast, and our listener Heather was the victor with "Nice British People Doing Nice Things." As a result, she has slotted in (virtually) every show you will hear us talk about in this episode, for which we are joined by returning guest Alex Collins! First, we all tuck in on the pop history series Back In Time For Dinner. Then Around The Dial takes us to France for Escape To The Chateau, Newfoundland and Kenya for Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond The Lobby, Wales for Escape To The Country, and a British mail route for Postman Pat. As required by Heather, Tara presents the Corner Gas episode "Happy Campers" for induction into The Canon. Then after naming the Winner and Loser of the year 1992, we go knocking on Game Time's door. Make yourself a lovely cup of tea and join us!

GUESTS

👤 Alex Collins

TOPICS

Lead Topic: 🥘 Back In Time For Dinner

Around The Dial: 🏰 Escape To The Chateau

Around The Dial: 🏨 Amazing Hotels

Around The Dial: 🚵 Escape To The Country

Around The Dial: 📮 Postman Pat

The Canon: ⛽️ Corner Gas S04.E18: Happy Campers

Winner & Loser: 👍 New York City

Winner & Loser: 👎 Vatican City

Game Time: 🧠 You've Got Mail