Podcast

South Park

Episode 93: The Cooler gang reveals their favorite South Park episodes and tackles a little Emmy business.

September brings the 20th season of one of the longest, and most unlikely, of television’s animated series, Comedy Central’s South Park. To honor this long-running series, we kick off a special Water Cooler Flashback featuring our personal favorite episodes to highlight what we love about the series. We talk about the things that challenge us and include some specially selected clips from each episode. We also take a brief look at the 1999 feature film South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut and what impact it had on the television series.

Then, as the Emmys are fast approaching, we make our final predictions in the Comedy and Limited Series Emmy races.

Finally, we close with the Flash Forward of what television most excites us in the upcoming week. Thanks for listening!

04:06 – Emmy Insider from Entertainment Weekly
11:52 – Our Favorite South Park Episodes
56:12 – Emmy Predix for Limited Series / Comedy Categories
1:17:02 – Flash Forward

Sophomore Slumps

Episode 92: Megan takes control as the Cooler gang tackle potential sophomore slumps for summer shows.

This week, we talk about the sophomore seasons of a slew of summer shows (say that three times fast) and whether they’re ready for junior year or need to revisit their freshman seasons for focus. Are you watching Mr. RobotDifficult PeopleCasual, or Fear the Walking Dead? Do you think these shows are avoiding sophomore slumps? We’re actually loving some of these second seasons. Join in the conversation and let us know what you think in the comments section.

We also talk about the most expensive show in TV history, Netflix’s The Get Down. We offer our review of the show and discuss whether all of the money was worth it. Plus, we also look at Emmy predictions for the Guest Comedy and Drama acting categories.

Finally, we close with the Flash Forward of what television most excites us in the upcoming week. Thanks for listening!

02:44 – Sophomore Slumps
47:23 – The Get Down
1:10:03 – Flash Forward

Ryan Murphy

Episode 91: The Cooler gang comes to terms with TV’s current hottest creative force Ryan Murphy.

On this week’s Water Cooler Podcast, we take on something of a tricky subject for those of us around the water cooler: Ryan Murphy. So, for long time listeners of the Water Cooler Podcast, this topic may feel slightly redundant. We’ve talked about him before, so why rehash him now? Well, there’s method to our madness. This Emmy season, Ryan Murphy amassed a whopping 29 Emmy nominations when considering his American Crime Story and American Horror Story franchises. That’s his highest haul to date, and it made us think about Murphy’s overall legacy. When we look back at this point in history, how will academics regard Ryan Murphy and his cultural impact? Be sure you take a look at this excellent New Yorker article by Emily Nussbaum.

To consider his reputation, we take a look at three different phases in Ryan Murphy’s career: his humble (so to speak) beginnings, his current renaissance, and his future projects. We also look at the attention Emmy paid to each property. Then, as if that’s not enough, we debate the frontrunners in the 2016 Reality and Variety Emmy categories.

Finally, we close with the Flash Forward of what television most excites us in the upcoming week. Thanks for listening!

04:20 – Terms of Ryan Murphy
1:16:00 – Reality and Variety Emmy Categories
1:30:43 – Flash Forward

Sean Callery

Sean Callery received Emmy nominations for Jessica Jones‘s main title sequence and for Minority Report‘s series orchestrations

Sean Callery is no stranger to the Emmy cycle. In fact, his two current nominations – Netflix’s Jessica Jones‘s main title theme and Fox’s Minority Report‘s music composition – gave Callery a total of 16 Emmy nominations. He even won three Emmys for his beloved work on Fox’s 24. But even though he’s been to the dance before, Sean Callery still feels the excitement of a first-time nominee.

“When you get contacted by someone that says you got a nomination, you still can’t believe it,” Callery said. “You might think it’s old hat, but when you do get nominated, you do get excited. It humbles you a bit. These are special moments…”

Sean Callery

On orchestrating the neo-noir of Jessica Jones

Sean Callery fully immersed himself in the gritty world of Netflix’s Jessica Jones to create the unique opening theme music. It’s a critical component of the overall product as the main title experience orients the viewer into the world they’re about to experience. Getting it wrong would prove jarring for the audience, and Callery lacked access to actual filmed moments on which to build the score. So he worked closely with showrunner Melissa Rosenberg and relied on still images to develop the opening theme tone.

“The things that I love about the character are that she’s a very strong person morally and ethically. She has a very biting sense of humor. She knows the street well. Her very job as a detective is one of lurking in the shadows and being clever,” Callery said. “As I sat at the piano and started thinking about her, there’s a little mercurial part of that character – the part that has a sense of humor and the part that hops up on fire escapes and so forth. It kind of felt a little playful, like a cat.”

Callers created the opening theme by weaving together that cat-like playfulness with Jessica’s drive to protect others from the same trauma she endured. While he loves working on them, he admits that the task of initiating viewers into the show’s world is a daunting one.

On his nomination for Fox’s cancelled Minority Report

Jessica Jones‘s darkness and intimacy contrasts significantly with the grand futuristic scale of Fox’s Minority Report. The ambitious project tried to bring fans of Steven Spielberg’s 2002 sci-fi classic into a sequel-of-sorts world with challenged results. The expensive series received a cancellation notice two months after its premiere date. Still, Emmy took notice of Sean Callery’s series orchestrations and provided Minority Report with its only nomination.

“I wish it had gotten some nods for art direction and stuff like that. I thought they did a really great job,” Callery said. “Honestly, who knows why certain things work and certain things don’t. I truly wished that had worked. That show had a lot of adventure and fun to it and a lot of musical possibility.”

Up next, Sean Callery tackles Fox’s 24 reboot which will employ new theming to mirror the completely new cast. He’ll also return to the neo-noir world of Jessica Jones Season 2. But first, he has a date with Emmy at the Creative Arts ceremony in mid-September.

AwardsDaily TV’s full interview with Emmy-winning composer Sean Callery is available below or by subscribing to the Water Cooler Podcast on iTunes.

Sean Callery
(Photo: FOX)

Animal Kingdom

Episode 90: This week, we take a look at Season 1 of TNT’s Animal Kingdom. Plus, we list our 2016 Emmy Wishes.

On this week’s Water Cooler Podcast, we’re taking a deeper / spoiler-filled look at TNT’s summer hit Animal Kingdom, which was recently renewed for Season 2. What does the character-driven action series ultimately offer after a well-received pilot episode? What works and what doesn’t work across the series? Plus, what chance does the series have next year during the 2017 Emmy season?

Monday, August 15, marked the start of the 2016 Emmy voting window. In a segment called, Emmy Wishes, we take a break from our weekly Emmy analysis and list those winners we’d most like to see on Emmy night. Finally, we close with the Flash Forward of what television most excites us in the upcoming week. Thanks for listening!

03:59 – TV Departures
14:19 – Animal Kingdom (***Spoilers***)
40:22 – Emmy Wishes
56:46 – Flash Forward

Crescenzo Notarile

Gotham lenser Crescenzo Notarile talks about filming the moody action series away from the Bat Signal in what he dubs “the Platinum Age of Television.”

Cinematographer Crescenzo Notarile, ASC, AIC, faced no small task in recreating the dark and brooding world of Batman’s Gotham City for Fox’s Gotham. It surely felt intimidating, tackling the project given the dominate visions that came before him. Every incarnation of Batman from the Day-Glo 60’s series to the luscious decay of Tim Burton’s vision seemed to take root in the imagination of that era. One of Gotham‘s most critical tests became achieving its own visual sensibility separate from previous representations.

This challenge pushed Crescenzo Notarile forward all the way to his recent cinematography Emmy nomination for Gotham Season 2’s “Azrael.”

Crescenzo Notarile

“It was a little daunting at first, obviously because of the history and the calibre of that franchise,” Notarile said. “What got me past that… is the fact that this is pre-Batman, when Batman was a small boy. So, when I wrapped my head around that idea and that concept and that dynamic, a few knots in my gut unravelled a bit.”

Breaking into the DC world

Notarile wouldn’t have necessarily considered himself a comic book guy. Sure, he’d seen DC films before, but it wasn’t necessarily the first thing to which he gravitated. Like any consummate professional, Notarile threw himself into research, learning the stylistic lingo of the world through Batman comics and graphic novels. The education altered his own personal style and sensibilities, and Emmy took notice.

“I was not surprised, but I was very aware in a wonderful way, in an inspirational way, of all the grand compositions. The angles of the compositions. The dynamics of high angles, low angles. Acute compositions. Exaggerated compositions. Obviously, that’s a signature in the comic book world,” Notarile said. “That’s what really inspired me initially to open up my heart for this particular project and to really embrace that.”

That memorable Emmy morning

You never forget your first time. For Crescenzo Notarile, the news of his first Emmy nomination came amidst the bustle of a working set. The director approached him, eventually hugging him and telling him, “You did it.” Puzzled, it took a few moments before the reality sunk in, causing chills on the back of his neck.

“I think my chest expanded maybe twice its size with proudness,” Notarile said. “I looked over my shoulder, and there were a lot of my crew members just looking on. They apparently knew as well, and they all smiled and clapped. It was a nice feeling.”

Notarile will compete against some heavy competition in Game of ThronesHomeland, House of CardsDownton Abbey, The Man in the High Castle, and Bates Motel. Given the category’s whopping seven nominations, television cinematography seems to be thriving in what Notarile has coined “the Platinum Age of Television.” Each series offers gorgeous, challenging visuals. Sure, the equipment gets better each year, but there’s more to it than that, according to Notarile.

“You still need a heart, mind, and soul to do what we do,” Notarile said. “All [the technology] is secondary. What’s primary is being a storyteller… You still have to tell the story.”

And this talent for brilliant storytelling could carry Crescenzo Notarile all the way to the podium on Emmy night. Check out our full interview with Notarile below or by subscribing to the Water Cooler Podcast on iTunes.

Crescenzo Notarile

Tommy Kail

Grease: Live! director Tommy Kail talks to ADTV about his Emmy nomination for Fox and Paramount TV’s smash hit

Tommy Kail followed up his Tony Award win with an Emmy nomination for the musical ratings juggernaut, Grease: Live! from Fox and Paramount TV. Clarence and Joey chatted with Kail about his successful season and what he plans to do next now that Hamilton made a killing at the Tonys.

Even though he’s been at the helm of two very large and different theatrical experiences, it’s very easy to chat with Tommy Kail. He speaks with an openness that only suggests a very collaborative environment on set, and that surely is responsible for his two highly successful directorial efforts.

Broadway’s Biggest Night

When asked about the Tony Awards ceremony, Kail compared it to a big theatrical party, and he commented on the strength of the entire Broadway season.

“It was a really robust season. There was some sort of perceptible shift that I hope continues. There seemed to be a lot of new voices, a lot of new artists, a lot of new people that hadn’t thought that Broadway was for them,” Kail said. “It showed that the tent was big. It felt like a big theatrical prom.”

Director Turned Audience Member

When he was asked if he had a particular moment that he loved watching, we talked about Keke Palmer’s quick change and about other projects. He seemed most grateful, however, about giving his cast and crew a chance to thank the audience back.

“I was really excited to have a curtain call. I loved the opportunity to kind of just throw this party at the end,” Kail said. “That ending finale moment was very satisfying.”

Returning to Hamilton

After September’s Emmy ceremonies, Kail plans to direct two more productions of the historical Lin-Manuel Miranda musical.

“I will be in New York City rehearsing the show for five weeks with a brand new company of actors, and then we go to Chicago in September. Our first performance is September 27th, and then we open October 19th. I’ll be Chicago for that month. I am in the process of casting our San Francisco/LA company right now.”

Have a listen to our full interview with Grease: Live!‘s Tommy Kail below or by subscribing to the Water Cooler Podcast on iTunes!

Tommy Kail
Kail (center) on the set of Grease: Live!

Jeff Russo

Jeff Russo’s Fargo Season 2 score is as musically diverse as the composer himself and Emmy took notice

Talking to composer/songwriter/guitarist/vocalist/producer Jeff Russo is akin to attending a master class in music theory. On the surface, Russo’s rock roots in the mid-90s band Tonic seem ill-matched with his recent blossoming success as a prolific composer for television scores. Yet, after talking it through with him, it all makes complete sense. The progression of Russo’s career flows gracefully from one genre to the next. From Tonic to the New York Ballet to FX’s Fargo. This progression appears fueled by Russo’s infectious love of music and a series of fortuitous connections.

“A lot of things just sort of fell into place which is I think the way it always happens for people,” Russo said. “I knew I always wanted to write and perform music… Getting into television was just one of those things where I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.”

An Emmy nod for an epic score

And the right time is now thanks to Russo’s recent Emmy nomination for scoring Fargo Season 2. After receiving a nomination for the first season, Russo took on the challenge of scoring the increasingly epic, bigger, badder second season with characteristic grace and intelligence. His robust score matches the broader visual palate of the second season, which subverts the claustrophobic intimacy of the first season.

“We really did want to nod to how the show was expanding in terms of the broadness of the characters. Season 1 had fewer characters and fewer moving parts. With Season 2, the themes and the music became broader in that it need to cover a lot more ground to cover for the characters that were being introduced,” Russo said. “I wanted to make a conscious effort to broaden the scope of the music and go with the more epic feel of the story being told on a more grand scale versus the smaller scale of season 1.”

What’s next for the Emmy nominee?

As great television exponentially grows across platforms, so do the classic scores that accompany them. Even if Emmy goes in a different direction, Russo’s upcoming slate of work will undoubtedly continue to provide awards bounty. He’s currently scoring CBS’s American Gothic and provided the intimate score for HBO’s The Night Of. Next up is Fargo Season 3, FX’s Legion, and ABC’s buzzy fall series Time After Time. It’s a body of work that ranks Jeff Russo among the great composers of television and film.

Be sure to catch AwardsDaily TV’s full interview with Fargo composer Jeff Russo below or by subscribing to the Water Cooler Podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcast provider.

 

Robot S2

Episode 89: The Olympics, Mr. Robot S2 and Emmy’s Directing races highlight this week’s Water Cooler Podcast.

On this week’s Water Cooler Podcast, we’ve got a hodgepodge of TV and Emmy goodness. First off, we’re covering a little recent news in the TV world including upcoming dates for Amazon’s fall release schedule, a quick look at Friday’s Olympics Opening ceremony, and the 2016 winners in the Television Critics Association, the last major critics group to weigh in before Emmy voting on August 15. Then, we’re taking a look at Mr. Robot S2 at the halfway point. How does the freshman Emmy nominee hold up in its second season? Is this a one-shot wonder?

Next, our exploration of the Emmy categories continues with Comedy, Drama, Limited series direction. Who’s ahead in one of the classier Emmy races? Finally, we close with the Flash Forward of what television most excites us in the upcoming week. Thanks for listening!

03:38 – TV News
19:21 – Mr. Robot S2 (***Spoilers***)
39:38 – 2016 Emmy Directors
52:46 – Flash Forward

Conventions

Episode 88: The Cooler gang takes a look at the recent political conventions and 2016 Emmy’s Writing categories.

On this week’s Water Cooler Podcast, we get a little conventional. Political conventional. The political conventions are on everyone’s mind as each party puts on their best – or hopefully their best – show to convince undecided voters and rally the party faithful. After two weeks of the 2016 Republican and Democratic conventions, we take a non-biased as possible look at each party’s multi-million dollar pep rally. We discuss who had the most consistent message for the at-home audience, whose speeches resonated more, and which late night media host scored the most points on their coverage of the convention.

Then, we continue our analysis of 2016 Emmy below-the-line with the Writing categories – Comedy, Drama, Variety, and Limited Series. We take a look at who is most likely to triumph when the winners are announced in September.

As always, we close with the Flash Forward of what television most excites us in the upcoming week. Thanks for listening!

04:04 – Political Conventions
43:57 – 2016 Emmy Writing Categories and Predictions
01:08:22 – Flash Forward

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