Podcast

The Cooler Gang looks at the return of Eleven in Netflix’s Stranger Things 2. Plus, will booting Spacey from House of Cards or Lord of the Rings TV sell?

The Water Cooler Gang revisits Eleven, the Upside Down, and 1980s memorabilia. Yup, we finally review Netflix’s Stranger Things 2. Does the sequel season improve upon the original? What did we like? What could we have done without? And what’s up with Sean Astin? Plus, will the Television Academy continue to respond positively to the sci-fi fantasy series?

TV Tidbits has us again exploring more sex scandal fallout. After last week’s Kevin Spacey bombshell, Netflix tiptoed into an official reaction. Over the weekend, the streaming programmer officially announced that Spacey would be removed from House of Cards. That was before additional news leaked. Did Netflix make the right move? Next, speaking of right moves, Warner Bros TV and the J.R.R. Tolkien estate recently announced pending development of a Lord of the Rings TV series. Is this the right move for the property? How can we avoid Game of Thrones burnout? Finally, I’ll talk about my recent experiences at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival.

We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the television we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.

Thanks for listening and thank you, in advance, for subscribing and rating us on iTunes!

3:44 – TV Tidbits
39:24 – Stranger Things 2
1:13:46 – Flash Forward

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The Cooler Gang obsesses over one of Clarence’s favorite films, Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, as they kick off Our Favorite Movies: Volume 2.

This week at the Water Cooler, we kick off Volume 2 of our monthly series Our Favorite Movies. The series started with Clarence’s first pick, Sunset Boulevard. Then, Joey and Megan followed up with their picks Rebecca and Happy-Go-Lucky respectively. We highly encourage you to revisit these episodes if you haven’t heard them already. Now, Clarence kicks off Our Favorite Movies: Volume 2 with Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 classic Vertigo. What makes this film one of Clarence’s personal favorites? How do Megan and Joey react to the much-discussed film? And does its theme of obsessive female domination (and Hitch’s much-discussed controversial treatment of women) resonate differently in the post-Harvey Weinstein world? Plus, who would cast in a Vertigo remake? Yes, it’s a terrible idea, but that never stopped us before…

But first, Megan leads off TV Tidbits with her take on Netflix’s Mindhunter. How did she appraise the overall series after finishing it. Then, Joey gives us the latest on the Kevin Spacey scandal, including unfortunate news for fans of Netflix’s House of Cards.

We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the television we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.

Next week, join us as take a jaunt into the Upside Down with Stranger Things 2. Thanks for listening and thank you, in advance, for subscribing and rating us on iTunes!

7:23 – TV Tidbits
32:40 – Vertigo
1:35:02 – Flash Forward

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The Cooler Gang nods pensively during their discussion of David Fincher’s acclaimed Netflix series Mindhunter, starring Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany.

This week at the Water Cooler, we’re looking at David Fincher’s newest Netflix property, Mindhunter. Based on the novel Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker, Mindhunter details the early days of FBI criminal profiling. We talk about the merits of the series and whether or not the pilot truly represents what the bulk of the series offers. And yes, I realize I interchangeably refer to Mindhunter as “Manhunter.” My apologies to Mr. Fincher and crew.

In TV Tidbits, Joey and I kick things off with a conversation about the most recent episode of American Horror Story: Cult. Does a controversial performance by Lena Dunham and some revisionist history make this one for the ages? Then, we’re just under two months from the Golden Globe nominations. Who do we think the Hollywood Foreign Press Association will favor in the television categories?  Finally, in movie news, the Gotham Awards recently announced their picks for the 2017 film season. What will this say about the Oscar race?

We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the television we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.

Next week, join us as Our Favorite Movies: Volume 2 kicks off with Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece Vertigo. Thanks for listening and thank you, in advance, for subscribing and rating us on iTunes!

5:01 – TV Tidbits
51:21 – Mindhunter
1:16:10 – Flash Forward

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The Cooler Gang slashes their way into the new Happy Death Day and hacks up other, far better, examples of the slasher genre.

This week at the Water Cooler, we’re celebrating All Hallows Eve. We review Happy Death Day, this weekend’s cheaply made new number one film that bested the uber expensive Blade Runner 2049. We’ll also talk about some of our favorite slasher or scary movies. What are we watching in the run up Halloween?

In our Terrorizing TV Tidbits, we rip off the band-aid and focus on the limitless output of news surrounding The Weinstein Company’s Harvey Weinstein. News broke just over a week ago thanks to Ronan Farrow’s report in The New York Times. He illustrated several incidents of sexual harassment perpetrated by Weinstein. Then, the real onslaught started. Emerging from every corner of the globe, actresses revealed dozens of sickening stories regarding Harvey’s very bad behavior. We’ll talk about the widespread impact of the revelations on the entertainment industry.

We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the television we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.

Thanks for listening and thank you, in advance, for subscribing and rating us on iTunes!

4:44 – TV Tidbits
26:04 – Happy Death Day ***SPOILERS***
42:54 – Hot Slasher Flicks
1:11:38 – Flash Forward

The Cooler gang looks at current TV animation, including Netflix’s raunchy Big Mouth. Plus, we discuss Stephen King on TV with Castle Rock and Gerald’s Game.

This week at the Water Cooler, we’re feeling very animated, so we thought we’d take a survey of current hot animation. We look at the return of animated standards like The Simpsons (Season 29) and South Park (Season 21). How do their new seasons stand up to previous incarnations? Then, we look at Netflix’s new adult-leaning animated series, Big Mouth. Finally, we wrap the conversation with a look at Disney’s new animation offerings including a return to DuckTales. Is the Mouse House starting a new renaissance in television animation?

We kick off TV Tidbits with a look at Hulu’s Castle Rock teaser trailer coupled with a quick discussion of Netflix’s unexpectedly critically acclaimed Stephen King adaptation Gerald’s Game. Then, after the tragic events in Las Vegas, Hollywood responded by altering a handful of planned television outings. We take a look at whether or not these changes were warranted. Finally, Megan gives her opinion on the return of HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm.

We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the television we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.

Thanks for listening and thank you, in advance, for subscribing and rating us on iTunes!

4:10 – TV Tidbits
27:24 – TV Animation and Big Mouth
1:01:26 – Flash Forward

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Heather Graham, co-star of NBC’s Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders, joins the Water Cooler Podcast to discuss her latest role.

NBC’s Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders boasts one of the most assured dramatic casts this fall. Heather Graham, joining stars Edie Falco and Josh Charles, plays Judalon Smyth, a key participant in the case. While many may remember the murderous brothers’ shopping spree or their eventual conviction, Graham’s Smyth is involved with a more personal side to the Menendez drama.

In the second episode of Menendez Murders, it’s revealed that Charles’ Dr. Jerome Oziel is having an affair with Smyth. Like most “other woman” story lines, we see that Oziel promises to leave his wife, but Smyth takes control of her own desperation and threatens her lover to go to the police over the Menendez brothers’ involvement in their parent’s murder.

When we spoke with Graham, she revealed that she was drawn to Smyth because of her complicated relationship with Oziel. She also details some backstory that the series doesn’t delve into. We even get into a brief conversation about the lack of women’s roles in film and her directorial debut Half Magic, due in early 2018.

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The Cooler gang returns to NBC’s Will & Grace in both an overview of the series and an evaluation of the new season. Does it still have the goods?

This week at the Water Cooler, we’re discussing the return of NBC’s modern classic Will & Grace. We start with an overview of some of the sitcom’s best episodes according to Joey. Then, we take a look at the revival or 9th season. What did we think of the show’s return? Does it work in the modern era? And do we think the Television Academy will readily embrace the return?

Before that, we launch TV Tidbits with an overview of this weekend’s Saturday Night Live return. What worked, what didn’t, and are we sick of Alec Baldwin yet? Next, The Disney Channel plans a reboot/remake of it’s 1993 cult classic Hocus Pocus. Is this a good or a bad thing, and who would we cast in the roles of the Sanderson Sisters? Finally, we step into the film world to talk about Battle of the Sexes and whether or not it truly has Oscar heat.

We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the television we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.

Thanks for listening and thank you, in advance, for subscribing and rating us on iTunes!

9:38 – TV Tidbits
39:06 – Will & Grace
1:32:46 – Flash Forward

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The Cooler gang wraps Volume 1 of the on-going Our Favorite Movies series with Megan’s 2008 pick Happy-Go-Lucky, directed by Mike Leigh.

This week at the Water Cooler, we wrap up Volume 1 of the Our Favorite Movies series with Megan McLachlan’s selection. Mike Leigh’s 2008 film Happy-Go-Lucky stars Sally Hawkins in a Golden Globe-winning performance. Hawkins plays Poppy, a cheerful and optimistic school teacher. This critically acclaimed independent film received multiple critics awards and an Academy Award nomination for Mike Leigh’s screenplay. We dive into what makes this one of Megan’s favorite films and how it holds up for Joey. Plus, what does Clarence think of the film after seeing it for the first time?

Returning to our TV Tidbits segment, Clarence talks about the television and film-influenced aspects of Universal Studio’s Halloween Horror Nights. In related news, Clarence and Joey talk about American Horror Story: Cult with over a third of the series under our belts. Finally, we’ve all caught up to Darren Aronofsky’s mother!. What did we make of this much-discussed (and derided) film?

We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the television we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.

Thanks for listening and thank you, in advance, for subscribing and rating us on iTunes!

6:54 – TV Tidbits
44:58 – Happy-Go-Lucky
1:17:28 – Flash Forward

The Cooler gang is joined by Jalal Haddad as we say goodbye to the 2017 Emmy Season and put our thoughts into the 2018 Emmy Time Capsule.

We’ve had a day to absorb last night’s 2017 Primetime Emmy Awards telecast. What did we think of the big winners? Plus, who missed out on wins and why? And what did we think of Stephen Colbert’s job as telecast host? We dish about the ceremony and the winners as we say goodbye to the 2017 Emmy season.

Then, before we wrap, believe it or not we have to start this all over again. We each collect two artifacts from the 2017-2018 Emmy season to put in our 2018 Emmy Time Capsule. What will get in? What gets left out? Who will be next year’s front runner? What performances do we think will have the heat next season? We put ourselves on the line for near-certain ridicule next year.

We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the television we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.

Thanks for listening and thank you, in advance, for subscribing and rating us on iTunes!

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Jazz and Jalal join Joey and Clarence at the Water Cooler to dish the 2017 Creative Arts Emmys® and unveil their 2017 Emmy predictions.

It’s a special Emmy edition of the Water Cooler Podcast! Awards Daily TV Emmy experts Jazz Tangcay and Jalal Haddad join Joey and Clarence to dish the 2017 Emmys. We dispensing with the typical formalities of the Water Cooler Podcast. Today, it’s all about our 2017 Emmy predictions. That’s right, the Emmys will be announced Sunday night during a ceremony on CBS hosted by Emmy contender Stephen Colbert. We start with last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys, try to sort through the winners, and see whether or not a pattern has emerged for Sunday night. Then, we go around the Water Cooler and give our own fearless predictions for Sunday night’s awards.

Tune in to ADTV all week for Emmy news, including our Emmy Confidential series. Plus, don’t forget to vote in our 2nd Annual Primetime Emmy Prediction contest where you can win prizes!

Come back Sunday night for our ADTV Emmy chat!

Thanks for listening and thank you, in advance, for subscribing and rating us on iTunes!

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