"Television is a goddamned amusement park."
The Water Cooler Gang gathers with Jalal Haddad on the Sunday before the 2020 Emmy nominations to spitball any potential trends or surprises and to list our biggest Emmy wishes.
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It’s one of our very favorite podcasts! Every year at this time, the Water Cooler gang likes to pretend we are voting members of the Television Academy. So, it’s time for us to list our choices in “If We Had a 2020 Emmy Ballot.” We make selections in comedy, drama, limited series/TV movie categories plus all of the major performance categories in each genre. What does this exercise tell us about the 2020 Emmy cycle? Sometimes, we struggle to fill the slots. Sometimes, it’s a real Sophie’s choice to narrow down our favorites when the Television Academy limits some categories to five or six slots. Plus, be sure to keep reading Awards Daily TV all week for Team AD TV’s official 2020 Emmy nomination predictions. Next week, we’ll post two podcasts: one to give final thoughts headed into the July 28 nominations and one after the nominations are revealed.
But first, we continue our weekly therapy session, Corona(virus) Corner. Here, as always, we share what we’ve been watching since we’ve been sheltering at home.
We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the media we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.
Thanks for listening and thank you, in advance, for subscribing and rating us on Apple Podcasts!
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Believe it or not, we’ve reached the midway point of 2020. In a year that brought us much turmoil, there are still a few good things around. As we have done for the past few years, the Water Cooler gang takes a look at the 2020 television year at its halfway point and lists our five favorite shows of the year so far. This year, the gang’s choices are as varied as they’ve perhaps ever been. We think that’s a testament to the bevy of great 2020 television offered. Do any series overlap on Megan, Joey, or Clarence’s lists? Have a listen and find out!
We also take a look at the 2020 Television Critics Association (TCA) nominations. These awards were announced at the prime time for the 2020 Emmy season – in the middle of the Phase 1 voting window. What series were recognized? What was omitted? And what impact will these choices have on the 2020 Emmys, if any?
But first, we continue our weekly therapy session, Corona(virus) Corner. Here, as always, we share what we’ve been watching since we’ve been sheltering at home.
We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the media we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.
Thanks for listening and thank you, in advance, for subscribing and rating us on Apple Podcasts!
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Did you know that there was no recording of the I Love Lucy theme song? I sure didn’t when I watched Will & Grace‘s ‘We Love Lucy’ episode this past spring. Will & Grace‘s tribute episode to the greatest comedy of all time took is one of the most meticulously crafted homages in the history of television, and composers Scott Icenogle and Lior Rosner were tasked in recreating of the most celebrated theme songs ever.
Everyone can hum the theme song to I Love Lucy, so imagine the pressure in trying to find the right number of musicians and composing the theme song from scratch. If one note was out of place or the rhythm sagged, it would pull the audience completely out of the period mood that Will & Grace set out to replicate. Even the bumper music–with those great mood-setting horns–transport us back to another time to when Lucy was up to her old antics. It takes precision and an expected amount of skill to make it sound effortless, and Icenogle and Rosner do it beautifully.
I was thrilled to chat with Icenogle and Rosner about their work on ‘We Love Lucy’ as well as pick their brain on the revamped version of Jonathan Wolff’s iconic piano score. I am very sad to see the show go (for the second time!), and this meticulously crafted reimagining of such a revered piece of music is enough to garner Emmy recognition. How can you not reward the men that brought the sound of I Love Lucy back to life?
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We’re Here is a new HBO television series that follows the Drag Queens Eureka O’Hara, Shangela, and Bob the Drag Queen as they travel from town to town helping bring the drag experience to local people within the town, along with a fabulous performance.
Marla Weinhoff was in charge of the production design elements for the show, from the design of the cars to the set pieces including that Dr. Frankenstein set that was one of the most emotional moments for the series.
In this conversation, you will hear Marla talk about how she brought her past experience in the music and fashion world to create some of the greatest visual representation for the queens and participants. Marla also discusses one of the key crucial elements the “safe space” her team would construct offset in every town in order to build and create comfort on this set. Please enjoy our conversation!
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This week, we continue The Almodóvar Series as part of our Most Iconic Directors series . This is, of course, our monthly look at the films and legacy of Spain’s Pedro Almodóvar. June’s title (yes, recorded in July) is his 2002 Oscar winner for screenplay Talk To Her. The film brought Almodóvar his first Oscar for screenplay after winning Best Foreign Language Film for All About My Mother. Talk To Her breaks away from Almodovar’s stable of regular actors and stars Javier Cámara and Darío Grandinetti. Both actors would go on perform in later Almodóvar films. We talk about how Talk To Her marks a shift away from his female-centered films, focusing on two men and the women in comas on which they obsess. We talk about Talk To Her and its themes with special guest Brian Susbielles.
Next month’s entry will be Almodóvar’s NC-17 rated Bad Education with guest Nathaniel Rogers.
But first, we continue our weekly therapy session, Corona(virus) Corner. Here, as always, we share what we’ve been watching since we’ve been sheltering at home.
We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the media we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.
Thanks for listening and thank you, in advance, for subscribing and rating us on Apple Podcasts!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
We’re Here is a new HBO television series that follows the Drag Queens Eureka O’Hara, Shangela and Bob the Drag Queen as they travel from town to town helping bring the drag experience to local people within the town, along with a fabulous performance.
Cinematographers Ben Bloodwell & Bryan Donnell beautifully blend three different styles of show in one episode, starting with the classic verité style which then leads into the camp element (middle portion) of the show, and ends with a fantastic drag performance. Ben and Bryan shot every episode together and created a seamless visual experience that brings out the heart and soul of this show along with the fun.
During this conversation, you will hear how they talk about how they were able to navigate the different aspects of the show, from capturing Matthew’s father (who they had not met) watching the show to filming the queens riding around at the monster truck rally. Their camera work and variety of style help bring this show to life, which remains one of the best shot television series of 2020.
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HBO Max premiered in late May without the hefty stable of new series originally planned. Thank the COVID-19 shut down for that. Fortunately for HBO Max and showrunner Sam Boyd, the Anna Kendrick-starring comedy Love Life wrapped its final scene just in time to premiere with the heavily publicized streaming service. That catapulted the series and its creator, Sam Boyd, into the limelight.
Love Life follows Darby (Anna Kendrick) as she navigates early adulthood, dating, and love. It doesn’t simply focus on romantic love; it also allows time for friendship and Darby’s complicated relationship with her mother (Hope Davis). The theme of the series is a character study of a young woman whose life is shaped and molded by those around her. Led by charismatic and thoughtful lead performance by Anna Kendrick and a blisteringly great supporting performance from Zoë Chao, Love Life was extremely well received when it initially premiered. So beloved that HBO Max opted against the originally scheduled gradual rollout. Instead, they quickly released the entire series in batches of three.
Love Life creator Sam Boyd joins the Water Cooler Podcast to talk about how he created the series and how he partnered with star Anna Kendrick to further develop Darby. He also talks about how much of Sam Boyd, himself, exists within the series. Finally, he talks about working with HBO Max and whether or not he felt any anxiety at being the launch comedy for the streaming service.
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HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones isn’t a parody of religion. That’s the first thing the cast will tell you about the lauded comedy, which premiered last August. Instead, the series explores a family – the titular Gemstones – who seriously believe in God and legitimately want to serve Him. It’s just that they’re basically terrible people – all too likely to suffer the pitfalls of their human sins. But Adam Devine’s Kelvin Gemstone travels a different path.
Devine’s performance as Kelvin isn’t the loud and brash Adam Devine persona you’ve seen in something in films like Pitch Perfect or on television series like Workaholics. Kelvin is the sensitive Gemstone, wanting to do right by himself, his flock, and yes, his God. It’s a refreshing change of pace role that Devine relished playing. The outstanding cast led by Danny McBride and John Goodman didn’t hurt either.
In this latest Emmy edition of the Water Cooler Podcast, Adam Devine talks about building the character of Kelvin, including the very specific and spot-on wardrobe choices. He talks about studying televangelists to appropriately capture the routine. And he also talks a little about what exactly is going on between Kelvin and best friend (?) Keefe.
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Netflix’s The Politician stars Ben Platt as Payton Hobart, a high school student in the midst of a heated campaign for student body president. His ambition doesn’t end there. He is also a self-proclaimed future President of the United States. As played by Platt, Payton is a fascinating cipher and walking contradiction. He wants people to love him, but he can’t figure out exactly who he is. He’s naked ambition, but he’s unable to achieve his goals independently.
Platt’s lead performance received raves when The Politician premiered last fall. He delivers the Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan dialogue in rapid-fire brilliance. He balances the tricky tonal shifts with ease, conveying the darkly comic moments as easily as he does the heavier, dramatic moments. And, yes, he sings. Three times.
Ben Platt joins Clarence at the Water Cooler to discuss his performance over The Politician‘s two seasons (season two dropped June 19). He talks about how he found the character and about what it was like to face off against Jessica Lange, Judith Light, and Bette Midler. He also talks about what The Politician ultimately has to say about politics and the young vote. Finally, he talks about his life-long dream of performing at Radio City Music Hall, which was filmed and released on Netflix earlier this spring.
And we talk a little about the upcoming Dear Evan Hanson film.
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