Judging the Big 2018 Fall Network TV Premieres… One Trailer At A Time

The Cooler Gang takes a look at the big 2018 Fall Network TV premieres via some recently released trailers. Plus, we dive in Jason Reitman’s Tully.

After last week’s bloodbath of TV cancellations, the networks began to present trailers for their new fall series this week. Yes, it’s kind of like a television phoenix rising from the ashes. Thanks to our friends at Entertainment Weekly for consolidating the newest 2018 Fall Network TV trailers into one handy list. We comb through what’s available and give flash opinions on each. Will we watch? Or will they crash and burn?

Before we jump into that topic, we discuss Jason Reitman’s latest film Tully in a spoiler-filled discussion. If you haven’t seen then film, then skip 5:00 to around 26:30. We also talk about the new trailer for Bohemian Rhapsody, starring Emmy-winner Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury. Once thought to be a potential Oscar candidate, did recent news of plot points spoil that possibility? We discuss that and more at the Water Cooler this week.

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

Coming up next week is Joey’s entry in the on-going Our Favorite Movies series. His Volume 4 pick is Ang Lee’s underrated The Ice Storm.

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

TV Cancellations, Tonys and Touring the Emmy Tracker

It’s just another Megan-less Monday at the Water Cooler Podcast where Joey and Clarence talk ‘Patrick Melrose,’ Emmys, TV cancellations, and Tony nominations.

Nope, we’re not joined by Cord and Tish this week in lieu of Megan’s unfortunate absence. Joey and Clarence bravely gather ’round the Water Cooler instead. First up on the docket is Showtime’s Patrick Melrose. Discussion of that very strong limited series leads to a general conversation about the current 2018 Emmy slate. Check out the Emmy Tracker on ADTV to guide you through the conversation. Will the recent separation arc on black-ishhelp or hurt its chances? Can Versace maintain enough momentum to win any Emmys? Is a lukewarm reaction to Season 2 of The Handmaid’s Tale enough to best the behemoth Game of Thrones? Find out in our latest Emmy chat. Then, Joey’s been foaming at the mouth to talk about the recent round of TV cancellations… or as many have called it the TV bloodbath. Where did all these Brooklyn Nine-Nine fans come from? And which show would Joey and Clarence bring back themselves?

All of this and more on the latest Water Cooler Podcast. You’ll have to listen to see how Cord and Tish factor into the conversation.

Also, heads up, Joey changed his pick for Our Favorite Movies, Volume 4. Let’s save Copycat for another day. Instead, we’re revisiting an underrated Ang Lee classic also starring Sigourney Weaver, The Ice Storm.

(Photo: Showtime)

 

 

It’s a Pop Culture Pop Quiz Quickie!

Joey quickly devises a devious and downright dastardly pop quiz for Megan and Clarence. Who emerges victorious? Listen and find out!

It’s a quickie at the Water Cooler this week. We’re aiming to keep this one in under 20 minutes. So, being the expert at quickies, Joey designed a TV pop quiz for Clarence and Megan to again face off.

In TV Tidbits, we’re tackling the advent of a new season of Arrested Development. First, Netflix released a re-edited cut of Season 4, which dumped the Roshomon-like storytelling in favor of a more traditional narrative. That’s just the appetizer for Season 5, which drops May 29. We talk about the rush of Arrested Developmentnews plus the mea culpa press tour by troubled star Jeffrey Tambor.

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!

 

This Is the Dawning Of ‘The Age Of Innocence’

The Cooler Gang gathers politely, yet contemptuously, around the Water Cooler to discuss Martin Scorsese’s underrated classic The Age of Innocence in Our Favorite Movies, Volume 4.

Clarence kicks off the fourth volume of the Our Favorite Movies monthly series with his favorite film, Martin Scorsese’s 1993 epic The Age of Innocence. Based on Edith Wharton’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, the period drama stars Daniel Day-Lewis and Michelle Pfeiffer. They play lovers segregated by social customs of late 1870s New York City. Despite giving fantastic performances, neither actor received Oscar nominations. Instead, Winona Ryder received the only acting Oscar attention. She also won a Golden Globe for a vaguely controversial performance. We talk about the film, its performances, its period splendor, and why the Academy failed to warm to it.

TV Tidbits kicks off in the film world. We look at the newly crowned largest opening weekend box office champ Disney/Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War. In the TV world, we discuss the recent controversy around The Simpsons. How should we treat Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, voiced by the great Hank Azaria? Closing with a quick round of topics, we rush through this weekend’s White House Correspondents Dinner, the 2018 Emmy host announcement, and tomorrow’s Tony nominations announcement.

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!

5:39 – TV Tidbits
47:14 – The Age of Innocence
1:39:15 – Flash Forward

Our 2018 Summer Movie Preview

The Cooler Gang gets ready for the 2018 Summer Movie season with an overview of their most anticipated summer films, a new game, and a quick review of HBO’s Westworld.

It’s all about Summer this week. Is still Spring you say? Well, not according to Hollywood because next Friday marks the debut of the 2018 Summer movie season. Disney/Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity Warkicks things off with an anticipated massive opening weekend box office fresh off February’s Black Panther. We take a look at our most anticipated summer movies and run a quick marathon See It or Skip It session on all the major summer releases. You’ll understand when we get there.

In TV Tidbits, Clarence leads a quick conversation about HBO’s Westworldwhich premiered last night.  

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

Next week, we kick off Our Favorite Movies Volume 4 with Clarence’s pick of Martin Scorsese’s 1993 masterpiece The Age of Innocence. Get ready to geek out on some New York society shenanigans circa the late 1890s. Oh yeah (insert Kool Aid man picture with top hat and monocle)!

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

5:50 – TV Tidbits
11:53 – 2018 Summer Movie Preview
55:14 – Flash Forward

Gotta Go Back, Back, Back To Gilead Again

Woah. Woah. We gotta go. Back to Gilead. Again. The Cooler Gang reviews Hulu’s Emmy-winning The Handmaid’s Tale Season 2 starring Emmy-winner Elisabeth Moss.

Kelly Clarkson’s Stronger welcomes us into this week’s podcast. Judging from Hulu’s Emmy-winning The Handmaid’s Tale, what doesn’t kill Elisabeth Moss’s Offred clearly makes her stronger. She’s back along with Aunt Lydia, Serena Joy, Moira, and even Alexis Bledel’s Emily with a second season of futuristic nihilism. We talk about how well the series fares on its own with Margaret Atwood’s novel behind it. What do we like? Is it as good as the first season? And what will the Television Academy think of The Handmaid’s Tale Season 2?

We’re running a marathon session of TV Tidbits this week. Megan gives us a quick reaction to Hulu’s The Looming Tower. Next, Clarence gushes about Schitt’s Creek Season 4. Finally, Joey takes a look at his favorite sketch from last Saturday’s Saturday Night Live.

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!

6:07 – TV Tidbits
21:10 – The Handmaid’s Tale Season 2
58:45 – Flash Forward

Previewing the 2018 Limited Series Emmy Races

The Cooler Gang wraps their preview of this year’s Emmy race with a look at the series in contention for the 2018 Limited Series Emmy categories.

This week, we’re wrapping our preview of the current Emmy season at the Water Cooler with the 2018 Limited Series Emmy races. Last year, the Limited Series races were the talk of Hollywood. This year’s crop remains somewhat muted. This year’s big questions are whether or not FX’s Trust ultimately goes Drama or Limited Series. Also, how big can The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story be? What about Twin Peaks? We talk about what series will ultimately fall within the Limited Series race, what are locks, and what are potential spoilers. In the acting races, we tackle the question: Is Jessica Biel about to win an Emmy?

In this week’s TV tidbits, Megan brings us up to speed on a recent buzzy episode of FX’s Atlanta. Clarence brings covers HBO’s “ripped from the headlines” Paterno TV movie. And Joey dishes on American Horror Story Season 8 with some recent revelations from Ryan Murphy.

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!

7:21 – TV Tidbits
22:10 – 2018 Limited Series Emmy Races
1:16:57 – Flash Forward

Previewing the 2018 Comedy Emmy Races

The Cooler Gang returns to the 2018 Emmy race with a look at the series in contention for the Comedy Emmy categories. Plus, all hail Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert.

We’re continuing our preview of the 2018 Emmy season at the Water Cooler this week. Next up are the Comedy Emmy races which are heating up thanks to the absence of HBO’s dominating force Veep. FX’s acclaimed Atlanta emerged with a second season that is even more brilliant than its first. But it faces tough competition from some new comic faces including Amazon’s Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Showtime’s SMILF. Then, the networks are making a run with some high profile and critically acclaimed reboots in NBC’s Will & Graceand ABC’s Roseanne in addition to HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm. We discuss who sits in the pole position now and who is most likely to lead the nominations in July.

In this week’s TV tidbits, we’re reviewing NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert and discussing its Emmy chances. And speaking of Roseanne, how will its close association to Donald Trump impact its future? And just how good is the reboot really?

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!

9:22 – TV Tidbits
46:45 – 2018 Comedy Emmy Races
1:30:59 – Flash Forward

Our Favorite Movies Vol. 3: Megan’s Love Affair with ‘Love and Death’

On this week’s podcast, Megan introduces one of her favorite films – Woody Allen’s Love and Death – as the Cooler gang wraps up Volume 3 of Our Favorite Movies. Plus, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Versace in TV Tidbits.

This week, we’re concluding Volume 3 of the Our Favorite Movies series with Megan’s pick: Woody Allen’s 1975 Love and Death. This comic ode to the great Russian novels stars Allen as, naturally, a profoundly nervous Russian man in love with his cousin, Diane Keaton. He’s also torn between love of his country and love of his own life as Russia enters the Napoleonic Wars. We talk about what Megan loves about the film, Joey and Clarence’s reactions to it, and how it stands against Allen’s broader oeuvre.

In this week’s TV tidbits, we’re talking about NBC’s upcoming deep dive into Andrew Lloyd Webber with a tribute concert and Easter’s live production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Plus, we wrap our conversation on FX’s The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story now that the second season finished.

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!

7:40 – TV Tidbits
37:47 – Love and Death
54:14 – Flash Forward

Previewing the 2018 Drama Series Emmy Race

The Cooler Gang returns to the 2018 Emmy race with a look at the series in contention for the Drama categories. Plus, Megan and Joey dish RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.

Today marks the first in a series of three podcasts where we’ll deep-dive into the 2018 Emmy race. Today, we’ll kick things off with the 2018 Drama Series top five categories including the four main acting races and drama series. Is the race coming down to a 3-way between Game of Thrones, This Is Us, and the presumed high quality Handmaid’s Tale follow up? Or will an expanded Westworld Season 2 take pole position? We run through each major race and give our predictions as things stand now.

In a very special TV Tidbits, Joey and Megan rehash the RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 3 finale. Clarence goes on mute and thinks about his life.

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

Next week, Megan closes out our third volume of Our Favorite Movies with Woody Allen’s 1975 classic Love and Death. Be sure to catch up as we discuss the film on next week’s podcast.

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

4:42 – TV Tidbits: Drag Race Edition
12:33 – 2018 Drama Series Race
1:07:37 – Flash Forward