Extra Hot Great: This Week In TV

With its series adaptation of The Handmaid's Tale a major awards success for Hulu, the logical next step is an adaptation of its sequel novel, The Testaments, revolving around the privileged young women of Gilead being prepared for their lives as Commanders' Wives; Alison Herman returns to discuss the latest project on Chase Infiniti's extremely prestigious CV. Around The Dial takes us through Hacks S05, DTF St. Louis, and The Truth And Tragedy Of Moriah Wilson. Mary pitches the Heated Rivalry episode "I'll Believe In Anything" for induction into The Canon. Then, after naming the week's Winner and Loser, it's on to a Game Time that has a lot of love to give. Make yourself some cinnamon toast and listen!

GUESTS
👤 Alison Herman

TOPICS
Lead Topic: ✝️ The Testaments
Around The Dial: 🤣 Hacks
Around The Dial: 📱 DTF St. Louis
Around The Dial: 📹 The Truth And Tragedy Of Moriah Wilson
The Canon: 🏒 Heated Rivalry S01.E05: I'll Believe In Anything
Winner & Loser: ❤️‍🔥 David E. Kelley
Winner & Loser: 🏁 RuPaul's Drag Race
Game Time: 💋 Lip Mashers

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NOTES
🗒 Full episode notes can be found on this episode's page on our site
🦋 Alison Herman on Bluesky
🌴 The Again With This podcast
👊 The New Techniques In Modern Practical Combat podcast
✍️ Alison at Variety
🎶 The Dolly 64 Season on Mark And Sarah Talk About Songs
🎞️ TCM's The Plot Thickens podcast
👾 "Drag Race Interrupts Its Art With AI Slop" at Reality Blurred
📷 Photo: Disney / Steve Wilkie

CLUB-ONLY NOTES
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💬 Get On Our Community Discord

For All Mankind, aka "Space Show," may be laboring under 15 tons of old-age makeup -- but the panel, and guest David J. Roth, are here for it. Maybe in space, the makeup is weightless? Or maybe it's a handful of good performances amid the non-credible writing, or the show's occasional foray into lunatic interstellar action (and Martian pizza franchising) -- but if you're not already watching, you're excused to go Around The Dial with us for SNL UK, Color Theories By Julio Torres, DTF St. Louis, The Lowdown's first-season finale, and Last One Laughing UK. Dave celebrated a Netflix-programming Tiny Triumph, and Tara made an arresting case for a fifth-season Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Laura Dern won, Star Trek's modern franchises lost, and clear eyes and full hearts couldn't lose in a sports-centric Game Time. Start your sol off right with an all-new Extra Hot Great!

GUESTS
👤 David J. Roth

TOPICS
Lead Topic: 🪐 For All Mankind
Around The Dial: 💂🏻 Saturday Night Live UK
Around The Dial: 🎨 Color Theories By Julio Torres
Around The Dial: 📱 DTF St. Louis
Around The Dial: 📚 The Lowdown
Around The Dial: 🤣 Last One Laughing UK
Tiny Triumph: 🏛️ Kennedy
The Canon: 📦 Brooklyn Nine-Nine S05.E14: The Box
Winner & Loser: 🔪 Laura Dern
Winner & Loser: 🚀 Star Trek
Game Time: 🏟️ 19 Questions: Sports Edition

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NOTES
🗒 Full episode notes can be found on this episode's page on our site
🏀 David J. Roth at Defector
👊 Roth on the suburban-guy-vs.-Reacher kerfuffle
👋 Alan Sepinwall bails For All Mankind
🎙️ Tara's Dan Bucatinsky interview at Decider
🍝 The Soprano Ten at Best Evidence
📷 Photo: Apple

This is an un-vaulting of EEHG 388. Haaaaappy holidays! Return with us now to December 3, 1980 -- and all the utterly of-their-time commercials (and by "their time," we kind of mean the '70s) from a rerun of an After School Special, including Barbie food, fights over fluoride, and the worst baby-doll ever. We're also answering your Ask EHG questions about real-life tropes and memorable magazines, and Tara is muttering "Rosebud" in the direction of the Tiny Canon; our Not Quite Top 11 Lists explore roadside attractions and board games. Then we're unwrapping the most important boxes of television. Hop on the Starburst-coaster and join us!

TOPICS
Lead Topic: 🪥 December 3, 1980 Commercials
Ask EHG: ☕️ Standard coffee orders
Tiny Canon: 🛷 The Kids In The Hall S01.E03
Not Quite Top 11: 📍 Best Roadside America Destinations Worth Visiting Between Each Leg Of A Road Trip Comprising TV Shows With American Cities In Their Titles
Not Quite Top 11: 🎲 TV Shows That You Initially Think Should Absolutely NOT Have A Branded Board Game, But Then The More You Think About It, The More You’re Like, But How Would That Even Work, Wait Actually I Kind Of Want To Play That Now
Not Quite Top 11: 💩 Least Enticing Holiday TV Episode Titles
KRTMATIWOTVLM: 🏠 Little House On The Prairie S04.E15: Whisper Country
Extra Credit: 📦 Important TV Boxes
Mini: 🎄 Holiday Varieties (Dec 2016)

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NOTES
🗒 Full episode notes can be found on this episode's page on our site
🤑 The 12/3/80 ad reel on YouTube
🥃 Or watch "The Late Great Me! Story Of A Teenage Alcoholic"
📦 "The One With Chandler In A Box"
👋 Long Gone
🎂 Kendall’s “Too Much Birthdays” meltdown
📤 “The Farnsworth Parabox”

This is an un-vaulting of EEHG 376. For this year's special This Week In TV History episode, we're journeying back to 1996 for February sweeps -- specifically, the week of February 21-27 -- and investigating all the starry stunts the networks AND premium cable channels were busting out to capture audiences. Leading (with its chin) is The Late Shift, HBO's TV movie take on Bill Carter's nonfiction book about Jay Leno and David Letterman's battle to replace Johnny Carson as host of The Tonight Show. Did these stupid human tricks enthrall us? Adam Sternbergh returns to talk about it. Around The Dial takes us to an all-CBS-Monday-sitcoms event featuring Elizabeth Taylor, a string of black pearls, and her new Black Pearls fragrance; the many non-Friends and Seinfeld sitcoms NBC tried to launch on Thursday nights in the 90s; ER's Season 2 episode "The Healers"; and the sci-fi drama Nowhere Man. Dave pitches "Homer The Smithers" from The Simpsons for induction into The Canon. Then, after naming the week of February 21-27's biggest Winner and Loser, it's on to a VERY questionable game time. Listen in -- you don't have to do it crouched next to a phone playing it in the next room, but you might be surprised by what you get out of it if you do!

GUESTS
👤 Adam Sternbergh

TOPICS
Lead Topic: 🌙 The Late Shift
Around The Dial: 💎 CBS's Elizabeth Taylor Night
Around The Dial: 🪦 NBC's Must-See TV Graveyard
Around The Dial: 🏥 ER S02.E16: The Healers
Around The Dial: 🗺️ Nowhere Man
The Canon: 🥣 The Simpsons S07.E17: Homer The Smithers
Winner & Loser: 💯 Almost Perfect
Winner & Loser: 🖖 Over-invested Star Trek Fans
Game Time: 🤔 19 Questions: 1995-96 TV Season Edition

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NOTES
🗒 Full episode notes can be found on this episode's page on our site
📚 Adam Sternbergh's website
📰 Dick Cavett's review of The Late Shift in the New York Times
🌴 Again With Again With This 161: Let's Watch Nicholle Tom In The Series Premiere Of The Nanny! [subscription required]
🫥 "10 Forgotten 90s Sitcoms That Still Work Today" at Cracked
👩🏻‍⚕️ Our ER draft episode
💯 Almost Perfect on Wikipedia
📷 Photo: HBO

The third Bill Lawrence show to début or return in 2026 Q1 is Rooster, loosely "What if Carl Hiaasen had a daughter he needed to help through her divorce from a fellow prof at a New England liberal arts college by taking a job there?" College English instructor Robert Krut returns to discuss whether it's worth auditing. Around The Dial lands on Vladimir, The Fall And Rise Of Reggie Dinkins, Chris Fleming: Live At The Palace, The Lowdown, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, and Young Sherlock. Bobby pitches the 9-1-1 episode "Karma's A Bitch" for induction into The Canon. Then, after identifying the week's Winner and Loser (promulgating a conspiracy theory along the way), we go to the head of the class for Non-Regulation Game Time. Get yourself some warm nuts and join us!

GUESTS
👤 Robert Krut

TOPICS
Lead Topic: 🐓 Rooster
Around The Dial: 📚 Vladimir
Around The Dial: 🏈 The Fall And Rise Of Reggie Dinkins
Around The Dial: 🕺 Chris Fleming: Live At The Palace
Around The Dial: 🤠 The Lowdown
Around The Dial: 💷 Peaky Blinders The Immortal Man
Around The Dial: 🔎 Young Sherlock
The Canon: 🌳 9-1-1 S01.E08: Karma's A Bitch
Winner & Loser: 📜 The Lowdown
Winner & Loser: 👎 Carrie Underwood
Game Time: 👩‍🏫 Teacher Appreciation Week

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NOTES
🗒 Full episode notes can be found on this episode's page on our site
🦋 Robert Krut on Bluesky
✍️ Tara at Decider
📖 Robert Krut's Website
🗣️ Dirty Talk (featuring Sarah) on Hulu
📷 Katrina Marcinowski/HBO

R.J. Decker is a photojournalist-turned-private investigator who originated in a novel by Carl Hiaasen. Is he more than just the network-TV version of Bad Monkey? Kim Reed returns to talk about it. Around The Dial takes us to Nate Bargatze's new ABC game show The Greatest Average American, and all over the current reality landscape: The Traitors S04, Survivor 50, House Of Villains S03, and Australian Survivor: Redemption. Julie offers an argument for The Good Wife episode "Closing Arguments" to be inducted into The Canon. Then, after naming the week's Winner and Loser, we close up with a flat and grassy Non-Regulation Game Time. Leave your trailer precariously balanced on the edge of a sinkhole and join us!

GUESTS
👤 Kim Reed

TOPICS
Announcement: 📢 Discord Re-org
Lead Topic: 🦩 R.J. Decker
Around The Dial: 🤷‍♂️ The Greatest Average American
Around The Dial: 🏝️ Reality Roundup
The Canon: 🧤 The Good Wife S02.E23: Closing Arguments
Winner & Loser: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Groundskeeper Willie
Winner & Loser: 🍷 Possibly Sonja Morgan
Game Time: 🌾 Little Houses On The Prairie

NOTES
🗒 Full episode notes can be found on this episode's page on our site
🦋 Kim Reed on Bluesky
🎤 Chris Fleming: Live At The Palace on HBO Max
🗡️ "The Traitors Needs To Ban Housewives" by Joe Reid at Vulture [subscription required]
📷 Photo: ABC

CLUB-ONLY NOTES
🔥 EHG Club Perk Links & How-To
💬 Get On Our Community Discord

Paradise is back for a whole new season of [major spoiler redacted]. After we made guest Alyson Lewis cram 11 episodes in a week, is she mad at us, or delighted to welcome her favorite new show into her life? Listen to find out. Around The Dial takes us through Reality Check: America's Next Top Model, Tales Of The Unexpected, and The Rockford Files. Tara pitches Northern Exposure's S02 premiere, "Goodbye To All That," for induction into The Canon. Then, after naming the week's Winner and Loser, we close up with a Non-Regulation Game Time about matching titles to shows. Saddle up your ride and join us!

GUESTS
👤 Alyson Lewis

TOPICS
Lead Topic: 🏝️ Paradise
Around The Dial: 💃 Reality Check: America's Next Top Model
Around The Dial: ⁉️ Tales Of The Unexpected
Around The Dial: 🕵🏻‍♂️ The Rockford Files
The Canon: 🫎 Northern Exposure S02.E01: Goodbye To All That
Winner & Loser: 🥖 The Hunt
Winner & Loser: 🌽 Caleb Flynn
Game Time: 3️⃣ Three-Title Problem

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NOTES
🗒 Full episode notes can be found on this episode's page on our site
🏒 The Overdue podcast episode on the Heated Rivalry book
😵‍💫 Alyson's newsletter, Yes I Was High
👋 "Goodbye To All That" by Joan Didion, from Slouching Towards Bethlehem
📷 Photo: Ser Baffo / Disney

The latest true-life story from the Ryan Murphy factory is Love Story, all about John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. Was our 90s nostalgia powerful enough to get us past its taste issues? Jessica Morgan returns to talk about it. Around The Dial stops at Going Dutch Season 2 (NOT Tara's favorite show, but she does like it!) and Summer House. Dave wonders if a certain recent piece of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is Worse Than Jazz. Tara pitches "The Modernization Of Emily" from The Bob Newhart Show for induction into The Canon. Then, after naming the week's Winner and Loser, we end on a Non-Regulation Game Time that might be a tough sell. Put down your vintage copy of People's Sexiest Man Alive (1988) and listen!

GUESTS
👤 Jessica Morgan

TOPICS
Lead Topic: 💙 Love Story
Around The Dial: 🇳🇱 Going Dutch
Around The Dial: 🩳 Summer House
Is This Worse Than Jazz?: 💦 A specific line delivered by Paul Giamatti in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
The Canon: 🛋️ The Bob Newhart Show S02.E17: The Modernization Of Emily
Winner & Loser: 🦍 Saturday Night Live
Winner & Loser: 🍝 Jimmy Fallon
Game Time: 💰 Promotional Considerations II

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NOTES
🗒 Full episode notes can be found on this episode's page on our site
🦋 Jessica Morgan on Bluesky
✍️ Tara's Decider author page (where you can find her recaps of Love Story and James Van Der Beek tribute)
👗 Go Fug Yourself
🍸 The Drinks With Broads newsletter
🦷 Peter Bonerz wearing the Tommy Tooth shirt
📷 Photo: FX

Peacock counter-programmed the Super Bowl with a series adaptation of the 1989 horror comedy The 'Burbs. Horror expert Matt Monagle makes his EHG début to discuss whether it made a convincing case for its existence in its new format. Around The Dial stops at Shrinking S03 and the first two seasons of AMC's Interview With The Vampire. Tara explains why front-facing vertical video commercials in the style of social media ads have no business airing on TV. Sean pitches the series finale of Star Trek: The Next Generation for induction into The Canon. Then, after naming the week's Winner and Loser, we end on a non-regulation game time that's bathed in blood. Quit spying on your neighbors and listen!

GUESTS
👤 Matt Monagle

TOPICS
Announcement: 👚 Sarah, Subs & Shirts
Lead Topic: 🏘️ The 'Burbs
Around The Dial: 😶‍🌫️ Shrinking
Around The Dial: 🧛🏻 Interview With The Vampire
I Am Not A Crackpot: 🤳 TikTok-Style Ads Have No Place On Television
The Canon: 🚀 Star Trek: The Next Generation S07.E25: All Good Things...
Winner & Loser: ⚔️ Baldur's Gate
Winner & Loser: 🥔 Tate McRae
Game Time: 🔪 19 Questions: TV Horror Edition

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NOTES
🗒 Full episode notes can be found on this episode's page on our site
🦋 Matt Monagle on Bluesky
📜 Resources for Haitian residents in Springfield, OH at Ohio Immigrant
🧟‍♂️ Certified Forgotten
📷 Photo: Elizabeth Morris / Peacock

The Muppet Show returns with a one-off episode starring Sabrina Carpenter; Muppetry expert Adam Grosswirth returns to discuss it, including whether the new version nailed the original's vibe, what makes a good Muppet guest (and whether Sabrina's got the right stuff), and how we can't believe Dolly Parton never guested on the show (...so far). Later, we went Around The Dial with The Pete Davidson Show, Ugliest House In America, and Conspiracy Theories, and Adam hoped nobody would object to his first-season L.A. Law Canon brief. Impractical Jokers won, Grant Show lost, and we dropped Muppets into primetime shows for a mash-up Game Time. It's time to get things started on an all-new Extra Hot Great!

GUESTS
👤 Adam Grosswirth

TOPICS
Lead Topic: 🐸 The Muppet Show (2026)
Around The Dial: 🗑️ The Pete Davidson Show
Around The Dial: 🏚️ The Ugliest House In America
Around The Dial: 🕵 Conspiracy Theories
The Canon: 🐂 L.A. Law S01.E17: Beef Jerky
Winner & Loser: 🃏 Impractical Jokers
Winner & Loser: ❤️‍🔥 Grant Show
Game Time: 🐷 The Muppet Shows

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NOTES
🗒 Full episode notes can be found on this episode's page on our site
🎙️ Hear more Muppet analysis from Adam Grosswirth on the Muppeturgy podcast
🦋 Adam on Bluesky
🐀 Listen to Muppet Show writer Albertina Rizzo talk about the special on the Bananas Podcast
💄 Listen To Sassy Club
🛖 EHG 417 on The Ugliest House In America
🤪 Sarah's review of Conspiracy Theories at Best Evidence
📷 Photo: Disney+