Indiewire's Very Good TV Podcast

What a year it has been, right? So Liz and Ben are here to reflect on all the amazing stuff that happened in 2018, because optimism isn't dead and after the year that was 2017, it's fun to "remember" that things can get better.

A special time for a very special guest! What better holiday gift could Liz and Ben ask for than Emmy winner Sam Esmail coming by — not to discuss his truly exciting series "Mr. Robot," but to instead fight about which of three other series was the true king of 2017 and in general discuss what makes TV so compelling. (Why yes, "The Leftovers" does come up — why do you ask?)

An alternate title for this podcast: "Why all awards shows should have a Best Ensemble award!" Liz and Ben dig into the SAG Awards nominations as well as shows which could deserve equal consideration. (Surprisingly, "The Leftovers" comes up!)

Liz and Ben are joined by Hanh Nguyen and Steve Greene, their colleagues in TV coverage, to reveal their picks for the most important people behind the best television of the year. (Surprisingly, "The Leftovers" comes up.)

The creators of anthology series like "Easy" and "Black Mirror" put a lot of time and effort into creating an episode order for their seasons — but should people stick with the order as presented, or experiment with their own selections? Ben and Liz have different takes on the issue.

As the holiday season heats up, Liz and Ben are forced to confront that these days, there's no easy way to give someone a television show. Are they Luddites for not embracing the streaming era? Or are they missing an obvious solution?

Liz and Ben go around the Thanksgiving dinner table to craft some recommendations for hypothetical family members. (Shockingly, "The Leftovers" comes up!)

"Twin Peaks" co-creator Mark Frost just released a new book of tales from the series — but do they actually count when it comes to the official Lynch/Frost narrative? And how do other ancillary materials fit into other franchises? Liz and Ben dig in (shockingly, "The X-Files" comes up!).

Sometimes a TV show finds truly unique ways to tell a story, not just within the episode but on a far broader scale. Liz and Ben break down a few of their favorite recent examples. Not all of them are extremely pornographic! (Also, shockingly, THE LEFTOVERS comes up.)

It's an omnibus episode driven by YOUR questions, as Liz and Ben discuss what TV shows would be a good fit for Sylvester Stallone to appear on, what's going on with Lorca on "Star Trek: Discovery," and when is the right time to quit a TV show.