TV Party

Deep in the bowels of CPN Studios, there lies a chamber only the greatest TV characters can enter – the funniest, the grumpiest, the maddest visages the television medium has to offer. There, we honor the breakout comic relief, the magnetically flawed protagonist, the one-time guest character that defines an entire series. This is where we hoard TV’s most valuable visages. This… is the Hall of Faces.

This week, Allison and Clint are joined by their pals and confidantes Kris Vire (theater critic for the Chicago Sun-Times and elsewhere) and Joshua Davis to lounge out on the lanai and pick their favorite Golden Girl!

The Emmy-winning sitcom about four older women embracing their second adolescence while living together in Miami is one of television's greatest treasures, so we decided to honor these esteemed ladies by making them battle it out for a spot in our Hall of Faces.

Who will it be - Bea Arthur's sardonic Dorothy Zbornak? Betty White's ditzy Rose Nylund? Rue McClanahan's man-hungry Blanche Devereaux? or Estelle Getty's irascible Sophia Petrillo?

We break down the lives, the loves, and the loungewear of television's greatest senior citizens, along with the latest TV news, picks of the week, and Bachelorette haiku.


Timestamps:
4:22 - TV News: Joss Whedon's Buffy reboot, Frances McDormand cast in Good Omens, Paramount TV president fired, American Horror Story season 8 title revealed, CATS movie(?!)

16:10 - Picks of the Week:
Kris: Parks and Recreation, "Leslie and Ben" (NBC)
Joshua: So You Think You Can Dance (FOX)
Clint: POSE, "Mother of the Year" (FX), Match Game (ABC)
Allison: Trial and Error, "The Suitcase"/"The Timeline" (NBC)

30:43 - Bachelorette Haiku

Hall of Faces: The Golden Girls
33:20 - Introduction
39:45 - Step One: Pick a Character
Clint: Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty)
Joshua: Rose Nylund (Betty White)
Kris: Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur)
Allison: Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan)

47:23 - Step Two: Best Episodes
1:23:14 - Step Three: Final Vote

1:24:54 - Picks for Next Week:
Clint: Shark Week (Discovery Channel)
Kris: Drunk History Halloween episode (Comedy Central)
Joshua: Pose catch-up (FX)
Allison: Sharp Objects, "Ripe" (HBO)











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It's been a whirlwind week in TV, but the hosts of TV Party have you covered! Kate Kulzick joins Allison and Clint once again, this time to talk about the bold, controversial finale to the second season of Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale. What do the events of the finale mean for the future of Gilead? Have we lost some characters for good? And why didn't June get in the truck?! From underground Martha railroads to Bradley Whitford's love of Annie Lennox, we cover it all for you.

We also dig into the whirlwind of this year's Emmy nominations (read more of our thoughts in this year's Emmys breakdown), from our biggest surprises (Kenan!) to our biggest snubs (no Crazy-Ex Girlfriend?!).

But that's not all! Clint chats with the effervescent star of Somebody Feed Phil (and Everybody Loves Raymond co-creator) Phil Rosenthal about the importance of travel, the unexpected political weight of his show, and dispenses some much-appreciated relationship advice.

Timestamps:
3:02 - TV News: Sacha Baron Cohen, RuPaul talk show, Y the Last Man, Queer Eye and POSE renewals, longer season 4 for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

11:42 - Picks of the Week:
Allison: Harlots, Season 2 Episode 2 (Hulu), Sharp Objects, "Dirt" (HBO)
Kate: Pose, "Love is the Message" (FX), Queen Sugar (OWN), Claws (TNT)
Clint: Anne with an E season 2 (Netflix), Somebody Feed Phil season 2 (Netflix)

17:29 - Interview with Somebody Feed Phil's Phil Rosenthal

31:52 - Bachelorette Haikus

Deep Dive: The Handmaid's Tale Season 2
33:09 - Introductions/thoughts on the finale and season in general
52:43 - Best/Worst episodes of the season
1:01:36 - MVP Characters (Hard Mode: No Elisabeth Moss)

1:11:13 - Emmy Nominations

1:25:16 - Picks for Next Week:
Clint: The Bold Type, "Betsy" (Freeform)
Kate: Dietland, "Rad Fatties" (AMC)
Allison: Trial and Error season 2 (NBC)





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It's recurring guest Kate Kulzick's birthday, which means it's a perfect time for another installment of our regular segment Just Do This For Me!, in which one of our hosts or guests forces the others to watch a show of their choosing, and we talk about it on air.

This time, we take a look at Cartoon Network's bubbly, infectious animated series Steven Universe, just in time for the show's big StevenBomb event! Kate (and her Gem of a sister Maggie) join Allison and Clint to talk about the show's incredible cult following, surprisingly nuanced grasp of serialized storytelling and groundbreaking LGBT representation. Oh, and the songs, of course. So many great songs.

(Note: Some technical difficulties affected the audio quality of this episode, apologies for that. We'll be back to our sprightly, professional-sounding selves next week.)

Timestamps:

7:41 - Picks of the Week:
Kate: Hannah Gadsby: Nanette (Netflix), Claws, "Scream" (TNT)
Allison: The Bold Type, "Stride of Pride" (Freeform), The Handmaid's Tale, "Postpartum" (Hulu)
Clint: GLOW, "The Good Twin" (Netflix), Pose, "Mother's Day" (FX)

20:37 - Bachelorette Haikus

Just Do This For Me!: Steven Universe
21:38 - Introductions
30:51 - Themes
42:53 - Characters
51:46 - Episodes
1:05:57 - Music
1:19:11 - The most recent StevenBomb

1:35:30 - Picks for Next Week:
Allison: Harlots season 2 (Hulu)
Kate: Handmaid's Tale finale (Hulu)
Clint: Sharp Objects (HBO), rewatching Babylon 5 (Amazon Prime)

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We've hit the halfway mark of 2018, so it's time to sit down and take stock of the damn good year in TV we've had thus far. Clint and Allison are joined by regular contributors Dominick Suzanne-Mayer and Kate Kulzick this week to break down some of the best TV shows and performances of the past month - with a special shoutout to Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Steven Canals' incredible work on FX's POSE. (We also do our best to process that humdinger of a Drag Race finale.)

If that's not enough for you, we also re-cap our top ten (technically, eleven) TV shows of the year so far! What do you think of our picks? Is there anything we missed? Let us know!

You can read our official list here, but if you want to hear us rhapsodize further (and repeatedly, gleefully butcher the One Day at a Time theme), we've got you covered.

Timestamps:
2:39 - TV News: Danny McBride/John Goodman HBO show, reboot of Daria

8:01 - Episodes of the Month/Week:
Dom: GLOW, "Work the Leg" (Netflix) / Succession, "Sad Sack Wasp Trap" (HBO)
Allison: Dietland, "Y Not" (AMC) / Queer Eye, "God Bless Gay" (Netflix)
Kate: Claws, "Cracker Casserole" (TNT) / The Break with Michelle Wolf, "Entertainment Explosion!" (Netflix)
Clint: Westworld, "Kiksuya" (HBO) / The Expanse, "Congregation"/"Abaddon's Gate" (Syfy)

30:23 - Drag Race Drop-In

42:27 - Episode of the Month (consensus): POSE, "The Fever" (FX)

51:41 - Performances of the Month:
Consensus: Billy Porter, POSE; Zahn McClarnon, Westworld
Dom: Hannah Gadsby, Nanette (Netflix)
Allison: Mishel Prada, Vida (Starz)
Kate: Joy Nash, Dietland (AMC)
Clint: Alfre Woodard, Luke Cage (Netflix)

1:00:27 - The Best TV of 2018 So Far

2:02:03 - Picks for Next Week:
Dom: Sir Mix-A-Lot's House Remix (DIY), The 2000s (CNN)
Allison: Sharp Objects (HBO), A Very English Scandal (Amazon)
Kate: Steven Universe: Heart of the Crystal Gems (Cartoon Network)
Clint: Somebody Feed Phil season 2 (Netflix)









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Freeze all motor functions - it's another episode of TV Party! Allison's consciousness is trapped in robot heaven this week, so Clint pulls single-host duty with Caroline Siede and Jacob Oller to talk about Westworld's beautiful, dense season two finale "The Passenger," and the season as a whole.

The finale left us with a lot to discuss: Where does Westworld go from here? Did we need all those twisty timeline shifts? Has the show fully abandoned its Western premise, and is that a good thing? We touch on those things, James Marsden's incredible cheekbones, and the concept of a robot heaven on the moon, so come question the nature of your reality with us

Don't worry, we also talk about some other TV stuff this week, from the politics of Netflix's rebooted Queer Eye to our resigned sadness at NBC's Timeless getting the boot for good. Allison also appears from a previous timeline to give us a snippet of her interview with The Handmaid's Tale writer Yahlin Chang about the shocking timeliness of her episode "The Last Ceremony" (look out for a full version later this week).

Timestamps:
2:19 - TV News:
Timeless canceled (again), The Terror season 2 renewal, pulling The Proposal episode after sexual assault allegations

8:01 - Picks of the Week:
Caroline: Queer Eye season 2 (Netflix)
Jacob: The Great British Baking Show (PBS)
Clint: The Handmaid's Tale, "The Last Ceremony" (Hulu); The Expanse, "Fallen World" (Syfy)

15:05 - Interview with The Handmaid's Tale writer Yahlin Chang

20:04 - Bachelorette Haikus

Deep Dive: Westworld
22:18 - Introduction/thoughts on the season
29:15 - Discussion of the season 2 finale
37:52 - Costumes/visuals
46:29 - Score
48:46 - Language

52:52 - Best/worst episodes of the season
1:08:13 - MVP Characters
1:18:20 - Hopes for season 3

1:22:37 - Picks for Next Week:
Jacob: Sharp Objects (HBO)
Caroline: Luke Cage season 2 (Netflix)
Clint: The Expanse, "Congregation"/"Abaddon's Gate" (Syfy)

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With the end of the second season of FX's kaleidoscopic, surrealist superhero show Legion, Allison and Clint bring on Alex McLevy from The AV Club to discuss its highs and lows - from Aubrey Plaza's beautifully cagey performance to the season's slow pace. Plus, we break down some of our favorite images of the formally ambitious show, and some of the more interesting side characters we hope get more focus in season 3.

Sandwiched in between our discussion like so many of Noah Hawley's nested dreamscapes, Dominick Suzanne-Mayer also materializes to discuss our picks for this past week, and what we're looking forward to next week, from Queer Eye to Strange Angel.

Timestamps:
 1:40 - TV News:
Chris Hardwick allegations, Lucifer renewed at Netflix, AT&T/Time Warner merger, American Horror Story season 8 crossover

11:20 - Episodes of the Week:
Allison: The Bold Type, "Feminist Army"/"Rose Colored Glasses" (Freeform)
 Dom: Strange Angel, "Augurs of Spring" (CBS All Access), Drake's "I'm Upset" video
 Clint: The Expanse, "Dandelion Sky" (Syfy), Stoneman Douglas drama kids singing at the 72nd Tony Awards ceremony (CBS), The Staircase (Netflix)

24:27 - Bachelorette Haikus

Deep Dive: Legion Season 2
26:16 - Introduction/finale discussion
45:41 - The visuals of season 2

54:49 - MVP (Episodes)
 1:00:36 - MVP (Characters)

1:13:44 - Picks for Next Week:
Allison: Pose, "Giving and Receiving" (FX), Luke Cage season 2 (Netflix)
 Dom: Lucha Underground (El Rey)
 Clint: Queer Eye season 2 (Netflix), Drunk History, "Heists" (Comedy Central)



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Over dozens of seasons of television, from Nip/Tuck to Glee to American Stories both Horror and Crime, super-producer Ryan Murphy has created his own cottage industry of ambitious, theatrical, cards-on-the-table melodramas featuring some of the best actors and actresses in TV. This week on the pod, Allison and Clint go it alone to count down fifteen of Murphy's greatest collaborators, from established character actresses to lantern-jawed hunks, to Oscar winners of all persuasions.

Along the way, we share our thoughts on the tragic passing of Anthony Bourdain, spit some deadly bars about this year's bizarre season of The Bachelorette, and more.

Timestamps:
7:39 - TV News: Anthony Bourdain, Game of Thrones prequel series, Atlanta season 3 renewal, Keiynan Lonsdale's departure from the Arrowverse, and more

21:02 - Episodes of the Week:
Clint: Sense8 finale (Netflix), Steven Universe (Cartoon Network)
Allison: The Last O.G. finale (TBS), Dietland premiere (AMC)

29:39 - Bachelorette Haikus

Ryan Murphy's Most Valuable Players
33:10 - Who doesn't qualify, who didn't make the list
38:00 - Part I:
15. Dot Jones
14. Jamie Brewer
13. Kate Mara
12. Connie Britton
11. Cuba Gooding, Jr.

51: 14 - Part II:
10. Finn Wittrock
9. Kathy Bates
8. Denis O'Hare
7. Frances Conroy
6. Lily Rabe
5. Evan Peters
4. Darren Criss
3. Angela Bassett
2. Jessica Lange
1. Sarah Paulson

1:36:55 - Picks for Next Week:
Allison: The Bold Type season 2 premiere (Freeform), Strange Angel premiere (CBS All Access)
Clint: Voltron: Legendary Defender season 6 (Netflix)






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Deep in the bowels of CPN Studios, there lies a chamber only the greatest TV characters can enter – the funniest, the grumpiest, the maddest visages the television medium has to offer. There, we honor the breakout comic relief, the magnetically flawed protagonist, the one-time guest character that defines an entire series. This is where we hoard TV’s most valuable visages. This… is the Hall of Faces.

For our fourth entry in the Hall of Faces, Allison and Clint (with Kate Kulzick in tow) celebrate the host of spies, killers, and handlers in FX's recently completed series The Americans with a fierce debate - does only one of the Jennings deserve to get in, or do we say "why not both?"

Who else gets in? Martha? Claudia? The mail robot? Like the show itself, the latest TV Party takes its cast on some breathtaking twists and turns, with more than a few difficult, world-shattering decisions to make.

While we're at it, we weigh in on the exhaustive, week-long controversy surrounding Roseanne's cancellation, start our season-long segment of Bachelorette haikus, and much more!

Timestamps:
4:28 - TV News: Roseanne-gate, Lethal Weapon cast infighting, Samantha Bee, Heathers, Legion renewal, and more

20:47 - Episodes of the Week:
Kate: Michelle Wolf: Nice Lady (Netflix), The Americans, "START" (FX)
Clint: Pose, "Pilot" (FX); The Expanse, "It Reaches Out" (Syfy); The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, "Party Monster: Scratching the Surface" (Netflix)
Allison: The Americans, "START" (FX); JR Smith and LeBron, Vida (Starz)

40:47 - Bachelorette Haiku

Hall of Faces: The Americans
43:42 - Discussion of format
54:36 - Characters we left out

1:02:59 - Round One - Choose the Character
Kate: Martha Hanson
Allison: Elizabeth Jennings
Clint: Phillip Jennings

1:18:27 - Round Two - Debate

1:23:06 - Picks for Next Week:
Allison: Dietland (AMC), Vida (Starz)
Kate: Sense8 finale (Netflix); premiere of Marvel's Cloak & Dagger (Freeform); Queen Sugar (OWN)
Clint: Sense8 finale (Netflix)






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The sun's out, the temperature's rising, and yet another month of TV has come and gone - and the hosts of TV Party are ready to send it off in style! Film editor Dominick Suzanne-Mayer joins us once again to weigh on everything we saw (and some we didn't see) in May. (The short version: if you haven't watched Killing Eve, get on that shit what's wrong with you.)

Along with our effusive praise for BBC America's spy-thriller smash hit, we dig deep into the news of the week (including some surprise renewals and exciting casting decisions) and pile more onto our pre-existing love for FX's The Americans and HBO's Barry and Westworld. In the meantime, NBC is doing Hair as a live musical, and we simply don't know what to do with that information.

Add to that a murderer's row of geek-outs over space operas, wrestling and kiddie cooking competitions, and it's just another week of delightful mayhem on TV Party.

Timestamps:
2:00 - TV News:
The Expanse renewed by Amazon, John Malkovich as Hercule Poirot(!), Mike White & John Hennigan joining Survivor, Damon Lindelof's Watchmen casting announcement

23:39 - Episode of the Month:
Consensus: Killing Eve, "God, I'm Tired" (BBC America)
Dom: Barry, "Chapter 8 - Know Your Truth" (HBO)
Allison: The Americans, "The Summit"/"Jennings, Elizabeth" (FX); Westworld, "Akane No Mai" (HBO)
Clint: The Expanse, "Delta-V" (Syfy)

48:53 - Performances of the Month:
Consensus: Matthew Rhys/Keri Russell, The Americans (FX)
Dom: Jodie Comer, Killing Eve (BBC America)
Allison: Rinko Kikuchi, Westworld (HBO)
Clint: Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish (ABC)

1:08:58 - What We Missed:
Clint: Masterchef Junior finale (Fox); Picnic at Hanging Rock (Amazon)
Dom: NXT (WWE Network)
Allison: Cobra Kai (Youtube Red)

1:19:04 - Next Week in TV:
Dom: Succession premiere(HBO)
Allison: Pose premiere (FX)
Clint: Reverie pilot (NBC)





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Some weeks, you just want to dispense with the usual grind and try something new. In our case, that meant doing a live, loose After Party at Hotel Moxy in downtown Chicago as part of the opening week of the Moxy SoundOff Podcast Series!

For this special episode, Allison and Clint go it alone in a two-person podcast booth, entertaining a lobby full of fans and passersby with a speed round of back-and-forth on the best Xs in TV history. What's the best season finale? Series finale? Pilot (first episode or person who flies things)? Just how hot can a closed-off podcast booth get on a warm summer day with no ventilation? We've got answers to all those questions and more. 




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