Two Geeks Two Beers

Wow, we’re old!

Yes, somehow we’ve made it to 100 EPISODES. To celebrate our milestone, we’re having something of a celebration and retrospective of the series so far. We also answer some of your questions, sent to us via email and socials.

In this special look-back, we discuss our favourite episodes, the one episode Tom is desperate to do but Morgan keeps vetoing, the ‘lost’ episode you’ll never hear because Tom didn’t record it properly, and the origins of the show back in 2015.

We also ponder what we might have done differently if we started today, what we’re tempting to change the name of the show to, and our plans for 2022 and beyond.

Thanks so much to everyone of you who have ever listened to the show over the past 100 episodes and 6+ years. We love making the show and love hearing from you, it always means a heck of a lot!

The wolves are running…

For the 2021 Two Geeks Christmas special, Morgan is taking Tom back to 1984 for a look back at the cult BBC festive series The Box of Delights.

In the episode, we cover:

• Were kids “cleverer” in 1984?
• How Tarantino may have been inspired by the show (he wasn’t)
• Why the cast was not handsome
• Tom’s annoyance at the posh kids having “far too much power”
• Possets
• Nick Berry’s rat beginnings
• Tom’s hardcore love for Winamp and Last.FM (there’s a reason for it)
• Could this just be one big Derren Brown prank?

Grab those ‘little grey cells’ and your finest moustache comb, as we take on the case of looking back at the history of Hercule Poirot on screen.

Tom attempts (and fails) to pronounce the name of Agatha Christie’s iconic Belgian detective, as he takes Morgan back through all the depictions of the crime-solving sleuth, from Finney to Branagh, Suchet to Ustinov. Even Molina.

We also discuss:

• The power of ITV3 and the ‘laid back treat’ crime drama
• How Agatha Christie couldn’t stand Poirot (and why he’s actually a bit of a git)
• Morgan’s bafflement on how Spice World existed
• How trendy Alfred Molina is
• Ranking the ‘taches

Clips used:

• The Simpsons (Fox)
• Lord Edgware Dies (1934) (Radio Pictures)
• Murder on the Orient Express (1974) (EMI)
• Death on the Nile (1977) (EMI)
• Evil Under the Sun (1982) (EMI)
• Agatha Christie’s Poirot (ITV)
• Murder on the Orient Express (2017) (20th Century Fox)
• Spice World (Polygram)
• Murder on the Orient Express (2001) (Ardustry Home)
• The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (The Campbell Playhouse) (CBS)

What seems to be your boggle?

We’ve been away for a little while but now we’re back – like a BLAST FROM THE PAST – with an episode dedicated to 1993 action epic Demolition Man, starring Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes and Sandra Bullock. Oh, and Benjamin Bratt.

During the episode, we discuss:

• How so much must have happened in the world by the year 2032 in this universe…
• How has Tom never seen any Rocky movie?
• Wesley Snipes inspired Eminem and Dennis Rodman’s fashion choices
• Stallone’s golf obsession
• Why Nigel Hawthorne wanted his name wiped from the film
• Which fast food franchise would be your Battle Royale choice?
• How the hell do you wipe your arse with three seashells?
• Did this film invent the word Boggle? (Spoiler: It didn’t)

Out of the way, peck!

For this episode, Tom is taking Morgan back to another of his ’80s fantasy favourites as a kid: Ron Howard and George Lucas’s Willow, starring a very young Warwick Davis, the super-cool Val Kilmer and the incredible Jean Marsh.

As well as Tom’s traditional drunkenly poor attempt to explain the plot, we discuss:

• How to say Madmartigan when you’re not American
• The crap Fellowship of the Nelwyn
• Questionable love potions
• Pat Roach’s fascinating career
• Chuck Cunningham’s glow-up
• Tom’s dad’s Hollywood school friend
• The film’s ridiculous poor reviews
• Willow’s upcoming long-awaited TV sequel

Clips used:

• Willow (LucasFilm/MGM)
• Willow Blu-Ray Interview (Total Film)

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Who are we? You sure you want to know? This podcast is not for the faint of heart!

In this episode, Morgan takes Tom back to 2002 for arguably the start of the world’s love of big budget superhero movies: Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man starring Tobey Maguire.

We discuss the film’s two-decade long journey to get to the big screen, the various casting decisions and how the film series may be revisited very soon. We also chat about:

• Tobey Maguire’s attainable physique (if we cut out the KFC)
• How some actors were surely too good looking to be considered for Peter Parker
• Our love of Chad Kroeger and Josey Scott’s banger ‘Hero’
• Stan Lee and other cameos

Clips used:

• Spider-Man (Sony Pictures)
• Mamma-Mia auditions (Universal)
• Spider-Man The New Animated Series (Sony)
• ABBA – The Name of the Game (Epic/Atlantic)
• Shaquille O’Neal – Men of Steel (Qwest Records)
• The Pete Holmes Show

Save the cheerleader, save the world… or at least until season 5.

For this episode, Tom takes Morgan on a look back at 2000s sci-fi series Heroes, and perhaps the biggest drop from gold to meh in TV history.

We discuss the NBC comic-style drama’s fantastic first season, its disappointing follow-ups, and how it may have inspired our love of superhero films.

Also in the episode:

• Tom gets progressively drunk and angry when remembering how Heroes went.
• We find a tenuous link to Love Actually
• Morgan laments people’s insistence of calling comics graphic novels
• We remember how Ando once appeared on Soccer Aid and didn’t know what corners were
• The weird backtracking of making Sylar a good guy and sexy bloke despite eating people’s brains (or did he?)
• Is there an ‘Ashanti Virus’?
• How Peter left his girlfriend to die in a parallel universe apocalyptic future
• How bloody brilliant was Gilmore Girls?

Clips used:

• Heroes (NBC)
• Heroes Reborn (NBC)
• The Champions (ITV)

It’s new, it’s intriguing, be sure to listen, you’ll find it exciting!

Join us for a groovy jaunt back to the 1960s, where Morgan fondly recalls (and Tom learns all about) the cult TV classic that is… The Champions.

In the episode, we discuss:

• How The Muppets were once linked to Sophie’s Choice
• Why The Persuaders was the coolest TV show ever
• Morgan explains to Tom what ‘pseudo-historical’ means
• The wonderful history of ITC
• The bizarre time travel rules of Doctor Who
• Why Stuart Damon was a dish
• The most underwhelming trailer of all time
• What it means to ‘Warren Beatty’ your way through a club dancefloor
• Morgan’s execellent David Prowse impression
• Some actual journalism by us

Clips used:

• The Champions (ITV)
• Doctor Who (BBC)
• Neighbours (Seven)
• TFI Friday (Channel 4)
• Ron Grainer – Theme from Man in a Suitcase (ITV)
• ITC Home Video (ITC)
• We Were the Champions (Swinging Star Productions)
• General Hospital (ABC)

And now for something totally Beano…

For this episode, Tom takes Morgan back to his childhood for a look back at his favourite comic book, the British institution that is… The Beano!

So grab your pea shooters, catapults and your Dennis the Menace fan club membership card, and let’s discover nearly 100 years of cheeky cartoon brilliance.

We drunkenly natter about:

• The Beano-Dandy feud that wasn’t
• How Morgan’s PE teacher Mr Stern looked just like Desperate Dan
• The Beano’s Ostrich and Bear mascots before Dennis
• What Beano actually means
• Tom’s lamenting that pea shooters have disappeared
• The great Bash Street Kids scandal of 1994
• The fascinating coincidence of the two Dennis the Menace cartoons
• Dennis’s dad time jump
• The awesome Dennis TV theme tune from a genuine rock star

Clips used:

• The Beano’s Dennis the Menace and Gnasher Show (BBC)
• Dennis and Gnasher (1996) (BBC)
• Dennis the Menace (1993) (Warner Bros)
• Dennis and Gnasher (2009) (BBC)
• Walsh and Barker (British Pathe)
• Mr Blobby (BBC)

30 years on, Morgan teaches Tom all about the Street Fighter franchise, particularly one of his favourite games growing up, the groundbreaking Street Fighter II.

It’s now hailed as one of the greatest video games of all time, inspiring copycats like Mortal Kombat and the combat mechanics in games like Streets of Rage 2.

In the episode, Tom shows his lack of geek cred by describing combos as ‘routines’ (and has a biting controller problem), the boys ponder why the characters feel the need to shout out their signature move, and we look at how a certain typo led to a cult figure.

We also look back at the genuinely brilliant Street Fighter II animated movie, and the… not so great live-action film starring Jean Claude Van Damme and Kylie Minogue.

Clips used:

• Street Fighter II (Capcom)
• Final Fight (Capcom)
• Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie (Toei/Sony)
• Street Fighter (1994) (Capcom/Universal)
• Fast Five (Universal)