Tim Goodman's TV Talk Machine
256 episodes - English - Latest episode: 12 months ago - ★★★★ - 116 ratingsWriter Tim Goodman (former SF Chronicle and Hollywood Reporter TV critic) talks irregularly with Jason Snell about television and other stuff. Released simultaneously worldwide to all international markets. Love to your mothers.
TV Talk Machine art by the late, great Don Asmussen.
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Episodes
106: Nothing Was Working
November 11, 2016 23:39 - 1 hour - 43.5 MBJason and Tim return from relaxing trips (to Ireland and wine country, respectively) and end up right in the gaping maw of Election Night TV coverage. Plus, a new show arrives this weekend that’s right in Tim’s wheelhouse.
105: Don't Get Weird
November 04, 2016 22:07 - 58 minutes - 13.4 MBLike the Cubs in game seven, we’ve gone to the bullpen—David’s sitting in for Jason this week, and he and Tim talk about good girls, alien support groups, better things, lesser shows, oral histories, and shows that sneak up on you. Also, stay calm, you’re about to hit a deer.
104: No Urgency or Agency
October 26, 2016 21:58 - 53 minutesTim watches BBC America’s “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency”, “The Walking Dead” returns but Tim feels no need to review it, Mad Men’s creator gets an Amazon anthology, and the NFL ratings drop.
103: Ball of Confusion
October 21, 2016 20:56 - 41 minutes - 28.5 MBHugh Laurie’s “Chance”, the return of “Walking Dead” and “Rectify”, and that guy you remember from that other sitcom now has a sitcom on CBS.
102: The Guy Who Did
October 14, 2016 21:41 - 50 minutes - 34.8 MB“Falling Water”, “American Housewife”, the return of “Black Mirror”, and your questions.
101: Pilot
October 07, 2016 23:12 - 51 minutes - 35.6 MBMore on “Westworld”. Tim reviews “No Tomorrow”, “Divorce”, is excited about “Insecure”, and is trepidatious about “American Housewife.” And Jason travels back in time with “Timeless”.
100: Maybe Next Year, 'Gattaca'
September 30, 2016 16:00 - 37 minutes - 25.9 MBHappy 100! Before jetting off to Vancouver, Tim stops by to review “Crisis in Six Scenes”, “Westworld”, “Conviction”, “Timeless”, “No Tomorrow”, and “Frequency”, Jason renews his time-travel-watching pact, and you tell us about how “Designated Survivor” is Not a Thing.
99: Hello, Publicists!
September 23, 2016 21:35 - 59 minutes - 41.3 MBReviews of “Lethal Weapon”, “Designated Survivor”, “Speechless”, “The Good Place”, and “Westworld”. Plus the Emmys aftermath, more new premieres, and the surprising reoccurrence of “Agent X” Watch and Not a Thing.
98: He Sent Me a Tie
September 16, 2016 21:30 - 50 minutes - 35.1 MBJet-setting Tim interviews Jimmy Kimmel, plus reviews of “Black Mirror”, “Son of Zorn”, “Fleabag”, and more.
97: A Monkey in a Room Switching Channels
September 03, 2016 01:00 - 46 minutes - 31.9 MB“You’re the Worst” and “Narcos” return, Tim and Jason finally watched “Stranger Things”, and Tim answers many more of your letters.
96: Sheet Management
August 26, 2016 21:48 - 55 minutes - 37.9 MBTim’s back home from press tour! And he reviews Donald Glover’s “Atlanta”, the Italian crime series “Gomorrah”, and answers a whole lot of your letters.
95: They Deserve What They Got
August 11, 2016 22:50 - 34 minutes - 16.1 MBTim’s still in residence at the TV Critics Association summer Death March With Cocktails, and we’ve got his report on what’s up with broadcast, cable, and streaming. No, really, what’s up with streaming? Netflix’s binge problem. Amazon’s branding problem. CBS All Access’s attitude problem. And much more!
94: We Saw the End Coming
August 04, 2016 00:31 - 33 minutes - 15.4 MBLive “in residence” at the Beverly Hilton, here’s Tim’s first report from the 2016 edition of the Death March With Cocktails. Tim discusses the difficulty in networks breaking through to TV critics and audiences in these times of confusion, drops a mind-blowing tidbit he got from Mitch Hurwitz about “Arrested Development”, and defines the roles of network and cable TV in the modern television era. Plus, a short review of Netflix’s new “The Get Down.” And Jason gets to place a phone call. Next...
93: Hologram Edition
July 29, 2016 20:00 - 35 minutes - 16.5 MBWe’re not here! Jason’s on vacation and Tim’s at the Death March With Cocktails. Fortunately for you, we recorded this episode full of your letters last week so that you don’t miss us, not one bit.
92: Fauxçade
July 23, 2016 01:15 - 47 minutes - 21.9 MBA big week for satire shows and Stephen Colbert during the Republican National Convention; Jason brings Nerd News from Comic-Con; we discuss the Game of Thrones announcement that Winter is Coming… for seven episodes… next summer; and Tim just loves the Olympics!
91: Obligatory Victory Lap
July 16, 2016 01:52 - 1 hour - 32.7 MBTim breaks down the 2016 Emmy Awards nominations, which left him in a very strange emotional state. Who is this sunny, happy person, and what have you done with Tim Goodman?! Just when all seems lost, though, Tim musters up some bile for a few Emmy snubs.
90: Unreliable Narrator
July 09, 2016 00:24 - 47 minutes - 22.1 MBNext week “Mr. Robot” returns for a second season and Tim’s seen the first two hours. (Also, the Emmy nominations might come out next week, but Tim’s not sure.) Tim celebrates the avalanche of good stuff on TV and his inability to watch it all. And we answer your letters!
89: Fact-Checking the FCC
July 02, 2016 01:00 - 1 hour - 29 MBTim laments the lack of the first great rock-and-roll drama while appreciating the humor that is “Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll.” Plus, we go over the 10 (cough 11 cough) most bingeable shows this summer. Then we dive deep into the mailbag, where Jason admits to a colossal error while uncovering a failure deep in the heart of the U.S. government.
88: Brexit Edition
June 25, 2016 00:09 - 55 minutes - 25.8 MBTim and Jason are back together and we’ve got Tim’s reviews of “Thirteen” and “American Gothic”, plus we dissect the failures of “Roadies” and “Vinyl”, worry about how the Brexit vote will affect fictional characters as well as our listeners in the +44, and answer many of your letters.
87: Lost in Austin
June 18, 2016 01:50 - 50 minutes - 23.9 MBTim is back in his natural habitat, and Permanent Guest Host David J. Loehr is back, as they reminisce about their trip to the fifth season of the ATX Festival in Austin, TX, last week. They talk about hanging out with showrunners, each other, BBQ, sitting in on panels, BBQ, seeing cast & crew reunions, hearing unfilmed pilots, BBQ, and did they mention the BBQ? (They blame/thank Moisés Chiullan for the trip to Micklethwait’s. Blame only because they’re hooked now.) Then on to other topics, l...
86: It Never Ends
June 10, 2016 16:00 - 38 minutes - 17.8 MBIn this special Quantum Superposition Edition, Tim is simultaneously in Austin for the ATX television festival and here in podcast land answering your questions. How does he do it? (Answer: By pre-recording this week’s episode last week.) In any event, this episode is full of letters from listeners all around the world, huddled around their podcast players waiting for the TVTM’s simultaneous, worldwide release. Wait no longer.
85: Out of Wine and Xanax
June 03, 2016 19:34 - 39 minutes - 18.3 MBThis week Tim praises “The Dresser”, dislikes AMC’s David Schwimmer vehicle, and answers a pointed question about the future and pacing of “Game of Thrones.”
84: Blimp Hoister
May 27, 2016 21:18 - 41 minutes - 19.1 MBThis week Tim lets a little love for “Game of Thrones” escape his heart, and brings some questionable balloon metaphors to the second season of “Bloodline.” Plus we answer a hastily assembled collection of your letters!
83: Trailers Cannot be Trusted
May 20, 2016 20:43 - 53 minutes - 24.8 MBThis week the networks had their big “upfronts” in New York, a dog-and-pony show for advertisers that the TV critics and viewers of the world watch with amusement and consternation. Tim explains why the week fascinates him, and explores what the networks are doing in a time of falling ratings and too much television.
82: Swap Meet News
May 13, 2016 21:15 - 59 minutes - 27.8 MBIt’s the week that the broadcast network announce cancellations and renewals, and so we take time to survey the dead and the living, at least a little bit. Plus, Tim beseeches the Emmys on behalf of “The Americans”, and Louis C.K. figures out life after “Louie.”
81: So Much Weird Stuff Is Happening Right Now
May 06, 2016 23:25 - 49 minutes - 22.8 MBThis week we talk about (cue dramatic music) a Netflix series from France, a Fox series we don’t understand, “The Americans”, and Tim rekindles his fears about Australian wildlife.
80: Come To Us, We Love You
April 29, 2016 23:29 - 1 hour - 32.7 MBBack after a birthday weekend away from the podcast, Tim’s got the details on HBO’s huge debut weekend—and some serious trepidation about where the network goes next.
79: The Hobo Eric Rule
April 16, 2016 01:04 - 1 hour - 27.8 MBThis week Tim reviews the new seasons of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”, “Orphan Black”, and “Fear the Walking Dead”, and reviews the new international series “Last Panthers.” Plus, we follow the latest self-inflicted wounds on “Sleepy Hollow” and read listener letters.
78: Too Much Actual Fact
April 08, 2016 22:29 - 53 minutes - 25 MBTim survived “The Walking Dead” finale and returns to talk about it, along with happier news, like the arrivals of new seasons of “Catastrophe” on Amazon and “Outlander” on Starz. Jason shows a suspicious knowledge of music reality shows. And we issue a mea culpa about listening to “facts” from listeners.
77: Mediocre is Generally Popular
April 02, 2016 00:50 - 1 hour - 29.4 MBThis week Tim reviews “The Girlfriend Experience” and “Lopez.” Then—based on the breaking two-season renewal of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”—we discuss various aspects of long-running TV series. Why do some of them last well beyond their expiration date, and will streaming services learn when it’s the right time to say goodbye?
76: Slow Binge
March 26, 2016 01:49 - 1 hour - 37.6 MBWe say goodbye to TV legends Ken Howard and Garry Shandling, Tim discusses his reviews of “Happy Valley” (watch it in the daytime?) and “Catch” (Shondaland becomes Shamblesland), we discuss when to throw in the towel when reviewing TV shows, and we answer many of your letters, including a discussion of the controversial death on “The 100.”
75: Struggling to Find out the Logic
March 18, 2016 22:00 - 59 minutes - 27.3 MBThis week we take a look at the future of television. The convenience of streaming may trump all, but how do we get from today to a shiny streaming future? What can networks do? Does dropping an entire season for binge-watching beat teasing out weekly episodes? Join us as we scratch our chins and imagine future times.
74: Demon at Denny's
March 12, 2016 02:14 - 42 minutes - 19.7 MBThis week the CW announced it was renewing its entire lineup, so we dive into the strange success story of that network, including why a 12th season of “Supernatural” might make sense, and Les Moonves’ answer to Tim about why the lights stayed on. Plus Tim’s review of “Of Kings and Prophets,” the San Francisco Chronicle’s Little Man, Aaron Paul’s return to TV in Hulu’s “The Path”, and more bad news for Will Arnett.
73: I Do Want Outrage
March 05, 2016 02:12 - 1 hour - 32.1 MBTim surveys the late-night talk scene and demands more outrage with his comedy! Plus, a bad review of “The Family”, a look at the new Viceland TV shows, some geek TV updates from Jason, and your letters.
72: The Columbo Edition
February 27, 2016 00:44 - 57 minutes - 26.5 MBWe’re back with discussion of some new series, a look forward to March premieres (though there’s not a lot to look forward to), and a whole bunch of your letters. Plus, one more thing Tim finally remembered.
71: Keep Oiling the Machine
February 21, 2016 00:21 - 1 hour - 28.4 MBHuge industry and failure-analysis news this week, as ABC’s Paul Lee era ends and Channing Dungey takes on the now-horrible job of being a broadcast network TV president. Plus Tim reviews “Togetherness,” we talk about “Girls” returning, Jason reports in on “The X-Files” and “Legends of Tomorrow,” and we answer your letters.
70: Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquistion
February 12, 2016 02:02 - 48 minutes - 22.3 MB“Better Call Saul” is back for season two, and Tim’s got his full review—along with our discussion of the challenges of doing a prequel series. Plus, the 14-year-old boy inside of Tim is thrilled with Hulu’s new election special starring Triumph, the insult comic dog. We cover a mixed bag of TV news, including the new “Star Trek” showrunner and the renewal of “Master of None,” and answer your letters!
69: The 13-Year-Old Edition
February 06, 2016 01:19 - 54 minutes - 25.3 MBThis week Tim provides an important lesson about comedy callbacks, the TVTM break room is explored for the first time ever, we discuss HBO programming and the Super Bowl, and of course there’s plenty of time for your letters.
68: The Punch-Drunk Edition
January 30, 2016 02:14 - 1 hour - 33.7 MBThis week Tim and Jason talk about a slew of new series, including fantasy-themed “You, Me and the Apocalypse,” “11.22.63,” and “The Magicians.” Plus, we discuss the new trend toward TV revivals, Tim previews his review of “Vinyl,” and we answer your letters.
67: Dinosaur Ship
January 23, 2016 01:16 - 58 minutes - 27 MBTim returns from Pasadena to talk about the plight of broadcast network executives, NBC’s strange choice of press tour topics, and reviews of a bunch of new shows.
66: The Year of TV Muscles
January 10, 2016 23:08 - 47 minutes - 22 MBTim is “in residence” in Pasadena for the Television Critics Association winter press tour. He takes time away from the grind to let Jason know about new stuff coming from ABC, The CW, TNT, TBS, HBO, WGN America, Sundance, Starz, BBC America, AMC, and A&E, among others.
65: The Best Network TV of 2015
December 24, 2015 16:00 - 1 hour - 28.7 MBIn our last episode of 2015, Tim recaps his top network TV series of 2015 and Jason reads some of your letters. We’re off next week. See you in 2016!
64: The Best TV of 2015
December 19, 2015 02:29 - 1 hour - 31.9 MBTim walks Jason though his list of the very best shows of 2015.
63: Blindly Shooting Fish in a Barrel
December 11, 2015 00:46 - 1 hour - 34.4 MBThe Golden Globe nominees are out, and they’re peculiar, to say the least. But Tim is going to look on the bright side, seeing it as an opportunity for the Emmy Awards to get things right and for everyone else to enjoy some fine Champagne. We also talk “The Leftovers” getting a third (and final) season, revisit “The Expanse” and “Childhood’s End” on SyFy, and answer many of your letters.
62: I Forgot a Show
December 05, 2015 01:02 - 59 minutes - 27.4 MBThis week Tim plots his year-end lists, celebrates the return of “Transparent,” and we hear a whole lot of listener mail about Cop/Not a Cop, “Agent X”, things that aren’t a thing, and more.
61: Stuffed and Bloated Edition
November 27, 2015 17:00 - 40 minutes - 18.8 MBThe tryptophan is kicking in, but we’re back for a post-Thanksgiving edition of the TVTM nonetheless. Tim explains how he approaches his end-of-year best lists (and why they’re important), we talk TV turkeys, holiday stuff we like, and we have important updates from the “Agent X” and “Not a Thing” files. Must… stay… awake…
60: A Sleepy Endeavor
November 20, 2015 23:00 - 41 minutes - 19.4 MBThis week we talk about TV deaths, ponder how streaming has changed the TV game in just five years, grouse about Dick Wolf, praise AMC’s kung-fu adventure series “Into the Badlands,” and answer your letters!
59: Amazon Season
November 13, 2015 22:46 - 1 hour - 28.7 MBAn avalanche of Amazon pilots, the arrival of “Man in the High Castle” and “Marvel’s Jessica Jones” on streaming, Jason watches “Agent X” and “Supergirl,” and we answer a whole lot of your emails, tweets, and Facebook posts!
58: They're Good Sports
November 06, 2015 23:46 - 1 hour - 35.5 MBWe’re going deep this week, with a discussion of Tim’s THR piece about the age of denial in broadcast TV. We also talk about our brush with the people who make “Agent X”, re-promote “Master of None”, and answer a whole bunch of listener mail.
57: This Is an Elite Program
October 31, 2015 02:24 - 1 hour - 31.2 MBTim dishes on a forthcoming so-bad-it’s-funny series called “Agent X”, Jason and Tim break down the premiere of “Supergirl”, plus we quickly talk “Wicked City,” “Master of None”, the rules of character death on “The Walking Dead,” remind you about “Ash vs. Evil Dead” and “The Returned” coming back, and answer a bunch of your questions.