#83 – Fantasmas is Fantastic, Netflix Does Retail, and Late Night Gets Lean

The one with the Hamster CVS.

Julio Torres (Los Espookys) is back on HBO with a new 6-episode series that blends sketch comedy with a surreal narrative about a lost oyster earring, a concerning mole (or maybe it’s just a birthmark), and Julio’s struggle to find a new apartment without providing his “proof of existence."

We’ll take you on our dream-like experience watching the first three episodes, featuring guest stars like Aidy Bryant (in a wild informercial bit), Jaboukie Young-White (as a influencer confronted by The Algorithm), and Tilda Swinton (as the voice of water). But first!

  • We’ve got the latest news from the Paramount Death Watch, including the $2 Paramount+ price hike that will probably solve everything.
  • Netflix is launching permanent retail spaces in two U.S. malls. We try to imagine the synergistic experiences that await.
  • It’s Pride Month so we’re sharing our favorite LGBTQIA+ shows from the Streamageddon back catalog and check in with series like Interview with the Vampire and Ripley.
  • And find out which late night talk show host Chris has completely blocked from his memory in a round-up of news from 11 PM and beyond! (Hint: It’s a CBS host!)

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📺 Review: Fantasmas

  • 🧭 Where to Watch: HBO and/or Max
  • 🗓️ Release Schedule: Weekly on Fridays at 11 PM ET (HBO and Max)
  • Renewal Status: TBA
  • 🤩 Starring: Julio Torres
  • 🎬 Created By: Julio Torres (Los Espookys, Problemista)

🫣 Spoiler Warning:

  • 🦄 Light Spoilers for the First 3 Episodes: Starting at 52:33

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🔗 Links:

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#82 – The Acolyte, Disney’s TV Trouble, and Paramount Goes for Broke

The one with Nulu.

In a shocking twist of events the Paramount Death Watch is back! We’ll discuss Shari Redstone’s last-minute decision to kill the Skydance deal and what comes next for the beleaguered home of CBS. Will a new buyer swoop in? Will Warner chief David Zaslav make a move? And what’s all this talk from Paramount’s three-headed CEO about a possible joint venture with another streamer? Will Paramount+ and Peacock team up for a new Hulu (a Nulu, if you will)??

Then we’re dusting off our Jedi robes and heading to Disney+ to discuss the intriguing new Star Wars prequel The Acolyte. There’s a lot to love, but also the same frustrations that plague most of Disney’s streaming strategy. Can they make these 8-episode “seasons” work? Or are they pulling from the wrong playbook?

But wait, there’s more!

  • The 2024 Box Office is back, baby! We’ll break down the big weekends from Pixar and the Bad Boys.
  • Warner Bros. Discovery is serving up some tennis, but can it fill the Charles Barkley sized hold in sports fans’ hearts?
  • Peacock has a new deal just in time for the Olympics, but can NBC convince you to stick around after?
  • And Max is raising prices… to the max!

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📺 Review: The Acolyte

  • 🧭 Where to Watch: Disney+
  • 🗓️ Release Schedule: Weekly on Tuesday Nights (3 out of 8 Episodes Available Now)
  • Renewal Status: TBA
  • 🤩 Starring: Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae
  • 🎬 Created By: Leslye Headland

🫣 Spoiler Warning:

  • 🚨 Spoilers for the First 3 Episodes: Starting at 30:55
  • 👍 Spoiler-Light Discussion of Disney’s TV Strategy: Starting at 47:18

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🔗 Links:

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#81 – Hit Man, Box Office Blues, and Summer Shows (Or No?!)

The one where we complain to the theater staff.

Did streaming break the box office? It sure seems like it, with attendance and ticket sales in a perpetual slump, layoffs plaguing juggernauts like Pixar, and Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos claiming that he could’ve made the Barbenheimer without a theatrical release (we disagree, Ted!). We’ll break it all down and preview this weekend’s new Netflix movie Hit Man, which Dianne saw during its brief theatrical run.

But first! Summer also means it’s time for a parade of new streaming shows you’ve probably never heard of! Can you pick the real shows from the ChatGPT-created hallucinations? Find out when we play our newest game: Show or No?!

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📺 Review: Hit Man

  • 🧭 Where to Watch: Netflix
  • 🗓️ Release Schedule: Available Now
  • 🤩 Starring: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Retta
  • 🎬 Directed By: Richard Linklater
  • 📝 Written By: Richard Linklater, Glen Powell

🫣 Spoiler Warning:

  • 👍 Extremely light spoilers for the premise of the movie: Starting at 29:08 ———

🔗 Links:

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#80 – Hacks is the Best HBO Show That’s Not on HBO

The one with FX on Hulu on FX.

Season 3 of the Max Original Hacks just wrapped and it’s so good we can’t figure out why it’s not on HBO already. It’s a sharp, laugh-out-loud comedy reminiscent of Barry, Veep, and Silicon Valley, and the best part is that it just keeps getting better.

Whether you’re new to the show or a diehard Deborah Vance fan, we’ve got you covered with both an introduction to the series and a full season 3 review.

But first!

  • The fallout from Amazon’s hit series Fallout continues: The wildly popular video game series drove millions of viewers to the wildly popular show… which drove millions of players back to the wildly popular video game series!
  • Speaking of fallouts: We check in with activist investor Nelson Peltz after losing the battle for Disney’s board.
  • FX on Hulu’s smash hit The Bear is coming to… FX on FX??
  • And in Sportspocalypse: Can Warner Bros. Discovery “nourish” sports fans without a big helping of NBA? We’re about to find out!
  • Plus: Legitimately breaking news from the Paramount Death Watch!

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📺 Review: Hacks (Season 3)

  • 🧭 Where to Watch: Max
  • 🗓️ Release Schedule: All 3 Seasons Available Now
  • Renewal Status: Renewed for Season 4
  • 🤩 Starring: Jean Smart, Hannah Einbinder, Paul W. Downs, Megan Stalter
  • 🎬 Created By: Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, Jen Statsky

🫣 Spoiler Warning:

  • 👍 Spoiler-Light Introduction: Starting at 29:08
  • 🚨 Spoilers for Season 3 (All Episodes): Starting at 44:07

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🔗 Links:

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#79 – Streamers Go Nuclear: Fallout, Marvel, and Cancellations, Oh My!

The one where we declare victory over the wasteland.

The fallout from Season 1 of Amazon Prime Video’s Fallout is still going strong, with ratings juggernaut Nielsen declaring the show a much-needed hit for the #1 streaming service that also sells toilet paper.

We’ve finished the full season and are ready to dish on all the twists and turns, whether the binge model worked for us, and what we expect (and hope for) in Season 2. Plus we revisit our predictions and grade our TV Tarot!

But first!

  • We dissect Disney’s earnings and the latest strategy shift at Marvel in a brand-new installment of What’s That, Bob?!
  • And with the abbreviated 2023-24 TV season coming to an end, both streamers and traditional TV networks are courting advertisers with some big announcements about their upcoming shows. That means it’s time for an extra-large edition of Renewed or Canceled?!

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📼 Rewind Review: Fallout

  • 🧭 Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
  • 🗓️ Release Schedule: All 8 Episodes Available Now
  • Renewal Status: Renewed for Season 2
  • 📚 Related Titles: Based on the Fallout franchise of games
  • 🤩 Starring: Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, Walton Goggins, Kyle MacLachlan
  • 🎬 Created By: Jonathan Nolan (Director/Executive Producer) and Lisa Joy (Executive Producer)

🫣 Spoiler Warning:

  • 🚨 Spoilers for ALL of Season 1: Starting at 26:44

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🔗 Links:

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#78 – Netflix LIVE! (Feat. John Mulaney, Tom Brady, and… FOOTBALL?!)

The one with Richard Kind.

It’s a new era at Netflix: Ads, sports, and live specials galore! We’ll dig deep into the big strategy shift, including our review of John Mulaney’s limited-run live talk show Everybody’s in L.A.

We’ll try to explain the appeal of this one-of-a-kind live show, highlight some of our favorite segments, and recommend the best episode to check out (EARTHQUAKES!). From David Letterman to Conan O’Brien to John Mulaney interviewing David Letterman: We’re taking a full-circle journey through a very specific sub-genre of late night… that just might be the perfect fit for streaming.

But wait! There’s more!

  • We’ll catch you up with the latest from the Paramount Death Watch 💀
  • Brace yourself for more price hikes at Peacock and Max 💸
  • What’s the deal with the new Uber-bundle from Disney and Warner Bros Discovery (Iger and Zaz, together at last?) 💕
  • And yes, we finally have a sports segment: It’s the SPORTSPOCALYPSE 🤯

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📺 Review: Everybody’s in L.A.

  • 🧭 Where to Watch: Netflix
  • 🗓️ Release Schedule: All 6 Episodes Available Now
  • Renewal Status: We’re begging you, John. Give us more!
  • 🤩 Starring: John Mulaney, Richard Kind
  • 🎬 Created By: John Mulaney

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🔗 Links:

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#77 – We’re Falling for Fallout

The one with the Ghoul.

Join us in the Wasteland as we spend the entire episode discussing the latest prestige video game adaptation: Amazon Prime Video’s Fallout.

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📺 Review: Fallout

  • 🧭 Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
  • 🗓️ Release Schedule: All 8 Episodes Available Now
  • Renewal Status: Renewed for Season 2
  • 📚 Related Titles: Based on the Fallout franchise of games
  • 🤩 Starring: Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, Walton Goggins, Kyle MacLachlan
  • 🎬 Created By: Jonathan Nolan (Director/Executive Producer) and Lisa Joy (Executive Producer)

🫣 Spoiler Warning:

  • 🚨 Spoilers for the first 5 episodes: Starting at 0:58

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🔗 Links:

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#76 – Fallout from the Netflocalypse

The one where we go way over time.

It’s been 2 years since the “Netflix Correction” and we’re here to correct the record: How did Netflix become the sole survivor of an industry-wide crisis kicked off… by Netflix itself? We’ll take stock of the changes that helped solidify Netflix’s place at the top of the streaming food chain and what that means for the future of the little guys.

And speaking of little guys: Peacock! Comcast is eager for their streamer to offset the never-ending losses in their cable TV division, and guess what? It might be working?!

Plus it’s the most jam-packed edition of Daily Show Host(s) Watch yet!

It’s so much podcast we had to push the review of Fallout to next week! But you can get caught up on Amazon Prime Video now (we’ll be reviewing episodes 1-5).

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🔗 Links:

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#75 – Ripley’s in Italy and Hulu’s in Disney

The one with the journey to the heart of Hulu.

This week we’re playing hide and seek with the ever-talented Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott) in the new Netflix original series Ripley. He’s a conman traipsing through the black-and-white vistas of the Italian coast (let’s call it shabby chic) in this prestige adaptation of the classic novel.

But first!

  • Chris plays hide and seek with the Hulu content buried in the new Hulu Hub on Disney+ (it’s like Hulu, but worse!)…
  • Dianne breaks down the big network TV vibes coming to Max
  • And all of us marvel at the $40 million Disney spent fighting off an activist investor (that’s a whole 1.5 episodes of She-Hulk!).

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📺 Review: Ripley

  • 🧭 Where to Watch: Netflix
  • 🗓️ Release Schedule: All 8 Episodes Available Now
  • 📚 Related Titles: Based on The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (Novel)
  • 🤩 Starring: Andrew Scott, Dakota Fanning, Johnny Flynn
  • 🎬 Created By: Steven Zaillian (Writer/Director/Executive Producer)

🫣 Spoiler Warnings:

  • 🤫 Light spoilers for first 2 episodes: Starting at 37:57
  • 🚨 Major spoiler for episode 3: Starting at 51:00 This spoiler is mentioned in most of the show’s reviews.

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🔗 Links:

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#74 – Shogun Has the Juice!

The one with all the miniseries.

It’s our Spring Streaming Spectacular featuring our favorite show of the year-so-far: FX’s Shogun (streaming on Hulu!). We’ll share our thoughts before digging into spoilers, plus:

  • Which streamers should you add, keep, and cancel this spring? We have the answers in a shocking edition of Add / Keep / Cancel!
  • And looking for even more Spring shows? We’re doing our first-ever Vibe Check to help you triage your watchlist.

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📺 Review: Shogun

Spoilers:

  • Overview: Light Spoilers for Episode 1 (starting at 37:35)
  • 🚨 Full Spoilers through Episode 5 (starting at 55:27)

Show Stats:

  • Where to Watch: FX and Hulu
  • New Episodes: Tuesdays through April 23

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🔗 Links:

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