The Bagel Report

"The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel's" fictional Gordon Ford Show, like non-fictional late-night comedy shows, has a head writer: Alvin, played by Austin Basis, who joined the Bagels for a rousing conversation about the end of the show, Jewish comedy influences and which cars on Coney Island's Wonder Wheel are the best. Also in the virtual studio, filmmaker Michael Horwitz, writer/director of the short fil...

Jewish Matchmaking? On Netflix? Who could have predicted this a year ago? Now that The Bagels have finished bingeing the series, they got a chance to speak with the utterly delightful comedian Pamela Schuller about her standup, dating with Tourette's and disability inclusion. A long-ago meeting with the show's matchmaker, Aleeza Ben Shalom, built trust and laid the groundwork for Pamela's appearan...

Are you there, listeners? It's us, the Bagels…and this week we're sharing initial reactions to the Netflix show Jewish Matchmaking and its stars, as well as our feelings about seeing Judy Blume's beloved classic story "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" on the big screen. And Mothers' Day gives us a chance to reflect on the things we appreciate about and have inherited from our mothers, as well...

This week, the Bagels welcome Jenni Rudolph and Maryam Chishti, co-executive directors of The LUNAR Collective to the virtual studio to talk about Asian Jewish identity. How do they feel about Asian representation in movies like Everything Everywhere and Turning Red? Jenni and Maryam share personal stories and tease a possible LUNAR Jewish-Asian Book Club. The Bagels and the LUNAR team peel back l...

Esther and Erin finally dive into The Mandalorian's Jewish themes with the help of two guests who love Jewish identity, Star Wars and popular culture: J. Editor David A.M. Wilensky and Rabbi Howard Tilman. What is a Mandalorian and does it matter? Why is this show resonating with Jewish viewers? And is a homeland a place or state of mind? Even if you're like Erin, who is new to the fandom, there i...

Esther and Erin are twirling their way into the first few episodes of the final season of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel." We go back so that Midge can "go forward" — and also literally go forward in time, jumping from the 60s to the 80s, and getting a clearer picture of what it was like to be a child in the Maisel household. Plus, kvelling for Judaism consultant Todd Shotz and his work on that super-...

After years of analyzing Rachel Bloom's musical series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Erin and Esther felt equipped to create a Passover Haggadah filled with songs from the show. It comes with rules, of course. Erin and Esther carefully considered how the pre-existing Crazy Ex-Girlfriend songbook, its titles, lyrics and themes, might be applied to the Passover seder and story. So with that, we hope you enjo...

This episode is in memory of Orli Chaim Wildman Halpern, who died March 17 after a long fight against cancer. She was a self-described bold (and bald) feminist and Swiftie, who loved her dog and Lizzo. May her memory be a blessing and an inspiration. Is AI taking over the world?! Unclear, but it is attempting to take over Passover...Esther and Erin explore the latest AI-generated Haggadah suppleme...

The Oscars were this last weekend, and Erin and Esther obviously have thoughts. From Jamie Lee Curtis' win to Erin not caring so much that Steven Spielberg lost, they cover the Jewy and not so Jewy moments. The Bagels also pay tribute to the late Chaim Topol, and look ahead to the Jewishness of "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" and Daveed Diggs' role as a rabbi facing climate change in a new AppleTV+ sho...

Greet this week's newy and Jewy moments as the Bagels break down the pointless Maisel non-trailer; discuss the ADL's new Entertainment Leadership Council; consider the Hallmark movie Made for Each Other (which features a golem, naturally); and examine the long-awaited History of the World: Part II, including our favorite "shpiely" sketches and whose voices seem to be missing from the enormous cast...

What do Jewish women think about how Jewish women are portrayed on TV? With help from an expert — Dr. Samantha Pickette, professor and author of Peak TV's Unapologetic Jewish Woman: Exploring Jewish Female Representation in Contemporary Television Comedy — the Bagels explore the types and stereotypes of Jewish women's representation on TV. There's plenty to talk about, from Rhoda Morgenstern on "M...

After the fully loaded nachos of Superbowl Sunday and any heart-shaped candy you might have consumed on Valentine's Day, it's time for the Bagels to get back to their Newy and Jewy pop culture rundown and speed round of upcoming stories. Get our review of Superbowl commercial highlights and a deep dive on what Esther and Erin are looking for in their rom-coms. This episode of The Bagel Report is s...

After seeing it opening weekend in theaters and then again on Netflix amid a swirl of wildly inconsistent reviews, the Bagels become review people taking on "You People," the cringey romcom (cringe-com?) starring Jonah Hill, Lauren London, Eddie Murphy and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Overall observations, questions about content choices and missed opportunities to explore faith, meaning and connection. A...

People certainly do have opinions about "You People," the interracial, interfaith Netflix romcom scripted by Kenya Barris and Jonah Hill. But we're putting reviews on hold (tune in next week!) to go behind the scenes with Todd Shotz, the Jewish consultant on this controversial production. He's also a film producer and founder of the b'nai mitzvah prep company Hebrew Helpers. How did Todd land this...

The Oscar nominations are here! In this week's Bagel Report, the Bagels break down nomination trends, talk about Jewish nominees (as well as films they just enjoyed), and speculate about why "She Said" was left out of the awards conversation. They're also talking about "The Fabelmans," what's Newy (an Amy Winehouse biopic!) and Jewy (Josh Malina, always), and a speed round of stories ranging from...

Join the Bagels as they take a deep dive (with some spoilers, so watch first, then listen!) into Hunters Season 2. The gang is now in Argentina looking for Hitler — so the Bagels are pondering the proper punishment for a genocidal maniac, examining the line between vigilantes and heroes, and wondering about why this series grabbed us and wouldn't let us go. We'll tell you about TV shows featuring...

The Bagel Report is launching season 2 starting this Friday, now supported by J. The Jewish News of Northern California. Connect with us on socials! Twitter: @estherk, @ebenmoche and @TheBagelReport Instagram: @estherkustanowitz, @ebenmoche and @tbrthepod Email us at: thebagelreport@gmail.com

It's a high-low cultural extravaganza that includes everything from Spielberg's "The Fablemans" to the newest season of "My Unorthodox Life." David Baddiel's "Jews Don't Count" is a UK documentary special based on his book; we have a brief rundown. Plus, why aren't people going to see "She Said"? And does anyone have Peacock? And if so, are they watching "The Calling," a police procedural featurin...

This week the Bagels are joined by actor Adam Busch, one of the stars of the new Hulu Hanukkah film "Menorah in the Middle." This episode has everything: childhood Hanukkah traditions, the Talmud, Jewish geography, learning about Christian de la Fuerte, and a wide-ranging discussion of whether "an awareness of duality" is a Jewish trait.

After a rough few weeks, people are showing their support for Jews in big and small ways! Taylor Swift swiftly corrected her tour schedule to include non-Shabbat dates, and Amy Schumer wore her Judaism on SNL. The Bagels are in trouble for not having read "Fleishman's In Trouble" in advance of its premiere on Hulu next week, and are anticipating the end of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" by suggesting...

Therapy is now in session as Erin makes a confession, Esther absolves, and Steve Carell flashes back to Jewish moments in his life in "The Patient." Then we break down "Do Revenge" and wonder why the villain is wearing a Magen David necklace. "Cobra Kai" goes to Shul to hornswoggle the Jewish sensei. Later, the bagels enjoy the actors and fun self-skewering of "Reboot." Since the High Holy Days ar...

The Jeopardy category is JEWISH PODCASTS. Fresh from the Celebrity Jeopardy studio audience, Esther and Erin jump into the intricacies of trying to make Sabra happen. It has barely been a week since Marvel announced that Israeli actress Shira Haas is playing Israeli superhero Sabra, and the world is on fire with controversy. Esther and Erin go down the anxiety rabbit hole about this announcement,...

At The Bagel Report, anything can happen: like learning about human behavior and Jewish ethics with Nathan Fielder on "The Rehearsal" which leads to a conversation about how to clone Hitler. Erin is anticipating Nick Kroll's new standup special and although she's under a reviewer embargo, Esther can't wait for "Reboot," starring Rachel Bloom and Paul Reiser. Plus, a convo about which sitcoms from...

Only icons and no lame-os in this new episode. Erin and Esther share their reflections on iconic singer/actress Olivia Newton-John, from "Grease" to "Physical" to "Two of a Kind." Erin tells Esther about Nathan Fielder's very Jewish episode of "The Rehearsal," and Esther tries to sum up "The Sandman" and invokes "The Booth at the End." Plus, disappointment is shared over the Netflix version of "13...

From Adam Sandler's new bat mitzvah movie to 1"3: The Musical: The Movie" (both coming to Netflix), the Jewish coming of age ritual is taking center stage. Erin breaks down Jason Robert Brown's contributions to musical theater, while Esther wants to know more about the Jewish meaning in both of these movies. Erin drops knowledge about Josh Peck and Esther appreciates the education. Inspired by P!n...