The Watch

‘Perry Mason,’ the HBO reboot starring Matthew Rhys, is very expensive and very dark. Will either of those aspects make for a popular TV show (1:50)? Plus, we welcome the winner of ‘Top Chef,’ Melissa King, to the show to talk about her strategy for the finale (24:55) and what she learned about her cooking this season (37:59). Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald Guest: Melissa King Learn more abo...

Is ‘The King of Staten Island’ a good movie? Or is it just that there have been no new movies in a really long time (3:10)? Plus, Padma Lakshmi joins the show to talk about her new show on Hulu, ‘Taste the Nation,’ and her experiences while judging ‘Top Chef’ for 16 seasons (12:06). Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald Guest: Padma Lakshmi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com...

On top of your various streaming services, you’re probably going to want to pay for straight-to-video releases as well. Just how big can your streaming budget get (3:15)? Chris and Andy break down the second episode of ‘I May Destroy You’ and the penultimate episode of ‘Top Chef’ (28:07). Then, Andy interviews Tom Russo and Fran Keany from Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever about their second album,...

‘I May Destroy You,’ written by and starring Michaela Coel, may be the one of the best new shows of 2020 (5:16). The show feels like Coel announcing herself as a new voice in television (12:16). Plus, an interview with Sam Boyd, the creator of ‘Love Life’ (20:39). Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald Guest: Sam Boyd Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We recap last week’s episode of ‘Top Chef’ in which the contestants head to Italy to hunt some truffles (4:32). Netflix’s new splashy comedy ‘Space Force' isn’t sure if it wants to be mean like ‘Veep’ (23:26) or comforting like ‘The Office’ (32:15). Plus, author Elwood Reid joins the show to talk about his new TV series, ‘Barkskins’ (47:36). Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald Guest: Elwood Reid...

Revisiting a beloved TV show that you haven’t seen in a long time can almost feel like traveling back in time (1:54). Plus, once you figure exactly what HBO Max is and how to get into it (21:05), there’s a bounty of streaming options. We craft our prime-time grids of what we’re watching from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. (36:12). Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald Learn more about your ad choices. Visit pod...

Some musings on getting older (3:44) and then ‘The Great,’ a show you may have skipped over because it looks just fine, but is worth your time (16:07). Plus, Kristen Bell joins the show to talk about her new show ‘Central Park,’ as well as her iconic roles in ‘Veronica Mars’ and ‘Frozen’ (32:44). Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald Guest: Kristen Bell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podca...

We take a moment to remember Lynn Shelton, a brilliant director of movies and TV (1:00). Then, Dan Pfeiffer joins the show to talk about his love for ‘Top Chef’ (15:52) and break down the most recent episode of ‘Top Chef: All-Stars L.A.’ (34:07). Finally, Chris talks with James Badge Dale about his new show ‘Hightown’ (57:22). Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald Guests: Dan Pfeiffer and James Bad...

HBO Max is set to launch on May 27 with an impressive streaming library (5:29). The streaming service from WarnerMedia Entertainment is a complete break from what HBO has been in the past (12:55). Plus, an interview with Paul Mescal, who plays Connell on ‘Normal People’ (26:15). Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald Read the Variety article on HBO Max here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit p...

Unsurprisingly, Quibi is not doing well while everyone is stuck at home. We explain why we have some sympathy for the nascent streaming service (10:53). Plus, breaking down the restaurant wars from last week’s episode of ‘Top Chef: All-Stars L.A.’ (31:41) and an interview with Kathryn Hahn about her new show ‘I Know This Much is True’ (45:33). Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald Guest: Kathryn Ha...

The trailer for ‘Space Force,’ Netflix’s flashy comedy created by Greg Daniels and Steve Carrell, was released this week, and we talk about what it takes to make a good streaming comedy (13:06). Plus, how ‘Normal People’ the show differed from ‘Normal People’ the book (28:37) and a conversation with the director of ‘Arkansas,’ Clark Duke (57:22). Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald Guest: Clark D...

It now looks like there’s not one, but two ‘Tiger King’ adaptations in the works, and this reveals a funny thing about the TV industry and trying to get ahead of an adaptation (1:05). For May the Fourth, Disney gifted us with two bits of interesting Star Wars news (18:14). Plus: last week’s episode of ‘Top Chef,’ ‘Normal People’ episodes 1 through 6 (32:19), and an interview with Tom Pelphrey, who...

The cult of Sally Rooney and stellar performances from the two young actors (4:06) are what makes ‘Normal People’ an instant must-watch and a masterclass on how to make a TV show that’s just about feelings (19:38). Plus, a conversation with one of the show’s directors, Lenny Abrahamson, about how he adapted the show from the best-selling book (36:27). Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald Guest: Le...

Chris and Andy go deep on their love for ‘Top Chef’ (6:31) and talk about why you form unique relationships with the contestants on the show (20:35). And even though ‘Run,’ starring Merritt Wever and Domhnall Gleeson, has all the makings of a good show, there’s something slightly off about it (36:00). Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/a...

Netflix added 15.8 million subscribers in the first quarter of 2020, showing in no small way that it is still the dominant streaming service (2:07). We wonder whether services like HBO Max and NBC's Peacock even stand a chance of catching up (20:09). Plus, we break down the ‘Devs’ season finale and reflect on the season as a whole (37:35). Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald Learn more about your...

Chris and Andy hone in on the season finale of their favorite show of the year: 'Better Call Saul.' They discuss the tonal differences between the world established here and in 'Breaking Bad,' the specific performances of Bob Odenkirk and Tony Dalton, and the way the cast and crew have perfected the craft of the 'Breaking Bad'/'Better Call Saul' extended universe (1:02). Then, Dalton joins the sho...

Andy reflects on his time making ‘Briarpatch’ after the season finale aired this week (1:06). Production on most TV shows has ground to a halt due to COVID-19, but that doesn’t mean that Hollywood dealmaking is slowing down (15:42). We talk about that electric scene in the penultimate episode of ‘Better Call Saul’ (28:00) and give some immediate reactions to the first episode of ‘Mrs. America’ (38...

On Saturday night DJ Premier and RZA faced off on Instagram Live for a two-hour beats battle. It might be the most fun we’ve had in a long time and shows how content has evolved during this time of social distancing (1:59). HBO’s newest show ‘Run’ is a Merritt Wever showcase (26:03), and we’ve finally figured out the key to enjoying ‘Devs’ (35:35). Plus, a conversation with Scott Teems, whose West...

There was not one, but two shows with desert-wandering scenes this week. Chris and Andy talk about ‘Better Call Saul’ S5E8 (4:50) and the penultimate episode of ‘Briarpatch’ and what goes into creating a scene like that (11:49). Then, they get on the line with Josh Phelps, who works at José Andrés’s World Central Kitchen, to talk about the organization's relief work (39:02). Finally Chris is joine...

Quibi, the streaming service that features shows that are just seven to nine minutes long, launched today. The “quick bites” represent a new format besides traditional TV (1:26). The latest episode of ‘Devs’ did more telling than showing (27:50). ‘ZeroZeroZero’ is a feat in tv making (41:27) and Andrea Riseborough joins the show to give us some insight into how the show is made (1:08:56). Hosts: C...

Many TV productions on pause due to COVID-19—what will happen a few months down the road if there is no new TV? And what will it look like if all paused TV shows come back at the same time (3:53)? Plus: We break down ‘Better Call Saul’ S5E7 (24:13) before Rhea Seehorn joins to talk about what it’s like to play Kim Wexler on the show (41:20). Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald Guest: Rhea Seehorn...

The Ringer launched its Best TV Character of the Century bracket today, which led us to debate what makes an excellent TV character (1:09). You don’t need to fully understand what’s happening in ‘Devs’ to know that it’s a great TV show (31:31). And an interview with ‘Ozark’ executive producer Chris Mundy about Season 3 of the show (47:01). Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald Guest: Chris Mundy Le...

We draw from the mailbag to talk about some pop culture moments we feel like we missed out on, including ‘The Sopranos’ and rave culture (3:04). Plus: We’re running out of ways to say that Rhea Seehorn deserves an Emmy for her performance as Kim Wexler in ‘Better Call Saul’ (23:27) and an interview with Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield (49:16). Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald Learn more about...

The Season 10 finale of ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ aired last night and marked a remarkable comeback for the show that first premiered 20 years ago (7:53). We list some of our dream adaptations we’d like to see right now (19:24). Plus: ‘Devs’ and ‘ZeroZeroZero’ (35:36). Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Social distancing is making us appreciate TV in a new light (1:06). In the fifth episode of ‘Better Call Saul,’ the show showcases Jimmy and Kim’s relationship in a way that stands in contrast to Walter and Skylar’s relationship in ‘Breaking Bad’ (15:23). And Reese Witherspoon’s character in ‘Little Fires Everywhere’ is very similar to her character in ‘Big Little Lies,’ but maybe that’s the point...