Awards Daily TV's Water Cooler Podcast

Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Nickel Boys tells a fictionalized account of two young men — Elwood and Turner — who bond amidst the horrors of the Nickel Academy. The novel was heavily influenced by the real life Dozier School in Florida that operated for 111 years after which dozens of bodies were uncovered in […] The post ‘Nickel Boys' Director RaMell Ross On Leveraging the Lyricism Of Imagery To Relay a Lived Experience [PODCAST] appeared first on The Contending.

Joey, Megan, and Clarence are joined by The Contending contributor Mark Johnson to break down the 2025 Golden Globe nominations. Plus, we look at whether or not critics awards matter in the Oscar race and who benefitted most from week one of the critics phase. We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward […] The post Oscars 2025: 2025 Golden Globe Film, Critics Week Reactions With Mark Johnson [PODCAST] appeared first on The Contending.

Megan caught up to Jon M. Chu's Wicked, and she loved it. After she raves about Cynthia Erivo's performances, we break down what works (Those performances! Those musical numbers!), what doesn't (Wome of the camerawork), and what will likely break through at the 2025 Oscars. Will Wicked star Cynthia Erivo knock out a Best Actress contender? Then, […] The post Podcast: What Is This Feeling? Are ‘Wicked,' Erivo, & Grande Oscar-Bound? appeared first on The Contending.

When approaching his writing projects, Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning screenwriter Peter Straughan (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) looks for a personal connection to the material. It's that connection that gives his best work that extra spark, and he often finds it when the projects deal with themes of loyalty and betrayal. Those themes existed at the heart […] The post ‘Conclave' Screenwriter Peter Straughan Adapts Robert Harris's Novel To Explore the Secret World Of Papal Elections appeared first on The Contending.

We've all seen Gladiator II and have definite opinions on some hot topics, including Denzel Washington, flooding the Colloseum, Paul Mescal, and properly channeling rage. We break down our feelings on Ridley Scott's latest film and try to figure out where it stands within the Oscar race after good box office but middling critic and audience reviews. […] The post Podcast: ‘Gladiator II,' Paul Mescal, and the Evolving Oscar Race appeared first on The Contending.

Eight time Oscar-winning composer and EGOT recipient Alan Menken created some of the greatest film scores in cinematic history. Any composer would be thrilled to have only created the scores to Disney's animation renaissance unofficial trilogy of The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin. But he did not stop there. His scores range from […] The post ‘Spellbound' Composer Alan Menkin, Lyricist Glenn Slater Leverage International Influences For Updated Take On Princess Lore appeared first on The Contending.

We dive into two major 2025 Oscar contenders: A24's Anora and Searchlight's A Real Pain. We review each title and break down key moments of the films. Fair warning: our Anora conversation has a few spoilers, but we give you fair warning before ruining a few key moments of the film. Then, our A Real Pain conversation […] The post Podcast: ‘Anora,' ‘A Real Pain,' and the Elusive Fifth Best Actor Slot appeared first on The Contending.

Jason Reitman's Saturday Night is a love letter to the counterculture minds that formed one of the longest running television series in history, Saturday Night Live. Reitman creates a deliberately, lovingly chaotic atmosphere packed with visual gags, nostalgic references, sounds, and iconic music that all collaborates to orient the audience in a very specific place and […] The post ‘Saturday Night' Music Editor Chris Newlin On How the Music Becomes a Character In the Film appeared first on The Contending.

With film festival season behind us, we wanted to sit back and catch up to some notable titles we've loved over the past few weeks. Case in point, Anna Kendrick's directorial debut, Woman Of the Hour, is an astoundingly accomplished breakthrough from the actress. She frames the story of the serial killer who appeared on The […] The post Podcast: Breaking Down Anna Kendrick's ‘Woman Of the Hour' With a Special Guest appeared first on The Contending.

Megan returns from the SCAD Savannah Film Festival fresh with new takes on film, actors, and everything in between. One of the titles she loved at the festival was Jacques Audiard's Emilia Pérez, so the team discusses that film in a spoiler-free conversation and assess its Oscar chances as well as the Oscar chances of […] The post Podcast: How ‘Emilia Pérez' and the SCAD Savannah Film Festival Impact the Oscar Race appeared first on The Contending.

Marching ever forward ‘neath the wooded shrine I stray not from the path. I hold death's hand in mine. Disney+'s Marvel Television series Agatha All Along wrapped this week with a 2-episode series finale that brought the series to an emotionally satisfying climax. While initially uneven tonally, Agatha eventually settled into an entertaining and compelling narrative. The […] The post ‘Agatha All Along' Production Designer John Collins Marches Down, Down, Down His Brilliantly Designed Road [Podcast] appeared first on The Contending.

Megan is off to cover the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, leaving Joey and Clarence to share their favorite “get in the spooky spirit” Halloween media. Then, Joey breaks down the X / Twitter meme culture around (largely) gay Halloween costumes — “What Do You Mean You're…” Finally, Joey makes a special announcement about a December […] The post Podcast: What Do Mean You're the Visual Representation Of Our Halloween Podcast? appeared first on The Contending.

Mark Johnson returns to wrap our coverage of the Middleburg Film Festival and to talk about changes to our Oscar predictions following festival screenings. Then, Megan previews her coverage of the SCAD Savannah Film Festival. We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the media we're most anticipating in the upcoming week. […] The post Podcast: Wrapping Middleburg, Previewing SCAD Savannah Film Festival, Impacts on Oscar appeared first on The Contending.

Mark Johnson makes his Contending at the Water Cooler podcast debut in a conversation with Joey and Clarence about the first two days of the Middleburg Film Festival. In conversation are Blitz, The Brutalist, The Piano Lesson, Memoir of a Snail, September 5, and Emilia Pérez. It's always a great time at Middleburg! Join us next […] The post Podcast: Reviewing Big Titles Out of Middleburg Film Festival's First Two Days appeared first on The Contending.

This week, Megan takes a break to prepare for her coverage of the upcoming SCAD Savannah Film Festival, leaving Joey and Clarence to preview their coverage of this weekend's Middleburg Film Festival. Check back at The Contending over the weekend for the latest in our coverage. We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash […] The post Podcast: Previewing This Weekend's Middleburg Film Festival appeared first on The Contending.

Writer-director Sean Baker broke onto the filmmaking scene in 2000 with his debut feature Four Letter Words, but it was his one-two punch of universally acclaimed films Tangerine and The Florida Project that caused critics and audiences to stand at attention. When Oscar called for Willem Dafoe's Supporting Actor nomination for The Florida Project, it opened the Academy's eyes […] The post Podcast: ‘Anora' Writer-Director Sean Baker On Ani's Potential Happy Ending appeared first on The Contending.

Are you a fan of romantic comedies? Do we need more of them on television? For this week's episode, Megan and Joey (where'd you go, Clarence?!) sit down at the Water Cooler to gab about the majesty and the delight of Erin Foster's hit comedy series, Nobody Wants This. Megan swoons over Adam Brody and […] The post Podcast: ‘Nobody Wants This'? More Like EVERYBODY Wants This! appeared first on The Contending.

This week, we're breaking down our complicated reactions to two wildly different films and a television show. All three of us have seen Demi Moore in The Substance, so it's finally time to break down those wild plot twists and turns. And that ending… Then, Joey and Clarence bring Megan up to speed on the […] The post Podcast: Going Deep Into ‘The Substance,' ‘Megalopolis,' and More appeared first on The Contending.

Joey recently dove into the 2025 Oscars Best Actress race, which he called “Another Best Actress Bloodbath.” He brings that analysis to Contending at the Water Cooler along with a first time guest to the podcast: The Contending staff writer Frank J. Avella. We all dive into the bloodbath, figure out who are the nomination […] The post Podcast: Bathing In the Best Actress Bloodbath With Staff Writer Frank J. Avella appeared first on The Contending.

As is the tradition at the Water Cooler, Team Contending gathers in full (minus Frank J. Avella) to break down the winners, the losers, and the overall production of last night's 76th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Instead of the media we're most anticipating, we put series and performances in our Emmy Time Capsule to open […] The post Podcast: Team Contending Gathers To Review / Argue About the 76th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards appeared first on The Contending.

This weekend's Creative Arts Emmy Awards saw FX's Shōgun receive a record number of wins for a series in a single year. So does that mean the series will dominate the Drama categories on Sunday night's Primetime Emmy ceremony? Does Hacks‘ shut-out this past weekend mean it will receive similar treatment at the hands of The Bear? […] The post Podcast: What Do the Creative Arts Emmys Tell Us About Next Weekend's Primetime Emmy Awards? appeared first on The Contending.

It's only Joey and Clarence at the Water Cooler this week as Megan's taking the weekend off. Clarence reviews his experience at this year's fantastic Telluride Film Festival. Joey launches from there to preview his upcoming travel to the Toronto International Film Festival. What movies overlap? What new movies will Joey cover for The Contending […] The post Podcast: Recapping the Telluride Film Festival, Previewing the Toronto International Film Festival appeared first on The Contending.

Welcome to The Contending's Contending at the Water Cooler podcast! Hopefully, if everything goes well, you're able to subscribe, download, and listen to our latest podcast. If not, then no worries! We will figure it all out. This week, Clarence, Megan, and Joey bring their annual tradition of the Fantasy Oscar pool to The Contending. […] The post Podcast: ‘Blink Twice!' It's a New Dawn, A New Day, A New Website, and We're Feelin' Fantasy Oscar appeared first on The Contending.

Joey, Megan, and Clarence break down the top races in the 2024 Emmy race just as voting members of the Television Academy cast their ballots. But first, we catch up on a few housekeeping items and revisit a few things we've been watching in our downtime. As always we close with the flash forward to … Continue reading "Emmys 2024: Taking Stock of the Top Categories As the Television Academy Cast Their Ballots" The post Emmys 2024: Taking Stock of the Top Categories As the Television Academy Cast Their Ballots appeared first on Awards Daily TV.

Clarence Moye sits down with Emmy-winning composer Jeff Russo who returns to the Emmy conversation this year with Fargo Year 5. Thanks for listening and thank you, in advance, for subscribing and rating us on Apple Podcasts!     Music from https://filmmusic.io “Cheery Monday” by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) The post Emmy-Winning Composer Jeff Russo Returns To Noah Hawley's ‘Fargo' World, Emmy Contention appeared first on Awards Daily TV.

Clarence brings the Cooler up to speed on Disney's upcoming film slate fresh from his attendance at D23's Disney Entertainment Expo. On the way, he caught Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain's Mothers' Instinct on the place as did Megan on another flight. They talk about that film and wonder why it didn't receive a broader … Continue reading "D23, ‘Mothers' Instinct,' and a Few Words On Our New Venture" The post D23, ‘Mothers' Instinct,' and a Few Words On Our New Venture appeared first on Awards Daily TV.

On another podcast favorite, Megan, Joey, and Clarence break down two additional music Emmy categories — Main Title Theme and Music and Lyrics — with small snippets of each nominated entry so you too can follow along at home! As always we close with the flash forward to the media we're most anticipating in the … Continue reading "2024 Emmys: Making Sweet Music With the Emmy Nominated Main Title Themes, Music and Lyrics" The post 2024 Emmys: Making Sweet Music With the Emmy Nominated Main Title Themes, Music and Lyrics appeared first on Awards Daily TV.

We return after a brief hiatus to review the 2024 Emmy nominees for one of our favorite categories: Main Title Design. This year's nominated crop includes 3 Body Problem, Fallout, Lessons in Chemistry, Palm Royale, Shōgun, and Silo. As always we close with the flash forward to the media we're most anticipating in the upcoming … Continue reading "2024 Emmys: We've Got Designs On These Emmy-Nominated Main Title Designs!" The post 2024 Emmys: We've Got Designs On These Emmy-Nominated Main Title Designs! appeared first on Awards Daily TV.

It's our annual podcast where Team ADTV gathers to hash out the 76th Emmy Awards! As always we close with the flash forward to the media we're most anticipating in the upcoming week. Thanks for listening and thank you, in advance, for subscribing and rating us on Apple Podcasts!     Music from https://filmmusic.io “Cheery Monday” […] The post 2024 Emmys: Team ADTV Gathers Around the Water Cooler To Weigh In on 76th Emmy Noms appeared first on Awards Daily TV.

It's our final podcast before the 2024 Emmy nominations! We gather around the Water Cooler to hash out our foolproof predictions in the major Drama, Comedy, and Limited Series categories. As always we close with the flash forward to the media we're most anticipating in the upcoming week. Thanks for listening and thank you, in […] The post 2024 Emmy Predictions: Our Final Predictions Headed Into Next Week's Nominations appeared first on Awards Daily TV.

We're trying something new this week. You now have two ways to enjoy our podcast! You can continue to listen via our podcast feed or you can journey over to our YouTube channel at Awards Daily and actually see our faces… if you so dare! Up this week is our breakdown of our favorite television […] The post Episode 464: Best TV Of 2024… At the Halfway Mark appeared first on Awards Daily TV.

This week, as the voting members of the Television Academy have the ballots in their hands, we look at the Supporting performance races across Drama, Comedy, and Limited Series. As always we close with the flash forward to the media we're most anticipating in the upcoming week. Thanks for listening and thank you, in advance, […] The post 2024 Emmy Predictions: Looking Closely at the Wildly Unpredictable Supporting Performance Categories appeared first on Awards Daily TV.

Awards Daily's Clarence Moye sits down with 3 Body Problem star Jovan Adepo (Watchmen, Babylon) to discuss his character's, Dr. Saul Durand, emotionally complex journey through season one. Check out AwardsDaily.com for more on 3 Body Problem!   The post ‘3 Body Problem' Star Jovan Adepo Takes a Quiet, Laid-Back Approach To His Emotionally Tortured Character appeared first on Awards Daily TV.

It's one of our favorite podcasts: Television Academy! Hear Our Pleas! Joey, Megan, and Clarence each give recommendations for performances, series, etc. for the voting members of the Television Academy to consider as the 2024 Emmy voting window kicks off today! As always we close with the flash forward to the media we're most anticipating […] The post 2024 Emmys: Television Academy! Hear Our Pleas! appeared first on Awards Daily TV.

Likely seeing what they had late into the Emmy cycle, HBO snuck in the Jessica Lange-starring The Great Lillian Hall at the very end of the 2024 Emmy cycle. Lange plays legendary Broadway actress Lillian Hall who unusually struggles to remember her lines during rehearsals for her hotly anticipated revival of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard. […] The post Emmys 2024: Can the ‘Great' Jessica Lange Sneak Into the Competitive Limited Series / TV Movie Actress Race? appeared first on Awards Daily TV.

Emmy voting starts June 13, 2024. That's a lot of television for the voting members of the Television Academy to consume before casting their votes on the 2024 Emmy season. Since we at the Water Cooler Podcast are such kind people, we thoughtfully offer our final recommendations on the Emmy season. What series would you […] The post Emmys 2024: Our Final Emmy Recommendations Before Emmy Voting Starts Next Month appeared first on Awards Daily TV.

The 2024 Emmy race seemed fairly established a few weeks ago. Netflix's The Crown, FX's The Bear, and FX's Shōgun all seemed poised to sweep their various races. However, growing discontent with the Drama races and a perceived weakness in frontrunner The Crown perhaps spurred networks with limited series to seek placement within the Drama […] The post Emmys 2024: How Does a Heavily Rumored Category Jump For ‘Shōgun' Impact the Emmy Race? appeared first on Awards Daily TV.

We had a lot of content to keep us busy last weekend, and we're recapping all of it on this week's Water Cooler Podcast. First up, we've all seen Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine's The Idea of You, now streaming on Amazon Prime. Described as “Harry Styles fan fiction,” the film offers Hathaway as a […] The post Reviews: Conversations About ‘The Idea Of You,' ‘Unfrosted,' ‘Hacks,' and ‘The Fall Guy' appeared first on Awards Daily TV.

This week, the Water Cooler breaks down Netflix's Baby Reindeer, which has exploded onto the streaming world and grew exponentially in viewers week to week. Starring Richard Gadd based on his own one-man show, the limited series explores the real-life events of an unexpected relationship between Donny Dunn (Gadd) and Martha Scott (Jessica Gunning) that […] The post ‘Baby Reindeer:' Catching Up on Netflix's Unexpected Pop Culture Sensation (Sent From My iPhone) appeared first on Awards Daily TV.

We're back together at the Water Cooler this week to review the newest season in an old favorite. Andrew Jarecki's The Jinx first aired in 2015 and provided an amazingly in-depth and compelling look into the life and mysterious deaths surrounding millionaire Robert Durst. As the series ended with a seemingly shocking confession, audiences have […] The post ‘The Jinx Part Two:' Revisiting the Trial, Conviction, & Cultural Impact of the Shocking HBO Documentary Series appeared first on Awards Daily TV.

We're still one down this week, and this week it's Megan! Never fear, Joey and Clarence carry on with a discussion of film and television. On the film side, they review Alex Garland's divisive box office winner Civil War. Then, on the TV front, they cover Netflix's gorgeously photographed Ripley and the “high-class trash” that […] The post Reviews: Having a ‘Civil' Discussion About High Art and Arty Trash appeared first on Awards Daily TV.

Investigation Discovery's Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV has been the talk of social media for the last few weeks. By confronting the long-buried secrets of several sexual predators on set during the Golden Age of Nickelodeon, the series, directed by Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz, made us all look back at […] The post Quiet at the Cooler! We Are Talking…'Quiet On Set' appeared first on Awards Daily TV.

The 2024 Summer Movie season is just around the corner. To prepare, Clarence has constructed an epic Summer Movie Preview quiz for Joey and Megan. Who will wear the trivia crown for the upcoming season? As always we close with the flash forward to the media we're most anticipating in the upcoming week. Thanks for […] The post 2024 Summer Movie Preview: Megan and Joey Face Off For the 2024 Summer Movie Trivia Crown appeared first on Awards Daily TV.

This week at the Water Cooler, we're springing (we love a pun) into the final gasp of the 2024 Emmy season. Late February / early March typically emerges as the prime window to launch television series. It allows voting members of the Television Academy to absorb newer series and keep them fresh in their minds […] The post TV Reviews: Springing Into a New Crop of Emmy-Contending Television appeared first on Awards Daily TV.

We're saying goodbye to the 2024 Oscar season this week at the Water Cooler. Megan just returned from attending the 96th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theater, so we thought it would be an interesting experiment to compare experiences watching at home and watching in the room. We review the highlights and lowlights of the […] The post Oscars Telecast: Taking In the Show From Home and From Inside the Dolby appeared first on Awards Daily TV.

This week, we dive into the eagerly anticipated HBO limited series The Regime. Starring Kate Winslet, the Stephen Frears-directed satire takes the audience into an unnamed European country in the grasp of an unstable authoritarian regime. The series seems to have polarized both audiences and critics alike on its tone and performances, so we weigh […] The post ‘The Regime:' Will Winslet Win Another Emmy For This Divisive Political Satire? appeared first on Awards Daily TV.

We kick off the podcast with a look back at the weekend's big guild awards – the Producers Guild Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. What do the winners tell us about the 2024 Emmy race? Then, we launch into our first analytical look at the 2024 Emmy season, starting with the Limited Series […] The post Emmys 2024: Surveying Current and Upcoming Contenders for Limited Series appeared first on Awards Daily TV.

Megan rejoins the Water Cooler to give us an update on her recent trip to the SCAD TV Fest. Then, we revisit this weekend's best Super Bowl commercials and the buzzy movie trailers that debuted during the game. Finally, Megan leads a conversation about Peacock's Ted, a prequel (limited?) series to the 2012 film of […] The post Talking ‘Ted' and the Best of the 2024 Super Bowl Commercials appeared first on Awards Daily TV.

We're talking cats and swans this week at the Water Cooler but sadly without Megan. First up, Joey and Clarence briefly discuss the Grammys ceremony and the online aftermath where the claws were most definitely out. Then, we take a look at Matthew Vaughn's latest film Argylle, featuring a bevy of stars including Bryce Dallas […] The post The Claws Are Out: Grammys, ‘Argylle,' and ‘Feud' Duke It Out For the Cattiest Experience appeared first on Awards Daily TV.

This week, the full roster of Team ADTV joins the Water Cooler to review the 75th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony. We talk about our favorite moments, our disappointments, and whether or not three series should dominate the entire evening.Plus, we look forward to the 2024 Emmy season and hypothesize what will start to fill […] The post 2023 Emmys: Team ADTV Gathers To Dish the Emmys and Look Forward To Next Year appeared first on Awards Daily TV.

This week, we dive into our favorite films of 2023 as they stood when we recorded (more on that in the podcast). We also quickly predict what we think will win the television categories at the 2024 Golden Globes, airing Sunday on CBS. Programming note: we will not record next week. Look for our latest […] The post 2024 Golden Globes TV Predictions and Our Favorite Films of 2023 appeared first on Awards Daily TV.