Required Viewing

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Zach and Shams discuss modern television and share their insights on what is and isn't "required viewing" in today's vast sea of high quality original programming.

Zach & Shams


    • Apr 11, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 51m AVG DURATION
    • 35 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Required Viewing

    Emergency Succession Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2023 46:10


    Zach and Shams convene for an emergency podcast recording to issue a statement on Season 4, Episode 3 of Succession. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/requiredviewing/message

    Saul Gone

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2022 47:40


    After 8 months of hiding in Nebraska, Shams & Zach return to recap the final season of Better Call Saul and decide once and for all if it is actually better than Breaking Bad... SPOILER WARNING for Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul (and also a bit of The Americans) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    Succession S3 Ep9

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2021 34:45


    Reactions to Succession S3 Ep9 "All the Bells Say" --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    Succession S3 Ep8

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2021 24:53


    Succession Season 3 Episode 8 "Chiantishire" --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    Succession S3 Ep7

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2021 31:55


    Succession Season 3 Episode 7 "Too Much Birthday" --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    Succession S3 Ep6

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2021 21:07


    Succession Season 3 Episode 6 "What it Takes" --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    Succession S3 Ep5

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2021 28:29


    "Retired Janitors of Idaho" --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    Succession S3 Ep4

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2021 23:22


    Shams & Zach discuss Adrien Brody's Succession debut, theories for the future of the season, and share their pick for best line of the episode. Season 3, Episode 4 - "Lion in the Meadow" --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    Succession S3 Ep3

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2021 16:19


    Reactions to season 3 episode 2 of HBO's Succession entitled "Disruption." --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    Succession S3 Ep2

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2021 20:35


    Reactions to season 3 episode 2 of HBO's Succession entitled "Mass in Time of War." --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    Succession S3 Ep1

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2021 19:36


    Zach & Shams' reactions to Succession Season 3's first episode, entitled "Secession." --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    Emmys 2021: The One Where Shams Thinks the Mandalorian Will Win Best Directing

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2021 62:28


    Due to the Emmy eligibility window running from June through May, this year's Emmy nominees are all shows that aired during the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, the nominations are even more garbage than usual. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    Year in Review (2020)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 31, 2020 52:25


    Zach and Shams give out some made up awards for the best (and worst) television in 2020. Also the first ever "Required Viewing Show of the Year" award is given out, as voted by our followers. YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT SHOW WON! (Just kidding, you probably will.) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    Leaving Lovecraft Country

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2020 63:44


    Co-hosts Zach & Shams recap the first season of HBO's new series, "Lovecraft Country." This episode contains SPOILERS for Lovecraft Country season 1. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    Emmys 2020 Recap

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2020 35:12


    The most predictable Emmys in history, but still a few surprises... Shams & Zach share their thoughts on all the winners of the 2020 Emmy awards. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    Entering Lovecraft Country

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2020 51:21


    Spoilers for Episode 1 of HBO's Lovecraft Country. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    Emmy Nominations: Unedited Reactions

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2020 69:31


    This episode features Zach & Shams' unscripted and unedited reactions to the 2020 Emmy Nominations announcements. Listen to all the rage and surprise as they hear the nominees for the first time. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    Is Reality TV Garbage?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2020 70:49


    The answer may surprise you! Shams and Zach are joined by special guest and reality television expert, Ben, to break down the differences between how we evaluate scripted and unscripted tv. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    Hulu is Winning 2020

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2020 58:39


    Zach & Shams discuss the state of television during the COVID-19 pandemic and how, against all odds, all of the best shows airing during quarantine have been exclusively on Hulu. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    Sci-Fi: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2020 77:22


    Shams & Zach are joined by Bryan to review 3 recent Science Fiction television series. (This episode contains minor spoilers for Westworld Season 3.) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    PANDEMIC SPECIAL!!!

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2020 31:02


    Stuck indoors thanks to COVID-19? Wondering what to watch on TV? In this episode Shams and Zach play a game of lightning recommendations for the 4 major streaming services. HBO, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime each have 5 minutes dedicated to them so skip ahead to the streaming services you subscribe to to hear what you should be watching... HBO - 5:00 to 10:00 Netflix - 10:00 to 15:00 (ish) Hulu - 15:00 to 20:00 (very ish) Amazon - 20:00 to 25:00 (mostly ranting about their UI) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    Dissecting Damon Lindelof: Watchmen

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2020 32:53


    Part 3 of 3 in our series about the television career of Damon Lindelof. In part 3 we discuss Watchmen (HBO), the adaptation of Alan Moore's famed graphic novel of the same name. This episode contains major spoilers for Watchmen, both the tv series and the graphic novel. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    Dissecting Damon Lindelof: The Leftovers

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2020 42:39


    Part 2 of 3 in our series about the television career of Damon Lindelof. In part 2 we discuss how The Leftovers (HBO) managed to continue Lost's character-centric style without shackling itself to a convoluted plot. This episode contains major spoilers for The Leftovers. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    Dissecting Damon Lindelof: Lost

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2020 32:25


    Part 1 of 3 in our series about the television career of Damon Lindelof. In part 1 we talk about Damon’s first gig as a show runner: ABC’s hit mystery drama, Lost. (This episode does contain spoilers if for some reason you have not seen Lost already.) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    New Year, New Pope

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2020 63:03


    Shams and Zach discuss HBO's "The New Pope," a surprise follow-up to their 2016 series, "The Young Pope." They also break down what to expect out of TV in 2020 in the wake of the streaming wars. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    Best of the Decade: Top 10 Drama Series

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 31, 2019 119:00


    The final episode our 3 part series revealing the official Required Viewing picks for the best tv of the decade. In this episode we discuss the top 10 drama series of the 2010s. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    decade drama series required viewing
    Best of the Decade: Top 5 Comedy Series

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2019 74:21


    Part 2 of our 3 part series revealing the official Required Viewing picks for the best tv of the decade. In this episode we discuss the top 5 comedy series of the 2010s. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    decade comedy series required viewing
    Best of the Decade: Top 5 Limited or Anthology Series

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 25, 2019 58:09


    Part 1 of our 3 part series revealing the official Required Viewing picks for the best tv of the decade. In this episode we discuss the top 5 limited or anthology series of the 2010s. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    The Series Finale

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2019 83:01


    No, this isn't the series finale of our podcast. In this episode we review the final seasons of all the biggest shows that came to an end in 2019. That's right, ALL the biggest shows. NO, we definitely did NOT leave any out. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    Succession: The Greatest Show on Television

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2019 75:56


    Spoilers for HBO's "Succession" Seasons 1-2 Zach and Shams are joined by Bryan for this special episode reviewing all the best burns, memorable lines, and everything else that made Season 2 of Succession one of the greatest seasons of TV ever. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    Emmys 2019 Recap Show

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2019 55:52


    Zach & Shams talk about the 71st annual Television Academy Awards show and share their thoughts on the "hostless" show plus all of their mildly hot takes on who won and who got snubbed. If you have a television related question go to anchor.fm/requiredviewing and leave us a message. We'll share our thoughts in the next episode! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    A Brown Guy and a WASP Talk About Diversity

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2019 59:55


    Shams and Zach go over the biggest announcements from Comic Con and the TCA Press Tour, discuss whether a tv show being “diverse” is enough to make it great, and share their picks for the best shows they’re watching right now. We're using a new recording setup this episode so let us know if the audio sounds better. Also, if you have a question or topic you want us to talk about, go to anchor.fm/requiredviewing and leave us a voice message! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    Emmy Nominations LOL

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 19, 2019 54:24


    Co-hosts Zach & Shams share their takes on this year's Emmy nominees, including all the surprises and snubs. They also discuss the bigger picture problems with the Emmy awards as a whole and suggest some changes to adapt to the new streaming dominated world and other trends in TV content, including the rise of limited/mini series and "dramedies" / dark comedies. And they do it all in under an hour this time! (No Spoilers) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    Black Mirror - Ranking all 23 episodes (part 2)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2019 93:13


    Spoiler Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Black Mirror. In this episode, Shams & Zach reveal the results of a study ranking all 23 episodes of Black Mirror and share their own personal ranked lists. The overall rankings were based on an online survey of over 200 Black Mirror fans as well as the ranked lists of professional critics from 16 different media outlets. The final list was based on the average rank of each episode for both fans and critics, weighted 50% each. Click here for super cool-looking graphs depicting where each episode ranked most often, as well as the averages and standard deviations for each episode. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

    Black Mirror - Ranking all 23 episodes (part 1)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2019 73:14


    Spoiler Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Black Mirror. In this episode, Shams & Zach reveal the results of a study ranking all 23 episodes of Black Mirror and share their own personal ranked lists. The overall rankings were based on an online survey of over 200 Black Mirror fans as well as the ranked lists of professional critics from 16 different media outlets. The final list was based on the average rank of each episode for both fans and critics, weighted 50% each. Click here for super cool-looking graphs depicting where each episode ranked most often, as well as the averages and standard deviations for each episode. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/requiredviewing/message

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