Podcasts about tv talk machine

This reunion is crossposted from Downstream episode 43. Tim Goodman drops by to discuss his decision to be a TV writer at the very end of the Peak TV era, the challenges of TV criticism, and his return to writing about TV on his own terms via his Substack. Tim Goodman and Jason Snell.

“Counterpart” revisited, CNN+ as seen through the lens of an escaping prisoner, Apple TV+’s surprise success, the mess that is the current streaming landscape, and Tim shares a book idea with substack readers. Plus, letters from listeners! Host Tim Goodman and Jason Snell.

“Station Eleven,” “The Afterparty,” Stephen Colbert, TV marriages, “The A Word,” and the moment when Tim’s partner said, “Yeah, I’m never gonna watch that.” Plus: your letters! Host Tim Goodman and Jason Snell.

Tim finds “Utopia”—twice. Jason gets confused by “NCIS: Hawaii.” We ponder series hiding away on services like STARZ and EPIX. It’s Peacock’s time to shine (not just the Olympics, but “Vigil”!). PBS, please take my money. Tim bounces off of “Raised By Wolves.” And at the end of the episode The Box Set takes on episode one of “Station Eleven” and episode one of “Collateral.” Host Tim Goodman and Jason Snell.

It’s been 612 pandemic-fueled days. But we’ve taken the tarp off the TV Talk Machine, replaced a few parts, and are ready to kick it into gear. Tim spent the last two years writing TV scripts! He’s going to keep doing that, and write a book, and also has launched a newsletter on Substack so he can write about television again. And… did we mention the TV Talk Machine is back, too? It’s true! In this episode Tim explains where he’s been, where he’s going, and the origin of his new project, which launches today! Also Jason raves about “Station Eleven” and believe it or not, there’s a letter from a listener! Tim Goodman and Jason Snell.

Tim and Jason return to close the book on Volume 4 of the TV Talk Machine chronicles. (You can find the previous three volumes at theincomparable.com/tvtm/about.) We’ll be back in this feed, probably soon, with something that’s more of us talking about stuff, but a lot less about things that are TV related. But before we go, Tim describes the experience of having an opinion about a TV show and not sharing it. Jason goads him into some mild opinions. Jason mildly regrets an error, and recounts a bunch of shows he’s been watching on streaming. Then it’s time to check in on the Streaming Wars, including the impending launch of HBO Max, the mysteries of Peacock, and the question about what service is the mostly like to fail. We also read a few of your letters and about a million of your pandemic viewing suggestions, none of which appear in these show notes. On brand till the end. Finally, if you’d like to make suggestions for topics for us to talk about in the future, or just want to share your thoughts with a podcast, you can still tweet at us at @tvtm or email podcast at tvtalkmachine dot com. Bye everybody! Host Tim Goodman and Jason Snell.

Tim and Jason return to close the book on Volume 4 of the TV Talk Machine chronicles. (You can find the previous three volumes at theincomparable.com/tvtm/about.) We’ll be back in this feed, probably soon, with something that’s more of us talking about stuff, but a lot less about things that are TV related. But before we go, Tim describes the experience of having an opinion about a TV show and not sharing it. Jason goads him into some mild opinions. Jason mildly regrets an error, and recounts a bunch of shows he’s been watching on streaming. Then it’s time to check in on the Streaming Wars, including the impending launch of HBO Max, the mysteries of Peacock, and the question about what service is the mostly like to fail. We also read a few of your letters and about a million of your pandemic viewing suggestions, none of which appear in these show notes. On brand till the end. Finally, if you’d like to make suggestions for topics for us to talk about in the future, or just want to share your thoughts with a podcast, you can still tweet at us at @tvtm or email podcast at tvtalkmachine dot com. Bye everybody! Host Tim Goodman and Jason Snell.

Having been safely “offboarded” from The Hollywood Reporter, Tim discusses his final review, which is a negative review of “Dublin Murders.” Jason watches a bunch of TV shows, while Tim has spent a couple of weeks going to sleep early and not watching television. It’s a new era for the TV Talk Machine, as we roll into parts unknown. Host Tim Goodman and Jason Snell.

Did anything happen this week? Oh, yes, Tim announced that he’s leaving The Hollywood Reporter and “retiring” as a TV critic! We discuss Tim’s feelings about moving on from the TV critic racket and try to figure out what form the TV Talk Machine will take in the future. (Hint: There are a bunch of year- and decade-end lists coming up, and Tim doesn’t have anywhere to post them unless he breaks his Blogspot site out of mothballs.) Although we aren’t sure of our destination quite yet, the Machine drives on… Host Tim Goodman and Jason Snell.

Tim’s in Big Sur on vacation this week, but Jason has captured his astral form and forces him to talk about bad TV shows like “Another Life” and “Four Weddings and a Funeral” as punishment. But it’s not all bad: Tim tries to convince his friends to watch “Years and Years”, and they all seem to have resisted the call, so now it’s time for him to convince his listeners! We also gather important cord-cutting knowledge from letter writers. Simultaneous, worldwide, and transparent—the TV Talk Machine is a podcast jellyfish. Host Tim Goodman and Jason Snell.

This week we’re both on vacation, so we’ve pre-recorded this episode in which we perform the first-ever TV Talk Machine fantasy draft! Tim and Jason are going to pick five new shows from the past year that they’ll use to populate their brand-new scrappy underdog streaming services. Which one would you subscribe to? Let us know! Host Tim Goodman and Jason Snell.

This week Tim and Jason lament the passing of “Counterpart”, Tim lashes out at “Umbrella Academy”, we blow through a bunch of Tim’s articles from the past two weeks, and save time for your letters and two (two!) voice messages. Most importantly, the TV Talk Machine theme makes a surprise appearance in a TV promo. Host Tim Goodman and Jason Snell.

This week Tim and Jason deal with Golden Globes fallout, Tim reviews “Informer” (Amazon), “Black Monday” (Showtime), and “Valley of the Boom” (shout out to Stephanie from NatGeo!). Then Jason reveals the madness that made him re-publish the entire original TV Talk Machine catalog, complete with Tim’s show notes from 2009. “Enjoy.” (Get in your emails, tweets, and MP3 about your wet newspaper early for next week’s episode. We’ll be recording Wednesday or Thursday. podcast@tvtalkmachine.com as usual.) Host Tim Goodman and Jason Snell.

Though sleepy from travel, the TV Talk Machine moves forward anyway. This week Jason reports on a show from 2017 he finally watched, we muse about what’s going on with Hulu, Amazon, and Apple, and we answer an awful lot of your tweets and emails. Finally, at the end, Tim tries to Kojak us with a new social-media account to follow. Host Tim Goodman and Jason Snell.

Podgodz 290 Recorded 29 May 2018 Counterpart The Good Fight Solo: A Star Wars Mistake – LAX Solo: The Best Star Wars – GIO Hotel Artemis   LAX – Adds/Drops/Updates Updates: TV Guidance Counsellor? Cleared Shows that pissed me off/weren’t good Top 10 shows of the Week   Up for contention but not making the list this week The Incomparable #408: Sometimes You Need a Wookie The Incomparable #402: His Planet is Terrible (Counterpart) You’re the Expert: Sea Sponges Sardonicast #8: Last Jedi, Amores Perros Skip to the End #96: Deadpool 2 No Agenda #1034: Privilege Walk, #1036 Braking Algos, #1037: Bug Ramen TV Talk Machine #176: Bajip No Such Thing as a Fish #218: Tennis On The Moon   LAX Top 10 10) Roadwork #111: John’s Noodles, #112: Haunted Read More →

Podgodz 276 Recorded 6 February 2018 Altered Carbon ST:D The Cloverfield Paradox LAX Adds/Drops/Updates Add: -/- Drop: Clockwise from RelayFM because of evil advertiser Updates:   Top 10 shows of the Week   Up for contention but not making the list this week No Agenda #1002: Ras-Putin, #1004: Micro Livestock Do By Friday: I Feel Like a Poor TV Talk Machine #153: They’re Like Floppy Disks You’re The Expert: Ghost Snakes No Such Thing As A Fish #201: Lobsters at the Lobster Festival   LAX Top 10 10) TV Guidane Counsellor #278: Matt Nix 9)   Defocused #181: A Peeled Grape (21 Jump Street) 8)   Skip To The End #88: Coco 7)   Hello Internet #96: The Humblehug 6)   The Incomparable Radio Theatre 2.5: I’ll Write Now 5)   Eureka Podcast #249: Jeremy Read More →

Podgodz 274:  Getting back into things Recorded 23 January 2018 The Post Ingrid Goes West Fate of the Furious   Adds/Drops/Updates   Add: -/- Drop: -/- Updates: making progress on my food backlog   Shows that pissed me off/weren’t good   Top 10 shows of the Week   Up for contention but not making the list this week Eureka Podcast #247: I am Craig Do By Friday: A Tumbleweed of Pubes and Dust Defocused #180: Channing Tatum Tots (Logan Lucky) Omnibus – 4 episodes TV Talk Machine #160: The End of the Foxing World   LAX – Top 10 10) Defocused #179: Your Bougie Flesh Burger (Kingsman: The Golden Circle) 9)   Eureka Podcast #248: Imported Bangladeshi 8)   Do By Friday: Instantaneous Gram 7)   No Such Thing As A Fish: Heroic Read More →

Podgodz 274:  Getting back into things Recorded 23 January 2018 The Post Ingrid Goes West Fate of the Furious   Adds/Drops/Updates   Add: -/- Drop: -/- Updates: making progress on my food backlog   Shows that pissed me off/weren’t good   Top 10 shows of the Week   Up for contention but not making the list this week Eureka Podcast #247: I am Craig Do By Friday: A Tumbleweed of Pubes and Dust Defocused #180: Channing Tatum Tots (Logan Lucky) Omnibus – 4 episodes TV Talk Machine #160: The End of the Foxing World   LAX – Top 10 10) Defocused #179: Your Bougie Flesh Burger (Kingsman: The Golden Circle) 9)   Eureka Podcast #248: Imported Bangladeshi 8)   Do By Friday: Instantaneous Gram 7)   No Such Thing As A Fish: Heroic Read More →

Mary Tyler Moore, finishing shows, and "Legion" - Tim makes a vow to finish more series! We say a fond farewell to Mary Tyler Moore. The visuals in FX’s “Legion” are trippy, but it’s more a drama about mental illness than a shiny X-Men vehicle. All this and your letters, this week on the TV Talk Machine… Host Tim Goodman and Jason Snell.

Podgodz 219 Recorded 8 November 2016 (The Day America Burns) No RSS? NOT PODCAST   Lax Top 5 Adds/Drops/Updates Add:     Tell Me Something I Don't Know Mixed Feelings from Relay.fm BBC World Service: Plate of the Union And sound cloud things I am having to download and upload to Overcast that DON'T COUNT Drop: Updates:   Shows that pissed me off/weren’t good All the ones I have am having to bank to skip Black Mirror/Dr. Strange spoilage. Top 5 shows of the Week   Up for contention but not making the list this week Defocused #121: Arizona by the Sea Roderick on the Line #223: Sequester John No Agenda #874: Trump Trope, #875: No Brexit for You.   Top 5 5)    TV Talk Machine #105: Don't Get Weird 4)   Extra Read More →

Podgodz 219 Recorded 8 November 2016 (The Day America Burns) No RSS? NOT PODCAST   Lax Top 5 Adds/Drops/Updates Add:     Tell Me Something I Don’t Know Mixed Feelings from Relay.fm BBC World Service: Plate of the Union And sound cloud things I am having to download and upload to Overcast that DON’T COUNT Drop: Updates:   Shows that pissed me off/weren’t good All the ones I have am having to bank to skip Black Mirror/Dr. Strange spoilage. Top 5 shows of the Week   Up for contention but not making the list this week Defocused #121: Arizona by the Sea Roderick on the Line #223: Sequester John No Agenda #874: Trump Trope, #875: No Brexit for You.   Top 5 5)    TV Talk Machine #105: Don’t Get Weird 4)   Extra Read More →

The host of a weekly pop culture podcast called The Incomparable, which is the flagship of the Incomparable Radio Network, which features various podcasts. The Incomparable Radio Network has built up a couple hundred episodes! He is also part of Upgrade, which is essentially the official Six Colors podcast. Plus, he is the co-host of TV Talk Machine, with his co-host being the chief TV critic at the Hollywood Reporter. Also a co-host of a podcast called Liftoff, Jason had written for Macworld for many years.

Podgodz 198 (CXCVIII) Recorded 10 June 2016 I saw X-Men Apocalypse – Lax Stitcher, formerly owned by Deezer (Euro music streamer) is now owned by E.W. Scripps who owns Midroll (podcast ad sales, owner of Ear Wolf/Howl) – they want to destroy podcasting. Adds/Drops/Updates Add: Ungeniused #1, NAPSOT Drop: Updates: The Bugle – going on without Shows that pissed me off/weren’t good Top 5 shows of the Week Up for contention but not making the list this week TV Talk Machine Let’s Talk About Star Wars #5: Ventress’s Hair Strikes Back Roadwork #31: Socks and Gloves   Top 5 Lax 5) No Agenda #832: Cissexist Hxstory 4) Planet Money #704: Open Office 3) Making It #73: Eyeball Trauma 2) Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids #312: I’m not one Read More →

Podgodz 195 Recorded 16 May 2016 Captain America: Civil War Eureka Ends Looking for a film podcast Schmidt Update (what’s gone wrong this month?) ‘Podcasters’ bitching and moaning to Apple about needing intrusive data. Ken Reid’s Vanity Project Album – 20 May   Adds/Drops/Updates Add: Making It, Skip to the End /Film, The Way I heard It. Drop: None Updates: None   Shows that pissed me off/weren’t good Eureka Podcast Special Announcement May 7: BOOOOOOOOO   Top 5 shows of the Week   Up for contention but not making the list this week Roadwork #28: Casual Shinto Exposure TV Talk Machine #81: So Much Weird Stuff Is Happening Right Now Roadwork #27: The Vampire Cross Roderick on the Line #199: The Wrong Kind of Warlock   Top 5 Lax 5) Read More →

Podgodz 187 Recorded 19 January 2015 Found another Podcast about Podcasts (Podcast Digest) Chewing the Fat from WBEZ becoming Chewing, an independent podcast Dune Read Goosebumps   LAX Adds/Drops/Updates Add: 3 Guys 3 Questions, Podcast Digest, Unhelpful Suggestions, Eli the Tech Guy, SarcasTechCast Drop: Podcast Playlist from CBC, Sampler from Gimlet Updates: Back on Back to Work. Serial: Meh. Dana Gould Episode Down to 1.1 gigs on my phone. Shows that pissed me off/weren’t good Top 5 shows of the Week Up for contention but not making the list this week Accidental Tech Podcast #153: Larger, Less Portable Pastures, #154 A Rich Toddler’s Toys Defocused #80 Peak Pleather (Swordfish),  #81 Red Dirt and Expectations (Martian/Mad Max) TV Talk Machine #67: Dinosaur Ship The Flop House #196: Aloha Hello Internet #56: Read More →

Cancellations and renewals - The network upfronts are in full swing, so this week Tim and Jason talk about what’s been cancelled and what’s been renewed. But not about new show orders, because in accordance with TV Talk Machine policy, Tim officially doesn’t care until he sees the show. Also: a “Mad Men” check-in, the intriguing new drama “Wayward Pines,” and your letters! Host Tim Goodman and Jason Snell.

In this special edition of the TV Talk Machine podcast, Tim interviews Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, producers of the nine-part documentary series Baseball. Their new two-part chapter to the Baseball series, The Tenth Inning, premieres on PBS on September 28th and 29th. This new installment picks up after the 1994 Strike and discusses the resurgence of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, the steroids cloud that looms over baseball and the influx of foreign-born players into baseball.

After two weeks and many vacations, the boys are back for another scintillating edition of the TV Talk Machine podcast. In this episode, Tim, QB and Ali (what a surprise, Benny was absent again) discuss the fallout from the 2010 Emmys. A number of Tim's predictions panned out, although Archie Punjabi winning was not one of them. And QB debuts a new voice.

You can call off the search teams! Tim has made it home safely, albeit in a stumbling stupor, from the Death March with Cocktails. His parents are happy to have him home. In this edition of the TV Talk Machine, Tim gives a full recap of the happenings at the Television Critics Association aka The Death March with Cocktails. Tim talks about the upcoming lineups for all the networks including HBO, AMC and FX Oh, and polygamists are discussed.

Well, after a brief hiatus, the TV Talk Machine is back for the second episode of 2010. This time, Oh Great One Tim Goodman, Joe "Question Bay" Garofoli and Benny "Manny" Evangelista are joined by new TVTM producer Ali "The Greatest" Thanawalla. In this episode, Tim and the guys give their post-Olympics analysis (if you're a fan of NBC, cover your ears), and Tim previews the Spring schedule. And as always, they take your phone calls, and things get a little steamy (and awkward).

Who doesn't love ponies? Anyway, after being off "the air" since December, the world's most dangerous, stupid and pointless podcast about television is back! We have a new podcave (actually, someone else's office). We've gone through three producers, one intern, any number of Question Girls, a dozen or so 12-step programs, a grand jury investigation, two foreign tribunals and successfully (and almost legally) avoided international sanctions. So, happy third birthday to us! We can't be killed. We even took a phone call from Qatar, so put that in your Doha pipe and smoke it! Our world domination continues. See, now you want to listen. It's free. Easy. And also quite popular on iTunes. Although we turned down an invite to go on "Fighting Talk," our good friends at the BBC and my recent appearance on Bill Simmons' "B.S. Report" podcast have finally nudged the decision-makers at TVTM to consider expanding the cult. Even though tens of thousands of people listen to us monthly (when we're not too lazy to actually do the podcast) we are very much an acquired taste, as any number of our measly 573 or so TVTM Facebook fans will attest. In theory, this podcast is about television. In practice, it's a collection of rants, asides, dribs and drabs of actual answers to listeners who have questions, inside jokes, terrible impersonations (Walter Cronkite, Juan Antoniio Samaranch, The Count from "Sesame Street," Vladamir Putin, Dora the Explorer, the Existential French Woman and "hundreds" more, including our patron saint, Bill Walton. Plus porno versions of all of those people, except Walton.) These podcasts are not to be confused with the TV Talk Machine's spin-off "Celebrity Podcasts" (see link on right side of this blog) where I talk professionally with a number of important people I like in the industry and do it with actual TV knowledge. Those have value. And a point. If, however, you'd like to listen to our more regular TVTM podcasts and you're a newbie wondering why we have listeners around the globe (that part is actually true), iTunes availability, a Facebook fan page and a toll-free hotline for those living in the U.S. of A, then here's a quick primer: Our cast is made up of Yours Truly, plus Question Boy (Chronicle political writer Joe Garofoli) and Manny (Chronicle business writer Benny Evangelista) who "mans the knobs" and produces this thing. Or as we like to say, "produces" this thing. (We go through producers like Spinal Tap goes through drummers, just FYI.) Whenever we're not too lazy, we put on our shorty robes, head to the podcave and answer your questions while channeling Walton and any number of other bad voices we can conjure. We encourage people to take the TVTM logo with them when they travel and take "Flat Bastard" photos that are posted on our Facebook page (seriously, you should go look). We ask only that you set your bar low for information and entertainment. No animals are hurt in the creation of this podcast.

It's uncharacteristic of us to ever turn serious in regard to the TV Talk Machine, but we thought it was time to tell you the good news about some recent bad news. On March 4, our friend, colleague and producer, Benny Evangelista, had a heart attack. He's now out of the hospital and well on his way to recovery, but we thought you should know -- with Benny's blessing -- why he's been absent and could be for a couple of more weeks or until he's feeling good enough to come back to work. By all accounts, Benny got really lucky and caught some breaks (we'll spare you the details, but Benny says that if you're feeling chest pains, even some you might not think are related to a heart attack, take action right away...We think Benny's love of "Scrubs" contributed to him being drawn to a hospital and the early arrival did more than you could ever know). We're happy to report that Benny, aka Manny, aka Chocoknobs, is feeing much better. Enough so that he confirms that all those missing MP3s and such are in a special place and he'll try to get them to Justin Beck, our super-sub producer, when he can. Also, Joe Garofoli -- aka Question Boy -- and I would like fans of the twisted humor of the TVTM to rest assured that once we found out Benny was going to make it, we took the opportunity to make fun of him. When Justin and Marcus Chan set up a digital recorder so that people at the Chronicle could wish Benny well when he was in the ICU, Joe and I recorded a message that started, "Well, we hope you're laying down for this....It's going to be 47 minutes." We told him that "faking" a heart attack was the sleaziest stunt we'd ever seen to bring back "Benny's Corner." And we told him that the "Save Benny's Corner" fan page on Facebook had been changed to a more simple "Save Benny." We also promised a lingering, inappropriate hug in his hospital shorty robe. In all seriousness, we'll definitely welcome back our essential podcast partner with a warm embrace when he's ready. In the meantime, grant us -- and Justin -- a little slack if we came up a little short in the two podcasts this week. Also, you may have noticed that we cooled it on the plans to have a big TV Talk Machine beer bash at the 21st Amendment in San Francisco. Just when we were ready to drink, Benny had to go and ruin it by nearly dying (yep, they had to use the paddles on him.) But never fear, when the time is right, we can now turn it into a Welcome Back Benny/TVTM Birthday bash and the fine folks at the 21st Amendment have generously agreed to let our extended family of listeners come in, perhaps even to our own area, and fill the place with bad Bill Walton impressions.

Well, on the day we get to post the 100th episode of our TV Talk Machine podcast, we now have to expedite the plans for that party. Given the news regarding The Chronicle today, it would be nice to be around for Ep. 200 -- or Ep. 103, for that matter. So, yes, we're going to hoist some beers (and relatively quickly) to celebrate our 2nd Birthday and 100th episode and maybe for some good luck cheers as we attempt to stay alive in the ever churning world of journalism. But let's stay positive here: We've got a special 100th episode theme from Jason (and even a 101st theme too!), a lot of congratulatory calls and letters, plus Question Boy (Chronicle media and politics writer Joe Garofoli) brings out a new voice pretty early on. It's a familiar one if you watched the Oscars. Manny (Benny Evangelista) lets us bloat this podcast up because "it's special" and we try to make the most of it. We talk about the Oscars, about going to the 21st Amendment for some brews, a call from Taldar, and best yet, Peter Hartlaub's Cousin's cousin -- aka Peter Hartlaub -- got called out by an old friend of his on OUR TV Talk Machine Facebook page, saying that at one point in high school Peter performed a rap. We called Peter to ask if this was actually true. And he rapped for us. Seriously. And he used the words "Ford Pinto" in the rap. We consider that his gift to us on our 100th episode -- and it's his first official appearance, which puts him 97 behind his cousin, Laura Jean. Regulars like George D. calls in with good wishes and Hanna from Sweden not only wrote in but she sent a picture of herself holding up the TVTM logo while standing in the snow! We appreciate the support. We'll keep cranking them out until, well, until we're no longer allowed in the building.

Unfortunately this podcast starts with a certain someone celebrating a certain Super Bowl victory which he rubs in another certain someone's face. We try to offset that -- thanks George D! -- by bringing back some great radio calls from the glory days of Your San Francisco 49ers! Elsewhere: News from television poorly told. Question Boy (Chronicle media and politics writer Joe Garofoli) unveils a special voice. TV Talk Machine on Facebook continues to blow up (we're now taking questions via the Facebook page). Manny, (Benny Evangelista) who was given an Obamicon labeled "Knobs" by a reader, let's us know his doings as "What's Benny Been Doing?" returns. Not a lot happening there. "Benny's Corner" has been canceled (it's hard to support a spin-off show). He continues his odd fascination with marching bands. Music talk (Vampire Weekend, more Lloyd Cole, Fleet Foxes, Scud Mountain Boys, Pernice Brothers); book talk (A.J. Jacobs' "The Year of Living Biblically"), etc. Also: Australia doesn't like Joe's impersonation (and neither do we) but our In Praise of Australian Women failed to garner even a single call from Down Under. We're waiting. There was a plea to get Amber from Canada back in the mix (which requires planning; we discuss that we don't know how to plan). And yet, I've come up with a great answer for everything: "It wouldn't surprise me." Bonuses include: Taldar strikes back! He also sends in an MP3, kills marching band music, joins our Facebook page and is our second person to indicate where he listens to TVTM by sending in a photo of our logo blown up and in focus! Well played young man.

I think we say in this TVTM that we have 36 Facebook friends as of Monday's taping. Last Joe checked the TV Talk Machine fan page on Tuesday, it was 54 or something. Apparently it's no longer embarrassing to be our friends. Good news. Elsewhere in the podcast, we make good on our promise to make Manny (Benny Evangelista) a pop culture icon by creating a "What's Benny Been Doing?" segment and boy, is it thrilling. Hey, Balzac returns! Plus: Existential French Woman, a new voice from Question Boy (Chronicle politics and media writer Joe Garofoli). We also discuss "Trust Me" on TNT. I like it. We talk about music -- The Wild Swans and Lloyd Cole from me (hey kids, nostalgia from music critics is fun!) -- Joe adds some West African music and Benny...well, Benny is now into marching bands. Let's discuss. Oh, hey, we talk about books, too. Except that Joe and I didn't read anything. But Benny did. We're not sure he paid for it though. E-mails. Calls. And we got an MP3 from Mars! And it makes Question Boy cry for totally unpredictable (well, predictable if you know him) reasons. The MP3 actually came from Salt Lake City. But QB, being childish, riffs on someone's name and he's off to the races. Also: Stupidity. It's all here and we're on a bleeping roll! Enjoy. Whoops: "Enjoy."

"What has Benny been up to?" We think this might be a great new segment for us. Benny is also on Facebook. Of course I mocked this on Tuesday, but on this day we're just looking to get Benny some love. Also, Benny found out that someone started a TV Talk Machine fan site on Facebook and we had, like, six people who loved us. Of course, we find this painfully funny. Later the number "jumped" to 10. And now it looks like we're going to have to consider defriending some folks. We're too popular now. On the other hand, where's the international Facebook love for the TVTM? It's so sad. Oh, we also might have another segment called "Benny's Corner," set in a bar. Because we do a bit about Benny in our reality series, "Bars." This podcast becomes an homage to Manny in many ways. In any case, here's our second installment of the week. We've got Walton, plus a tiny, bad version of French Walton, we've got Al Gore, AC/DC, we talk a bit about "Big Love," we get a great MP3 from France! No, psych! It's actually a great question about French shows making it to American television sent in from Megan from the 707. We were completely mesmerized by her voice and French accent and she's invited to the podcast/podcave any time she wants. Plus, she bakes! She's even proposed a "bake off" with Sheri from the Vale, which would probably collapse the podcave in some manner. We also got a fantastic letter and map from Charles in the 915. (See below.) We will add that to our podcast wall.

New president, new TV Talk Machine podcast. Coincidence? Yes! Just thought we'd ride the inaugural coat-tails there a bit...Not only do we have a new president -- welcome Barack Obama -- we have a new theme song for 2009! It's totally awesome and inspiring! Thanks Jason, you're the best. (And sorry for badgering you and shaming you into doing it...but we love it.) While we're still recovering from Hurricane Sheri, we have quite a few interesting twists this week. First, Question Boy sings. I know that's not news. But it's a newsworthy song. We cover a lot of topics, not all of them quickly. We discuss actual television news ("Battlestar Galactica," "Big Love," "Flight of the Conchords," "Secret Diary of A Call Girl," "United States of Tara" etc.). By the way, Question Boy (Chronicle politics and media writer Joe Garofoli) reveals that Porno Dick is one of his "alters." Later, Manny (Benny Evangelista) reveals that he's been working too hard to really have a life that involves reading or listening to music (two topics we discuss). You might think this revelation would induce sympathy from us, but instead we laugh and mock him. And we're planning a new segment -- possibly two -- just to find out what Manny is doing in is life. We even talk about shows that debut this week, including "Lie to Me" with Tim Roth and "Lost." It's probably our most chock-full-of-TV podcast EVER. We apologize in advance. We talk about Facebook, too. Benny and Joe are on Facebook. I am not. A discussion ensues. Then letters, calls, random pointlessness -- the usual. (Except we found out that Dora was stuck in the podcave. Who knew?) Also: I talk about how I've helped our new president pick television series -- you know, cutting out the clutter for him so he can stay focused on the country but also have some entertainment in his life. Anything to help. Our motto. (Along with, "lower your expectations.")

So, yeah, we were off for about a month. Vacations. Being sick. "Manny being Manny." But we got the Three Wise Men back in the studio (insert uproarious laughter right here) and went to work on bringing the TV Talk Machine podcast back to life for two versions this week. Question Boy (aka Joe Garofoli, Chronicle media writer) and Manny (aka Benny Evangelista, former savior to the Business Departement and "Tech Talk" guru) join me in the studio as we craft a real piece of work. Or piece of something. It's a pre-Christmas, end of 2008, feel-good chat-fest. We answer mail from November. We air calls. We wear Santa shorty robes. We drop the lengthy lead-in trying to explain what we're doing. And, without trying (because we never try) a theme develops: Worldwide Walton. French Walton. Irish Walton. Martinez French Walton. Canadian French Walton. Santa Walton. And yes, we even have a picture of the Big Man for all the people in the world who don't know who Bill Walton is, what he looks like or why we keep doing really bad impressions of him. It's a festive podcast! Joy to the world!

Well, we take calls. We take e-mails. And we answer them. Period. That's what we do. Give the listeners what they come looking for. Thankfully, most of them come to the TV Talk Machine looking for and expecting nothing. And so we give them lots of that, too. The good news is that Question Boy (Joe Garofoli) atones for his complete and utter lack of worth in the last podcast with a sterling effort here. Well done, QB. Then again, it could be that as many as FOUR Question Girl candidates will show up at our Bastard Machine/TV Talk Machine Birthday Bash at the Cerrito Speakeasy on Sept. 25th. Perhaps he's feeling the heat. He needs to step up. Hell, Girlina is coming in from New Orleans. If Gustav couldn't stop her, then QB certainly won't.

In this TV Talk Machine podcast, coming in at a sterling, entertainment packed 36 minutes, we get Manny (Benny Evangelista) back "working the knobs." In many ways, we missed Super Producer Sub Justin Beck. You always love what you can not have. But anyway, let's not defer the major announcement: Our Sept. 25 hootenanny at the Cerrito Speakeasy will not be a benefit (because we couldn't get the technology necessary to draw in celebrity phone-in guests), so we've made the executive decision to make the whole thing free. Yes, free. That's 120 spacious seats with tables and couches and leg room where you can order pizza, pints of handcrafted beer and whatnot. "It's our gift back to the listeners," says I. "You'll definitely get what you pay for," replied Question Boy (Chronicle media writer and political blogger Joe Garofoli). In this podcast, I almost fire Question Boy for being lame. The only reason I didn't fire him is that I still couldn't get Vera H-C Chan to come in and be Question Girl. You'd think her bosses at Yahoo would give her a Monday off to get the company a little attention. Don't make me go scouring for Question Girls at Google, because I will. Also, I didn't fire QB because Amber from Canada is still, sadly, in Canada and unable to make it into the podcave. (Also, I forgot to send her our reader questions). So QB got a reprieve. But never mind what's coming up in this aggressively entertaining TVTM podcast, let's not "bury the lede" and forgot what we're all looking forward to on the 25th: 1. Free admission. 2. Couches with tables so you can put your PINT OF BEER and PIZZA down on them. 3. Free swag. 4. And lots of it -- DVD boxed sets, t-shirts, etc. 5. The worrisome thought that as you sip your beer, you might get hit in the gob by a "Heroes" DVD boxed set. 6. A LIVE podcast. Even though we can't get a phone line on the stage of the Cerrito Speakeasy (thus losing our ability to have celebrities call in -- or YOU call in, as a matter of fact), we're still going to do our podcast in front of 120 or so adoring fans. We will take their questions on a live microphone (QB roaming the aisles, etc....actually, we may have one or two Question Girls in attendance as well, and we'll put them to work). That should be fun because the more drunk people get, the more interesting the questions and answers will be. 7. We have decided that even though we can't get wi-fi on stage at the Cerrito Speakeasy, they DO have it out in the lobby, which just happens to be where the bar is. So I'm going to periodically go out there and have a pint of Anchor Steam and "live" blog our event for our International Listeners. 8. We are going to show new fall TV series (and no, not the same ones we previewed at the Sept. 11 KFOG TV Party). 9. We are going to have music. Yes, music. From my iTunes collection and featuring the winner of our "Bars" theme song. We are going to be in shorty robes. And we are going to shake our moneymakers. 10. What, you need a #10? Dude, it's free, we're going to be throwing free DVD boxed sets at your head and you can buy beer and pizza and actually bring it inside the theater? We're doing the podcast right in front of your eyes. We have tended our gardens. We will have Question Girls. We have live microphones. What part of "we're gonna rock your lame ass world" do you not understand? See you there.

Vacations (and perhaps some laziness) are taking a toll on the normally unflagging TV Talk Machine podcast production. This just in: Um, I forgot to post Part 2 from last week. (Hey, it was on the site, just not on the blog, and most of you seem to be getting it from iTunes anyway...). This also just in: Manny (Benny Evangelista) is on vacation, so he sent an e-mail virtually demanding that I wait to post the podcast until this week, which might make it seem new. I love his thinking. We've totally corrupted him. Also, Question Boy (Joe Garofoli) is on vacation, too. That leaves me, manning my own knobs. (Yeah, you pretty much had to see that one coming, like a neon big rig.) So, there's no TVTM this week, except for, uh, this new one.

Was reminded that we posted this on SFGate.com but not on The Bastard Machine. And yes, I've got more audio stuff but am too lazy to upload most of it and forgetful in other instances and can't be bothered in still more. Oh, and too busy with words to bother with sound. Clearly a TV Talk Machine podcast from here seems very, very unlikely. Anyway, off to the CBS hootenanny.

We've got a two-part TV Talk Machine podcast this week and I would have had the first part up earlier, but as it turned out the Diamondbacks were in town having a day-game tilt with my beloved G-Men and, well, you can probably guess what happened. We decided to get right into this one (or, "right into this one" in theory, because we're incapable of actually moving forward in a brisk, informative manner) because a listener in France asked us to read his e-mail in the first five minutes and we do pretty much whatever our international callers ask (especially after we learned later that our international toll free number isn't actually free for international callers). Also, the TVTM takes a few minutes to honor Tom Snyder (one of our rare turns of seriousness), and we plow through a ton of letters, try out some slogans ("the podcast of doom"), find a theremin sound, discuss both CBS comedies and MILFs, which doesn't seem plausible; we also sing the praises of "Flight of the Conchords" and some of "Business Time" as well; restate our lust and desire for Jenny Lewis; and dispute an e-mail that claims our Bill Walton impression sounds more like Patrick from "Sponge Bob"; ultimately we ask, "Where's the love?" Don't worry, it all makes sense (actually, no it doesn't).

Joe Garofoli and I were trying to lock down this TV Talk Machine podcast as quickly as possible so that we could walk down and watch the Giants home opener (we didn't know at the time that the G-Men would get pounded, though we did have our suspicions). Opening Day still means something to us because we're proud American baseball fans. So, doing only one podcast this week, we were anxious to make it quick and informative. We did neither. But hey, we were wearing the Bunting Robes, we took a few hacks at e-mail and phone calls (and we were about as successful as the Giants against Greg Maddux); we got bashed for our slackerness from, ahem, Jeff in the NoMi area (North Mission); we also got an e-mail from someone representing the 919 area code (why we love area codes and the respect they engender from the people who live there can't really be explained); and then, after a sagging middle section, we got some great calls, including one mystery caller who completely beat down one of our regular callers. This is what happens when people get angry. And snarky. But we liked it, because she brought the high heat. Oh and before that, we came up with a new segment (or dream): Pixie Girl Brawls! Oh, yeah, we also used a lot of baseball metaphors. And then we had Benny wrap it up so that we could get to the 21st Amendment. Go Giants! And may all your bloop singles and weak flares fall in; may all your double-steals work and your pitching hold up. Otherwise, well, it's a beautiful park.

It's true. BBC Radio 5, or Five Live, as they like to call it across the pond, interviewed me about what can only be described as the awesome power of -- third person alert -- Tim Goodman's TV Talk Machine podcast. Of course, I played along and didn't tell them that our podcast was incredibly lame and that our goal at TVTM is to be as unprepared as possible and do bad impressions. Colin Murray, a BBC radio guy who has his own sports podcast called "Fighting Talk" did the interview and I touted our Question Boy, Chronicle media writer Joe Garofoli, as a contributor to the TVTM greatness. Then we played a snippet of Colin's podcast and realized that he's really good and we really suck. Then we went into a tailspin of self-loathing. Once the BBC posts its story -- unless of course it cuts us out, which we're totally expecting -- we'll link to it. In the meantime, here's what you can find in our podcast after we stop weeping and whining about how great "Fighting Talk" is and how badly we suck: 1. Joe does Pearl Jam's "Jeremy" again. 2. He also sings "Career Opportunities" from the Clash and a little bit of Queen. 3.He does Angry Regis. 4. He also falls asleep a couple of times and completely butchers two or three e-mails, which Colin Murray would never do, we're sure of that. 5. Joe and I get into an ethnic battle -- Irish vs. Italian. 6. My shorty robe, in honor of St. Patrick's Day, is festooned with shamrocks, which conveniently covered my shamrocks. 7. Banjos. Bongs. Cougars. 8. I forget what 8 was for. Anyway, that's just our first one this week. We're back again on Thursday, answering (or not) more questions. Remember you, too, can join the inanity. If you'd like to sing us a song, please call our hotline and leave it. If you're a woman with an English accent, please call our hotline and just say anything. If your name is Grace Park, call my cell phone. If you're Colin Murray and you've just discovered how terrible we really are, our apologies.

Question Girl No. 2 joins the TVTM podcast. We decide not to be so lame. We may have failed. Actually, "first runner up" Jennifer Gomez (aka Jengo) helped fuel a surprisingly upbeat, informative and far-reaching two-part TV Talk Machine podcast. We raised our game in honor of her in-Pod Cave appearance. We have Part 1 today, Part 2, tomorrow and then -- because we have pledged to you our word to be as unprepared and lame as always -- we hope to return, a week later, to rambling nonsense about "untended gardens," "hind parts," "cougars" and bong hits. Have a listen.

I talked with Michael C. Hall, star of "Dexter," on Monday and here it is as part of my latest TV Talk Machine podcast. Ah, talking with the stars. Never an actual interest of mine. But as I noted previously, the whole idea of the TV Talk Machine podcast was to talk with people I actually liked, who were doing great work, and having that as archive material for years. More and more people are being offered up. Podcasting is becoming more acceptable as it becomes more accessible, I suppose. I have a short list that now must be expanded. But my question is -- who are you interested in hearing? Granted, it has to be someone I like. So you'll have to intuit my likes and dislikes before compiling a list that works. But it can't hurt to ask. You ask, then I'll ask. And we'll see what happens. As you know, a big factor will be my wavering interest level. But now that I'm really tiring of the blog life, this may be a workable sub. Anyway, here's "Dexter," everybody's favorite serial killer (and former gay funeral home director on "Six Feet Under").

Well, it took some time -- alright, a long time -- but Amandapants our winner in the long forgotten Question Girl battle royale -- finally makes an appearance on the TV Talk Machine podcast. Mandy Murphy survived all of our jibes and jokes and lies and slander to appear with us. And she even had a great time. Such a great time, mind you, that we've split the podcast into two parts. Yep, you add someone in the booth, even figuratively, and the bloated rambling just gets more windy and lengthy. So, here's Part 1 of Amandapants as Question Girl.In this first installment, Question Boy (Joe Garofoli) takes the high road (he got a nose bleed from being so unfamiliar with the heights) and barely feuds with Question Girl. In fact, they bond. It's nauseating. On the other hand, Benny-Bernie-Manny is, as usual, "manning the knobs" and we discover that he "forgot" a couple of calls (that we know of) to the TVTM, so we resurrect them as "classics." Strangely enough, they are still relevant. There is some strike talk here. There is the requisite bong-hit special effect. There is mockery of me, QB and Benny. (And Benny, in honor of Question Girl, dons a silk shorty robe to show proper respect.) Mandy brilliantly reads many e-mailed questions.

Mood swinging mayhem; future celebrity appearances, efficient rambling. It's the TVTM! Indeed it is. Yet another podcast without our new Question Girl, so it comes back, yet again, to Question Boy (Chronicle media writer Joe Garofoli) and your Cultural Commissar to deliver the goods (or the averages) on yet another TV Talk Machine podcast. There are more Q's and A's here than ever before and all the joyful abundance of swearing, laughing and scoffing you've come to expect. Plus, still more singing. And just so you don't think it's a wankfest of poor production, limited information, terrible humor and time killing wassailing, let it be known here and now that I'll have two upcoming podcasts with David Duchovny and Ricky Gervais. Plus more where that came from. Yeah, so there. Until they appear and get the good stuff with the good questions and the professional sound, please enjoy our normal offering of weekly lameness.

Carnage! Sucking up! Sultry voices! Hating on Question Boy! It's Attack of the Question Girls! Boy, is it. The highly-touted, hotly anticipated throwdown to become the Once and Future Question Girl (and, in the process, firing Joe Garofoli as Question Boy -- but not really) led to a bloody TV Talk Machine podcast. Hear all about it below. So many people participated, that we now have a controversy brewing (or if not, we'll cook it up anyway). Apparently, some Question Girl tryouts might not have made it on air (audible gasp) and some may even have been edited out (hissing from the back) after we picked the six finalists (the what?). Blame for all of that falls to one man, and his name is Not Me. Actually, it's Benny "The Podfather" Evangelista. (He doesn't know that yet. Well, now he does, but still.) Yeah, Benny "Manning the Knobs" Evangelista runs a tight ship. Not only that, in the interest of fairness, a certain someone who shall go nameless -- no, actually her name is Julie King -- noted correctly that she was the first person to ask if she could be Question Girl. That I remember. And she said she also came up with the idea for auditions, though Question Boy claims that. Or did he? Maybe his claim -- and it doesn't really matter because he's fired -- is that he came up with the reality show podcast format thingy. I say this -- it's the start of the fall season. I'm lucky I remember my kids' names. Having promised the role to Julie (and then, in a fairly spectacular fashion, to Laura Jean, cousin of Chronicle Pop Culture Critic Peter Hartlaub), it could be that the TVTM needs to use Google Calendar more often, or a certain someone needs to write notes on his hands. Benny "The Podfather" Evangelista, making the Question Girl cuts. Not to fear, Julie, or Laura Jean. It's not who goes first, or who wins contests, that matters. It's who co-hosts the most times. And you two have been given a Golden Ticket. Stop by anytime. But we have a war to wage! It's the Question Girl Terrordome! Give a listen. At the end, we pick the finalists. And they will appear on The Bastard Machine tomorrow, with a poll. Most votes wins. Alright, I've contacted HR about QB. The paper work is just waiting to be signed. In the meantime, here are your TVTM Question Girl combatants.

Actual answers! The return of the shorty robe! An attack on Question Boy! It's the TV Talk Machine podcast. Oh, hell yes it is. We go off! And then we catch ourselves and correct course. Mostly we realized that the show seemed too professional, too helpful, too effortlessly informative. So we ruined it. Or tried to. Next week it'll be lousy again -- promise.

Here -- after a lengthy absence -- is the return of the TV Talk Machine podcast!