“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!

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!

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.”

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!

Tim Goodman and Jason Snell

This week Tim has a new refrigerator and is watching comfort food like “Peaky Blinders.” Comcast stealth-launches Peacock. Bad things happen at Tim’s former employer. Jason watched “Home Before Dark” and “Devs.” And “What We Do In The Shadows” is back!

Tim Goodman and Jason Snell

Tim just got home after several weeks away for complicated reasons. We’re back to fill your ears with talk about TV, music, life, and more. We hope it helps.

We’ll read your letters and play your audio files if you send them in. Tweet at @tvtm or email podcast at tvtalkmachine dot com.

Tim Goodman and Jason Snell

We’re in lockdown. Tim’s not even at home right now. We hope to be back sometime. In the interim, here’s our member special from 2017 in which Tim programmed his own streaming service.

Tim Goodman and Jason Snell

This week your teacher has given you a break—we’re giving you another week to watch “What We Do In The Shadows.” Instead, we keep it tight and bright as Tim joins the rest of us in these Times of Confusion by not even realizing what TV shows are debuting. After some brief Death Cab For Cutie banter, we shift it into gear and discuss Actual TV News, including the return of “Better Things”, the premiere of “Devs” and an explanation of the whole “FX on Hulu” strategy, and the Hilary Duff problem at Disney+. Plus, your letters!

[Want to have a letter read on the show? Email podcast at tvtalkmachine.com, or tweet @tvtm.]

Tim Goodman and Jason Snell

This podcast is like your friend who left a longtime job, got some new tattoos, and is showing a renewed interest in yoga. It’s a new life. Tim launched his new Resounding blog, which leads us to discuss why we love women singers. Speaking of learning and growing and pop music, Jason’s seen “High Fidelity” and does a real-estate check on “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.” Then we put Netflix’s “Sex Education” in the spotlight (did you do the homework?)—and why it works on so many levels.

Next episode’s assignment: “What We Do in the Shadows” on Hulu.

Send us your letters/comments! Tweet at us at @tvtm or email us at podcast at tvtalkmachine.com!

Tim Goodman and Jason Snell

We’re back! Tim is retired, rested, and ready. And he’s got two new music-based projects to announce—neither of which is his secret job, sorry. Jason has some TV news and reports back on finishing a couple of series. We also read some of your letters and start a brand-new segment where Tim gives both Jason and the listeners a TV viewing assignment!

Your assignment: “Sex Education” season 1, episodes 1-4.

Tim Goodman and Jason Snell

One last time before the end of the year, we’re back! Jason uses computer technology to construct a best-of-the-decade list for Tim. We’re probably forgetting something. We also discuss “Watchmen” a little bit, so if you want to not be spoiled at all about it, you can skip ahead to minute 20 and you’ll miss the whole thing.

Tim Goodman and Jason Snell

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Tim’s done with being a TV critic and is trying to be all positive, but he put in nearly 11 months of work and Jason’s demanding a list! So Tim and Jason both present their lists of their favorite shows of 2019. Plus we answer your letters.

Tim Goodman and Jason Snell

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Happy Thanksgiving! The Machine’s gas tank is now full of gravy. This week we’re reading your letters, Jason mentions a couple of shows he’s watching, and Tim encourages you not to overspend on streaming services if you’re cord cutting. Listeners have theories about Tim’s undisclosed employer! And Jason tries several techniques to convince Tim to make a final best-of-the-year list.

We still want your letters. Tweet us at @tvtm or email us at podcast at tvtalkmachine dot com.

Tim Goodman and Jason Snell

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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.

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…

Tim Goodman and Jason Snell

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Tim reviews Amazon’s “Jack Ryan”, Apple’s “For All Mankind”, Showtime’s “Back to Life”, and is in the midst of watching Netflix’s surprising second season of “The End of the Fxxxing World.” Plus Apple TV+ launches, HBO Max clarifies, we talk Bay Area blackouts, and we read your letters and tweets! It’s a podcast about television, remember?

Tim Goodman and Jason Snell

This week we’ve got Tim’s reviews of Australian drama in “The Cry”, two Paul Rudds are better than one in “Living With Yourself”, a not-so-Bourne “Treadstone”, and the final season of HBO’s “Silicon Valley.” Plus, Jason watches “Watchmen” and “Letterkenny,” the Netflix bot gets sassy, and political debates are super boring.

Tim Goodman and Jason Snell

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Tim’s seen most of HBO’s “Watchmen” but never read the comics. Jason owns multiple copies of the comics. Who will have the harder time parsing Damon Lindelof’s unlikely new series, which follows the world of the comics into the present day? We discuss the difficulties of laying down new story ground while also making inside references for the fans. In other news, Jason watched two network TV dramas (they still exist!) and we answer your letters and tweets.

Tim Goodman and Jason Snell

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We’re back from our excursions to the Pacific Northwest and ready for action. Tim reviews “Modern Love”, “Raising Dion”, and “Godfather of Harlem,” and then Tim and Jason break down the high stakes for the final season of “Mr. Robot.” Speaking of robots, we take an interesting phone call… after which we answer your letters and tweets.

Tim Goodman and Jason Snell

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It’s fall TV premiere season, but unlike the days of the old TV Guide Fall TV Preview, we’re not feeling it. Still, we’ve got some Emmys reaction, Tim’s reviews of “Stumptown”, “Cake”, and “Bless the Harts”, a pitch for a reconsideration of “This Way Up”, and Jason keeps mentioning a CBS show that will inevitably disappoint him.

Tim’s off to VIFF next week and Jason will be curled up like a ball, so we’ll see you in two weeks! As always, email us at podcast@tvtalkmachine.com or tweet at @tvtm with your thoughts, questions, and audio messages.

Tim Goodman and Jason Snell

This week Tim reviews the second season of “Succession” and Netflix’s new one-room-four-countries series “Criminal.” Plus NBC embraces its inner peacock, the rebooting of every show ever made continues, and we make a gongoozler in the +44 reconsider everything he knows about reality....

Tight and bright? Forget it. This episode is as big and deadly as an Australian rooster. Apple names its price and launch date! Tim wraps up his big cord-cutting series! Tim reviews “Mr Inbetween” season 2, “Mrs. Fletcher”, “The Victim”, and Ken Burns’s new music documentary! Listeners ask if Tim is loved enough! Plus: Gongoozling!...

Tight and bright this week! Tim details his cord-cutting experience, we answer questions from around the globe, and the Netflix algorithm shifts to weekly (with a big asterisk)....

Australia’s favourite weekend podcast is back, as we discuss Apple’s forthcoming event, drop bears, endings, procedurals, the Slow Binge(TM), Disney’s inevitable dominance, Apple’s content standards, and the strange robot that runs Netflix and doesn’t understand humans....

This is a jam-packed, shockingly professional episode of the TVTM, as we knuckle down on a Friday afternoon to give you what you want: a television-themed podcast. We discuss the endings of “Catastrophe” and “Patriot”, Tim’s sometimes-contentious relationship with TV executives and the nature of criticism, Tim’s adventures in cord cutting, Bill Walton’s appearance on a baseball broadcast, and Netflix’s experiment with human curation. Also, Tim reviews Amazon’s “Carnival Row”, we get an audio message from Switzerland, and when are “The Riches” coming back after all?...

As summer slowly fades out, Tim ponders the new shows of the season. Also, is Netflix in need of a strategy shift? Should it be signing the “Game of Thrones” creators to a big development deal? Why did CBS and Viacom come back together, and why did they split apart in the first place?! We answers your letters, including a question about when “Terriers” is coming back. It wouldn’t surprise us!...

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....

Tim’s back from the Death March With Cocktails! We discuss the soon-to-be-famous “lost episode” of the TVTM, Jason re-reads some of your letters, and Tim does a download on Amazon, Netflix, Starz, and other cable and streaming services after seeing them in L.A. Also, we have bad news: “Sad Spies” is dead....

No matter what day it is, Emmy nominations came out this week, as well as calamitous Netflix subscription numbers. We tackle that and some other streaming news, and then Tim reviews “Pennyworth” and “Frankenstein’s Monster’s Monster, Frankenstein.” Tim’s about to run off to summer press tour, but don’t worry, we still saved time for your questions!...

This week Tim reviews “Shangri-La”, Showtime’s music docuseries about Rick Rubin, which he loved. Then we branch off of a check-the-box letter from Listener Joe to discuss Warner Media’s big move in streaming, HBO Max. And we save some time for your calls and letters, including a Columbo Vote, a new app, the majesty of a foreign accent, and Jason completely spoiling “Game of Thrones” for a listener....

This week we reveal the winner of last week’s draft, as voted on by TVTM listeners. And then we break down Tim’s many choices for TV shows you should watch now that we’re in the summer slowdown. Jason also gets some good news from HBO, we realize we forgot to name the streaming services we drafted, and Tim contemplates becoming a cord cutter....

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!...

This week Tim reviews “Legion” season 3 on FX and the BBC/HBO coproduction “Years and Years”, Tim goes over some of his biggest Emmy pleas, we discuss the positive word of mouth around “Chernobyl”, and we answer a whole bunch of your letters and tweets!...

Tim reviews “City on a Hill” and “Das Boot”, and then we discuss his story about just how brutally hard it is to find (and keep) an audience today. Plus we send love to your fathers, including our favorite parental TV moments....

In this very unusual Friday edition of TVTM, Tim reviews HBO’s “Euphoria” and the latest batch of “Black Mirror” episodes on Netflix. We also read your tweets and letters, including an audio question about the importance of opening title sequences....

It’s the end of the world! And Amazon’s “Good Omens” really delivers. Tim reviews Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s miniseries epic, along with “Perpetual Grace LTD” from the original Sad Spy himself, Steven Conrad. Then we answer your emails, including the job of a critic to ignore the social-media zeitgeist....

We spend the first 27 minutes of this week’s episode talking about the “Game of Thrones” finale, why we liked it, and why the knives were out for it all over the internet. Twenty-seven minutes. We warned you. Warm up your fast-forward fingers if you don’t care. Then we move on to reviews of “Name of the Rose” and “What/If”, and answer a few of your letters....

You’ve got that right, this is Thursday and we’re energetic and refreshed! Tim reviews “Fleabag” season 2, “Line of Duty” season 5, and we discuss the ending of “Veep” and the impending end of “Game of Thrones.” Plus Disney buys out Comcast and takes full control of Hulu, and Tim goes down his 14 top TV comedies right now....

This week Tim watches “Fosse/Verdon” and George Clooney’s new Hulu miniseries adaptation of “Catch-22.” Then we dive into talk about cord cutting, because the time has come for everyone with decent Internet access to plan their departure from traditional TV and embrace the stream....

The impossible task “Game of Thrones” faces in trying to please its entire audience, “Barry” finds a balance, “Chernobyl” dodges the Boris and Natasha accents, HBO at the center of Warner Media’s streaming plans, and favorite TV catchphrases....

This week we discuss the return of “Game of Thrones”, how the clock is ticking for WarnerMedia’s entry into the streaming wars, and answer your letters!...

Disney announced the release date (November) and price ($6.99) for its new streaming service this week, and it’s set the bar awfully high (or low) for competing services. What does this mean for Netflix and Amazon? What about Apple? Why is ABC not even mentioned among Disney’s brands? Also Tim has some praise for goofy absurdism on TV and we get a phone call from an Australian doing an American accent....

This week Tim has praise for “Killing Eve” season 2, condemnation for “The Twilight Zone”, and lots of love for “Game of Thrones” as an all-time classic drama and “Veep” as a classic comedy. Plus, lots of letters from the +44, guv’nor!...

This week Tim says hello to the final season of “Veep”, Jason laments the existence of live studio audiences, and we ponder the streaming service that Apple announced in Cupertino this week. Also, a listener takes a victory lap and Netflix cancels a show we’ve never heard of....

Apple’s video service announcement looms next week, and Tim and Jason turn the topic over one final time in the absence of any real evidence. Also, do British shows like “Sex Education” handle teen sex better than American shows? And we read a few of your letters, as is our tradition....

It’s a double-sized mid-week episode of the TVTM! Jason turns the tables on Tim by writing about Apple’s forthcoming TV service and the necessity of non-Netflix services to create distinctive brands. Tim reviews a whole bunch of new shows, including the return of “Catastrophe”, the new UK drama “Manhunt”, the unfortunate comedy “Turn Up Charlie”, and the delightfully weird “What We Do In The Shadows.” Plus we empty the mailbag and read all your letters!...

HBO’s chief executive exits, leading us to speculate about the fate of HBO and Warner Media’s future streaming efforts; congressional testimony returns with more unadaptable drama; Pamela Adlon’s “Better Things” returns as strong as ever; and we play two audio messages and answer a few of your letters, too....

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....

This week Tim’s focused on the plight of the mid-level premium network/streamer, most notably Epix and Starz. Starz is hoarding its content, but that can prevent a show like “Counterpart’ from becoming a broad hit. Meanwhile, Epix chose to sell “Get Shorty” to Netflix. What’s the fate of brands like this? Plus, we answer an awful lot of your letters, and ignore any news that has happened in the past week (because we pre-recorded this episode)…...

This week Tim reviews Hulu’s “Pen15” and TBS’s “Miracle Workers”, and we take a walk through a grab bag of other TV topics — live TV, “Lost”, “Atlanta”, “Bandersnatch”, “Legion”, “Travelers”, “Counterpart” angst, and ABC and John Mayer being BFF’s....

This week Tim and Jason discuss Netflix’s careful use of its own internal stats to sow fear and disbelief in the television industry. When a lightly-promoted series like “Sex Education” can get 40 million viewers, what’s the hope for anyone else? We also answer your letters and hear the voice of Hobo Eric for the very first time!...

Until you listen to this episode you won’t know if we’re alive in this cardboard box or not. This week Tim reviews the excellent Netflix miniseries “Black Earth Rising,” and we discuss the big streaming-service price changes from Netflix and Hulu. And of course we answer your letters about cord cutting and more!...

NBCUniversal has announced its own take on the streaming service, and Tim has many questions. Also there are reviews of “Brexit” and “Dynasties” and Tim implores you to check out “Wilfred” on Hulu. Plus, Tim’s five greatest TV dramas of all time and listener Brandon sends in our first audio letter!...

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.)...

It’s our 200th Episode Spectacular, in which we discuss articles Tim has written and then read your letters! So… pretty much like the other 199 episodes. This week Tim’s got some positive(!) thoughts about the Golden Globes, negative thoughts about turning TV episodes into video games, and some suggestions for TV viewers trying to find a strategy that makes sense for watching shows in 2019. And at the very end, we celebrate our 200th episode with an OG appearance from some very special guests....

We exit 2018 and the 100s episodes with Tim’s final lists of the year, of bad shows and great performances and good episodes. Plus we read some hall-of-fame letters! See you in two weeks for the 200th episode spectacular. Merry Christmas to everyone’s mothers....

It’s here at last! We walk through Tim’s ultimate Power Rankings, namely his list of the best TV series of 2018. Plus we leave a little bit of time for an International letters session....

This week Tim uses the example of the Golden Globes to shame the Emmys into being better; we discuss the return of “Counterpart” and what made us like its first season so much; and Jason supplies a Slow Binge update while Tim calibrates his year-end best-of lists....

This week we make lists, and more lists, as Tim discusses the evolving world of the TV critic. YouTube and Facebook go back to basics. And we heap just a little more praise on “Patriot,” because why not....

This week Tim reviews “Escape at Dannemora” and then we break down the success of Fox News and wonder why nobody has successfully created an equivalent on the left. Along the way we insult TV news in general and CNN in particular. Plus, Jason tries a TV tracking app and we read your letters!...

The sad spies of Amazon’s amazing and excellent “Patriot” have returned, and you can watch the whole series on Prime Video, so you’ll know what Tim and Jason are raving about this week. We also discuss HBO’s “Sally4Ever”, Tim’s desire for David Simon (or someone!) to create a groundbreaking TV series based on a recent New York Times article, and we read several of your tweets and letters....

This week Tim and Jason are overwhelmed with the volume of television that continues to fall out of the skies and into our laps. But from out of deep memory come some shows worth revisiting, whether it’s the existential “Les Revenants” on Netflix, the return of “The Man in the High Castle” on Amazon, or even the Netflix arrival of “Get Shorty.” Plus we answer your letters!...

The world of TV is changing rapidly, and we’re here to break it down for you. This week Tim reviews British import “Bodyguard”, ABC ’70s comedy “The Kids Are All Right”, and then we dive into Tim’s rankings of streaming services new and old and begin to ponder what the streaming landscape will look like in 2019....

Tim has praise for “Wanderlust,” which premieres next Friday on Netflix, and we spend some time discussing the advantages of TV as a writer’s medium in an era where visual flourishes are competing more with traditional storytelling. Also, last week we opened a can of worms as large as the Tasman Sea, and New Zealand has had enough!...

Tim returns from Vancouver with stories about Mike Schur and other showrunners, we've got a review of HBO's "Camping", and Apple risks losing out on key creators by getting a reputation as "expensive NBC."...

We missed a week and the shows and letters piled up! So this week we cover Tim’s reviews of season 3 of “The Good Place”, and new shows “The Cool Kids”, “Single Parents”, “Mr Inbetween”, and “The Good Cop”. Good news, Australia, Tim likes one of your shows! Also, Jason watched “The First” and—for some reason—“Murphy Brown” and “Magnum P.I.” And we answer a lot of letters from the +44. Blimey....

Les Moonves is out at CBS, Tim’s headed to Canada to interview Mike Schur, and there’s still so… much… TV. Did you know that “Norm MacDonald Has a Show”? It’s on Netflix and it’s a train wreck. Also, “Forever” arrives at Amazon with a bunch of spoiler warnings (relax, we don’t spoil anything), and it’s worth watching. Tim also offers an advance look at Netflix’s “Maniac”, due next week. Jason reaches into The Power Rankings to pluck out “The Looming Tower” and a rewatch of “Detectorists.” And we’ve still got time to read a few letters about new shows airing in the +44 that the bloody Americans still know nothing about.

Things are heating up! This week we touch base again on Jim Carrey in “Kidding” before moving on to the film-festival premiere of Amazon’s “Homecoming”, directed by Sam Esmail and starring Julia Roberts. It doesn’t premiere until November, but you’ll want to mark your calendars, because Tim says it’s something special. Also, Tim and Jason review Amazon’s “Jack Ryan”, there’s a new edition of the Power Rankings, Jason gets offered screeners, and we answer your letters!...

This week Tim reviews “One Dollar” from CBS All Access, which is less than you’ll pay to watch it—if you should bother. He also covers Showtime’s “Kidding”, starring Jim Carrey. Jason watches another show from last year! There are also two more Letters Kenny and a whole bunch of questions for Tim from listeners like you, generating all sorts of story ideas Tim may or may not ever write....

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....

Tim reviews Netflix’s controversial “Insatiable” which turns out to be less interesting than it might have originally appeared. Plus, “Get Shorty” returns if you can find it. And while we keep joking about the Amazon Prime streaming graveyard, Tim is convinced that it’s a sleeping giant that has just awakened. Plus, Jason finishes “Cloak and Dagger” and we pick surprising casting in recent and forthcoming TV series....

Tim’s back from a very short Death March with Cocktails with news about what’s up with streaming and cable companies. Plus “Better Call Saul” returns, “Lodge 49” finally premieres, Facebook Watch fools no one, and Amazon Prime Video’s new leadership says hello to Tim....

Before Tim heads off to the Death March With Cocktails (Summer Press Tour) for a week, he checks in with Jason to discuss “Lodge 49” (set your DVR’s next week when you can!), “Fauda”, and more on the dramatic week for HBO and Netflix. And of course we answer some of your tweets and letters....

Jason’s back from his vacation and there’s a lot to talk about, as Tim reviews new series from Canada (via Hulu) and India (via Netflix). Also, the phone company comes calling for HBO, and Tim reacts—with some anger and also a little bit of appreciation—to the release of the Emmy nominees....

Two big streaming shows worth your time debut today. On Netflix, it’s the second season of “GLOW”, and on Amazon, the remarkable miniseries “A Very English Scandal.” Tim’s got reviews of both, and then our attention turns to how Apple is spending a lot of money to become a major player in television—but hasn’t actually announced anything yet....

This week Tim reviews Paramount Network’s “Yellowstone”, and then we dive into a last-minute plea regarding what shows and which performers should be nominated for Emmy Awards. And we leave a little room to answer letters about two sophomore series: the lauded “Legion” and the ignored “Goliath”....

Tim’s back from the ATX Festival in Austin and just before the Emmy season gets heated up, it’s time to talk about another hidden gem—“Moone Boy”. Plus, one of our listeners gets namechecked for helping to save “The Expanse”, Jason gets happily pedanted, and Tim gets a bunch of viewing tips from a data scientist....

We’re back with a spoiler-free look at the finale of “The Americans,” which is now safe for you completists to watch. We also walk through Tim’s latest Power Rankings! for comedies, and an OG TVTM listener pays us a visit via letter....

We veer deeply into the sabermetrics of television as Tim discusses the 10 best-written series on TV. Plus we spend a lot of time on the return of “Arrested Development”, from Netflix’s catastrophic PR campaign to Tim’s review of the new season. And as always, we leave a little bit of room for your tweets and emails, in which we learn yet another terrifying fact about Australia and discover which streaming service is a graveyard from which shows never return....

Cancellation is in the news and we discuss the new rules of TV show cancellation and survival! Plus, vintage TV series that are ready to be reimagined, a guide to hidden gems in an age of peak TV, and we answer your letters....

The art of a successful sophomore season, the little details that make a great TV performance, hidden gems, and crossover contenders. This episode has a low floor but a high ceiling....

Sometimes the flaws are what make something interesting. That’s the case, Tim argues this week, with HBO’s “Barry” and BBC America’s “Killing Eve.” Plus, Tim and his colleague Dan disagree on the second-season directions of “Westworld” and “The Handmaid’s Tale.” And this film we once saw was reviled for its flaws But its flaws were what made us have fun...

Tim reveals big changes in his Power Rankings! with a bunch of new series entering the hallowed list of 21 top shows to watch right now. And after a whole lot of anticipation, here comes season 2 of “Westworld.” Tim’s seen the first five episodes and has an early review....

We say goodbye to legendary TV producer Stephen Bochco, and then Tim reviews “Dangerous Book for Boys”, “Howards End”, “Killing Eve”, and “Legion” season two. Jason praises the just-completed seasons of “The Magicians” and “Counterpart”. And Listener Dean forces us to explain why we didn’t talk about “Roseanne.”...

In a tight and bright episode, Tim reviews the new season of “The Americans”, we go over some draft rules, and answer your letters....

This week Tim reviews “The Mechanism”, from the director of “Narcos”, and Danny Boyle’s story of the Getty Family, “Trust”. Plus we muse about TV streaming fantasy drafts and readers have thoughts about what to do while folding laundry....

This week Tim has some advice for the Obamas about their potential deal with Netflix, plus reviews of “Krypton” and yes, the CBS drama “Instinct.” Plus listeners have feelings about the ways that Netflix has wronged them....

It’s hard to make a TV show even in an era of peak TV, but what’s even harder is finding an audience willing (and aware enough) to return for a second season. As “Atlanta”, “Jessica Jones”, “Sneaky Pete” and “Legion” return, why is it so hard to break through and reach viewers for a second season? Also, Tim reviews HBO’s “Barry” and the return of “Sneaky Pete”, and we still have time to fit in two classic reader letters about the past and future of foreign-language dubbing....

This week Tim brings back the Power Rankings and reviews the new show from the creator of “Luther”, plus we have a whole lot of follow-up about Netflix season summaries, dubbing, and the Olympics. Finally, we may have reached Peak Cop/Not-a-Cop....

The show is not cancelled! After a week off, we’re back to discuss Tim’s latest reviews—of “Everything Sucks”, “Final Space”, “McMafia”, and season two of “Atlanta.” Also, who’s winning the streaming wars? And we answer your letters....

Are we living in a golden age for televised science fiction and fantasy? Tim thinks it might be possible. We discuss “Altered Carbon” and wonder if it’s just the latest in a string of prestige, high-profile series that have elevated the genre to new heights....

So many reviews, so little time! In this tight-and-bright edition of the TVTM, we’ve got Tim’s reviews of three new series: HBO’s supernatural family drama “Here and Now”, Netflix’s spectacular sci-fi noir “Altered Carbon”, and Amazon’s Bulgarian FBI drama “Absentia”. Plus, a quick run through some letters about bad titles, “Detectorists”, cold hard cash, and the merits of remaining indoors....

This week we talk about all the topics in Tim’s grab-bag column, including the roles of various premium cable channels in the TV landscape, the size of Apple’s TV budget, and the fate of Hulu. We also read your letters, including more praise of “Sad Spies” (“Patriot”), an Ohio geography update, and an Important Cricket Correction....

This week Tim takes you under the sea for “Blue Planet 2”, tries to understand the origins of Steven Soderbergh’s “Mosaic”, and praises (one last time?) “Detectorists.” Then it’s time to muse about the role of a TV critic in the era of peak TV and if it’s better to bypass shows that you know aren’t worth anyone’s time. We close with a surprising range of listener letters from all over the world, and Ohio too!...

This week David Letterman returns to TV with a new Netflix interview show, Jason gets excited about Starz’s “Counterpart”, Tim dives in to Amazon’s new sci-fi anthology series “Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams”, and we ponder what is to become of the Fox network after it’s severed from its parent studio. Plus, Jason’s love letter to “Detectorists”, Tim jumps aboard the “End of the Fxxxing World” bandwagon, and a letter writer might have gaslighted us—or is it gaslit?...

It’s 2018 and we’ve got a fresh start! This week Tim ignores all the Golden Globes predictions, pans a network comedy, and is forced to pick some of his least favorite things of 2017. Plus, Jason takes possession of “screeners” and watches some sad spies....

This week Tim reviews “Gunpowder”, a perfectly nice HBO historical miniseries he didn’t ask for, and then talks about his contributions to lists of the best TV episodes and performances of the year. Then we turn to dive into Disney’s purchase of Fox, which has huge ramifications for the future of TV. Finally, we turn to Tim’s carefully curated playlists of Christmas music!...

This is the big one—in a year with 500-plus scripted TV series, Tim walks us through his 46 top TV shows of 2017. There are some surprise additions, some old standards who have fallen down a little bit on the list, and even a few broadcast network TV series!...

Like Santa, Tim’s making his list (of the best TV shows) and checking it twice before posting. In the meantime, though, he’s seen all of the new “Black Mirror” season! We also reflect on scaling back on social media, the role of the critic, and answer your emails....