Extra Hot Great

Critic and podcaster Mark Blankenship returns to The Blankenship Chair to discuss Hitmakers, a reality show about songwriters that needs less contrived drama and more process -- but did appeal to a couple of our panelists as eye candy. Should you give it a try, or wait until one of its pop creations comes on in an elevator? We went Around The Dial with Happy Gilmore 2, Million Dollar Secret, The Challenge 41, and The Gilded Age spoilers before tapping our toes to a Canon pitch for Buffy's musical episode. A nepo Beatty won, Resident Alien lost, and Non-Regulation Game Time struck a chord with another round of Tube Tunes. We don't want to call it "fire," but it IS an all-new episode of Extra Hot Great! GUESTS

Well, we all have a face that we hide away forever, and we take them out and show ourselves when everyone has gone -- even Billy Joel, who has decided to take his out for Billy Joel: And So It Goes, a two-part HBO docu-series about his life and work. Should he have kept it to himself (it's his life)? Daniel Blau Rogge returns to talk about it. Around The Dial takes us through S02 of Digman!, The Comeback, and Billionaire Boys' Club. Dan presents the Hacks episode "The Roast Of Deborah Vance" for induction into The Canon. Then, after naming the week's Winner and Loser, it's on to Game Time, in which we're listening…to celebrity Frasier callers. Say Goodbye To Hollywood and hello to a new episode! GUESTS

Lena Dunham is back with Netflix romcom Too Much -- and so is Maris Kreizman, to discuss Dunham's return to the discourse, whether we can separate the creator from the show, and what the panelists who didn't care for it still think it did really well. We went Around The Dial with American Horror Stories's third season, Veronica Mars's FIRST season, and Ballard, and Tara hoped we'd come to praise AND bury "the Giamatti episode" of Black Mirror for the Canon. Richard Gadd won, Today's Craig Melvin lost (while letting Rick Springfield also win), and getting "home free" proved a challenge in a tagline-based Game Time. Throw a nightie on your favorite pet and join us! GUESTS

In the grand tradition of our drafts for Law & Order and the Star Trek franchise, we're using this special episode to draft teams of staff, patients, loved ones, and inanimate shows from ER -- and who better to join us than Laura Hampton, a PA known to us from our Discord as an ER superfan who recently completed a full rewatch of the entire series? No one, which is why she's here picking a team AND organized the draft with the correct number of each category of character for us to choose from. Now we're going to need YOU to vote for which team reigns supreme! Laura also presents Doug saving Ben from a flooding storm drain in "Hell And High Water" for induction into the Hero category of the Tiny Canon. Finally, we close with an on-theme game about body parts in the names of TV shows and actors. Get listening, STAT! GUESTS

We are off this week but present you with this EHG Club unlock of EEHG 343: Should You Sign On To With Love, Meghan? It's clear the former Meghan Markle wants to do something significant with her British-royal influence; it's also clear her new Netflix homekeeping show, With Love, Meghan, isn't that. Stephanie Early Green is back to talk about why it's so dull, what might have helped, and how Martha Stewart succeeded where Meghan Sussex fails. Ask EHG wondered who would replace Noel Fielding on GBBO and which characters we'd want on our bar-trivia teams, and then Tara pitched a lyrical SNL sketch for the Tiny Canon. And after we listed our Not Quite Winners and Losers of the week, Sarah's Extra Credit polled the panel on important princesses of television. Throw on a $300 linen apron and join us! GUESTS Stephanie Green TOPICS 15s Of Fame → The Good Swear Lead Topic → With Love, Meghan Ask EHG → Replacing Noel Fielding Tiny Canon → Saturday Night Live S38.E18: Vince Vaughn Winner & Loser → Poker F

Like a lot of family-owned businesses, Havenport, North Carolina's Buckley Fishery is having a rough go of it lately. If they can't make their nut and pay all their employees on fish alone, maybe...smuggling cocaine will make up the shortfall? What could go wrong?! Jessica Morgan returns to talk about the ways Kevin Williamson's new show crosses over with the one we know him for best (Dawson's Creek), and the ways it doesn't but that we WISH it would. Around The Dial takes us through Season 3 of The Gilded Age, The Valley, and Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy. Sarah pitches the Law & Order episode "Empire" -- aka "The Julia Roberts One" -- for induction into The Canon. Then, after identifying the week's Winner and Loser, it's on to a game that's naming names -- lots of them. Grab a serving of fresh oysters and join us! GUESTS Jessica Morgan → https://extrahotgreat.com/guests/jessica-morgan/ TOPICS Announcement: EHG Mutual Aid Vault Lead Topic: The Waterfront Around The Dial: The Gilded Age Arou

And that truth is: none of us thinks you should bother, including returning guest Will Leitch, who agrees that We Were Liars moves too slowly; shows AND tells too fart-sniffily; wastes the talents of an impressive cast, including Mamie Gummer and David Morse; and is based on a property whose author sounds fake. We went Around The Dial with the very real The Chicken Sisters, Untold, and The Mortician before Tara's Canon pitch reunited us with Party Down's third-season premiere. General Hospital won, Doctor Odyssey (maybe??) lost, and Dan Cassino got us all a volume discount on long-running shows in Game Time. Cannonball verrrrrry sloooowwwly into our all-new episode now! GUESTS

Summer is upon us, but what are we going to watch? Robert Krut joins us to help make our traditional lists of what we're into; what we should be into but aren't; what NO ONE should be into; and what's fine for others but not for us. Dave pitches the South Side episode "Treat Yourself" for induction into The Canon. Then, after naming the week's Winner and Loser, we close out with a Game Time that's pure poetry. Find a spot directly in front of a fan and join us! GUESTS

David T.'s beautiful son Taylor S. Cole is back to discuss Dept. Q, a Scottish take on a Nordic-noir book series that has the good sense not to mess with star Matthew Goode's face. Chemistry in trope-y scenes, why Scandi crime stories often have a submarine, whether the mystery needed so many episodes to solve -- we're talking about all of that AND recommending actually Nordic Nordic-noir TV if you liked Dept. Q. Then we're going Around The Dial with Mountainhead, The Rehearsal, and The Last Of Us S01 before seeing whether Taylor can do his entire The Studio Canon pitch before we lose the light. True-crime actors won, late night lost some more, and three was the magic number for one of us in Game Time. Throw on a nubbly sweater and join us! GUESTS

Matt Wolf (The Stroll) got unprecedented access to Paul Reubens, generally better known as his alter ego, Pee-wee Herman; Will Hines joins us to talk about what resulted from their 40 hours of interviews. Around The Dial takes us through Big Mouth's eighth and final season; The Comeback: 2004 Boston Red Sox, and Magic & Bird: A Courtship Of Rivals. Sean makes his pitch for the "Long, Long Time" episode of The Last Of Us to be inducted into The Canon. Then, after naming the week's Winner and Loser, it's on to a Game Time that really knows the score. Put on your reddest bow tie and join us! GUESTS

Vulture's Kathryn VanArendonk is back to talk about Apple TV+'s Murderbot, and whether the books do a better job of exploring questions of gender and essential humanity without Alexander Skarsgard's Ken-doll crotch confusing matters. Should YOU give it a watch? We went Around The Dial with Overcompensating, Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives, and Leverage: Redemption's third season before Anne offered another variation on the Utahn theme with a Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City Canon Presentation. Kelli Giddish won, Tom Hardy lost, and we all tried to survive the process of Venn-diagramming premiere and finale casting in Game Time. Hack into your governor modules and join us! GUESTS

After more than two years, Rian Johnson's Poker Face -- aka "What if Columbo, but a lady named Charlie who's a human lie detector" -- is back for its second season on Peacock. Does it still deliver a pleasing throwback mystery vibe? David J. Roth returns to discuss. Around The Dial takes us through the second season of Conan O'Brien Must Go and Netflix's special Conan O'Brien: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize For American Humor; Killing It; and Untold: Shooting Guards. Mike presents the episode "A Mercy" from The Terror for induction into The Canon. Then, after naming the week's Winner and Loser, we kick off a new season of Game Time with a very long drive between fictional TV cities in America -- hey, kind of like Charlie! Gas up and join us! GUESTS

Did Alan Alda vehicle The Four Seasons need an eight-part dramedy reboot? The panel -- joined by Alyson Lewis of Cracked -- doesn't think so, although one of us enjoyed returning to a version of a property that aired constantly on HBO in the mid-eighties. But did the story need this many episodes, or this downbeat a tone? Do we enjoy this iteration of a Tina Fey character? And why is a certain actor almost certain to get killed in prestige programs like this? Later, we went Around The Dial with Taskmaster's 19th season, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and The Clubhouse, and Tara hoped Mary (and "That Woman") would make it into the Canon. Kali Reis won, Disney lost, and we synchronized our schedules for a timely Non-Regulation Game Time. Boot up your favorite second-screen farm game and have a listen! GUESTS

Heather wanted us to watch a 29-year-old Sam Elliott playing a cowboy in a Season 2 episode of The Streets Of San Francisco, and who were we to resist? We tell you whether the episode's worth ripping off your pearl snap shirt over. Our latest Ask EHG takes us through questions about, among others, our most out-of-character favorite shows and the strangest places we've ever run into someone we knew. Sarah pitches "Smizing" for the TV coinage Tiny Canon. Then, after sharing a new batch of Not Quite Top 11 lists, we close up by recasting famous original CSI. Find yourself a comfortable bunk and listen! TOPICS Forcening Pool:

Most weeks, we confront our guests with a Thought Experiment to compile for an end-of-year special. But this time, we're the ones in the hot seat. We asked our friends -- past podcast guests all -- to challenge us with TV-themed Would You Rather? They came through in a big way with hypothetical choices that really set us to some soul-searching. Listen to hear what decisions we're being forced to make! TOPICS Lead Topic:

Black Mirror is back with a seventh season packed with miso jam, thronglings, classic film, Christian counseling services, a whole artists' commune, and more; Brandi Brown joins us to discuss what goes down (sometimes...way down). Around The Dial takes us through Hacks, The Syd + TP Show, and Top Chef. Tara attempts to get yet another game night sitcom episode into The Canon with Will & Grace's "Alley Cats." Then, after naming the week's Winner and Loser, we're trying to get closest to the pin with Return Of The Return Of The Steep Incline Climber. Put that nubbin on your temple and listen! GUESTS

The Ankler's awards editor, Katey Rich, thinks Hulu/FX's new dramedy Dying For Sex -- about dying, kink exploration, and friendship love stories -- might be in line for some awards love. Did the panel agree? Listen for our discussion, plus Holofcener vibes, useless men, and rooting for Dawson's alums. We went Around The Dial with The Amazing Race, St. Denis Medical, and Andy Kaufman doc Thank You Very Much, and Katey lured us onto the corporate jet of a third-season 30 Rock episode. Olivia Munn won, legendary TAR teams lost, and we found out which TV set elements are bigger than breadboxes in a special Katey Edition of Game Time. Invite Neighbor Guy over and listen now! GUESTS

Will & Grace co-creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick are back with a throwback multi-cam sitcom that isn't Gay Golden Girls, but isn't NOT Gay Golden Girls. Would we travel down the road and back again for more? Joe Reid joins us to talk about it. Around The Dial takes us through Last One Laughing UK, Shrinking, Adolescence, The Pitt, and Gone Girls. Joe pitches the Simpsons episode "Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious" for induction into the Nonac. Then, after naming the week's Winner and Loser, it's on to a Game Time that's more hard work than usual. Put down the cottage cheese and listen! GUESTS

Muppeturgy's Adam Grosswirth returns to talk about Shondaland's latest show for Netflix, The Residence, which takes us behind the scenes at the White House via a murder mystery -- but could the stellar cast make up for a too-long runtime and not-funny-enough writing? Do we have an Only Murders In The West Wing copycat problem? And should you bother watching? We went Around The Dial with The Righteous Gemstones, Smash on Broadway, and B-B-B-B-Bosch: Legacy's swan-song season, and Adam hoped he could train the panel to vote a first-season Murder, She Wrote into the Canon. Project Runway won, Netflix lost, and it came down to the wire in a very (equalizer) challenging Game Time. Grab that Audubon off the windowsill and have a listen! GUESTS

Patreon supporters earn the right to "forcen" us to watch TV episodes of their choosing, and while we usually never know what we're going to get, this time we each made a selection from the list of submissions. Was Dave worshipful of The Chosen's "The Rock On Which It Is Built"? Did Tara want to take The Young Ones episode "Bambi" out back and shoot its mom? Did Sarah thrill to the artistry of Hustle's series premiere, "The Con Is On"? Listen, find out, and then (if you haven't already) join us on Patreon to tell us what we should watch next! TOPICS Forcening Pool: