Catching Up on BB19 with Andy Herren

Closing out Catch-Up Week in style, Colin welcomes BB15 winner Andy Herren to break down the latest developments from the Big Brother: Redemption Island house. What are the larger implications of Paul's stranglehold over the group and where's the line between a smart social game and needless bullying? How will his eventual win stack up compared to the all-time greats? And can anything be done to stop him? All that and more below, here, or on iTunes here.

Diagnosing House MD with Taran Armstrong

No, you're not in a Vicodin-induced haze: at long last, we're taking a deep dive into everyone's favourite medical drama. Taran Armstrong makes his return to discuss the show's impact, its evolution over time, and the ultimate merits of its philosophy. As always you can listen below, here,
or on iTunes here.

Catching Up on Survivor New Zealand (/Australia) with Adam Rida

We venture to the farthest reaches of the world today to cover Survivor: Australians But Nicer as well as Survivor: Australia with honorary Kiwi and genuine Aussie Adam Rida. He talks through Survivor's popularity in Australia, its translation onto Australian TV, and the stark cultural differences on display in its next-door neighbour's version before racing to catch up with the ongoing chaos on the Australian show. As always you can listen below, here, or on iTunes here.

   

Catching Up on The Challenge: Dirty 30 with Alex Kidwell

Catch-Up Week continues as Colin welcomes LFC member Alex Kidwell to talk through the latest drama and hijinx on MTV's The Challenge: Dirty 30. Starting with Bananas and working down through the rookies, we hot-take our way through the entire cast and try to predict how the season will play out going forward. As always, listen below, here, or on iTunes here.

Catching Up on Australian Survivor 4 with Mike Bloom

While Probst and the Facebook casuals enjoy the salad days of the Summer offseason, the game is still very much afoot down under, and today Mike Bloom fills in for Dom to break down all of the madness from the first 9 episodes, so dig up your novelty-sized jar of assorted cookies and listen as we analyze each player's spot in the game, forecast the impending merge, and dissect how the franchise continues to evolve on the player below, here, or on iTunes here.

Need to get caught up on Australian Survivor? Start here.

Romance Is Dada: Deconstructing The Bachelor and RTV Representation with Lita Brillman

This week Dom atones for sins in his past lives by talking about The Bachelor for an hour while sounding like he's dying from the plague. Luckily he's in good company, as Lita Brillman takes a break from dragging Jessica/Cody fans to school him and you on The Bachelor's complicated relationship with race and gender as well as the wider issue of representation on reality TV. Listen below, here, or on iTunes here.

For more material, see Lita's piece on Jerri Manthey and some of her other writing. If you're interested in reading more about these topics in the context of The Bachelor, a recent Longreads reading list can be found here.

Big Brother All-Stars: Week 2

After a hectic start to the game in Week 1, we're back to break down Kaysar's reign as HoH, Will's efforts to torture him, and the early stages of BB5 and BB6's respective implosions. Plus, a closer look at how floaters once got by without life-vests, and the full backstory on how Richard Spencer became head of casting for CBS when you listen below, here, or on iTunes here.

Game of Thrones: Season 7 Episodes 1-3 Small Council

There was some interest in (yet another) Game of Thrones podcast so we decided to try our king's hands at it. We enlisted the lords of Houses Mazzaro and Bloom to discuss the show's increasing divergence from the books, the tension between politics and fantasy, and who is destined to meet a gruesome end. You can listen below, here, or on iTunes here.

Big Brother All-Stars: Week 1

After an extensive look at the pre-game dynamics in Part 1, today it's time to tear off the mask and dive deep into the circuitry and wires of the opening round.  With the power to strike first, what was the Season 6 alliance looking for in an initial target, and did they make the right decision?  As the two tightest and least reliable players in the game, what really went into Chilltown staying off the block? And which classic Big Brother tropes need to make an immediate comeback? All that and more below, here, or on iTunes here.