Always Be Watching
By Dan Barrett
Always Be WatchingSep 26, 2020
Always Be Watching Podcast: RIP
This is it. The final episode of the Always Be Watching podcast. And what an episode it is.
Okay - don't expect much from this podcast. This is really just podcast host Dan Barrett advising the many ABW listeners that the podcast has concluded. You're invited to join Dan over at his new podcast: Screen Watching.
It's like Always Be Watching, but with actual preparation.
Check out Screen Watching:
Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/screen-watching/id1550706825
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3tzhggYbZbvpy7PaKSCeO7
Pocket Casts - https://pca.st/j9smac3m
RSS - https://anchor.fm/s/497d3220/podcast/rss
Thank you for listening.
The one with The Mandalorian s2 | Saved By The Bell 2020 | Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun | Perry Mason
This week on the podcast Dan is joined by returning guest Blake Howard (One Heat Minute and the All The President's Minutes podcast). The two of them take a deep dive into what's going on with The Mandalorian this season with a very specific focus on the recent episode 'The Jedi' which saw the live-action introduction of fan-favourite animated character Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson).
Dan then goes on to discuss the new Saved By The Bell reboot/follow-up series. Does it live up to the hype?
Blake talks up the new Aussie sketch comedy show Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun. And then swings back to discuss a show we talked about earlier this year: HBO's Perry Mason.
The one with Love and Monsters, The Queen's Gambit, and The Wolf of Snow Hollow
Michael Meloni pops by for this week to fill in for Chris Yates who is away on assignment. Dan and Mike discuss the new Netflix drama The Queens Gambit, as well as new films Love and Monsters, and The Wolf of Snow Hollow.
The one with Feels Good Man, Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, and Host
Dan and Chris are back for another Always Be Watching podcast. What treasures have they unearthed this week?
Dan celebrates the icon of white supremacy Pepe with the doco Feels Good Man. (This probably should have been reworded differently).
Chris celebrates an icon of capitalism and corporate propaganda with Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, which takes a deep dive into the making of the smash hit Disney+ series.
Dan wraps things up with Host - a genuinely scary film currently streaming on horror streamer Shudder.
It's a good one this week folks. Join us... won't you?
For more Always Be Watching, check us out on the web - www.alwaysbewatching.com. You can sign up to the daily ABW email there with TV and movie news, along with weekly highlights.
Always Be Watching is a Televised Revolution podcast.
The one with Fargo, Trial of The Chicago 7, On The Rocks, and Trolls World Tour
The gang is back together. Dan and Chris have settled their differences and have decided it would be proper to once again talk about the TV and movies they have been watching.
This week:
Fargo Season 4 - FX, Hulu, SBS, SBS On Demand
Trial of The Chicago 7 - Netflix and in cinemas now
On The Rocks - Apple TV+ Fri 23 Oct and in cinemas now
Trolls World Tour - Peacock (US) and in cinemas now
The one with I'm Thinking of Ending Things | Close Enough | The Social Dilemma
Dan and Chris this week are joined by Mark Humphries. You probably know him best as the host of the beloved, but cancelled too-soon Ten game show Pointless. Or maybe you know him from his weekly satirical sketches on the ABCs flagship current affairs show 730. We know him as a guy who really loves talking about TV.
This week we discuss new movie I'm Thinking of Ending Things, documentary The Social Dilemma, and the animated comedy Close Enough. All are streaming on Netflix.
The one where we discuss Mulan | The Third Day | My Octopus Teacher | Utopia
The podcast is a little different this week with returning guest Simon Foster stopping by to fill-in for an absent Chris Yates. We talk about the new Disney+ feature film Mulan, HBO's The Third Day, Netflix's My Octopus Teacher (which is less sexy than it has been suggested), and new Amazon Prime Video series Utopia.
We top this off with a brief chat about Simon's work on the upcoming film festivals:
Sydney Science Fiction Film Festival - https://www.facebook.com/events/1377776789090595
Monster Fest 2020 - https://www.monsterfest.com.au/events/mf2020-sydney/
The one with Bill & Ted Face The Music | Away | Cheers | Cobra Kai
We go deep into the nostalgia well this week. Apologies to our bountiful Gen Z listeners.
Bill & Ted Face The Music - In Cinemas Now and on VOD in the US (04:24)
Away - Netflix (23:11)
Cheers - On Stan in Australia, and on both Hulu and Peacock in the US (31:17)
Cobra Kai - Netflix (48:09)
Don't forget, you can find more Always Be Watching on the Internet (it comes on computers) at www.alwaysbewatching.com
The one with Raised By Wolves | Eurovision: The Story of Fire Saga | Lovecraft Country | Hoops
It's that time of the week again for you to put down the remote control and slide into some headphones for another Always Be Watching podcast. And after you hear what we have to talk about, you'll be rushing back to your TV remote with some fresh ideas of interesting things to watch.
This week:
Raised By Wolves (HBO) - 03:17
Eurovision: The Story of Fire Saga (Netflix) - 21:25
Lovecraft Country (HBO) - 30:50
Hoops (Netflix) - 50:02
The one with Tenet | High Score | Biohackers | Into The Unknown: The Making of Frozen 2
Dan and Chris have taken to the microphones once more after spending the past week having taken to their couches. And what more... they have new and exciting things to discuss:
Tenet - In cinemas now (02:48)
High Score - Netflix (20:21)
Biohackers - Netflix (33:55)
Into The Unknown: The Making of Frozen 2 - Disney+ (41:15)
Spend more time with Always Be Watching with the daily newsletter - www.alwaysbewatching.com
The one where Mel Tait joined us to discuss: Sorry To Bother You, Staged, The Other Two, and A Country Practice / A Country Podcast
Joining boy wonders Dan Barrett and Chris Yates in the ABW cave is the beyond lovely Mel Tait, the talented multi-hyphenate (ABC Radio host, playwright, and now co-host of the upcoming A Country Podcast).
We quickly get talking about what we've been watching.
Sorry To Bother You (Streaming on Netflix) - 03:00
Staged (BBC) - 20:46
The Other Two (Comedy Central / Stan) - (45:44)
A Country Practice (Streaming on 7Plus) - (33:00)
Muppets Now | American Pickle | I Think You Should Leave | Perry Mason
This is Always Be Watching - a podcast in which two grown men offer their considerable opinions on the children's entertainment program about Muppets.
This week:
Muppets Now (Disney+) - 01:37
American Pickle (HBO Max / Cinemas) - 19:01
I Think You Should Leave (Netflix) - 29:30
Perry Mason (HBO) - 43:45
Find more Always Be Watching - www.alwaysbewatching.com
Always Be Streaming - 14 August 2020
What's worth streaming this weekend? This podcast offers you nothing but answers.
This podcast is a bit of a trial. Do people want this? Please let me know.
The Fugitive 2020 | True Stories (Talking Heads) | Halt & Catch Fire | The death of cinema?
It's a theme week as we travel back to the future.
We start things off with a look at the 2020 version of The Fugitive, looking at what it gets right and wrong as a property based on a 60s and 90s TV show/movie. (03:25)
But then we had back to 1986 for the Talking Heads movie True Stories. (24:47)
Dan's been watching Halt & Catch Fire - a mid 2010s show set in the 1980s. (41:35)
And then we look at what might be the final years of cinema as TV and cinema finally converge. (52:52)
Yeah - it's a big episode.
Fear City: New York v The Mafia | Almost Famous | State & Main | Desperados | Jaws 3/4
On the Always Be Watching Pod, officially the podcast of record that cites the viewing interests of Dan Barrett and Chris Yates, the two watchers discuss the new Netflix documentary series Fear City: New York vs The Mafia. Dan has a grab-bag of movies he has watched recently including Almost Famous, State & Main, and new Netflix film Desperados. Oh, and Chris finally caps of his weeks-long watching of all the Jaws movies with the much maligned Jaws 3 and Jaws 4.
The Office Oral History | The Dark Knight Trilogy | Rosehaven
It was a bit of a quiet week for us watching new TV (there's so little of it around worth chatting about), but that didn't stop us getting passionate about the things we were actually watching.
Dan went to the cinema and saw all three Christopher Nolan Batman movies - Batman Begins/The Dark Knight/The Dark Knight Rises and his opinions on the films have shifted. (06:19)
Both Chris and Dan are really excited by the new podcast The Oral History of The Office. The two discuss watching the show and how the podcast has made them feel about the show. {31:34)
Rosehaven is one of the few really good Aussie comedies and both Dan and Chris are into it... with a few reservations. (58:32)
Yes, this show ran long. But the passion these boys have for what they've been watching - it runs deep.
Laurel Canyon with director Allison Ellwood | The Old Guard | Jaws
Put on your facemasks and get ready for another talk about all the TV and movies we've been watching.
This week at Always Be Watching HQ Dan and Chris have a chat about the new 2-part documentary Laurel Canyon and then speak with filmmaker Allison Ellwood about it.
Dan and Chris also talk about new Netflix film The Old Guard and then the classic shark flick Jaws.
Hamilton | Star Trek 2: Wrath of Khan | Not Too Late Show with Elmo
The biggest theatre event on the planet this month took place not at the currently shuttered theatre, but on people's TV screens thanks to Disney+. Across the world people were watching Hamilton. Dan and Chris were particularly interested in how one takes a live theatre performance and actually lets it be good on TV - not always an easy task.
Chris stumbled upon Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan and loved it. Oh, and Dan stayed up way too late with a red muppet talk show host named Elmo.
This is the Always Be Watching podcast. No flipping.
Floor is Lava and the rise of the great dumb game show
The biggest show on the planet has been Floor is Lava - Dan and Chris have both watched the show and absolutely bought into its ridiculous simplicity. Obviously, Dan has some criticisms.
Floor is Lava is just one of several big format activity-based game shows on the air right now. Dan offers a rundown on what else is happening in this space at the moment.
Perry Mason | Eric Andre: Legalize Everything | Freaks and Geeks
HBO launched a new Perry Mason TV series. Dan has one big concern with it. Meanwhile Chris lavishes praise on the new Netflix Eric Andre special. And then it's time for a look back at Freaks & Geeks. How does it hold up 20 years later?
Frak The Police
Bad boys! Whatcha gonna do?
Cops on TV have been around for as long as, well, as long as there has been TV. The cop show is unquestionably the most successful genre of TV, each week delivering morality plays with good guys vs bad guys are the lines that blur inbetween.
This week on Always Be Watching we talk about cop shows and what we want from them.
Ramy | All The Right Stuff | Trip To Greece
Is Ramy the best show currently on TV? It's right up there, so Chris and Dan discuss the first episode of that. They also flashback to the 1983 film The Right Stuff. And then there's the fourth installment of the Trip To movies which takes Brydon and Coogan to Greece.
Oh yeah... there's also the season finale of the Always Be Watching TV Masters trivia competition.
Space Force | Love Life | Central Park | Spaceship Earth
To infinity and beyond! This week on the Always Be Watching podcast Dan and Chris want to get boots on the moon as they talk about the new Steve Carell comedy Space Force (02:30) - the critics hate it... Chris really digs it. Dan watched the buzzy new doco Spaceship Earth - spoiler alert: it's not really about people on a spaceship. They were on Earth all along (16:36). Chris raves about new animated comedy Central Park (25:31). And then the guys wrap up the reviewing portion of this podcast by talking about TV's most basic romcom: Love Life (32:01).
And then they quiz. (39:08)
Superstore | How To Make It In America. PLUS we talk Binge. AND: The weekly quiz
The gang this week discover they're creating too much content for one podcast.
Chris finally gets off his keister and watches Superstore after Dan told him months ago that he'd love it. Spoiler alert: He loves it. (05:30)
And Dan revisits an HBO classic How To Make It In America. (18:50)
Why are they watching older shows this week? They found them on new Australian streaming service Binge. Dan and Chris offer their thoughts on it and delve into the morality of paying for a partially Murdoch-owned service. (28:26)
And then they wrap up the week with a trivia quiz. (47:35)
The Great | Into The Night | Avenue 5 | Mint Condition
Television is the thing this year, my friends. And boy do we have some TV to talk about.
This week:
Mint Condition (Vimeo) - 01:55
The Great (Hulu / Stan) - 18:31
Avenue 5 (HBO / Foxtel / Binge) - 27:26
Into The Night (Netflix) - 34:20
The Eddy | Dave | Ghost in The Shell - SAC 2045 | Jerry Seinfeld: 23 Hours To Kill
I've been advised to tell you by the Always Be Watching legal team that this podcast episode passes the legal definition of "too much show".
This week Dan hits the streets of Paris and plays his jazz flute along with new Netflix drama The Eddy. Chris drops $10k on a verse that lets us know what new rap-industry comedy Dave is all about. Dan and Chris both tsk their fingers at Jerry Seinfeld's disappointing standup special 23 Hours To Kill. And they both gush over the new Ghost In The Shell anime series. And let me tell you: they did not expect that to be the case.
Oh, and there's a round of TV trivia at the end of the episode.
The Midnight Gospel | Home After Dark | Upload
The Midnight Gospel is a stoner animated philosophical comedy on Netflix. Opinions on this podcast are mixed. There's also the brand new pre-teen detective show on Apple TV+ Home After Dark. Dan has some very firm opinions on that. Meanwhile Chris has watched Upload on Amazon Prime Video and has several very positive thoughts on it.
And then the lads play some TV trivia.
Normal People | Beastie Boys Story | Upload | Starship Troopers
This week Dan checks out the hyped new shows Normal People (Netflix) and Upload (Amazon Prime Video) - the good news is that both are great telly. Meanwhile Chris indulges his Beastie Boys fandom with the new feature doco Beastie Boys Story (Apple TV+) and gets nostalgic with the 1997 cult film Starship Troopers.
Stick around for the end of the podcast as our weekly trivia game continues. This week's category is Dogs on Screen. Can you score more points than Dan? Let's find out.
Point Break (1991) | Dummy | The Last Dance | Seth Green Quiz
Claim your participation trophy and press play on this week's Always Be Watching.
Mystery Road | Tiger King: The King and I | SNL | Unorthodox
Chris considers the Tiger King aftershow on Netflix - The King and I. He questions TV made in the age of COVID-19.
Dan raves about Unorthodox.
And then it is round 2.5 of the weekly TV trivia game.
Beef House | Explaining new streaming service Quibi | Lego Masters Australia s2 | Brew Brothers
Tiger King | Onward | Bosch | Television Masters - Round 1
Can a movie tug at heartstrings better than a Pixar film? Dan talks about new film Onward.
Is Bosch the ultimate Dad show?
Oh, and Dan and Chris start their competition with round one of their new trivia competition The 2020 Television Masters.
The Platform | Marc Maron: End Times Fun
Both The Platform and the Marc Maron special End Times Fun are streaming now on Netflix.
Paradise PD | Devs | Ugly Delicious | Amazing Stories
This week:
11:55 Paradise PD (Netflix)
21:18 Devs (US: FX on Hulu | AUS: Foxtel)
29:54 Ugly Delicious (Netflix)
37:16 Amazing Stories (Apple TV+)
I Am Not Okay With This | Lego Masters USA | Breeders | Stateless | AJ & The Queen
I Am Not Okay With This (Netflix)
New UK comedy Breeders (FX/Sky/Foxtel)
New Australian drama Stateless (ABC)
New American comedy AJ and The Queen (Netflix)
Lego Masters USA (Fox) - a British format adapted for the US and based on a Danish interlocking brick toy.
This is Always Be Watching - the cultural melting pot of TV podcasting.
Duncanville | Gentefied | Survivor (season 40) | Richard Jewell | Terrace House
Letterkenny | High Fidelity | Call of The Wild | Hunters | Locke & Key
Cheer | Birds of Prey and The Emancipation of One Harley Quinn | Mythic Quest | Great Australian Railway Journeys
Uncut Gems | Hip Hop Evolution season 4 | Ragnarok | The Stranger
This week we have a really broad range of shows (and a movie)
Hip Hop Evolution (season 4) - Chris dips back in to see where the Netflix show is up to with its fourth season
Ragnarok - Dan takes a look at the new Scandi drama from Adam Price. He's the fellow who made Borgen.
The Stranger - This is a long lost show from the 60s that is described as the Australian Doctor Who.
Uncut Gems - We take a look at the critically lauded Adam Sandler movie.
Picard | Awkwafina is Nora From Queens | Street Food | At The Drive In
Little America | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Medical Police | Stir Crazy
Oh, and then there's our weekly Apu news segment.
It's a mixed bag and we're just the podcast to handle it.
Sex Explained | The Laundromat | Spinning Out | Rick & Morty
We watched: The Outsider | Jojo Rabbit | John Mulaney and The Sack Lunch Bunch | The Gloaming | The Two Popes | Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
The Big Fat Quiz | Midsommar | The Mandalorian (finale chat)
2019 in review
We watched: Making it | Threat Level Midnight (The Office)
And quietly, there is a bit of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker chatter. No spoilers - this was recorded just before the gents went off to see the film.
We watched: Mrs Fletcher | Living With Yourself | Servant | Kevin Smith: Silent But Deadly
*Mrs Fletcher is waaaaaaaaaaaaay less conservative than she seems
*Servant is creepy AF
*One Paul Rudd is better than two.
*Dan really has some issues with Kevin Smith
We watched: Frozen 2 | Knives Out | Tuca and Bertie | Upright
Introduction and casual Mandalorian / Watchmen chatter
11:16 Upright (Foxtel) starring comedian Tim Minchin
16:32 Frozen 2 (Playing now at the movies)
27:26 Knives Out (Playing now at the movies)
34:29 Tuca and Bertie (Netflix)
I watched: Brittany Runs a Marathon | The Toys That Made Us | The Irishman
He recommends checking out the Amazon Prime Video film Brittany Runs a Marathon, the Netflix show The Toys That Made Us, and new Netflix Martin Scorsese film The Irishman.