The TV Guys: Recent Episodes
Brian Jones
Matt Rodenburg and Brian Jones share their extensive knowledge of TV with a variety of different topics.
Matt and Brian are joined by their favorite Star Wars enthusiast, Jeff Tharp, as they discuss the most recent season of The Mandalorian. Get your Star Wars fix in just in time for the debut of Ahsoka on Disney Plus!
Matt's not the only one who could turn to his dad for help. In this week's episode, Brian invites his father, Donald, to talk about TV shows from the 1970s. They discuss shows like Happy Days, All in the Family, the Brady Bunch, the Carol Burnett Show and many more. What was your favorite show from that era?
It is one of the more divisive episodes of The Office, but Matt and Brian love it. They do a deep dive into The Office's Season 4 Episode 13 "Dinner Party" episode. This episode is loaded with reactions, jokes, commentary, and a lot of behind the scenes research taken directly from the actors, writer and director themselves.
It's Matt's worst nightmare! He and Brian discuss characters that fit the TV trope of "divas." These characters invented the word "extra" and won't share credit for doing so. From Miss Piggy to Donna from Parks and Rec, you'll be impressed at the amount of big personalities these two were able to shove into one episode!
Flash back to a time of Civil Rights, the Vietnam Conflict, and the Space Race. A simpler time full of beloved families like the Bradys, Munsters, Addams, and Partridge; Of spy shows like Get Smart or Mission: Impossible (the original TV show, not the recent blockbuster). Matt and Brian are joined by Matt's dad, Ed Rodenburg, in their quest to unpack some of the hit shows of the 1960s
The third and final(?) season of the hit series Ted Lasso has come and went and Matt couldn't be less thrilled. Is this series as bad as Matt seems to think so? Special guests Andrew Brouwer and Paul Risdall think not, and the two tell us why the parallels to the real world Premiere League are worth checking out.
Brian is in this episode too.
It's widely considered to be the best episode of one of the best TV shows of all time. Matt and Brian revisit Breaking Bad's Season 5 Episode 14, Ozymandias. In this first episode of their Rewatch Series, Matt and Brian dive deep into the episode and invite you to rewatch the episode for yourself, first, before listening to this episode
Hello Wisconsin! Better Hyde, because TV Guys are talking about the best sitcom set in the 70s. Instead of Foremen, there are only two talking about a show that you either love or will make you see Red. So, grab your kiddos and your Kittys, and put on your favorite hat or Fez and Bob your head along as they talk about That 70s Show. I SAID 'GOOD DAY'
It's a dream come true for Brian as the TV Guys finally do an episode dedicated to everyone's Bandai Toy line, the Power Rangers. With the debut of Netflix's Power Rangers reunion, Matt and Brian take the time to talk about how good or bad this reboot special is with their special guest, Emma!
Whether it's Will Ferrell hosting Celebrity Jeopardy, or Stuart telling his mom "look what I can do" on MadTV, television is full of hilarious sketches. Matt and Brian talk about their favorite individual sketches while also visiting a few sketch comedy shows.
Having just celebrated Thanksgiving, you might be looking for your next big meal to look forward to. Matt and Brian give you their idea for a chef dream team to make that perfect meal. One chef for appetizers, one for entrees, and one for deserts. Which TV chefs (real or imagined) make the best food?
Matt and Brian give each other a show to watch. Matt asked Brian to watch Bluey (episodes Unicorse and Born Yesterday) while Brian asked Matt to watch episodes "All Hell Breaks Loose" parts 1 & 2. Having never seen these TV shows before, each person gives their opinion on the episodes and their overall feel for the show
Matt and Brian talk about the most recent MCU show, She-Hulk, with minimal 4th wall breaks
Matt and Brian are joined by Andrew Brouwer as they discuss the final two seasons of The Office
Happy Halloween!! To celebrate, why not listen to this week's podcast where Brian and Matt are joined by guests Mike Campbell and Paul Risdall to decide which TV villain is the greatest of all time
Happy Halloween!! To celebrate, why not listen to this week's podcast where Brian and Matt are joined by guests Mike Campbell and Paul Risdall to decide which TV villain is the greatest of all time
It's time to say goodbye to Michael. As Matt and Brian continue their discussion of The Office seasons 6 and 7, Special Guests Mike Campbell and Brandon Temmel join to give their thoughts to the best moments and the worst ones (Scott's Tots, we're looking at you)
Matt and Brian jump in a time machine for a refreshing blast of nostalgia. They take a look at some of the biggest videos and video sites of early 2000s. If you want to hear two guys talk about videos that you haven't thought about in over a decade, check out this episode!
A Pilot episode is the very first episode of a TV series. Matt and Brian talk about the top pilot episodes of all time
Matt and Brian move on in their series about the Office, this time joined by Jeff Tharp, Tricia Rasmussen, and Matt's wife Angie Rodenburg. They discuss the best and worst parts of seasons 4 and 5 of the Office and tell you why the Angela and Andy storyline ends up being pointless
Matt and Brian move on in their series about the Office, this time joined by Jeff Tharp, Tricia Rasmussen, and Matt's wife Angie Rodenburg. They discuss the best and worst parts of seasons 4 and 5 of the Office and tell you why the Angela and Andy storyline ends up being pointless
TV is full of strong, independent women. Who are Matt and Brian's favorites? Check out this week's episode to find out
TV is full of strong, independent women. Who are Matt and Brian's favorites? Check out this week's episode to find out
Voice actors are some of the most underappreciated workers in the entertainment industry. Matt and Brian talk about several noteworthy voice actors from television (and movie) history
Voice actors are some of the most underappreciated workers in the entertainment industry. Matt and Brian talk about several noteworthy voice actors from television (and movie) history
Matt and Brian start a new series as they go through the Office season by season. In this episode, they are joined once again by Paul Risdall and Dan Risdall. Don't miss this episode!
Matt and Brian start a new series as they go through the Office season by season. In this episode, they are joined once again by Paul Risdall and Dan Risdall. Don't miss this episode!
It's been a long time coming, but Matt and Brian are finally dedicating a whole episode to Breaking Bad. They discuss the arcs of all of the main characters and relive some of the highlights of the BB universe.
Note: This episode contains practically no spoilers for Better Call Saul outside of a reference here and there
Looking for a new team to solve a murder now that Season 2 of Only Murders in the Building is done? Matt and Brian form their dream team of crime-solving companions to see what is the ultimate detective trio
It's time to play the music. It's time to light the lights. It's time for Matt and Brian to welcome special guest, Beth Pardo, as they talk about the Muppet Show, tonight. The three discuss the history of Muppets from its inception to its disastrous Disney+ specials.
Every now and then a TV show will abandon the genre that it is set in to try a completely different genre. Sometimes this creates amazing television, other times.... not so much. Matt and Brian talk about their top 3 favorite times a TV show has switched up the genres for an episode
You know those characters that are really dumb but also really kind? So, do Matt and Brian. This week, they are joined by special guest Brandon Temmel to talk about some of their favorite lovable oafs from TV history
Matt and Brian are joined by their favorite Star Wars guest, Jeff Tharp, as they discuss the newest Disney+ SW show, Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Stranger Things Season 4 has come and went and the town of Hawkins will never be the same. But, Matt and Brian are your same old hosts with their Stranger guest, Dan Risdall. Spoilers are present for all of Season 4
Every now and then, a show will decide that they need a musical episode. We're not talking about shows that are pitched as musicals, like Glee, we're talking about shows like Scrubs that suddenly and abruptly decide to have a whole episode switch genres into musical territory
Matt and Brian are joined by a new guest, Andrew Brouwer, as they talk about the new(ish) Paramount Plus series, Halo.
Over 30 years ago, Nickelodeon jumped into the television market with cable TV aimed specifically at children. It ended up being the single most successful cable network for years and dominated the zeitgeist of 90's kid culture. Matt and Brian talk about some of the greatest animated shows from Nickelodeon over the years. Everything from Rugrats, to Spongebob, to Jimmy Nuetron, which animated Nick shows are your favorite?
Matt and Brian are joined by Terrence from Movies on a Monday to discuss the MCU show Moon Knight. In an episode that lasts over an hour, they only talk about Moon Knight for about 30 minutes. What do they talk about for the rest of the time? You'll have to listen to find out!
Happy Father's Day! To help commemorate this holiday, Matt and Brian talk about the real MVPs, TV Dads. Check out the episode to see who are their picks for the top 10 TV dads of all time!
Matt and Brian talk about the final season of This is Us (and also discuss a little bit from other seasons too)
Brian and Matt are joined by their special guest Tammy Dammer in this long-awaited episode as they finally discuss Matt's "favorite" show, Gilmore Girls
Matt and Brian trade off shows that the other hasn't seen and they talk over the episode and the wider show in general. Matt watched episode 2.05 of One Day at a Time, "Locked Down." Brian watched episode 1.02 of What We Do in the Shadows, "City Council."
Matt and Brian revisit one of their favorite comedies, New Girl. They rank the seasons and come up with the top 3 seasons of New Girl, complete with several of their favorite moments. Check it out!
Some shows take an interesting premise and turn it into something great. Other shows use an interesting premise from either a book, movie, comic series, or previous television show and they create something truly amazing. Matt and Brian talk about the best adapted shows (shows that are not original concepts) in this week's episode.
It's a multiverse of madness as Matt and Brian take two different characters from different TV shows and put them together to form a brand new show! This episode examines what a TV show could look like if you took two completely different characters (or sometimes, very similar characters) and put them into a new world.
You can't say you didn't see this coming. Matt and Brian finally devote a whole episode to the Apple+ show that took the world by storm, Ted Lasso. If that wasn't enough reason to listen, they are also joined by special guest Paul Risdall
Matt and Brian talk about the top animated shows geared for adults, including: South Park, Simpsons, and Family Guy
Matt and Brian commemorate Good Friday and Easter weekend my talking about the greatest TV show that has ever covered Jesus and His Disciples, The Chosen.
Sometimes, television is an escape for reality. Other times, it shows us a version of reality that can inspire us.... or make us say "thank God my life isn't as screwed up as those people's"
Matt and Brian talk about the best and worst of television's reality shows
Happy April Fools Day! Matt and Brian talk about the worst punishments that they would not want to do if they were on IJ. They also talk about some other noteworthy and memorable ones as well. Which is the worst?
Matt and Brian were joined by the wonderful Angie Rodenburg and Tricia Rasmussen to rank 21 Friends characters from worst to best. Who is the top Friends character? Which of the original 6 gets eliminated first?
Matt and Brian peel back the curtain on your favorite shows and talk about some of the hottest TV Showrunners of past, present, and potentially future. The two discuss nearly 15 showrunners and the shows that they launched
It's March and you know what that means! Matt and Brian, who know absolutely nothing about basketball, will do their best version of March Madness: bracket battles to decide who is the top TV protagonist of all time! Matt and Brian are joined by special guest Mike Campbell as they pit 32 protagonists against each other! Who will win? House from House? Sherlock from Sherlock? Chuck from Chuck? Hawkeye from..... MASH? Or will it be a Mike Schur protagonist like Leslie Knope, Eleanor Shellstrop, Jake Peralta, or Michael Scott?
Back in the 90's it seemed like every after school sitcom decided to film a Disney World episode. Matt and Brian talk about a couple of these episodes and their thoughts on how this trend came about
Matt and Brian are joined by special guest Jeff Tharp from Elijah Fire as they look at the recently concluded Book of Boba Fett. Lots of Star Wars love in this episode, including major spoilers from the show (and from The Mandalorian)
It's Super Bowl weekend! So Matt and Brian count down their top Super Bowl commercials. In both recent years and from decades ago, there are plenty of commercials to choose from
Valentine's Day is coming up! Need a date idea? Matt and Brian talk about some of the best dates on TV shows. Some are romantic, some are creative, some are chaotic, and some are complete accidents. What's your favorite TV date?
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor's hammer can only be lifted by those who are worthy to lift it. Matt and Brian talk about TV characters that they believe could lift the hammer. Are they right? Are they wrong? Who else could lift Mjolnir?
If you could take one character and implant them into another TV show, which characters would you choose and which show should they appear in? Matt and Brian give you 10 characters to visit other TV shows
Matt and Brian are joined by Terrance from Movies on a Monday as they discuss the recent Disney+ Marvel show, Hawkeye!
Matt and Brian are joined once again by Paul to discuss Brooklyn 99. The three figure out which two characters would they chose for: funniest pairing, most competent detectives, best heist duo, and more! What are your favorite pairings?
Happy New Year! Matt and Brian ring in 2022 by talking about their top 3 TV moments from 2021
Merry Christmas! Matt and Brian talk about gifts that TV characters gave or received and which ones are the best. Which TV gifts are your top picks?
TV has a LOT of great characters, but which ones would be the best fit if you put their character into Charles Dickens' classic story, A Christmas Carol? Matt and Brian cast a new version of A Christmas Carol using only TV characters (similar to works like Muppet Christmas Carol or Mickey's Christmas Carol). Who plays Scrooge? Who is Marley and the ghosts?
This is a great episode that you do NOT want to miss!
Matt and Brian talk about the Netflix sensation, Squid Game. There are major spoilers in this episode so if you do not want Squid Game to be ruined, turn away now
Matt and Brian give each other the task of watching a show that they haven't seen before. Matt gave Brian the Archer episode "Pipeline Fever" (S2Ep4) and Brian picked the Saved by the Bell episode "Cut Day" (S3Ep23)
Happy Thanksgiving! If you're tired of fighting about politics with your drunk uncle, check out this episode. Matt and Brian talk about some of the best TV Thanksgiving episodes and if you have the right streaming service, you can go watch those episodes instead of eating your fourth helping of turkey!
Matt and Brian are joined by Brian's son Charlie as they talk about the TV show "The Good Place."
What are some shows where you don't like any of the main characters? Do you end up liking those shows? Is it possible to like a show without liking the main cast members? Matt and Brian ponder this question in this week's episode
Happy Halloween! Matt and Brian celebrate by discussing one of the best horror-inspired TV shows, Stranger Things. They are joined by special guest star, Dan Risdall!
Happy Halloween! So many TV shows end up having a Halloween episode and we tend to get some great costumes out of it as characters dress up like their favorite pop culture icons. Matt and Brian talk about some of their favorite costumes worn by characters in TV shows (whether it's a Halloween episode or not!)
Which TV character is most likely to pull off an awesome prank? Which ones are most likely to get divorced? Who is best chef? Matt and Brian entertain some of your superlatives while also adding a few of their own!
Before he was your "ghost host" in Muppets Haunted Mansion, Will Arnett was performing tricks.... I mean, illusions as Gob on Arrested Development. Matt and Brian look at some of the best setups of jokes that paid off across episodes, or sometimes even seasons.
Marvel's not the only ones who can toy with alternate timelines! In this episode, Matt and Brian give their own ideas about alternate timelines for some of their favorite shows, prompted by suggestions from you! See if your suggestions made the list!
You've heard the phrase "Jump the Shark" before, right? It's the moment in a show when you know it has gotten to be ridiculous and a very different show than it was in the beginning. It has a negative connotation to it and Matt and Brian have already talked about shows that jumped the shark. In this week's episode, they look at shows that pulled a reverse jump the shark. These are shows that found their footing after the first (or second) season and drastically improved over time. Which ones do you agree with? Any that they left out?
Matt and Brian discuss their top television themes again, but this time with a twist! They are only using instrumental themes, i.e. themes without any lyrics. What are the best instrumental themes?
Have you ever spent ,more than 30 minutes searching your various streaming devices only to finally decide on watching "The Office" for your 98th time? Matt and Brian take an episode to look at various streaming services and give you their recommendations of great TV shows per site
How I Met Your Mother knows how to do running gags. Matt and Brian highlight some of their favorites. What are some of the best HIMYM running gags?
Matt and Brian give you their top 3 TV character introductions. Which characters had the most memorable intros to their shows?
Matt and Brian are joined by Terrence from Movies on a Monday to discuss the MCU TV series "Loki"
If you could be best friends with any TV character, who would it be? Matt and Brian give a couple of their responses in this week's episode
Matt and Brian challenge each other to watch a show they haven't seen. So Matt reviews Cheers' episode "Bar Wars" while Brian takes a watch of "Jesus Loves the Little Children." See what they think!
How many seasons of a show is too many? How many is too few? Is there a right amount?
We've all watched shows that have gone on for way too many seasons and most of us can think of a few shows that we would love to see a little more of.
What's the perfect length? Matt and Brian give us their take on it #sixseasonsandamovie
Matt and Brian take a tour through game show history and talk about their favorites from classic game shows, modern game shows, and Nickelodeon game shows
Bottle Episodes are low budget episodes of television that take place entirely on already constructed sets and tend to feature only cast regulars. Matt and Brian talk about some of the most well-done bottle episodes on TV.
Have you ever wondered why certain ideas became popular in TV shows? Matt and Brian do a dive into the history of TV over the last half century and detail the rise and fall of certain tropes. If you're a fan of TV history, this episode is for you!
Here it is! The moment you've been waiting for! It's the special episode where Brian and Matt are joined by special guests Paul and Andrew to rank the 36 Office characters from last to first. How low does Robert California sink? Who's number one overall? Does Creed crack the top 10? Check it out and see!