Down To Watch

This week, Down to Watch ventures into the May-est month of the year and returns with a bunch of cool stuff! Dan and Raul each return from their adventures in the television wilds with arms full of real stories about surfers looking for 100 ft waves over several seasons, NBA shooting guards shooting, a couple of Brits who got super murdery, and life as Pee-Wee. On the scripted side, Tina Fey and Steve Carrell follow older couples across various vacations, a security robot who starts thinking about how bored they are, Sawyer from Lost as a 70s getaway driver for the first black lady FBI agent, and more! Tons of returning favorites round out a very fun month, so come take a listen and learn about the (immediate) future of television!!!

Down to Watch lurks in the shadows and stalks the smokey alleyways this week because it's a Mystery Bag show! Dan and Raul got it into their sneaky little heads to surprise the audience and each other with a few films and TV shows they've put away in the last week or so. Dan saw a dramatization about the guy who got too good at Press Your Luck and a series about a guy pretending to be his own twin brother, as well as a guy who has previously been an idiot but now seems to be talking to himself, and possibly the greatest 80's detective/crime noir film is discussed. Raul on the other hand decided to watch a bunch of cartoons but starts off with the story of a dead Kevin Bacon brought back to bounty-hunt demons, before launching into animated mushrooms, pac-men, and, actually would you believe, another demon bounty hunter but this time from video games? All that and more, but no titles in this description, because myssssssssstery!

It's 'upcomings' time again on Down to Watch, so let's see what April's got in store! Firstly, get super excited for some super sad shows that are coming back, from the prophetic Handmaid's Tale to the prescient Black Mirror, though maybe the real harbinger of end times is that Dan's got a cartoon on his list. Raul's got a toon as well, plus trips to hell, fungal apocalypse, questionably moral revolution and Poland! This month sounds like it's all over the place so grab your compass, our guide, and some government cheese!

This week on Down to Watch, two unique takes on a life of crime in Dope Thief and Deli Boys! Dan and Raul watched the first few eps of these new streaming shows to contrast the lives of the title characters and their extrajudicial activities. The eponymous Thief has had a hard road, is finding himself in a dire situation, and by robbing the Dope dealers for money has chosen a dangerous solution. The Boys of the titular Deli meanwhile have lived privileged lives while unaware of their convenience store magnate father's crime-lord aspirations. When the patriarch departs his mortal coil, these two dopes need to keep up with their savvy aunt's tutelage to stay out of jail and in the lap of luxury. No need for legal or criminal puns about watching these shows, just listen to this pod!

This week, Down to Watch has got that Night Fever and the only cure is a Disco Inferno! Dan and Raul finally saw Saturday Night Fever, the film that reinvigorated the Bee Gees careers and launched John Travolta as a movie star, but how could they know it was gonna be a gripping social issues indie film? The driving soundtrack and magnetic lead performance buoy what might otherwise be an overdramatic morality tale, but did SNF dance it's way into the history books legitimately? You should be listenin', yeah!

Turns out this year is gonna have a March as usual, so Down to Watch is  sneaking a peek at the upcoming TV treats! Early in the month, Dan's gotta catch the Oscars and Raul's happy to see the Daredevil series get Born Again. Later, there's comedy in crime family bodegas and Seth Rogen's studio dealings. On the serious side, real cops deal with missing and invisible victims on the streets while fake cops shake down drug dealers despite the bad vibes those kind of hijinks might attract. There's a look back at the elimination of Bin Laden, a look forward to Mulaney taking a crack at live TV, and more! March right over and have a listen!

This week on DtW, the MCU flies too close to the emerging Celestial we never talk about! Dan and Raul ventured into theaters this week to catch the next installment of "Has the MCU gotten itself together yet" and the answer is a resounding: Soon, We Promise. Captain America: Brave New World seems to smash together so many ideas that none of them get the attention they deserve, as this seems to be equal parts Hulk movie, continuation of the Falcon TV show, table setting for the future of the MCU, and tying tons of loose ends while disregarding aspects of the previous installments that didn't work out. Does the stellar acting and action make it worthwhile to catch on the big screen or is Disney hoping you shell out theater money for a lesser outing? Listen up and get smart, like The Leader or whoever the villain of this film is!

The Down to Watch crew dives into the complicated world of David Lynch this week with Blue Velvet! Dan and Raul take a trip through the mind-bending works of one of their favorite filmmakers, spending a little more time on the MacLachlan - Dern - Hopper starring psychosexual mystery thriller that places corny young love in the center of an underworld of drugs, sex, danger, and abuse. Lynch finds his two top muses in the two leads of this cult classic about creeps and killers that operate just under the surface of normal suburban life and puts them through a complicated hell constructed by the maniacal Frank Booth. Dennis Hopper brings to life a legendary villain who functions more like a force of nature than an actual antagonist, existing as deep drug-filled breaths of anger and tears often followed by uncomfortable exclamations and vicious violence. As a shining spot in a fantastic career, Velvet is worth a watch in the modern era, and DtW is happy to spotlight all of Lynch's career in a retrospective ep

Down to Watch rides West this week with a couple of episodes of American Primeval! Dan and Raul watched the first two eps of the Netflix series set in the Manifest Destiny days of America, as a woman and her son race between camps and forts in an attempt to catch up to the family's patriarch (or is he?). After their last shot at a guide out of Fort Bridger, a mountain man raised by natives who turns them down (or does he?), Sara puts her "faith" in some Mormon settlers heading to their Utah settlement. That plan goes South rather than West when a group of natives (or are they?) absolutely massacre the travel party. The mysterious mountain man saves the pair of travelers but a bunch of plots are launched as various groups seek fortune, lost family, and freedom in the Wild West. Does this new look into American expansion amaze and entertain? Your intrepid pod hosts know the answer (or do they?)!

It's the shortest month of the year but Down to Watch found plenty of TV treats to get you through Feb! Dan showed up to the pod with true stories and returning favorites while Raul shipped in a mix of new and off-the-beaten-path picks. We've got docs about taking down black hawks, bad brotherhoods and family burdens. Returning to screens, there's Reacher, some more White Lotus, Cobra Kai ends it's run and SNL celebrates on a "Super" Sunday. Intensity seems to be the key for Prison Cell 211, but also maybe boxers and lady thieves from jolly old-timey England get wild, and the robot named Cassandra is probably bad news. Plenty more than that is waiting for you on the pod and throughout the next month, so check it out! 

This week, DtW watched the next entry into the live-action Dune adaptation with Dune: Prophecy! HBO heard about another prince that was promised and decided they wanted to tell the tale of how the search started in this six episode series. Dan and Raul checked out the first two eps and dip into the greater universe lore as they discuss the story of palace intrigue and military posturing in the new show. Does the fresh look into the distant past of the films pierce their critical holo-shields and hook them into an ensemble epic in the vein of the big Max dramas? Whatever you do, don't ask the thinking machines!

This week on Down to Watch, it's a kickback to the 80s with The Karate Kid! Dan and Raul returned to the source material for the hit series Cobra Kai and the 2010 Jackie Chan remake to see if Daniel-san's tutelage under handyman Mr. Miyagi still holds up after all these years. Iconic lines and enduring images fill this classic coming-of-age story of beating back the bullies with bravery and determination, and performances from established actors and one-hit wonders manage to keep this high-kicking classic from growing stale. Come for the hand-to-hand heroics and blossoming romance and you might find a surprising amount of heart and humor. At the very least, you might get some chores done!

New year, new shows, and Down to Watch is back at it again in 2025! Dan and Raul brush confetti out of their hair and put away their Santa hats to welcome a brisk January on television. Early in the month, we see a number of doc series about living forever or making a killing on the air with Jerry Springer as well as a doc spoof with returning historian Philomena Cunk. Mid-month we're catching up with the split personality cast of Severance and redefining what good cop/bad cop means, alongside a Western that isn't made by Taylor Sheridan and a Japanese drama that might get messy but sure looks cool. Rounding out the month with big dramas around the President's security, a grounded Cold War Soviet sub, and whatever Prime Target might end up being a great start to the year. Listen up and decide for yourself!

Down to Watch is all about a royal rumble this week with Kings of Tupelo! Dan and Raul watched all three episodes of the new Netflix documentary series from the creators of the series Wild Wild Country and from the studio that made Tiger King if the trailers are to be believed. It's easy to see how the shows relate, as the Kings are mostly self-centered monarchs of tiny empires who all end up tied in some way to the star of the show, Kevin Curtis. KC is a wingnut conspiracy theorist who drives everyone around him insane and quickly dismantles his own life before finding himself behind bars for trying to assassinate the US president. This series promised a Mississippi feud that included guns, poison, severed limbs, a lot of network news coverage, and a little dog named Moo Cow. Does it deliver? Better listen to the pod!

The small screen is covered in spycraft at the moment and DtW is sneaking up on a couple of new shows! Dan and Raul combed the monthly TV premieres microfiche to find that most streamers are sending out a spy series or two this season and picked the pilots of The Agency and Black Doves to see if they self-destruct or accomplish their mission. The Agency's A-lister star Michael Fassbender displays the meticulousness of a field agent of a non-murderous sort (so far) as the show displays how a man can balance the clandestine with a love story amidst looming international chaos. Meanwhile, in Kiera Knightly's Black Doves, she's lost her love to mysterious circumstances at the end of a sniper rifle, and she needs the help of old friend Ben Whishaw to get to the revenging for her extramarital paramore. She's also balancing a regular life with this cloak and dagger shenanigans, although she's built a loving family out of a sham marriage that was once deep cover but may end up with her next to the UK Prime Minister.

The 'most wonderful time of the year' comes with new TV like any other month, and Down to Watch is unwrapping the upcoming offerings for you! Dan and Raul checked the list twice to make sure they cover all of December, and the DtW Gift Guide is chock full of docs and dramas, with the true stories including Churchill doing war, silly Florida crimes, serious parole boards, and whatever the deal is with Polo. On the dramatic side, we travel to Canada for something Sticky, to the UK for spy vs crime-syndicate action, and return to the worlds of Dexter and Squid Game. Books and games are being adapted to visually striking stories, the Star Wars and DC worlds check in and the Simpsons cross with the NFL in a wild ending to 2024. Come listen to it!

As the year approaches it's festive finality and the warming glow of the living room draws us closer together, Down to Watch has a couple new series to get cozy around. Dan and Raul saw the first episode of Day of the Jackal, a book made and remade into films until finally landing on an Eddie Redmayne led show about an international assassin and MI6 agent on his tail. This one is dripping with style and talent, with plenty of fan buzz after premiering. They also caught the premier of an anticipated oddball show called Interior Chinatown, another book adaptation about a waiter who feels like a background character in a crime drama, with the added hook that the show within a show rules seem to affect his life as well. Spoiler, the shows are worth the conversation and will probably come up again so check this pod out and get in the know! 

This week on Down to Watch... blasphemy on the big screen! Dan and Raul went out to the cinema to see if one Mr. Hugh Grant could summon enough acting chops to pull off the horror in a new horror movie called Heretic. Two young Mormon girls are responding to inquiries made to their church with hopes of growing their ranks when they discover the final name on the list was the last door they should have knocked on. The doors lock, the lights go out and conversation becomes menacing as the host manipulates his victims with mockery of their beliefs and generally chews the entire set as only a legendary British actor could. Did the movie get lost in the speeches or make believers of these podcast hosts? Blueberry pie, that's right!

Down to Watch is sticking to scary for a week longer as the Halloween vibes bleed into November with two new Peacock series: Hysteria and Teacup! Dan and Raul made a trip through the NBC streaming site to see what was up with these new horror-adjacent stories they're serving up and the gore was definitely present in Teacup. There's a trio of families trapped on a farm when a man draws a blue line around the property and anyone who crosses it becomes mulch. Internal drama and a seemingly possessed boy ratchet the tension but there might not be enough meat on the bone, so to speak. Then the guys talk about Hysteria, where the 1980s satanic panic might be the actual demonic presence spreading, but one high school kid is dead set on making things worse while choosing to become a 'Satanist', promoting his sick guitar skills and launching his band into black metal. This show definitely zags when zigging seems par for the course, so it might get very interesting. How interesting? These guys know!

This week DtW is capping spooky season with a cult classic vampire flick full of wild practical effects from 1985, Fright Night! Dan and Raul couldn't let October end without seeking some scary tales and this definitely delivered. This borderline schlock dips into sexy thrillers and TV history with its mix of rear window snooping, lamp-shading old-school horror presenters, and dance floor danger that may hold up better than expected. Is it enough to get past some of the more dated and hokey ideas that come with throwback genre movies? Ask the boys on the pod!