The West Wing Weekly

4.9 (10K)
TV & FILM
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An episode-by-episode discussion of The West Wing, one of television’s most beloved shows, co-hosted by one of its stars, Joshua Malina, along with Hrishikesh Hirway of Song Exploder.

JAN 16

Bob Roberts (with Adam Scott)

We've got a bonus installment of the Film Fest—with special guest Adam Scott! In addition to his work on Severance, Parks & Recreation, Party Down, and so much more, he's just a genuinely thoughtful and kind person, so we are thrilled to have him back on the podcast. We're discussing the 1992 film Bob Roberts, a satirical mockumentary by Tim Robbins. Tim Robbins on SNL - October 3, 1992 (via Peacock) Tim Robbins 2017 interview in Entertainment Weekly Tim Robbins post on X - July 14, 2024 You can find The West Wing Weekly lapel pin, t-shirts, and more at thewestwingweekly.com/merch.

57 min
12/03/2024

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

We're trying to savor the Capra-esque quality of this experience by wrapping up with Mr. Smith. Supplemental materials: James Taylor - You've Got a Friend Mr Deeds Goes to Town trailer Sokovia Accords debate from Captain America: Civil War Thank you so much for joining us again for this series!

51 min
11/26/2024

Dave

Starring Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, and Kevin Kline. This one was a Patreon subscriber pick! Additional materials: an article about the making of Dave Kevin Kline plays Mr. Fischoeder in Bob's Burgers "clever" as an insult in Fight Club

50 min
11/19/2024

The Candidate

Is The Candidate, in fact, the anti-West Wing? A political story that ends not with a bang, but with a question of existential dread. Interview with screenwriter Jeremy Larner in Brooklyn Magazine The trailer for Downhill Racer (1969) Jerry Seinfeld on Letterman: "You're rooting for clothes." Let us know what you thought of the film!

53 min
11/12/2024

A Face In The Crowd

Did this movie predict Trump back in 1957? We discuss the film debut of Andy Griffith in a role so dark, anyone who knows the Andy Griffith show might experience some uncomfortable dissonance. Some goodies that came up in our conversation: The dance of joy from "Perfect Strangers" This essay about the film on the Criterion website Albert Brooks and Holly Hunter in a great scene from Broadcast News The 'ten-word-answer' scene from The West Wing What did you think of the film, on a scale of 1–10 grains of inert matter? Let us know!

52 min
11/05/2024

Network

This week, we dive deeper into the role of the fourth estate, as we discuss Network, the Oscar-winning film that was meant to be a wild satire at the time it was released, but ended up uncannily predicting the future. Some additional reading material: Mad As Hell, Dave Itzkoff's book about Network Directors' Guild of America post about Sidney Lumet at a 2003 screening of Network Vanity Fair article on the legacy of Network (which includes thoughts from Aaron Sorkin)

1 hr
10/29/2024

Bulworth

This week, we're discussing the 1998 film Bulworth, which features a rapping Warren Beatty, a young Josh Malina, a few problematic moments, and some wonderful and strange ones, too. For a real treat, watch the music video for Ghetto Supastar, which also features a young Josh Malina! What did you think of Bulworth? Join the conversation over on our Patreon and let us know on a scale of 1–10 forced calls!

1h 1m
10/22/2024

Judas and the Black Messiah

What's more terrifying in Martin Sheen's depiction of J. Edgar Hoover—the racism, or the makeup?! We discuss ALL the important aspects of this cat-and-mouse thriller, which was nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture, and won two: Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Daniel Kaluuya. For additional viewing: The Lucas Brothers William O'Neal's full interview for Eyes on the Prize II Hoover and Sheen-as-Hoover, side by side: What did you think of Judas and the Black Messiah? Let us know on a scale of 1–10 simultaneously played saxophones over on our Patreon page, patreon.com/thewestwingweekly.

51 min

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Normal Gossip delivers juicy, strange, funny, and utterly banal gossip about people you’ll never know and never meet. Host Rachelle Hampton discusses reader-submitted comedic gossip with guests, diving into the lives and decisions of complete strangers. The second-hand truth really is stranger than fiction. Produced by Se'era Spragley Ricks and Jae Towle Vieira. Created by Kelsey McKinney and Alex Sujong Laughlin. Show art by Tara Jacoby. https://normalgossip.komi.io/

4.7 (5266)

COMEDY
Song Exploder is a podcast where musicians take apart their songs, and piece by piece, tell the story of how they were made. Each episode features an artist discussing a song of theirs, breaking down the sounds and ideas that went into the writing and recording. Hosted and produced by Hrishikesh Hirway.

4.8 (5784)

MUSIC
Hi, we’re Deb Perelman (Smitten Kitchen) and J. Kenji López-Alt (Serious Eats, The Food Lab, The Wok). We’re professional home cooks, which means we can - and will - make the same meal 57 times in a row on the quest for the perfect recipe. Is it crazy? For us, no, because we do this for a living. But for you? Yes, probably. Which is why you should listen to The Recipe with Kenji and Deb. You'll hear us talk about what goes into writing our recipes — the techniques we test, the ingredients we taste — so that you can be on your way to creating your own perfect recipe. Whether you're cooking meatloaf, pancakes, or chicken soup in all its forms, we got you, and you've got this. The Recipe with Kenji and Deb is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a network of independent and listener-supported podcasts. Discover audio with vision at radiotopia.fm.

4.6 (402)

FOOD
the memory palace

4.8 (6774)

HISTORY
Named one of the Best podcasts of 2023 by the New York Times, Vogue, and Vulture Weight For It is a three time Podcast Academy Award winning narrative podcast that explores the ways we think about our bodies. Through personal storytelling and deep dive interviews, host Ronald Young Jr. unpacks the navigation of the world around him that just doesn't seem to fit.

4.9 (835)

DOCUMENTARY
Articles of Interest is a show about what we wear. Produced and Hosted by Avery Trufelman

4.9 (3286)

FASHION & BEAUTY

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4.9

out of 5

10,378 Ratings

Love the movie reviews

Jan 2

Ofmyself

What a great idea! How about Man of the year with Robin Williams?
Missed these guys

12/07/2024

jape123456

Appreciate the fresh thoughts on an a genre I hadn’t thought of as such
Round 2!

11/25/2024

janiee13

Listening again to this entire podcast -all time favorite!
TWW part excellent; political movie review part not so much

11/27/2024

DMGreb

It is a fantastic experience to watch a West Wing episode and then listen to the associated pod for that show. One of the best pods of its kind. The political movie review shows are basically various versions of “well this movie isn’t good b/c it’s not The West Wing.”

An episode-by-episode discussion of The West Wing, one of television’s most beloved shows, co-hosted by one of its stars, Joshua Malina, along with Hrishikesh Hirway of Song Exploder.