After a brief cold open where Phil and Dean discuss Dean’s trip to Los Angeles this week, your friends in podcasting get into a spirited and frequently hilarious discussion about the Olympics. Then Phil has notes for the brilliant Jon Batiste about his hot mess of a live show. A legendary agent and a trailblazing actress get remembered in “Celebrity Deaths”. Dean plays “armchair executive” in analyzing the news surrounding the forthcoming George Clooney-Brad Pitt vehicle Wolfs. Phil re-watched Barry Lyndon and he and Dean take a deep dive into that film and analyze the way the film has been so dramatically reappraised in recent years.

This week’s show begins with an email from a loyal listener about the Bree Sharp song “David Duchovny” and the unofficial video for it in which Dean participated. Then, Phil talks about what is going on his beloved Siren Radio in the UK. A petition has been launched to try and save the station to which Phil has been contributing for more than 12 years (read and, if so moved, sign the petition at https://www.change.org/p/support-our-siren-saving-siren-radio-lincoln-s-first-community-radio-station). This leads to a discussion of curated experiences and supposedly outmoded media. From there, the conversation switches to the impact of Bicycle Thieves on the big screen and that classic’s influence on Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. The surprising good news of a just-released global box office smash hit gets cheered. Of course, “awards season” is reaching its climax, and Dean and Phil analyze what we can know will happen at the Oscars based on this weekend’s SAG Awards. The multi-award-winning miniseries “Beef”, its writing and its stars get hailed. Phil also shares a great story about Annette Bening and both her present, and one of her past, Oscar nominations. All that plus Phil regales with tales of the Autry Museum of the American West in the wake of emceeing a major event there. Finally, the lives of three fascinating music figures get remembered in “Celebrity Deaths”.

In a cold open, this week’s show begins where last week’s show left off, with Phil delighting Dean with some surprising facts about the late comedic genius Tommy Smothers. After that, Dean and Phil dive into “Awards Season” news, offering up thoughts on the recent Emmy Awards, the forthcoming Oscar nominations, and on how viewing of awards shows might change in the years to come. Suffice it to say, your friends in podcasting and broadcasting have both bones to pick and things they hope to see. Speaking of “see”, Phil saw The Zone of Interest in the recently remodeled and re-opened movie theater where he was married. Dean saw the highly acclaimed romantic comedy from Finland, Fallen Leaves, and explains why he did not enjoy it. He also takes the time to explain why Phil does not enjoy the all-time classic screwball comedy Bringing Up Baby! Dean and Phil also weigh in on their thoughts regarding Alec Baldwin (once again) getting charged with involuntary manslaughter for the on-set death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. All that, plus Phil turns “Celebrity Deaths” into a game, quizzing Dean on his cultural literacy, and there is a crackerjack production meeting on the air!