Dean is back from Japan. He will speak about his trip on this week’s show. Phil is grieving the death of his sister. He has some thoughts about her and about grief and about two wishes he has that he will share. If you would like to read about Phil’s sister, he included a tribute to her influence on him in “Haunted”, the most recent essay he published for his The Voice of Los Feliz Substack. Dean and Phil will discuss a wild grab bag of other topics as well, including the city of Glendale, California, improv comedy shows, the ongoing brilliance of “The Simpsons” and the enduring (and growing?) legacy of the British filmmaking team The Archers (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger). Finally, a lightning round of quizzes for Dean will comprise this week’s “Celebrity Deaths”.

Last week, Dean and Phil discussed the ten films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, the ten films released in 2022 that earned the most revenue at the domestic U.S. box office, and the ten (or twelve) or so films the critics have come to consensus on as the best of the year. This week, it’s Dean and Phil’s turn! They will revel their Top Tens, as they count down what might be the films they consider the best, the most groundbreaking, the most important, or just their favorites of the year. 

The Mayberry Effect is a documentary feature film all about the legacy of, and the continued love for, “The Andy Griffith Show”. On this week’s show, Dean and Phil welcome documentarian Chris Hudson to talk about the movie as well as his career. You might just learn something surprising about Dean Haglund in the process of a delightful, thought-provoking, heartfelt and frequently hilarious conversation!

Dean and Phil welcome back a good friend to the show, special guest Chris Mancini! A comic, a podcaster, a filmmaker, and an author, Chris has a new graphic novel and two terrific new podcasts to discuss. He also shares the story of writing, then attempting to save, the ill-fated horror film Asylum, which he turned into a Christopher Guest-like improv comedy (boasting the talents of Dean Haglund)! All in all, it’s a thoughtful, insightful, hilarious and inspiring conversation. Learn more about Chris, his shows, his books and his brand new graphic novel at White Cat Entertainment.

After Chris says his farewells, the drunken red-wine fueled bacchanal that took place two weeks ago atop the downtown Los Angeles art deco wonder that is the Eastern-Columbia building proves itself the gift that keeps on giving. You will hear “drunken Dean Haglund” attempt to celebrate the lives and legacies of a groundbreaking stand-up comic, the godfather of the infomercial and an accomplished actor and activist.

In some ways this week’s episode is a continuation of last week’s show, with more hilarious, puzzling, controversial or just plain delightful movie ads from the 80’s or 90’s, and an email from a loyal listener like you (yes, YOU!) following up on last week’s remembrance of David Lander and his death from Multiple Sclerosis. There is also another email that contains a job offer for Dean, who will update us on his ice cream making and on his graphic novel. Phil wants to discuss caramel, Captain Morgan’s spiced rum and an apparently controversial Uber Eats advertising campaign. Two new documentaries available on Showtime, must viewing for those interested in comedy, movies, music and culture, will get discussed. The controversial decision by Warner Brothers to release their entire 2021 theatrical slate directly to HBO Max will get analyzed. Two indelible actors, a giant of espionage and of spy fiction, a Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, and one legendary, military maverick get remembered in “Celebrity Deaths”.

Fires and heat waves have returned to California, Snow has returned to Colorado and the Dakotas, Covid-19 has returned to Detroit, and movies (and movie-goers) have returned to theaters! Dean and Phil cover it all, as well as Queen Elizabeth turning one of her homes into a drive-in theater, and Prince Harry and Megan Markle signing a production deal with Netflix. Never before have your friends in podcasting discussed as many musical acts as they do in this week’s “Celebrity Deaths” where members of Malo, Fleetwood Mac, Molly Hatchet, Primal Scream, New Order, and The Roots get remembered. The life of a Mexican comedy legend gets celebrated as well before Dean and Phil turn their attention to television and movies. The latest installment of “The Trip” series gets reviewed. Netflix’s “Dead to Me” gets analyzed. Two animated series are foremost on Dean’s mind: “Star Trek: Lower Decks” and “X-Files: Albuquerque”. Finally, Phil wraps things up with some hopeful, helpful advice in “What We’re Reading”.

We hope you are enjoying a wonderful holiday season. This week, Dean Haglund and Phil Leirness make merry by discussing the very best in episodic television as they count down their Top Ten Television Series of the Decade! And trust us, it’s a truly globe-trotting adventure!

Because this show was recorded early Sunday morning, before America awoke to the horrific news of a 2nd mass shooting in a handful of hours, your friends in podcasting only address their thoughts concerning the El Paso shooting – thoughts that concern conspiracy theories, their film The Truth is Out There and more. 12 years ago, Dean and Phil were discussing the “dog days” of summer, “slow news weeks”, the stars that Entertainment Weekly were in love with, a true-life nightmare plane flight, and great sci-fi movies. All those topics get revisited, and a clip of CHH #14 gets shared, in an hilarious segment. Dean and Phil finally answer two emails from listeners, one about an interesting documentary and the other about the lost (?) art of long-form conversation on TV as well as the “rebirth” of Detroit, and the rebuild of one of that city’s icons. All that, plus a great voice performer and a Broadway legend (perhaps THE Broadway legend) get remembered in “Celebrity Deaths”. 

Dean and Phil count down their Top 10 favorite television programs of all time. Remember, it’s not what they consider the “best” television of all time. It’s their favorites … and who knew they were both such big fans of “Small Wonder”?!?