Inside Television with Alan Sepinwall

Firewall & Iceberg Podcast, episode 109: Worst TV of 2011, plus 'Angry Boys'

What shows made Dan and Alan mad this year? And why is Chris Lilley so 'Angry'?

By Alan Sepinwall Tuesday, Dec 27, 2011 3:00 PM

The

We spent last week's Firewall & Iceberg Podcast counting down our favorite shows of 2011. Now it's time for the reverse, as Dan and I discuss some of our least favorite shows of the year. Think Dan might have a few more words to say on the subject of Mario Lopez? At the end, we also review HBO's new Chris Lilley mockumentary series "Angry Boys," and even if you're not a Lilley fan, I would suggest listening to the end for some good end of the year wisdom from Dan.

[The only real spoilers are for "Dexter" between 48:00 and 52:50.]

The line-up:

TV's Worst of 2011 (02:30 - 01:02:00)

"Angry Boys" (01:02:05 - 01:11:10)

As always, you can subscribe to The Firewall & Iceberg Podcast over at the iTunes Store, where you can also rate us and comment on us. Or you can always follow our RSS Feed, download the MP3 file or stream it on Dan's blog.

And as always, feel free to e-mail us at sepinwall@hitfix.com and/or dan@hitfix.com if you have questions you want answered on the show. Please put the word "podcast" in your subject line to make it easy to track them down amid the hundreds of random press releases we get every day.

Alan Sepinwall
Sr. Editor, What's Alan Watching

Alan Sepinwall has been reviewing television since the mid-'90s, first for Tony Soprano's hometown paper, The Star-Ledger, and now for HitFix. His new book, "The Revolution Was Televised," about the last 15 years of TV drama, is for sale at Amazon. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com

Related Searches: Firewall & Iceberg

Jonnybon

I agree with your critique of "Angry Boys," but you are plain WRONG about "Summer Heights High!" SHH is a masterpiece... and not just comedically.
December 27, 2011 at 5:29PM EST Reply to Comment
- lztouchthedream Haven't made it to that part of the show yet, but I have to agree about SHH. Ja'mie and the way she embodies perfectly the shitty, shallow teenage girl alone raise the show to genius level, and Mr. G and Jonah are just as fully realized and hilarious. I'm only about halfway through Angry Boys, but I'm not too crazy about it. It's still funnier than a lot of other shows, but it's just missing something unidentifiable that SHH (and Lilley's first show 'We Can Be Heroes' to a lesser extent) had in spades.
  December 27, 2011 at 11:51PM EST
gladly

I don't think this is showing up in iTunes yet.
December 28, 2011 at 12:53AM EST Reply to Comment
- sepinwall If you subscribe, it will. For some reason, iTunes is much slower to display some podcasts to people who aren't subscribers. No idea why that is, but it is.
  December 28, 2011 at 8:31AM EST
Paul F

The Danish version of The Killing wrapped everything up at the end of the first season. The (slightly weaker, but still good) second season was a completely different arc, and mostly new characters.
December 28, 2011 at 10:28AM EST Reply to Comment
- moway79 The first season of the Danish version had 20 episodes in total and was split into two halves of 10 episodes. They was a gap of six months between the two halves (though it was originally intended to be closer to 9 months).
  December 30, 2011 at 3:09PM EST
- Sure, but it was still one season, just with a break.
  
  It aired over 10 weeks in the UK, with no gap, and the DVD set has all 20 episodes.
  December 30, 2011 at 4:26PM EST
NJMark

I subscribe, and it's not showing up for me either.
December 28, 2011 at 12:23PM EST Reply to Comment
- NJMark It's there now.
  December 28, 2011 at 6:25PM EST
- No idea why it takes so long. It really shouldn't. But I'm glad it's up!
  
  -Daniel
  December 28, 2011 at 7:33PM EST
LJA

This was one of my favorite podcasts to date. You two are very entertaining when you start ranting.
December 28, 2011 at 3:28PM EST Reply to Comment
ideemo

the NBA season finally begins and not one word about it? SHAME ON YOU!
December 28, 2011 at 10:49PM EST Reply to Comment
- I can neither confirm nor deny that this podcast was recorded early and, thus, before the start of the NBA season...
  
  -Daniel
  December 28, 2011 at 11:04PM EST
Dr. Gross

I just watched a commercial for Angry Boys, and I don't want to draw too many conclusions from an ad. But, god damn, that seemed pretty racist.
December 29, 2011 at 2:04AM EST Reply to Comment
tony M

good times as allways
December 29, 2011 at 1:42PM EST Reply to Comment
Erin W

Dexter is actually Deb's adopted brother, not her stepbrother. I agree with everything else you said about that show in the spoiler section of the podcast. I haven't watched the show for a few seasons now, I keep up by reading online recaps and it's more than enough.
January 2, 2012 at 6:37PM EST Reply to Comment

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Inside Television with Alan Sepinwall

Firewall & Iceberg Podcast, episode 109: Worst TV of 2011, plus 'Angry Boys'

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Firewall & Iceberg Podcast, episode 109: Worst TV of 2011, plus 'Angry Boys'

Comments

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Jonnybon I agree with your critique of "Angry Boys," but you are plain WRONG about "Summer Heights High!" SHH is a masterpiece... and not just comedically.

gladly I don't think this is showing up in iTunes yet.

sepinwall If you subscribe, it will. For some reason, iTunes is much slower to display some podcasts to people who aren't subscribers. No idea why that is, but it is.

Paul F The Danish version of The Killing wrapped everything up at the end of the first season. The (slightly weaker, but still good) second season was a completely different arc, and mostly new characters.

moway79 The first season of the Danish version had 20 episodes in total and was split into two halves of 10 episodes. They was a gap of six months between the two halves (though it was originally intended to be closer to 9 months).

Sure, but it was still one season, just with a break. It aired over 10 weeks in the UK, with no gap, and the DVD set has all 20 episodes.

NJMark I subscribe, and it's not showing up for me either.

NJMark It's there now.

No idea why it takes so long. It really shouldn't. But I'm glad it's up!-Daniel

LJA This was one of my favorite podcasts to date. You two are very entertaining when you start ranting.

ideemo the NBA season finally begins and not one word about it? SHAME ON YOU!

I can neither confirm nor deny that this podcast was recorded early and, thus, before the start of the NBA season...-Daniel

Dr. Gross I just watched a commercial for Angry Boys, and I don't want to draw too many conclusions from an ad. But, god damn, that seemed pretty racist.

tony M good times as allways

Erin W Dexter is actually Deb's adopted brother, not her stepbrother. I agree with everything else you said about that show in the spoiler section of the podcast. I haven't watched the show for a few seasons now, I keep up by reading online recaps and it's more than enough.

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Jonnybon

I agree with your critique of "Angry Boys," but you are plain WRONG about "Summer Heights High!" SHH is a masterpiece... and not just comedically.

gladly

I don't think this is showing up in iTunes yet.

Paul F

The Danish version of The Killing wrapped everything up at the end of the first season. The (slightly weaker, but still good) second season was a completely different arc, and mostly new characters.

Sure, but it was still one season, just with a break.

It aired over 10 weeks in the UK, with no gap, and the DVD set has all 20 episodes.

NJMark

I subscribe, and it's not showing up for me either.

No idea why it takes so long. It really shouldn't. But I'm glad it's up!

-Daniel

LJA

This was one of my favorite podcasts to date. You two are very entertaining when you start ranting.

ideemo

the NBA season finally begins and not one word about it? SHAME ON YOU!

I can neither confirm nor deny that this podcast was recorded early and, thus, before the start of the NBA season...

-Daniel

Dr. Gross

I just watched a commercial for Angry Boys, and I don't want to draw too many conclusions from an ad. But, god damn, that seemed pretty racist.

tony M

good times as allways

Erin W

Dexter is actually Deb's adopted brother, not her stepbrother. I agree with everything else you said about that show in the spoiler section of the podcast. I haven't watched the show for a few seasons now, I keep up by reading online recaps and it's more than enough.

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