Inside Television with Alan Sepinwall

Firewall & Iceberg podcast, episode 25: Comic-Con, 'Mad Men' & 'Undeclared'

A road trip edition of the podcast with iffy sound but hopefully lotsa funny.

By Alan Sepinwall Wednesday, Jul 21, 2010 8:52 PM

Road trip? Road trip.

Dan and I tried something different this week: since we were driving from LA down to San Diego for Comic-Con, we thought it might be fun to record the podcast in Dan's car on the way down. And it was fun. The sound quality? Less fun. Plus, about 42 minutes in, the recording stopped without us realizing it. I sound better than Dan because I was holding the computer while he drove, but still... it'll be much better in the next installment, and we discuss when that might be near the end (in a segment we had to re-record at our hotel).

The rough rundown:

Comic-Con preview: 3:10 - 17:20

Spoiler-free "Mad Men" talk 17:20 - 28:15

"Undeclared" 28:20 - ???

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.] You can also download the MP3 file, or stream it at Dan's blog.

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: Alan Sepinwall, Firewall & Iceberg, Undeclared, Mad Men

Jim Jim

Listening to Dan on here is sort of like the scene in a sci-fi or action movie where they discover a garbled transmission and can only hear other word
July 21, 2010 at 9:18PM EST Reply to Comment
dsm9412

Was sure you were joking in the last pod about doing it on the road. Well, I really enjoy these so I got through it, but the TCA one now has high expectations.
July 21, 2010 at 9:29PM EST Reply to Comment
Nick

FYI, I know lots of people who like both Glee and Sons of Anarchy.
July 21, 2010 at 9:46PM EST Reply to Comment
- Echos Myron They must be half-idiots.
  July 22, 2010 at 2:48AM EST
julius

Worst Podcast Ever. I agree tv is not a visual medium but podcasts are in fact an auditory medium. Never Forget.
July 22, 2010 at 12:27AM EST Reply to Comment
- dan julius - Even though your comment was mean, it still made me laugh. So there's that...
  
  -Daniel
  July 22, 2010 at 4:26AM EST
- Julius It's how I show my love.
  July 22, 2010 at 2:33PM EST
Heh. Well, the sound quality wasn't the best, but I appreciated the effort, and the immersive feel. It was almost like I was going through the tollbooth!!!

I wish I could see Mad Men S4 somewhere soon, but I live in Australia, and god only knows when they'll air it down here. They only just started season 3.
July 22, 2010 at 1:36AM EST Reply to Comment
Yeah the sound quality was awful...I usually find the back and forth banter and opinion amusing, but in this case I couldn't understand without paying VERY close attention (and I use podcasts as background noise, not something I have to focus on)....so I didn't make it through the whole thing. Sorry guys. Good luck getting the sound quality back up.
July 22, 2010 at 8:14AM EST Reply to Comment
jimmy

was y'all on motorcycles
July 22, 2010 at 9:01AM EST Reply to Comment
Jeff W

Please don't ever do that again.
July 22, 2010 at 9:05AM EST Reply to Comment
sepinwall

Lesson learned, folks. We will NEVER try that again. And the next few podcasts should have our best sound quality in a long time, since we'll be recording them together in a hotel room under optimal conditions.

We tried. We failed. We learned. We move on. We endure.
July 22, 2010 at 10:47AM EST Reply to Comment
- Kevin I liked it, if only because for once Dan was the one who you could barely hear, and Alan came through loud and clear.
  July 22, 2010 at 11:13AM EST
GMan

Ha, your stop at the toll was classic. As cookie monster would say this was good as "sometimes food" not "all times food." enjoyed it.
July 22, 2010 at 11:38AM EST Reply to Comment
Tausif Khan

Maybe this was answered before but why can't we stream the podcast on Alan's blog as well?
July 22, 2010 at 5:48PM EST Reply to Comment
- dan Tausif - The feed to iTunes goes through my blog, so the podcast is already being uploaded into my blog. Sometimes it's a slow process and there doesn't seem to be much reason in double-uploading. Does it cause serious problems for you?
  
  -Daniel
  July 22, 2010 at 6:02PM EST
- Tausif Khan There are no technical problems. I don't have iTunes and just like to stream the podcast. I read Alan's blog more frequently which is why I was wondering. I think it is a good marketing tool(to have it streamed only on your blog) though because I have started to read your blog as well Daniel. I was just wondering why streaming is set up as is. Thanks for the response.
  July 28, 2010 at 9:13PM EST
Angela

Podcasting on the road?!? Your dedication is admirable!
Too bad you couldn't do a re-record though 'cause from what I could hear, it sounded really interesting. Especially as Comic Con is still a bit of a mystery to me. Plus I'm pretty sure I heard the words SOA. Ah well. There is always next week!

July 22, 2010 at 7:54PM EST Reply to Comment
apatowkillz

Worst. Podcast. Ever.

Jesus, that was tortuous to try to listen to. Not a good idea guys.
July 22, 2010 at 8:22PM EST Reply to Comment
DevdogAZ

I think most of the problem was that there was some kind of noise canceling effect in the software, so the mic would be silent unless one of you was talking. And when Dan talked, it was hard to hear his voice over the road noise. But if that noise canceling feature had been turned off, and we just got the constant background noise, I think it would have been easier to distinguish Dan's voice over the din, but as it was, we only got short bursts of Dan and din mixed together, so our ears could never get acclimated.
July 22, 2010 at 9:34PM EST Reply to Comment
I had to turn off the show, due to the inability to hear Dan, during the Mad Men talk.

Of course, I only wanted to hear the San Diego talk, so I can live with it.

Alan, I hope you have time to roam the floor and maybe write a non-tv comics blog post.

/glad to not be at SD this year...
July 23, 2010 at 12:06AM EST Reply to Comment
Ok, I agree it sounded bad, but why is everyone complaining? Did they start charging for this while I was in the other room? I think they're aware it was rough. Let's wait to yell at them until they do it again.
July 23, 2010 at 12:01PM EST Reply to Comment

News From Our Partners

Follow HitFix:

Follow @HitFix

Get Instant Alerts on What's Alan Watching

Latest Posts

Review: Michael Douglas and Matt Damon dazzle in HBO's 'Behind the Candelabra'

Steven Soderbergh biopic about Liberace is HBO's best movie in years

Friday, May 24, 2013
Review: 'Hannibal' - 'Trou Normand'

Will gets lost in a case, and Lecter tries to protect Abigail Hobbs

Thursday, May 23, 2013
Are you ready for the summer? (2013 edition)

Announcing this summer's blog rewatch series

Thursday, May 23, 2013
Season finale review: 'Modern Family' - 'Goodnight, Gracie'

The Dunphys and Pritchetts head to Florida for the funeral of Phil's mom

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Cannes Film Festival 2013

Inside Television with Alan Sepinwall

Firewall & Iceberg podcast, episode 25: Comic-Con, 'Mad Men' & 'Undeclared'

Send to your friends

Direct link: http://tinyurl.com/2dfwxwk

Firewall & Iceberg podcast, episode 25: Comic-Con, 'Mad Men' & 'Undeclared'

Share this Post on ...

Direct link: http://tinyurl.com/2dfwxwk

Firewall & Iceberg podcast, episode 25: Comic-Con, 'Mad Men' & 'Undeclared'

Comments

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Jim Jim Listening to Dan on here is sort of like the scene in a sci-fi or action movie where they discover a garbled transmission and can only hear other word

dsm9412 Was sure you were joking in the last pod about doing it on the road. Well, I really enjoy these so I got through it, but the TCA one now has high expectations.

Nick FYI, I know lots of people who like both Glee and Sons of Anarchy.

Echos Myron They must be half-idiots.

julius Worst Podcast Ever. I agree tv is not a visual medium but podcasts are in fact an auditory medium. Never Forget.

dan julius - Even though your comment was mean, it still made me laugh. So there's that...-Daniel

Julius It's how I show my love.

jimmy was y'all on motorcycles

Jeff W Please don't ever do that again.

sepinwall Lesson learned, folks. We will NEVER try that again. And the next few podcasts should have our best sound quality in a long time, since we'll be recording them together in a hotel room under optimal conditions. We tried. We failed. We learned. We move on. We endure.

Kevin I liked it, if only because for once Dan was the one who you could barely hear, and Alan came through loud and clear.

GMan Ha, your stop at the toll was classic. As cookie monster would say this was good as "sometimes food" not "all times food." enjoyed it.

Tausif Khan Maybe this was answered before but why can't we stream the podcast on Alan's blog as well?

dan Tausif - The feed to iTunes goes through my blog, so the podcast is already being uploaded into my blog. Sometimes it's a slow process and there doesn't seem to be much reason in double-uploading. Does it cause serious problems for you?-Daniel

apatowkillz Worst. Podcast. Ever.Jesus, that was tortuous to try to listen to. Not a good idea guys.

I had to turn off the show, due to the inability to hear Dan, during the Mad Men talk. Of course, I only wanted to hear the San Diego talk, so I can live with it.Alan, I hope you have time to roam the floor and maybe write a non-tv comics blog post. /glad to not be at SD this year...

Ok, I agree it sounded bad, but why is everyone complaining? Did they start charging for this while I was in the other room? I think they're aware it was rough. Let's wait to yell at them until they do it again.

News From Our Partners

Never miss a post - sign up now to get an e-mail alert whenever What's Alan Watching is updated

Latest Posts

Recent Activity on Facebook

Most Popular on Facebook

About HitFix

Advertise on HitFix

Subscribe to HitFix

Popular Topics

Jim Jim

Listening to Dan on here is sort of like the scene in a sci-fi or action movie where they discover a garbled transmission and can only hear other word

dsm9412

Was sure you were joking in the last pod about doing it on the road. Well, I really enjoy these so I got through it, but the TCA one now has high expectations.

Nick

FYI, I know lots of people who like both Glee and Sons of Anarchy.

julius

Worst Podcast Ever. I agree tv is not a visual medium but podcasts are in fact an auditory medium. Never Forget.

dan julius - Even though your comment was mean, it still made me laugh. So there's that...

-Daniel

jimmy

was y'all on motorcycles

Jeff W

Please don't ever do that again.

sepinwall

Lesson learned, folks. We will NEVER try that again. And the next few podcasts should have our best sound quality in a long time, since we'll be recording them together in a hotel room under optimal conditions.

We tried. We failed. We learned. We move on. We endure.

GMan

Ha, your stop at the toll was classic. As cookie monster would say this was good as "sometimes food" not "all times food." enjoyed it.

Tausif Khan

Maybe this was answered before but why can't we stream the podcast on Alan's blog as well?

dan Tausif - The feed to iTunes goes through my blog, so the podcast is already being uploaded into my blog. Sometimes it's a slow process and there doesn't seem to be much reason in double-uploading. Does it cause serious problems for you?

-Daniel

apatowkillz

Worst. Podcast. Ever.

Jesus, that was tortuous to try to listen to. Not a good idea guys.

I had to turn off the show, due to the inability to hear Dan, during the Mad Men talk.

Of course, I only wanted to hear the San Diego talk, so I can live with it.

Alan, I hope you have time to roam the floor and maybe write a non-tv comics blog post.

/glad to not be at SD this year...

Never miss a post - sign up now to get an e-mail alert whenever
What's Alan Watching is updated