Cordkillers (All Audio)

Tom Merritt

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27 episodes
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#618
Thursday · 20 min
The FULL Get Smart Experience: Extra ("The Nude Bomb")
Tom, Brian, and Amos wrap up their Get Smart watch with The Nude Bomb, a movie that leaves much of the original series behind but delivers practical stunts, ridiculous gadgets, and an extended detour through vintage Universal Studios. Brian finds unexpected charm—and plenty of parallels to Austin Powers—while Tom thinks a tighter edit would help considerably. Amos goes in blind and comes away entertained, as the discussion explores how a poorly reviewed movie can still be a surprisingly good time. Next week: Battlestar Galactica (101 - "Saga of a Star World") Subscribe, get expanded show notes, and past episodes at http://Cordkillers.com Support Cordkillers at http://Patreon.com/Cordkillers YouTube: https://youtu.be/r0qTK9yid7k Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#618
Wednesday · 50 min
Cordkillers 618: Your Privacy Is on Clearance
How cheap does a TV have to be before you stop asking what it knows about you? LG denies recording ambient conversations for ad targeting, but its other tracking practices leave plenty to discuss. Plus, Apple TV and Jean Smart clean up at the Emmys, streaming giants team up to lobby Washington, and AWS wants to put ten live feeds on one screen. Netflix prepares to share box-office numbers, IMDb makes room for digital creators, and a possible Get Smart reboot arrives with suspiciously good timing. This week on The FULL Experience: The Nude Bomb Next week: Battlestar Galactica (101 - "Saga of a Star World") Subscribe, get expanded show notes, and past episodes at http://Cordkillers.com Support Cordkillers at http://Patreon.com/Cordkillers YouTube: https://youtu.be/d71FfUfHZrU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#617
September 10 · 12 min
The FULL Get Smart Experience: Lowest (526 - "I Am Curiously Yellow")
The crew finishes Get Smart with a finale that mixes polished slapstick with uncomfortable racial stereotypes and dated gender roles. Brian enjoys the comedy, while Tom and Amos recommend skipping this episode. Next up: The Nude Bomb as a bonus “final exam,” followed by the original Battlestar Galactica. Next week: The Nude Bomb Subscribe, get expanded show notes, and past episodes at http://Cordkillers.com Support Cordkillers at http://Patreon.com/Cordkillers YouTube: https://youtu.be/t0zYaGW63O8 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#617
September 9 · 56 min
Cordkillers 617: Congratulations, You Found the Trope
Christopher Nolan argues that recognizing the machinery behind storytelling doesn’t necessarily make it bad storytelling. Plus, theaters lean harder on premium tickets, sports experiments with free alternate broadcasts, and smart TVs may be paying far more attention than viewers realize. This week on The FULL Experience: Get Smart (526 - "I Am Curiously Yellow") Next week: The Nude Bomb Subscribe, get expanded show notes, and past episodes at http://Cordkillers.com Support Cordkillers at http://Patreon.com/Cordkillers YouTube: https://youtu.be/9CxYkuool7s Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#616
September 3 · 12 min
The FULL Get Smart Experience: Lowest (513 - "Ice Station Siegfried")
Tom and Brian find *Get Smart*’s lowest-rated episode badly weakened by Don Adams’ absence, with cheap sets, too much exposition, and an anticlimactic ending. Amos is especially disappointed that an episode with such a promising premise falls so flat. Next week: Get Smart (526 - "I Am Curiously Yellow") Subscribe, get expanded show notes, and past episodes at http://Cordkillers.com Support Cordkillers at http://Patreon.com/Cordkillers YouTube: https://youtu.be/5pZLO2Y2JFc Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#616
September 2 · 46 min
Cordkillers 616: The Price Is Almost Right
Streaming prices are still climbing, but shrinking increases suggest services may finally be discovering how much subscribers will actually tolerate. Plus, Roku goes OLED, Pokémon expands its streaming empire, and Google decides a $99 streamer should suddenly cost $150. This week on The FULL Experience: Get Smart (513 - "Ice Station Siegfried") Next week: Get Smart (526 - "I Am Curiously Yellow") Subscribe, get expanded show notes, and past episodes at http://Cordkillers.com Support Cordkillers at http://Patreon.com/Cordkillers YouTube: https://youtu.be/Rq675xhN3H4 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#615
August 27 · 14 min
The FULL Get Smart Experience: First (203 - "A Spy for a Spy")
Tom, Brian, and Amos watch “A Spy for a Spy,” the highest-rated episode of “Get Smart,” and find the show’s reliable formula to be its greatest strength. Next week: Get Smart (513 - "Ice Station Siegfried") Subscribe, get expanded show notes, and past episodes at http://Cordkillers.com Support Cordkillers at http://Patreon.com/Cordkillers YouTube: https://youtu.be/O1p4d3_wfew Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#615
August 26 · 1 hr 1 min
Cordkillers 615: Buy Now, Watch Later
TV’s future promises smarter ads, instant translation, on-screen shopping, and even more bundles. Plus, YouTube courts creators, Netflix considers add-ons, and streaming prices keep climbing. This week on The FULL Experience: Get Smart (203 - "A Spy for a Spy") Next week: Get Smart (513 - "Ice Station Siegfried") Subscribe, get expanded show notes, and past episodes at http://Cordkillers.com Support Cordkillers at http://Patreon.com/Cordkillers YouTube: https://youtu.be/R1gWb_HXRGY Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#614
August 20 · 13 min
The FULL Get Smart Experience: First (101 - "Mr. Big")
Tom, Brian, and Amos kick off their Get Smart experiment with the 1965 pilot “Mr. Big” and are delighted to discover that nearly everything they associate with the series—from the shoe phone and Cone of Silence to “Would you believe…”—was there from the beginning. Mel Brooks’ absurd Cold War spy parody proves smarter and funnier than expected, though the big question now is whether those wonderfully ridiculous recurring gags will still be funny after four episodes. Next week: Get Smart (203 - "A Spy for a Spy") Subscribe, get expanded show notes, and past episodes at http://Cordkillers.com Support Cordkillers at http://Patreon.com/Cordkillers YouTube: https://youtu.be/as5XoEEsW4s Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#614
August 19 · 46 min
Cordkillers 614: ViewTube
YouTube and Netflix are increasingly being treated as direct competitors for viewers’ time, while YouTube is changing its view-counting rules to make metrics more consistent across formats. Disney unloaded a mountain of announcements at D23, while Peacock raises prices and streaming platforms increasingly turn to free movies to keep subscribers watching. This week on The FULL Experience: Get Smart (101 - "Mr. Big") Next week: Get Smart (203 - "A Spy for a Spy") Subscribe, get expanded show notes, and past episodes at http://Cordkillers.com Support Cordkillers at http://Patreon.com/Cordkillers YouTube: https://youtu.be/PR7J71Rcgc4 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#613
August 13 · 19 min
The FLUL Remington Steele Experience: Ultimate (505 - "Steeled with a Kiss")
This felt more like a final movie than an episode...and it answered all our questions. Almost. Next week: Get Smart (101 - "Mr. Big") Subscribe, get expanded show notes, and past episodes at http://Cordkillers.com Support Cordkillers at http://Patreon.com/Cordkillers YouTube: https://youtu.be/kaGMCxXDBSU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#613
August 13 · 51 min
Cordkillers 613: Free Samples
Disney looks to free streaming and fan-made vertical video as new ways to funnel viewers toward its paid services, while insisting it has no intention of abandoning streaming for licensing. Plus, Love Island USA sets a Peacock record, Warner Bros. feels the loss of the NBA, Roku surges ahead of its Fox acquisition, and YouTube raises the bar for monetization. This week on The FULL Experience: Remington Steele (505 - "Steeled with a Kiss (Parts 1 and 2)") Next week: Get Smart (101 - "Mr. Big") Subscribe, get expanded show notes, and past episodes at http://Cordkillers.com Support Cordkillers at http://Patreon.com/Cordkillers YouTube: https://youtu.be/7_mFLIY-FGo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#612
August 6 · 16 min
The FLUL Remington Steele Experience: Ultimate (420 - "Beg, Borrow or Steele")
We tackle Remington Steele’s highest-rated episode and come away baffled by its reputation, praising a few clever twists while picking apart the cheap production, plot holes, and questionable detective work. We also discuss the show’s surprisingly settled romantic dynamic and the challenge of tracking down the hard-to-find made-for-TV finale for next week’s conclusion. Next week: Remington Steele (505 - "Steeled with a Kiss (Parts 1 and 2)") Subscribe, get expanded show notes, and past episodes at http://Cordkillers.com Support Cordkillers at http://Patreon.com/Cordkillers YouTube: https://youtu.be/g9WiMiPbAiM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#612
August 5 · 1 hr 4 min
Cordkillers 612: Big Screen Energy
The box office roars back with one of the biggest openings in movie history, even as streaming services keep reinventing how they compete. From Ted Lasso to Babylon 5 to Netflix’s latest strategy, there’s plenty to watch. This week on The FULL Experience: Remington Steele (420 - "Beg, Borrow or Steele") Next week: Remington Steele (505 - "Steeled with a Kiss (Parts 1 and 2)") Subscribe, get expanded show notes, and past episodes at http://Cordkillers.com Support Cordkillers at http://Patreon.com/Cordkillers YouTube: https://youtu.be/cJXm5AkyjfE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#611
July 30 · 13 min
The FLUL Remington Steele Experience: Lowest (208 - "Scene Steelers")
A spreadsheet mix-up transforms this week’s Full Experience into the accidental “Flul Experience,” as Tom and Brian watch Remington Steele’s lowest-rated episode while expecting its best. They find flashes of charm beneath the whackety-smackety plotting, then discover that streaming-rights complications may make the final episodes harder to watch than the show itself. Next week: Remington Steele (420 - "Beg, Borrow or Steele") Subscribe, get expanded show notes, and past episodes at http://Cordkillers.com Support Cordkillers at http://Patreon.com/Cordkillers YouTube: https://youtu.be/ea2GolhV7t4 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#611
July 29 · 1 hr 4 min
Cordkillers 611: Tiny Dramas, Giant Numbers
Microdramas continue exploding in popularity while studios unveil a packed slate of trailers, adaptations, and franchise revivals. Meanwhile, Peacock finally turns a profit, Roku raises hardware prices, and the Paramount–Warner merger inches through the legal process. This week on The FULL Experience: Remington Steele (208 - "Scene Steelers") Next week: Remington Steele (420 - "Beg, Borrow or Steele") Subscribe, get expanded show notes, and past episodes at http://Cordkillers.com Support Cordkillers at http://Patreon.com/Cordkillers YouTube: https://youtu.be/Rj3rql0exe0 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#610
July 23 · 15 min
The FULL Remington Steele Experience: First (101 - "License to Steele")
Tom, Brian, and Amos begin their four-episode test of Remington Steele with the 1982 pilot, finding its feminist premise, con-man energy, and Pierce Brosnan’s effortless charm more compelling than expected. The mystery itself is flimsy and occasionally goofy, but the clever identity games and surprisingly strong origin story hold up better than they feared. Next week: Remington Steele (208 - "Scene Steelers") Subscribe, get expanded show notes, and past episodes at http://Cordkillers.com Support Cordkillers at http://Patreon.com/Cordkillers YouTube: https://youtu.be/O5bB3Aztd28 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#610
July 22 · 54 min
Cordkillers 610: Netflix’s Next Fix
Netflix is still growing, but softer forecasts have Wall Street wondering where its next wave of growth will come from. We grade the streamer’s possible answers—including live sports, bundles, social features, acquisitions, creator video and a whole lot of AI. This week on The FULL Experience: Remington Steele (101 - "License to Steele") Next week: Remington Steele (208 - "Scene Steelers") Subscribe, get expanded show notes, and past episodes at http://Cordkillers.com Support Cordkillers at http://Patreon.com/Cordkillers YouTube: https://youtu.be/bt8mrXcEqiw Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#609
July 14 · 41 min
The Cordkillers Guide to Streaming Hardware
The second half of our streaming guide moves from services to the boxes, sticks, smart TVs, antennas, and oddball gadgets that actually get video onto your screen. Roku remains one of the most affordable and widely supported streaming hardware options, with both boxes and sticks available. It began as the original Netflix streamer, but today its biggest advantages are interface preference, ecosystem familiarity, and broad app support. Fire TV sticks and boxes make the most sense for people already deep in Amazon’s ecosystem, especially if they use Prime Video and add-on channels heavily. The Fire TV Cube also gets praise as an easy “hotel-like” setup for guests, with strong voice-control features. Apple TV is the easiest recommendation for people already using iPhones, Macs, and iPads. Its ecosystem integration makes passwords, purchases, authentication, and playback smoother, and older Apple TVs can remain useful for years. Chromecast is gone as a hardware brand, replaced by the Google TV Streamer. It is a good fit for people invested in Google, YouTube, YouTube TV, and Android, though Google’s TV hardware strategy has been less consistent than Roku, Fire TV, or Apple TV. The NVIDIA Shield TV remains the power-user option for gamers, tinkerers, VPN users, and people who want more control over their streaming box. It has not been substantially updated since 2019, but it still works well, even if it is starting to show its age. Game consoles can still stream video, but Sony and Microsoft have mostly moved away from treating them as primary TV boxes. The crew also gives a farewell nod to retired or fading hardware like TiVo and Microsoft’s old TV ambitions. The Xumo Stream Box from Comcast and Charter may be worth considering for internet subscribers who can get it free or discounted. It can replace some traditional cable-box use cases while still offering access to streaming apps. Many viewers simply use the apps built into their smart TVs, and that can work fine as long as performance holds up. Samsung’s Tizen, LG’s webOS, Roku TV, Fire TV, Google TV, Vizio’s SmartCast, and TiVo OS all get a rundown, with the main advice being to consider long-term speed, app support, and whether you may eventually want a separate streaming box. For over-the-air broadcast TV, devices like HDHomeRun and Tablo can turn an antenna into a networked live-TV and DVR system. Amos explains his HDHomeRun Quattro setup feeding Plex for local DVR recordings like Saturday Night Live, NASCAR, major sports, and local news during severe weather. Amos also points out that Alaska’s over-the-air TV can sometimes be delayed or degraded because local signals are rebroadcast by satellite. That means streaming apps can occasionally be ahead of the antenna feed, proving once again that every “simple” TV setup has an exception hiding somewhere. The crew closes by talking about how they actually choose what to watch now that almost everything is available somewhere. Brian compares modern TV to a book-club experience, Tom breaks down different household viewing use cases, and Amos describes his viewing as deliberate, focused, and ad-free whenever possible. Website: https://cordkillers.com Email: cordkillers@gmail.com Live Tuesdays at 5:30 PM Eastern / 2:30 PM Pacific: https://twitch.tv/nightattack https://youtube.com/modernrogue Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#608
July 7 · 42 min
The Cordkillers Guide to Streaming TV
Tom, Brian, and Amos turn the streaming TV maze into a map: platforms, bundles, live TV replacements, FAST channels, library freebies, and the subscriptions you forgot you still had. Streaming Platforms Platforms collect subscriptions in one place, usually through one bill and one app. Roku, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google TV/YouTube, Walmart+, DirecTV Stream, Sling TV, YouTube TV, and cable-provider apps can all act as your main streaming “bucket.” The advice: pick one bucket if you can. It makes cancellation sweeps easier and helps avoid paying for services you are not using. Amazon Prime Video has the most add-on choice, Apple TV has strong subscription management, YouTube TV works well for live TV plus premium add-ons, Roku is budget-friendly, Sling TV is customizable, and DirecTV Stream is the cable-like sports-heavy option. Links: Roku⁠, Prime Video⁠, Apple TV⁠, Google TV⁠, Walmart+⁠, YouTube TV⁠, Sling TV⁠, DirecTV Stream⁠ Discovery and Audits JustWatch, FreeCast, Plex, Apple TV search, and Roku search can help find where something is streaming. AI finance tools can also help identify forgotten subscriptions. Links: JustWatch, FreeCast, Plex⁠ Bundles Bundles are smaller collections of services, often offered directly or through a phone, internet, or retail membership perk. Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN remain a major bundle. Peacock offers an Apple TV bundle, while T-Mobile, Verizon, Cricket Wireless, Metro by T-Mobile, and Google Fi include streaming perks on some plans. Brian gets HBO Max through a legacy AT&T Fiber perk and uses T-Mobile benefits for Netflix and Apple TV+. Amos uses Verizon for the Disney Bundle and Walmart+ for Paramount+ or Peacock. The warning: bundles save money, but canceling a phone or internet plan may mean losing perks you rely on. Links: Disney+⁠, Hulu⁠, ESPN+⁠, Peacock⁠, T-Mobile⁠, Verizon⁠, Google Fi⁠ Live TV Replacements Internet-based live TV services provide linear channels without traditional cable installation or long contracts. Options include YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, Philo, Frndly TV, and Sling TV. Tom uses DirecTV Stream for sports and specific channels. Brian does not currently rely on a paid live TV replacement. Amos uses an antenna with HDHomeRun and Plex for broadcast TV, which comes up more in the hardware special. Links: Hulu + Live TV⁠, Fubo⁠, Philo⁠, Frndly TV⁠, HDHomeRun⁠ FAST and Library Streaming FAST services are free ad-supported streaming TV, often built around always-on channel grids. Pluto TV, Xumo, Tubi, Prime Video Free Streaming, Samsung TV Plus, The Roku Channel, Zeam, Plex, and Sling Freestream are all options. Tom and Brian call FAST “waterfall television”: familiar, low-pressure programming you can leave on without thinking too hard. Kanopy and Hoopla are also worth checking through your local library. Links: Pluto TV⁠, Xumo⁠, Tubi⁠, Samsung TV Plus⁠, Roku Channel⁠, Zeam⁠, Kanopy⁠, Hoopla⁠ Part two covers streaming hardware. Feedback: cordkillers@gmail.com⁠ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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