Guys Of A Certain Age

Listeners may have noticed that The Guys watch a lot of TV.  Or they watch a lot of content on a lot of streaming services on a lot of screens, at the very least. 

How many times have you heard two of our co-hosts exclaim in surprise to the third, "You haven't seen that?"  Truth be told, though, we all have shows that have large fanbases, great Nielsen ratings, coveted advertising slots - even national conventions dedicated to one show - and yet, they just don't appeal to us. 

That's the conundrum The Guys talk about in this episode. Which "must watch" shows fall into the "I just don't get it, therefore I just don't watch it" category?  Or maybe we gave up after one season or one episode, even if those shows are in the top 5 TV shows of all time.  Prepare to be show-shamed.  Or not.  

It’s week something-or-other in shelter-at-home, and we’re not sure what day it is - but the Guys are here anyway to keep you informed, entertained, and occupied while figuring out if you’re essential or not.  

In this week's episode, they mourn the loss of a mad cartoonist, explore the possibilities of yet another streaming service, and debate the value of spoilers.  Random?  Of course.  What else do you expect?  Next, they tackle the perplexing problem of perpetuity.  In other words, Robbie is force-feeding old movies to his sons during quarantine, and some hits of previous decades have not proven worthy today.  Jay and Art throw a few movies in the ring, too, that they’ve revisited or finally had time to watch during these weird, weird, days.  

Just because the Guys can’t be in the same room together during stay-at-home orders, doesn’t mean they still can’t ramble on for half an hour anyway.  Thank you, technology.  

And this week they give their takes on a handful of technological breakthroughs that have now, essentially, put on the brakes.  From lightsaber apps, to aux cords connected to cassette tape adapters, to Billy Bass, to Netflix DVD’s (hey…wait a minute…), the Guys reminisce about gadgets and such that were at one point essential “personnel” but have since been sent home.  

When it comes to Geeks of the Week, Robbie says it’s hip to be Square, Jay’s still playing with high-end legos, and Art is ready to join (or at least watch) the Space Force.  Call the delivery guy, grab a donut chicken sandwich, and listen.  

With Jay out this week, Robbie and Art "engage" in a spoiler-filled discussion of Picard, the latest Star Trek series from CBS All Access. 

This week the Guys continue to practice safe social distancing with Jay actually taking it to the extreme by separating himself by both time and space (like Doctor Who!).

It’s a weird world we are living in, and it’s getting weirder.  

We’re all doing lots of things online, we’ve given up watching actual live sporting events, and we’re spending a lot of time indoors away from other people.  In other words: normal life for many in the geek-nerd community.  

Who better than the Guys to help you find fun things to do in quarantine?  This week they go really old school and talk about their favorite games past and present, and they’re not talking about Pac-Man.  It’s time to dig out the board games and all those decks of cards.  Now it's about Fishbowl,  Spades, Uno, Dutch Blitz, Rook, and marathon Monopoly.  If Amazon doesn’t have them, your local antique store probably does.  

And of course, there are some suggestions about things to watch besides college football reruns, including an updated YouTube video from the stars of Shaun of the Dead.  And yes, the microphones were a safe distance apart.  

As the world deals with COVID-19, attempts to "flatten the curve" have led to the cancellation of concerts, conferences, and sporting events including a favorite rite of spring, March Madness aka the NCAA College Basketball Tournament.

No strangers to self-quarantine, the Guys use their Geek of the Week segment to offer several alternatives to get you through the live sports and entertainment drought. Ideas include favorite sports movies, finishing off those series that you haven't quite made it through, and binge-watching offerings from a particular streaming service that you may not renew.

In the main segment, the Guys offer suggestions on favorite books that need to be turned into movies or limited series. With their varied and sometimes questionable offerings, the Guys' picks are sure to be huge hits. Well, at least until live sports come back.

Tech devices: can’t live without ‘em, can’t shoot ‘em.  (We’re not all Elvis, after all.) This week the Guys talk about the gadgets that  have revolutionized their existence - or at least make their lives a lot more … lively.  

With phones and RunPee off the table, the banter turns to smart speakers, reading aids, and chicken thermometers.  And in a classic moment of a certain age, they talk CPAP.  But first, it’s the Geeks of the Week.  The Dr. Who season finale just aired, and even Jay saw the chatter (though not the episode).  The corona virus affects an anticipated movie release, and 100 per cent autonomous human flight is literally on the horizon.  

And an exciting secret from the previous episode is revealed.  

Coming to you from alternate dimensions, the Guys are back to discuss the recent CW crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths.

"One podcast. One podcast only, please."

This week the Guys bring out the intel on Jack Ryan, Tom Clancy's CIA analyst turned field agent turned President of the United States. (And no, we don't mean Alec Baldwin's current portrayal of Trump.)

They take a look at the actors who have played Ryan on the big screen and in the new Amazon Prime series and, performing some analysis of their own, rate their favorites. They also rank the Jack Ryan movies and uncover some interesting facts about some of the supporting characters and who portrayed them.

Geeks of the Week include Jay's take on The Batman costume and some interesting facts about it and the upcoming movie. Art talks about becoming a huge Rian Johnson fan after seeing Knives Out and completely forgiving him for The Last Jedi (maybe). Robbie extols the virtues of Plex, an incredible media center application he is using to serve his video library that currently includes hundreds of movies and TV shows, but oddly no Jack Ryan.