Extra Hot Great: This Week In TV

The third Bill Lawrence show to début or return in 2026 Q1 is Rooster, loosely "What if Carl Hiaasen had a daughter he needed to help through her divorce from a fellow prof at a New England liberal arts college by taking a job there?" College English instructor Robert Krut returns to discuss whether it's worth auditing. Around The Dial lands on Vladimir, The Fall And Rise Of Reggie Dinkins, Chris Fleming: Live At The Palace, The Lowdown, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, and Young Sherlock. Bobby pitches the 9-1-1 episode "Karma's A Bitch" for induction into The Canon. Then, after identifying the week's Winner and Loser (promulgating a conspiracy theory along the way), we go to the head of the class for Non-Regulation Game Time. Get yourself some warm nuts and join us!
GUESTS
👤 Robert Krut
TOPICS
Lead Topic: 🐓 Rooster
Around The Dial: 📚 Vladimir
Around The Dial: 🏈 The Fall And Rise Of Reggie Dinkins
Around The Dial: 🕺 Chris Fleming: Live At The Palace
Around The Dial: 🤠 The Lowdown
Around The Dial: 💷 Peaky Blinders The Immortal Man
Around The Dial: 🔎 Young Sherlock
The Canon: 🌳 9-1-1 S01.E08: Karma's A Bitch
Winner & Loser: 📜 The Lowdown
Winner & Loser: 👎 Carrie Underwood
Game Time: 👩‍🏫 Teacher Appreciation Week
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NOTES
🗒 Full episode notes can be found on this episode's page on our site
🦋 Robert Krut on Bluesky
✍️ Tara at Decider
📖 Robert Krut's Website
🗣️ Dirty Talk (featuring Sarah) on Hulu
📷 Katrina Marcinowski/HBO

R.J. Decker is a photojournalist-turned-private investigator who originated in a novel by Carl Hiaasen. Is he more than just the network-TV version of Bad Monkey? Kim Reed returns to talk about it. Around The Dial takes us to Nate Bargatze's new ABC game show The Greatest Average American, and all over the current reality landscape: The Traitors S04, Survivor 50, House Of Villains S03, and Australian Survivor: Redemption. Julie offers an argument for The Good Wife episode "Closing Arguments" to be inducted into The Canon. Then, after naming the week's Winner and Loser, we close up with a flat and grassy Non-Regulation Game Time. Leave your trailer precariously balanced on the edge of a sinkhole and join us!
GUESTS
👤 Kim Reed
TOPICS
Announcement: 📢 Discord Re-org
Lead Topic: 🦩 R.J. Decker
Around The Dial: 🤷‍♂️ The Greatest Average American
Around The Dial: 🏝️ Reality Roundup
The Canon: 🧤 The Good Wife S02.E23: Closing Arguments
Winner & Loser: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Groundskeeper Willie
Winner & Loser: 🍷 Possibly Sonja Morgan
Game Time: 🌾 Little Houses On The Prairie
NOTES
🗒 Full episode notes can be found on this episode's page on our site
🦋 Kim Reed on Bluesky
🎤 Chris Fleming: Live At The Palace on HBO Max
🗡️ "The Traitors Needs To Ban Housewives" by Joe Reid at Vulture [subscription required]
📷 Photo: ABC
CLUB-ONLY NOTES
🔥 EHG Club Perk Links & How-To
💬 Get On Our Community Discord

Paradise is back for a whole new season of [major spoiler redacted]. After we made guest Alyson Lewis cram 11 episodes in a week, is she mad at us, or delighted to welcome her favorite new show into her life? Listen to find out. Around The Dial takes us through Reality Check: America's Next Top Model, Tales Of The Unexpected, and The Rockford Files. Tara pitches Northern Exposure's S02 premiere, "Goodbye To All That," for induction into The Canon. Then, after naming the week's Winner and Loser, we close up with a Non-Regulation Game Time about matching titles to shows. Saddle up your ride and join us!
GUESTS
👤 Alyson Lewis
TOPICS
Lead Topic: 🏝️ Paradise
Around The Dial: 💃 Reality Check: America's Next Top Model
Around The Dial: ⁉️ Tales Of The Unexpected
Around The Dial: 🕵🏻‍♂️ The Rockford Files
The Canon: 🫎 Northern Exposure S02.E01: Goodbye To All That
Winner & Loser: 🥖 The Hunt
Winner & Loser: 🌽 Caleb Flynn
Game Time: 3️⃣ Three-Title Problem
SUPPORT THE SHOW
🔥 Join the EHG Club for bonus episodes, no ads, community Discord and more!
🎧 Subscribe to EHG on Apple Podcasts for bonus episodes and no ads!
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NOTES
🗒 Full episode notes can be found on this episode's page on our site
🏒 The Overdue podcast episode on the Heated Rivalry book
😵‍💫 Alyson's newsletter, Yes I Was High
👋 "Goodbye To All That" by Joan Didion, from Slouching Towards Bethlehem
📷 Photo: Ser Baffo / Disney

The latest true-life story from the Ryan Murphy factory is Love Story, all about John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. Was our 90s nostalgia powerful enough to get us past its taste issues? Jessica Morgan returns to talk about it. Around The Dial stops at Going Dutch Season 2 (NOT Tara's favorite show, but she does like it!) and Summer House. Dave wonders if a certain recent piece of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is Worse Than Jazz. Tara pitches "The Modernization Of Emily" from The Bob Newhart Show for induction into The Canon. Then, after naming the week's Winner and Loser, we end on a Non-Regulation Game Time that might be a tough sell. Put down your vintage copy of People's Sexiest Man Alive (1988) and listen!
GUESTS
👤 Jessica Morgan
TOPICS
Lead Topic: 💙 Love Story
Around The Dial: 🇳🇱 Going Dutch
Around The Dial: 🩳 Summer House
Is This Worse Than Jazz?: 💦 A specific line delivered by Paul Giamatti in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
The Canon: 🛋️ The Bob Newhart Show S02.E17: The Modernization Of Emily
Winner & Loser: 🦍 Saturday Night Live
Winner & Loser: 🍝 Jimmy Fallon
Game Time: 💰 Promotional Considerations II
SUPPORT THE SHOW
🔥 Join the EHG Club for bonus episodes, no ads, community Discord and more!
🎧 Subscribe to EHG on Apple Podcasts for bonus episodes and no ads!
🛍️ Shop our merch store!
NOTES
🗒 Full episode notes can be found on this episode's page on our site
🦋 Jessica Morgan on Bluesky
✍️ Tara's Decider author page (where you can find her recaps of Love Story and James Van Der Beek tribute)
👗 Go Fug Yourself
🍸 The Drinks With Broads newsletter
🦷 Peter Bonerz wearing the Tommy Tooth shirt
📷 Photo: FX

Peacock counter-programmed the Super Bowl with a series adaptation of the 1989 horror comedy The 'Burbs. Horror expert Matt Monagle makes his EHG début to discuss whether it made a convincing case for its existence in its new format. Around The Dial stops at Shrinking S03 and the first two seasons of AMC's Interview With The Vampire. Tara explains why front-facing vertical video commercials in the style of social media ads have no business airing on TV. Sean pitches the series finale of Star Trek: The Next Generation for induction into The Canon. Then, after naming the week's Winner and Loser, we end on a non-regulation game time that's bathed in blood. Quit spying on your neighbors and listen!
GUESTS
👤 Matt Monagle
TOPICS
Announcement: 👚 Sarah, Subs & Shirts
Lead Topic: 🏘️ The 'Burbs
Around The Dial: 😶‍🌫️ Shrinking
Around The Dial: 🧛🏻 Interview With The Vampire
I Am Not A Crackpot: 🤳 TikTok-Style Ads Have No Place On Television
The Canon: 🚀 Star Trek: The Next Generation S07.E25: All Good Things...
Winner & Loser: ⚔️ Baldur's Gate
Winner & Loser: 🥔 Tate McRae
Game Time: 🔪 19 Questions: TV Horror Edition
SUPPORT THE SHOW
🔥 Join the EHG Club for bonus episodes, no ads, community Discord and more!
🎧 Subscribe to EHG on Apple Podcasts for bonus episodes and no ads!
🛍️ Shop our merch store!
NOTES
🗒 Full episode notes can be found on this episode's page on our site
🦋 Matt Monagle on Bluesky
📜 Resources for Haitian residents in Springfield, OH at Ohio Immigrant
🧟‍♂️ Certified Forgotten
📷 Photo: Elizabeth Morris / Peacock