Guess we got what we deserved: an episode on Vince Gilligan’s two triumphant series, Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, as well as El Camino, featuring Soundtracker’s (@soundtracker_) Eric Peacock (@uwebollocks). How do you find the peak of such a high-quality franchise? Does it really matter that there’s really only one female character in Better Call Saul? Does anyone get a more raw deal than Nacho Varga? Are Howard Hamlin and Marie Schrader perfect foils? And most importantly: which is the...

It’s Peak Show, b*tch! Bree is joined by show bestie Liz (@yanoforsure) to talk about the rise, peak and fall (and peak, and fall, and peak, and fall) of Britney, Christina, Jessica and Mandy. But it doesn’t stop there! We discuss the foundation laid by the VH1 divas, what the anti-Britney era of Avril, Fefe, P!n and others said about our stockpiled societal misogyny, how European (and ESL) producers created confounding hits and how Newlyweds convinced us we were all better than Jessica...

Bree is joined by We Hate Movies host and film programmer Andrew Jupin to take a trip back to the 90s and discuss The X-Files – the lasting legacy of conspiracy theory content, the magic of the Mulder/Scully dynamic, the delicate balance of mytharc vs. MOTW, the (maybe slightly anticlimactic?) mystery of Samantha Mulder, and Bree’s unhealthy obsession with X-Cops.

Get out your tissue boxes! Bree is joined by writer, critic and Role Calling podcast host Caroline Siede to talk about the recently concluded NBC family drama, This Is Us. Is this show mushy schmaltzy emotional manipulation, or is it much smarter, more layered and self-aware than people think? We detail the best stars (Hi, Mandy Moore! Hi Sterling K. Brown!), the unsung heroes (What’s up, Justin Hartley?), the amazing use of guest stars (Hey, Pam Grier!), the totally baffling (Randall is a...

Bree is joined by TikTok essayist Lucky Leftie, to discuss the Netflix original series BoJack Horseman. With a show so layered, complex and controversial, sometimes a 90-minute discussion is necessary. We discuss mental illness, forgiveness, self-punishment, relationships, addiction, the entertainment industry, childhood trauma and the secret joke about Sextina Aquafina that a lot of people don’t seem to get. Let’s binge it! Please note: Due to some technical difficulties during recording,...

Bree gets together with Mynt, Liz and Frederick to bid farewell to Peak Show Season 2 and summer 2022 with a look at the best things that have been released so far this year. What do Bob Odenkirk and Isabelle Fuhrman have in common? What the hell are people on re: Us all of a sudden? Was this album Kendrick’s first miss? How dare the Duffer Brothers create characters people are emotionally invested in and then give that emotional investment payoff? Is Prey not being released theatrically one...

You’re all nerds! Bree is joined by Ottawa-based digital journalist and former radio man Ted Raymond to round out Super Month. Together, they trash the nerds (sorry, nerds), discuss the origins of Wookieepedia, call BS on George Lucas, lament the gatekeeping, defend The Last Jedi and more. Utini!

Bree is joined by her pal Mike Stephens (@bymikestephens) build a better Star Wars universe starring David Cross, Jennifer Coolidge and more – which might be better than everything we’ve gotten from this series from 1999 on. We discuss what’s gone wrong, if the sequel trilogy was really that good, how underused Mace Windu was, moral ambiguity, lack of tension in the TV series and, of course, toys. Get ready for some nerdy talkin’, some belching and some unhinged begging for Disney to tell a...

Peak Show’s 2022 Super Month is here! We take a month-long journey into Star Wars. For the first episode, Eric Szyszka of the awesome We Hate Movies joins to discuss the prequels, Clone Wars, re-casting (and lack thereof), standalone movies, genre, Disneyfication and more. We also talk about Target, tilling and Tim Hortons. Oh, and Star Wars isn’t a Western.

“Bluntman” Bree and Kyle “Chronic” Martinak team up to talk about the Gen X Jersey slacker king himself, Kevin Smith. We discuss Smith’s pivot to podcasting, the secretly sweet aspect of his marriage, his wannabe Judd Apatow phase, the impact that pot had on his humour and more. Plus: is Tusk secretly amazing?

Kelsey Goldman is in the driver’s seat for this special episode! Kelsey and her pal Jason Edwards lead the episode for a discussion on Mel Brooks. What was special about the way Mel wrote men – and women? Has anyone come close to Mel Brooks in terms of movie spoofs? We also discuss the specificity of Jewish humour versus New York humour, power and influence, how music makes him a better filmmaker and more. Content warning: Bree may or may not poop herself, and also there’s some disturbing...

Say hello to your friends! Bree is joined by pop culture enthusiast Chelsea Jupin to discuss the books, movies, graphic novels and TV iterations of the Ann M. Martin’s The Baby-Sitters Club. They discuss being late bloomers, the power of female friendships, themes of chosen family, age-appropriate life lessons and, of course, Claudia’s style. Listen through for their dream Netflix series episodes, which baby-sitter they think they are, and some very important discussion about almonds.

Bree is joined by Eric Peacock, host of the Soundtracker podcast, to discuss the varied and highly musical stylings of Matt Stone and Trey Parker, two of the most frustrating creators to ever come up on Peak Show. But despite our South Park-related misgivings, there’s a surprising deal of appreciation for their work. We discuss Gen X cynicism, the art of parody and, uh, a lot of 9/11 stuff. Oh, and Bree starts talking about AMAs and TV trading. Indiewire article on South Park’s most...

What up!!! Bree and Liz (@yanoforsure) are two cool girls doing a podcast for other cool people who want to hang out in our party mansion. Nothing sexual. People in good shape encouraged. If you are fat you should be able to find humour in the little things. Again, nothing sexual.

Exit light, enter night! Bree and Ruin My Life co-host Kelsey Goldman (@kelseyrebecca) discuss the Sand-man himself, Adam Sandler! What should have been a straightforward episode about the gradual Flanderization and downfall of a beloved comedic actor turns into a multifaceted discussion about pain, masculinity, sports movies and a whole lot about Uncut Gems you just plain can’t understand if you’re not Jewish. Are Sandler’s Netflix movies really that bad? Does he give hope to the average...

U of T cinematic studies PhD student Mynt Marsellus returns to the show to discuss one of their favourite directors, David Fincher. Bree and Mynt discuss how Fincher gets the most out of his actors, how he uses space, time and movement uniquely, his blind spots for female characters, whether or not it matters that he’s a “difficult” director and what his most overrated movies are. Also, what would Spider-Man (2002) look like if it had been directed by David Fincher?

Uh-oh! A Peak Show emergency has forced Bree to go back into the archives and bring back the best episode you never heard! Friend of the show Mike Stephens and Bree discuss the all-timer that is King of the Hill, from the inherent way in which comedy ages like milk to the tragedies that are Bill, Dale and Peggy. If nothing else, marvel at how far the show has come.

Bree returns for another month-end pop culture recap with friend Laura Alix (@lauraalix) to discuss March in terms of pop culture disc horse – Turning Red, Netflix prices, the CEO of Goldman-Sachs DJ-ing Lollapalooza and everything but the Oscars slap. And if you listen closely, our old friend Mike Stephens just might stop by to discuss Peggy Hill.

Bree and culture writer/podcast host Elamin Abdulmahmoud (@elamin88) detail the chronology and evolutions of country/pop/everything in between queen Taylor Swift. They discuss everything from the Kanye controversy and Taylor’s victim/survivor image to how the discourse around her dating life has influenced her musical direction. Also, there’s a lot of gushing about bridges.

Bree is joined by the lovely Patrick Hamilton of the Kill By Kill podcast (@killbykillpod) to determine the peak of the formulaic but utterly fun Final Destination franchise. They compare box office receipts, analyze what happens when Scream and Nightmare on Elm Street influence meet a group of X-Files writers, gush about Tony Todd and one of the hosts reveals their dubious connection to noted sixth-billed Keegan Connor Tracy. Is the gymnastics death really that great? Can we stop with the...

Bree chills out with travelling podcast bad boi Justin Case (@ceJustinCase) to discuss the rise, fall and subsequent flailing of semi-disgraced Hollywood wunderkind M. Night Shyamalan. After a good decade of stinkers, has Shyamalan really come back? Does anyone have any business comparing him to Spike Lee or Quentin Tarantino? Can he absolutely please cool it with the cameos? If you say The Happening was supposed to be a B-movie enough, do you have to believe him? Also, Justin gets really...

In a surprise/experimental mini episode, Bree sits down with friend of the show and Owatanna News editor Annie Granlund (@anniegranlund) to discuss the various February pop culture discourse – from Wordle and Arthur to the Oscars and the Olympics – and discuss peaks and predictions for where these will go.

Bree is joined by We Hate Movies co-host Stephen Sajdak (@stephensadjak) to discuss the meteoric rise and rather confounding fall of Canadian wonder-boy, Mike Myers. As Bree and Steve explore his career from the humble beginnings of late-night CBC content to some of the most memorable characters and skits of SNL’s 90’s glory days and his frustrating descent into franchise town, they touch on key comedy moments like the former glory days of the Second City-to-SNL pipeline, the rise of the...

Bree and Real Gud Pros co-host Helen Marukh get together to gab about comedy and copaganda with Brooklyn 99. Can you still enjoy the show despite its unignorable propaganda? Just how badly did NBC screw up the show? Did the show engage with criticisms of policing properly? Is there anyone more deserving of a happy ending than Rosa Diaz? (The answer is no). Get ready for some uncomfortable discussions about the way we engage with the show, the way the show attempts to engage with the real...