Nerdy Show 2017

1. Nerdy Show :: FINAL BOSS – The Top 20 Nerdy Things of 2017

   The Nerdy Show Network’s flagship podcast unloads on the latest geek news and happenings – and in this case all the greatest geeky happenings of the year!

   It’s the Top 20 Nerdy Things of 2017 – our annual list that does the the impossible (and highly unnecessary) task of summarizing the year in orders of geekitude. Our list turns a discerning eye to all corners of human endeavor – from every medium of pop culture to scientific discoveries – and ranks them on a completely arbitrary and unscientific scale.

   Join Cap, boR, Trench, and Brandon as this manic year comes to an equally manic crescendo. When gauging “nerdiness” there’s always plenty of surprises – this year is no different including past winners that returned to dazzle us again, and a shocking wealth of so, so, so many gloriously good television shows. Grab some latkes and join us for this feast of likes. (more…)

2. Nerdy Show Interview: The History of Barry Levinson’s Toys

   When The Nerdy Show Network’s flagship podcast isn’t unloading on the latest geek news and happenings, we’re diving deep into super-specific discussions and interviews.

   Join Cap for an in-depth exploration of one of the most tragically-overlooked films of the 1990s: Barry Levinson’s Toys. This highly unusual holiday film starring Robin Williams turns 25 this year and we’re celebrating by putting it in its rightful place as a marvel of filmmaking and a chilling satire of drone warfare – made years before that was even a thing.

   Haven’t seen the film? No problemo! With help from acclaimed director Barry Levinson (Good Morning, Vietnam, Rain Man) Cap pops open every facet of Toys to see what makes it tick: the gorgeously surreal visuals, the incredible Hans Zimmer/ Trevor Horn soundtrack, and the chilling tale of tiny tanks and tiny planes ushering in an era of endless war. We get the film’s full history – from its origins in the late 70s, to the marketing fumble that doomed it, as well as the personal stories of how this movie rocked Cap’s world when they saw it in 1992. Yeah, it’s one of Cap’s favorite films and researching Toys has been a personal quest for years. (Need proof? We’ve got clips from our 2011 interview with Thomas Dolby in here!) So gather with us in your yuletide finery for a much-needed reexamination of an amazing movie and a poignant parable for our present day. (more…)

3. Derpy Show :: Episode 300

   Celebrating 300 episodes of Nerdy Show, it’s Derpy Show’s 300th episode spectacular! Wait… that’s not right…

   What’s happening here?! The Derpy Show crew has reunited to host this special episode of Nerdy Show. If you replace the entire crew of a show with that of another, is it even the same show anymore? Find out as we answer that question, and learn what DJ Snorlax, Robojoe, Neofaust, and boR have been up to for the past 2+ years.

   You probably want to know what else is in the episode… well too bad! You’re just gonna have to stop reading this and listen. Seriously. Let’s just say you’re going to love it. Let’s just say your expectations will not just be met, but exceeded… Neofaust brought portable synthesizers. That’s all you’re getting. Happy 300th episode. (more…)

4. Nerdy Show Microsode: 15 Years of Firefly

   

   When The Nerdy Show Network’s flagship podcast isn’t unloading on the latest geek news and happenings, we’re diving deep into super-specific discussions and interviews.

   15 years ago a television show lived and died, but in its single season rocked the ‘verse of geeks everywhere. Joss Whedon’s Firefly is still one of the greatest sci-fi adventures to ever straddle the small and big screens.

   Join Cap, boR, Trench, Jon, and Doug – four longtime fans and one nonplussed nerd who doesn’t get the hype – for a listener-requested episode where we reminisce about the series, Serenity, the comics, and the fandom at large. For fans old and new, we think you’ll agree, it’s a mighty fine shindig. (more…)

5. Pod Cast :: A Thanksgiving Bulletin from the Multiverse

   When The Nerdy Show Network’s flagship podcast isn’t unloading on the latest geek news and happenings, we’re diving deep into super-specific discussions and interviews. Or sometimes we’re diving deep into the torrid seas of the multiverse…

   Don’t get too excited folks, this is but a Thanksgiving bulletin that Nerdy Show is cooling our collective heels as we prepare for the brutal onslaught that is the holiday season. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun! Join *undecipherable whale noise* and land lubber cetacean enthusiast Pat Freely for gripping casual conversation on ocean mammal concerns. (more…)

6. Nerdy Show Review: Justice League – Spoiler Free

   When The Nerdy Show Network’s flagship podcast isn’t unloading on the latest geek news and happenings, we’re diving deep into super-specific discussions and interviews.

   Of all the crazy gambles in superhero cinema, Justice League is the biggest. With DC/ Warner Brothers’ spotty track record for their cinematic universe… there’s no way this ensemble film of largely undeveloped characters could work, right? We’re glad we didn’t put money on this one because Justice League has absolutely flipped expectations and re-writes the book on what’s possible for the future of DC heroes in cinema.

   Join Cap for a spoiler-free exploration of how this film handles introducing some of DC’s most iconic characters to the big screen, where it falls in the landscape of superhero movies, where it falters, and how it succeeds against all odds. And yeah, if you want to go deeper, we’ve got a little bit of spoilery chat safely tucked away after the credits. Booyah. (more…)

7. Nerdy Show 299 :: Toxic Nut Soup

   The Nerdy Show Network’s flagship podcast unloads on the latest geek news and happenings!

   Here at Nerdy Show, we’re a melting pot of pop culture. We’ll gladly mash subjects and mix genres when it comes to geeky discussion and dweeby diatribes. Unfortunately, the same thing can be said for us and food. Sometimes you have a peanutbutter cup-like combo of good ideas, but more often than not we make bad, bad ideas.

   Join Cap, boR, Brandon, and Trench for spoiler-free opinions on Thor: Ragnarok and Stranger Things season 2. We extol the virtue of some shows you might not be watching such as Nathan For You and Pickle and Peanut, rumble with our old favorites: VR and WoW, and take you with us on some delightful diversions on the winding road of life. Oh yeah, and we also basically eat garbage. (more…)

8. Nerdy Show Book Club :: Episode 15 :: Read-Along: The Handmaid’s Tale

   From the pages of Nerdy Show – it’s Nerdy Show Book Club! In these literary episodes, we share what we’re currently reading, do dramatic readings from the best and worst nerd literature, talk with notable geek authors, and discuss a book we’ve read along with the community.

   This episode is dedicated entirely to Margaret Atwood’s landmark dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale. It’s a horrifying story that gets closer to reality with each passing day – in which America has been overthrown by religious fundamentalists and anyone not male, white, and heterosexual is killed or subjugated. We experience this awful reality through the eyes of a woman trapped in sexual servitude; her existence reduced to being a walking womb to compensate for the future’s low birth rate.

   Join Cap, Denika, Jess, and Brandon for an overview of the novel, a dramatic reading, and then spoiler-intensive discussions on both the book and the recent television adaptation. We discuss the challenges of the world, and the narrative itself, as well as the novel’s massive cultural impact, parallels in our own reality, and even manage to make some jokes to soften the blow of how hard this book hits. (more…)

9. Nerdy Show 298 :: Tricks & Treats (Assorted)

   The Nerdy Show Network’s flagship podcast unloads on the latest geek news and happenings!

   This episode of Nerdy Show is presented by: Candy Corn – the blissful indulgence every hole hungers for. Hear us get hopped up on sugary snacks as we ramble through the streets of our nerdy neighborhood. We knock on a lot of topical doors, but it’s not all Snickers and Smarties. Destiny is handing out unwrapped treats with chaos snuggled within their sugary folds.

   Join Cap, Brandon, boR, and Jon as we discuss the latest gaming crazes: Cuphead and the Duck Season – both nostalgia-fueled horror shows. We also tell the spooky story of the battery that breathed HUMAN AIR, take a trip to Brandon’s Backwoods Bird Bungalow, visit Scale Watchers, and watch new seasons of some of our favorite TV until the sugar high wears off. (more…)

10. Nerdy Show Book Club :: Episode 14 :: A Handmade Tail

    From the pages of Nerdy Show – it’s Nerdy Show Book Club! In these literary episodes, we share what we’re currently reading, do dramatic readings from the best and worst nerd literature, talk with notable geek authors, and discuss a book we’ve read along with the community.

    As we brace ourselves for our forthcoming dissection of the disturbingly relevant Handmaid’s Tale, we first divert into greener and more peculiar pastures by talking about the other things we’ve read. Join Cap, Denika, Brandon, and Jess as they unload on a wide expanse of literary explorations. Discover a genre specifically about faeries being dicks, explore the world of video game translation and The Legend of Zelda to a point of fascinating minutia, learn what’s the opposite of Death Note, and gird your loins for the Funky Pickle. (more…)