Prodigious Saps
Chad Smalley and Brendan Jones (friends for more than 30 years) reflect on movies, TV, music and comics… with a special focus on their shared love of Superman.
Episodes
April 18, 2024 • 50 mins
Prodigious Saps No. 42: "Where's my Spider?"
(Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/k9heUvea93Q)
In this episode: the phenomenal failure of MADAME WEB... will Sony ever get their shit together?
ALSO:
* FANTASTIC FOUR casting and plot speculation
* Excitement for DEADPOOL 3
* James Gunn's visual esthetic for SUPERMAN
00:00:00 — Preview
00:00:30 — It’s bad
00:02:30 — Madame Web in the comics
00:03:00 — Madame Web origin in...
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April 10, 2024 • 51 mins
An extended version of this episode is available on our Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/ProdigiousSaps
This is a very Superman-heavy episode of P-Saps... so much news has been dropping about James Gunn's upcoming SUPERMAN (previously titled SUPERMAN: LEGACY) that it's hard to keep up with, and we couldn't be more excited.
Lots of other stuff to talk about as well..
SUPERGIRL casting news
SUPERMAN casting and plot speculation
Why ...
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March 22, 2024 • 62 mins
Prodigious Saps No. 40: "I Want a Wookiee Pal"
Star Wars Fandom: the First Generation
FINALLY, as long promised, today we're joined by our friend Jerry Chrisman to talk STAR WARS... our memories of seeing it for the first time, the seismic impact it had on us and the world around us, and what it was like growing up while the Original Trilogy was unfolding. We also talk a bit about the Special Editions and Prequels.
Just to give a...
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January 29, 2024 • 46 mins
This week on P-Saps:
* Marvel's ECHO series and the reaffirmed Netflix Daredevil canon
* Elvis Presley was a cosplay nerd
* Fantastic Four casting
...and lots of other wacky crap.
00:00:00 — Intro
00:00:19 — Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
00:01:27 — Elvis Presley & Captain Marvel Jr.
00:03:36 — Marvel's ECHO
00:17:20 — Netflix Daredevil is officially canon
00:22:04 — 3 examples of PERFECT casting in MCU
00:23:11 — Hopes for Daredevil...
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January 20, 2024 • 52 mins
Brendan's disappointment in Aquaman II prompts a discussion of why it's often a problem when studios wind up "bending the character around the actor". Also look back at the failed DCEU and the incoming DCU. Also: the Doctor Who Christmas Special, Slow Horses Season 3, Batman... and more!
Our Patreon has an uncut version of this episode containing 20 minutes of extra material, including Netflix's "Cunk on Earth", season 2 of Marvel'...
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January 15, 2024 • 86 mins
In this one we talk about the 60th Anniversary DOCTOR WHO specials featuring the return of David Tennant and show runner Russell T. Davies, and the introduction of Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor.
ALSO: SUPERMAN: LEGACY casting news, GODZILLA: MINUS ONE, AQUAMAN, and BLUE BEETLE.
Available on Patreon NOW: our review of Ncuti Gatwa's first full episode as the Doctor, the Christmas special "The Church on Ruby Road":
https://www.patreon.c...
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November 24, 2023 • 92 mins
As promised last week, in this episode we dig deep into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We review THE MARVELS and LOKI Season 2, and talk about the recent wild news about the upcoming Disney Plus series DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN.
Also discussed: Madame Web, Spider-Man, Juggernaut, Fantastic Four, X-Men, and a few vintage selections from Chad's comic book collection.
Beyond Marvel, we talk about recent trailers for AQUAMAN II and GHOSTBU...
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November 16, 2023 • 75 mins
We are both huge Beatles fans, so with the recent release of their new single "Now and Then" (advertised as "the last Beatles song"), we decided to do a whole episode about the Beatles.
Among the topics discussed:
what the Beatles mean to us
how we first were introduced to the Beatles as kids,
memories of the two of us geeking out over them in our early 20s,
why they're so important historically, and of course...
what we think o...
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October 28, 2023 • 63 mins
This week we weave an odd but surprisingly coherent path from Happy Days and Mork & Mindy through to Jerry Lewis, Walter Matthau, Jerry Reed and Jackie Gleason... eventually winding up talking about the Marx Brothers again, because OF COURSE.
The highlight of this episode, though, is Brendan's passionate solo vocal performance that followed Chad's computer suddenly shutting off (the full performance and more bonus material is avail...
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September 25, 2023 • 97 mins
Watch this episode on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/1eO2ufT4Vuo
This week we welcome our very first guest JOHN CAMPBELL, Brendan's fellow cast member of Tesla City Stories and also a very prolific podcaster himself. Among many other shows, John does two podcasts with Brendan: the ongoing "Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters" and the patron-exclusive "Nights Talking" about the cult classic 1970s tv show KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER, which ...
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September 13, 2023 • 77 mins
On the docket this week:
Chad's rant about the remixed soundtrack of STOP MAKING SENSE (the legendary Talking Heads concert film directed by Jonathan Demme) with comparisons to the original 1984 mix and how it reminds him of George Lucas's revisions to his original Star Wars trilogy.
Brendan's discovery of a deeply weird and hilarious SUPERMAN comic strip in his copy of SUPERMAN: THE SILVER AGE DAILIES, 1959–1961
Chad's review of ...
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August 24, 2023 • 58 mins
SUBSCRIBE on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@prodigioussaps?sub_confirmation=1
PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/ProdigiousSaps
An extended, unedited version of this episode is available on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/prodigious-saps-87922804
In this episode:
* QUARK, the short-lived 1977 sci-fi comedy series starring Richard Benjamin, created by Buck Henry
* DARK STAR, John Carpenter's cult classic 1974 sci-fi comedy...
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August 16, 2023 • 63 mins
This week we celebrate the life of our recently departed hero of comedy: PAUL REUBENS (a.k.a. Pee Wee Herman), and pay our respects to and the late great ALAN ARKIN.
ALSO:
Marvel's Secret Invasion and the status of the MCU in general right now
Superman II and "the Donner Cut"
Our favorite superhero origin story movies
Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UNqAA91Ui30
An extended version of this episode is available on Pa...
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August 9, 2023 • 93 mins
Join us on PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/ProdigiousSaps
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/nuvrqwbpjMA
FINALLY! Brendan has seen INDIANA JONES & THE DIAL OF DESTINY, so we spend most of this episode talking spoilers from the film (which we both LOVED), while trying to figure out why critics have reacted so weirdly to it.
Also in this episode:
UNCLE CROC'S BLOCK, Charles Nelson Reilly's short-lived kids TV show
Chad's brief revi...
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July 26, 2023 • 64 mins
This week we answer questions from Patreon supporters, leading us into a discussion of recent casting news for James Gunn's SUPERMAN: LEGACY, speculation on what this means for the DCU, and our thoughts on Matt Reeves' THE BATMAN and what we hope to see in the sequel.
Brendan then takes us on another nostalgic nosedive into 1970s primetime television with the classic one-season wonder CLIFFHANGERS... with many thanks to Vincent Da...
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July 10, 2023 • 54 mins
In this episode of P-Saps:
- Chad has a bone to pick with critics of Indiana Jones & the Dial of Destiny
- Filmation's ARK II and Jason of Star Command
- Irwin Allen's classic THE TIME TUNNEL
- How advanced special effects have "spoiled" us
- Superman: Legacy casting announcements
and more!
Watch on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/HX61wTdjL58
Support TESLA CITY STORIES:
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-tesla-city-stories-help-us-bo...
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July 5, 2023 • 71 mins
We're BACK! This week we respond a bunch of your comments on our recent videos, and man, do the rabbit holes run DEEP in this episode.
Topics follow in the timecode bookmarks.
Watch on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/d239idqHRns
00:00:00 — Intro / updates
00:02:54 — LOST SAUCER / FAR OUT SPACE NUTS
00:06:04 — Dusty's Trail
00:07:19 — The Good Guys
00:08:14 — Gilligan's Island - Why it got cancelled
00:09:04 — Rescue from Gilligan's Isla...
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July 5, 2023 • 22 mins
In this episode, we respond to our first big batch of listener comments since our YouTubre channel suddenly starting blowing up in mid-May 2023. Thank you everyone for watching and commenting! Your feedback means the world to us and you're helping to shape the future of this channel.
00:00:00 — Intro and channel updates
00:01:46 — SALVAGE 1
00:02:21 — SID & MARTY KROFFT
00:08:25 — LIDSVILLE, BUTCH PATRICK and CHARLES NELSON REILLY...
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May 18, 2023 • 70 mins
We're here this week primarily to talk about James Gunn's parting gift to the MCU: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3.
But first, Brendan tells us about his recent rediscovery of BI-BEAST, one of Marvel's most batshit characters. BI-BEAST reminded Brendan why he loves comics so much, and in a way also speaks to Gunn's brilliant approach to adapting comics to the big screen.
We then dig into Guardians Vol. 3, with Brendan sharing many...
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April 27, 2023 • 69 mins
This week we review the season 3 finales of two of our favorite shows: THE MANDALORIAN and PICARD. What made them great, and what could have been better? What's coming next for both franchises? What distinguishes intelligent "fan service" from gratuitous drivel? In other words, what could JJ Abrams learn from Terry Matalas?
ALSO: our lyrics for THE MANDALORIAN theme, a quick wrap-up of HELLO TOMORROW!, some great show recommendatio...
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