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State of the Sitcom continues... We push ever forward in our miniseries taking on all things sitcom from I Love Lucy to The Good Place and everything in between! This week, we're joined by the hosts of Bygones: The Ally McBeal Podcast for a spot of Pod & Podcastability as we tackle one of the greatest dynasties of British history, Blackadder. We offer our most enthusiastic contrafibularities to all our listeners as we discuss erotic vegetables, the constituency of Dunny-on-the-Wold and just how hot Rowan Atkinson really is.  We gave our abs a real workout chatting about one of our favourite British sitcoms ever and remembering what an expertly written show Blackadder is. To hear more from our guests as they make their way through the entire run of Ally McBeal, be sure to check out their podcast and follow them on social media for all the dancing baby memes you can shake a stick insect at. Happy Sitcom-ing, JoJ x

It's the finale!!!! @HoBoJoBo & @Meerkuts are long term fans of Game of Thrones and so we're pleased to bring you our spoilerific weekly update on the latest episodes for Season 8, the final part of the epic saga. We cover the East, West, North & South of Westeros in our weekly minisodes after every show. Join in, let us know your thoughts on the end of this incredible, prestige TV dragon! Valar morghulis x

It's the penultimate episode!!!! @HoBoJoBo & @Meerkuts are long term fans of Game of Thrones and so we're pleased to bring you our spoilerific weekly update on the latest episodes for Season 8, the final part of the epic saga. We cover the East, West, North & South of Westeros in our weekly minisodes after every show. Join in, let us know your thoughts and how you think the Game of Thrones will end. Valar morghulis x

State of the Sitcom continues... We push ever forward in our miniseries taking on all things sitcom from I Love Lucy to The Good Place, literally in this episode, and everything in between! This week, we're joined by host of The Empire Magazine Podcast, Liverpool fan & journalist, Chris Hewitt! Together, we enter the Schur-niverse to comment on the rule-breaking modern sitcom classic, The Good Place. Covering everything from its breakout star Ted Danson, the problem of ethical writing and why you have to be really clever to write stupid well, we bring Janet levels of knowledge to this funny and forward-thinking sitcom. We drop a fair few forks, benches and even a couple of C-bombs so the explicit content warning is in full effect this episode and for fans of the Empire Podcast drinking games, we counted at least four instances so keep your ears peeled! If you're a fan of podcasts, film, TV, Hamilton, or culture in general and you somehow have missed it so far, then be sure to check out the Empire Podcast for weekly doses of news, reviews & enthusiastic responses to films like Pixels - https://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast/ State of the Sitcom will continue in a fortnight with some even more cunning guests as we journey through time in the company of an enthusiastic contrafibularitious dynasty of dark snakes. In the meantime our weekly Game of Thrones thronedowns continue every Monday so be sure to subscribe! Happy Sitcom-ing, JoJ x

It's Baaacckkkk!!!! @HoBoJoBo & @Meerkuts are long term fans of Game of Thrones and so we're pleased to bring you our spoilerific weekly update on the latest episodes for Season 8, the final part of the epic saga. We cover the East, West, North & South of Westeros in our weekly minisodes after every show. Join in, let us know your thoughts and how you think the Game of Thrones will end. Valar morghulis x

It's Baaacckkkk!!!! @HoBoJoBo & @Meerkuts are long term fans of Game of Thrones and so we're pleased to bring you our spoilerific weekly update on the latest episodes for Season 8, the final part of the epic saga. We cover the East, West, North & South of Westeros in our weekly minisodes after every show. Join in, let us know your thoughts and how you think the Game of Thrones will end. Valar morghulis x

It's Baaacckkkk!!!! @HoBoJoBo & @Meerkuts are long term fans of Game of Thrones and so we're pleased to bring you our spoilerific weekly update on the latest episodes for Season 8, the final part of the epic saga. We cover the East, West, North & South of Westeros in our weekly minisodes after every show. Join in, let us know your thoughts and how you think the Game of Thrones will end. Valar morghulis x

State of the Sitcom continues... We push ever forward in our miniseries taking on all things sitcom from I Love Lucy to The Good Place and everything in between! This week, we're joined by another married podcasting couple, Cathy & Dave from the award-winning The Cinemile Podcast! We head back to the time of shell-suits, crop tops and push-pops as we return to the beloved, Disney channel sitcom, Saved By The Bell. Whether it's chatting about the show's influence on four wide-eyed children from the UK and Ireland or uncovering Dr Who-esque theories about Zack's time-out abilities, this podcast gets deep into all things Bayside High School. GO TIGERS! We had a rad time recording this and we urge you to check out The Cinemile for all things film & TV, especially their weekly Game of Thrones catchups on Patreon for the next six weeks!   We'll also be chatting GoT every Monday and remember to subscribe to get the next episode of State of the Sitcom in a fortnight when we return with a very special guest of lethal cunning who may or may not have done enough good to spend eternity with Ted Danson. Happy Sitcom-ing, JoJ x

It's Baaacckkkk!!!! @HoBoJoBo & @Meerkuts are long term fans of Game of Thrones and so we're pleased to bring you our spoilerific weekly update on the latest episodes for Season 8, the final part of the epic saga. We cover the East, West, North & South of Westeros in our weekly minisodes after every show. Join in, let us know your thoughts and how you think the Game of Thrones will end. Valar morghulis x

State of the Sitcom continues... We push ever forward in our miniseries taking on all things sitcom from I Love Lucy to The Good Place and everything in between! In our first episode of Season 2 we're joined by Kate & Kaitlyn, the legen....wait for it...DARY hosts of the Hey, Beautiful! A HIMYM Podcast to discuss the perfect (even though perfect isn't always perfect) and multi-layered sitcom, How I Met Your Mother. We geek out over background jokes and nine-season-long payoffs, console each of us over the powerful, emotional journeys the characters encounter and learn amazing new things about a show which already has so much to offer.  We loved recording this and urge our listeners to find the best burger in NYC (or a substitute) and don't postpone joy, just start listening to Hey, Beautiful Podcast on their amazing journey through HIMYM on Twitter, Instagram and Patreon... Tune in next week for more special guests and maybe some high school hijinks and shell suit stylings! Happy Sitcom-ing, JoJ x

We wish you a sitcom Christmas… In the UK, one of the most beloved festive traditions is sitting down with your loved ones and arguing over what to watch after you’ve consumed more food than is ever necessary, and top of the festive TV wishlist is usually the sitcom Christmas special of the day. In this very special Christmas episode, we’re joined by sitcom screenwriting royalty, Mr. Paul Mayhew-Archer. Writer on such small screen classics as The Vicar of Dibley, My Hero, Spitting Image, Mrs Brown’s Boys and script editor on Miranda, Grownups, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps and much more, Paul is well-versed in what makes a Christmas special so… well, special! We discuss what makes a classic sitcom episode, the balance between heartwarming and heartbreaking in comedy and why Yazoo’s Only You still brings us all to tears every year. Paul is one of the most engaging raconteurs bringing his wit and experiences to life with hilarious tales from onset of many beloved shows and exploring the nature of comedy, Christmas and life through his brilliant humour and insight into writing alone, with legends like Richard Curtis or Paul Mendelson, or as part of a larger team. Paul also discusses the moment he learned he had Parkinson’s disease and how his outlook on life has evolved and shaped his comedy, resulting in his award-winning documentary Parkinson's: The Funny Side and his current live show, Incurable Optimist. His ability to bring so much emotion, joy and laughter to such a sensitive subject as serious illness is inspiring and the show explores the power of laughter as medicine for cancer, depression, loneliness as well as Parkinson’s. To buy tickets to one of the many shows Paul is performing up and down the UK, visit:https://sohotheatre.com/shows/paul-mayhew-archer-incurable-optimist/ State of the Sitcom will return in January 2019 with more special guests and a whole new host of your favourite TV funnies to dissect, your normal JoJCast schedule will resume from next week with some more festive frivolities.

Reality might not always play a huge part in the movies & TV we watch but sometimes the outcome of real life changes the course of fiction more than we know. Following the sad, untimely passing of Carrie Fisher in 2016 the fact that JJ Abrams had previously intended Episode IX to centre around Leia Organa throws up more than just pain at the loss of such a bright star in the universe. For the scriptwriters there's a potential rewrite of the entire narrative as well as the difficult task of paying tribute to such key character, scribe and real-world icon of the franchise as a whole. In this episode we discuss the possibilities and potential pitfalls which lie ahead for Episode IX whilst also exploring how other films and TV have dealt with the influence of real life situations including House of Cards, Friends, Frasier, The X-Files and more... We also discuss the merits of persevering with TV shows which may not have piqued your interest first time round in particular the latest Matt Groening series, Disenchantment, and the new season of Bojack Horseman! Keep it cricket, JoJ x

After 10 years, 20 movies, and becoming the benchmark for blockbuster movies in the 21st Century, the MCU has become so much more than just a franchise. After a raft of the franchise's best movies with Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther, and the beginning of the end in Avengers: Infinity War 1, there is a lot resting on the back of screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely with Avengers 4 (Infinity War 2). In this episode, we discuss the difficulties and excitement of writing on that scale and with so many expectations. Plus, we work through our favourite fan theories and ask whether whatever Avengers 4 gives us, will ever be enough? We also chat about Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events S2 and why sci-fi by it’s very nature has become renowned for breaking new writing ground. Keep it cricket, JoJ x

Nobody puts baby in the corner… Well actually sometimes they do but how can writers successfully navigate themselves out of a narrative climax whilst maintaining a satisfying arc? Jo & J discuss how the new seasons of Orange is the New Black and Better Call Saul tackled this very problem as well as some successful and not-so-successful methods from other media like Lost, Heroes, Grant Morrison and How I Met Your Mother! We also talk some very special screenings we’ve attended recently including Black Klansman with Spike Lee and the documentary Paths of Blood Q&A with former Al Qaeda member turned MI6 double agent, Aimen Dean. Join us as we navigate our way out of the corner like some kind of modern day Dizzee Rascal. Keep it Cricket, JoJ x

Welcome to the Shipping Forecast... We all know the TV tradition that is Will They or Won't They but we want to know how (relation)ships can sink or float a successful series amidst the storm that is television. From Kirk & Spock and Mulder & Scully to Bill Potts & The Pilot to Ross & Rachel, we shine our lovelight onto the TV romances which have worked and those that have sucked the passion out of a series quicker than the words, "We need to talk"... Join us on an oddysey through the tricky waters of shipping, moonlighting and edging...  Keep it Cricket, JoJ x

Having seen Solo: A Star Wars Story recently, we asked ourselves the big question, has there ever been a good prequel? Join us as we take a screenwriters eye to the problem with prequels and even find a newfound respect for A Phantom Menace. From Better Call Saul to Prometheus and from Monsters University to Hannibal, we uncover what works, what doesn't and whether ticking boxes is ever what fans actually want? We also discuss the cancellation of two of our favourite Netflix shows, Love and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and we join the Atlanta party a few years late as it finally comes to the BBC in the UK. Join us for some Jar Jar Binks loving and tell us what your favourite prequel is? Keep it Cricket, JoJ xx

State of the Sitcom continues... What happens when the laughs stop? This week the miniseries looks at tears of sadness rather than laughter as we reach episode five. We're joined by @Amita Patel and @Sean David Johnson, the incredibly insightful and enigmatic hosts of Inside Pop Podcast to discuss what happens when sitcoms try to tackle the big issues. Diving deep into some well known moments when things got way too real in our favourite sitcoms, we share the tears, the education and the power behind Diff'rent Strokes' The Bicycle Man, Fresh Prince of Bel Air's Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse, Ellen's The Puppy Episode, How I Met Your Mother's Last Words, and many more. We discuss whether the medium is successful at dealing with serious topics, how modern sitcoms tackle the issues differently to the classics and whether Keeping Up Appearances 'made' it in America! State of the Sitcom will return later in the summer with more special guests and a whole new host of your favourite TV funnies to dissect, your normal JoJCast schedule will resume from next week, with a slight twist ;) Happy Sitcom-ing, JoJ x

State of the Sitcom continues... The miniseries takes a break from stateside sitcoms & brings the focus to a little flat in North London. In our fourth adventure we're joined by @Chris Johnston, the superbly prolific host of Easy Riders Raging Podcast and The Spielberg Pod to discuss the UK cult classic, Spaced. Quoting the show as if we're its main characters, our passion for this unsung slice of comedy fried gold is evident from the start as we break down why it was so important to us, how it transformed the landscape of British comedy and what the wider cultural impact of Edgar Wright, Jessica Hynes & Simon Pegg's homage-o-meter truly is. Tune in next week for more special guests who seek to pop 'Inside' the deeper moments in sitcom history! Happy Sitcom-ing, JoJ x

State of the Sitcom continues... We push ever forward in our miniseries taking on all things sitcom from I Love Lucy to Rick & Morty and everything in between! In this third episode we're joined by @Amanda, @Kenyon & Lucy, the criminally talented hosts of the Wine & Crime podcast to discuss the salad tossing and egg scrambling modern classic, Frasier. Right from the start we get on like a house on fire covering the characters, writing and crepe pan seasoning impact of the show and even manage to bring up some true crime, the US political shitshow and exactly how Kelsey Grammar got his hair like that.  We had a blast recording this and can highly recommend pouring yourself a glass of vino and joining the Wine & Crime podcast on their "obnoxiously active" social media accounts! Tune in next week for more special guests and maybe a simple motorcyclist and angry cow talking doped up biscuits! Happy Sitcom-ing, JoJ x

State of the Sitcom continues... We plunge further into our miniseries taking on all things sitcom from I Love Lucy to Rick & Morty and everything in between! In this second episode we're joined by Kobi, the enigmatic co-host of both the FlixWatcher and The Wire Stripped podcasts to discuss the staple of 80s and 90s primetime television, The Cosby Show. We discuss the comedy, scriptwriting and cultural impact of the show in its heyday as well as focussing on the ongoing case against Bill Cosby and other key figures in comedy who have been charged with similar abuse or worse. This deep but fun podcast also covers the best and worst of UK and US sitcoms, how to deal with your heroes falling from grace and the ongoing calamity that is Last of the Summer Wine. We're very proud of how much we covered with Kobi and hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it! Tune in next week for more special guests and maybe pour a criminal glass of fortified wine from Cádiz! Happy Sitcom-ing, JoJ x