Best Fetch The Goodness Podcasts (2025)

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What is God’s love… and do I really have to love everybody? 2:46

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3d ago2:46

2:46

Send us a text What is God’s love… and do I really have to love everybody? 😳 Amy, Jacob, and Sarah discover that God’s love isn’t just a feeling—it’s who He is! In this sweet and funny episode, kids learn that God’s love never melts, fades, or runs out (even when we hide Mom’s phone in the freezer!). Through laughter and truth, children see how God…

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Does ‘Good Boy’ Fetch Good Reactions? [VIDEO] 41:03

17d ago41:03

41:03

By Clarence Moye, Megan McLachlan, Joey Moser

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Sunday, October 26, 2025 - A Titan might find a CHITON a bit tight on 'em 😉 17:12

1h ago17:12

17:12

The last few crosswords have been rather on the challenging side and while Will and co. (co, in this case, being collaborators Gary Larson and Doug Peterson) definitely did ease up a bit today, it was still not a walk in the park -- more of a jog uphill. As far as the slope of that hill, Jean would rate it about 2%, Mike estimated it was more like …

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Saturday, October 25, 2025 - Just in time for Halloween, a Very Scary Solve 🫣 17:54

1h ago17:54

17:54

Byron Walden has had 110 crosswords published in the NYTimes, of which 71 were Saturdays. If you are wondering why, then take a gander at today's grid, and peek at the podcast; Byron has served up a master class in how to write delectable, diabolically deceptive clues. Deets inside. Show note imagery: PHILO Farnsworth, the "Father of Television" an…

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Friday, October 24, 2025 - A brilliant Friday debut by Kelvin Zhou 12:53

2h ago12:53

12:53

It is hard to believe that today's crossword was a debut, but ... believe it! By turns elegant, hilarious, engaging and definitely taxing, both cohost were decidedly enamored with today's work. We have all the many reasons why inside, so have a listen, and let us know if you concur. In other news, in honor of the day, we have another Fun Fact Frida…

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Thursday, October 23, 2025 - Life would be perfect ... if only we could buy ALDOs at ALDI's 🙄😉 14:08

1d ago14:08

14:08

This were a lot of jewels in today's grid, including, well, JOULES (56A, Units equal to roughly a quarter of a calorie). We also were glad to learn the last name of 60A, Lou ___, "Mambo No. 5" singer, BEGA; and the full name of 45A, Star of NBC's "The Blacklist", JAMESSPADER. We confess, we haven't see The Blacklist, and wanted to plead "lack of ti…

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Wednesday, October 22, 2025 - A crossword you can count on, mais oui! 13:39

6h ago13:39

13:39

This was a gem of a Wednesday crossword. The theme was, as you might expect, unexpected: the rest of the grid, as you might also expect, excellent. We covered most of our favorites in today's episode, but we would also like to direct your attention to 11D, Whirling visual effects in video games, PORTALS; 39A, Bubbly bar, SOAP; and 5D, Electrorecept…

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Tuesday, October 20, 2025 - Winter in Wisconsin? Brrrrrrrrrring it on 😀 ☃️ 15:45

1d ago15:45

15:45

Spencer Leach's crosswords have appeared most frequently on Saturday*, meaning he likes to make 'em tough. Todays is his first Tuesday outing, and it is quite good. We'd say more, but since our footnote has mysteriously become almost as long as our usual show note, we'll wrap it up here and remind you to check out today's episode for the full 411 o…

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Monday, October 20, 2025 - All hail HAYAO Miyazaki, animator extraordinaire! 8:50

2d ago8:50

8:50

This was a nice Monday crossword, the 17th by Adam Aaronson, who is more partial to Saturday but we're glad to see him wander over to this half of the week. Jean tore through the puzzle so quickly her iPad caught fire, whereas Mike's was never at risk. The clues were mainly Monday fare, but we did have the fabulous 2D, End of some sentences, PAROLE…

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Middleburg Film Festival: Recapping This Year’s Fest [VIDEO] 56:27

2d ago56:27

56:27

Mark Johnson joins the Water Cooler as he and Joey reveal everything that went down at the 2025 Middleburg Film Festival. Joey returned from his third year covering the Middleburg Film Festival for The Contending. This week, he and podcast special guest Mark Johnson dish on the details of the festival. Hosted at the luxurious Salamander Resort and …

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Sunday, October 19, 2025 - A crossword with just the right number of CRONUTs 😀 🍩 13:32

3d ago13:32

13:32

This was a truly epic Sunday crossword by Daniel Grinberg, one with a theme guaranteed to put a smile on your face and/or cause your jaw to drop in amazement at the artistry and effort that clearly went into today's puzzle. We have much more to say about this magnificent opus, so pull up a chair, go for a jog, whatever it is that you do while liste…

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Saturday, October 18, 2025 - Fasten your seatbelts, Samuel Smalley is baaaaaack! 17:59

4d ago17:59

17:59

This was Samuel Smalley's second crossword, and his second on a Saturday . He certainly seems to have internalized the make-it-as-tough-as-you'd-like spirit that distinguishes Saturday crosswords, and unquestionably knows how to peg the meter. There were 13 debut answers in today's grid, and virtually every single clue put up a fight. We have the d…

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Friday, October 17, 2025 - VOLARE! 6:04

5d ago6:04

6:04

This was a splendiferous Friday crossword by Karen Steinberg. It was not particularly difficult, but it was particularly fun to solve, and for that we are grateful! Check out today's episode for all the deets, and drop us a line -- we love feedback! Show note imagery: What may (or may not: we make absolutely no promises) be the correct set of rules…

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Thursday, October 16, 2025 - We choose ... the REDPILL! 20:05

6d ago20:05

20:05

This was an ingenious and entertaining crossword by Kareem Ayas, his 7th for the NYTimes. The theme was very (n)ice indeed, but the rest of the clues were not just there for show. We loved 34A, High lights?, AURORA; were delighted by the nostalgia-inducing 25D, What allows Neo to disconnect from the Matrix, REDPILL; and were amazed to discover the …

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Wednesday, October 15, 2025 - Ah, those halcyon, cerulean skies! 11:24

7d ago11:24

11:24

We find it difficult to resist a crossword with the word "cerulean" anywhere in it, or even in near it, when the constructors were working their magic. But it is not only for that reason that we have bestowed upon this fair opus a full 5 squares on the JAMCR scale. To find out what those other reasons are ... merely download today's episode (after …

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Podcast: 2025 SCAD Savannah Film Festival Preview with Grits & Gab’s Tarcia Bush, Animation World Network’s Victoria Davis 33:04

8d ago33:04

33:04

In a very special podcast, Megan McLachlan is joined by Grits & Gab’s Tarcia Bush and Animation World Network’s Victoria Davis to preview the 2025 SCAD Savannah Film Festival. The 2025 SCAD Savannah Film Festival runs from Saturday, October 25, through Saturday, November 1, and this year the Savannah College of Art and Design is welcoming legends l…

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Tuesday, October 14, 2025 - Contemplating the RIGHTNESS of RIGHTNESS 🙄😉 12:55

8d ago12:55

12:55

This was an excellent crossword by Stella Zawistowski, her 24th for the NYTimes and her 7th Tuesday. There were some awesome clues in the grid, such as 28D, "A pox on thee!", FIE (a truly excellent insult 😀); 23A, Heavily edit with beauty filters, as a photo, in modern lingo, YASSIFY (how do scholars classify YASSIFY, anyways? 😉); and in retrospect…

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Diane Keaton Remembered, ‘Spider Woman,’ and More! [VIDEO] 1:02:06

10d ago1:02:06

1:02:06

On this week’s podcast, we’re remembering the great Diane Keaton, lamenting the Spider Woman roll-out, and much more! It’s a bit of a potpourri this week as we have much to cover. First up, the legendary Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton suddenly passed away this weekend. Megan leads a reminiscence about her career, our favorite films of hers, and…

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Monday, October 13, 2025 - YOSHI, Everyone's favorite pixel-based lifeform 😉 15:25

9d ago15:25

15:25

This was an intriguing debut crossword by Katherine Xiong. Both cohosts -- solving independently as usual -- found it to be a tad longer than one might expect for a Monday. That just means more time spent savoring the crossword, though, and so more a cause for celebration than anything else. Besides the crossword, we also have our JAMCOTWA (Jean An…

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Sunday, October 12, 2025 - FENNELBULBS: when LCDs just aren't bright enough 🙄😎 21:32

10d ago21:32

21:32

Both cohosts found today's puzzle to be particularly crunchy due to cruciverbial challenges in different areas of the grid. Jean struggled mightily in the southeast corner, while Mike was temporarily waylaid by his ignorance of sports -- and any pop culture references more recent than around 1850. Still, both eventually prevailed, and lived to tell…

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Saturday, October 11, 2025 - Another Sam Ezersky Thriller 13:58

11d ago13:58

13:58

Sam Ezersky crosswords can be quite thrilling, as he is renowned for making highly challenging puzzles. He certainly does not disappoint this Saturday, quite the contrary. However, he has managed to inject a lot of humor into the grid, making for an epically challenging but also quite entertaining solve: no slogs here. We have all the deets inside,…

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Friday, October 10, 2025 - Another fun-filled Friday frolic of a crossword 14:45

12d ago14:45

14:45

Colin Adams seems to have hit the sweet spot with Friday crosswords chock-full of cracklingly good clues. Besides those mentioned in today's podcast, we also have such notables as 14D, Locales for some residents, in brief, ERS (ah, those types of residents); 32D, Sch. that's home to Mike the Tiger (and his 15,000-square-foot habitat), LSU (we're su…

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Thursday, October 9, 2025 - Soyonora, LEONORA 🙄😀 11:32

13d ago11:32

11:32

This was Freddie Cheng's 18th NYTimes crossword. He mainly publishes earlier in the week, but he has had a crossword published on every day, no mean feat. Today's puzzle had some awesome cluing, including 28D, Way to go, ROAD; 53A, What Zuckerberg dropped from before "Facebook" in 2005, THE; and the bound-to-be-useful-someday-to-somebody clue 37D, …

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Wednesday, October 8, 2025 - Will you enjoy this crossword? Signs point to yes 🔮 13:50

14d ago13:50

13:50

This was an enjoyable Wednesday crossword, with a warm, uplifting, nostalgia-centric theme that both cohosts greatly appreciated. We were glad to see Jules VERNE in the grid for his 77th time, in 48A, Author of "L'Île Mystérieuse"; we were not at all surprised to see YAOA (Yet Another OREO Answer) at 60D, Double Stuf cookie; and we also appreciated…

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Tuesday, October 7, 2025 - TESCO: the best in-store prices, but delivery charges are insane 16:54

15d ago16:54

16:54

By MP

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Monday, October 6, 2025 - TEVAs, the favorite footwear of divas 🙄 12:48

16d ago12:48

12:48

By MP

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Sunday, October 5, 2025 - Once upun a crossword ... 13:14

19d ago13:14

13:14

For those who like puns, you are in for a treat; and for those who do not, you still are, because in a 21x21 Sunday grid there's room for all manner of entertaining / educational clues. If the name of today's constructor, John Kugelman, sounds familiar, that's because he has appeared in February, April, May, June, July and October of this year -- n…

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Saturday, October 4, 2025 - The lore and the allure of LORELEI 🧜🏾‍♀️ 14:51

20d ago14:51

14:51

This was an enthralling Goldilocks of a Saturday crossword: not too hard, not too easy, but just right. For that we can thank Ryan McCarty, edited by the seemingly indefatigable Will Shortz. There were oodles of great clues in the grid, and we have the full analysis right here - so please download, listen up, and enjoy! Show note imagery: an ELAND,…

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Friday, October 3, 2025 - Time for some cheery R&R with Rebecca (Goldstein) and Rafael (Musa) 11:30

21d ago11:30

11:30

Rebecca Goldstein and Rafael Musa are both great cruciverbalists, but together they are more than the sum of their (very impressive individual) parts -- as aptly demonstrated in today's crossword. From the amusing 56A, Something raised during Oktoberfest, BEERTENT (nice!), to the educational 5D, The first one was issued in 1936, for short, SSN, to …

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Thursday, October 2, 2025 - One bang up crossword! 13:43

22d ago13:43

13:43

This was a fine Thursday crossword by Aidan Deshong -- his 6th for the NYTimes. Jean tore through it, Mike ... did not. The theme, discussed within, was great. The clues were also fine -- 20A, Leveled the playing field, say?, MOWED (awesome!); 55A, Pin number, TEN (🎳😀); and 3D, What might come after many years?, AGO (not, as both cohosts originally…

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‘One Battle,’ ‘Dynamite’ Enter the Oscar Race [PODCAST] 1:16:42

23d ago1:16:42

1:16:42

‘One Battle After Another’ and ‘A House of Dynamite’ currently both have great-to-good reviews. But which is the real Oscar contender? We’ve all finally caught up to Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another. Coming into its debut weekend, the film boasted a reputation as The 2026 Best Picture Winner. After seeing the film with (varying degre…

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Tuesday, September 30, 2025 -- A joyous Tuesday crossword! 9:38

24d ago9:38

9:38

Today's crossword was a joy, for reasons that will become readily apparent as soon as you've either a) done the crossword, or b) listened to today's podcast. We don't want to spoil it too much; to say that there was a great pun in the grid is probably not too much of a spoiler, as that is oft the case. For all the deets, though, you'll definitely w…

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Monday, September 29, 2025 - A sweet, sweet debut 14:10

25d ago14:10

14:10

Today's crossword is a debut for Brian Keller -- and it checks all the boxes as far as Mondays are concerned. Fun theme? ✅ Not too hard? ✅ Interesting clues? ✅ 15x15 or thereabouts? ✅ In addition to a fine Monday, we've also hand-picked our JAMCOTWA™️ (Jean And Mike Crossword Of The Week Award) for the last week, which goes to ... a crossword that …

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Sunday, September 28, 2025 - PEETS, when you need caffeine to get to the next Starbuck's 😀 17:33

26d ago17:33

17:33

A few weeks ago, we had an homage to Star Trek. Well, Rich Katz (ably guided by Will Shortz) has dug into the nostalgia vault once more, and came up with this fine ode to a 1990's sitcom whose name we will not mention in these show notes -- to preserve the element of surprise, as it were. Being a Sunday crossword, there were numerous notable clues.…

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Saturday, September 27, 2025 - A Saturday crossword so good we'll need a thesaurus to do it justice! 😍 8:28

27d ago8:28

8:28

This was a Saturday crossword where every clue looked like it was hand-crafted with passion and precision: if the Loeuvre is ever looking for a crossword to hang up next to the Mona Lisa, they could do worse than pick this one. Even after our extensive dive into the grid in the podcast, we couldn't squeeze in all the gems. For instance, 23A, They a…

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Friday, September 26, 2025 - Behold, a business of FERRETS! 16:39

27d ago16:39

16:39

Opinions were mixed on today's puzzle. Jean found it to be a large-ish challenge while Mike found more of it in his wheelhouse than usual for a Friday. Both agreed that it was an awesome crossword, though, with some sharp and interesting cluing. For instance, we had 39A, Pet food brand whose name reflects its founding in Allentown, Pa, ALPO; 37A, I…

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Thursday, September 25, 2025 - Encore, encore! 11:01

1M ago11:01

11:01

Today's crossword was brrrrrrrillllllliiiiiiiiiaaaaaaaannnnnnnntttttttt -- that is to say, brilliant: but definitely a stretch 😀. To be more specific, thanks to the theme solving this crossword seemed virtually impossible, until ... it wasn't. We don't know how long it took to construct this, but it is genius writ large. Kudos to Jesse Goldberg for…

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Wednesday, September 24, 2025 - Let's do the CHARLESTON! 14:57

1M ago14:57

14:57

This was Peter A. Collins' 122nd NYTimes crossword, a very impressive statistic. The reason why he got to 122 is apparent everywhere you look in today's grid. From 8D, One who's given many instructions nowadays, SIRI, to 42D, Like the scent of some air fresheners, PINEY, and all the way to 25D, Lightheaded sorts?, BLONDES, this was a delightful pie…

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Lilith Fair: Exploring the ‘Mystery’ Of a Female-Driven Sensation [VIDEO] 47:21

1M ago47:21

47:21

This week, we look at the new Hulu documentary ‘Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery’ which details the creation and legacy of the first female-driven music concert. In the late 1990s, Sarah McLachlan and other major female artists banded together to kick off Lilith Fair. Against all odds, the concert series flew in the face of the male-dominated music …

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Tuesday, September 23, 2025 - For the record, the NAVI never lived on Naboo 😀 14:13

1M ago14:13

14:13

It has been over four years since Jacob Stulberg last appeared in the NYTimes crossword marquee, but it's good to have him back. We were tickled to see TOFU (48D, Staple of vegan cooking) in the grid, suitably distanced from the non-vegan 34D, Mayo ingredient, EGG. We also had 70A, Alternative to white, RYE, and 5A, Teacher for just a day, informal…

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Monday, September 22, 2025 - JUSTINTRUDEAU is in the grid ... but not in The House 11:21

1M ago11:21

11:21

For those of you unfamiliar with Canadian politics, JUSTINTRUDEAU ruled Canada from 2015-2025, when he stepped aside in favor of Mark Carney, the current PM. The entire political saga will probably be a hit on AppleTV+ in a few years; it certainly has all the plot elements! In other news, we've moved our JAMCOTWA™️ (Jean And Mike Crossword Of The W…

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Sunday, September 21, 2025 - A crossword that melts in your mouth, not in your hand 😀 15:38

1M ago15:38

15:38

A rebus -- for those of you new to the crossword-solving realm -- is a square containing more than one letter. Rebuses come in several varieties; in today's crossword we have two words per square, one intended to be read horizontally, the other vertically. Spotting rebuses is a bit of an art. Usually the tip-off is when the answer that you know, ab…

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Saturday, September 20, 2025 - A FEARSOME Saturday spectacular! 14:17

1M ago14:17

14:17

This is Katie Hoody's fourth NYTimes Saturday crossword, and it is apparent that she has mastered the genre. The clues are devious, to be sure; and diabolical, also true; but you likely know the answers, if you can just maneuver through the maze to get to them. For example, 42D, Demand upon reaching an "enemy border", KINGME (ah, that kind of enemy…

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Friday, September 19, 2025 - You can pronounce magniloquence? OK but don't BRAG about it 😉 18:52

1M ago18:52

18:52

This was a tough Friday crossword, following a couple of crunchier than usual Wednesday and Thursday offerings. Extrapolating, we are therefore quaking in our metaphorical shoes awaiting Saturday's puzzle to drop. Will it be impossible? Or merely very, very nearly impossible? 😉 Only time will tell (but then we'll tell you, in tomorrow's episode). A…

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Thursday, September 18, 2025 - Huh, a Saturday crossword fell through a wormhole into Thursday! 18:27

1M ago18:27

18:27

Adam Wagner has a reputation for making tough, high-quality crosswords, which explains ... today's, tough, high-quality crossword. Even after grokking the theme, the rest of the clues required no little effort to unravel. We have the whole story inside, so do have a listen and then let us know: how did you find today's puzzle? Show note imagery: Th…

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Wednesday, September 17, 2025 - A crossword that's waaaaay more than OK! 17:45

1M ago17:45

17:45

The remarkable xwordinfo.com has compiled a list of the maximum number of times each letter has appeared in a crossword. Up until today, K had appeared a total of 18 times, but now -- thanks to Jackson Matz -- that record stands at 24, all in the aid of a good cause, aka "the theme". Both cohosts found this to be a slightly crunchier than usual Wed…

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Tuesday, September 16, 2025 - What the deuce, it's ... egad ... a LOOKIELOO! 😀 😀 14:03

1M ago14:03

14:03

This was an excellent debut crossword by Jonathan Daly; we were dazzled by the theme, and found gems in the rest of the grid as well. We enjoyed 71A, Floppy part of a beagle, EAR; 49D, Owl's question?, WHO; and of course we are absolutely infatuated with 11D, A shopper, not a buyer, informally, LOOKIELOO. In addition, we have our traditional Triple…

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Goodbye Emmys 2025! Hello Emmys 2026, Emmy Time Capsule!

1M ago

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Team Contending gathers around the Water Cooler to recap the 77th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Plus, we create the 2026 Emmy Time Capsule. In our annual tradition, Team Contending gathers around the Water Cooler to share their thoughts on the 77th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. We chat about the ceremony and how the host, Nate Bargatze, constructed…

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Monday, September 15, 2025 - Go, team, go!! 12:42

1M ago12:42

12:42

This was a fine Monday crossword courtesy of the very talented Matthew Stock and Michael Lieberman. The latter, based on both this puzzle and his xwordinfo.com photo, is apparently a baseball fan; so, using that metaphor, we'd definitely categorize this crossword as a home run. Show note imagery: Behold, the mighty PEGASUS (and they're accepting pr…

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PODCAST: Talking Netflix’s ‘Unknown Number’ Documentary & Why That Twist Is So Epic (And Sad)

1M ago

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The Contending’s Megan McLachlan is joined by Tarcia Smith Bush of Grits & Gab to discuss the twisted Netflix documentary Unknown Number: The High School Catfish. Everyone has been bullied in high school at some point. (And if you haven’t, you’re probably the bully!) But Netflix’s new documentary Unknown Number: The High School Catfish takes harass…