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Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast

When you spend the bulk of your life reading, writing, and building lesson plans, sometimes your brain needs a break. Join two of your favorite political theory professors - John McMahon and Danielle Hanley - as they switch gears from the world’s so-called Great Books to break down some of your favorite TV shows. The twist? Only one of your hosts has seen the show before. Up first? The Americans.

116. The Americans Season 6 Preview

49 mins; December 29, 2025

Americans Season 6 coverage coming in the new year!

1 min; December 04, 2025

115. Derry Girls Series 2, Episode 5 "The Prom" & Episode 6 "The President"

102 hours 7 mins; November 28, 2025

114. Derry Girls Series 2, Episode 3 "The Concert" & Episode 4 "The Curse"

79 hours 45 mins; November 06, 2025

113. Derry Girls Series 2, Episode 1, "Across the Barricade" & Episode 2, "Ms De Brún and the Child of Prague""

73 hours 20 mins; October 23, 2025

112. Derry Girls, Series 1 Episodes 5-6

81 hours 26 mins; October 09, 2025

111. Derry Girls Series 1, Episodes 3-4

69 hours 56 mins; September 25, 2025

110. Derry Girls, Series 1 Episodes 1-2

94 hours 53 mins; September 11, 2025

109. The Americans 5x13, "Soviet Division", with Jon Keller

127 hours 51 mins; August 28, 2025

108. The Americans 5x12, "The World Council of Churches"

86 hours 39 mins; August 14, 2025

107. The Americans 5x11, "Dyatkovo," with Michaela Rife

109 hours 0 mins; July 31, 2025

106. The Americans 5x10, "Darkroom"

100 hours 43 mins; July 17, 2025

105. The Americans 5x9, "IHOP," with Lilly Goren

93 hours 5 mins; July 03, 2025

104. The White Lotus S3, Materialists, and Pope Bobby -- aka In THIS Sacred Economy?!, with Amy Schiller

91 hours 1 min; June 30, 2025

103. The Americans 5x8, "Immersion"

105 hours 1 min; June 19, 2025

102. The Americans 5x7, "Committee on Human Rights," with Jordan Cass

133 hours 15 mins; June 05, 2025

101. The Americans 5x6, "Crossbreed"

96 hours 55 mins; May 22, 2025

100. The Americans 5x5, "Lotus 1-2-3"

112 hours 0 mins; May 08, 2025

99. The Americans 5x4, "What’s the Matter with Kansas?"

96 hours 50 mins; April 17, 2025

98. The Americans 5x3, "The Midges," with Kennan Ferguson

111 hours 30 mins; April 03, 2025

97. The Americans 5x2, "Pests"

100 hours 0 mins; March 20, 2025

96. The Americans 5x1, "Amber Waves"

85 hours 44 mins; March 06, 2025

95. The Americans, Cringe Meme Interlude

64 hours 58 mins; September 09, 2024

94. The New Pope, Episode Nine

150 hours 31 mins; September 05, 2024

93. The New Pope, Episode Eight

100 hours 52 mins; August 29, 2024

92. The New Pope, Episode Seven

107 hours 9 mins; August 22, 2024

91. The New Pope, Episode Six

86 hours 40 mins; August 15, 2024

90. The New Pope, Episode Five

83 hours 50 mins; August 08, 2024

89. The New Pope, Episode Four

81 hours 5 mins; August 01, 2024

88. The New Pope, Episode Three

80 hours 33 mins; July 25, 2024

87. The New Pope, Episode Two

92 hours 34 mins; July 18, 2024

86. The New Pope, Episode One

97 hours 7 mins; July 11, 2024

85. The Americans Season 4 in review

120 hours 36 mins; June 20, 2024

84. The Americans 4x13, "Persona Non Grata"

104 hours 6 mins; June 06, 2024

83. The Americans 4x12, "A Roy Rogers in Franconia"

103 hours 59 mins; May 22, 2024

82. The Americans 4x11, "Dinner for Seven", with Jordan Cass

120 hours 33 mins; April 18, 2024

81. The Americans 4x10, "Munchkins"

100 hours 25 mins; April 04, 2024

80. The Americans 4x9, ”The Day After”

101 hours 55 mins; March 21, 2024

79. The Americans 4x8, ”The Magic of David Copperfield V: The Statue of Liberty Disappears”

110 hours 58 mins; March 07, 2024

78. The Americans 4x7, ”Travel Agents”

92 hours 4 mins; February 22, 2024

77. The Americans 4x6, "The Rat"

113 hours 38 mins; February 08, 2024

76. The Americans 4x5, ”Clark’s Place”, with Lilly Goren

111 hours 51 mins; January 25, 2024

75. The Hepta-Pod: Arrival and "Story of Your Life," with Desiree Weber and Sid Simpson

121 hours 46 mins; January 18, 2024

74. The Americans 4x4, ”Chloramphenicol”

107 hours 47 mins; January 11, 2024

73. The Americans 4x3, ”Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow”

104 hours 57 mins; December 28, 2023

72. Saltburn, with Regan Levitte

97 hours 8 mins; December 26, 2023

71.The Americans 4x2, ”Pastor Tim”

109 hours 12 mins; December 14, 2023

70. The Americans 4x1, ”Glanders”

98 hours 9 mins; November 30, 2023

69. The Young Pope, Episode Ten

125 hours 59 mins; September 07, 2023

68. The Young Pope, Episode Nine

102 hours 4 mins; August 31, 2023

67. The Young Pope, Episode Eight

84 hours 51 mins; August 24, 2023

66. The Young Pope, Episode Seven

68 hours 34 mins; August 17, 2023

65. The Young Pope, Episode Six, with Lucia Manzi

84 hours 35 mins; August 10, 2023

64. The Young Pope, Episode Five

78 hours 0 mins; August 03, 2023

63. Billions 4x1, ”Chuck Rhoades’s Greatest Game”

63 hours 26 mins; August 01, 2023

62. Total Cinema, Baby: Barbie, Oppenheimer, and Mission Impossible

108 hours 1 min; July 29, 2023

61. The Young Pope, ”Episode Four”

90 hours 5 mins; July 27, 2023

60. The Young Pope, ”Episode Three”

78 hours 0 mins; July 20, 2023

59. The White Lotus 1x4, ”Recentering”

79 hours 55 mins; July 18, 2023

58. The Young Pope, ”Episode Two”

92 hours 1 min; July 13, 2023

57. The Young Pope, ”Episode One”

83 hours 52 mins; July 06, 2023

56. The Americans, Season 3 in review

75 hours 15 mins; June 22, 2023

55. The Americans 3x13, ”March 8, 1983”, with Jon Keller

156 hours 16 mins; June 15, 2023

54. The Americans 3x12, ”I Am Abassin Zadran”

85 hours 3 mins; June 08, 2023

53. The Americans 3x11, ”One Day in the Life of Anton Baklanov”

80 hours 28 mins; June 01, 2023

52. The Americans 3x10, ”Stingers,” with Lilly Goren

108 hours 59 mins; May 25, 2023

51. The Americans 3x9, ”Do Mail Robots Dream of Electric Sheep?”

81 hours 35 mins; May 11, 2023

50. The Americans 3x8, ”Divestment”

88 hours 38 mins; April 27, 2023

49. The Americans 3x7, ”Walter Taffet”

83 hours 36 mins; April 13, 2023

48. The Americans 3x6, ”Born Again”

84 hours 31 mins; March 30, 2023

47. The Americans 3x5, ”Salang Pass,” with Mike Rensink

101 hours 27 mins; March 16, 2023

46. The Americans 3x4, ”Dimebag”

97 hours 32 mins; March 02, 2023

45. The Americans 3x3, ”Open House”

64 hours 27 mins; February 16, 2023

44. The Americans 3x2, ”Baggage”

79 hours 50 mins; February 02, 2023

43. The Americans 3x1, ”EST Men”

69 hours 42 mins; January 19, 2023

42. Artistic Choices, VFX, and Capitalism

67 hours 18 mins; September 29, 2022

41. The Americans, Season 2 in review

67 hours 0 mins; September 22, 2022

40. Art v. Content, Horkheimer v. MCU

21 mins; September 15, 2022

39. The Americans 2x13, ”Echo,” with Jon Keller

117 hours 22 mins; September 08, 2022

38. The Americans 2x12, ”Operation Chronicle”

89 hours 23 mins; September 01, 2022

37. Moon Knight 1x6, ”Gods and Monsters”

124 hours 47 mins; August 30, 2022

36. The Americans 2x11, ”Stealth”

96 hours 21 mins; August 25, 2022

35. Moon Knight 1x5, ”Asylum”, with Nick Carnes

102 hours 18 mins; August 23, 2022

34. The Americans 2x10, ”Yousaf”

82 hours 52 mins; August 18, 2022

33. Moon Knight 1x4, ”The Tomb”

72 hours 2 mins; August 15, 2022

32. The Americans 2x9, ”Martial Eagle,” with Lilly Goren

90 hours 52 mins; August 11, 2022

31. Moon Knight 1x3, ”The Friendly Type,” with Regan Levitte

101 hours 36 mins; August 09, 2022

30. The Americans 2x8, ”New Car”

81 hours 0 mins; August 04, 2022

29. Moon Knight 1x2, ”Summon the Suit”

81 hours 19 mins; August 02, 2022

28. The Americans 2x7, ”ARPANET,” with Emily Crandall

98 hours 54 mins; July 28, 2022

27. Moon Knight 1x1, ”The Goldfish Problem”

70 hours 58 mins; July 26, 2022

26. The Americans 2x6, ”The Red Door”

80 hours 37 mins; July 21, 2022

25. Loki 1x6, ”For All Time, Always”

90 hours 0 mins; July 19, 2022

24. The Americans 2x5, ”The Deal”

77 hours 49 mins; July 14, 2022

23.Loki 1x5, ”Journey Into Mystery,” with Lilly Goren

98 hours 58 mins; July 12, 2022

22. The Americans 2x4, ”A Little Night Music”

98 hours 21 mins; July 07, 2022

21. Loki 1x4, ”The Nexus Event”

83 hours 1 min; July 05, 2022

20. The Americans 2x3, ”The Walk-In”, with Amy Schiller

74 hours 55 mins; June 30, 2022

19. Loki 1x3, ”Lamentis”

73 hours 20 mins; June 28, 2022

18. The Americans 2x2, ”Cardinal”

72 hours 0 mins; June 23, 2022

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Not Quite Great Books: a TV podcast

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