Latest / Best/Most / John Estrada Part 1/ What is the Most watched comfort show?
Transcript
- Jose: Hi, before we start the show, there are minor spoilers for Breaking Bad and Halt and Catch Fire. That being said, enjoy the show. Okay, welcome to Best Most. I'm your host, Jose Jogo Gonzalez. This is the podcast where we ask the questions, what is the best or what is the most? For example, we ask questions like, where's the best venue to watch a band? Or what is the most informative film that is not a documentary or instructional video? Before each episode, I ask our online community a question that our guests had chosen as our topic. I then go over the community answers with our guests. and we also discuss our own answers. You can check out answer the questions on the best.most.pod Instagram page. Join the conversation. ⁓ guitar in the band Conductora and now days he's a dad that kicks ass in Jiu Jitsu. has also supported this show with his humorous insightful answers. I'm very happy to welcome to best most John Estrada. Hey John. John Estrada: Hey, thanks for having me. It's great to be here to talk about all things music and pop culture. Jose: So today we answer the question, what is the most rewatched comfort show? As always, our guest chooses the question. John Estrada, what made you choose this one? John Estrada: The question sounded interesting because as a new dad, I don't know if there's any new dads or old dads out there, your TV watching kind of shortens. So you tend to try not to pick a show that you know that you won't finish and then you try to pick shows that are short and sweet or you just go back to those comfort rewatchable shows that you can kind of go at your own pace and kind of see again for the first time. So I thought this kind of resonated with me, especially with ⁓ a show that ⁓ I'll get into later, but kind of surprised me in terms of how much ⁓ I identify with the subject matter, the characters, the vibe, everything. I'm happy to talk about that. Jose: you have some community answers, so let's go into those. What do you got? John Estrada: Yeah, yeah. So thanks to everyone who ⁓ answered my post. ⁓ It's always fun to kind of see ⁓ this kind of thing, because I know Jose, when you post them, you kind of share the answers and you get to put them on the podcast. So I was really excited to see what you guys came up with. And some of the shows I have to say, ⁓ first of I'm going to get too many answers and that's fine. I know people probably got to it late. But one show, I'll kind of start with the one that I never saw because I didn't have cable growing up. that's from ⁓ My buddy Eugene, he put Pete and Pete. ⁓ He said, watched it as a kid and still a classic 30 years later. So again, I've never seen an episode, but I'll take his word for it because I think he's not the only one I've remember fond things about this type of show. see, another buddy, Matt McClory, he put Bob's Burgers, Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Broad City. I agree with all of these. ⁓ I kind of fell out of Bob's Burgers after the first couple seasons, ⁓ you know, just from time, but those first early seasons, they're gold. Just great writing, great performance, and ⁓ you know, quote some of those things today. ⁓ Always Sunny. ⁓ Definitely I was a late starter on that. I know that's been around forever. ⁓ I don't know why it just was. And then once it was shown to me, I was like, ⁓ my God, the show's like amazing. ⁓ It's a good litmus test, I think for certain types of humor. Kind of like I think you should leave. But it's definitely makes sense as to why it's lasted so long. And then with his last answer, Broad City. Jose: Yeah. John Estrada: I saw every episode, absolutely loved it. Could jump into any one of these episodes. Has like this crude sense of honesty and humor. And writing's brilliant, performances are ⁓ Absolutely loved that whole series. So, agree with those. ⁓ Another answer from Andy Hong, Jose: Yeah. John Estrada: King of the Hill. Definitely agree with this one. ⁓ Again, show, you can just jump into any episode and just kind of get taken away to that rural Texas with interesting characters by Mike Judge. This is a spinoff of Beavis and Butthead though, right? Like kind of the Hank Hill character. Do you know this? Jose: Yeah, pretty much. Yeah, I'm a huge ⁓ fan of Beavis and Butthead just to go really quick on your previous answers, I love those shows in general, like Broad City Always Sunny. There's always that kind of like thing that people like, you can't you can't have this kind of humor these days, Always Sunny kind of throws that out the window. it proves that you can have fairly racy, kind of crazy, humor in a show and still be successful like many seasons. I don't even know how many seasons, like 10 seasons, 12 seasons, crazy amount of seasons. But yeah, I think they're great. Always Sunny is good. Also, yeah, Broad City is very smart, very modern. with these two hilarious women. ⁓ But yeah, good answers. John Estrada: Did you see all of Bob's Burgers all of Always Sunny, all of Broad City? Are these just kind of shows you've jumped in and out of as well? Jose: kind of jumped in and out of. kind of weird, Bob's Burgers. I feel like like infinite for some reason. like the same episode has never been on twice. So John Estrada: get it yeah Yes, it's kind of there Jose: But yeah, really John Estrada: in the orbit, yeah. Good friend, Yane, she put friends. Now, I know there's a lot of people who are into friends. I remember when it came out, I remember the premise and watching the very first episode, I was super young. But for me personally, I think I was just like a year or two younger than the intended demographic. Then it was really... made for who kind of just rode with it until the very last season. was like, know, all the whole storylines and all that, But something, something interesting about Friends, I remember hearing on another podcast, Listen to the Rewatchables by Bill Simmons. think he came with the point how it's really kind of a stolen idea from Cameron Crowe's films, singles. I don't know if you ever heard of that film about the Seattle scene. Jose: Mmm. Yeah, I can totally see that. John Estrada: group of young people, 20-somethings in the early 90s, where you just take people in their 20s that work in a cafe, just kind of shine a spotlight in their lives and just go with it. I think it proved to be an effective formula. Jose: friends Hang out together at a coffee shop. It's very simple, but it People love that show. I think it's a test of the writing in general John Estrada: Yeah, just a crazy moment in TV history, just launched certain careers. Like lot of these actors really were, I think, struggling before Friends came along and just like launched them into a new era of their life. know, Courtney Cox just did Ace Ventura before that. Relatively, you know, not known. Jennifer Aniston, I think she was on this comedy variety show called The Edge. played Newt. Jose: Fox? ⁓ John Estrada: Yes, it was. Newman on Seinfeld was also. Yeah. Jose: I do care. John Estrada: Yeah. They had some pretty funny things. Jose: ⁓ She was also in John Estrada: They had. Jose: ⁓ John Estrada: Yeah, yeah, of course, classic horror film ⁓ Kaylee, my cousin, she put Beverly Hills, 90210. ⁓ You know, it's funny, I tried to be watching that recently. Recently, I mean, like in the last like 10 years, it's my dad brain. But it's funny when you watch it again as you're older, like it is such like one of the quintessential 90s shows out there. And I think it kind of pioneered ⁓ sort of that ⁓ drama led by characters that were in high school like a nighttime ⁓ Because everything else was characters in high school. It was really kind of like an 80s sitcom-y kind of thing. But this like drama, you know? Partly because the actors were like 20 years older than the characters they played on average. But I mean, it lasted for a pretty good while. I don't know if you caught any of Jose: Yeah. John Estrada: when it was out in the 90s. Jose: yeah. we would that show ⁓ a family, which is kind of My sister five years than me ⁓ she would it and I just kind of be stuck watching too. But I into it. That and show after that, was Melrose Place, right after. they both were similar. One was just high school, was just apartment complex. John Estrada: Good stuff. And then my final community answer is from my buddy Joel. He put Futurama ⁓ and think that's a answer. This was like for me always on rotation at the house I rented ⁓ when I was in college. know, it's just kind of like that feel-good background show you just watch at end of a long night, come back partying or something, just like put Adult Slim, but that or Home Movies or whatever was on rotation back then. Jose: Yeah. I never got into Futurama, but ⁓ know like so many people who really enjoy it. And I know the comedy is pretty solid. I mean, going off of the writers, right? So the guys from ⁓ The Simpsons, ⁓ Matt Groening, Groening, Groening, whatever his name John Estrada: Yeah. Jose: ⁓ John Estrada: Yep. Yep. Definitely, definitely. Yeah, those are my community answers, man. What you got? Jose: okay. ⁓ I got, let's see, Kiana, she chose Friends, another, again, very popular show that everyone loves. Let's see, Tristan, the audio guy, he chose The Office. John, do you like The Office? Are you into that at all? John Estrada: Yeah, I didn't really see it when it was like first broadcast. I know it was getting a lot of buzz. Definitely knew Steve Carell was, but it wasn't until COVID where I had the sort of time to just like really sit through it all and really appreciate like what it had to offer. And yeah, I can definitely see how it had that appeal to a lot of people, especially its place on like pop culture. Jose: For sure, Poisonous.culture ⁓ slash Lex Hocky, is on our show. She chose I Love said, I used to it a lot with my Gram when I was younger. Classic. ⁓ John Estrada: That is classic. We can definitely talk more about I Love Lucy. Jose: gives me chills. She chose New Girl. and sweet, quotable for many situations. She ate my camera sandwich. She chose That's 70s Show and read Foreman's quotes. That's the reason she liked John Estrada: Hmm. Jose: I want to say that was out around when I was in high school. And I feel like a lot of the guys who smoked weed really love that show. and kind of rock dudes like that show a lot. didn't smoke weed in high school, so ⁓ it wasn't much my thing, but I think later on I re-watch the episodes and thought it was Pretty Becca. chose Beverly Hills 90210. really classic, really dramatic. Yeah, for sure. John Estrada: Got some matches here. Jose: my wife, she chose ⁓ Gilmore Girls because it's so wholesome and funny. It reminds me my youth. then she chose Mad Men it's such a good show. talks about women's rights and the character Peggy plays a strong woman that goes against traditional 1960s female norms. ⁓ John Estrada: Wow. Confession. ⁓ have yet to see that series, but I will one I promise. ⁓ Jose: one those shows I know I'll enjoy. I have no doubt about John Estrada: Yeah. Well, AMC puts out good content. Jose: I agree. Edro Di Carmona, my brother, he Scrubs. Said, think it's one of those one of the closest to reality shows as it pertains to health care. Possibly. I mean, it's very. ⁓ ⁓ I think it's pretty funny. I mean, it's it's a hilarious show from what I've seen, but it's like I don't think it's ⁓ I think meant to be like a almost, John Estrada: I disagree. disagree. I think so, and I don't want to be right that person's answer. think, again, like it's very supportive here and you there are some funny things about it but ⁓ yeah that's all I'll say. Jose: Maybe like at that time or something, you I know like ER was definitely the main show that people would go watch for accuracy, I guess, if anything. I think Scrubs, John Estrada: Right. Jose: possibly to a certain extent, I think maybe just it's kind of like ER but with quips, John Estrada: Possibly. mean, I think one of the one of the best ones out now is The Pit and to plug that show I think that's an amazing show Jose: ⁓ yeah. Dude, it took a little while to get into that rhythm of the show. I initially was like, I can't do this. And then I think three shows in we were sold John Estrada: Mm-hmm. Right. Yeah. Jose: So, Vi De Leon, my sister, she chose Pippi Longstocking. Mr. Sam Slick, who was on the show too, he said, for me, it's Twilight Zone. It just stands out from modern TV and is full of amazing stories. Totally agree. David.Antonio Garcia, he chose King of Queens. John Estrada: Great show. Jose: He chose King of Queens. John Estrada: That's a good one. Jose: He said Kevin James is a lovable character we can all relate to. John Estrada: That and Jerry Stiller. Jose: Yeah, that dude's a legend, dude. Jerry Stiller is effortlessly funny, like hilarious. John Estrada: Yeah, definitely. Yeah, those are good answers. think the community came out for you there, for sure. ⁓ I agree most of Jose: I have a few more. ⁓ yeah. ⁓ I know, I'm telling you, think I told you, I'm like, dude, we have so many answers for this one. So John Estrada: ahead. Wow, OK. ⁓ Jose: let's see, Jason Chavez, he chose Frasier, ⁓ erudite succumbing ⁓ to Foley, always funny, ⁓ with no real stakes, makes an easy watch. I don't know what erudite means. I'm not that smart, but I'm guessing like ⁓ a very, like almost like an aristocrat. So yeah, a high class succumbing to folly. ⁓ John Estrada: It's like, of high class. Jose: Yeah. I, I, ⁓ Frasier is, a ⁓ very ⁓ smart show. And I have seen a few episodes. Pretty funny. I like the brother Niles. He's hilarious. John Estrada: it's definitely a good show. ⁓ You know, I think it deserves like the following I had. It had good writing and just kind of a weird place in TV pop culture being an actual spin-off. Jose: From, ⁓ Cheers. John Estrada: Right. Jose: my cousin Gabriel Cardenas, he chose Married Children. John Estrada: Good answer. Jose: altered Vince, chose Brooklyn Nine-Nine, he consistent show in quality, ⁓ story, and character, jokes still land and again, always puts a smile on my face. ⁓ And last one is Nina, chose Law and Order, SVU specifically. Good answers, So ⁓ speaking of, let's go into your answers. What do you for us, John? John Estrada: So I guess I'll preface this with like... I don't really have ⁓ a great deal of rewatchable shows in the last couple years, again, mostly because of having kids and your TV consumption dramatically drops. ⁓ But I think some come to mind if you had to give ⁓ me 30 60 seconds, go. ⁓ Seinfeld's one them. ⁓ It's kind guess, always sunny where people don't understand nuance, but I kind of fell into it hard in high school and just love jumping into their world and just watching the ⁓ characters fly, especially the with Jerry Stiller. ⁓ Those are the good ones. ⁓ Simpsons, first seven-ish seasons. ⁓ ⁓ you know that's that was like a huge part of like my ⁓ quote vocabulary i won't get into any of this one but it's it's kind of like how you know that's how you make friends it's how friendships form you know with like certain Jose: Thanks. John Estrada: symptoms quotes Jose: Yeah. ⁓ John Estrada: pertaining to situations like never gets old i'm probably dating myself too because i like young kids like huh ⁓ Jose: on. John Estrada: It- well, so that's the thing, I had to like first like seven-ish or eight seasons, then after that I just... I don't Jose: Yeah. John Estrada: what happened, I Jose: ⁓ John Estrada: care what happened, and the fact that they continue to make them, that's fine, they have every right to do that, I've tried many seasons after that to get into it, I'm just like, nah, ⁓ I'm good, thank you. ⁓ Jose: Yeah. It goes into like family John Estrada: that- Jose: guide territory too. ⁓ John Estrada: yeah, ⁓ that- yeah, I think that's what happened, they try to do Family Guy and- You know, I think they had a lot to compete with. See, they had to compete with Family Guy and South Park and, you know, ⁓ the field got pretty American Dad, another one. Just kind of rounding out my list here. ⁓ Just from being a kid and like, I don't know, falling asleep to it, because ⁓ didn't get it, but you just had this like vibe of like, hey, it's a feel good aura. It was mash, you know, just like the canned laughter, Alan Alda being like himself. with the ensemble cast that it was and the funny situations. Then it has that subtle two minutes of seriousness ⁓ send home the moral of the episode, but then everything's all well and silly again. ⁓ Those are the ones remember thinking ⁓ of, kind of like feel good. bingeable, rewatchable shows. So that's my rapid fire list. I don't know if I should get into it. Should I get into the big ones now? Jose: Yeah. Well, let's see. really quick I feel like MASH, ⁓ that's a fucking deep cut. I feel like MASH is of those ⁓ shows anyone I've talked to as a kid, like what the hell is MASH? Because like it came on fairly late, I think maybe on, I don't even know day it was on like Saturday or something like that, but it would in after, on. John Estrada: I mean, I can't tell you the days, but yeah. Jose: Yeah, yeah, would come on like after everything else that everybody wanted to watch was up was finished and after the news. John Estrada: That part's true. Yeah, it's when you're supposed to go to sleep that it came on. Jose: Yeah, and I remember like watching it. It is, it's a pretty deep show, dude. I mean like there's a lot of like stuff on that that show that was very serious subject matter with some humor but like think it was the right amount of humor to kind of complement the subject matter but I remember watching that show as a kid and thinking I don't know if I fully understand this but I know this is amazing. ⁓ But it's kind of a crazy thing that not a lot of younger people, or people I guess our age or even around that age, John Estrada: Right. Jose: have never seen MASH. I think it's great. So yeah, that's a cool choice. ⁓ John Estrada: You know, yeah, I'll add to that because, you know, I just started reading a book. I haven't made my way through most of it, but it's really good. recommend it. It's called About Face by David ⁓ he is a, he retired as a lieutenant colonel. ⁓ But it's called Face and it starts with his life. entering World War II right as it ended, like kind of like, I want to late early 1946, like he was finally old enough to enlist and spent a couple years in Italy on the border of what's now Jose: ⁓ John Estrada: Yugoslavia, that whole area, and then he went to Korea and as you know, a match is about the Korean War and Just him describing his situation in Korea, Jose: Yeah. John Estrada: pretty crazy and brutal. know, MASH came out during the Vietnam War. And ⁓ it's got all these ⁓ sort of messages about war. And thought, what a brilliant to sort of critique current times by echoing ⁓ a piece of history, like 20-ish years before the times that are going on right now. And I that's why it's popular. Another thing, I didn't know it was based off of a movie. There was a movie made and then they did the TV show. ⁓ So I have one more. ⁓ I forgot it's like written a of my notes. Arrested Development, the first three seasons. such a great show to just jump into. So effortlessly written and acted and the narration, ⁓ everything is just like, I love that show. Jose: I've heard it's amazing and I want to watch it. I know like Ron Howard does the narration. John Estrada: If I know you, you're gonna love all of it. Jose: Yeah, I like the fact that Michael Cera's character's name is George Michael. John Estrada: Yes. Jose: And every clip I've seen of that show is hilarious. ⁓ So I'm sure it will. John Estrada: It's a little dated, but still funny. Jose: Cool. So let's see, what are your main John Estrada: Yeah. Jose: choices? John Estrada: So I kind of went like a twofer here. ⁓ I guess kind of pivoting off of MASH. One that I like, it of has to with like war, War II, because my grandfather, he in World War II, second wave of D-Day, along with my great uncle. funny of segue, my uncle was actually in a World War II, anniversary episode of Oliver North's war stories. Jose: Hmm, that's good. John Estrada: But that was like almost, gosh, yeah, that was almost like 20 years ago. Yeah, like they took him back to Germany or Normandy, I forget. And like he survived some like crazy battle where he was on a hill surrounded by like tanks and he was just like telling all of them North how like yeah We're there for like three days. didn't eat every time the tanks of fire was like guys were crying and I was just like straight I was like I've never heard this story before, know, ⁓ very very Jose: ⁓ John Estrada: ⁓ very You know real sort of commentary, but my my answer is also based off a book written by an author named Steven Ambrose and if I said that I think some of you probably might know what I'm referring to but it's a I'm gonna say it's a nine episode miniseries that HBO did in early 2000s called Band of Brothers Jose: Hmm. ⁓ ⁓ I've seen John Estrada: Yeah, great show. Jose: I've heard good Yeah, my dad's a military guy, and I think you've seen it, and he thought was really amazing. John Estrada: Yeah, yeah, because I think the book, I've read the book as well and it was a great exercise in collecting oral histories of, the World War II veterans who, you know, came back home to kind of detail their experiences. ⁓ I guess kind of like through watching that kind of like keeps the memory alive ⁓ of like my grandfather and the spirit of like all the other people who, you know, went through that either in ⁓ the European theater, the Pacific theater. but just great writing and the character development, expertly casted by guys who came in. I think they actually did, I don't know how long, they did a real boot camp for the actors to go through to understand what the soldiers did back then. to learn how the weaponry worked, how the tactics worked, how the units moved through combat, so that when it came time to sort of act the scenes out, you really believe ⁓ the action that's going on. again, just a fantastic show. Jose: ⁓ John Estrada: I don't watch it too often. I try to pop it in around D-Day ⁓ if I can. It's kind of like a reminder. like, ⁓ yeah, it's time to watch this one thing that happened in history where... ⁓ Jose: Thank John Estrada: Americans didn't like Nazis. Can't believe I have to say that sentence. It was a reminder, again, Jose: Yeah. Yeah, it should be a given. John Estrada: yeah. it's actually. Jose: it also seems to connect you to your grandfather, So that's cool. That's really cool. John Estrada: Yeah, yeah, and you know, very complex man. It was interesting when he passed away in 2000. They did like the 21 gun salute and gave the flag to, you know, think they gave it to my mom because she was next of kin. But, you know, it got me thinking. You know, I should probably try, I've been dabbling in some screenwriting ideas or movie ideas, but I think it'd be a good miniseries to kind of build on that. talk about sort of his experiences as like a Mexican-American ⁓ man Jose: Yeah. John Estrada: from the Great Depression, really boy, ⁓ you know, and just by sheer luck and happenstance ⁓ being drafted into the military, because he didn't really have a, how should I say this? ⁓ He wasn't really ⁓ doing well. ⁓ In terms of employment, think he probably started his drinking problem Jose: Okay. John Estrada: back then. But then got drafted with so many other men and then before he knew it was sent to Europe. Probably saw more than he thought he was going to see. I think there's a story to figure out, but he went AWOL or got a charge with AWOL because I think he didn't report in time. Probably he might have been drinking. I don't know. That's how the story goes. Jose: Yeah. John Estrada: Then they got into some sort of combat action and he stepped up and I guess did a lot to not only get his ⁓ charge dismissed, but I think he got a promotion out of it. found out what it ⁓ he did come back with some Purple Hearts and some other ⁓ But according to mom, he didn't really talk about it that much and ⁓ spent the rest of his life, I think, with PTSD and suffering from alcoholism, which I think now we know more about, but back then it kind of was just That's sort of one rewatchable that I kind of like go through. no, Didn't really plan that in college, but I guess playing video games helped me out to get really good at sort of understanding computers in a way. Kind of like how I hacked into your show. Jose: Yeah, does not surprise that you work in IT. John Estrada: going back to the TV show kind of relates to that kind of being around people in tech. the, it's kind of like a ragtag of people in the ⁓ 1980s who kind of just through happenstance come together to make the first portable computer. And I know it sounds kind of like a so what kind of plot point, but when I saw it just like spoke to me and and just the how was executed and acted just just glued me in. Probably could have helped that I watched it through COVID as well. So it's like what else is going to do while I was ⁓ working from home? But this show is on AMC. It's called Halt and Catch Fire. I want to say it lasted four or five seasons. But again, as soon as I saw it, I just like locked in. weird a period piece where it's about something that you know eventually happens. it's also ⁓ pretty much fictional. Like it's not about anyone real, but it does a good job ⁓ of on timelines of what was real. Like they mentioned a lot of ⁓ years where like Apple and ⁓ Microsoft or like an IBM ⁓ are trying to assert their dominance in the industry. But what the show does is not giving too much away. And I think it was brilliant, is that it takes these characters through time jumps in the story, Jose: Yeah. John Estrada: where it shows where these characters end up. in sort of the evolution of technology. but not to ruin it. They do end sort of in the mid-90s, but for a show to cover a storyline from 1980 or 1981 to like 1995, Jose: ⁓ John Estrada: know, not a lot of shows can do that. And I like how they did that. And they kind of wrapped it with a nice bow. Jose: ever encountered in the ⁓ on their own. So I think that's kind of cool. John Estrada: I mean, I know I've pitched it at least ⁓ two, times to my friends. I'm like, gotta see it. And some of them have actually started, ⁓ you know, and ⁓ some them are honest and I take no offense. like, yeah, I just couldn't understand it. And then I'm like, that's totally fine. ⁓ some people who do, they, you you kind of find and you just sort of like geek out with like. it sort of like fleshes out like the characters. Because it's really sure about the characters, not so much the technology. Like ⁓ as I said, technology is, you know what's going to happen. But it's fascinating to see the characters sort of intertwine with it and sort of like have sort of ⁓ push and pull with their own motives. Like it's kind of weird. It's like not really a villain mean, there are villains in the show. You need that to like make a story work, but it's really themselves. ⁓ Jose: Yeah. John Estrada: and like their own inhibitions or their obsessions and sort of like Jose: Mm-hmm. John Estrada: where they want to go in their own life and how technology sort of is like what their life is. ⁓ The first season has this great line And I think whoever is a screenwriter this line as a genius. The line is, ⁓ computers aren't the thing, ⁓ they're the thing that gets us the thing. ⁓ And that was like, I think that's probably what hooked on the show because a lot of times, especially nowadays, it's like with this ⁓ AI ⁓ apocalypse at our doorstep, ⁓ is computers are the Jose: ⁓ okay. That's pretty cool. John Estrada: right, to a degree. But the show, which is kind of written, you know, almost 15 years ago, 10 years ago, reminds us that the true pioneers ⁓ saw computers for what they could be, ⁓ not for like what they are and how they are to like investors and these other like corporate and so forth. Jose: ⁓ John Estrada: they mentioned IBM a lot. I guess IBM is kind of ⁓ the de facto enemy. to a degree on the business side, sort of like in the external story, but in the internal story of all the characters and their own flaws, it's really themselves. Jose: That's cool. So it's kind of like Titanic in a way. The movie Titanic where this thing's happening that you know it's gonna happen history, it's ⁓ real and you have this whole other story in a way of these characters that kind of keeps it compelling. ⁓ Nudity, know, all that stuff too. John Estrada: Hahaha! You know what? There is a... There's some light sex in Halt and Catch Fire. Light. Season 1 mostly. Jose: Hmm. answers? John Estrada: Yeah, I think that's, you after some like diligent thought not to sort of like take over the entire episode, yeah, I'll just put my answers as ⁓ those two. But actually, Jose: No, those are good. John Estrada: there is actually one more. Jose: ⁓ Sure. John Estrada: ⁓ There is one more that I just want to sort of like round out with. ⁓ It's not my answer per se, but I do think this deserves discussion as sort of like the ultimate rewatchable. Sort of like the first and maybe the greatest. ⁓ And I did want to touch on that if we have like a minute or two. I Jose: Yeah, yeah, of course. John Estrada: think I Love Lucy. Jose: ⁓ John Estrada: And it's because it's one of the first successful TV sitcoms and lasted decades in terms keeping main audience, ⁓ meeting new audiences throughout ⁓ the 70s and 80s. Because we're both 80s kids, right? And you remember the time you started seeing in black and white ⁓ and it kind of just was. It was just a TV show you fell into. ⁓ Jose: hmhmm ⁓ John Estrada: It's easy to watch. Got Jose: Yeah. John Estrada: arguably pretty good music, which I'll get into maybe in another podcast soon, but ⁓ it's just like a really interesting show. Jose: Yeah, you know, it's there's like a few shows that I remember watching as a kid when you're sick, you know, ⁓ and I think I Love Lucy was one of those shows. In a way, that kind of almost created a comfort in its own, you know, like being sick and you're from school and you're having like chicken noodle soup or whatever and then watching I Love Lucy or whatever. Right. ⁓ But John Estrada: Sure. Jose: I do think, yeah, that show is. hilarious, dude, it's so hilarious, ⁓ but it's also just a time capsule ⁓ John Estrada: Right. Jose: that's what's ⁓ interesting about it, ⁓ I think Lucille Ball was a genius, iconic. Ricky Ricardo had amazing hair ⁓ and he was ⁓ really funny too. ⁓ Desi Arnaz. John Estrada: Desi Arnaz. Jose: And I think that Fred and Ethel Mertz ⁓ were casted interestingly. ⁓ I think I hearing that who played Ethel Mertz? Was it a... John Estrada: Vivian Vance. Jose: Is it Vivian? Yeah, Vivian They told her don't lose a lot of weight because she would be be too pretty something. John Estrada: like that, yeah. It's like the urban legend, they, yeah, they ⁓ addressed her a certain way to contrast with ⁓ Lucille Ball, how her and William Frawley, who played Ed, really did hate each other off set. So that's why their chemistry was actually believable whenever they would sort of banter back and forth. Yeah, I mean, exactly. it is, ⁓ stuff like I think, is what sort of adds to the lore behind the camera that makes... ⁓ Jose: Yeah, that's perfect. John Estrada: the watching experience for future generations like that much more interesting. Like honestly, when was the last time you actually sat through an episode? Jose: It's been a while. I want to say like 15 years, 16 years, maybe more. John Estrada: Yeah. I watched a couple, a couple years back, definitely in last like three or four years. ⁓ yes, it's interesting how ahead of ⁓ times it was, ⁓ it dated? Of course. But again, the way ⁓ sort of addresses like, you know, husband wife relationships, ⁓ know, the, ⁓ the, the fact that you have an interracial couple technically on screen, you hear Spanish ⁓ on the show. ⁓ It's got like good live music. Sometimes when you see Desi Arnauz play and he is a real musician. another thing too, it invented the three camera setup for like sitcoms because before then it was just kind of like a single static camera or two cameras, know, but he, ⁓ I think it was Desi's idea to have like three cameras at the same time to kind of like ⁓ zoom in, zoom out and sort of like cut the angles to like get the reaction of Lucy's face or, know, or Ricky's Jose: Yeah, ⁓ John Estrada: exasperations to add the comedic ⁓ effect. ⁓ Jose: That's Yeah, John Estrada: ⁓ I swear I'll stop. ⁓ Jose: No, those are those like I really liked that answer too as well I mean like I said, it's it's one of those shows that I think everyone should watch and I still think it holds up I'm sure I haven't seen 15 years, but I have seen like little bits and pieces of it here and So, my answers for the best comfort show I guess I'll do the same way you did my honorable mentions were ⁓ anything Beavis and Butthead. ⁓ sounds kind of silly. Yeah, it's kind of silly, but like my and when John Estrada: Nice. Jose: we were kids, go to my dad's house, because my parents were divorced, ⁓ but we'd to dad's house and my dad had cable. So we would watch Beavis and Butthead all the time. And it's one of those shows that was so stupid the best way. And don't know, like smart in a certain way, too, as well. But something about Buis and Bada just like really even the new episodes I watched every season of the newer episodes. Yeah, it's on Paramount Plus, I John Estrada: What's back? ⁓ wow. Jose: So freaking good, dude. John Estrada: Wait, so might understand you grew up without cable television in your household Jose: Yeah. John Estrada: or in household. ⁓ Yeah, that's like me. I did not have cable growing up. So a of the TV shows you kind of had to find on network TV or at a family member's house that did have cable or a friend's house. Jose: For the most part, Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, you go and you're like someone who has cable, you just kind of plant yourself in front of their TV and you're like, let's do this. I gotta catch up. But what was cool is that when my parents had, when my mom or my stepdad would have like a little bit more cash, we would have cable for like a few months and I'd be like, oh, sweet. John Estrada: I know that feeling. Huh. Jose: we'd have it here and there. And then we'd have like preview channels and we'd watch other cool things. But my dad always had it, so when I'd go over there we'd watch Beavis and Butt-Head and all that stuff. another mention is Twilight Zone. I love Twilight Zone, dude. It is like it's so amazing. And I'm going to go too much into it because just ⁓ one of my own reasons, you'll impossible episodes. But Twilight Zone is so good. ⁓ It's a comfort ⁓ comfort show for me. can. John Estrada: Ha Jose: going to any episode and I've seen I think almost all of them if not all of them and still enjoy it and get something new out of it I mean whether I'm just watching the acting like someone act their asses off it's almost like a play like Twilight Zone is like a play to me and yeah very comforting ⁓ John Estrada: Very good. Yeah, no, you're definitely spot on. you know, I think if I'm not mistaken, a show where a lot of like, would-be Hollywood legends sort of got their in. And then, you know, you're right in terms the format. It's almost like, yeah, it's a teleplay. The narration by Rod Sterling at the end, just, ⁓ you can't recreate that. Jose: my main answer is Breaking So I'm going to give you a few different, facts John Estrada: Go, do it. Jose: It ran for five seasons, 62 total episodes. Most notably starred Brian Cranston, who played Walter White. Aaron Paul played Jesse Pinkman, Anna Gunn played Skylar White, Dean Joseph Norris played DEA agent Hank Schrader, Bob Odenkirk, Saul Goodman, Esposito played Gustavo Fring and many more amazing actors. There were two spinoffs after the show ended. First one was Better Called Saul, which 2015 and it ran ran to 2022. And then El Camino, ⁓ which came out in 2019. Awards widely recognized as one of the most acclaimed shows history with 92 industry awards, and 248 nominations. did you ever get into Breaking Bad? John Estrada: Definitely. That was one where I did, I think I started maybe a season late when they were broadcast and then once I caught up, I was watching them as they came out and to the point where, yeah, that's a final season. You know, we were just waiting and salivating for the episodes to get to the very final one. think we had, I was at a party for the final episode for the, see Walt White get his ultimate revenge. Jose: ⁓ Wait, so like a watch party? John Estrada: Yeah, definitely. Jose: ⁓ that's cool. I thought you were like at a party and you're like, fuck, I gotta get out of here. I gotta watch this episode. Yeah. John Estrada: No, no. Bye. No, like a sportsman. No, I'm a, no, it was a watch party and I am just pre, wasn't it pre-COVID? I want to say it was pre-COVID. Jose: Yeah, it was it ended a while back. ⁓ Yeah, probably John Estrada: Different times. Yeah. Jose: Fellini was an episode that ended everything ⁓ in the best possible in my opinion. And I think it was probably one of best endings to any show ever. ⁓ I was late to the party for Breaking Bad. my friend Daniel, Pharaoh D, what up Pharaoh D? He showed me like some DVDs of a few seasons and we would watch it Dude in that episode that Jane dies the overdose, ⁓ gosh. Like. John Estrada: Hahaha Jose: I just I've rewatched that episode a few times and then also just rewatched it on YouTube and it's so emotional it's the ⁓ huge turn for Walt when he's just watching her die ⁓ choke to death ⁓ and John Estrada: Right. Jose: You just see like damn this guy's he's going through a deep dive into this dark hole, ⁓ of himself, but so fucking good John Estrada: I just rewatched it. I wanna say... ⁓ three-ish years ago. I don't know if I made it through. I'll explain why. I think I started watching it when my first kid was born and you're just up You know, because you there's just no sleep and I'm just like, I might as well watch something and I don't know why I started watching Breaking Bad. And again, it's one of those shows that It wasn't like I was, ⁓ I gotta see it again. was like, yeah, I'll put it on. I'll watch the, I think it was like, I'll watch the pilot. Three weeks later, I'm like season four, just like, he's got the money in the public storage. And Skyler's like, look how much we have. You know, and then, and then after that, Jose: Yeah. ⁓ man, it's like that though, you know, Yeah, my wife and I rewatched the whole thing, at the early part of our relationship, we were like, hey, let's rewatch this. And I was like, hell yeah, dude. And I think we didn't have like a couch It was when we first moved into our old apartment John Estrada: Yeah. Jose: and we were like just sitting on the floor on a blanket ⁓ got food and I just, that's such a good memory too. John Estrada: Yeah. Nice. Jose: But, Yeah, I love that show. I think that's why it also speaks to me a little bit because of that. there's also a little, it's such a long journey for that show that there's all these different parts of my life that kind of connected to them, too. John Estrada: Yeah. Definitely. And let's talk about the spin-offs. Real quick, like, I'll go first real quick. I started Better Call Saul, great show, I need to finish it. Jose: But yeah. ⁓ yeah. any. John Estrada: But thought it wasn't gonna be that good, the fact that lasted so long, know, Bob is just a great actor, I mean, everyone else in that is amazing as well. So ⁓ with Bob Michael McKean ⁓ is in right? Saturday Night Live. Jose: Yeah. Spinal tap, that. John Estrada: Smiles up, El Camino. That one, I divides a lot of people. had friends who thought it I think it was pretty Jose: Mm-hmm. John Estrada: You know, is it... ⁓ You know, is it like the best out of the three? No, but I thought that they did a great service to the character of Jesse because I'll say at the end of the series finale when you see Jesse drive away, you do, you're kind of left wondering like, well, where did he go? And the fact that El Camino gave him that lead and I thought Aaron Paul crushed it, it was very, very well done and I'm glad they did that. Jose: Yeah. Yeah. yeah El Camino was really good. I gotta rewatch that that but I remember like I thought it was a pretty satisfying end to Jesse's character or continuation to Jesse's character Better Call Saul Yeah, I feel like it started off pretty ⁓ kind of okay, but ramped up towards the later seasons I thought the ending to Better Call Saul was also really good, which you haven't seen so I'm not gonna get into but Bob, I feel like Bob Odenkirk showed his chops in that whole show Yeah, but ⁓ yeah, great show. have you ever seen, you seen the new show Gilligan? forgot his first John Estrada: Pluribus Jose: he, ⁓ yeah, have you seen John Estrada: No, hear good things though. Jose: It's good. It's really good. John Estrada: Nice. Jose: I'd recommend that community check it So anyways, let's get to our sponsor, Pluribus. John Estrada: You Jose: Check it I'm kidding. All right, so that has been our episode. Did you have fun, John? John Estrada: I had a great time. Honestly, I probably could have more shows, but I think now's a time to end it for the listeners. ⁓ Jose: you ⁓ John's going to join us for next episode too as well, which is, the best TV theme song And then would you like to plug or give any shout outs? John Estrada: ⁓ Shout out to my band Conductora ⁓ We're still around. think ⁓ most of us haven't been able to get together and do more shows and write because we're starting families. But the joke is that all of our kids are going to be the next iteration of the band. But we are definitely planning to finish the recording. We started ⁓ February of 2020 before COVID shut world down. ⁓ we're just kind of Jose: That's cool. John Estrada: incrementally doing that. And ⁓ yeah. Jose: Yeah, I want to give a shout out to Daisy and Jen. John Estrada: Definitely. Jose: ⁓ Cool. And thank you to our online community for taking the time to answer the questions ⁓ on the Instagram page. You guys help expand the conversations of the show ⁓ and give lots of depth. Also, thank you for listening. ⁓ And remember, are no guilty pleasures when it comes to music, movies, and all art preferences. ⁓ Like what love and enjoy what you enjoy. That connection is such a gift. Until the next time take care and take care of each other. Bye.