The Alabama Take

•

Channel • 5 Shows

Music Commentary

Music Commentary

Updated Monthly
TV Reviews

TV Reviews

Updated Weekly
TV & Film

TV & Film

Updated Apr 15
Football

Football

Updated Weekly
Sports

Sports

Updated Weekly

APR 28

TV's Dark Corners: 'Euphoria,' 'Beef,' 'Half Man,' and More

In this week's episode, host Blaine welcomes everyone with an introduction and overview of the weekly show (0:02). To begin, Blaine and co-host Donovan discuss where listeners can see Adam on tour (0:59). Then the TV discussions begin with non-spoilers on why 'Euphoria' is struggling to make a connection (2:34), yet something as dark as 'Beef' and its second season is thrilling (8:34). After that, Blaine explains without spoilers how 'Half Man' is not for the faint at heart (12:26). He and Donovan discuss the seventh episode of 'Rooster' on HBO and the new Netflix series 'This is a Gardening Show,' both of which are exciting and pleasant (16:16). To begin spoilers, they discuss 'Beef' from Netflix and its first four episodes (21:36) before wrapping with 'Rooster' and its seventh. For more, visit The Alabama Take. To sign up for the newsletter, visit the link here.

Apr 28

•

55 min
09/23/2021

"Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Season 2 kicks off with a bang! Josh, Hayden, and Adam are coming in hot with a takedown of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama." Is it good? Probably not. Do we all absolutely hate it? Depends on what mood we're in when you ask. One thing is for sure though: as Alabamians we've all suffered personal trauma at the hands of this f*****g song. After Josh and Hayden argue about Stratocaster tone for several minutes, Adam mercifully steps in and provides detailed analysis of the song's controversial lyrics. You may not agree with our opinions on the song, but we're hoping you at least agree that it's never a good idea to tour with a giant Confederate Battle Flag hanging on the stage.

09/23/2021

•

1h 26m
MAR 10

Unraveling 'DTF St. Louis' and 'Shrinking' Does Its Best

In the weekly episode, Blaine introduces the show with a welcome and overview as well as the topics of the week (0:03). When Donovan and Adam join Blaine, Blaine gives a special thank you to someone who helped with the fundraising for the host site and podcasts (1:23). In the non-spoiler section, the hosts introduce the the new series on HBO 'DTF St. Louis' and hint that it may be better than most critics would say (2:23). After that, they discuss without spoilers how 'Shrinking' may have aired its best episode yet (11:40). In the spoilers, they get into why 'DTF St. Louis' is so good (15:32) as well as how 'Shrinking' pulled out an excellent episode in a season that has not been as good (42:04). For more, visit The Alabama Take website. To sign up for the site's newsletter rather than rely on social media, sign up here. To help both the podcast and The Alabama Take site itself, consider making a donation of any size with the link here.

Mar 10

•

53 min
APR 21

'Euphoria' Disappoints, Promising Shows, and 'DTF St. Louis' Finale,

This week as usual, Blaine gives an overview of the podcast episode to begin (0:02). From there, he and Donovan begin the non-spoiler section with Adam's absence and where to see his band Sister Ray Davies on tour in the U.K. (0:50). After those notes, the hosts discuss what has. happened to 'Euphoria' as it gets off to a bad start (2:39). Then it's a brief conversation on why sites cover reality TV and what they think of it (9:37). Then it's a list of television shows this week and next week which all sound promising, some of which they'll cover (12:47). Continuing ideas and thoughts in non-spoilers, they discuss whether they'd recommend 'DTF St. Louis' from HBO (21:42) and general thoughts on 'Rooster' and its sixth episode (26:43). In spoilers, they break down why 'DTF St. Louis' worked or didn't (28:52) as well as what made 'Rooster' and its sixth episode a decent, but not great, one (48:41). For more, visit The Alabama Take. For the newsletter from the site, click this link to sign up.

Apr 21

•

55 min
JAN 13

TV Finales: 'Stranger Things,' 'Plur1bus,' 'Welcome to Derry,' and 'The Chair Company'

This week, the episode kicks off with the trio—Adam, Donovan, and Blaine—reuniting after their holiday break to discuss the endings of 2025's television. To begin, Blaine breaks down where they've been and how it almost ended (0:02). In the non-spoiler section, the guys join Blaine to talk about 'Stranger Things 5' and its return to form (2:29). They also discuss the finales, without spoilers, for 'Plur1bus' (4:56), 'Welcome to Derry' (6:19), and 'The Chair Company' (9:07). In the spoiler section, it's what made 'Stranger Things 5' work (12:17), what 'Plur1bus' likely had to say (30:54), how 'Welcome to Derry' was more of a roller coaster than show (44:50), and how 'The Chair Company' achieved something utterly wild (49:13). For more, visit The Alabama Take website with this link. To sign up for the site's newsletter, visit the link here. To help both the podcast and The Alabama Take site itself, consider making a donation of any size with the link here.

Jan 13

•

1h 1m
1D AGO

The Best TV of 2026 Thus Far

This week, it's host Blaine by himself and he uses the alone time to give an overview of the podcast and episode (0:01) as well as make an announcement about video with The Alabama Take's podcasts (0:55). Then he gives a good suggestion on how not to rely on social media for the podcast (4:02). After that break, Blaine reveals his top five shows of the year in a random order (4:34) which includes Marvel's 'Wonder Man,' 'The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins,' and more. For more from The Alabama Take, click here. For the newsletter from The Alabama Take, click here.

1d ago

•

10 min
MAR 24

Steve Carell's Greatness in 'Rooster' and the Tones of 'DTF St. Louis'

This week, per usual, host Blaine opens the episode with an introduction and overview of what's to come (0:02). From there with Adam and Donovan, they discuss the non-spoilers for the week. First, you have to see 'The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins' (1:02). From there, it's the big events in TV in the past week with 'The Pitt' and 'The Bachelorette,' but how do they know about this stuff (5:05)? Still in non-spoilers, the guys discuss the tones of 'DTF St. Louis' and how it achieves some specific styles of greatness (9:42). Their non-spoiler talk of the other HBO show 'Rooster' leads them to ask how great Steve Carell may be (12:48). Finally in non-spoilers, Blaine advises all to avoid both 'Imperfect Women' on Apple TV and 'Scarpetta' on Amazon Prime (20:24). This leads Donovan to reveal some news on trade paperbacks (23:30). From there, it's a short break and then the spoilers: 'DTF St Louis' specifics on how it is getting better and better (26:42). Lastly, some spoilers about the second episode of the HBO series 'Rooster': it's good, but how good (49:59)? For more, visit The Alabama Take website. To sign up for the site's newsletter rather than rely on social media, sign up here. To help both the podcast and The Alabama Take site itself, consider making a donation of any size with the link here.

Mar 24

•

1h 2m
APR 14

How People Watch TV Wrong with 'DTF St. Louis,' 'Rooster,' and 'Shrinking'

Taking It Down is back this week! With a rundown of the episode (0:02), Blaine discusses the absence of the show (1:26). From there, they talk about Adam's upcoming tour, which stumps Blaine, and why he'll be away from the podcast (1:58). This prompts a quick talk about social media, especially TikTok, and how to contact the podcast (5:55). There, Blaine brings up the notion of how people watch TV all wrong sometimes with a brief mention of 'The Pitt' in non-spoilers (9:30). The non-spoiler section continues with an overview of 'DTF St. Louis': now that they've reached the penultimate episode, can they recommend it (15:46)? They do a midpoint check-in with the HBO series 'Rooster' (23:11) and a discussion of 'Shrinking' now that it has ended its third season (27:28). Before leaving non-spoilers, Blaine and Donovan explain why they recommend 'The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins' so often (30:48). They end the first half with ideas for next week (32:55). To begin spoilers, they start with a listener email about 'DTF St. Louis' and its surprises (35:18). Then they transition into the HBO series 'Rooster' and how it has a lot to offer from Steve Carell but even more than just him (51:41). Lastly, they close the spoilers with 'Shrinking' where they grade the ups and downs of the third season, and they determine how to weigh it as a whole season (1:01:23). For more, always check out The Alabama Take site and to support the site and its podcast, feel free to donate to the Buy Me A Coffee donation page where all proceeds go to the site.

Apr 14

•

1h 7m
FEB 24

An XL Episode From Rewatches to 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' to 'How to Get to Heaven from Belfast'!

To help this podcast continue and the website The Alabama Take keep going, click this link to donate as much or as little as you wish. Every bit helps. Thank you! They're back after a hiatus that lasted too long! And it's with a plus-sized episode! This week, Blaine begins with how to make a donation for The Alabama Take, why it's important, and how the funds will be used (0:02) Blaine then gives an overview of the episode (1:47). In the non-spoilers, which begin every episode, Blaine, Adam, and Donovan thank those who have helped the site and podcasts thus far (2:44). The episode kicks off in earnest with shows they repeatedly watch and what makes that a must (5:04): included is the series 'Band of Brothers,' which Adam claims to be HBO's best series (5:29) and Blaine found 'Lonesome Dove' a must after hearing of the death of Robert Duvall (11:34). Plus, he throws in the brilliance of comedian Dusty Slay as well as his Alabama connection (13:56). Continuing with non-spoilers, Blaine explains in general how 'Wonder Man' is easily Marvel's greatest television series and its best attempt at anything in many years (15:08). From there, it's non-spoilers for shows that will appear in the spoiler section; the first of which is 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,' what could be the best of the George R.R. Martin universe of shows on HBO (17:19). Blaine and Adam then discuss how Apple TV's 'Shrinking' is stinking and a little bit of why (21:33). Lastly in the non-spoiler section is the new Netflix series 'How to Get to Heaven from Belfast,' which has all three hosts intrigued (22:39). After a short break, they get into the meat of the episode, pondering how goods HBO's 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' truly is and if what appears in the penultimate episode is fully needed (31:06). From there, it's the specifics on Apple TV's 'Shrinking' and why it now sucks (52:47). In the final spoiler conversation, all three hosts have full attention to Netflix's new show 'How to Get to Heaven from Belfast' (1:08:35) because of how quickly it lets the viewer in, which has a lot to do with aging. For more, visit The Alabama Take website. To sign up for the site's newsletter and not rely on social media, sign up here. To help both the podcast and The Alabama Take site itself, consider making a donation of any size with the link here.

Feb 24

•

1h 28m
APR 28

T-Town Never Down

Here's a fun game: see if you can pinpoint the moment TD realizes his mic is turned away from him. NFL Draft, NBA playoffs, Bama sports, WWE releases, you know. You click this link to see all of the other links. You get some sweet Takin' On Sports merch here.

Apr 28

•

1h 9m

Compositions + Podcasts + Miscreants The Alabama Take is a collection of podcasts and pieces on movies, music, books, television, games, sports, politics, and culture from a few of Alabama’s best and worst miscreants.

Website

The Alabama Take

Top Shows

TV's Dark Corners: 'Euphoria,' 'Beef,' 'Half Man,' and More

"Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Unraveling 'DTF St. Louis' and 'Shrinking' Does Its Best

'Euphoria' Disappoints, Promising Shows, and 'DTF St. Louis' Finale,

TV Finales: 'Stranger Things,' 'Plur1bus,' 'Welcome to Derry,' and 'The Chair Company'

The Best TV of 2026 Thus Far

Steve Carell's Greatness in 'Rooster' and the Tones of 'DTF St. Louis'

How People Watch TV Wrong with 'DTF St. Louis,' 'Rooster,' and 'Shrinking'

An XL Episode From Rewatches to 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' to 'How to Get to Heaven from Belfast'!

T-Town Never Down

About

The Alabama Take

Top Shows

Top Episodes

About