I, too, just finished another fine episode, and when the guys were talking about the new American version of Shameless to be coming out, at first I thought Josh said they'd got "Willie Nelson" to play the lead (I later realised this was "Woody Harrelson").
I think Willie Nelson would be a top choice.
PS You guys give great guest.

If Mike Beckham says it, it must be true.

Nice episode, finally finished it off. Great interview - get him back!

I like how the duck showed up in this episode – it made me laugh at the gym.

BTW, you can open an iTunes account without a credit card, have a look at: http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-get-a-Fr... or just Google iTunes no credit card.

The funniest thing about the Bechdel test for me was that it's from a 1985 comic strip, yet it keeps popping up at the moment. Perhaps that's just all the lazy podcasts and blogs (like us!) feeding off each other, but it's interesting how these things come in and out of the public consciousness.

Andy Anderson is the loveliest man in the world and was such a delight to have in - remember if you're in Melbourne you can see Andy in Billy Elliot at Her Majesty's Theatre: http://www.hmt.com.au/

Stupid Internet Throttling: I assumed this was away of keeping certain conservative senators on side,but why is it still going on? Surely by now you'd have dumped this ludicrous idea? After this, the pathetic 5% emissions reduction and the demonisation of Bill Henson I keep expecting Kevin Rudd to pull off the rubber mask to reveal he's been John Howard all along! And he would've got away with it too, if it wasn't for us pesky kids...

Thanks to Brett for mentioning that Bechdel website (http://bechdel.nullium.net/), which has some links to other great sites I didn't know about, all full of feminist ranty goodness about various things media-related, including the state of female characters in film & TV and the search for good characters and non-sexist films and roles. One good one I spent too many hours reading through was The Hathor Legacy (http://thehathorlegacy.com/), So if you're as obsessed with these concepts and issues as I am, do yourself a favour and make your eyes bleed by going through these sites.

And as is the way with following links, soon you're swamped by the deluge of sites full of people pontificating about these themes. But it's always worth mentioning, since the goddamn problem still exists right? If it didn't, concepts like the Bechdel test wouldn't even occur to people and wouldn't need to be discussed.

On a more general note about Boxcutters, what about a regular segment on censorship? Not just in Australia, although I think that definitely needs to be discussed more often, if Josh would let Brett off his leash, but maybe also mention cases of TV censorship from around the world. Just an 'I-dee-a" (no offense to Josh, but every time you say 'idea' it sticks out)

Stacy

I'm aware that I say "idea" differently but I don't really get how.

On another note, we have, in the past, discussed censorship in other English speaking countries. We did this particularly in reference to the FCC in the United States and their seemingly puritanical rulings on some issues, ("nipplegate", people swearing on live television etc).

Yes, it would be interesting to look at censorship in other countries or at least what is and isn't acceptable in those countries. Thanks for the suggestion.

Excellent interview with Andy Anderson.
He mentioned a few NZ shows from the 80s & 90s, coming from NZ the memories came flooding back.
He's a wonderful NZ actor, very under-rated - I hope we see Andy in some more Aussie dramas.

Personally, I can't help feel it's more like a deliberate attempt at distraction - ie, here, there are these filters, and by the way the NBN is coming-! meanwhile, don't look at what this other hand over here is doing...

... clearly they should just 86 the filter as a bad idea (I understand why they might string (crazy Sth Australian politics) it out, but really the grown ups will eventually step in), and the NBN kerfuffle seems so much hot air for what should be a simple decision.
So call me paranoid- but it's all a deliberate attempt to keep various god-botherers at bay.
meanwhile, back in television-land - how safe do you think Peter "He who bones She-who-must-not-be-named-but-was-once-Boned!" Overton feels in his new job? Don't let the paint dry on your carspace, Petey...

The only good thing about it, it makes Civil Liberties important again - and its a great podcast topic for here and my show and a bunch of others by the look of it.

google "Stephen Conroy Blog" where there is page upon page of comments of hate levelled at him. The People have spoken.