A Tribute to The Firewall and Iceberg Podcast

Left to right: Daniel Fienberg and Alan Sepinwall

With the evolution of podcasts, it's becoming more and more likely that I am prone to having fits of disappointment when the good shows disappear, especially if they fill a niche. Last year saw the inimitable The Auteurcast abruptly end and today the TV juggernaut podcast Firewall and Iceberg bids its own adieu by doing what it does best. After 303 episodes, it ends its run by talking about the week ahead for the last time as well as spending close to 40 minutes reminiscing on their careers together. Don't worry, they claim that they'll be keeping touch. It just won't be in podcast form. The finale of Firewall and Iceberg is one of those that feels like a great loss largely because there's no show like it. Well there are plenty, but none talk about TV with such clarity and humor. That is one of several reasons that I will miss the show.

I cannot recall the first episode of the series that I ever listened to. Having read about the show on AV Club's Podmass a few weeks in a row, I became curious to give it a try. What I heard was immediately baffling, especially since my TV viewing habits were cloistered at best. I didn't get the references, nor were any of their topics interesting. I came from a world of film, and I needed that hook. That hook eventually became what was considered to be the "Golden Age" of TV. I started listening weekly around the start of each Fall TV season, looking for their recommendations, and finding myself intrigued by shows I had never heard of. In a way, I came into the show backwards.

This was many years ago, and I found this, alongside Extra Hot Great, to be my necessity to keep up with TV. I could name dozens of great movie podcasts, but the TV landscape was a little more selective, or if anything reserved for recap shows. There was nothing for the garden variety, nor was there anything that talked about Mad Men and Breaking Bad as in depth as I would like. It was in time that I discovered shows such as Review and Rectify thanks to their adamant recommendations. By the end, I was more likely to truth their five minute review more than any other resource. If anything, it was the prime motivator for me starting to review TV, even if I am far from great at it.

But why these two? Why Alan Sepinwall and Daniel Fienberg? For starters, they have impressive credentials between the two of them. At the time I started listening, both worked at HitFix and were constantly producing work that got me excited. Sepinwall wrote a fantastic book called "The Revolution Was Televised" about the aforementioned "Golden Era" (and is scheduled for an updated edition soon). His interviews and in-depth writing created a fascinating portrait not only of TV production, but the attitudes of viewers during that time. Considering that he has hosted a lot of great panels for shows like The Wire, Sepinwall is definitely an indispensable resource to TV culture. I eagerly awaited their report on the various TV press events where there were sure to be very bizarre stories.

More than credentials, they were just a lot of fun to listen to. Once you got the hang of their camaraderie that spans about two decades, you will notice that they're very playful and fun. Even as the podcast turned into a video show, they could be relied upon to poke jabs about personal opinions while also being precise. You could tell what shows were bad by the groaning sigh of Fienberg's opening remarks. If it was bad enough, you could get a humorous rant along with it. There were various inside jokes that long time fans would pick up on, and they would become more rewarding if you remembered where they were from. As a whole, they were both some of the most qualified people to talk about TV as well as the most engaging.

Received while writing this piece

Having had a few weeks to prep for their farewell, I am not sure that I am ready to say goodbye. It's the same rush that I get watching TV shows and knowing the end is seconds away. You come to rely upon their weekly presence, growing panicky when it's even late. Of course, it will be hard to replace Firewall and Iceberg for more than just the inside jokes. It was a reliable resource for TV news. I come away wondering if there will be a show to bridge that gap. I'm sure that there's plenty out there, but none that have already felt very influential to this blog, making me see TV in a more respectful and diverse manner. I'm likely to remain a reader, but I hope this isn't the last that I hear the voices of Sepinwall and Fienberg. They're just too important.

Just like their show, I don't really know how better to end this tribute to one of the best TV podcasts out there than with their closing phrase: "See you in the next life, Jack."