1st Day of Bingemas: 'Merry Christmas, Ted Cooper!' With Joanna Robinson

·1 hr 7 min·5 clips

Jodi Walker reveals her obsession began with a Hallmark film where Danny Glover kidnaps people for a Christmas train Truman Show.

Jodi Walker introduces 'Bingemas,' a 12-part holiday special on the Ringer Podcast Network dedicated to dissecting original holiday movies from Hallmark, Lifetime, and Netflix. She explains her obsession began in 2017 with 'The Christmas Train,' a film involving Danny Glover and a Truman Show-like scenario. The episode features returning guest Joanna Robinson, a culture writer, to analyze the first movie of the season, 'Merry Christmas, Ted Cooper!'. The hosts discuss the film's premise: Ted Cooper, a weatherman played by Robert Buckley, returns to his hometown and reconnects with a high school crush, Dr. Hope Miller, while grappling with a streak of bad Christmas luck. They note the movie's conflict revolves around toxic positivity, with Hope criticizing Ted's people-pleasing nature. Joanna and Jodi explore the escape room scene, where the characters get locked in overnight but only talk, missing opportunities for romantic tension. They highlight Robert Buckley's charm and his role as a co-writer on this and other Hallmark movies. The conversation touches on recurring Hallmark tropes, such as recycled props like giant cardboard gingerbread and the absence of a literal Santa. They critique the low stakes, as Ted already has a job offer in the area, removing typical romantic obstacles. The hosts also mention upcoming Bingemas episodes with stars like Alicia Silverstone and Oliver Hudson. They conclude by comparing this film to others, noting its focus on internal conflict over external villains or financial ruin.

As heard by us

A brisk holiday-movie breakdown that treats Christmas chaos with forensic enthusiasm.

Binge Miss opens as a comic takedown of holiday-movie logic, with Jodi Walker and Joanna Robinson returning to familiar questions about fake towns, mysterious old men, and who is dead.

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Why you'd press play

Jodi Walker and Joanna Robinson run a holiday movie through the Binge Miss rubric.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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