Newcomers: Sports, with Nicole Byer and Lauren Lapkus

Lauren and Nicole are back to discuss the popular 2014 video game, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, with the voice actor of the hero Talion himself, Troy Baker! Troy takes Lauren and Nicole on a deep behind-the-scenes look into the production of this runaway hit game, offering insight into the bizarre sensations of filming on a performance capture stage, the tightrope walk of carefully (and legally) expanding the lore of The Lord of the Rings franchise, and much more.Along the way, the fellow actors reflect on what life's been like working in entertainment during the pandemic, Troy's short-lived but intense experience doing stand up comedy, and an anecdote on dedication involving an actor giving a role-winning audition in the middle of a movie theater lobby!Like the show? Rate Newcomers 5-Stars on Apple Podcasts and let us know what LOTR media you'd like the series to cover.Sources for this episode:Movie version of Shadow of MordorArticle on the new Tolkien bookAdvertise on Newcomers via Gumball.fmSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Lauren and Nicole are joined by actress and comedian Jessica McKenna (Off Book: The Improvised Musical) for some more Lord of the Rings memes and parodies! The three take a peek at Aragorn's text messages, compare Saruman to a shampoo bottle, and watch Orlando Bloom himself imitate a popular song entirely based around a single Legolas line from the films.Like the show? Rate Newcomers 5-Stars on Apple Podcasts and let us know what LOTR media you'd like the series to cover.Sources for this episode:The voting is over. It's done.Warner Bros. padding out the Hobbit filmsAre you on your phone while Théoden mourns?Saruman the shampoo bottleAragorn's DMsTrilogy Recap RapThey're Taking the Hobbits to Isengard"Hobbits to Isengard" but it's OrlandoAdvertise on Newcomers via Gumball.fmSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's about that time again! In Part 2 of Lord of the Rings fanfiction, Lauren and Nicole are joined by graphic novelist and writer, Molly Ostertag, to get weird, goofy, creepy, and super cute with a fresh batch of fics.This round of fanfics truly runs the gamut of genres and moods. From the antics of Peepee the small stupid hobbit, to Lady Gollum's pursuit of rings and love, to (of course) some Sam and Frodo slash, there's sure to be a little something for everyone here.Like the show? Rate Newcomers 5-Stars on Apple Podcasts and let us know what LOTR media you'd like the series to cover.Sources for this episode:The LOTR-themed military spy satelliteFan Fics:The Very Secret Diary of Gandalf the GreyThe Mellon Chronicles ExcerptA Royal Wedding NightAdvertise on Newcomers via Gumball.fmSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Now that they're out of the woods of the challenging and bizarre Lord of the Rings animation trilogy, Lauren and Nicole suddenly find themselves... in more woods. Fan-made woods, that is! Joined by writer Eva Anderson (Comedy Bang! Bang!, You're The Worst), the three take a detour into the popular 2009 Lord of the Rings fan film, The Hunt for Gollum.Eva holds nothing back as she tells the tale of her break in at a magical, now defunct place known as Hobbiton, USA, and even reveals a certain precious someone she has tattooed on her. The three ponder what film and TV universes they would make their own fan films about, Nicole dishes out a hot take comparing fan-made Arwen with the Peter Jackson version, and Lauren just wants to get to the bottom of who is in the bag when Gollum is captured and wriggling around in it. "Internet, tell us who's in that bag!"Like the show? Rate Newcomers 5-Stars on Apple Podcasts and let us know what LOTR media you'd like the series to cover.Sources for this episode:Watch The Hunt For Gollum hereSean Connery could have been GandalfArticle about Hobbiton, USAWitness the Gollum diorama in HobbitonTrivia from IMDbTrivia from Fandom.comTrivia from WikipediaAdvertise on Newcomers via Gumball.fmSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The third and final pillar of the Lord of the Rings "animation trilogy" has been vanquished by Lauren and Nicole, with the aid of fellow Headgum podcaster, comedian and musician Miel Bredouw (Punch Up the Jam, Camp Unplug). The trio dive deep into this 1980 musical television film version of The Return of the King and decry the ugliness of all the characters (except Éowyn, who is super hot), note the ableism against Frodo masked under an awful folk tune, and ponder what it is about this franchise that keeps fans returning to these films time and time again. Okay, maybe not returning to this one specifically, but, yeah... Also, it finally happened, Lauren tells us how she recently dropped her first Lord of the Rings reference in real life! Are you happy now? She's very upset about this.Like the show? Rate Newcomers 5-Stars on Apple Podcasts and let us know what LOTR media you'd like the series to cover.Sources for this episode:The Gollum fishTrivia from IMDbTrivia from TvTropes.orgAdvertise on Newcomers via Gumball.fmSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Trudging ever onward through the deep cuts of the LOTR franchise, Lauren and Nicole bring along comedian and talk show host Michelle Collins (The Michelle Collins Show, Midnight Snack with Michelle Collins) to experience and help piece together the trippy and sometimes terrifying Ralph Bakshi animated film from 1978, simply known as The Lord of the Rings.The three begin on common ground, airing out their mixed opinions about this film and fawning over Gandy and how much of his, um, Gandy-ness could fill his wizard cap. But then a tussle breaks out as Nicole throws more shade on Gollum, and Michelle comes to his aid! In the end, they all put aside their differences and try to decipher where Peter Jackson is from. He's Australian, right? Or... British or something?Like the show? Rate Newcomers 5-Stars on Apple Podcasts and let us know what LOTR media you'd like the series to cover.Sources for this episode:Sean Astin announces 4K HD release of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogiesMick Jagger seriously wanted to play FrodoMore news on the nudity/sex rumors in the Amazon seriesTrivia from Fandom.comTrivia from MovieMistakesTrivia from ScreenRantAdvertise on Newcomers via Gumball.fmSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Actor and comedian Oscar Montoya (Spanish Aqui Presents, Inside The Disney Vault) joins Lauren and Nicole to begin the hosts' first foray into the world of animated Lord of the Rings content, starting with the American musical television special from 1977, The Hobbit.Oscar brings his obsession for animation along with him to explain his love for this movie, draw comparisons between this film's style with Disney's, and whether he thinks this story warrants more than the 77 minutes this animated version of The Hobbit offers (looking at you, 9 hour live-action versions...). The three break down the differences between this version and the Peter Jackson trilogy, and suss out which one comes out on top!Like the show? Rate Newcomers 5-Stars on Apple Podcasts and let us know what LOTR media you'd like the series to cover.Sources for this episode:Article on Amazon series nudity rumorsTrivia from IMDbTrivia from Fandom.comAdvertise on Newcomers via Gumball.fmSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welp, we were sort of wrong to think there would be a lot of insights into the world of The Lord of the Rings in store for us with the 2019 biopic, Tolkien. But though it was a dry well to draw from, Lauren and Nicole still managed to enjoy some thought-provoking conversations with actor and writer Mike Castle (Brews Brothers, Clipped) around the concepts of separating the art from the artist, whether spoilers for a story are a good or bad thing, and the glamorization and embellishments that biopics often indulge in. The trio even display their most pretentious voices possible to set the record straight on this film with some snooty fact-checking!Like the show? Rate Newcomers 5-Stars on Apple Podcasts and let us know what LOTR media you'd like the series to cover.Sources for this episode:Miniature Hobbiton DisplayFact Check article 1Fact Check article 2Trivia from IMDbAdvertise on Newcomers via Gumball.fmSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After finishing both Peter Jackson trilogies, Lauren and Nicole are ready to decompress, have a laugh, and perhaps even learn a thing or two in this episode of Newcomers all about the memes, parodies, and other bits and bobs that have cropped up over the years surrounding the Lord of the Rings franchise.Joined by actor, comedian and podcaster Paul Scheer (The League, Black Monday, How Did This Get Made?), the three will navigate all sorts of hilarity, ranging from comparisons between Gandalf and Betty White, to oddly relevant and topical jabs at peoples' responses to COVID-19. Later, Paul will introduce Lauren and Nicole to the deepest of deep cuts: rare footage of another well-known pointy-eared hero of pop culture singing a ballad for our dear Biblo, er... Diplo, er... Bilbo Baggins!Like the show? Rate Newcomers 5-Stars on Apple Podcasts and let us know what LOTR media you'd like the series to cover.Sources for this episode:Amazon's Lord of the Rings production articleBetty White and the BalrogNormal People vs. People with COVID-19Let Boromir borrow itSome form of SelfishDenethor and the TomatoA Simple Walk Into MordorVeggietales - Lord of the Beans"Frodo, Don't Wear the Ring""The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins"Advertise on Newcomers via Gumball.fmSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Actor, writer and podcaster Zach Reino (A.P. Bio, Off Book: The Improvised Musical) joins Lauren and Nicole to close out the rollercoaster that has been the Hobbit trilogy with a deep dive into The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.With Zach's musical prowess, the three work together to devise the greatest LOTR musical ever, with one idea just being Bilbo asking/singing for his stuff back from his neighbors the whole time. They also do their actual very best to decipher who all five of the armies are, and to comprehend how Benedict Cumberbatch could have possibly provided a motion capture performance for a gigantic dragon. Stick around to find out if Lauren regrets her fulfilled wish of some dwarves being killed off!Like the show? Rate Newcomers 5-Stars on Apple Podcasts and let us know what LOTR media you'd like the series to cover.Sources for this episode:GameRant article on the Gollum video gameBenedict Cumberbatch's MoCap session as SmaugTrivia from MovieMistakes.comTrivia from IMDbAdvertise on Newcomers via Gumball.fmSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.