The Nightly – “Is The New Avatar Bigger and Bluer?”

Podcast: The Nightly
Host: Matt (A), with guest Josh (B)
Date: January 11, 2026

Episode Overview

This cozy, late-night episode of The Nightly, hosted by Matt with returning guest Josh, delivers lighthearted pop culture commentary, friendly banter, and a whimsical Sunday pub quiz. The main throughline explores whether the ever-expanding Avatar franchise is getting “bigger and bluer,” with detours into construction delays, nostalgic movie memories, and quirky trivia. The tone is gentle, droll, and intentionally relaxing – perfect for unwinding before bed.

Key Themes and Discussion Points

1. New Year Musings & Resolutions

[00:43–03:09]

• Matt and Josh exchange updates on their new year, with Matt admitting he’s still working through “the Christmas lag,” while Josh feels “creatively energized.”
• Both poke fun at New Year’s resolutions:
  • Josh: “I have the same New Year's resolution every year, which is to be an increasingly available and present friend as well as an increasingly looming and formidable enemy.” [01:33]
  • They agree impressive life changes rarely start on January 1st.
  • Matt: “I've never met anybody who's done something impressive ... and they've said, oh yeah, I started doing that on the 1st of January.” [02:37]
• The mood is self-deprecating and playful.

2. Epic Delayed Construction: The Local Roadworks Rant

[03:20–06:32]

• Matt shares a news article comparing the painfully slow pace of a local roadwork project to historic feats of engineering, all to comedic effect:
  • The roadworks will take 3.5 years for minor adjustments, contrasted with:
    • The Eiffel Tower: built in 2 years, 2 months, 5 days [04:20]
    • The Empire State Building: “one year and 45 days” [05:14]
    • Titanic: “three years and two days. So again six months shorter than the Botley Road.” [05:52]
• Josh: “I do think if we're talking about successful completion of construction projects, I don't know that we want to use one of the greatest shipwreck disasters in history as the benchmark.” [05:59]
• They riff on how technology (and phone distractions) might slow “modern” work.

3. The ‘Avatar’ Franchise: Is It Just Getting Bigger and Bluer?

[06:32–08:50]

• The conversation veers into the longevity and spectacle of James Cameron’s Avatar films:
  • Matt: “I didn't even realize they were still making Avatar films. But it's still going strong, isn't it?” [06:50]
  • Josh: “When the new one came out ... I was like wait, another one already? The first and second one there was a 15 year gap in between.” [06:56]
• Surprisingly, the second and third films are released much closer together (13 years gap, followed by three years).
• Josh admits he’s never seen the movies but distills the public perception:
  • Josh: “I just think about it as, is it bigger and bluer than the ones before?” [07:38]
  • Matt: “It's just a sort of CGI Smurfs, isn't it?” [07:56]
• They credit James Cameron for technological advances, especially in 3D, but remain bemused over the franchise’s cultural staying power.

4. Titanic Memories & Leo’s Alleged Blindspot

[08:51–10:20]

• Matt shares a tidbit that Leonardo DiCaprio claims never to have seen Titanic (though he attended the premiere). [09:04]
• The hosts entertain reasons for this:
  • Josh: “I bet he was smoking cigarettes. I bet he went outside ripping butts.” [09:36]
  • Banter about DiCaprio’s age during filming leads to musings on casting norms of the 90s.

5. Pub Quiz Segment: Whimsical and Unexpected Trivia

[10:20–18:43] Matt brings three favorite pub quiz questions from his weekly outings, guiding Josh (and listeners) through endearing and often absurd guesses.

a. Prince Harry’s Engagement Dinner

• Q: What meal did Prince Harry serve to Meghan Markle when proposing?
  • Josh’s Guess: “Fettuccine Alfredo.” [11:25]
  • Answer: Roast chicken – “the engagement chicken” popularized by Glamour magazine as a proposal catalyst. [12:00]
  • Josh jokes: “Maybe the recipe includes ... You hide an engagement ring inside the body of the chicken.” [13:06]

b. Wile E. Coyote’s Middle Name

• Q: What does the “E” in Wile E. Coyote stand for?
  • Josh’s Guess: “Earnest.” [13:48]
  • Correct Answer: “Ethelbert.” [15:42]
  • Matt: “Maybe that stems from the fact that his middle name is Ethelbert.” [15:42]
  • Discussion on whether Wile E. is truly a “bad guy” or simply hungry/naturally motivated.

c. Pre-Cheese Photo Poses

• Q: Name the dried fruit people were told to say before “cheese” to smile for photos in the 1800s.
  • Josh’s Guess: “Apricots.” [17:04]
  • Answer: “Prunes.” [17:45]
  • Josh: “That’s like a selfie style, like 2010s duck face ... all trends are cyclical.” [17:53–18:11]

Notable Quotes

• Josh (on resolutions):

  “I have the same New Year's resolution every year, which is to be an increasingly available and present friend as well as an increasingly looming and formidable enemy.” [01:33]

• Matt (on historic construction):

  “The Eiffel Tower ... was completed ... after two years, two months and five days.” [04:20]
  "Empire State Building...one year and 45 days..." [05:14]

• Josh (on ‘Avatar’):

  “Good doesn’t even occur to me. ... I just think about it as, is it bigger and bluer than the ones before?” [07:38]

• Matt (on ‘Avatar’):

  “It's just a sort of CGI Smurfs, isn't it?” [07:56]

• Josh (on ‘engagement chicken’):

  "Maybe the recipe includes. You hide an engagement ring inside the body of the chicken." [13:06]

• Josh (on photo posing):

  “That’s like a selfie style, like 2010s duck face ... all trends are cyclical.” [17:53–18:11]

Major Timestamps

• [00:43–03:09] — New Year catch-up & resolutions
• [03:20–06:32] — Construction delays vs. historical marvels
• [06:32–08:50] — Avatar’s sequels and public perception
• [08:51–10:20] — Titanic, DiCaprio, and 90s trivia
• [10:20–18:43] — Pub Quiz questions and playful debates

Memorable Moments

• The running joke of “is it bigger and bluer?” becomes a stand-in for Avatar’s place in modern pop culture.
• The comedic roasting of slow construction work by comparing it to the Titanic and Eiffel Tower.
• The trivia segment’s combination of earnest attempts and off-the-wall guesses, revealing both hosts’ offbeat chemistry.

Closing Tone

Friendly, whimsical, and deeply relatable, this episode blends gentle ribbing, obscure facts, and a dose of pop culture nostalgia. Perfectly formatted to help listeners relax — maybe even drift off in the midst of “prunes” and “blue CGI Smurfs.”