Each week, guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: the show Queenie, the song "Kill The Lights," the book The Plot, and the new Knives Out teaser.
Our critics scanned the broadcast and streaming horizons to find the shows you should check out in June, July and August. There's some great new TV — plus, House of the Dragon and The Bear are back.
Glen Powell co-wrote Netflix's Hit Man alongside Richard Linklater, of the Before trilogy. The story is based on a Texas Monthly profile of a real undercover cop.
On his search for a lost earring,Julio Torres (Problemista, Los Espookys) goes on an epic quest through a queer, delirious and hilariously deranged New York City.
Janine and Gregory. Jim and Pam. Sydney and Carmy? Critic Aisha Harris, a self-described will-they-won't-they grinch, explores our obsession with simmering sexual tension ... even when there is none.
Each week, guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: Wes Anderson’s Roald Dahl adaptations; the songs “Meter Run” and “Worth It” and Gasoline Rainbow.
Sometimes, our favorite musical artists are too good to be true because they're sprung from the imaginations of Hollywood screenwriters. But what makes a fake band great? Today, we are debating the best fictional bands in TV and film — including from Mamma Mia!, Josie and the Pussycats, It's Your Move, and Miami Connection.
We want to hear your opinions about summer snacks. Are you Team Hot Dog or Team Hamburger? What's better: churro or a funnel cake? Click here to cast your votes. The results will be revealed at a virtual live event for Pop Culture Happy Hour+ supporters on Thursday, June 27th at 6 p.m. ET.
(Once you've signed up for PCHH+, make sure to set up your special feed, where you'll see a special bonus episode from May 31st with instructions on how to register for the live event. Email plus@npr.org for any extra assistance.)
The Peacock series We Are Lady Parts is a bold and very funny comedy about an up-and-coming London punk band called Lady Parts. The members of Lady Parts, and its manager, are all young Muslim women, from various racial and ethnic backgrounds. Over the course of its first season, each member experiences triumphs and setbacks – including its lead guitarist, who strives to overcome stage fright. The show is about to return for a new season, so today, we are revisiting our conversation about it.
What is it about a show that turns you into a bitter-ender, that keeps you dutifully watching every last episode, long after the train has jumped the tracks? Even when you know it's not good, but, for you anyway, it's just good enough to muddle through, all the way to the finale? Today, we're talking about terrible but bingeable TV shows.
Today, we are bringing you an episode of a new NPR podcast hosted by our pal Rachel Martin. It's called Wild Card, and it's a new interview show where the game controls the conversation. Each week, the guest chooses questions at random — about the memories, insights, and beliefs that have shaped their lives. This episode is an interview with the actor Pop Culture Happy Hour listeners voted as their favorite Chris — Chris Pine.
You may have noticed YouTube suggesting videos with Lawrence of Arabia-lengthruntimes. Because nerds are gonna nerd, and well-made work draws an audience, even if it's a time commitment.
Each week, Pop Culture Happy Hour guests and hosts share what's bringing them joy. This week: The K-pop band ATEEZ, Billie Eilish's new album, the Valley Heat podcast and novels by Megan Abbott.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is packed with bone-crunching practical stunts and lots of gnarly, diesel-powered chase scenes. It also shows a commitment to worldbuilding that grapples with themes of feminism, environmentalism, and humanity. Directed by George Miller, the prequel film tells the story of a Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy), who was taken from her home as a girl, raised to be a warrior in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, and now seeks revenge on an evil warlord (Chris Hemsworth).
It's rare to find a series with such an impeccable pedigree as HBO's The Sympathizer. It's based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, co-created by auteur director Park Chan-wook, and features Robert Downey, Jr. in four supporting roles. Set during and after the Vietnam war, the series follows a man (Hoa Xuande) juggling a position with the South Vietnamese military and one as a spy for the North Vietnamese. But is it a worthy adaptation?
