Pop Culture Happy Hour

In the new post-apocalyptic film The Dog Stars, a virus has wiped out most of humanity and the survivors eke out a meager existence trying to stay alive. Sound like an oh-too-familiar tale? What if it featured stars like Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley, and Allison Janney? And was directed by Ridley Scott and based on a best-selling novel? Would it be enough to pull you in? Should it be? 

Want more action from Hollywood’s biggest directors? Check out these episodes: 

Spielberg revisits aliens and alienation in ‘Disclosure Day’

'Gladiator II': Are you not entertained? Still? Again? Some more?

‘The Odyssey’ is an ancient tale on a modern budget

Connect with Pop Culture Happy Hour:
Letterboxd / Facebook
Our weekly newsletter
Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

The movie Coyote vs. Acme comes with some buzzy lore: it was famously shelved, and almost didn’t see the light of day. But it’s here now, and it’s good and looney! It follows Wile E. Coyote when he decides to sue the Acme Corporation for manufacturing crappy, ineffective products. The cast includes Will Forte, John Cena and Lana Condor. We also talk about our favorite Dolly Parton musical performances. 

If you want more animated capers, check out these episodes: 
'Minions & Monsters' is, oddly enough, a love letter to Old Hollywood
In 'Toy Story 5,' playtime's over and screentime's in

Connect with Pop Culture Happy Hour:
Letterboxd / Facebook
Our weekly newsletter
Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

Every generation gets its own version of a “20-somethings hang out and make mistakes” sitcom. And Gen Z’s got Adults, a silly series about a group of friends cohabitating in Queens, New York – and it makes for fun and all-too-relatable TV fodder. Adults is back for its second season on Hulu, so today we’re revisiting our episode about the series. 

If you want more bingeable comedies, check out these episodes:

‘The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins’ is (30) Rock-solid

Meg Stalter shines in the rom-com 'Too Much'

‘Widow’s Bay’ is an island in the scream

Connect with Pop Culture Happy Hour:
Letterboxd / Facebook
Our weekly newsletter
Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

It’s back to school season, which has us thinking about our favorite teachers. The ones who really saw us, changed our points of view, or set us on new paths. But of all the teachers we've seen in TV and movies, which of them do we wish we'd had to educate us in real life? Today we’re talking about fictional on-screen teachers from My Girl, My So-Called Life, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit and Dune: Part One.

If you like want more episodes like this one, check out:
The reality TV show I'd like to judge
The TV show I'd like to live in
The American dream according to ‘The Wire,’ ‘Apollo 13’ and more

Connect with Pop Culture Happy Hour:
Letterboxd / Facebook
Our weekly newsletter
Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

HBO’s new DC superhero show Lanterns is not the show you think it is. It’s about a couple of space cops: Kyle Chandler plays Earth’s Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, a grizzled, impulsive old-timer reluctantly training up his backup, John Stewart (Aaron Pierre). Yet the story avoids cosmic sweep and spectacle in favor of a character-driven mystery and a grounded setting. Does this series thread the needle to appeal to comics nerds and newcomers alike?

If you need more superhero stories, check out these episodes: 
'Supergirl' has a solid hero but could use a better villain
Marvel’s ‘Wonder Man’ is a low-key, low-stakes buddy comedy

Connect with Pop Culture Happy Hour:
Letterboxd / Facebook
Our weekly newsletter
Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy