This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Glen Weldon, Stephen Thompson, are joined by PCHH newbie Katie Presley. Katie and Stephen share some of their favorite South by Southwest discoveries. Then the gang discusses pop culture geography and if it's important to accurately capture a sense of place. All that, plus What's Making Us Happy.
Mar 27, 2015•44 min
In this Pop Culture Happy Hour extra, we talk to comedian, actor and podcaster Kumail Nanjiani about the return of The X-Files — a TV show about which he has a podcast.
Mar 26, 2015•11 min
This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Glen Weldon, Barrie Hardymon, and Chris Klimek discuss Nick Hornby's new comedic showbiz novel Funny Girl. Then they'll talk about book to film adaptations. All that, plus What's Making Us Happy.
Mar 20, 2015•45 min
In this Pop Culture Happy Hour extra, Linda Holmes talks with romance blogger Sarah Wendell about romance fans, romance novels, and some of her top recommendations for fans and new visitors alike.
Mar 18, 2015•12 min
This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Glen Weldon, Stephen Thompson, and Guy Raz tape the podcast in front of an audience at NPR Headquarters. They'll discuss pop culture anniversaries, how often it makes sense to celebrate them, and the best ways to keep nostalgia in check. Then they'll talk about why some favorite kids entertainment endures while other favorites don't stand the test of time. All that, plus What's Making Us Happy.
Mar 13, 2015•46 min
In this Pop Culture Happy Hour extra, Stephen Thompson and Glen Weldon chat about the reality television show King of the Nerds.
Mar 11, 2015•8 min
This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Glen Weldon, and Code Switch's Gene Demby talk about the Will Smith con film Focus. Then they'll chat about rock music, how it's changed, and where to find new rock bands. All that, plus What's Making Us Happy.
Mar 06, 2015•48 min
This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Glen Weldon, Stephen Thompson, and Barrie Hardymon look back at the legacy of Parks and Recreation. Then they'll discuss Better Call Saul, AMC's spinoff of Breaking Bad. All that, plus What's Making Us Happy.
Feb 27, 2015•41 min
In this Pop Culture Happy Hour extra, Glen Weldon and Petra Mayer review Scott McCloud's landmark graphic novel The Sculptor. They'll also offer some additional graphic novel recommendations.
Feb 26, 2015•9 min
In this small batch edition of Pop Culture Happy Hour, Linda Holmes and Stephen Thompson wrap up the The 87th Annual Academy Awards.
Feb 24, 2015•9 min
This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Glen Weldon, and Bob Mondello sit down for the anual Oscars Omnibus. They'll talk about the nine best picture nominations--will Birdman, Boyhood, or another film take home an Academy Award for best picture? All that plus What's Making Us Happy this week.
Feb 20, 2015•49 min
Unfortunatley the Oscars Omnibus will arrive late in your podcast feeds. Linda Holmes and Stephen Thompson explain why.
Feb 19, 2015•2 min
This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Glen Weldon, and Chris Klimek talk about Jupiter Ascending, the latest film from the Wachowski siblings. Then they'll use the premiere of 50 Shades of Grey as an excuse to talk about the importance of on-screen chemistry. All that, plus What's Making Us Happy This Week.
Feb 13, 2015•44 min
In this Pop Culture Happy Hour extra, Linda Holmes and Stephen Thompson talk about the aftermath of Jon Stewart's farewell from The Daily Show and what might come next for him and his show.
Feb 11, 2015•7 min
In this Pop Culture Happy Hour extra, Linda Holmes and Stephen Thompson look back at the 2015 Grammys telecast and conclude that it could have used a little more joy.
Feb 09, 2015•10 min
This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes and Glen Weldon are joined by Tanya Ballard Brown and Code Switch's Gene Demby to talk about Fox's hip-hop drama Empire. Then they'll chat about the recent discussions about public radio voices, and broaden the conversation to the variety of voices you hear on the radio. All that, plus What's Making Us Happy.
Feb 06, 2015•41 min
In this Pop Culture Happy Hour extra, Linda Holmes and Stephen Thompson chat about the Super Bowl. They'll discuss the game, Katy Perry's half time show, and the adorable, adorable puppy.
Feb 02, 2015•11 min
This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Glen Weldon, Stephen Thompson, and Barrie Hardymon discuss Jane The Virgin. Then they'll talk about The Boy Next Door and other erotic thrillers. All that, plus What's Making Us Happy.**Pop Culture Happy LIVE: The Oscars Omnibus Featuring Bob Mondello**When: Tuesday February 17th, 2015 at 7:00pmWhere: Studio 1, NPR Headquarters, 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002Tickets go on sale February 3rd at 12PM ET at event...
Jan 30, 2015•43 min
This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Glen Weldon, Stephen Thompson, and Margaret H. Willison discuss the offbeat Comedy Central show Broad City. Then they'll talk about high school required reading lists: the books they had to read, the books they wanted to read, and what it all means as adults. All that, plus What's Making Us Happy.
Jan 23, 2015•44 min
This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson and Glen Weldon are joined by NPR Code Switch's Gene Demby to discuss the Civil Rights Era film Selma. They'll discuss the direction by Ava DuVernay, the Oprah of it all, and how well it brings Martin Luther King, Jr. to life. Then they'll discuss other historical dramas and the advantages and limitations of dramatic license. All that plus What's Making Us Happy this week.
Jan 16, 2015•43 min
In this Pop Culture Happy Hour extra, Linda Holmes and Stephen Thompson chat about the Oscar nominations. They'll discuss the idiosyncratic men up for nominations and the films, actors, and directors who the Academy decided not to recognize.
Jan 15, 2015•10 min
In this Pop Culture Happy Hour extra, Linda Holmes and Stephen Thompson talk about the Golden Globes. They'll talk about the surprising wins, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler's final night as hosts, and much more.
Jan 13, 2015•8 min
This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Glen Weldon, and Kat Chow partake in a PCHH New Year's tradition. First, they'll look back on their pop culture resolutions for 2014 before setting some new goals for 2015. Then, they'll relive their predictions for the previous year and then make some guesses about what's to come in 2015. All that plus What's Making Us Happy this week.
Jan 09, 2015•53 min
In this Pop Culture Happy Hour extra, Linda Holmes and Stephen Thompson talk about Monday night's three hour premiere of The Bachelor. They'll talk about the Iowa farmer at the center of the fury, the women trying to win his heart, and lots more.
Jan 06, 2015•12 min
Stephen Thompson and Gene Demby remember influential ESPN sportscaster Stuart Scott, who died yesterday at the age of 49.
Jan 05, 2015•6 min
This week you'll hear the second half of our live show at the Sixth & I in Washington, D.C. First, a few quizzes, featuring our friends Matt Thompson, Kat Chow, Bob Mondello and Audie Cornish. Then, Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson and Glen Weldon answer some audience questions.
Jan 02, 2015•39 min
This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Glen Weldon and Bob Mondello discuss Disney's film adaptation of the Broadway musical Into The Woods. Then they'll discuss movie franchises--why do some take off while others never fail to leave the ground? All that, plus What's Making Us Happy.
Dec 26, 2014•41 min
This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Glen Weldon and Audie Cornish talk about the new Chris Rock film Top Five. Then they'll discuss the art of the mixtape. All that plus What's Making Us Happy this week.
Dec 19, 2014•46 min
This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Glen Weldon, Stephen Thompson, and Barrie Hardymon are LIVE from the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue in Washington, D.C. They'll discuss what their takeaways from the year in pop culture before sharing some embarrassing stories about some of their pop culture firsts. All that, plus All that, plus What's Making Us Happy. Topics covered: Beyonce, Taylor Swift, John Legend, Let It Go, Pharrell Williams, Chris Pratt, Serial, The Pa...
Dec 12, 2014•58 min
This week, we step into the Pop Culture Happy Hour time machine to bring you two encore segments. First, a trip back to 2010 when the gang discussed some of their favorite and least favorite holiday pop culture artifacts. Then you'll hear a segment from 2011 about the best and worst Christmas music.
Dec 05, 2014•45 min