660 episodes

Get obsessed with us. Five days a week, Pop Culture Happy Hour serves you recommendations and commentary on the buzziest movies, TV, music, books, videogames and more. Join arts journalists Linda Holmes, Glen Weldon, Stephen Thompson, and Aisha Harris - plus a rotating cast of guest pop culture aficionados. The Happy Hour team leaves room at the table for exploring a range of reactions and opinions on every bit of the pop universe. From lowbrow to highbrow to the stuff in between, they take it all with a shot of cheer.Make your happy hour even happier with Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus! Your subscription supports the podcast and unlocks a sponsor-free feed. Learn more at plus.npr.org/happyhour

Pop Culture Happy Hour Pop Culture Happy Hour

    • TV & Film
    • 4.5 • 10.2K Ratings

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

Get obsessed with us. Five days a week, Pop Culture Happy Hour serves you recommendations and commentary on the buzziest movies, TV, music, books, videogames and more. Join arts journalists Linda Holmes, Glen Weldon, Stephen Thompson, and Aisha Harris - plus a rotating cast of guest pop culture aficionados. The Happy Hour team leaves room at the table for exploring a range of reactions and opinions on every bit of the pop universe. From lowbrow to highbrow to the stuff in between, they take it all with a shot of cheer.Make your happy hour even happier with Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus! Your subscription supports the podcast and unlocks a sponsor-free feed. Learn more at plus.npr.org/happyhour

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

    Trap and what's making us happy

    Trap and what's making us happy

    M. Night Shyamalan's new thriller Trap stars Josh Hartnett as a father attending a pop concert with his teenage daughter. But all is not as it appears. It quickly turns out that the entire concert is surrounded by police who are trying to catch a dangerous serial killer in the most difficult way possible. There is a lot going on in this bonkers movie: lots of pop songs, and lots of strange decision-making.

    Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    NPR Privacy Policy

    • 25 min
    House Of The Dragon season 2 makes it Rhaen(yra)

    House Of The Dragon season 2 makes it Rhaen(yra)

    The second season of HBO's House of the Dragon is almost over. The war between two rival factions of the Targaryen dynasty is fully underway, complete with stealth missions, palace intrigue, battle scenes and hot dragon-on-dragon action. But now that the Dance of the Dragons is in full swing, has the Game of Thrones prequel finally hit its stride?

    Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    NPR Privacy Policy

    • 22 min
    Time Bandits maps contemporary vibes over a cult classic

    Time Bandits maps contemporary vibes over a cult classic

    The dryly funny new Apple TV+ series Time Bandits reimagines the 1981 Terry Gilliam film of the same name. A squad of inept thieves — including their sort-of leader, played by Lisa Kudrow — have stolen a map of the universe. They use it to jump through portals to various time periods to steal stuff. One jump takes them into the bedroom of a British kid (Kal-El Tuck), who tags along as they're chased by Taika Waititi's Supreme Being and Jemaine Clement's Pure Evil.

    Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    NPR Privacy Policy

    • 21 min
    We're talking songs of the (Brat) summer

    We're talking songs of the (Brat) summer

    Trying to declare the "official" song of the summer isn't a new sport. But this year feels like the first in a while where the field's been so crowded from the domination of pop girls like Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter, and Chappell Roan to country twang with Post Malone, Morgan Wallen, and Shaboozey. Today, we discussing the songs and artists who seem to be everywhere this summer, and why they are so catchy and inescapable.

    Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour

    Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    NPR Privacy Policy

    • 26 min
    Deadpool & Wolverine and what's making us happy

    Deadpool & Wolverine and what's making us happy

    In the highly meta Deadpool & Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman finally meet up for their own big movie. Deadpool is still smarmy, Wolverine is still tragic, and they have to get together to save the world. Along the way, Deadpool continues his usual routine of endless wisecracking. The movie is jam-packed with fan service and Easter eggs. But how will casual Marvel fans like the movie?

    Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    NPR Privacy Policy

    • 23 min
    In The Decameron, the Black Death makes for black comedy

    In The Decameron, the Black Death makes for black comedy

    In Netflix's weirdly compelling dark comedy The Decameron, the bubonic plague is ravaging Florence in 1348. A group of rich nobles and their servants decide to retreat to a picturesque villa in the country to wait it all out. The large ensemble includes Tony Hale and Zosia Mamet. Every character is hiding something, and those secrets get revealed — and more than a few uglies get bumped.

    Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    NPR Privacy Policy

    • 17 min

Customer Reviews

4.5 out of 5
10.2K Ratings

10.2K Ratings

Shelly Ann Wilma ,

Smart info

I like the banter and perspectives of the hosts.

121tim121 ,

Hot garbage

They are so pompous it has to be NPR.

66204 ,

New naming style?

For some reason the new naming style makes me irrationally angry. I have been way less likely to listen with these new titles. Please go back to the old style with just the name of the content discussed!!!

Top Podcasts In TV & Film

Middling with Eden and Brock
Eden Sher & Brock Ciarlelli
The Rewatchables
The Ringer
The Official Game of Thrones Podcast: House of the Dragon
HBO
That Was Us
Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chris Sullivan
Not Skinny But Not Fat
Dear Media, Amanda Hirsch
Watch What Crappens
Ben Mandelker & Ronnie Karam | Wondery

You Might Also Like

It's Been a Minute
NPR
Fresh Air
NPR
Vibe Check
Stitcher, & Saeed Jones, Zach Stafford, and Sam Sanders
All Songs Considered
NPR
Culture Gabfest
Slate Podcasts
Little Gold Men by Vanity Fair
Conde Nast & Vanity Fair

More by NPR

Up First
NPR
The NPR Politics Podcast
NPR
Fresh Air
NPR
Throughline
NPR
Planet Money
NPR
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
NPR