About this podcast

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.

Latest episodes

• Rutherford Falls Is Your Next Summer Binge Watch

  July 6, 2022
• Ms. Marvel

  July 5, 2022
• The Dinosaurs of Jurassic World: Dominion

  July 4, 2022
• Minions: The Rise Of Gru And What's Making Us Happy

  July 1, 2022
• Three Songs To Help You Fall Asleep

  June 30, 2022
• The Black Phone

  June 29, 2022
• 2022 BET Awards

  June 28, 2022
• Marcel The Shell With Shoes On

  June 27, 2022
• Elvis And What's Making Us Happy

  June 24, 2022
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

  June 23, 2022
• Cha Cha Real Smooth

  June 22, 2022
• P-Valley

  June 21, 2022
• Lightyear And What's Making Us Happy

  June 17, 2022
• Good Luck To You, Leo Grande

  June 16, 2022
• Watergate In Pop Culture

  June 15, 2022
• 2022 Tony Awards

  June 14, 2022
• Obi-Wan Kenobi

  June 13, 2022
• Jurassic World Dominion And What's Making Us Happy

  June 10, 2022
• Crimes of the Future

  June 9, 2022
• This Is Going To Hurt

  June 8, 2022
• Judy Garland

  June 7, 2022
• Floor Is Lava

  June 6, 2022
• Fire Island And What's Making Us Happy

  June 3, 2022
• American Idol Contestants, Ranked

  June 2, 2022
• The Bob's Burgers Movie

  June 1, 2022
• Graduation In Pop Culture

  May 31, 2022
• Introducing: Everyone & Their Mom

  May 30, 2022
• Top Gun: Maverick And What's Making Us Happy

  May 27, 2022
• Harry Styles' Harry's House

  May 26, 2022
• The Kids In The Hall

  May 25, 2022
• Men

  May 24, 2022
• Books We Love: Identity And Culture

  May 23, 2022
• Downton Abbey: A New Era And What's Making Us Happy

  May 20, 2022
• Kendrick Lamar's Mr. Morale And The Big Steppers

  May 19, 2022
• Conversations with Friends

  May 18, 2022
• The Flight Attendant

  May 17, 2022
• Eurovision 2022

  May 16, 2022
• Heartstopper And What's Making Us Happy

  May 13, 2022
• Bad Bunny's Un Verano Sin Ti

  May 12, 2022
• We Own This City

  May 11, 2022
• Books We Love: Nonfiction

  May 10, 2022
• American Song Contest

  May 9, 2022
• Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness And What's Making Us Happy

  May 6, 2022
• Russian Doll

  May 5, 2022
• Grace And Frankie

  May 4, 2022
• Ozark

  May 3, 2022
• Titanic

  May 2, 2022
• Summer 2022 Preview And What's Making Us Happy

  April 29, 2022
• X,' horror and pleasure are deeply intertwined

  April 28, 2022
• A Very British Scandal

  April 27, 2022
• The Northman

  April 26, 2022
• Slow Horses

  April 25, 2022
• The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent And What's Making Us Happy

  April 22, 2022
• Our Flag Means Death

  April 21, 2022
• Law & Order

  April 20, 2022
• Moon Knight

  April 19, 2022
• The Great Pottery Throw Down

  April 18, 2022
• Pachinko And What's Making Us Happy

  April 15, 2022
• Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel

  April 14, 2022
• Julia

  April 13, 2022
• A Cameo Quiz

  April 12, 2022
• Books We Love: The States We're In

  April 11, 2022
• Ambulance And What's Making Us Happy

  April 8, 2022
• Morbius

  April 7, 2022
• Better Things

  April 6, 2022
• Starstruck

  April 5, 2022
• 2022 Grammys Recap

  April 4, 2022
• Everything Everywhere All At Once And What's Making Us Happy

  April 1, 2022
• The Lost City

  March 31, 2022
• Bridgerton

  March 30, 2022
• Human Resources

  March 29, 2022
• 2022 Oscars Recap

  March 28, 2022
• 2022 Oscars Preview And What's Making Us Happy

  March 25, 2022
• Deep Water

  March 24, 2022
• 2022 Oscars Guide: Documentary Feature

  March 23, 2022
• Oscars Best Picture Winners, Ranked

  March 22, 2022
• Books We Love: Love Stories

  March 21, 2022
• Master And What's Making Us Happy

  March 18, 2022
• The Adam Project

  March 17, 2022
• 2022 Oscars Guide: International Features

  March 16, 2022
• Severance

  March 15, 2022
• The Dropout

  March 14, 2022
• Turning Red And What's Making Us Happy

  March 11, 2022
• After Yang

  March 10, 2022
• Bel-Air

  March 9, 2022
• The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air

  March 8, 2022
• Kanye West

  March 7, 2022
• The Batman And What's Making Us Happy

  March 4, 2022
• A Madea Homecoming

  March 3, 2022
• 2022 Oscars Guide: Original Songs

  March 2, 2022
• Books We Love: Ladies First

  March 1, 2022
• Belfast

  February 28, 2022
• The Gilded Age And What's Making Us Happy

  February 25, 2022
• Kimi

  February 24, 2022
• Euphoria

  February 23, 2022
• Pam & Tommy

  February 22, 2022
• Love Is Blind

  February 21, 2022
• Texas Chainsaw Massacre And What's Making Us Happy

  February 18, 2022
• We Need To Talk About Cosby

  February 17, 2022
• Inventing Anna

  February 16, 2022
• Somebody Somewhere

  February 15, 2022
• 2022 Super Bowl

  February 14, 2022
• Marry Me And What's Making Us Happy

  February 11, 2022
• Peacemaker

  February 10, 2022
• 2022 Oscar Nominations

  February 9, 2022
• Mogul Mowgli

  February 8, 2022
• Drive My Car

  February 7, 2022
• First Pop Culture Crushes And What's Making Us Happy

  February 4, 2022
• Janet Jackson

  February 3, 2022
• Hustlers

  February 2, 2022
• The Golden Girls

  February 1, 2022
• 2022 Sundance: Best Movies

  January 31, 2022
• Wordle And What's Making Us Happy This Week

  January 28, 2022
• Peloton

  January 27, 2022
• A Hero

  January 26, 2022
• The Book Of Boba Fett

  January 25, 2022
• 2021 Best Books For Music Lovers

  January 24, 2022
• Abbott Elementary And What's Making Us Happy

  January 21, 2022
• And Just Like That...

  January 20, 2022
• Great 2021 Music Documentaries

  January 19, 2022
• Sort Of

  January 18, 2022
• The Tragedy Of Macbeth And What's Making Us Happy

  January 14, 2022
• The Weeknd's Dawn FM

  January 13, 2022
• Station Eleven

  January 12, 2022
• C'mon C'mon

  January 11, 2022
• Remembering Sidney Poitier

  January 10, 2022
• Great 2021 Movies You May Have Missed And What's Making Us Happy

  January 7, 2022
• Yellowjackets

  January 6, 2022
• The Lost Daughter

  January 5, 2022
• Three Favorite Video Game Recommendations

  January 4, 2022
• Remembering Betty White

  January 3, 2022
• Our 2022 Pop Culture Resolutions And What's Making Us Happy

  December 30, 2021
• Our 2022 Pop Culture Predictions

  December 29, 2021
• Don't Look Up

  December 28, 2021
• Insecure

  December 27, 2021
• Licorice Pizza

  December 23, 2021
• The Matrix Resurrections And What's Making Us Happy

  December 22, 2021
• Being the Ricardos

  December 21, 2021
• Nightmare Alley

  December 20, 2021
• Spider-Man: No Way Home And What's Making Us Happy

  December 17, 2021
• 2021 Pop Culture Favorites

  December 16, 2021
• Spotify Wrapped

  December 15, 2021
• Hawkeye

  December 14, 2021
• It's A Wonderful Life

  December 13, 2021
• West Side Story And What's Making Us Happy

  December 10, 2021
• The Beatles: Get Back

  December 9, 2021
• Succession

  December 8, 2021
• The Wheel of Time

  December 7, 2021
• 2021 Best Books

  December 6, 2021
• 2021 Best Books

  December 6, 2021
• The Power Of The Dog And What's Making Us Happy

  December 3, 2021
• Tick Tick Boom

  December 2, 2021
• Adele's 30

  December 1, 2021
• Encanto

  November 30, 2021
• Remembering Stephen Sondheim

  November 29, 2021
• Introducing NPR's Book of the Day

  November 26, 2021
• House Of Gucci And What's Making Us Happy

  November 24, 2021
• King Richard

  November 23, 2021
• Cowboy Bebop

  November 22, 2021
• Ghostbusters: Afterlife And What's Making Us Happy

  November 19, 2021
• Ghostbusters: Afterlife And What's Making Us Happy

  November 19, 2021
• Remembering Petra Mayer

  November 18, 2021
• Silk Sonic

  November 17, 2021
• Below Deck

  November 16, 2021
• ABBA

  November 15, 2021
• Red Notice And What's Making Us Happy

  November 12, 2021
• Project Runway

  November 11, 2021
• Passing

  November 10, 2021
• The Harder They Fall

  November 9, 2021
• Spencer

  November 8, 2021
• Eternals And What's Making Us Happy

  November 5, 2021
• Army Of Thieves

  November 4, 2021
• Colin in Black & White

  November 3, 2021
• Judge Judy

  November 2, 2021
• Film Noir: A Guide

  November 1, 2021
• Last Night In Soho And What's Making Us Happy

  October 29, 2021
• The Morning Show

  October 28, 2021
• Foundation

  October 27, 2021
• The French Dispatch

  October 26, 2021
• The Things That Scared Us As Kids

  October 25, 2021
• The Things That Scared Us As Kids

  October 25, 2021
• Dune And What's Making Us Happy

  October 22, 2021
• Three Songs For Cleaning Your Bathroom

  October 21, 2021
• Auteurs And Film Franchises

  October 20, 2021
• Impeachment: American Crime Story

  October 19, 2021
• You

  October 18, 2021
• The Last Duel And What's Making Us Happy

  October 15, 2021
• Squid Game

  October 14, 2021
• MAID

  October 13, 2021
• Y: The Last Man

  October 12, 2021
• Soul Train

  October 11, 2021
• No Time To Die And What's Making Us Happy

  October 8, 2021
• No Time To Die And What's Making Us Happy

  October 8, 2021
• 'Venom: Let There Be Carnage' is a chaotic love story

  October 7, 2021
• The Guilty

  October 6, 2021
• Beyoncé's Homecoming

  October 5, 2021
• Star Wars: Visions

  October 4, 2021
• The Many Saints Of Newark And What's Making Us Happy

  October 1, 2021
• The Sopranos

  September 30, 2021
• Scenes From A Marriage

  September 29, 2021