Pop Culture Happy Hour

This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Trey Graham and Glen Weldon talk about whether it's really possible to capture the magic of a first season later on in a series. What do shows do to reinvigorate themselves and last a long time? They'll talk 'Law and Order,' 'The Wire' and 'Mad Men,' which returns this weekend. Next, they'll discuss movie red flags. What indicates that a movie, particularly a sequel, won't be good? All that, plus What's Making Us Happy This Week.

This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes and Glen Weldon are joined by producer Jess Gitner and NPR Books editor Petra Mayer. They discuss the new Sundance miniseries 'Top of the Lake,' a crime drama starring Elisabeth Moss and Holly Hunter, directed and written by Jane Campion. They'll talk about the pacing, the acting, and how to best put a drug trip on screen. Then they'll defend some Pop Culture Punching Bags, among them The Monkees, Billy Joel, the Kardashians and the so-called movie flop 'John Carter.' All that, plus What's Making Us Happy This Week.

This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Trey Graham and Glen Weldon discuss crowd-funded art. They'll talk about the Veronica Mars movie which raised more than 3 million dollars on Kickstarter and they'll weigh the pros and cons of a patronage model. They'll also discuss Vulture's Ultimate Sitcom bracket, in which 'The Simpsons' emerged victorious over 'Cheers.' The gang clashes over what's the right criteria in judging the best sitcom. All that, plus What's Making Us Happy This Week.

This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes and Stephen Thompson are joined by producer Jess Gitner and comics guru (also Stephen's mom) Maggie Thompson to talk about pop culture for all ages. They'll discuss how pop culture is passed down from generation to generation and share some favorite examples of entertainment that can be enjoyed by both the young and old, together. Next, they'll reminisce about out-of-print pop culture and share some examples that they wish they could own in physical form today. All that, plus What's Making Us Happy This Week.

This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, the the gang takes some time off due to a perfect storm of illness and SXSW preparation. Here's a favorite episode from last Spring in which NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes joins Glen Weldon, Trey Graham and Stephen Thompson to talk about the vitality (or not) of the teen sex comedy — from Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Porky's to American Pie and Superbad. Then the gang has a lively debate about Easter candy and the value of Peeps. All that, plus What's Making Us Happy this week. (Note: This episode original aired on April 6, 2012.)

This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Trey Graham and Glen Weldon round up the Oscars telecast, from Daniel Day Lewis' speech and Jennifer Lawrence's tumble to Seth McFarlane's jokes. Next, they declare an "earworm warm" and take a close look at the commercial jingle. They'll go through a few of their favorites from past to present and ask why the jingle has gone the way of the dodo in recent years. All that, plus What's Making Us Happy This Week, including a recent Mark Harris essay on leading men and an unusual Taylor Swift remix. 

This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Trey Graham and Glen Weldon devote the whole show to the Academy Awards and run through all nine Best Picture nominees. They'll talk about about Steven Spielberg, story structure, the presence and absence of music, and a VIP (Very Important Pigeon). They'll also share their favorite film of the year. All that, plus What's Making Us Happy This Week. 

This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Trey Graham and Glen Weldon talk about the Grammy Awards: won, who wore what, and the performances they like and disliked. In honor of both President's Day and the launch of Netflix's 'House Of Cards,' they also talk about presidents in pop culture and why there's not as many movies and TV shows about presidents as you'd think. All that, plus What's Making Us Happy This Week. 

This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Trey Graham and Glen Weldon talk about all things Superbowl (well, aside from the game). They'll discuss the commercials they loved and hated, Beyonce's halftime show and the blackout. And, ahead of Valentine's Day, they'll talk about romance in pop culture and what they find actually romantic. Favorite examples come from 'The Simpsons,' 'Modern Family,' Johnny Cash and the comic 'Strangers in Paradise.' All that, plus What's Making Us Happy This Week.

This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Trey Graham and Glen Weldon talk about NBC's '30 Rock,' which just had its series finale. They'll discuss what the show did particularly well, including being meta — how a comedy show on NBC about a comedy show on NBC worked. They'll also drum up other examples of metacommentary done well and not so well in TV, film and theater. Finally, they take on listener questions about the Zaxxon rule and more in a Pop Culture Happy Hour FAQ. All that, plus What's Making Us Happy This Week.

This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Trey Graham and Glen Weldon talk about Noel Murray's A.V. Club piece on nerds and autism in pop culture. They'll discuss TV shows and movies that feature autistic characters, some more openly than others. They'll discuss the changing perception of nerds and their rising cool factor. Finally, the long-awaited return of the Regrettable Television Pop Quiz. All that, plus What's Making Us Happy This Week.

This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson and Glen Weldon are joined by NPR movie critic Bob Mondello to talk about movies and awards season. They discuss the Golden Globes, how much they loved hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler and which wins surprised them. They also talk about Jodie Foster's so-called "coming out" speech and how people are reacting to it. Finally, they move on to the Oscars. Which films and actors do they wish were nominated and which nominees would they would they skip this time around? All that, plus What's Making Us Happy This Week.

This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Trey Graham and Glen Weldon talk Downton Abbey. Along with special guest Barrie Hardymon, they talk about the first episode of the new season, and what does and doesn't work about the show overall. Next, they talk pop culture redemption. How does an actor move on from a former role or win the audience back after a bad personal decision? All that, plus What's Making Us Happy This Week.

This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Trey Graham and Glen Weldon talk about their pop culture resolutions for the New Year. They also go back and face last year's resolutions. Who followed through on their goals? Next, they make predictions for pop culture in 2013. Will television be as violent? And which movies will win major Oscars? All that, plus What's Making Us Happy this week.

This week, in addition to our regular Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Trey Graham and Glen Weldon answer questions from audience members at Pop Culture Happy Hour's first ever live show. This was recorded at NPR's Sale-a-bration on December 15, 2012.