Pop Culture Happy Hour

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.

In this Pop Culture Happy Hour extra, Stephen Thompson and Glen Weldon chat about the reality television show King of the Nerds.

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.

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.

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.

In this small batch edition of Pop Culture Happy Hour, Linda Holmes and Stephen Thompson wrap up the The 87th Annual Academy Awards.

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.

Unfortunatley the Oscars Omnibus will arrive late in your podcast feeds. Linda Holmes and Stephen Thompson explain why.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 events.npr.org

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.