Accessibility links
Television Television

Television

Kyle MacLachlan poses in London on Dec. 3, 2025.

"Ultimately, I was the audience's guide into a very scary place," Kyle MacLachlan says of his roles in Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks. He's shown above in London on Dec. 3, 2025. Scott A. Garfitt/Invision/AP hide caption

Scott A. Garfitt/Invision/AP

Author Interviews

Kyle MacLachlan says he was David Lynch's 'submersible' into dark places

MacLachlan was 23 when he auditioned for Lynch's adaptation of Dune. The two would go on to work together on the cult classics Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks. MacLachlan's new memoir is Fictional Selves.

FA: Kyle MacLachlan

Listen · 36:58
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5982797/nx-s1-9943317" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Jay-Z and Rick Rubin in JAŸ-Z In 8.

Jay-Z and Rick Rubin in JAŸ-Z In 8. HBO hide caption

HBO

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'JAŸ-Z In 8' is a frictionless annotation of Jay-Z's legacy

Jay-Z has been everywhere lately. It’s been 30 years since his acclaimed debut Reasonable Doubt, and he celebrated with a series of concerts at Yankee Stadium. And now there’s the HBO docuseries, JAŸ-Z In 8, in which Jay-Z dissects his catalog with producer Rick Rubin. The series hopes to further cement his legacy as one of the most revered lyricists of our time. But Jay-Z (or JAŸ-Z, as he’s styled it lately.) has always been a polarizing figure, both in his personal life and as a business mogul. So what does this series accomplish?

Jay-Z

Listen · 26:18
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5978769/nx-s1-mx-5978769-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Olivia Colman in Wicker.

Olivia Colman in Wicker. Black Bear hide caption

Black Bear

Pop Culture Happy Hour

The movies and TV we’re most excited about this fall

This fall, there’s a lot of movies and TV on tap for you to see. And we're as excited for all of it to arrive as you are. So we’ve got a guide to what’s worth keeping on your radar, including Wicker, Wildwood, Wild Horse Nine, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother and Avatar: Seven Havens.

Fall Guide

Listen · 32:38
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5977749/nx-s1-mx-5977749-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
David Ellison, Chairman & CEO, Paramount Skydance speaks on stage during New York Upfront Partnership Event 2026 at Storied NYC on April 22, 2026 in New York City.

David Ellison, Chairman & CEO, Paramount Skydance speaks on stage during New York Upfront Partnership Event 2026 at Storied NYC on April 22, 2026 in New York City. Noam Galai/Paramount via Getty Images hide caption

Noam Galai/Paramount via Getty Images

Media

Paramount makes concessions to salvage $111 billion Warner Bros. Discovery deal

Paramount's owners have made concessions to 12 Democratic state attorneys general to settle a lawsuit that endangered the media company's bid for its larger Hollywood rival, Warner Bros. Discovery.

HFR Paramount and AGs settle

Listen · 4:04
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5974909/nx-s1-9934954" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Patrick Brammall in Last Seen.

Patrick Brammall in Last Seen. Apple TV hide caption

Apple TV

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

‘Last Seen’ is a new spin on troubled detectives

The new Apple TV series Last Seen is a compelling thriller. It stars Patrick Brammall (Colin from Accounts) as an emergency dispatcher named who gets a call one night from a girl he thinks might be his long-missing daughter. The show follows him as he becomes obsessed with finding the truth, even at the cost of his own stability and sobriety. It also tackles some thorny questions about who stands to gain and lose from solving this case.

Last Seen

Listen · 17:39
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5971146/nx-s1-mx-5971146-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Miku Martineau in Crew Girl.

Miku Martineau in Crew Girl. Netflix hide caption

Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Crew Girl' is on a row to nowhere

The Netflix TV show Crew Girl follows in the footsteps of successful coming-of-age dramas like Sterling Point and The Summer I Turned Pretty. It follows Teagan, an ambitious high school rower (Miku Martineau) trying to fit in on the boys’ crew team at a fancy prep school. The show’s got a plucky fish out of water, a love triangle with two very different boys (Kyle Clark and Sam Braun), and a dreamy sunlit setting. But does Crew Girl sink, swim, or row?

Crew Girl

Listen · 17:37
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5968767/nx-s1-mx-5968767-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
The Baddies Revolution will be televised

Camilla, Ahna Mac, Biggie, Lemuel Plummer, Natalie Nunn, Janeisha John, and Joseline Hernandez of the Zeus Network Getty Images/Robin L Marshall/Arnold Turner/Getty Images hide caption

Getty Images/Robin L Marshall/Arnold Turner/Getty Images

It's Been a Minute

The Baddies Revolution will be televised

Are we living in a Baddies Revolution?

The Baddies Revolution will be televised

Listen · 25:09
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5970433/nx-s1-mx-5970433-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Matthew Rhys won two Emmy awards for lead actor in a comedy series for Widow's Bay and lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie for The Beast in Me.

Matthew Rhys won two Emmy awards for lead actor in a comedy series for Widow's Bay and lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie for The Beast in Me. Amy Sussman/Getty Images hide caption

Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Our 2026 Emmys recap

This year’s Emmys were a big night for shows we really love, including Widow’s Bay, The Pitt and Pluribus. Actors Jean Smart and Matthew Rhys picked up wins, and Rhys made some history. And we’ll explain why we love Mariska Hargitay, who proved to be a game yet corny host.

Pop Culture Happy Hour-09.15.2026

Listen · 24:07
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5969402/nx-s1-mx-5969402-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Clockwise from top left: Yahya Adbul-Mateen II in Wonder Man, Rhea Seehorn in Pluribus, Noah Wyle in The Pitt, Lisa Kudrow as Valerie in The Comeback.

Clockwise from top left: Yahya Adbul-Mateen II in Wonder Man, Rhea Seehorn in Pluribus, Noah Wyle in The Pitt, Lisa Kudrow in The Comeback. Suzanne Tenner/Marvel/Disney+; Apple TV; Warrick Page/MAX; Apple TV; Emma Simkin/HBO hide caption

Suzanne Tenner/Marvel/Disney+; Apple TV; Warrick Page/MAX; Apple TV; Emma Simkin/HBO

Pop Culture Happy Hour

If the Emmys were up to us ...

The Pitt, Hacks, Widow's Bay and Pluribus are leading the Emmy nominations pack this year. Here's who we'll have our fingers crossed for on Monday night.

Nicolas Cage in National Treasure.

Nicolas Cage in National Treasure. Columbia Pictures / Maximum Film / Alamy hide caption

Columbia Pictures / Maximum Film / Alamy

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Unapologetically basic TV and movies that we love

When you hear the words “pumpkin spice latte,” maybe you think of fall. But maybe you just think about the pleasures of something unapologetically basic. The same can be said for movies and TV. Today, we are revealing some of the most basic things we really love – including National Treasure, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Dateline NBC, and The People’s Court.

Unapologetically basic TV and movies

Listen · 33:49
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5962775/nx-s1-mx-5962775-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
The original cast of Star Trek.

The original cast of Star Trek. The television series turns 60 on Tuesday, and while the show aired for only three seasons, it spawned prequels and sequels (on TV and in theaters) and still has a cult following today. Star Trek Archive hide caption

Star Trek Archive

60 years later, 'Star Trek' continues to 'live long and prosper'

The television series 'Star Trek' turns 60 on Tuesday. The original show aired for only three seasons, but it spawned prequels and sequels (on TV and in theaters) and still has a cult following.

60 years later, 'Star Trek' continues to 'live long and prosper'

Listen · 8:01
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5593092/nx-s1-9918632" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Ella Rubin in Sterling Point.

Ella Rubin in Sterling Point. Sabrina Lantos/Prime Video hide caption

Sabrina Lantos/Prime Video

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

You’ll want more time in ‘Sterling Point’

The buzzy fantastic new TV drama Sterling Point has it all. A mysterious inheritance. A teen love triangle. Secrets and lies that echo across generations. The Prime Video series has twists, turns, and heart. You won’t want to miss it. 

Sterling Point and What’s Making Us Happy

Listen · 22:45
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5954272/nx-s1-mx-5954272-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
A fake video of Jimmy Kimmel.

A fake video of Jimmy Kimmel. ALAMIN_TUBE/Screenshot by NPR hide caption

ALAMIN_TUBE/Screenshot by NPR

Are you sure that Kimmel clip was real? Late-night AI deepfakes are spreading online

While social media is rife with AI celebrity deepfakes, videos featuring late night TV hosts like Jimmy Kimmel and Jon Stewart are are easier to create than other kinds of deepfakes and potentially more disruptive.

Are you sure that Kimmel clip was real? Late-night AI deepfakes are spreading online

Listen · 5:20
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5943190/nx-s1-9906854" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

'Pluribus' star Rhea Seehorn says no thanks to a world dictated by groupthink

Seehorn is up for an Emmy for her role in the Apple TV series, in which she plays a woman who suddenly finds herself surrounded by people who are inexplicably happy. Originally broadcast Dec. 9, 2025.

FA: Rhea Seehorn

Listen · 15:07
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5946372/nx-s1-9904929" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Riz Ahmed is his own worst critic. His show 'Bait' explores that

Ahmed is nominated for an Emmy Award for his role in the Prime Video series about a struggling actor auditioning to be the next James Bond. Originally broadcast March 23, 2026.

FA: Riz Ahmed

Listen · 42:51
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5946347/nx-s1-9903081" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Amita Rao, Malik Elassal, Lucy Freyer and Jack Innanen in season 2 of Adults.

Amita Rao, Malik Elassal, Lucy Freyer and Jack Innanen in season 2 of Adults. FX hide caption

FX

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Gen Z awkwardly transitions into 'Adults'

Every generation gets its own version of a “20-somethings hang out and make mistakes” sitcom. And Gen Z’s got Adults, a silly series about a group of friends cohabitating in Queens, New York – and it makes for fun and all-too-relatable TV fodder. Adults is back for its second season on Hulu, so today we’re revisiting our episode about the series. 

Adults

Listen · 19:19
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5944982/nx-s1-mx-5944982-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit.

Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit. Pictorial Press/Alamy hide caption

Pictorial Press/Alamy

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Fictional teachers we wish we had

It’s back to school season, which has us thinking about our favorite teachers. The ones who really saw us, changed our points of view, or set us on new paths. But of all the teachers we've seen in TV and movies, which of them do we wish we'd had to educate us in real life? Today we’re talking about fictional on-screen teachers from My Girl, My So-Called Life, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit and Dune: Part One.

Fictional teachers we wish we had

Listen · 25:39
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5942988/nx-s1-mx-5942988-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Browse archive or search npr.org