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Wednesday

Maleah Joi Moon in Netflix’s A Different World.

Maleah Joi Moon in Netflix's A Different World. Netflix hide caption

Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Class is back in session for 'A Different World,' and we're here for it

The TV series A Different World has loomed large in the culture since ending in the ‘90s, and now school is back in session in a new sequel series on Netflix. The show welcomes a new generation of students to the fictional HBCU Hillman College, and brings back notable alumni like Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy) and Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison). And while the world is a lot different than it was 30-plus years ago, in a lot of ways, it’s also kind of the same.

A Different World

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Monday

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

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Thursday

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

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Wednesday

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

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Monday

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

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Thursday

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

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Wednesday

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
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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
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Tuesday

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
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Monday

Sunday

Saturday

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.

Thursday

Clockwise from left, East of Eden, Neagley, Brothers, A Different World, Slow Horses and Cupertino.

Clockwise from left, East of Eden, Neagley, Brothers, A Different World, Slow Horses and Cupertino. Geoffrey Short/Netflix; Sabrina Lantos/Prime; Apple TV; Daniel Delgado Jr/Netflix; Apple TV; Elizabeth Fisher/CBS hide caption

Geoffrey Short/Netflix; Sabrina Lantos/Prime; Apple TV; Daniel Delgado Jr/Netflix; Apple TV; Elizabeth Fisher/CBS

Review

What to Watch

What to watch this fall: Here are 16 TV shows we're looking forward to

An East of Eden adaptation, a reboot of A Different World, Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson playing (possible) brothers ... Here's a sneak peek at what NPR critics will be watching in the next few months.