Linda Holmes

What is it about a show that turns you into a bitter-ender, that keeps you dutifully watching every last episode, long after the train has jumped the tracks? Even when you know it's not good, but, for you anyway, it's just good enough to muddle through, all the way to the finale? Today, we're revisiting our conversation about terrible but bingeable TV shows

This year's Oscars was a big night for Sean Baker's Anora, including wins for best picture and director. The film's star Mikey Madison scored one of the night's few upsets, winning best actress. Adrien Brody, Kieran Culkin and Zoe Saldaña also took home acting wins. We also recap the hilarious bits from host Conan O'Brien, the long and discursive speeches, and show stopping musical numbers.

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The Netflix series Zero Day begins with a terrifying moment in which everything in the United States goes briefly offline. Thousands of people die, and even after everything is restored, a widespread panic leads to a government investigation of who did it. With a cast headed by Robert De Niro and Angela Bassett, the show hopes to be a paranoid political thriller for our times.

The Peacock reality show The Traitors continues to be a delightful mix of treachery, foolishness, and Alan Cumming's outfits. In the United States, the cast is made up exclusively of so-called celebrities. So today on the show we're fantasy casting who we think should be on the next season of The Traitors.

In the run-up to the Oscars, Pop Culture Happy Hour is watching all 10 best picture nominees – and you're invited to join us! Sign up for the NPR Movie Club newsletter series and tell us what you thought of the movies you watched this week.

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In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there's a new Captain America, played by Anthony Mackie. And with Captain America: Brave New World, he's finally got his own movie. Cap finds himself battling a literally monstrous president played by Harrison Ford whose rages threaten to destabilize the whole world.

In the run-up to the Oscars, Pop Culture Happy Hour is watching all 10 best picture nominees – and you're invited to join us! Sign up for the NPR Movie Club newsletter series and tell us what you thought of the movies you watched this week.

We've all been there. A major movie is mentioned, you shrug, sheepishly, and someone says, "I can't believe you've never seen that!" Today, we make a dent in our own lists of classic films we somehow had not yet gotten to, including Erin Brockovich, Flower Drum Song, Enter the Dragon and Raging Bull.

Never visit your weird new friends at their enormous isolated country estate. That's a basic rule that an American family fails to follow in the new horror thriller Speak No Evil starring James McAvoy. By the time they figure out they are in way over their heads, it's much much too late.

The nominations the Emmy Awards were just announced, and it was a good day for The Bear, which set a new record in the comedy category. And plenty of our favorites also got Emmy nods, including Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Shōgun, Reservation Dogs and What We Do in the Shadows. We'll help you unpack this year's the notable nominees and snubs.

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Jim and Pam. Mulder and Scully. Janine and Gregory. Carmy and Sydney. Meredith and McDreamy. You know how it goes: two television characters with obvious chemistry who fight or look at each other longingly. You know that there's only one question: will they, or won't they? Today, we break down the different types of will-they-won't-they couples and discuss some of the best and worst couples in television, including Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Cheers, Grey's Anatomy, Dawson's Creek, and more.

The Netflix movie Unfrosted tells a made-up version of Pop-Tarts' origin story. It hasn't been received favorably, including by NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour hosts.

Shortly after the picture came out, it went viral because of some inconsistencies — creating a public relations disaster for the Palace and making people wonder what's really going on with Kate.

With the Oscars handed out, NPR critic Linda Holmes reflects on the night's big winners, takeaways, and telecast highlights.

With nominations for the Academy Awards finally announced, NPR critics Bob Mondello and Linda Holmes discuss the frontrunners, favorites and snubs among the contenders.

As families around the country watch their favorite Christmas films, NPR's Scott Detrow finds out what makes for a good Christmas movie.

A long time ago - November 1978, to be exact - instead of episodes of "The Incredible Hulk" and "Wonder Woman," CBS aired a holiday special that was, well, totally out of this world.

Each week, guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: the movies Long Shot and Fingernails, the YA novel True True and the cookbook Start Here.

Each week, guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: Sampha's album Lahai, the film Tori and Lokita, rewatching Doctor Who, and the Phillies, sort of.

Did you know that Big Brother has resulted in more lasting marriages than The Bachelor? The course of true love never did run smooth ... and all the more so for famous people.

The Great British Baking Show has had a long and bumpy ride, but it's finally righted the ship by focusing on the fundamentals.

Bruce Willis is a vulgar, wisecracking man-child, and Cybill Shepherd is a classy tough broad horrified by his shenanigans. But cliché premise notwithstanding: it was a sharp, experimental show.