#85 – What the Heck is a Quibi and Picking a New Show from “NYT’s” List of Best Dramas Since “The Sopranos”

#89 – The LAST EPISODE of “The Popped Cast” (for Now) and Talking About the Hit NBC Show “Parks & Recreation”

In Episode 89, Josh is rejoined by Maureen for the final episode of “The Popped Cast” (for now). Due to the impending arrival of Baby #2, we are taking a break from podcasting. We aren’t sure when we will be back but until then, enjoy this episode. In the Snack Bag, we talk about the perfect casting of Joe Exotic in the upcoming film about the eccentric tiger king, discuss Tom Cruise’s upcoming movie to be filmed in space and analyze the battle between film studios and movie theater owners. In the Premiere Topic, we dive into the hit NBC show “Parks and Recreation,” which ended its run in 2015 but came back just last week for a brand new episode to benefit the charity Feeding America [https://www.feedingamerica.org/]. We talk about our thoughts on the special, the show overall, the MVP and LVP and whether or not we’d recommend it to someone who hasn’t seen it before. PLUS, in our Teasers, Maureen recommends a new Amazon Prime Original and Josh recommends a band AND a 10-part docuseries on Michael Jordan. Email us at thepoppedcast@vernacularpodcast.com! [thepoppedcast@vernacularpodcast.com] Links: 1. Joe Exotic casting news [https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/joe-exotic-nicolas-cage-series-tiger-king-1234574979/] 2. Tom Cruise teams with Elon Musk for a movie shot in space [https://deadline.com/2020/05/tom-cruise-movie-shot-in-outer-space-elon-musk-spacex-unprecedented-in-hollywood-1202925849/] 3. Oscars eligibility change [https://deadline.com/2020/04/oscars-major-changes-academy-awards-coronavirus-1202919950/] 4. Movie studio and movie theater battle [https://www.forbes.com/sites/larrylight/2020/05/05/an-unhappy-ending-for-movie-theater-chains-amc-and-cineworld/#76eba4792d93] 5. “Parks and Recreation” special episode [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vl_oUMyGYU] 6. “Parks and Recreation” [https://www.nbc.com/parks-and-recreation] 7. “Upload” on Amazon Prime [https://www.amazon.com/Upload/dp/B0858YGKZ4] 8. Johnnyswim [https://www.youtube.com/user/johnnyswim] 9. “The Last Dance” [https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28973557/the-last-dance-updates-untold-story-michael-jordan-chicago-bulls]

#88 – "Tiger King" - Examining the Ethical and Moral Aspects of the Docuseries

In Episode 88, Josh is joined by two special guests - Peter Laclede and co-founder of the Vernacular Podcast Network, Zac Crippen. In an extended Premiere Topic, the trio give their take on the massively popular Netflix docuseries “Tiger King.” In addition to giving their overall thoughts on the show and the characters they liked and disliked, they dive into the ethical and moral aspects of both consuming the show and the production of it. PLUS, in teasers, Peter gives a recommendation for a fun podcast, Zac suggests an Aaron Sorkin movie you can watch on Netflix and Josh teases an NBC special that is coming on Thursday, April 30, 2020. Email us at thepoppedcast@vernacularpodcast.com! [thepoppedcast@vernacularpodcast.com] Links: 1. “Tiger King” [https://www.netflix.com/title/81115994] 2. “History That Doesn’t Suck” podcast [https://www.historythatdoesntsuck.com/] 3. “Molly’s Game” [https://www.netflix.com/title/80199959] 4. “Parks & Recreation” reunion [https://ew.com/tv/parks-and-recreation-reunion-episode-everything-we-know/]

#87 – Things We Love That Are Getting Us Through the Coronavirus Pandemic

In Episode 87, we dive right into the Snack Bag talking about both the recent massive Netflix growth and the news that some companies and restaurants are giving away famous recipes (e.g. Ikea meatballs, the Egg McMuffin, DoubleTree chocolate chip cookies). In the Premiere Topic, we give you suggestions for things that are helping us get through the self-isolation and self-quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic. We each share a couple of our favorite things to do (active things), a couple of our favorite things to consume (passive things) and then discuss little things that are making us happy (all of our suggestions are linked below!). Email us at thepoppedcast@vernacularpodcast.com! [thepoppedcast@vernacularpodcast.com] Links: 1. Netflix 1st quarter growth [https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/21/21229587/netflix-earnings-coronavirus-pandemic-streaming-entertainment] 2. Famous recipes to try at home [https://www.buzzfeed.com/mikespohr/here-are-the-secret-recipes-that-chain-restaurants-and] 3. Jackbox Games [https://www.jackboxgames.com/?utm_source=jackboxtv&utm_medium=logo&utm_campaign=jackboxgames] 4. “Better Call Saul” [https://www.netflix.com/title/80021955] 5. “Ozark” [https://www.netflix.com/title/80117552] 6. “Full House” [https://www.hulu.com/series/full-house-1987-2b483463-d974-4dbe-a0b8-533f81d1de94] 7. “Step by Step” [https://www.hulu.com/series/step-by-step-2f0c7d56-f4d6-432e-b917-50d9a8dd2598] 8. “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” [https://www.nbc.com/brooklyn-nine-nine] 9. “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” [https://www.youtube.com/user/LastWeekTonight] 10. Center for Mindful Self-Compassion [https://centerformsc.org/] 11. “Something Pretty” blog [https://somethingprettyblog.com/] 12. “North Carolina Charm” blog [https://www.northcarolinacharm.com/] 13. “PBFingers” blog [https://www.pbfingers.com/] 14. “Em for Marvelous” blog [http://www.emformarvelous.com/] 15. “How I Built This” podcast [https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this]

#86 – The End of “Modern Family” and “American Idol”… Over Zoom?!

In Episode 86, we kick things off by following up on a few items from the past few episodes. First, we give you the proper pronunciation for Gal Gadot’s last name. Second, we give an update on our quest to find a new TV show with a review of the first three episodes of “The Good Wife.” In the Snack Bag, we cover CEOs giving up their 2020 salaries and “American Idol’s” plan to finish out their current season with the contestants competing from home. In the Premiere Topic, we examine the legacy of ABC’s long-running sitcom “Modern Family,” which came to an end after 11 seasons last Wednesday. We talk about our history with the show, our MVP and LVP(s) and give our recommendation for whether or not you should check it out now that it’s wrapped up. PLUS, in our teasers, Maureen gives a reverse teaser (something you should avoid!) and Josh recommends a double feature you can find on Netflix! Email us at thepoppedcast@vernacularpodcast.com! [thepoppedcast@vernacularpodcast.com] Links: 1. CEOs giving up their salaries to employees [https://www.businessinsider.com/list-of-business-leaders-giving-up-salaries-during-the-pandemic-2020-3#disney-11] 2. “American Idol” at home [https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/american-idol-abc-coronavirus-1234580234/] 3. “Modern Family” [https://abc.com/shows/modern-family] 4. “The Social Network” [https://www.netflix.com/title/70132721] 5. “Steve Jobs” on Netflix [https://www.netflix.com/title/80049358]

#85 – What the Heck is a Quibi and Picking a New Show from “NYT’s” List of Best Dramas Since “The Sopranos”

In Episode 85, we kick things off talking about a short film we made together while stuck in self-isolation (link below!). Then we discuss what the heck a “Quibi” is (it’s a unique spin on a streaming service for your phone) and whether or not yet another streaming service will last. In the Premiere Topic, we take a “New York Times” article from 2019 that details the best dramas since “The Sopranos” and debate the merits of the ones we haven’t based solely on a single, short description from Wikipedia. After going through the 9 of the 20 on the list neither of us have seen, we pick a new one to watch in the next week (we will report back with our thoughts!). PLUS, in our teasers, Josh gives both! One is a video of a fun reunion from a famous Broadway cast and the other is an easily digestible Netflix true crime documentary. Email us at thepoppedcast@vernacularpodcast.com! [thepoppedcast@vernacularpodcast.com] Links: 1. Josh and Maureen’s short film “Don’t Touch Your Face” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkkPo-tPeYI] 2. Quibi [https://quibi.com/] 3. “The 20 Best TV Dramas Since ‘The Sopranos’” [https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/arts/television/best-drama-series.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_NN_p_20200401&instance_id=17241&nl=morning-briefing®i_id=117409306§ion=aBreak&segment_id=23488&te=1&user_id=473bd88c1ed4befcf0b78b9589b178aa] 4. “Hamilton” cast reunites [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oilZ1hNZPRM] 5. “Long Shot” on Netflix [https://www.netflix.com/title/80182115]