The Best of Car Talk

This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Glen Weldon and guest Chris Klimek talk about Zack Snyder's summer blockbuster 'Man of Steel.' They'll discuss what they liked and disliked: the movie's length, its action sequences and Henry Cavill's performance as Superman. Next, they'll discuss pop culture that gets better as we get older, from 1980s funk music to classic literature. All that, plus What's Making Us Happy This Week.

This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Trey Graham and Glen Weldon talk about the 2013 Tony Awards and its winners, including 'Kinky Boots' and 'Pippin.' They'll discuss their favorite performances of the night and how host Neil Patrick Harris puts the Oscars to shame. Next, they talk about the "he said/she said" song, which encompasses breakup songs, never-ever songs, songs of longing and perhaps a little bit of tormented whispering...

This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Trey Graham and Glen Weldon talk about the moms and wives that make sitcoms run. From 'Mork and Mindy' to 'Modern Family,' they'll cite examples of fully fleshed out characters, as well as women relegated as props to their on-screen husbands. They'll also remember the late Jean Stapleton and her portrayal of Edith Bunker on 'All in the Family.'  Next, they'll talk about comic strips...

This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes and Stephen Thompson are joined by special guests Gene Demby and Kat Chow, of NPR's Code Switch team. On the occasion of the new season of 'Arrested Development,' they'll discuss the trend of binge viewing and the shows they've binge-watched. Favorites include 'House Hunters,' 'Scandal,' 'Mad Men,' 'Friday Night Lights' and more...

This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Trey Graham and Glen Weldon talk about 'Star Trek Into Darkness.' How does a franchise with a long history satisfy both die-hard fans and those that are just jumping on board? Next, they'll discuss 'Saturday Night Live,' its changing place in pop culture and whether it really needs to be live anymore. All that, plus What's Making Us Happy This Week.

This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Trey Graham and Glen Weldon talk about the cancellation of television shows, from the ones they loved to the ones they forgot existed. Why is the cancellation of our favorite shows so disappointing? They'll also discuss how shows can have a second life after cancellation, through syndication, video streaming or by jumping to another network. Next, they'll tackle the contentious issue of pop culture ettiquette...

This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Glen Weldon and special guest Matt Thompson talk about 'Iron Man 3,' directed by Shane Black and starring Robert Downey, Jr. They'll discuss why the latest installment of the superhero series is about much more than a man and his gadgets. Also, why it surprised the panelists by passing the Bechdel test and featuring minimal robot vs. robot action...

This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Trey Graham and Glen Weldon talk about brick and mortar retail in the age of online consumption. Whither the record store, whither the record store jerk? Leading into Free Comic Book Day, they'll discuss how the role of the brick and mortar store has changed in the face of online competition and what we may lose, culturally, without physical spaces to purchase pop culture products...

This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Trey Graham and Glen Weldon talk about upcoming summer films. From the much-hyped 'Great Gatsby' to the much-anticipated 'Before Midnight,' they'll discuss what movies they're looking forward to in a summer season seemingly dominated by apocalyptic sci-fi thrillers. All that, plus What's Making Us Happy This Week.

This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Trey Graham and producer Jess Gitner talk about sense of place on the occasion of NPR moving to its new headquarters...