The Drop

While Oppenheimer looks set to dominate the Academy Awards, another film is quietly gaining momentum. Based on the best-selling novel Erasure by Percival Everett, American Fiction is a literary comedy that confronts our culture's obsession with reducing people to outrageous stereotypes.

Osman, Thomas and Mel review the film (spoiler-free), discuss the rise of cultural gatekeepers and how American Fiction successfully challenges the ideas of representation in film, publishing and the arts. Plus, Taylor Swift is (still) in town, and everyone has lost their minds, but that’s a good thing, right? And of course, Impress Your Friends is back, but this time we’re also rating previous reccs. Fun!

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Married At First Sight, Australian Idol, Survivor, The Block... even the ABC's Muster Dogs. They're the most popular shows in the country, attracting millions of viewers every night. So how did Australia become a country dominated by reality TV?

And why do Australian reality TV shows get such a massive reception overseas? Is it good for our culture, or does is it happening at the detriment of drama and other more expensive genres?

Plus, Osman, Thomas and Mel look at the winners and losers out of the Super Bowl and share their weekly recommendations.

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Osman, Thomas and Mel are back for 2024 and kick things off with a discussion about the the entertainment industry's awards season, and what role the Emmys, Grammys and Oscars play in our cultural conversation.

Then they turn their attention to Taylor Swift's dominance and if she's reached saturation point. Did she fumble her album announcement? Is the backlash unfair? Or is it time to re-interrogate the most powerful person in the business?

Finally, a bumper Impress Your Friends segment where the hosts share their favourite summer watches, what they are streaming right now, and what they're excited about in 2024.

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Mel and Thomas along with special guest host, Spectrum deputy editor Robert Moran look back at all the big pop culture moments in 2023 - from the Barbenheimer phenomenon to the Hollywood actor's strike and more. Plus films, TV and books to look forward to in 2024.

And the very last Impress your friends segment for the year.

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From Succession to Oppenheimer to Fast Car, Mel and Thomas give their top picks of the best of culture from 2023.

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The arrival of the festive season brings the excuse to finally watch Christmas movies on repeat for an entire month.

Mel and Thomas take a look at some of the classics like Home Alone and Love Actually, but also at the rise of bad Hallmark Christmas films that have inundated our streaming platforms over the past 10 years.

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Mel and Thomas preview what's to come on The Drop over the next few weeks.

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Saltburn, the dark psychological thriller starring Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi, is the second feature film from writer/director Emerald Fennell after her Oscar-nominated debut, Promising Young Women. It's one of the most divisive films of the year, with some critics describing it as a funny, sharp satire of the rich while others have dismissed it as derivative and messy.

Osman, Thomas and Mel review the film (spoiler-free) and discuss the most controversial moments, what works and what doesn't, and how it compares to classics like Brideshead Revisited and The Talented Mr Ripley.

Then they talk about the second episode of The Curse, which is fast becoming one of the best and strangest shows of the year. Plus, the latest season of The Crown and Jim Chalmers' obsession with 90s hip-hop.

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David Fincher's The Killer is deservedly the most popular film on Netflix right now. Osman, Thomas and Mel unpack this stylish, cold-blooded thriller starring Michael Fassbender and discuss how it compares to other Fincher classics like The Social Network, Gone Girl, Fight Club and Zodiac.

They also review the first episode of Nathan Fielder's new show The Curse, starring Emma Stone. Plus, a conversation about Robbie Williams' documentary, The Buccaneers and a new book about Marvel.

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What do The Wire, The Sopranos, Game of Thrones and Succession have in common? They're commonly regarded as examples of "prestige TV": high quality dramas, that push the medium forward and create plenty of buzz. But there's a growing sense that we be living in a post-prestige world.

Osman, Thomas and Mel try to define what exactly makes a show prestige, debate if we will ever have a show as good as Succession again and share some of their favourite, lesser-known TV dramas from the past few years.

Plus, a conversation about the new film, Dumb Money and the latest season of The Kardashians.

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