The Pop Break

Hello and welcome to Bill vs the MCU! Each month your hosts⁠⁠ Pop Break Podcasting Director Alex Marcus⁠⁠ and⁠⁠ Pop Break Editor in Chief Bill Bodkin⁠⁠ are taking another step into the wider Marvel Multiverse as the MCU dives deeper into their Multiverse Saga.

Bill & Alex spent all of 2022 rewatching the first four phases of the MCU, and they just spent 2023 covering the first phase of Netflix’s The Defenders Saga and the first four seasons of ABC’s Agents of SHIELD. This year, they journeyed into Fox’s X-Verse with their X-Treme X-Watch.

Now they are back with their Defenders Disassembled miniseries, where they take a tour through all the final seasons of every Marvel Netflix series as they get ready for the triumphant return of Matt, Karen, Foggy, and Frank in Daredevil: Born Again this spring. 

First, Bill & Alex won’t be doing a proper MCU check in episode until January, when they review Echo and Agatha All Along after they’ve wrapped up their Defenders coverage, but, recently Marvel Studios released a full rundown of everything to expect from Marvel on Disney Plus in 2025 and released a few new film trailers at their D23 event in Brazil. The 2025 slate of projects include three animated series, three live action series, and, over on the big screen, three feature films, for a total of nine Marvel projects over the next twelve months, and Bill & Alex decided to rank how hyped they are for each.

After that, stick around for an in depth discussion of the third and final season of Marvel’s Daredevil. The season pays off the cliffhanger that ended The Defenders, answering the question just how Matt survived an entire skyscraper falling on him and only to wake up being tended to by nuns. It also brings back Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk and sets up a showdown between Matt and a new foe with killer aim who may or may not be the comic character known as Bullseye.

Watch along with us! Next episode’s title is Jessica Jones S3 (available to stream on⁠ ⁠Disney+⁠⁠), which will be covered in our episode later this December.

Welcome back to another episode of our podcast all about the ABC reality series The Bachelor and its many spin-offs.

ThePopBreak.com's Michelle Coraci, who has been recapping all things Bachelor for The Pop Break for years, and co-host DJ Chapman, of Mostly Nitpicking, are back talking about the first ever season of The Golden Bachelorette!

It's the Golden Bachelorette finale and Michelle and DJ....don't have much to say. They cover a very underwhelming finale and discuss where the franchise goes from here. They then give a quick preview for Grant's Bachelor season and what, if anything, they're looking forward to.

If you have thoughts or suggestions for what you’d like Michelle and DJ to cover during the offseason or opinion about all things Bachelor & Bachelorette, be sure to reach out via twitter @Roses&Rejections!

There’s arguably no superhero in existence that has been reimagined, redefined, or reinterpreted more than Batman.  No matter how many times he’s been rebooted, audiences are always willing to come back to Gotham City’s greatest defender.  With so much Bat content out there, there’s plenty to dissect, analyze, and of course, rank!  This podcast is dedicated to a surgical evaluation of Batman’s history, with a focus on ranking several topics in the world of Batman, among other classic Bat themes and characters.

Join hosts Daniel Cohen, Pop Break’s former Film Editor, and Kris Ingersoll, co-host of the Media/Lit podcast, as they bring on several guests every month to share their passion for the one and only Dark Knight.  From Adam West to Robert Pattinson, no bat stone will be left unturned.  Bottom-line: If you’re a Batman fan, this is required listening.

We all know Batman has a deep roster of villains.  In fact, he has such a deep roster, that many of them haven’t gotten the call yet to the big screen.  Out of all the villains who have yet to make their live action film debut, who do we want to see most make the leap?

That’s what we’re here to determine, as we rank the villains we want to see most in a live action movie who have yet to appear.  It’s time to celebrate the bench players of the Batman rogues gallery; Mad Hatter.  Clayface.  Calendar Man.  Firefly.  And plenty more, as Daniel and Kris are joined by Podcasting Director of the Pop Break, Alex Marcus, and returning guest, Perry Constantine of the Superhero Cinephiles Podcast.

This is a wild countdown as rankings were all over the map for this one.  The crew discuss each villain’s potential in a Matt Reeves movie, as well as in the new James Gunn universe, with plenty of pitches and theories to go around. 

Also, as an added bonus, each crew member did a bit of fan casting, as for the ten names we ranked, everyone assigned their dream casting choice for each villain role.  Were there any crossovers?  You’ll have to listen to find out.

If you’ve been craving an episode about underrated Batman villains, this is your dream episode.

There’s never a dull moment in the world of anime and Pop Break is diving right into the action! Join anime enthusiasts Amanda Rivas and Josh Sarnecky as they geek out monthly with dedicated experts and special guests on exciting anime news, trending anime in TV and/or movies, and anime recommendations spanning different genres that everyone should be watching. If you are a lifelong anime lover or taking the initial leap into the genre that has something for everyone, this is the podcast for you!

In this episode of Anime x Pop, Amanda and Josh are joined by guest Kelvin Kately of the Datfeelin Podcast Network (DFPN), the No Gimmicks Podcast, and the SmokePit podcast as they delve into the frenetic energy of Dandadan, discussing topics such as whether the main story and episode pacing are too chaotic, who is the ultimate granny between Granny Seiko andTurbo Granny, and the development of its main duo Okarun and Momo. They then transition to the intense third cour of Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War to share insights on returning beloved characters such as Grimmjow and Kenpachi, Orihime's role and whether she deserves the criticism she has been subjected to, and speculating on where the remainder of this cour and the final cour will go. This episode also includes Kelvin's introduction of the DFPN Network, the podcasts underneath the network's umbrella, and various projects being undertaken. 

Our enthusiasts also take a stroll through the anime content minds to discuss favorite series they’ve been watching recently, including Josh's thoughts on last month's topic selection - Dragonball Daima, Kelvin's recommendations of Ninja Scroll and My Friend Totoro, and Amanda's recommendation of Shangri La Frontier: Season 2.  Dragonball Daima and Shangri La Frontier are currently streaming on Crunchyroll, Ninja Scroll on Apple TV and HIDIVE, and My Friend Totoro on Max. 

In Anime News, they discuss the new post credit scene from Attack on Titan: The Last Attack currently in theaters in Japan. 

Stay tuned next month for Anime x Pop's year in review mega draft!

Aaron and Josh Sarnecky are here to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Gullah Gullah Island.

Gullah Gullah Island is a musical children’s program created by Maria Magdalena Perez, Kathleen Minton Catapano, and Kit Laybourne. It premiered on Nick Jr. on October 24, 1994. 

Gullah Gullah Island is inspired by the Gullah culture of St. Helena Island, South Carolina. It centers on Ron Alston (Ron Daise) and Natalie Alston (Natalie Daise), who teach their kids and the kids at home valuable lessons through song. 

Joining in the fun is the giant frog Binyah Binyah (Philip D. Garcia, Justin Campbell). Vanessa Baden, who portrays Vanessa Alston, also starred in Nickelodeon’s Kenan & Kel. 

Gullah Gullah Island was positively received by critics, earning a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Pre-School Children’s Series in 1997, as well as nominations for multiple NAACP Image Awards.

Aaron and Josh talk about their history with the show, the first episode, the music, and the show’s incorporation of the Gullah culture. They also discuss the show’s appeal and availability on streaming.

For more kid shows, you can listen to Aaron and Josh’s podcasts on Rugrats and The Magic School Bus.

Gullah Gullah Island is streaming on Paramount+

Welcome back to another episode of our podcast all about the ABC reality series The Bachelor and its many spin-offs.

ThePopBreak.com's Michelle Coraci, who has been recapping all things Bachelor for The Pop Break for years, and co-host DJ Chapman, of Mostly Nitpicking, are back talking about the first ever season of The Golden Bachelorette, but...

This week Michelle and DJ cover the Love is Blind S7 reunion and the fantasy suite episode of the Golden Bachelorette. They start discussing Pascal's shocking departure before discussing the underwhelming Love is Blind Reunion. They spend most of the time talking about Tyler and Ashley before discussing the other couples which leads to a discussion of a disappointing season.

If you have thoughts or suggestions for what you’d like Michelle and DJ to cover during the offseason or opinion about all things Bachelor & Bachelorette, be sure to reach out via twitter @Roses&Rejections!

Welcome to Blerd Watchers! ThePopBreak.com's monthly podcast about TV shows with a Blerdy twist! Come hang out with Courtney & Marshall, two married Blerds, as they navigate all the dopeness on TV and share insights and opinions on the monthly show topics!

In this episode of Blerd Watchers, hosts Courtney and Marshall dive into a packed lineup of TV goodness for November. They discuss upcoming shows and trailers, including Daredevil: Born Again, Wonder Man, Ironheart, and animated series like Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. They share their thoughts on the best MCU shows, highlighting Agatha: All Along as a standout, and recap the emotional and thrilling season finale of My Hero Academia. They also touch on the Legend of Vox Machina Season 3, explore the rich themes and character development, and look forward to the anticipated Watching Blerdy Awards!

The Rundown

Follow Courtney on⁠⁠⁠ Twitter⁠⁠⁠ &⁠⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠ and Marshall on⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠ Twitch⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠ Youtube⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠ TikTok⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠ Merch⁠⁠⁠ now available!

Make sure to check out their other podcast,⁠⁠ Blerd Life with My Wife⁠⁠ on your favorite podcasting app and on⁠⁠ Twitter⁠⁠ &⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠.

⁠⁠Blerd Life with My Wife Archives!⁠⁠

And head on over to their⁠⁠ Patreon page⁠⁠ for extra content.

Welcome to TV Break, where Pop Break’s Podcasts Editor Alex Marcus is joined by editor-in-chief Bill Bodkin, and TV Columnist Josh Sarnecky to talk about the happenings in television.

Here’s the format of the show:

The Best Thing I Saw on TV Last Month – Alex, Bill, & Josh talk about a show/episode/event they liked from the last month including HBO’s The Penguin, Disney Plus’s Agatha All Along, and Apple TV+’s Slow Horses. 

News Break – Alex, Bill, and Josh parse through all the lessons they learned while reading tea leaves at the MIPCOM even in Cannes, as major streamers and networks try to sell the narrative that procedural dramas are the wave of the future..

Streaming Wars – Alex, Bill, & Josh pick a streamer they think “won the month” based on new shows airing/upcoming shows announced etc. Bill went with Disney Plus, after the success of Agatha All Along, while Josh selected Apple TV Plus with Shrinking back for a second season and Severance setting a second season trailer, finally. Alex, however, opted for Netflix, thanks to its fantastic streaming ratings this month on the back of hits like Monster and Nobody Wants This.

New Series Spotlight – This month, we are reviewing Peacock’s Hysteria! The series is the debut series by writer Matthew Scott Caine, and follows a 1980s midwestern town beset by a satanic panic after a teen boy goes missing with a pentagram painted at the crime scene. The series stars Julie Bowen & Anna Camp as local concerned mothers, and Emjay Anthony leading the teen cast as a social outcast willing to exploit the panic to make his band seem cool so he can win the affections of his high school crush

Saturday Morning Adventures closes out the spooky season with a trip to The Mystery Shack as they show some love to the cult classic animated series, Gravity Falls!

Pop Break's Editor-in-Chief Bill Bodkin is in the host seat and is joined by one of his oldest friends -- Emmy & Annie Award-winning producer Andrew Hymas (Hilda, Octonauts)-- the person who introduced him to the series. Bill and Andrew discuss Alex Hirsch's series that had a wildly inconsistent broadcast run and how the series was able to overcome its unique schedule to score big ratings, a cult following and multiple New York Times bestselling books. 

They discuss their love for the series, how Bill convinced his daughter to finally watch the series, why Gruncle Stan defied all of Andrew's expectations and the absolute litany of big name guest stars the series drew in. 

They also talk about their three favorite episodes and in honor of Halloween, they review the  Season 1 episode entitled, "Summerween."

Welcome to “Not Couple Goals” where co-hosts Allie Nelson and Tyler McCarthy do a deep dive into a different ridiculous romantic thriller from the vantage point of their long-term relationship.

Allie, a TV writer/producer and actress, has an affinity for romantic thrillers, the more salacious the better. Tyler, an entertainment reporter and critic, often finds himself drawn in despite his better judgment. Join them as they explore all the ways it’s possible to love too hard… like WAY too hard.

To celebrate the end of Spooky Season, Allie and Tyler tackled a movie billed as an erotic, thriller/horror that was neither with “Disturbing Behavior” starring James Marsden and Katie Holmes. Join them as they tear down the many cliche high school tropes this movie has to offer and hear Allie fawn over the impeccably attractive James Marsden. Can someone look so hot drinking a Coke that you’d kill? Listen and find out. 

Special thanks to Mallory Johns for the introduction music.

To see more of our hosts, check out Tyler’s writing at USA Insider, SYFY and NBC Insider. Find Allie’s work at Parade and Business Insider!

And don't forget to follow us on social media —

Allie: Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok

Tyler: Twitter

Not Couple Goals: Instagram and Twitter