The Pop Break

Aaron and Josh Sarnecky are here to talk about Static Shock for its 25th anniversary.

Static Shock is a superhero cartoon based on the Milestone Comics/DC Comics character Static. It premiered on Kids’ WB on September 23, 2000. It ran for 52 episodes and ended on May 22, 2004. It was the first broadcast animation series with an African American as the titular superhero.

The series follows high schooler Virgil Hawkins (Phil LaMarr), who through an accident involving mutagenic chemicals gains electromagnetic powers. Also gaining powers are the numerous “Bang Babies” across the city of Dakota, most of which are villainous. As Static, Virgil takes down the Bang Babies, alongside his friend Richie (Jason Marsden), who later becomes to the superintelligent hero Gear.

Static’s adversaries include Ebon (Gary Anthony Sturgis) and Hotsteak (Danny Cooksey), as well as Rubberband Man (Kadeem Hardison), who later reforms.

The series was nominated for two Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program and composer Richard Wolf won an Emmy for the show’s music.

Aaron and Josh talk about their past with show before going into the plot, characters, animation, and crossovers with the wider DC Animated Universe. They also discuss the show’s legacy and the possibility of a new cartoon or Static movie. 

For another podcast on a superhero cartoon, listen to Aaron and Josh’s podcast on Teen Titans.

Static Shock is available for purchase on Prime Video.

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 from hiatus…sort of!

This week, Michelle and DJ cover the latest drop of Love is Blind S9 episodes. They go through each of the couples and who they think has the best shot to make it to the altar. They also give their predictions for what blow ups they think will happen prior to the finale.

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 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!

Join us as we assume our secret identities and meet with Pop Break TV Editor Avani Goswami to take on a classified mission that will protect world peace. 

Our enthusiasts take a stroll through the anime content minds to discuss favorite series they’ve been watching recently, including Amanda’s recommendations of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes and Betrothed to My Sister's Ex; Josh's recommendations of The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity, My Dress Up Darling, and Perfect Blue; and Avani's animated series recommendations of The Owl House, Over the Garden Wall, and Knights of Guinevere. Avani also shares her tradition of rewatching Death Note during spooky season.  Amanda's recommendations and My Dress Up Darling are found on Crunchyroll, Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity and Death Note are found on Netflix, Knights of Guinevere on Glitch/YouTube, Perfect Blue on YouTube, Amazon Prime and Apple TV, Over the Garden Wall on Amazon Prime, and The Owl House on Disney +. 

In Anime News, they discuss the continued success of Demon Slayer, the future of the franchise, and what this means for anime becoming more mainstream.

In their feature review section, our enthusiasts discuss the premiere episodes of Spy x Family Season 3 and the final season of My Hero Academia. They talk about their histories with each anime, thoughts on whether these premieres were successful, how My Hero Academia could have generated more buzz entering its final season, and more.

In this episode of Blerd Watchers, hosts Marshall and Courtney cover the latest in entertainment news and rumors, including trailers and reviews. They discuss updates on shows like 'Four Seasons' and 'Kill Bill' re-release, explore new season trailers for favorites like 'The Mighty Nine' and 'The Mandalorian Grogu', and delve into ongoing series 'Gachiakuta' and 'Gen V'. Additional highlights include personal anecdotes and reflections on recent viewing experiences. Tune in to stay updated on what's hot and what's next in the Blerdy Multiverse.

00:00 Welcome Back to Blerd Watchers

02:40 Entertainment News and Rumors

03:34 Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair

06:18 The Morning Show and Nicole Bahari's New Role

08:28 X-Men 97 and Daredevil Updates

16:02 Snap Trailer Reactions (The Mighty Nein,)

26:09 Star Wars: Visions S3 Trailer

27:54 The Mandolorian and Grogu in Theaters

30:20 Avatar and Other Trailers

31:10 Nobody Wants This S2 Trailer

31:51 Gachiakuta on Crunchyroll

38:03 Gen V Season 2: New Developments and Theories

45:48 Final Thoughts and Sign Off

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 from hiatus…sort of!

This week, Michelle and DJ cover the first 6 episodes of Love is Blind Season 9. As always they give their predictions for which couples will make it to the altar and who will say "Yes." They wrap up with a quick discussion of the news that Netflix cancelled The Ultimatum: Queer Love after 2 seasons.

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 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 Hulu’s Alien: Earth, Netflix’s The Great British Baking Show, Roku’s Celebrity Halloween Baking Special, and HBO Max’s Peacemaker Season 2.

Newsbreak – This month, they are discussing the news that Warner Bros. Discovery is for sale. They discuss all the potential bidders and consider the wider industry implications of a potential sale. 

Streaming Wars– Alex, Bill, & Josh each selected their top streamer of the month. Josh went with crunchyroll on the back of an exciting fall anime slate plus their upcoming theatrical release of Chainsawman and their worldwide box office champ Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle. Meanwhile, Bill showed some love to Peacock now that the NFL is back in season and it has also successfully launched a Love Island spinoff and renewed The Paper for a second season. Finally, Alex gave it to Netflix on the back of a successful fall film festival season, the debut of the second half of Wednesday S2, and Stranger Things hype reaching critical mass.

New Series Spotlight – This month we are shining the spotlight on Netflix’s new historical drama The House of Guinness. This series comes from Peaky Blinders’ creator Steven Knight and stars Anthony Boyle, Louis Partridge, Emily Fairn, & Fionn O’Shea as the newly orphaned heirs of the Guinness family brewery dynasty. The series is set in 19th Century Ireland amid social unrest following the death of brewery mogul Sir Benjamin Guinness.

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.

The DCU continues to roll on, as the bat crew turns to TV this month to discuss the return of PEACEMAKER for Season 2!  This is a unique one, as the show still had ties to the old DCEU, or does it???  Yes, we discuss all that, as we break down all first six episodes of this phenomenal show.  FULL SPOILERS!

Daniel and Kris are joined by first time guest, Bill George, host of the Should I Go See It Podcast.  They discuss that first episode recap, obviously the new dance sequence, favorite moments, praise John Cena’s performance, and where the show goes from here with two episodes left at the time of recording.

The crew also go on plenty of tangents, discussing all things James Gunn and the DCU, and the momentum this universe has right now as a whole.

If you’re a fan of this show and need more hype going into the last two episodes, this is the perfect conversation!

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.

In this episode, Allie and Tyler discuss the heavily filtered 2009 thriller “A Perfect Getaway” with Steve Zahn? Join them as they discuss early Timothy Olyphant, how they would survive in the woods and a twist so stupid it made Tyler noticeably angry at the top and Allie laugh for her expert trolling skills. Will they ever recover or get lost in the weeds of this bonkers movie? Listen and find out. 

Special thanks to Mallory Johns for the introduction music.

Please don’t forget to follow our hosts on Twitter @ANelRetentive & @TylerMcCarthy and Instagram @ANelRetentive and to check out Tyler’s writing at USA Insider and Allie’s at Parade and Business Insider!

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 from hiatus…sort of!

Michelle and DJ have returned. After a long (and unexplained) hiatus the couple returns to give updates on all the latest Bachelor Nation news as well as preview Love is Blind Season 9. They give their thoughts on Bachelor in Paradise, as well as what they think of the latest Bachelorette, Taylor Frankie Paul. They end with a brief preview of Love is Blind Season 9.

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!

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, in the years since, they have covered all of Netflix’s The Defenders Saga, the first four seasons of ABC’s Agents of SHIELD, all 14 films in Fox’s X-Verse, and a collection of Marvel Films from the 2000s.

Welcome to Season 7 of Bill vs MCU, Marvel’s Animated Adventure! During the next few months, Alex and Bill will be catching up on all the major animated series Marvel has put out over the last four years. This includes two shows that Hulu’s MODOK and Hit-Monkey as well as Marvel Animated Studio’s productions such as What If…?, I Am Groot, Eyes of Wakanda, Marvel’s Zombies, and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man!

If you are looking for coverage of X-Men ‘97, please check out Alex’s weekly coverage of the series from the spring of 2024, including the episode where he assigned Taylor Swift songs to all the lovelorn X-Men Characters.

This month, Alex and Bill kick things off by breaking down the short-lived Hulu Offenders-Verse plans before reviewing MODOK Season 1 and Hit-Monkey Season 1 and Season 2. 

In their opening act, Bill and Alex dive into all the latest production news surrounding Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, as well as brief updates on Daredevil: Born Again and VisionQuest!

Come back next month as they count down their top ten What If…? episodes with some special guests. What a refresher on the series? Check out all three seasons, now streaming on Disney Plus!