The Pop Break

Breaking Bad is celebrating its 15th anniversary this month. Joining Senior Writer Aaron Sarnecky to talk about it is Alex Marcus, Podcast Editor for The Pop Break.

Breaking Bad is a crime drama series created by Vince Gilligan. It debuted on AMC on January 20, 2008, where it ran for 5 seasons and a total of 62 episodes. The series finale aired on September 29, 2013.

The show follows Walter White (Bryan Cranston), a high school chemistry teacher who becomes a drug dealer. Partnering with Walter is his former student, Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul). Other characters include Walt’s wife Skyler (Anna Gunn), his DEA agent brother-in-law Hank Schrader (Dean Norris), and drug kingpin Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito).

The series won a myriad of awards, including four Lead Actor Emmys for Cranston, three Supporting Actor Emmys for Paul, and two Emmys for Outstanding Drama Series. The story continues in the epilogue movie El Camino and Better Call Saul, a spinoff following Walt’s lawyer, Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk).

Aaron and Alex examine the pilot episode and discuss the series’ evolution. They also discuss how Breaking Bad helped create the current TV landscape.

For a podcast on another crime series, you can listen Josh, Aaron, and guest Ann Hale talk about Dexter.

Breaking Bad is streaming on Netflix

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, and Josh talk about a show/episode/event they liked from the last month including Netflix’s Wednesday & Komi Can’t Communicate, and FX on Hulu’s Fleishman Is In Trouble. They also briefly discuss Netflix’s Dark and 1899.

News Break – Alex, Bill, and Josh skip the news cycle this week to shout out their most anticipated series of the upcoming year. Series discussed include Disney Plus’s Secret Invasion, Ahsoka, & The Mandalorian S3; HBOMAX’s The Other Two; HBO’s The Last of Us; Peacock’s Poker Face; Crunchyroll’s Demon Slayer S3; and FX on Hulu’s Class of ‘09.

Streaming Wars – Alex, Bill, and Josh pick a streamer they think “won the month” based on new shows airing/upcoming shows announced etc. This month, Alex & Josh agree that Netflix closed out the last month of 2022 on top, thanks to the record breaking view counts for properties across TV and Film, such as Wednesday, Glass Onion, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Troll, and Bullet Train, the return of everyone’s favorite comfort food TV, such as Emily in Paris S3, and the recent news that Chris Rock will be broadcasting his latest Comedy Special Live on Netflix on March 4th. Meanwhile, Bill gives it up for Paramount Plus, which just had its best month in its short history thanks to its debut of Top Gun: Maverick, Smile, 1923, and Tulsa King, the return of MTV’s The Challenge and RuPaul’s Drag Race, and receiving that NFL late season ratings bump. He also discussed the news that Nicole Kidman just signed on to costar in the next Taylor Sheridan miniseries Lioness.

New Series Spotlight – Alex, Bill, and Josh review Netflix’s The Witcher: Blood Origin, the first of what Netflix hopes will be many live action entries into the expanded Witcher universe. This series, created by Declan de Barra & Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, who are two veterans of network and genre tv, starring Michelle Yeoh and Minnie Driver, among others. It is set 2,000 years before the events of The Witcher and tells the tale of the very first Witcher and the ancient Elven Civilization before their inevitable demise.

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 on a break from the Franchise and taking an offseason tour of other dating reality favs.

This week Michelle and DJ cover Season 5 of the Circle Episodes 1 through 8. They go over their favorite contestants as well as what they think the future holds and who will go on to win.

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

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 with their final edition of the year.

This week Michelle and DJ wrap up the year with their 2022 reality TV year in review. They go over all of the favorite (and least favorite) reality TV moments from the year. Also, they do a quick look ahead to Season 5 of The Circle.

If you have thoughts or suggestions for what you’d like Michelle and DJ to cover during the offseason, 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 host Daniel Cohen, Pop Break’s former Film Editor and Resident Bat-Maven, as he brings on several guests every month to share his 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.

In this episode, Daniel is joined once again by Podcast Editor Alex Marcus as they ring in the holidays with a cherished Christmas classic – Batman Returns!  Yes, this episode is solely focused on Tim Burton’s 1992 masterpiece, and one of the most hotly debated Batman movies ever made.

The dynamic duo discuss the mixed reception the film received at its release, why it’s had such a resurgence in recent years, all the classic moments, debate if Batman has a character arc or not, and yes, they tackle the obligatory “Is this a Christmas movie?” debate.

If you love Batman Returns, or hate it, this is the episode you’ve been waiting for.  So, break out the banned McDonalds Happy Meal toys, raw fish, zombie cats, and proposed power plant plans, and listen to one of the most in-depth discussions on Batman Returns you will ever hear.

There also may or may not be a Danny DeVito Penguin impression in this episode.

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!

This month, the dynamic duo run down the month’s streaming releases they are most looking forward, break down the trailer of HBO’s The Last of Us, and take a look back at the year that was, before looking ahead at the year that will be.

Topic Time Codes:

Blerd Life with My Wife - Entergalactic Adam

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.

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

Hello and welcome to Bill vs the MCU! Each month your hosts Pop Break Podcasts Editor Alex Marcus and Pop Break Editor in Chief Bill Bodkin take another step on their ten month journey to rewatch the ENTIRE Marvel Studios-produced Marvel Cinematic Universe, typically focusing on three or four films from the first four phases of the MCU per episode, reminiscing about their first watches, reflecting on their latest viewings, and considering the wider multiverse ahead!

The reason this podcast came into existence is that our Editor-in-Chief has never finished the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So Alex successfully guided him on his journey to actually finish the MCU over the past year.

This month, with their rewatch concluded, Alex & Bill start off by announcing what Season 2 and beyond of Bill vs. The MCU will look like before giving Bill a chance to bare his soul and expound on the virtues of DisneyPlus’s Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.

After that, buckle up because Alex & Bill pass out 25 awards to help reflect and rejoice over the completion of their epic MCU rewatch. Find out what their favorite films of each phase were, the best official and unofficial trilogies, the most memorable Stan Lee cameos, the most exciting end credit scenes, and which scenes won the Tom’s Tears Award for most emotional moment in the MCU, along with many many others.

Time Codes:

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and all other MCU entries are currently available to stream on Disney+, excluding Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which is still available in theaters now, and the Tom Holland Spider-Man trilogy, which is available on VOD.

Aaron and Josh Sarnecky are changing things up for December. This month the brothers are discussing the 50th anniversary of Home Box Office, better known as HBO. Joining them is Digital Trends Editor Allison Lips.

HBO launched on November 8, 1972. Originally a channel dedicated to uncut movies and pay-per-view sports, HBO later ventured into original programming. With a plethora of Emmy-winning hits, HBO is the place for today’s most groundbreaking and talked-about TV.

Aaron, Josh, and Allison look one of HBO’s earliest specials, 1977’s On Location: George Carlin at USC. They then talk about the Sopranos pilot, as well as state of the network and its streaming service, HBO Max.

You can listen to Josh and Aaron’s last podcast with Allison on SNICK’s 30th anniversary.

The Sopranos, On Location and more are streaming on HBO Max

Welcome back to another episode of our podcast all about the ABC reality series The Bachelor and it's 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 taking another trip to paradise as they review the latest installment of The Bachelor franchise’s fan favorite spin-off, Bachelor in Paradise.

Michelle and DJ are back for their (super late) recap of 2022's Bachelor in Paradise and Love is Blind Season 3. They go over ALL of the drama that happened in both shows and recap the notable couples. They also talk about the fall out from the Love is Blind live show and all of the drama since then.

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

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:

New Series Spotlight Rewind – Alex, Bill, and Josh check back in on all the series they covered in their New Series Spotlight segment this year to see which shows they actually kept up with and which fell by the wayside.

News Break – Alex, Bill, and Josh discuss the single story that they all agreed was the biggest for the world of TV this past year: Netflix’s Terrible May, including their expected subscriber losses, their layoffs in editorial and animation, their ill-considered (in our opinion) plans to turn things around, and a recent piece from Vanity Fair reporting on their declining commitment to premium scripted content as the seek to broaden their appeal to a wider audience.

Streaming Wars – Alex, Bill, and Josh check in on the standings for the past year of who won the most months in streaming before giving their own picks for who won the year, where Bill went with the ever reliable Disney Plus and Josh & Alex both went outside the box with AppleTV Plus.

The Beast Series of 2022 – Bill, Josh, and Alex each give their favorite series of the year, and two honorable mentions, which you can check out below!