In Episode 89, Josh is rejoined by Maureen for the final episode of “The Popped Cast” (for now). Due to the impending arrival of Baby #2, we are taking a break from podcasting. We aren’t sure when we will be back but until then, enjoy this episode.

In the Snack Bag, we talk about the perfect casting of Joe Exotic in the upcoming film about the eccentric tiger king, discuss Tom Cruise’s upcoming movie to be filmed in space and analyze the battle between film studios and movie theater owners.

In the Premiere Topic, we dive into the hit NBC show “Parks and Recreation,” which ended its run in 2015 but came back just last week for a brand new episode to benefit the charity Feeding America. We talk about our thoughts on the special, the show overall, the MVP and LVP and whether or not we’d recommend it to someone who hasn’t seen it before.

PLUS, in our Teasers, Maureen recommends a new Amazon Prime Original and Josh recommends a band AND a 10-part docuseries on Michael Jordan.

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In Episode 88, Josh is joined by two special guests - Peter Laclede and co-founder of the Vernacular Podcast Network, Zac Crippen.

In an extended Premiere Topic, the trio give their take on the massively popular Netflix docuseries “Tiger King.” In addition to giving their overall thoughts on the show and the characters they liked and disliked, they dive into the ethical and moral aspects of both consuming the show and the production of it.

PLUS, in teasers, Peter gives a recommendation for a fun podcast, Zac suggests an Aaron Sorkin movie you can watch on Netflix and Josh teases an NBC special that is coming on Thursday, April 30, 2020.

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In Episode 87, we dive right into the Snack Bag talking about both the recent massive Netflix growth and the news that some companies and restaurants are giving away famous recipes (e.g. Ikea meatballs, the Egg McMuffin, DoubleTree chocolate chip cookies).

In the Premiere Topic, we give you suggestions for things that are helping us get through the self-isolation and self-quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic. We each share a couple of our favorite things to do (active things), a couple of our favorite things to consume (passive things) and then discuss little things that are making us happy (all of our suggestions are linked below!).

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In Episode 86, we kick things off by following up on a few items from the past few episodes. First, we give you the proper pronunciation for Gal Gadot’s last name. Second, we give an update on our quest to find a new TV show with a review of the first three episodes of “The Good Wife.” In the Snack Bag, we cover CEOs giving up their 2020 salaries and “American Idol’s” plan to finish out their current season with the contestants competing from home.

In the Premiere Topic, we examine the legacy of ABC’s long-running sitcom “Modern Family,” which came to an end after 11 seasons last Wednesday. We talk about our history with the show, our MVP and LVP(s) and give our recommendation for whether or not you should check it out now that it’s wrapped up.

PLUS, in our teasers, Maureen gives a reverse teaser (something you should avoid!) and Josh recommends a double feature you can find on Netflix!

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In Episode 85, we kick things off talking about a short film we made together while stuck in self-isolation (link below!). Then we discuss what the heck a “Quibi” is (it’s a unique spin on a streaming service for your phone) and whether or not yet another streaming service will last.

In the Premiere Topic, we take a “New York Times” article from 2019 that details the best dramas since “The Sopranos” and debate the merits of the ones we haven’t based solely on a single, short description from Wikipedia. After going through the 9 of the 20 on the list neither of us have seen, we pick a new one to watch in the next week (we will report back with our thoughts!).

PLUS, in our teasers, Josh gives both! One is a video of a fun reunion from a famous Broadway cast and the other is an easily digestible Netflix true crime documentary.

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In Episode 84, we kick things off in the Snack Bag talking about the (cringey) cover of John Lennon’s “Imagine” by Gal Gadot and her celebrity friends. Then, we discuss the pros and cons of late night shows and musicians trying to bring their content to the masses via the internet.

In the Premiere Topic, we are talking all about NBC’s hit show “The Office,” which premiered 15 years ago in 2005. We talk about our history with the show, how it stacks up against other comedies, the MVP of the show, the LVP of the show and whether we’d recommend it to someone who’s never seen it.

PLUS, in our teasers, Josh recommends a good news show from John Krasinski and Maureen challenges our listeners to step away from social media for a week and connect with something.

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In Episode 83, coronavirus is still dominating the news and it’s dominating our Snack Bag again. We start by talking about some of the stars who’ve contracted coronavirus. Then we discuss how some of the major film studios are reacting to the news that most movie theaters in the United States and around the world are closed and will be closed for some time.

In the Premiere Topic, we are bringing you another installment of our semi-regular series within The Popped Cast called “First Time.” Our fourth installment in the series is Maureen’s first viewing of 2018 documentary film, “Free Solo.” We hear Maureen’s “First Time Take,” give our most valuable player (MVP) and least valuable player (LVP) picks and tell you whether or not you should watch the movie.

PLUS, in our teasers, Maureen recommends an awesome new blog about hiking in the northeast and around the world and Josh recommends an online video series from Broadway stars that is helping to raise money for The Actors Fund.

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In Episode 82, we talk about the elephant in the room (or rather, the disease in our world) with a wide-ranging discussion on coronavirus. We cover everything from what we’re doing to help stop the spread to how it’s affecting the entertainment industry to how we’re trying to employ social distancing.

In the Premiere Topic, we do a deep dive into the 2017 film “Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!” from filmmaker Morgan Spurlock. We discuss the uncomfortable revelations surrounding the star/director of the film, our thoughts on the film itself and whether or not the content presented made us think twice about the food we consume.

PLUS, in our teasers, Maureen rights a wrong and Josh recommends not one but TWO excellent climbing documentaries.

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In Episode 81, we kick things off with a jam-packed Snack Bag. We discuss everything from the viral London subway singer to the production halt on the “Lizzie McGuire” reboot to the new (but actually old) “Bachelorette” to the passing of James Lipton.

In the Premiere Topic, we are diving deep into our second edition of “Wheel of Disney Originals” (AKA WODO) with the 2000 film “Quints.” We talk about our impressions of the movie, its nonsensical plot device that is way overused, some of the ridiculous plot lines and of course, rate it on our special Disney scale.

PLUS, in our teasers, Maureen recommends a fun whodunnit film and Josh recommends some new music.

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In Episode 80, we give some more details about the decline in viewership for award shows. In the Snack Bag, we talk about the BIG (totally dumb) “Friends” reunion special on the horizon for the upcoming HBO Max streaming service.

In the Premiere Topic, we are bringing you another installment of our semi-regular series within The Popped Cast called “First Time.” Our third installment in the series is Josh’s first viewing of the film, “Downton Abbey.” It’s actually Maureen’s first time seeing the film as well but she was extremely familiar with the source material of “Downton Abbey” the TV show before we watched the movie. In this Premiere Topic, we hear Josh’s “First Time Take,” give our most and least valuable player (MVP & LVP) picks and tell you whether or not you should watch the movie.

PLUS, in our teasers, Maureen recommends a new NBC comedy and Josh recommends an Oscar-winning film from this past year.

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