The summer’s most anticipated blockbuster is finally here... 

‘The Odyssey,’ directed by Christopher Nolan, is a retelling of the ancient  Greek epic of the same name. The movie has received rave reviews, but for Sam the movie fell short. 

He caught up with film critic Angelica Jade Bastién to break down the movie's highs and lows, from lackluster performances to bad lighting to  Angelica’s biggest critique — Christopher Nolan doesn’t know how to write women. 

Plus, Angelica shares a shortlist of her favorite films of the last few years. You can catch all her film reviews in ‘Vulture’ and in her substack ‘Madwomen & Muses.’

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The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.

Wikipedia might be the last good corner of the internet. 

Just take a look at the Instagram account Depths of Wikipedia. It’s run by superfan Annie Rauwerda. In the height of the pandemic, Annie started the page as a way to share screengrabs of the most obscure, weird, and hilarious entries to ever exist on the website. Since then the account has racked up thousands of followers.  

Annie chats with Sam about the Wikipedia page that started her obsession, how a small but dedicated group of people continue to power the website, and what Wikipedia has taught her about the internet and humankind.  

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The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.

Writer, producer and actor Ryan O'Connell wants Hollywood to be more honest.

He first broke onto the scene after creating the Netflix comedy series 'Special' in 2019. The show was inspired by his own experiences as a gay millennial living with cerebral palsy. He tells Sam about his journey as a young writer in the 2010s, what it means to be authentic in this era of virality, and the reality of working in entertainment.

Ryan’s new book of essays is called 'Inspiration Porn.' It’s filled with his musings on disability, sexuality, family, and fame. 

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The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.

Confession: After several hours of sitting with Madonna’s new album on repeat, Sam isn’t sure he likes it…

To him, 'Confessions II' felt like a Madonna impersonation, stripped of a lot of the Madonna energy he’s loved for years. The album also raised some big questions: what even is Madonna anymore? What kind of music should we expect from a pop star who always seemed eternally young and new?

Sam breaks down these big feelings with musicology professor Louis Niebur, an expert on queer dance and music culture. He teaches at the University of Nevada, Reno. His book is called 'Menergy: San Francisco's Gay Disco Sound.'

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The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.

The ‘90s are surely having a moment: the clothes, the music, the pop culture! It’s everywhere, but what’s the BEST the ‘90s had to offer? 

In this special live taping, Sam is joined by his friends Traci Thomas, Eliot Glazer and Franklin Leonard to debate the best of the decade in a live ‘90s Nostalgia Bracket showdown. 

Recorded at Dynasty Typewriter in Los Angeles, Sam and the gang muse over the most iconic moments of ‘90s pop culture. Plus, composer Derek Muro plays some of the decade’s biggest hits on the piano. Sam even gives his own rendition of a major throwback banger.

Listen to the end to hear which moment is crowned the ultimate piece of 90’s nostalgia! 

Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.

The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.

‘Love Island USA’ is known for its very hot and very straight contestants. But two guys this season, Zach and Bryce, are getting a lot of attention for their own intimate connection on the show.

Jason P. Frank is a superfan and writer for ‘Vulture.’ He breaks down what’s behind their homoerotic behavior. He also tells Sam why all the frenzy just might be a good thing…Especially during pride month.

Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.

The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.

EVENT ALERT! Join us LIVE on June 28 at Dynasty Typewriter in LA. Get tickets here. 

Roz Hernandez is a comedian who approaches the craft unlike most other comics right now. 

For starters, she is a trans woman, working in a world still largely ruled by bros, her comedy is always tailored for her queer fanbase, and last year Roz embarked on a stand-up tour across the country, but instead of hitting up comedy clubs, she performed at gay bars. 

She tells Sam about the lessons she learned on the road and how the current political climate around trans issues has changed the way she thinks about jokes. Roz shares many of these lessons in her new audiobook: ‘Peeing in an Empty Bottle: And Other Glamorous Shenanigans of an Almost-Famous Transgender Comedienne on the Road.’

Plus, Roz explains how she became a ghost huntress and Sam argues that ghosts are actually very queer.  

Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.

The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.

EVENT ALERT! Join us LIVE on June 28 at Dynasty Typewriter in LA. Get tickets here.

Summer movie season is off to a good start. Two movies in particular are giving Hollywood a lot of hope.

Both original horror films, Backrooms and Obsession, are new movies made by Gen Z creators that very quickly became massive hits at the box office. So, are young people going to the movies again? Maybe they’re finally taking over Hollywood?

Despite these success stories, a recent piece from The Ankler’s Christopher Rosen argues that the larger film industry is still focused on the old guard. Sam spoke with Christopher about what’s going with the generational warfare happening in Hollywood right now.

Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.

The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.

EVENT ALERT! Join us LIVE on June 28 at Dynasty Typewriter in LA. Get tickets here.

At the halfway point of 2026, Sam is joined by Traci Thomas (The Stacks) and Christiana Mbakwe Medina (Pop Syllabus) to ask what this year in pop culture is really becoming.

Their answer moves from the rise of “The Sculpt” and the pressure to optimize everything about ourselves, to the bigger feeling that so much of culture now looks filtered, flattened, and strangely unreal.

They also get into the dominance of big name celebrities, the absence of exciting new stars, AI anxiety, and why live sports and theater might be the thing we’re all craving most. Plus, predictions for the rest of 2026.

Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.

The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.

Today we’re sharing an episode of Apple News In Conversation, guest hosted by Sam. 

The headlines say that American men are in crisis. But what does that actually mean — and what does it look like up close? 

Journalist Jordan Ritter Conn spent five years inside the lives of four different men to find out. His new book, American Men, explores the gap between masculine ideals and the reality of men’s lived experience. Sam sat down with Ritter Conn to talk about what those four lives reveal about masculinity, inadequacy, and what the national conversation about men keeps getting wrong. 

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The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.