Episode 4: The Letterman Late Night Legacy

Our guest this week is Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent for The New York Times. During his career he has covered four presidents: Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and now the Trump administration. Mr. Baker joined The Times in 2008 after 20 years at The Washington Post, including four years as Moscow bureau chief. His wife Susan Glasser is the chief international affairs columnist Politico. Mr. Baker has authored multiple books and his latest title is “Obama: The Call of History”, with incredible photography from The New York Times. Host Christina Jeurling Birro speaks to him about reporting on the last four presidents, the unique challenge of covering the Trump administration, his new book “Obama: The Call of History”, and much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

9 Aug 201730min

Spectacular, jaw-dropping, sweeping and intimate - Dunkirk marks the return of director Christopher Nolan and our guest cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema. The World War ll drama is a different type of war story, about bravery and survival. It focuses on the days when 400,000 British and Allied troops were trapped by the Germans on the beaches of Dunkirk, seemingly doomed to die there. Shot on large format film, Hoytema and his team worked with Nolan to create the stunning camera shots – from the visually stunning dogfights to the challenging water shots. We speak to Hoytema about the creative technical solutions his team used on Dunkirk, the industries’ return to using large format film, his reflections on working with so many great directors and much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2 Aug 201753min

Just in time for Summer we round up our best pop culture tips to enjoy – including the book from our guest Anne Helen Petersen who writes about culture, celebrity, and feminism in 'Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Woman'. We have long been reading Petersen’s work and we can highly recommend her previous book 'Scandals of Classic Hollywood'. She has a PhD in media studies and is a Senior Culture Writer for BuzzFeed. Her latest book examines a group of iconic, brave women whose behavior pushes the boundaries of what some seem to think is acceptable for women in the limelight. And then - what are we at PCC looking forward to this Summer? We roundup our favorite TV shows, films, and much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

27 Juni 201755min

It’s a real joy to welcome this week’s guest – television legend Chuck Lorre who has been a juggernaut, a sitcom comedy mastermind creating shows such as The Big Bang Theory, Dharma & Greg, Two and a Half Men, Mike & Molly, and Mom. Lorre has carried on the sitcom tradition in the footsteps of Norman Lear, who brought modern family dynamics to popular television with shows such as All in the Family and The Jefferson’s. His upcoming shows include Young Sheldon, a prequel storyline for Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory, and Disjointed starring Kathy Bates as the owner of a pot dispensary. Host Christina Jeurling Birro speaks with Chuck Lorre about his impact on sitcom television, the challenge of getting The Big Bang Theory green-lit, his casting process, and much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

7 Juni 201740min

On Pop Culture Confidential this week we speak with journalist and screenwriter Jon Ronson about his new film Okja that recently premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. We ask Ronson what really happened at ‘that’ Cannes premiere which became world news, what it was like working with director Bong Joon-ho, how to spot psychopaths, Trump and more. Then in celebration of Twin Peak’s return - we speak to Helen Hollyman, Editor Chief at Munchies, the Vice food website, who has followed and written about David Lynch’s obsession with coffee and how it’s evolved. David Lynch’s obsession with coffee goes far beyond the diner in Twin Peaks, he loves the beverage so much he has his own blend - David Lynch Signature Cup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

30 Maj 20171h 1min

Pasta, Italy, Master of None, Wonder Woman and the female gaze – Pop Culture Confidential is jam packed this week! We speak to Katie Parla, culinary writer and the author of the book Tasting Rome. Parla was the food concierge on the Italian episodes of the brilliant, and food obsessed, new season of Master Of None (Netflix) where we find that Dev (Aziz Ansari) has left New York and moved to Modena, Italy to learn the art of pasta making. Katie Parla speaks to us about Italian cuisine, Master of None, the food of Rome and even a few great restaurant tips! And we speak to Alicia Lutes, Managing Editor of Nerdist.com who shares her insights on the highly anticipated movie Wonder Woman directed by Patty Jenkins. Host Christina Jeurling Birro also asks Lutes about the female gaze in TV and film, how the sex scenes are getting a different perspective right now, and the current TV seasons many religious narratives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

17 Maj 201758min

On this week’s episode of Pop Culture Confidential we are joined by VOX culture writer Constance Grady to discuss the biggest news, trends and controversies of 2017 so far. We speak about how the first 100 days of Trump has influenced storylines on TV, what the ousting of Bill O’Reilly really means for Fox and why The Handmaid’s Tale is so important to audiences today. We also ask Grady what excites her about the TV season and much more - don’t miss this episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

9 Maj 201739min

From Buster on Arrested Development, to his Emmy winning role as the devoted body man to Selina Meyer on Veep – Tony Hale has already proven that he is one of our generation’s comedy greats. Host Christina Jeurling Birro is joined this week by Hale ahead of the upcoming sixth season premiere of Veep. In this political climate, what is better than the return of HBO’s hilarious political comedy Veep. Hale returns as Gary, the anxious and often-bullied body man to now ex-President Meyer, who is portrayed by the incredible Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Before Veep, Hale inhabited another anxious character – fan favorite Buster Bluth of Arrested Development. The show gave him the opportunity to work with Jeffrey Tambor, Jason Bateman and legend Liza Minnelli who played his girlfriend. On this episode we find out how the recent U.S. election impacted the comedy in Veep, what Hale has learned from the comedy legends he’s worked with, his own experience with bullying and anxiety, and much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

11 Apr 201727min