Hooked: A Pop Culture Podcast with Mary Carver

March is here, and I'm coming in like a lion with another solo episode! This week I'm sharing the things I'm obsessed with—from a salty snack to a rom com getting a bad wrap to the audio books I cannot stop talking about—as well as the things I have not loved and am here to warn you against. Because that's what friends do, right?   Of course, as we are heading into a new month, I also have my mont...

Happy Valentine's Day! Whether you're celebrating with a significant other or friends or family members, or just avoiding the whole thing, today (or this week) gets most of us in the mood to watch a new romantic comedy. But which one? Well, thanks for asking.   My friend, fellow writer, and friend of the show Kayla Craig is back to help me make a list of recent rom coms for you. And of course, bec...

Tired of having the TikTok songs stuck in your head? We're here to help! Well, kind of.   My brother, good friend of the show, and candlemaker James Walters and I are talking about original songs sung by characters in TV shows and movies that are not musicals or musical episodes. Yes, it's a tiny little niche, but we manage to create quite a long list of songs sure to get stuck in your head. You'r...

What's that, you say? You don't know what to watch? Well, I am here to help!   February is bringing us at least 50 new TV series, returning TV series, new movies, and movies new to free streaming. Fifty! We have choices, is what I'm saying, and I'm here to help you make good ones. Or, at least the ones I'm gonna make.   Today's episode is the first in a new series called "What to Watch," where I s...

Going to the gym. Drinking more water. Flossing every day. Those are good goals, I guess, but you know what's more fun? Pop culture resolutions!   Last week we looked back on the best of 2022 pop culture, and today we're looking forward to our pop culture goals for the year. My good friend, good friend of the show, and fellow podcaster Amy Clark is here with me, to talk about all the ways we hope...

What was the best movie of 2022 or, as we ask here on The Couch, your favorite movie of 2022? That's right! Today my good friend and good friend of the show (and podcast coach extraordinaire), Alana Dawson, and I are looking back on our favorite parts of pop culture from the past year, sharing our favorite movies, TV series, and books.   As you know, here at The Couch, side notes and rabbit trails...

The holidays might be over, but we're not finished talking about holiday movies. (I mean, really, are we ever?) More than 200 new holiday movies aired on Hallmark, Lifetime, Netflix, and dozens of other channels and streaming services between October and December. Hallmark made more progress in the direction of diversity and also (maybe? kind of?) had some new competition this year. And Netflix di...

What do you mean there are no more new Hallmark Christmas movies? That's right, friends. We've reached that point in the calendar when all the new holiday movies have been aired. So what do we watch now?   Well, don't despair! I'm here with Alonso Duralde, holiday movie expert, to help!   Alonso is a film critic, podcaster, and author. He's the film reviews editor for The Wrap , co-host of several...

Did you know the song, "White Christmas," has been covered more than 100,000 times? And while you might think Mariah Carey's version of "All I Want for Christmas is You" is the only version, it has actually has been recorded by other artists more than 13,000 times!   Christmas covers are a big thing—so big, in fact, that we sometimes don't even realize the version of a song we're most familiar wit...

If you have or love little kids or even big kids who sometimes miss the magic of being a little kid, you'll love this episode about children's picture books for the holidays. I'm joined by my friend (and friend of the show), Katie Kenny Phillips, to build a list of 12 Books of Christmas!   Katie is a writer and children's book author of several adorable books and a mom of five kids who still love...

Have you seen the new Black Panther movie yet? Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is making a somewhat quieter splash than the first movie featuring T'Challa did, but it's doing well in the box office and also prompting quite a few debates amongst fans.   One of the biggest and most educated superhero fans I know is my friend Theo, and he's joining me this week to break down the newest Marvel film.  ...

Could our favorite TV shows GET any funnier? Oh yeah, they can. Because as we have seen time and time again, adding the pressure and potential catastrophe of a holiday to our favorite characters in our favorite shows inevitably leads to hilarity. And sometimes a little reflection or heartwarming connection.   But mostly? Holiday episodes are comedy gold.   This week, my good friend (and good frien...

It's almost Thanksgiving, so it's time to reflect on this year and the things that have enriched our lives, taught us something new, or just helped us get through the hard spots. We are talking the parts of pop culture we are thankful for this year!   My friend Barb Roose joins me for this conversation, and she not only has a lot to be grateful for but also a lot of insight into why and how pop cu...

If you love holiday movies and reading romance novels, then I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you also love reading holiday romance novels! If so, this episode is for you.   (And if you happen to love watching holiday movies but aren't as big a fan of reading romance, this episode is still for you, because we have some fun, behind-the-scenes information about how a certain holiday movie is...

The leaves may still be falling and the pumpkin spice may still be calling your name, but it's no longer just autumn. We are in that sweet spot on the calendar where we are fully fall and fully holiday movie season, and it is glorious.   To help us prepare ourselves for the coming avalanche of holiday movies, Dara Alston of the Dear Hallmark podcast is here with me to preview this year's new holid...

Are you ready, friends? It's happening this week! Holiday movies are beginning!   I know, I know, we haven't even had Halloween yet. This is why I've shared a fun movie watch game with Patreon subscribers that involves using leftover—or pregame—Halloween candy. Let's just embrace it!   And, as always, my best friend and best friend of the show, Anna Rendell, is here to help me prepare you for this...

Remember a few weeks ago when my friend Kayla Craig joined me on The Couch to talk about the shows that are so good that we'd subscribe to their streaming networks just for them? Yeah? Do you remember how we were a little off the rails and a lot talkative and had so much to say that I promised a second installment of what we're now calling "a limited series"?   Yeah? Well, this is that. We're back...

You may have noticed that I'm a big fan and proponent of family movie nights. I've talked about it with friend of the show, Jenny Rapson, and sneak the topic into just about every conversation I can. So you will not be surprised to hear I have found a family movie night EXPERT and invited her to The Couch!   Jennifer Borget is a blogger and award-winning digital content creator, as well as the fou...

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to be an actual scholar of your favorite author or book? To spend your days diving deep into the background of how a beloved story came to be and then getting to share everything you've learned with people who love the book, the author, the entire story as much as you do?   Well, I'll be honest and tell you I hadn't thought about this before, but n...

Are you overwhelmed by all the streaming choices out there? Do you find yourself accidentally subscribed to too many services and unsure what to watch, where to even start? Well, worry no more! I am here with my friend, Kayla Craig, to share our favorite shows on all the streaming networks in the first episode of what we're calling a limited series.   In other words, we talked so long that we have...

  What do you call mysteries that are also romance novels but are also really funny? Is there a name for that genre? I don't know what it's called, but these are the kind of books I'm loving right now, and my friend (and friend of the show) Jessica Howard is here to talk about this mishmashed genre and some of our favorite reads in it. Whatever it's called.   Of course, because this is The Couch,...

Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon? In a little town, a quiet village? Am I a man or a muppet? And what are the bare necessities of life? And finally, is this episode going to get a whole bunch of songs stuck in your head? Yes, both, and absolutely. You're welcome.   My brother and good friend of the show, James Walters, is back on the couch this week to help me create an exhau...

Kids are going back to school and pumpkin spice everything is back in the store. So you know what that means, right? Time to talk about fall movies!   My good friend (and good friend of the show) Dawn Camp is back on the couch to talk about the movies we're planning to watch this fall. As always, we have recommendations for date nights, girls nights, family nights, and even take yourself to the mo...

It's back to school season! And while that may mean difficult goodbyes or mornings that come way too early after a summer of sleeping in, it also brings routine and structure and, for this podcast host, the ability to get a cheesy bagel and eat the whole thing by myself, in blessed quiet. And so, whether you are ready to celebrate or lament a new school year (or perhaps you don't have kids at home...

You don't have to look far or listen long to know why we need to teach our kids empathy. Basic kindness seems to be harder and harder to find, and if you're like me, you are deeply motivated to encourage your kids to be better. To be more inclusive, to be kinder, to be different than what we're surrounded by.   And that is why my friend, Matthew Paul Turner, is here today to talk with me about spe...