This is Us

Super Bowl, Justin Timberlake, This Is Us – IP 109

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It’s the day when Pop Culture fans and Sports fans join forces to create what feels like a national holiday! In this episode, we dive into the Superbowl and discuss:

  • The pre game turn up in Philly that Sean experienced first hand
  • Justin Timberlake’s Halftime performance (guess which Inside Pop co-host couldn’t even bring himself to watch the entire thing)
  • The Prince tribute that should’ve happened

Then, we seamlessly segue into a review of Timberlake’s latest release, Man of the Woods.

Plus, Amita reviews one of the most heartbreaking hours on television, the post Super Bowl episode of This Is Us.

And finally in the Big Sell, Amita reviews an essay on Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri. And speaking of sports – she pitches a softball to Sean with a Hamilton inspired Big Sell.

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Best of TV 2017 – IP 103

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The time has come…we’ve watched countless hours of television and have narrowed them down to our top 10 favorite TV shows of the year! And to kick things up a notch- we’re sharing the scenes from the exceptional shows that inspired us, made us laugh out loud, brought us to tears and made our hearts flutter. From network to cable to streaming platforms, horror to comedy to sci-fi, this year has given us unique story lines, captivating visuals and incredible characters.

We also take time to mention the TV shows we wish we checked out and the ones we regret watching.

Check out our 10 Best TV of 2017 below along with links to some of the scenes we discuss in this episode.

SEAN’S TOP 10

10. Broad City

9. Godless

8. Twin Peaks

7. black-ish

6. Master of None

5. The Exorcist

Scene from ‘Help Me’

4. The Handmaid’s Tale

3. Queen Sugar

“He Ain’t Heavy, He’s Ralph Angel” scene

2. Fargo

Winnie and Gloria Scene

1. Sense8

Prison Break scene:

AMITA’S TOP 10
10. Will & Grace

9. This is Us

8. Fargo

Tree Stump Bloodbath:

7. Game of Thrones

Cuthroat Stark Sisters:

6. Insecure

5. Better Caul Saul

Chuck’s Monologue:

4. Big Little Lies

3. Queen Sugar

2. Master of None

1. The Handmaid’s Tale

Let us know which shows made it to the top of your list!

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Cover Songs, Fall TV Mid-Season Check, #BigSell30 – IP 96

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Why not take a break from re-watching the Black Panther trailer and listen to this brand new episode of Inside Pop!

First up, we discuss some of our favorite cover songs. What makes a great cover song and what are some of the best? We discuss covers and originals performed by Prince, Adele, Joni Mitchell, Johnny Cash, Bob Marley, Whitney Houston, Annie Lennox and more!

Remember the sense of optimism you felt at the beginning of the TV season? That belief that you’d be bowled over by a ton of new amazing shows and that all of your favorite returning shows would continue to be your favorites? Well, we felt that way too and now it’s time to face the music (or the should we say ‘the flat screen’). We’re doing a mid-season check in to see which shows are must-see and which are about to be deleted from the DVR. We discuss This is Us, The Deuce, Queen Sugar, The Defenders, The Exorcist, Wisdom of the Crowd and more!

And we’ll also check in on the #BigSell30 Challenge and discuss how our lives have improved while experiencing one new piece of pop culture every day this month.

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Favorite Pop Culture Families, Queen Sugar Interview Part 2, Tom Petty, Big Sell 30 – IP 94

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It’s a family Affair this week on Inside Pop!

We start off with a discussion of our favorite pop culture families – both real and fictional including The Jacksons, The Fischers, The Pearsons and The Knowles Sisters (Beyonce AND Solange).

Then we bring you the second part of our interview with Kat Candler, the producing director of Queen Sugar. We dive into the mid season premiere and illuminate the character development, storylines and memorable scenes from the episode which was directed by film legend Julie Dash (Daughters of the Dust).

Then Amita shares her favorite Tom Petty songs in tribute to the recently deceased singer.

And finally we check in on the Big Sell 30 Day Challenge and discuss how our daily intake of new pop culture is changing our lives for the better. And Sean shares the Big Sell Day 4 of 30 – Middle of Nowhere by Ava DuVernay!

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Oscar Nominations, TV Preview, Aziz Ansari on SNL, Women’s March, St. Beauty – IP 60

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Buckle up because we’ve got another exciting installment of Inside Pop- featuring the best of Film, Television and Music this week!

First up, we analyze the recently announced Oscar Nominations and discuss whether Oscar is still so white, how the love for La La Land will affect the Oscar telecast and the best way to predict who will win.

 

 

 

 

Then, we give you our Late Winter / Early Spring preview and share inside info on tons of  shows including Twin Peaks, 24: Legacy, This Is Us, Fargo, Star Trek Discovery, The Good Fight and many more!

 

Plus, Amita reports on the experience of participating in the NYC Women’s March and she and Sean rate Aziz Ansari’s hosting skills on Saturday Night Live.

  

Finally, Amita rates Sean’s Big Sell from last week, two new singles from St. Beauty – the duo who are reaching new heights on Janelle Monae’s Wondaland record label.

 

Links:

Amita’s Big Sell: Watch the moving song captured at the DC Women’s March “I Can’t Keep Quiet” here.

Favorite Television Shows of 2016 – IP 55

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We’re excited to share the first installment of our annual BEST OF lists- our Top 10 Television Shows of 2016! If you need some new shows to binge watch over the winter, look no further! In this era of Peak TV we had a plethora of options to choose from and after much thought, we each put together our 10 favorite TV shows of the year.

A few of the series that made the cut- Queen Sugar, Luke Cage, Insecure, This Is Us and Atlanta- are some of the most critically acclaimed new shows of the year.

luke-cage queen-sugar atlanta_oabpgv

We also have a few established shows on our lists that continually deliver incredible drama week after week like How To Get Away With Murder, Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead.

game-of-thrones htgawm the-walking-dead

Comedies and dramas, dragons and murderers, families and superheroes- there’s something for everyone!Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @PopInsiders and let us know what you think of our picks and share your top TV shows of the year.

If you like this episode you may want to check out:

  • Our interview with Marvel’s Luke Cage creator and EP, Cheo Hodari Coker, HERE: http://wp.me/p7Uq7E-8g

 

AMITA’S TOP 10 LIST

10. Speechless

9. How To Get Away With Murder

8. Insecure

7. This is Us

6. Luke Cage

5. Queen Sugar

4. Game of Thrones

3. The People V OJ Simpson: American Crime Story

2. Stranger Things

1. Atlanta

SEAN’S TOP 10 LIST

10. black-ish

9. O.J.: Made In America

8. The Walking Dead

7. Insecure

6. Luke Cage

5. Game of Thrones

4. Lemonade

3. Black Mirror

2. Stranger Things

1. Queen Sugar

 

Links

Sean thinks his number 4 pick, Lemonade, owes a debt to Janet Jackson’s Got Til It’s Gone and Julie Dash’s Daughters of the Dust.

Amita think Sarah Paulson should win an award for the Emmy Award acceptance speech she gave when she won Best Actress for The People V OJ Simpson.

If you’re trying to decide whether Sean’s Ralph Angel impression is a) great b) really great or c) fantastic – watch this dramatic scene from Queen Sugar featuring a remarkable performance from Kofi Siriboe.

Fall TV Review, Bruno Mars, Childish Gambino – IP 48

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This week, Inside Pop helps you deal with increasing demands of Peak TV. We review the new Fall TV shows we’re sampling, the returning shows that are still solid and the programs that are either being saved on our DVR or on the cusp of being buried in the Pop Culture Graveyard. Some of the shows that make the list include: HBO’s Insecure, Hulu’s The Mindy Project and NBC’s The Good Place & This is Us.

 

We also discuss the new single from Bruno Mars, “24K Magic” and analyze his Vegas party themed video. Plus, Amita’s Big Sell features music from Atlanta star, Donald Glover, aka Childish Gambino.

The multi-talented creator, writer and director of the hit series also sings and raps and Amita handpicks three singles from his last album Kauai, “Palisades”, “Sober” and “Pop Thieves” for #BigSell30. We also discuss his creative collective- Royalty, featured here in GQ Magazine as well as The Roots musical collective discussed here.

Listen. Share. Subscribe and follow us @Popinsiders on Twitter and Instagram. And don’t forget to join us in the Big Sell 30 Day Challenge!