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Secrets and lies and 'Conversations with Friends'

Alison Oliver and Joe Alwyn play Frances and Nick in Conversations with Friends. Enda Bowe/ Hulu hide caption

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Enda Bowe/ Hulu

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Secrets and lies and 'Conversations with Friends'

Irish writer Sally Rooney's book Normal People was adapted into a Hulu series in 2020. Now, her first novel Conversations with Friends gets its own Hulu adaptation. It tells the story of two college friends and exes (Alison Oliver and Sasha Lane) who meet a married couple (Joe Alwyn and Jemima Kirke) and get very deeply entangled with them, which makes everything very complicated.

Secrets and lies and 'Conversations with Friends'

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In South Korea, K-pop fans have something to cheer (and chant) about again

Kayla Balba at the Stray Kids concert at Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Seoul. Kayla Balba hide caption

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Kayla Balba

In South Korea, K-pop fans have something to cheer (and chant) about again

While concerts have been back in South Korea since the beginning of the year, cheering was prohibited. With COVID restrictions lifting, fans are finally allowed to cheer again.

In South Korea, K-pop fans have something to cheer (and chant) about again

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'The Flight Attendant' takes off once again

Kaley Cuoco in the first season of The Flight Attendant. Phil Caruso/HBO Max hide caption

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Phil Caruso/HBO Max

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'The Flight Attendant' takes off once again

A woman wakes up after a night of partying and realizes something is very, very wrong. That's the premise of the HBO Max series The Flight Attendant. It's a taut, darkly funny thriller starring Kaley Cuoco of The Big Bang Theory as a woman in search of some answers about the present that also might shed light on the past. In this encore episode, we're revisiting our conversation about The Flight Attendant, which recently returned for a second season.

'The Flight Attendant' takes off once again

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Eurovision serves up lavish spectacle — and a big win for Ukraine

Members of the band Kalush Orchestra perform on behalf of Ukraine during the final of the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest. Marco Bertorello/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Marco Bertorello/AFP via Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Eurovision serves up lavish spectacle — and a big win for Ukraine

The 66th Eurovision Song Contest took place in Italy over the weekend. Every year, dozens of countries face off in a competition full of pageantry, strobe lights, and sparkles. But Eurovision isn't just a talent search. It's also a lavish spectacle that attempts to unify the world in song. This year's winner was Kalush Orchestra, from Ukraine.

Eurovision serves up lavish spectacle — and a big win for Ukraine

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'Heartstopper' is bursting with young queer love, cartoon hearts and fireworks

Kit Connor plays Nick in Netflix's Heartstopper. Netflix hide caption

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Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Heartstopper' is bursting with young queer love, cartoon hearts and fireworks

The Netflix series Heartstopper is a new romcom for soft hearts everywhere. Based on Alice Oseman's graphic novels, the show follows Charlie and Nick, who are young and navigating the hallways of high school. When the two meet, they instantly take a shine to each other and go from rugby teammates to good friends to something more.

'Heartstopper' is bursting with young queer love, cartoon hearts and fireworks

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Bad Bunny unleashes a genre-smashing summer blockbuster

Bad Bunny performs onstage in Miami during "The Last Tour Of The World" on April 1, 2022. Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Bad Bunny unleashes a genre-smashing summer blockbuster

Bad Bunny is one of the world's biggest pop stars and a multimedia superstar. Now, the Puerto Rican singer is back with a new record called Un Verano Sin Ti, or A Summer Without You. It's a 23-song, double-length album that sprawls across many genres, including pop, trap, reggaeton and much more — and features musical guests galore.

Bad Bunny unleashes a genre-smashing summer blockbuster

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Celebrating a heroic payphone, plus Samin Nosrat's tips on making the perfect chicken

Everyone & Pay Phones Thomas Winz hide caption

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Thomas Winz

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

Celebrating a heroic payphone, plus Samin Nosrat's tips on making the perfect chicken

Tom Bodett celebrates a heroic payphone and gets advice from author Samin Nosrat.

Celebrating a heroic payphone, plus Samin Nosrat's tips on making the perfect chicken

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'We Own This City' has a modern-day conversation with 'The Wire'

Jon Bernthal in HBO's We Own This City. Paul Schiraldi/HBO hide caption

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Paul Schiraldi/HBO

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'We Own This City' has a modern-day conversation with 'The Wire'

HBO's We Own This City zeroes in on rampant corruption and abuse within Baltimore's criminal justice system. It features drug dealers, civilians and the police officers who recklessly target them both. There's also politicians and federal agents with competing interests and egos. If this sounds like The Wire, they do share some DNA: David Simon and George Pelecanos are its creators. And while a few Wire-verse alumni appear, is this series more than just a rewiring of Baltimore politics?

'We Own This City' has a modern-day conversation with 'The Wire'

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Books We Love: Recommendations for nonfiction
Becky Harlan/NPR

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Books We Love: Recommendations for nonfiction

NPR's annual Books We Love project rounded up hundreds of books that scratch whatever your reading itch might be. Today, we're going to talk about some of the nonfiction we loved.

Books We Love: Recommendations for nonfiction

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