Pop Culture Phenomena The Podcast

David Bethel, author of the new book, Mapping the Night, dropped by the pod this week. Bethel talked about writing his new book, his overall writing process, how his role working within the U.S. government has helped him as a writer, his future projects, and so much more!

Luke Dimyan dropped by the pod this week to talk about playing Judas on The Chosen. Dimyan discussed auditioning for the role, what it is like to play someone who is hated by the masses, the success of The Chosen, dealing with critics of the show, and so much more!

Carolina Espiro dropped by the pod to talk about directing The Avon Lady. She discussed her inspiration for the movie,  how the pandemic shifted her plans, what it was like having her mother star in the film, the challenges of being an independent filmmaker, and so much more!

Ray Proscia dropped by the pod to talk about playing Dr. Lipschitz on the hit TV show Suits. Ray also talked about auditioning for the show, meeting Rick Hoffman (Louis Litt) for the first time, his emotional scene with Gabriel Macht (Harvey Specter), the show ending, the new Suits LA, and so much more!

Gilbert Saldivar dropped by the pod this week to talk about his amazing career as a dancer in the music business. Saldivar has danced on tour with the likes of Christina Aguilera, Janet Jackson, and Jennifer Lopez. He has also performed in three Super Bowl Halftime Shows, two Olympic closing ceremonies, and he is starring opposite of Jennifer Lopez in her newest movie. 

Wilf drops by the pod to talk about his time as a traitor on season 1 of The Traitors UK. He discusses the application process, what his mindset was going into the game, Maddy coming after him over and over again, backstabbing his fellow traitors, the parting gift that Kieran left at the round table, and so much more!

The new voice of Barney the dinosaur, Korey Durham, dropped by the pod this week. Durham chatted about becoming the new voice of Barney, how Mattel approached him for the job, how his daughter reacted to him being Barney, what it takes to create all of the voices that he does, and so much more!

The fabulous Ellia English dropped by the pod this week to talk about her incredible career. Ellia shared stories about playing Aunt Helen on The Jamie Foxx Show, what it was like working with Jamie Foxx, playing Mrs. Wentz on Good Luck Charlie, acting side by side with Gladys Knight, stepping away from the business for her family, and so much more.

Arye Campos dropped by the pod to talk about her newest Lifetime movie (She's Obsessed With My Husband), playing Amanda in Passport to Freedom, the start of her acting career, why everyone wants to be in a Hallmark Christmas movie, and so much more!

Patricia Belcher dropped by the pod this week to talk about portraying Mrs. Dabney on Good Luck Charlie, as we as her time on Bones. She discussed what it was like learning some of the required legal jargon on Bones, the audition process for Good Luck Charlie, watching the kids on Good Luck Charlie grow up, what actually happened to Mr. Dabney, and so much more!

Richard Bakewell dropped by the pod this week to talk about his new film, Roswell Delirium. Bakewell discussed the process of writing/directing the film, how he made his casting decisions, what the independent film scene looks like in 2024, what happens when film editing doesn't go as planned, and so much more!

Moira Quirk (Mo from GUTS) dropped by the pod this week to talk about GUTS and Global GUTS. Quirk shared her audition story, what it was like working with Mike O'Malley, why those GUTS trophies were so freaking heavy, what the Aggro Crag is actually made out of, and so much more!

Betsy Randle dropped by the pod to talk about playing Amy Matthews on Boy Meets World. Betsy shared what it was like to be on Home Improvement before BMW, how she felt on Boy Meets World when her character continuously wasn't given big parenting moments, what it was like watching the kids on the show grow up, her stance then and now on Cory and Topanga getting married, her favorite Bill Daniels moment, and so much more! 

Rekha Sharma dropped by the pod to talk about the Season 3 finale of Transplant, which airs on February 9th (the day this episode was released). Sharma shared stories about joining the cast, learning all the medical jargon, and she even talked about some of her previous roles before Transplant (Smallville). 

Eric Kramer dropped by the pod this week to talk about Good Luck Charlie and some of the other iconic TV shows that he has been on. Kramer shared stories about Lois and Clark, Seinfeld, the Good Luck Charlie movie, the backlash from Good Luck Charlie having a same-sex couple on the show, his current projects, and so much more!

Joseph Marcell dropped by the pod this week to talk about his time as Geoffrey Butler on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Joseph shared with us stories about the show finding success, the importance of being the next major Black TV show after The Cosby Show, what it was like switching Aunt Viv's in the middle of the series, the emotions of the final episode, a funny James Avery story, and so much more!

Kevin Sorbo drops by the pod to talk about Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. Sorbo discusses how much of his own stunt work he did, how Hercules led to Xena: Warrior Princess, how Lucy Lawless was not the original Xena, his time as Frank Atwood on The OC, and so much more!

Carolyn Wiger drops by the pod to talk about being on Survivor, Season 44. She talks about the process of preparing for the show, what it was like to be on the island, and the mental, emotional, and physical toll the game takes on you. She also shares what her life has been like following the show, and what it was like to be named Sia's favorite Survivor player of all-time, by Sia herself. 

Amanda Righetti stopped by the pod this week to talk about her role as Hailey Nichols on the hit FOX show, The OC. We also chatted about her time on North Shore, doing her own stunts in Friday the 13th, and how streaming will continue to change the movie and television landscape. 

James Urbaniak dropped by the pod this week and he had us "rolling on the laughing floor" as he shared stories about his time playing Rolf on The Office. James also shared his "meeting Justin Bieber" story and what it is like to be a voice actor. 

Sarah Ann Masse dropped by the pod this week to talk about the world behind the camera in Hollywood. We discussed the importance of having Intimacy Coordinators on set, diversity in Hollywood, social justice, and so much more!

Kris Kyer dropped by the pod to talk about being the dialogue coach on the first season of Boy Meets World. He shed some light on working with young actors (then and now) and the importance of dialogue coaches in the world of acting today. 

Season 2 continues with Linda Purl, who played Helene Beesly on The Office. Linda shares some amazing stories about Steve Carell, Angela Lansbury, and sourdough bread, while also highlighting how she got her start in the world of acting. 

Season 2 kicks off with Patrick Duffy dropping by the pod to talk about Dallas and Step by Step. Duffy discusses his run on Dallas, how the new Dallas came to be, the transition to Step by Step, working alongside the incredible Suzanne Somers, the end of Step by Step, made-for-TV movies, and much more!

Tommy Avallone drops by the pod to talk about his latest documentary, "I Love You, You Hate Me." Tommy shares his journey into the world of Barney and the immense hate that resulted from the children's creation that was supposed to bring love and kindness. Tommy also talks about his next project which is filled with '90s nostalgia. Also, Chris asks listeners to share their favorite educational children's shows from when they were growing up. 

Tom Virtue drops by the pod to talk about his time as Steve Stevens on Disney Channel's Even Stevens. Tom also shares some fun stories from some of the other shows he has been on, including a great Will Smith story from the Fresh Prince of Belair. Also, Chris challenges the listeners to name their favorite show from The WB Network. 

Jennifer Fishel dropped by the pod to provide us with a unique perspective of what it is like to be the parent of a child star. Jennifer talks about when her daughter (Danielle Fishel, Topanga on Boy Meets World) first got into the business, the impact that it had on the family, the role that she played as a parent in her career, what it was like on set at Boy Meets World, and so much more!Also, Chris dives deep (maybe too deep) into an episode of The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, which leaves him with one question for all of the listeners. 

Dan Brumm drops by the pod to talk about voicing Uncle Stripe on Bluey. Dan also talks about his work behind the scenes of the show (master sound mixer), his favorite characters from the show, an episode that he helped write, and so much more!Also, Chris talks about how "the place where a kid can be a kid," is no longer that place in 2023. 

Maria Russell drops by the pod to talk about her role on the current hit show, Jury Duty. Maria shares what it was like to work on a show that was essentially 90% improv, she talks about how amazing Ronald is, and she shares some of her favorite moments that did and did not make the final cut.  Also, Chris discusses the disaster that was the 1999 collaboration between Celine Dion and R Kelly. He also names one female artist as someone who should be in everyone's top-five list of all-time greats. 

Beth Grant drops by the pod to talk about her role as Dwight Schrute's babysitter/girlfriend on The Office. Beth also talks about her time on the movie Speed, being one of the few left from the series Golden Girls, that time she was almost Molly Brown in Titanic (if not for $1.1 million and Kathy Bates), and so much more!Also, Chris discusses how toxic Joey is from Dawson's Creek and how she isn't the only lead female in recent TV history to be that way. He also asks fans if Clark should have ended up with Lois or Lana on Smallville. 

Charlie Kersh drops by the pod for a Q+A session on Power Rangers: Once + Always, which just debuted on Netflix. Charlie stars as Minh Kwan (the new Yellow Ranger) in the movie. During our Q+A, Charlie talks about when she found out she was going to be the Yellow Ranger (it was not when she was cast in the movie), a special scene that did not make the film, doing her own stunts, meeting the OG Rangers, and so much more!Also, Chris discusses (or doesn't discuss) soaking because IYKYK and he certainly did not know. 

Marcus Toji and Courtney Peldon both dropped by the pod (at different times) today to celebrate our 10th episode. Both shared their experiences on Little Giants as well as some of their other child acting roles. Courtney talked about playing JTT's girlfriend on Home Improvement and Marcus discussed the vibe on the set of Beverly Hills 90210. Also, Shauni returned from Spring Break to debate with Chris about whether or not a BSB/N*SYNC tour could top Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. 

Wendee Lee drops by the pod to talk about her career in voice acting and voice over work. She shares with us how she got some of her most iconic roles like Alpha 6 on Power Rangers and Faye Valentine on Cowboy Bebop. Also, Chris discusses the disrespect of a classic Disney movie that just turned 28 and he asks listeners to declare if they are Team Tamagotchi or Team Giga Pet. 

Mark Blutman drops by the pod to talk about the early stages of his career en route to becoming a writer, producer, and show-runner on Boy Meets World. Mark breaks down some of the most iconic moments on Boy Meets World from seasons 2-5. He also discusses whether there was any thought given to Angela and Shawn ending up together on Girl Meets World, and why the vibe of Girl Meets World was different from the vibe of Boy Meets World.  

Mark Blutman drops by the pod to talk about the early stages of his career en route to becoming a writer, producer, and show-runner on Boy Meets World. Mark breaks down how he got into the business, the time that his college gave him an office and a budget, and that time he was knocked out on stage while dressed as a wrestler. Join us for Part I of Mark's story and then be sure to check out Part II. Also on this episode, Chris discusses the idea of being able to love and hate something at the same time. Does that work when it comes to people in Hollywood? 

Christine Lakin drops by the pod to talk about her role as Al Lambert on Step by Step. She also talks about her first on-screen kiss, her favorite kiss from Step by Step, directing The Goldbergs, and so much more!During this week's #NostalgiaNews , Chris, Shauni, and Gina debate who the hottest member of the Backstreet Boys is. They also have a spirited debate on how to pronounce the word coupon, which until now none of us even knew there was a debate to be had there. 

Craig Edwards drops by the pod to talk about Dawson's Creek! Craig was part of the Key Set Production team on Dawson's Creek for seasons 1-4. Craig provides some amazing insight into the show and picks a side on the Dawson/Joey vs. Pacey/Joey debate. 

Mike Chat drops by the pod to talk about his role as the Blue Ranger on Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue. Mike also talks about his life before and after being a Ranger, his all-time favorite Ranger, and much more!During this week's #ThrowbackThoughts, Chris discusses how student behavior in 2023 is nothing like it was 20 years ago. Gina also drops by this week to deliver some Nostalgic News about an iconic store closing and a couple of nostalgic films making a comeback. 

Beth Broderick drops by the pod to talk about her role as Aunt Zelda on Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Broderick tells the story about how she knew she needed to be Zelda, what it was like working with Salem, and her experience returning to Sabrina on the Netflix adaptation. During this week's #ThrowbackThoughts, Chris discusses how MySpace alone proves that teens back in the early '00s are far more savage than any of the teens in 2023. 

Dean Cain drops by the pod to talk about his role as Superman on the hit '90s show, Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Dean also discusses his start in acting in 90210 and what he is up to these days after hanging up the tights and cape. During this week's #ThrowbackThoughts, Chris argues that Janet Jackson simply does not receive enough respect. He also finds time to gloat about his triumph from last week's thoughts. 

David Ruprecht drops by the pod to talk about his days hosting Supermarket Sweep. We also talk about his time on Three's Company, his role on Gilligan's Island, and the time he hosted a game show that featured Steve Urkel. During this week's #ThrowbackThoughts, Shauni crowns one song and only one song as the greatest closing song of all time. Meanwhile, Chris tries to redeem himself from last week's Team Dawson/Joey debacle by tackling whether or not Ross and Rachel were actually on a break. 

K Callan drops by the pod to talk about Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, along with some of the other iconic TV shows that she has been in during her legendary career. During this week's #ThrowbackThoughts, Chris draws a line in the sand amongst Dawson's Creek fans. 

As we prepare for launch day, let's take a few minutes and preview all of the phenomenal things that we have planned for the first season of the show.