Stop Everything! - ABC RN

We're so chuffed (gobsmacked, amazed, stunned) by season two of comedian Nathan Fielder's docuseries The Rehearsal that we had to break its chat out into its own ep.

If 2024 was the year of women — Chappell, Charli and Sabrina — in pop music, what's the story for pop music so far in 2025?Jared Richards, culture critic and friend of the show, is here to help Hannah and Bev figure out how TikTok is changing the sound of pop music, and whether new pop artists like Benson Boone, Tate McRae and Addison Rae are worth getting behind.

With the deluge of streaming content out there, it's easy to get distracted by Hollywood prestige productions and ignore Australian TV. But the best TV may be closer to home than you think.

Annyeong! We're heading to Korea by way of Hollywood, checking out Mickey 17, director Bong Joon Ho's follow up to his Oscar-winning masterpiece Parasite.Then we're exploring the rich world of Korean TV beyond the smash hit Squid Game.Whether you're a K-drama fan like Bev, or K-drama curious like Hannah, this ep is for you — find out what to watch next or compare your watch list with ours.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, a ragtag coalition of dissidents formed a rebellion against the evil Galactic Empire, and their stories are told in Andor, which some critics are calling the best thing to come out of Star Wars — ever.It's a big call — what do Hannah and Bev think?

With season two of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives kicking off, we're asking the big questions about this hit unscripted series. When it comes down to it, are these Mormon #MomTokers breaking the patriarchy or reinforcing it?

We're checking in on body image and fatphobia in pop culture in 2025.Because when speculation over which suddenly-slimmed-down celebrity might be using weight-loss drugs like Ozempic begins to feel like an online sport, and social media apps put out stuff like the 'chubby filter' — it makes us wonder — what happened to embracing bodies of all sizes?

As Erin Patterson's so-called mushroom murder trial kicks off this week in regional Victoria, there are no less than five podcasts dedicated to it, including one from the ABC, Mushroom Case Daily.It's got us thinking about where true crime podcasts go right, where they go wrong, and why women are particularly attracted to the genre.

Preschoolers may love Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol, Thomas the Tank Engine, Cocomelon and Fireman Sam, parents however, not so much.We asked you to tell us about the kids pop culture content your kids love but grinds your gears — and you answered!

The Last of Us Season 2, starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, is finally here.  Spoiler alert, Bev and Hannah break down the first episode, which picks up five years after the events of season one's finale, but it's all just a ruse for them to convene the first meeting of Stop Everything's Pedro Pascal Appreciation Society. Why's everyone so obsessed with him? Bev and Hannah have a few thoughts.  Get in touch: Tell us if you're obsessed with Pedro Pascal. Or tell us what you're chuffed about! Write or send a voice note to stopeverything@abc.net.auShow notes: Pedro Pascal on Hot OnesFor Pierce Brosnan, the World is Just Enough Lorde on TikTok

We're going behind the scenes of 8 Passengers "mommy" vlogger Ruby Franke's notorious downfall.  2025 has already given us eldest daughter Shari Franke's New York Times bestselling memoir, The House of My Mother, and a three-part documentary series, Devil in The Family, which shares shocking never-before-seen footage of the former YouTuber Mormon family. We're diving deep into both tell-alls to find out what this extreme case of mumfluencing gone wrong tells us about family, fame, religion and the internet. Also – we're chuffed by The White Lotus season finale. Are you? Get in touch: Write or send a voice note to Stopeverything@abc.net.auResources: kids helpline Show notes:Devil in the Family on Disney PlusSuja explores white chutneys

It's been a bumpy road to the live action remake of Disney's oldest princess story - Snow White. Reinventing the princess with a Latina actress and a new twist on the problematic seven dwarves has led to backlashes and controversies galore. Which makes us wonder, is it even worth trying to revive an outdated fairytale?  Get in touch: Tell us about the pop culture that's got you chuffed, or what you think of Disney's live action remake quest. Write or send a voice note to stopeverything@abc.net.auShow notes:Imogen Heap on TikTok

Why does a 13-year-old boy from a ‘good' family end up being radicalised as a murderous incel? Adolescence, the limited series currently topping Netflix's charts, tries to answer this question in four engrossing one-take episodes.   Hannah and Bev talk about Adolescence's sense of urgency in tackling the harmful effects of the manosphere and whether the show will make a difference. Get in touch: write or send a voice note to stopeverything@abc.net.auShow notes: Chuffed:Vivian Jenna Wilson in Teen VogueE-safety and anti-bullying resources for parents and adolescents:Australia's e-safety CommissionRaising Children NetworkThe Algorithm of disrespect1800 RespectKids helplineAnonymously report bullying via StymieFurther listening Rabbit Hole, a NYT podcast

Channel 9's MAFS, aka Married at First Sight, is a ratings winner with a problematic track record. This season, even NSW Police have gotten involved — looking into a door-punching incident between 'groom' Paul and 'bride' Carina.James Weir, news.com.au's longtime MAFS recapper, joins Bev and Hannah to give his take on the latest happenings at Trash Towers, and why 2.8m Australians are so hooked on the show.If you need help, contact the National Domestic Family and Sexual Violence counselling service online, 1800.respect.org.au or call 1800 RESPECT. In an emergency, call 000.Get in touch: Tell us what you think of MAFS. Write or send a voice recording to stopeverything@abc.net.auShow notes:James Weir's MAFS recapsOne of Them DaysMysta Crooks and Skidaddle Nation

If crudité platters, flower sprinkles, spotless kitchens and beige linen are your thing, you may really enjoy the Duchess of Sussex's new Netflix lifestyle show, With Love, Meghan. But if you're looking for self-awareness, authenticity or any compelling insights into the post-Megxit lives of the Meghan and Harry, watching this show may leave you feeling as let down as a toddler gifted with a jute party bag full of seeds.  Hannah and Bev puzzle out how a show about the joys of entertaining at home ended up fuelling a Meghan backlash.  Also: prepare to be chuffed by bonus Adrien Brody content! Get in touch: write or send a voice memo to stopeverything@abc.net.au Show notes: Meghan of Montecito Adrien Brody and Elsa Pataky's castle photo shoot

We're breaking down all four hours of the Oscars broadcast and bringing you our takes on the most moving, hilarious and awkward moments (ahem, Kieran Culkin!) and of course, whether the Academy got it right with the big wins of the night. Culture writer and film critic Jared Richards joins Bev and Hannah for an Oscars roundtable, AND Hannah prosecutes The Case Against Long Movies. After all, this year's Best Picture nominations were all between 2 hours and 3.5 hours (The Brutalist, its famous intermission). So, are the golden days of the 90 minute feature over? Get in touch! We're making a show about pop culture content for kids. What do you love, and what drives you a little bit bonkers? Write or send a voice memo to stopeverything@abc.net.auShow notes: No Other Land Oscars acceptance speechSlate: What the debate over long movies gets wrong Vox: You're not imagining it – movies are getting longer Hannah's chuffed

We're checking back into the dark and decadent world of Mike White's The White Lotus. It's the show's third season, and a fresh cast of wealthy, dysfunctional jerks are spending a week at The White Lotus Thailand, a luxury wellness resort. But can any amount of energy healing sessions cure their privileged, rotted souls? Consider this your spoiler alert as Hannah and Bev rate this holiday stay on a scale of toxic white males (Patrick Schwarzenegger's creepy finance bro Saxon), class-divide hotness (BLACKPINK's Lalisa Manobal) and kooky southern matriarchs (Parker Posey's pill-popping Victoria Ratliff).  Get in touch: We're making a show about kids' pop culture content and want to hear from you! What do the kids in your life love to watch or listen to, that frankly, you don't care for – and why?  Or tell us about the beloved pop culture from your childhood that you've introduced to young ones that in retrospect, hasn't held up well. How did you explain it? Write or send a voice note to stopeverything@abc.net.auShow notes:Time interview with Mike White  Keith Lee rates a full English breakfast

A lot's happened since Gen X singleton Bridget Jones, played by Renée Zellweger, slid down that fire pole and into our hearts. Nearly 25 years later, she's back in a fourth, and likely last, film sequel – Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. Bev and Hannah are catching up on where Bridget is now in life, her new love interests, and how the movie series holds up. Is it still an aspirational rom-com? Get in touch: How do you feel about Bridget Jones's world? Or tell us what's got you chuffed! Send a message or voice note to stopeverything@abc.net.auShow notes: Curbed: They missed their cruise ship. That was only the beginningThe Culture Study podcast: The Heart of Dad Culture Asian Verified Instagram account

It's smutty book club this week, so let's go deep on Onyx Storm -- the latest bestselling instalment of the Rebecca Yarros Empyrean romantasy series.   Onyx Storm follows Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, continuing the saga of lightning-wielder dragon rider Violet Sorrengail's intense bond with her broody, shadow-wielding lover, Xaden Riorson. Bev and Hannah have a lot to discuss – like who are all these characters? How's the smut? Is there anything to rival the famous “throne scene” in Iron Flame?  This episode is for romantasy fans and the romantasy-curious, but be warned, there are spoilers.   Get in touch: Tell us what you think of Onyx Storm. Write or send a voice note to stopeverything@abc.net.au

New Stop Everything! co-host Hannah Reich reveals how her postpartum state has influenced her TV tastes. Together, Bev and Hannah examine how what you're going through in life can change what you want to watch. What content got you through a big life change – a birth, a break-up, or bereavement? Write to stopeverything@abc.net.au and tell us about it.  Also, Bev and Hannah break down the Grammy's most pivotal moments, and how Beyonce's reaction spoke volumes about her long journey to the big win. Next week we're diving into the world of romantasy with a book club on the latest huge hit from Rebecca Yarros: Onyx Storm. Tell us what you think this series has sparked with women around the world? 

It's been a good run, and it's not going to stop. In fact, from now on, it'll be double your money – Bev's welcoming a new co-host, Hannah Reich!Hannah is an ABC digital arts producer, journalist and vexed pop culture nerd, obsessed with romantasy and mumfluencing, among other things. Together, Bev and Hannah will hold space to overthink and process the world around them every week.  But that's not all, in 2025 Stop Everything! wants to hear from YOU. Look out for call outs and special drops in the feed.  Email us all your thoughts, whatever you're overthinking about pop culture, at stopeverything@abc.net.au

January hit hard: LA burned, Mark Zuckerberg ended fact-checking on Meta, President Donald Trump was sworn in again, Elon kept Musking, and ... it's awards season! If all of this is making you feel — destabilised — you're not alone. It's time to check the vibe on 2025. Screen critic and pop culture reporter Jared Richards is in to help Bev overthink how what's happening out in the world is affecting our social media and pop culture habits. Is there an ethical way to reach for escapism? Bev and Jared also pick through the Oscar nominees for Best Picture and have a lot to say about Emilia Perez and The Substance! And: Bev has a special announcement about Stop Everything! Listen to the end of the episode to find out what it is.  

Comedian, rom-com lover and professional bookworm Jennifer Wong confesses that she's never read Jane Austen, and Bev is horrified. But 2025 is the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth so Jen is ready to break her own denim rule for content and find out what the hype is all about. Meanwhile, Bev has pop culture knowledge gaps of her own to disclose ... what could they be?!? Show notes: Read: Joel Kim Booster essay on reading Jane Austen as a gay manGet in touch! Stop Everything wants to hear from you! What's your pop culture knowledge gap? What's the big movie, book, TV show or trend that totally passed you by? How did that happen and how do you feel about it? E-mail: stopeverything@abc.net.au 

Twenty-three years after the original series of The Office debuted, Australia has its own version of the mockumentary workplace comedy, They Office featuring needy bad boss - and chump- Hannah Howard, played by Felicity Ward.Felicity and show runners Jackie Van Beek and Julie De Fina talk to BW about how this 13th version of The Office, streaming on Prime Video, adapts itself to the post-pandemic world of work.

Vietnamese-Australian actor Hoa Xuande stars as The Captain in HBO's The Sympathizer, a limited series based on Viet Thanh Nguyen's Pulitzer-prize winning novel.Hoa takes us behind the scenes, telling us about how he landed this huge role, and what it was like to act opposite heavyweights like Robert Downey Jr. and Sandra Oh.

Stop Everything! and catch up with Atsuko Okatsuka – stand-up comic, social media star and bowl cut icon.In 2022, Atsuko's debut HBO comedy special, The Intruder – and her viral "drop challenge" – marked her arrival as a comedy star on the rise.Atsuko talks to BW about backup career plans, crowd control and the power of the bowl cut.

We love a summer recommendation and self appointed Stop Everything! nerd correspondent, Ahmed Yussuf joins BW to introduce us to the latest season of Dr Who. The revamped BBC x Disney co-production features the latest incarnation of the Doctor played by the joyfully charismatic Ncuti Gatwa.And Ahmed makes an argument for why we should be watching more anime.

Michelle Visage gets candid about her friendship with RuPaul, the art of critique, career longevity and honesty in friendships.The newly minted RuPaul's Drag Race down under host, Michelle Visage in The House of Stop Everything! and joins Beverley Wang as his week's guest critic.

In a year filled with chaotic memes like brat summer, Moo Deng, Hawk Tuah and Where's Kate, the most tumultuous of all is Luigi Mangione, suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. BW and ABC entertainment reporter Jared Richards break down how the internet turned Mangione into a folk hero, and the improbable conditions that mean someone charged with murder hasn't been cancelled.   

If you need help figuring out which shows to catch up on over the holidays (yay!), this one's for you.  TV critic Wenlei Ma is in to help BW countdown the most unforgettable, sexiest, funniest, surprising and entertaining shows of 2024.  

In Disney's Moana sequel, our heroine is a wayfinding big sis and leader of her community, on the cusp of a new mission to unite the people of the ocean.  Guest critic Sosefina Fuamoli is in to talk about why Moana's journey in this follow-up stirs up so many emotions. An award-winning music journalist, Sose also gives her take on how women in music won 2024.  

Let's go to the movies and feel joy again! Jon M. Chu's Wicked and 86-year-old Ridley Scott's Gladiator II are going head-to-head at the box office and we're lapping it up.We haven't had movies this big since 2023's back-to-back releases of Barbie and Oppenheimer, aka “Barbenheimer”.Will “Glicked” save the movies and snatch the awards season trophies?    Guest critic Maria Lewis – screenwriter, film geek and pop culture etymologist is in the house.Also, something's not right: John Krasinski aka Jim from The Office is People magazine's sexiest man alive?  

We're throwing what we think about celebrity endorsements out the window after the US election results. Endorsements from Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, Bad Bunny and Cardi B couldn't help Kamala Harris in a race where Donald Trump had the likes of Joe Rogan – the world's biggest podcaster – and Elon Musk – the world's richest person – in his corner.  Stop Everything! show daddy Benjamin Law and English teacher-turned comedian Urvi Majumdar join BW live on stage from the OzAsia Festival in Adelaide to debrief on the US election, and chat through everything there is to love about hit comedy The English Teacher, created by TikTok singing and dancing star Brian Jordan Alvarez. Show notes:Brian Jordan Alvarez on Stop Everything!ABC Fresh Blood series: "Urvi went to an all girls school"

Twenty-three years after the original series of The Office debuted, Australia has its own version of the mockumentary workplace comedy, for the first time featuring women in two of the core roles.Felicity Ward, who plays needy bad boss Hannah Howard, and show runners Jackie Van Beek and Julie De Fina talk to BW about how this 13th version of The Office, streaming on Prime Video, adapts itself to the post-pandemic world of work.

Secure your wig, pour yourself a hot cup of tea, and settle in as Kween Kong – Stop Everything! guest critic and RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars finalist – speaks exclusively to BW about the series finale and her experience on the show.We get into the Nehellenia drama, RuPaul saying the 'L' word, fandom backlash, and of course – the final result which saw USA's Alyssa Edwards take home the $200,000 prize and a spot in the International Pavilion at the Drag Race Hall of Fame, located in Daytona Beach, Florida.Show notes:Vanity Vain on NehelleniaStop Everything! Adelaide live show November 9

James Blunt weirdly got us on board with the 20th anniversary re-release of his debut album, Back to Bedlam, which features the divisive ear worm "You're Beautiful." Then actor Andrew Garfield got vulnerable on Sesame Street talking to Elmo about grief; and went on a chemistry-packed Chicken Shop Date with Amelia Dimoldenberg.How did these two celebrities, both on promotional press tours, manage to make us feel real feelings while selling us stuff?Jennifer Wong, writer, comedian and this week's guest critic, is in to discuss.Show notes:James Blunt name change videoAndrew Garfield Chicken Shop DateAndrew Garfield Esquire profile

What happened when Simu Liu summoned the Kenergy to address cultural appropriation of Boba, also known as bubble tea and pearl milk tea, on CBC reality show Dragons' Den, and how did the internet react? (spoiler: not well)And what's the secret sauce behind Netflix's hit rom-com series Nobody Wants This, starring Xennial dreamboats Adam Brody and Kristen Bell?Guest critic Patrick Lenton, freelance culture writer and author, joins BW to figure it out.Show notes:Simu Liu on Dragons' DenBobba apologises

Why is the moist, ungovernable baby pygmy hippo named Moo Deng the aloe vera on our parched souls?What's it like to use Social AI, the social media app where you're the only human interacting with a universe of AI chatbots with different personalities?How is Netflix's Culinary Class Wars refreshing the cooking competition show genre?And what does Zelda do now that she's the star of her own game?BW and guest critic Gianni Di Giovanni meditate on these questions.Show notes:How games are evolving to embrace feminine perspectivesVerge cast interview with Social AI creator Michael Sayman

The big Hollywood blockbusters barely feature a kiss anymore, let alone any amorous affairs.So, why are studios so afraid of this core human experience and where do we need to go to get our vicarious fix?This week's host Wenlei Ma is joined by guest critic, Vogues' Hannah-Rose Yee to talk about sex on film.Plus, with the release of the Pitt/ Clooney vehicle Wolfs on streaming, is the movie star dead?

Is it ok that "fake German heiress" Anna Delvey has appeared in the current season of Dancing With The Stars (US)? Can a convicted scammer dance her way to reputation rehab – and should she even have the opportunity?Guest critic (and trained dancer!) Rudi Bremer is in to discuss.Show notes:"Maybe She Had So Much Money She Just Lost Track of It" by Jessica PresslerZiwe interviews Anna Delvey.

After Taylor Swift made her politics clear by endorsing Kamala Harris for president, Donald Trump reacted by posting: I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT! But does he understand how that's activated Swifties?Guest critic Steph Van Schilt is a writer, podcast producer and Taylor Swift specialist, and she shares her take on the situation.Also: is The Bear really a comedy? We recap the Emmys and Steph explains why you should be watching Below Deck.

Raygun, Australia's most famous breaker, is back in the news again – posting photos hanging out with Sir Richard Branson and Boy George – as foreshadowed in her interview with The Project's Waleed Aly.Is this a coda to Raygun's viral moment, or a sign of things to come?Guest critic Tahlea Aualiitia is in to ponder the question, as well as Beyoncé's lack of CMA nominations.And we're also getting into our latest reality TV obsession – The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.Show notes:Raygun interview on The Project