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Thursday

Ted Danson has embraced the light, but he's still grateful for the dark

Ted Danson on Wild Card Jesse Grant/Getty hide caption

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Jesse Grant/Getty

Wild Card with Rachel Martin

Ted Danson has embraced the light, but he's still grateful for the dark

Ted Danson has mastered the role of the happy-go-lucky guy with a quick wit and a quicker smile – who nevertheless has a few cracks in his sunny demeanor. It's there in Sam Malone on Cheers, in Hank Larsson on Fargo and in Michael on The Good Place. And that same duality is there in Ted's real life. He goes deep with Rachel on the light and dark sides of aging, marriage and what he calls "karmic poo."

Ted Danson has embraced the light, but he's still grateful for the dark

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Bowen Yang thinks being present is overrated

Bowen Yang on Wild Card. Mike Coppola/Getty hide caption

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Mike Coppola/Getty

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Bowen Yang thinks being present is overrated

The Pop Culture Happy Hour team is off today, so we're bringing you an episode of the NPR podcast Wild Card with Rachel Martin. This episode is an interview with Bowen Yang. He is the first Chinese American cast member on SNL, the co-host the podcast Las Culturistas, and he starred in the rom-com Fire Island. He talks to Rachel about living too much in the present, hard truths from Tina Fey, and why the afterlife should have a rollercoaster.

Bowen Yang thinks being present is overrated

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Tuesday

Yes, chef: 'The Bear' has a lot going on in its third season

Jeremy Allen White in The Bear. FX/Hulu hide caption

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FX/Hulu

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Yes, chef: 'The Bear' has a lot going on in its third season

The Bear just returned for its third season and it's still one of the most stressful and most interesting shows on TV. Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) and Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) are launching their new fine dining restaurant, but he's estranged from some of the people who are closest to him just as he sneaks up on a new level of success. The series is streaming now on Hulu.

Yes, chef: 'The Bear' has a lot going on in its third season

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Could 3 Body Problem's aliens exist? The science behind Netflix's new hit

Discovered in 2016, a roughly Earth-sized planet orbiting our nearest neighboring star might be habitable. This artist's impression shows a view of the surface of the planet Proxima b orbiting the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the solar system. ESO/M. Kornmesser hide caption

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ESO/M. Kornmesser

Short Wave

Could 3 Body Problem's aliens exist? The science behind Netflix's new hit

Before the '3 Body Problem' became a bestselling book and a smash TV show ... it was a physics concept, with big implications for how we understand planetary orbits. In this episode, we learn about the science behind the screen. Plus, why it's plausible a nearby, mysterious planet could hold life.

Could 3 Body Problem's aliens exist? The science behind Netflix's new hit

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Monday

Contestants on Love is Blind live apart from one another and do not see each other before agreeing to be married.

Contestants on Love is Blind live apart from one another and do not see each other before agreeing to be married. Netflix hide caption

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Netflix

'Love is Blind' is mired in lawsuits. What does that mean for reality TV?

New Yorker writer Emily Nussbaum discusses the lawsuits brought forth by the Love is Blind cast members, and reflects on how reality TV has impacted our culture. Her new book is Cue the Sun!

Emily Nussbaum

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Sunday

Friday

Martin Mull participates in

Martin Mull participates in "The Cool Kids" panel during the Fox Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour at The Beverly Hilton hotel on Aug. 2, 2018, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP hide caption

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Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP

Obituaries

Martin Mull, comedian and actor in 'Arrested Development' and 'Roseanne,' dies at 80

Martin Mull came to national fame with a recurring role on the Norman Lear-created satirical soap opera “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” and the starring role in its spinoff, “Fernwood Tonight."

Thursday

Lena Waithe's religion is 'The Wizard of Oz.' Here's what she learned from it.

Lena Waithe on Wild Card Vivien Killilea/Getty hide caption

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Vivien Killilea/Getty

Wild Card with Rachel Martin

Lena Waithe's religion is 'The Wizard of Oz.' Here's what she learned from it.

At 40, Lena Waithe already has an impressive legacy, with dozens of writing, acting and production credits. She was the first Black woman to win an Emmy for comedy writing (for Master of None). And she's also the creator of The Chi, which is just wrapping its sixth season. She tells Rachel one of her core beliefs is a lesson from The Wizard of Oz. They also discuss being bad at being wrong.

Lena Waithe's religion is 'The Wizard of Oz.' Here's what she learned from it.

Listen · 29:06
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Wednesday

Michelle Buteau arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on Sunday, March 10, 2024.

Michelle Buteau arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on March 10. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP hide caption

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Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Movie Interviews

After the Sept. 11 attacks, Michelle Buteau decided: 'I better start living'

Buteau says covering the news of the 2001 terrorist attacks crystalized her desire to go into comedy. She stars in the film Babes and in the Netflix series Survival of the Thickest.

After the Sept. 11 attacks, Michelle Buteau decided: 'I better start living'

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Tuesday

Striking Writers Guild members picket alongside SAG-AFTRA members outside Netflix studios in September of 2023.

Striking Writers Guild members picket alongside SAG-AFTRA members outside Netflix studios in September 2023. Mario Tama/Getty Images hide caption

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Mario Tama/Getty Images

Culture

This time last year, Hollywood writers were on strike. Now, many can’t find work

The entertainment industry was shifting dramatically even before the strikes that paused production last year. Now, many Hollywood writers are feeling the pinch.

WRITER'S STRIKE'S FIRST ANNIVERSARY

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