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'Extraordinary' isn't about superpowers. No, really.

Sofia Oxenham and Máiréad Tyers star in Extraordinary. Natalie Seery/Disney+ hide caption

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Natalie Seery/Disney+

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Extraordinary' isn't about superpowers. No, really.

The very funny Hulu comedy Extraordinary is about a smart but directionless young woman named Jen who lives in London and doesn't feel great about herself. She hurls herself into a lot of hilariously bad choices and that's a familiar comedy premise. But there's more to Extraordinary because in the world of the series, Jen is the only one she knows who does not possess superpowers.

'Extraordinary' isn't about superpowers. No, really.

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We royally wade into the Harry and Meghan discourse

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were engaged in 2017 Chris Jackson/Getty Images hide caption

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Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

We royally wade into the Harry and Meghan discourse

It was a game changer when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior members of the royal family. Since then, they've given interviews, secured lucrative multimedia deals, and launched several personal projects — Harry recently published the highly anticipated memoir Spare. And they've done it all while bringing long-overdue conversations about race and the royal family's legacy to the forefront. So how, exactly, do we process all of this?

We royally wade into the Harry and Meghan discourse

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'Fleishman Is in Trouble' is a Trojan horse for women's stories, says Lizzy Caplan

Libby (Lizzy Caplan), the narrator of Fleishman is in Trouble, is a stay-at-home mom who begins to question all of her life choices. Linda Kallerus/FX hide caption

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Linda Kallerus/FX

'Fleishman Is in Trouble' is a Trojan horse for women's stories, says Lizzy Caplan

Fresh Air

Caplan started out on Freaks and Geeks and now plays the narrator of Fleishman Is in Trouble. She says Fleishman seems like a story about a man going through a divorce, but it turns into much more.

'Fleishman Is in Trouble' is a Trojan horse for women's stories, says Lizzy Caplan

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'Laverne & Shirley' actor Cindy Williams dies at 75

Cindy Williams arrives to the TV Land Awards 10th Anniversary in New York on April 14, 2012. Williams, who played Shirley opposite Penny Marshall's Laverne on the popular sitcom "Laverne & Shirley," died Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, in Los Angeles at age 75, her family said. Charles Sykes/AP hide caption

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Charles Sykes/AP

Obituaries

'Laverne & Shirley' actor Cindy Williams dies at 75

Cindy Williams, who played Shirley opposite Penny Marshall's Laverne on the popular sitcom "Laverne & Shirley," has died, her family said Monday.

Lisa Loring, the original Wednesday Addams, is dead at 64

The Addams Family characters Wednesday and Uncle Fester. The actress who played the iconic Wednesday, Lisa Loring, died this weekend. ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images hide caption

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ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

Obituaries

Lisa Loring, the original Wednesday Addams, is dead at 64

Lisa Loring will be remembered as a Hollywood icon for playing the gloomy Wednesday Addams at age 6. She went on to fill roles on As the World Turns and the Girl from U.N.C.L.E..

Natasha Lyonne on the real reason she got kicked out of boarding school
JC Olivera/Getty Images

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

Natasha Lyonne on the real reason she got kicked out of boarding school

Natasha Lyonne is an actor, writer, and director with one of the most recognizable voices in the world. She stars in the new series Poker Face, so we ask her three questions about getting botox.

Natasha Lyonne on the real reason she got kicked out of boarding school

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What's making us happy: A guide to your weekend viewing

Lesley Manville stars in Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. Dávid Lukács/Ada Films/Focus Features hide caption

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Dávid Lukács/Ada Films/Focus Features

What's Making Us Happy: Recommendations From 'Pop Culture Happy Hour'

What's making us happy: A guide to your weekend viewing

Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: Gabrielle Zevin's Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, and more.

Saying goodbye to Pikachu and Ash, plus how Pokémon changed media forever
NPR

It's Been a Minute

Saying goodbye to Pikachu and Ash, plus how Pokémon changed media forever

It's the end of an era. After more than 25 years, The Pokémon Company is closing the book on the adventures of Ash Ketchum and Pikachu. To celebrate the cultural impact of this dynamic duo – and of the Pokémon franchise – Brittany Luse sits down with actor Sarah Natochenny, who's voiced Ash since 2006. Sarah talks about growing up with a character who stays 10 years old, and how fans have been the lifeblood of the show. Then, Brittany sits down with Dexter Thomas, VICE News correspondent and Japanese culture critic, and Daniel Dockery, author of Monster Kids: How Pokémon Taught a Generation to Catch Them All. They explore how Pokémon transformed gaming and children's TV in the U.S. and became one of the biggest media franchises in the world.

Saying goodbye to Pikachu and Ash, plus how Pokémon changed media forever

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Do you need to talk to your kids about traumatic events? Sesame Street has some tips

Sesame Street characters Elmo, left, and Cookie Monster pose on the 86th floor observation deck of the Empire State Building to promote the return of the live limited run show "Sesame Street Live! Let's Party!" Evan Agostini/AP hide caption

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Evan Agostini/AP

Do you need to talk to your kids about traumatic events? Sesame Street has some tips

A program from the makers of Sesame Street is helping kids deal with traumatic incidents.

Do you need to talk to your kids about traumatic events? Sesame Street has some tips

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Jimmy Kimmel celebrates 20 years as a (reluctant) late night TV institution

Jimmy Kimmel during a recent taping of Jimmy Kimmel Live! Randy Holmes/ABC hide caption

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Randy Holmes/ABC

Jimmy Kimmel celebrates 20 years as a (reluctant) late night TV institution

Kimmel says he thought he was going to stop; then he didn't.

Jimmy Kimmel celebrates 20 years as a (reluctant) late night TV institution

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'Sesame Street' co-creator Lloyd Morrisett dies at 93

Sesame Street co-creator Lloyd Morrisett attends the 42nd annual Kennedy Center Honors at the Kennedy Center on Dec. 8, 2019, in Washington, D.C. Morrisett died at 93, Sesame Workshop announced Monday. Greg Allen/Invision/AP hide caption

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Greg Allen/Invision/AP

Obituaries

'Sesame Street' co-creator Lloyd Morrisett dies at 93

Sparked in part by the civil rights movement, the show aimed to teach children basic skills. His hope was to "help those children who would otherwise not succeed in school, do better," he said.

Winning an Oscar almost cost F. Murray Abraham his career — but he bounced back

F. Murray Abraham says his White Lotus character Bert is "nothing but a male chauvinist pig" but that the women who respond to him "understand that he really has a good heart." Fabio Lovino /HBO hide caption

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Fabio Lovino /HBO

Winning an Oscar almost cost F. Murray Abraham his career — but he bounced back

Fresh Air

The White Lotus star won the 1985 Best Actor Oscar for Amadeus. "I became full of myself," he says, and began turning down film roles — after a while, the phone stopped ringing.

Winning an Oscar almost cost F. Murray Abraham his career — but he bounced back

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Has 'Cheers' aged like fine wine? Or has it gone bitter?

Shelley Long and Ted Danson in Cheers. Alamy Stock Photo hide caption

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Alamy Stock Photo

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Has 'Cheers' aged like fine wine? Or has it gone bitter?

Cheers is one of the most celebrated TV sitcoms of all time. Set in a Boston bar, the show won major awards and turned stars like Ted Danson, Shelley Long, and Rhea Perlman into household names. Cheers ended its run 30 years ago this spring, so we thought this would be a good time to revisit the series and answer your questions.

Has 'Cheers' aged like fine wine? Or has it gone bitter?

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Jinkies! 'Velma' needs to get a clue

Mindy Kaling voices the iconic character in the new HBO Max animated series Velma. HBO Max hide caption

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HBO Max

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Jinkies! 'Velma' needs to get a clue

The adult animated series Velma chronicles the origin story of the bespectacled brains of the original Scooby Gang. We meet Velma, Fred, Daphne and Shaggy in high school, as Velma struggles with mean girls, a neglectful father, a missing mother, patriarchal beauty standards, same-sex attraction and a serial killer. Velma is voiced by Mindy Kaling, and the rest of the show's voice cast includes Sam Richardson, Constance Wu, and Glenn Howerton.

Jinkies! 'Velma' needs to get a clue

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Reneé Rapp wants to burn out by 30 — and it's all going perfectly to plan

For Rapp, the goal was always a solo music career. Erica Hernandez hide caption

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Erica Hernandez

Culture

Reneé Rapp wants to burn out by 30 — and it's all going perfectly to plan

You may know about Rapp from TikTok, TV or Broadway. But she says all of that has just been in service of her true passion: a solo music career.

Reneé Rapp wants to burn out by 30 — and it's all going perfectly to plan

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Can you place your trust in 'The Traitors'?

Alan Cumming hosts the Peacock reality competition show The Traitors. Peacock hide caption

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Peacock

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Can you place your trust in 'The Traitors'?

In Peacock's new reality competition series The Traitors, contestants and reality TV veterans undergo missions at a Scottish castle to earn cash for the money pot. But there are three "traitors" among them, secretly working to "murder" the other players before these "faithfuls" find them out. The series is hosted by a slyly sinister Alan Cumming.

Can you place your trust in 'The Traitors'?

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