Pop Culture Confidential
Conversations at the intersection of movies, television, and pop culture.
Hosted by Christina Jeurling Birro, this podcast delivers candid interviews with filmmakers, actors, creators, and cultural tastemakers, plus festival and awards-season coverage, reviews, and in-depth explorations of the stories shaping what we watch and why it matters.
Recent
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Aug. 31, 2026
540: Emmy Predictions 2026. Final Picks Before the Envelopes Open (Guest Eoin Daly)
Emmy time! Eoin Daly is back for our final Emmy predictions ahead of the 78th Emmy Awards, hosted by Mariska Hargitay, (airing September 14th). Who will take home the gold? Tune in! Follow Eoin on instgram @eoin_daily
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Aug. 28, 2026
539: A Conversation with Actor Steve Way! ('Furious')
This week Christina has the honor of talking to actor, comedian, writer and activist Steve Way about his incredible performance as Alden on Furious, creator Liz Meriwether's riveting crime thriller. (Furious was just renewed for a second season!) In a wide-ranging conversation, they talk about what drew Way to the role of Alden, what sets Furious apart from other police procedurals, Meriwether's uniquely complicated and multifaceted characters, and the show's moments of humor. Steve talks about
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Aug. 24, 2026
538: Special Episode: Guesting on the AwardsWatch Podcast: Previewing the 53rd Telluride Film Festival
Christina joins the AwardsWatch podcast for a special episode! We’re less than two weeks before the 53nd Telluride Film Festival kicks off on Labor Day weekend and we have a packed show. On episode 360 AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-chief Erik Anderson Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello, contributors Jay Ledbetter, Mark Johnson, and Jorge Tenreiro, and Christina Birro of Pop Culture Confidential to break down what we think will be at Telluride this season, who mi
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Aug. 19, 2026
537: We Talk 'The End of Oak Street', 'The Invite', & TV's 'Furious' and 'Lanterns' (Guest: Ryan McQuade)
Summer's winding down but the watchlist isn't. Ryan McQuade (AwardsWatch) is back on Pop Culture Confidential to review and discuss The End of Oak Street and The Invite, plus a couple of TV picks worth your time, Furious and Lanterns.
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Aug. 18, 2026
536: Director Brian L. Tan & Co-Producer Tara McNamara On Their Award-Winning Film 'Bandit' & Filmmaking Journey
Christina is joined by director Brian L. Tan and co-producer Tara McNamara to talk about their new film Bandit & their filmmaking journey! Tan describes the film as "The White Lotus from the perspective of the help." Set in Indonesia, Bandit follows two childhood friends, desperate for cash, whose theft goes horribly wrong. The film is already making serious festival waves: it won the Grand Jury Prize at the Dances With Films festival in Los Angeles and Best Foreign Film at the Burbank Internati
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Aug. 13, 2026
535: Lupin to Blood Sacrifice: Creator and Showrunner George Kay's Global Playbook
Christina talks to creator and showrunner George Kay. Kay is one of the most versatile and prolific creators working in television. His work spans genres and continents, with global hits like Lupin, The Long Shadow, and Hijack. George Kay is seemingly the busiest man in television, with two shows premiering soon: first his upcoming Swedish crime drama Blood Sacrifice, starring Jakob Oftebro and Peter Andersson as an estranged father-son detective duo hunting a killer targeting police, premiering
Recent Blog Posts
Jan. 20, 2026
Christina’s 2026 Oscar Nomination Predictions!
Christina’s 2026 Oscar Nomination PredictionsWith Oscar nominations landing Thursday, here are my final predictions!
Best Picture:
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Sentimental Value
The Secret Agent
Frankenstein…
Best Picture:
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Sentimental Value
The Secret Agent
Frankenstein…