Episodes

Episode 112: Actor, comedian, author Jimmy O. Yang (Silicon Valley, Crazy Rich Asians) by Pop Culture Confidential

Actress Zoe Perry of the hit CBS sitcom ‘Young Sheldon’ joins us this week to share what it means to be playing a younger version of a part that her mother Laurie Metcalf (Roseanne and Lady Bird) originated on the massive hit show ‘Big Bang Theory’, plus her thoughts on the cancellation of ‘Roseanne’. Then we give you all the highlights from this Spring with a compilation of just some of the guests such as Gustaf Skarsgård, Henry Winkler, Michael Kenneth Williams, and Karamo Brown.

Eric Deggans, NPR’s TV critic, reports on the Fal…

Host Christina Jeurling Birro is joined by screenwriter and producer Craig Mazin whose credits include the wildly popular sequels for “The Hangover” and “Scary Movie”, the hit podcast ‘Scriptnotes’ with fellow screenwriter John August, and the HBO limited series “Chernobyl”.

TV icon Henry Winkler joins host Christina Jeurling Birro to speak about his newest hit show “Barry”, working on "Arrested Development", the influence of "Happy Days", living with dyslexia, jumping the shark, and much more.

Luke Jennings, author of the novel “Codename Villanelle”, the basis for the hit series “Killing Eve”, plus reporter Annette John-Hall joins to give some perspective on the Bill Cosby case and trials.

Veteran comedy writer Nell Scovell shares her exp…

Director Johan Renck shares his ever changing creative journey, from Stakka Bo to working with Madonna, David Bowie and Beyonce, directing feature films and TV such as ‘Breaking Bad’, ‘The Walking Dead’ and ‘The Last Panthers’. Renck also speaks about his latest project is the massive new HBO series ‘Chernobyl’ starring Emily Watson, Stellan Skarsgård, and Jared Harris from ‘The Crown’.

Award winning costume designer Ane Crabtree (Sopranos, Westworld) speaks about her powerful designs for The Handmaid’s Tale, that have also become an important symbol of protest worldwide. She also discusses her creations for the much awaited second season, how she finds inspiration, her upcoming projects, and much more. In 1955, Jim Henson created the The Muppets, and by the late 70’s more than 235 million people were watching worldwide. We are joined by veteran puppeteer/director Bill Barretta who is featured in a new documentary Muppet Guys Talking, that gives a rare behind-the-scenes look at a beloved institution. Mr Barretta shares the legacy of Jim Henson, the art of acting and voicing the Muppets, and what it is like to bring some of the most famous muppets, including the Swedish Chef, to life.

Actor Michael Kenneth Williams, of The Wire and The Night Of, takes a very personal journey with a new documentary, and Joy Press speaks about how women are revolutionizing television and her new book “Stealing the Show”.

On this week’s episode host Christina Jeurling Birro speaks with geneticist, and host of the BBC Radio show Inside Science, Dr. Adam Rutherford. He has been the science advisor on 'World War Z', 'Ex Machina', and 'Annihilation', one of the most talked about films this Spring. She is also joined by bestselling author Jonathan Abrams, who wrote “All the Pieces Matter: The Inside Story of the Wire”, the definitive oral history of David Simons groundbreaking show 'The Wire'.

Host Christina Jeurling Birro is joined by actor Gustaf Skarsgård for an exclusive conversation about taking on Hollywood after his successes in Sweden, competition, rejection, advice from his father Stellan, stepping into the much anticipated upcoming season of Westworld, and so much more.

This week host Christina Jeurling Birro is joined by legendary costume designer Ruth E. Carter, who designed the stunning costumes of the blockbuster hit ‘Black Panther’, then we get the lowdown on the Spring TV season with IndieWire’s Liz Shannon Miller.

William Jackson Harper talks about his breakout role as Professor Chidi Anagonye on the brilliant hit comedy 'The Good Place', and a real Professor analyzes the philosophy of the show.

On Oscar Sunday, Jimmy Kimmel will take the stage…

He's one of the stars of the "Queer Eye" reboot on Netflix, as part of the new Fab Five - Karamo Brown is making the audience laugh, cry and contemplate some very important topics. The original "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" premiered on Bravo in 2003, a makeover show that delivered a whole new format. Five gay men brought their expertise to help straight men find their best selves. The show and the original cast broke barriers and the show was a runaway hit! The new cast are taking the show one step further, and by moving the show from New York to the South, where interesting encounters ensue. They are not just changing wardrobes - they are opening up conversations about race, LGBTQ rights and much more. Host Christina Jeurling Birro speaks to Brown about his experience making the show, what it means to be the first black "Queer Eye" star, and much more.

This year's Oscar frontrunner, with 13 nominations including Best Director (Guillermo del Toro) and Best Picture, is The Shape of Water. This week's guest, Doug Jones, is an integral part of the film, playing a nameless amphibian fish man captured at a military lab in Cold War era Baltimore. He becomes the love interest of a mute cleaning lady Elisa, played by Sally Hawkins. It's a romance like nothing we've seen before! Jones is an actor, former mime, and contortionist, with over 160 acting credits to his name. His twenty-year collaboration with director Guillermo del Toro has resulted in six films, one TV show, and twelve characters, including the films Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth. Host Christina Jeurling Birro speaks to Jones about his long relationship with Guillermo del Toro, the emotional connection to playing creatures and monsters, the challenges of prosthetic costumes, and much more! The Shape of Water will premiere in Sweden February 14th 2018 and has premiered in the US and…

From his Emmy award-winning electronic score for …

Episode 94: Oscar nominations with Sasha Stone, A…

Our guest Ellen Lewis is the legendary casting director behind movies such as Goodfellas, Forrest Gump and The Wolf of Wall Street. She joins host Christina Jeurling Birro to share the unique process that went into casting Steven Spielberg’s acclaimed film The Post. With Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks already attached, Lewis set about to cast the large cast to play the real-life journalists and political figures in the script. The stellar ensemble includes Sarah Paulson, Bob Odenkirk, Tracy Letts, Bradley Whitford, Carrie Coon, David Cross, and so many more! We were honored to be joined by Lewis in our first season, a real portrait of her amazing career. This interview is included here as a postscript and is not to be missed!

Our guest, former FBI agent and criminal profiler, James "Fitz" Fitzgerald was one of the agents who brought down Ted Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber. The critically acclaimed Discovery series “Manhunt: Unabomber” captures the gripping true story of mail-bomber Ted Kaczynski, his ability to elude the FBI for 18 years, and efforts made to bring him to justice. The series, now available on Netflix, stars Paul Bettany as Ted Kaczynski and Sam Worthington as our guest, FBI profiler James ‘Fitz’ Fitzgerald. The story focuses on the ongoing Unabomber investigation in 1995 and 1996, as well as the build-up to his trial, where the role of linguistics in the investigation was pivotal in his arrest and conviction. Host Christina Jeurling Birro speaks to Fitzgerald about his twenty years with the FBI, how they broke the UNABOM case, his investigation of other high-profile cases and much more!

Award’s season is upon us and the Golden Globes n…

As the Oscar race heats up, we look back over our…

With awards season in full swing – we speak to Se…