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Joey Chestnut lifts his fist in excitement onstage, in his Unfinished Beef jersey.

Joey Chestnut ate 83 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes onstage in Las Vegas for a live Netflix event on Monday. His longtime rival, Takeru Kobayashi, ate 66. David Becker/Getty Images for Netflix hide caption

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David Becker/Getty Images for Netflix

National

Top dog Joey Chestnut beats his archrival and his own hot dog-eating world record

Joey Chestnut faced off against Takeru Kobayashi in a Netflix showdown on Monday. Chestnut downed 83 hot dogs and buns to Kobayashi's 66 in 10 minutes, beating his own world record from 2021.

'Kaos' takes on the Greek gods, but is it a hit or a myth?

Jeff Goldblum plays Zeus in Kaos. Justin Downing/Netflix hide caption

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Justin Downing/Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Kaos' takes on the Greek gods, but is it a hit or a myth?

In the clever new Netflix series Kaos, the Greek Gods are a rich and powerful modern-day family. They're led by an impulsive and deeply insecure Zeus (Jeff Goldblum), who lives on Mount Olympus with his wife Hera (Janet McTeer). But there is a plan to overthrow Zeus that depends on a slew of gods, demigods and mortals working together, whether or not they are aware of the roles they each are playing.

'Kaos' takes on the Greek gods, but is it a hit or a myth?

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Reality TV, romance, and race
Jackie Lay/NPR

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Reality TV, romance, and race

Some people may flinch at the genre of reality TV – it's full of tropes and manipulative editing and ridiculous premises. It's been referred to as a funhouse mirror of our culture. But it can reflect back to us new ways of understanding what we accept as a society – especially when it comes to things like gender, sexuality, class and race. Today we're bringing you an episode of NPR's Code Switch that zeroes in on the The Bachelor and Love Island.

Reality TV, romance, and race

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The 2019 Swedish drama series Quicksand begins with a school shooting. Above, Hanna Ardéhn as Maja.

The Swedish series Quicksand and the Mexican drama The Accident offer a reminder that justice plays out differently around the world. Above, Hanna Ardéhn as Maja in Quicksand. ‎/Netflix hide caption

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‎/Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Tragedy feels all too familiar in these two international dramas

The Mexican drama The Accident and the Swedish series Quicksand offer interesting perspectives on difficult topics. They are also a reminder that justice plays out differently around the world.

Inspired by the murder case, amateur detective Miss Merkel (Katharina Thalbach) takes a closer look at her pug Helmut.

In a scene from the German TV series Miss Merkel, actress Katharina Thalbach, playing the amateur detective based on the former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, takes a closer look at her pug Helmut. RTL/Maor Waisburd hide caption

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RTL/Maor Waisburd

World

In 'Miss Merkel,' Germany's former chancellor is a crime-solving amateur detective

The German crime fiction series, based on novels of the same name, depicts former Chancellor Angela Merkel as an Agatha Christie-style small-town detective who solves crimes out of sheer boredom.

'Miss Merkel,' Germany's former chancellor is a crime-solving amateur detective

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Adar (Sam Hazeldine) engages in a bit elf-reflection.

Adar (Sam Hazeldine) engages in a bit elf-reflection. Ross Ferguson/Prime Video hide caption

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Ross Ferguson/Prime Video

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

You’ve got questions about 'The Rings of Power' Season 2. We’ve got answers.

The second season of the Lord of the Rings prequel has many of the same pitfalls as the first – but for fans eager to return to Middle-earth, it’s still worth watching.

You’ve got questions about 'The Rings of Power' Season 2. We’ve got answers.

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When celebrities portray themselves

Martin Short and Zach Galifianakis in the fourth season of Only Murders in the Building. Eric McCandless/Hulu/Disney hide caption

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Eric McCandless/Hulu/Disney

Pop Culture Happy Hour

When celebrities portray themselves

It's practically a tradition for famous people to portray a really offbeat version of themselves in TV and movies. The latest season of Only Murders in the Building features Eugene Levy, Zach Galifianakis, and Eva Longoria all playing fictional versions of themselves. So we thought it would be the perfect time to talk about about the many ways actors portray themselves on screen, and why it does and doesn't work.

When celebrities portray themselves

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Jon Hamm

Jon Hamm attends the premiere of FOX's Lucy In The Sky at Darryl Zanuck Theater at FOX Studios on September 25, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images hide caption

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Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

Jon Hamm

Jon Hamm is an actor with a lot of range. He can do serious, and he can definitely do funny. When he last joined us on the show, he had just starred in a comic noir called Maggie Moore(s). A film with a perfect mix of serious and funny. He chatted with us about that film, how he landed his memorable role on Mad Men, and much more.

Listen to this Epsiode

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Martin Sheen, who played President Jed Bartlet in The West Wing, in conversation with All Things Considered host Scott Detrow in the NPR studios.

Martin Sheen, who played President Jed Bartlet in The West Wing, in conversation with All Things Considered host Scott Detrow in the NPR studios. Mhari Shaw/for NPR hide caption

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Mhari Shaw/for NPR

Interview highlights

‘The West Wing’ was my inspiration. 25 years on I got to meet President Bartlet

When NPR was offered the chance to interview Martin Sheen and Melissa Fitzgerald about The West Wing, I dashed through the newsroom with an energy to rival the show's iconic walk and talks.

Inside 'The West Wing,' 25 years later

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The 8G Band on February 24, 2014 — the very first episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers. Left to right: Eli Janney, Fred Armisen, Kim Thompson, Syd Butler and Seth Jabour.

The 8G Band on February 24, 2014 — the very first episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers. Left to right: Eli Janney, Fred Armisen, Kim Thompson, Syd Butler and Seth Jabour. Peter Kramer/NBC/Getty Images hide caption

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Peter Kramer/NBC/Getty Images

As 'Late Night' loses its band, we rank the best groups ever on late night TV

8G appears in their last Late Night episode on Thursday after a decade backing Seth Meyers. It joins the ranks of groundbreaking late night bands.

Jon Stewart returned to The Daily Show in February, hosting once per week.

Jon Stewart returned to The Daily Show in February, hosting once per week. Matt Wilson/Comedy Central hide caption

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Matt Wilson/Comedy Central

Jon Stewart doesn't feel vindicated bringing 'The Daily Show' to a Harris-led DNC

Stewart and The Daily Show’s executive producer Jennifer Flanz say the show is “clicking” with correspondents in the host chair. Is that a sustainable format for the late night comedy show? They’ll revisit that question after the DNC.

Jon Stewart and Daily Show at the DNC

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The reality TV shows we'd actually win

Ted Allen on Chopped. Food Network hide caption

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Food Network

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

The reality TV shows we'd actually win

Part of the fun of reality TV is putting yourself in the shoes of the people you're watching. Maybe you'd make a great Real Housewife. Maybe you could win The Amazing Race. Maybe you could even win the fickle hand of The Bachelor. We're not here to make friends, but we are here to pick the reality shows that we think could thrive on.

The reality TV shows we'd actually win

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Emmy award-winning talk show host Phil Donahue.

Emmy award-winning talk show host Phil Donahue. Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images hide caption

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Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Obituaries

Pioneer talk show host Phil Donahue dies at 88

The broadcaster was hailed as the father of the modern audience-participation daytime talk show. Donahue's taste for controversial and polarizing subjects birthed a new genre of television.

Pioneer talk show host Phil Donahue dies at 88

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The cast of Homicide: Life on the Street, led by Andre Braugher and Kyle Secor.

The cast of Homicide: Life on the Street, led by Andre Braugher and Kyle Secor. NBCUniversal hide caption

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NBCUniversal

Review

TV Reviews

Groundbreaking police drama 'Homicide: Life on the Street' is finally streaming

The seven-season show about a Baltimore police homicide unit didn’t feature gun battles and car chases. The tone, pacing and camera work were all groundbreaking when the show started in 1993.

'Homicide: Life on the Street' is available to stream on Peacock

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The physical media we still treasure
Mikhail Dmitriev/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

The physical media we still treasure

The vinyl record, the CD, the DVD, the VHS tape — even the paper book has been the subject of debate and concern over its future. But we haven't given up our collections just yet. Today, we're revisiting our conversation about the physical media we still treasure.

The physical media we still treasure

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Host Peter Marshall appears at the 45th annual Daytime Emmy Awards at the Pasadena Civic Center on April 29, 2018, in Pasadena, Calif. Marshall, who spent 16 years as host of “The Hollywood Squares,” has died at 98.

Host Peter Marshall appears at the 45th annual Daytime Emmy Awards at the Pasadena Civic Center on April 29, 2018, in Pasadena, Calif. Marshall, who spent 16 years as host of “The Hollywood Squares,” has died at 98. Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP hide caption

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Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

Obituaries

Peter Marshall, 'Hollywood Squares' host and Broadway star, dies at 98

Peter Marshall, the actor and singer turned game show host who played straight man to the stars for 16 years on “The Hollywood Squares,” has died. He was 98.

In this photo, a large sign made partially of bricks stands near one of the entrances to Disney Springs in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The sign says

The husband of a New York doctor who died shortly after dining at a Disney Springs restaurant last year has accused Walt Disney Parks and Resorts of negligence in a lawsuit. John Raoux/AP hide caption

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John Raoux/AP

National

Disney backtracks on request to toss wrongful death suit over Disney+ agreement

Jeffrey Piccolo's wife died after eating at a Disney World restaurant. Disney wanted his claims handled out of court based on the terms of his years-old Disney+ trial, but reversed its position.

Disney wants a wrongful death lawsuit thrown out because the plaintiff had Disney+

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Race, Romance and Reality TV
Jackie Lay

Code Switch

Race, Romance and Reality TV

Reality TV has been referred to as a funhouse mirror of our culture. But even with its distortions, it can reflect back to us what we accept as a society – especially when it comes to things like gender, sexuality and race.

Race, Romance and Reality TV

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$#@*! we're talking profanity in pop culture
Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

$#@*! we're talking profanity in pop culture

We've got dirty words on the brain, and we're chatting about the use and functions of profanity in entertainment. In this encore episode from 2013, we cover everything from Anchorman to South Park to Shakespeare.

$#@*! we're talking profanity in pop culture

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Clockwise from left, pole vaulter Armand Duplantis, the Canoe Slalom Women's Kayak Cross, women's rugby player Sammy Sullivan, and the Men's 100m Final.

Clockwise from left, pole vaulter Armand Duplantis, the Canoe Slalom Women's Kayak Cross, women's rugby player Sammy Sullivan, and the Men's 100m Final. Kirill Kudrtavtsev/AFP via Getty Images; Alex Davidson/Getty Images; Kristy Sparow/Getty Images; Richard Heathcote/Getty Images hide caption

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Kirill Kudrtavtsev/AFP via Getty Images; Alex Davidson/Getty Images; Kristy Sparow/Getty Images; Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

2024 Paris Olympics

These Olympic medals don’t exist — so we made them up

What if there were Olympic medals for audience participation, or the best use of an accessory? NPR’s pop culture critic doles them out.

Who might play the VP candidates on SNL? A few ideas: Jim Gaffigan (clockwise from left), Melissa McCarthy, Will Ferrell, Jason Sudeikis, Zach Galifianakis and Jon Hamm.

Who might play the VP candidates on SNL? A few ideas: Jim Gaffigan (clockwise from left), Melissa McCarthy, Will Ferrell, Jason Sudeikis, Zach Galifianakis and Jon Hamm. Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for IMDb; Jeff Spicer/Getty Images; Lia Toby/Getty Images for Warner Bros.; Christopher Polk/Getty Images; Monica Schipper/Getty Images for IMDb; Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for SXSW hide caption

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Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for IMDb; Jeff Spicer/Getty Images; Lia Toby/Getty Images for Warner Bros.; Christopher Polk/Getty Images; Monica Schipper/Getty Images for IMDb; Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for SXSW

The most pressing question about Tim Walz and JD Vance: Who should play them on SNL?

Steve Martin has said he turned down an offer from SNL to play Walz. Our critic offers some alternatives. 

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