Two of the most hyped films of the year have been released in cinemas this week: Alex Garland's Civil War, starring Kirsten Dunst and Luca Gaudignino's Challengers, starring Zendaya. Civil War is a bracing, incendiary and controversial look at a future, war-torn America and the role journalists play in covering conflict. Challengers is a throwback to erotic thrillers of the 90s, a tennis film that is really about sex, power and relationships. Osman and Thomas discuss the movies, the complicated reaction to Civil War and how Challengers confirms Zendaya's star power. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After 12 seasons and 25 years Curb Your Enthusiasm has finally bowed out, and paid homage to one of the most controversial TV finales of all time. Osman and Thomas discuss the best and worst TV finales, from The Sopranos and Mad Men to Lost and Game of Thrones, and what makes some work while others fall flat. They also discuss two of the most elegant shows on TV right now, Ripley and Shogun, and what makes them transcend other shows. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beyoncé’s latest album, Cowboy Carter, is a sprawling ode to the black roots of country as well as being a critique of America and the music industry at large. Osman and Thomas review the album and discuss how it’s been received, by those who love it and those who don’t. They discuss the new Netflix series Ripley and how it comes to the film starring Matt Damon and Jude Law before unpacking Monkey Man, the wild debut film from actor Dev Patel. Then Dev joins the show the talk about making the movie, his influences and the political message of the story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From pop to RnB, hip-hop to country, Osman, Thomas and Mel survey some of the biggest releases of the year. They discuss new albums from Waxahatchee, Kacey Musgraves, Ariana Grande, Tyla, Future and more, unpacking the continued dominance of country and the malaise mainstream hip-hop seems to be in. Plus, the best in TV and books out this week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do a new rom-com starring Lindsay Lohan and an epic mystery show by the creators of Game of Thrones have in common? They both debuted on Netflix this week. Irish Wish (the number film on Netflix right now) and Three Body Problem sit at both ends of streamer's content strategy: Light, easy to digest fluff and high-budget, high-concept prestige. Osman, Thomas and Mel review both releases and discuss the current streaming landscape and Netflix's role in it. Plus, they share their film, TV and book recommendations of the week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's driving the obsession and conspiracy theories over the Royal photo scandal? Osman, Thomas and Mel explain how the situation unfolding, discuss why it lit a cultural flare, and how it fits into our contemporary understanding of celebrity culture. They discuss their favourite Royal-themed movies, likely Oscar contenders for 2025 and share their pop culture recommendations on Impress Your Friends. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Osman, Thomas and Mel react to the 2024 Academy Awards. They review the ceremony and discuss the Oppenheimer sweep, Barbie's near shut-out, the surprising moments and hand out their own prizes for winners and losers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 96th Academy Awards are nearly here. Osman, Thomas and Mel unpack the state of the race, share their favourite moments from recent Oscars history, breakdown how the awards are actually chosen and share who they think should, and will, win the major categories. Plus, they talk about the growing buzz around the new prestige TV series Shogun, debate the hype around Fred Again... and cover the reaction to Dune: Part Two. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dune: Part Two is the biggest movie event of 2024 so far. Osman, Thomas and Mel unpack whether this epic, weird and overwhelming movie lives up to the hype it's generated, and if casual movie-goers will enjoy it as much as serious fans. They also discuss the news that Netflix's Beef will be back with an exciting new cast, the massive success of Anyone But You, changes to the Logies, and share their recommendations in Impress Your Friends. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While Oppenheimer looks set to dominate the Academy Awards, another film is quietly gaining momentum. Based on the best-selling novel Erasure by Percival Everett, American Fiction is a literary comedy that confronts our culture's obsession with reducing people to outrageous stereotypes. Osman, Thomas and Mel review the film (spoiler-free), discuss the rise of cultural gatekeepers and how American Fiction successfully challenges the ideas of representation in film, publishing and the arts. Plus, Taylor Swift is (still) in town, and everyone has lost their minds, but that’s a good thing, right? And of course, Impress Your Friends is back, but this time we’re also rating previous reccs. Fun! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Married At First Sight, Australian Idol, Survivor, The Block... even the ABC's Muster Dogs. They're the most popular shows in the country, attracting millions of viewers every night. So how did Australia become a country dominated by reality TV? And why do Australian reality TV shows get such a massive reception overseas? Is it good for our culture, or does is it happening at the detriment of drama and other more expensive genres? Plus, Osman, Thomas and Mel look at the winners and losers out of the Super Bowl and share their weekly recommendations. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Osman, Thomas and Mel are back for 2024 and kick things off with a discussion about the the entertainment industry's awards season, and what role the Emmys, Grammys and Oscars play in our cultural conversation. Then they turn their attention to Taylor Swift's dominance and if she's reached saturation point. Did she fumble her album announcement? Is the backlash unfair? Or is it time to re-interrogate the most powerful person in the business? Finally, a bumper Impress Your Friends segment where the hosts share their favourite summer watches, what they are streaming right now, and what they're excited about in 2024. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mel and Thomas along with special guest host, Spectrum deputy editor Robert Moran look back at all the big pop culture moments in 2023 - from the Barbenheimer phenomenon to the Hollywood actor's strike and more. Plus films, TV and books to look forward to in 2024. And the very last Impress your friends segment for the year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Succession to Oppenheimer to Fast Car, Mel and Thomas give their top picks of the best of culture from 2023. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The arrival of the festive season brings the excuse to finally watch Christmas movies on repeat for an entire month. Mel and Thomas take a look at some of the classics like Home Alone and Love Actually, but also at the rise of bad Hallmark Christmas films that have inundated our streaming platforms over the past 10 years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mel and Thomas preview what's to come on The Drop over the next few weeks. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Saltburn, the dark psychological thriller starring Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi, is the second feature film from writer/director Emerald Fennell after her Oscar-nominated debut, Promising Young Women. It's one of the most divisive films of the year, with some critics describing it as a funny, sharp satire of the rich while others have dismissed it as derivative and messy. Osman, Thomas and Mel review the film (spoiler-free) and discuss the most controversial moments, what works and what doesn't, and how it compares to classics like Brideshead Revisited and The Talented Mr Ripley. Then they talk about the second episode of The Curse, which is fast becoming one of the best and strangest shows of the year. Plus, the latest season of The Crown and Jim Chalmers' obsession with 90s hip-hop. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Fincher's The Killer is deservedly the most popular film on Netflix right now. Osman, Thomas and Mel unpack this stylish, cold-blooded thriller starring Michael Fassbender and discuss how it compares to other Fincher classics like The Social Network, Gone Girl, Fight Club and Zodiac. They also review the first episode of Nathan Fielder's new show The Curse, starring Emma Stone. Plus, a conversation about Robbie Williams' documentary, The Buccaneers and a new book about Marvel. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do The Wire, The Sopranos, Game of Thrones and Succession have in common? They're commonly regarded as examples of "prestige TV": high quality dramas, that push the medium forward and create plenty of buzz. But there's a growing sense that we be living in a post-prestige world. Osman, Thomas and Mel try to define what exactly makes a show prestige, debate if we will ever have a show as good as Succession again and share some of their favourite, lesser-known TV dramas from the past few years. Plus, a conversation about the new film, Dumb Money and the latest season of The Kardashians. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They say never let the truth get in the way of a good story, but what about a funny joke? Following on from the New Yorker’s allegations that comedian Hasan Minhaj fabricated stories in his Netflix specials, Osman, Mel and Thomas discuss how much comedians should be allowed to embellish on stage, why Minhaj was fact-checked when other stand-ups aren’t, and where the line is when it comes to “emotional truth.” Plus, Mel learns about drill rap via the OneFour doco on Netflix, and there’s a new fine-dining drama that might just be better than The Bear. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.