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The Colin McEnroe Show

Latest episodes

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Apr 15, 2025 • 41min

The echoes of the Red Scare can be heard today

This hour we talk about the history of the Second Red Scare, a period also known as McCarthyism. We learn about why the Scare took off in the United States, its impact, and how it eventually fizzled out. Plus, we’ll look at the parallels and throughlines between that time period and our current moment. And, a look at how the Second Red Scare impacted Hollywood, and how it, in turn, was reflected back through the movies. GUESTS:  Clay Risen: Reporter and editor at The New York Times, and the author of Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America Ann Hornaday: The Washington Post's Senior Film Critic. She is the author of Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Apr 14, 2025 • 49min

All calls: Protests, comedy, universities, bees, and more

This hour we took your calls about anything you wanted to talk about. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Apr 11, 2025 • 42min

Wild and crazy guys: A look at ’80s comedies

Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, John Belushi, John Candy, Rick Moranis. Animal House, The Blues Brothers, Beverly Hills Cop, Caddyshack, The Jerk, Ghost Busters, ¡Three Amigos!, Funny Farm, Spaceballs, Stripes. We maybe didn’t properly appreciate it at the time, but the 1980s were one of the most fertile periods ever for screen comedies and screen comedians. This hour, a look at the mavericks who shaped a whole comedy aesthetic and at some of the most popular movie comedies ever made. GUESTS: Nick de Semlyen: Editor of Empire magazine and the author of Wild and Crazy Guys: How the Comedy Mavericks of the ’80s Changed Hollywood Forever Daniel Kalwhite: A standup comedian based in New Haven Carolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic Dance The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe contributed to this show, which originally aired July 11, 2019, in a different form.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Apr 10, 2025 • 41min

‘The Good Place’ creator Michael Schur explains how to be a good person

You know Michael Schur from the shows he’s created, like The Good Place, Parks and Recreation and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. This hour we talk with Schur about his book, How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question. Through the conversation we discuss moral philosophy, and big moral questions like “should you return your shopping cart to the cart corral?” GUEST: Michael Schur: TV writer and producer and the author of How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired February 3, 2022. Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting ctpublic.org/donate.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Apr 9, 2025 • 41min

Why Jane Austen’s work endures, on the page and screen

Jane Austen completed six full-length novels. And today, 250 years after her birth, those novels are all still present in our culture. This hour, a look at Austen’s life and work, the world of Janeites, and the many film and television adaptations of her work. GUESTS: Devoney Looser: Author of The Making of Jane Austen and Sister Novelists: The Trailblazing Porter Sisters, Who Paved the Way for Austen and the Brontës Deborah Yaffe: Author of Among the Janeites: A Journey Through the World of Jane Austen Fandom The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Anya Grondalski, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired July 28, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Apr 8, 2025 • 49min

Damn the torpedo (bats): Baseball is back!

Finally, baseball is back! This hour, a look at all the fun, weird, interesting storylines in this new season — including, yes, the so-called torpedo bats. Plus: Is Aaron Judge the best right-handed hitter … ever? Is Shohei Ohtani the best baseball player … ever? How the A’s lost their Oakland. How the Rays lost their ballpark. The future of umpires and umpiring … And more. GUESTS: Adam Elder: A writer covering sports and culture; he is the author of New Kids in the World Cup: The Totally Late ’80s and Early ’90s Tale of the Team That Changed American Soccer Forever Linda Holmes: A pop culture correspondent for NPR and the host of Pop Culture Happy Hour; her new novel is Back After This Sam Miller: Writes the Pebble Hunting Substack; he is the co-author of The Only Rule Is It Has To Work: Our Wild Experiment Building a New Kind of Baseball Team The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Dylan Reyes, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Apr 7, 2025 • 54min

All calls: Rhododendrons, the economy, pickleball, and more

This hour we took your calls about anything you wanted to talk about. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Apr 4, 2025 • 50min

The joy of bad movies

There’s something kind of special about the experience of a really great, really bad movie. Think Red Dawn or Under Siege. Snakes on a Plane or Batman & Robin. Independence Day is nearly perfect and so rewatchable — and also terrible. This hour, a Nose-ish look at the joy of bad movies. GUESTS: Theresa Cramer: A freelance writer and editor and the co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications Alicia di Leo: A para-educator in the integrated preschool program in the Manchester school system David Edelstein: America’s Greatest Living Film Critic Severn Sandt: Associate director of strategic partnerships and outreach at Trinity College in Hartford Howard Sherman: A theater administrator, writer, and advocate; he is the U.S. columnist for The Stage newspaper of London and the author of Another Day’s Begun: Thornton Wilder’s Our Town in the 21st Century The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show, which originally aired August 2, 2024.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Apr 3, 2025 • 50min

Shall we dance?

Why do we dance? The answer is more complicated than you might think. Dancing has served a multitude of functions for various cultures throughout history, and there is even evidence to suggest that we, as a species, are biologically hard-wired to dance. Whether it’s for social, spiritual, or even psychological reasons (yes, dance therapy is a thing), humans have been dancing since the very beginning. This hour, a look at all things dance — from ancient history to modern, Hollywood dance movies. GUESTS: Henry Alford: Author of And Then We Danced: A Voyage Into the Groove Christina Devereaux: Board-certified dance/movement therapist David Edelstein: America’s Greatest Living Film Critic Jonathan McNicol: Producer of The Colin McEnroe Show The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired July 5, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Apr 2, 2025 • 49min

We’re still bananas for The Monkees

This hour, a look at why, more than half a century after they first came walking down the street, we’re still bananas for The Monkees. GUESTS: Mark Rozzo: Contributing editor at Vanity Fair, where he published “The Most Influential Pop-Rock Band Ever? The Monkees!” Andrew Sandoval: Manager of The Monkees from 2011 to 2021 and host of the podcast Come to the Sunshine Rosanne Welch: Author of Why The Monkees Matter: Teenagers, Television and American Pop Culture Brian Williams: Former anchor of the NBC Nightly News The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired February 9, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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