Welcome to “Not Couple Goals” where co-hosts Allie Nelson and Tyler McCarthy do a deep dive into a different ridiculous romantic thriller from the vantage point of their long-term relationship.

Allie, a TV writer/producer and actress, has an affinity for romantic thrillers, the more salacious the better. Tyler, an entertainment reporter and critic, often finds himself drawn in despite his better judgment. Join them as they explore all the ways it’s possible to love too hard… like WAY too hard.

In this episode, Allie and Tyler tackle the remake of a movie they initially avoided doing early on in their podcasting lives. Join them as they discuss the 2025 thriller “The Hand that Rocks The Cradle.” Does it stack up against the impeccably campy 1992 original? Is it sexy enough to be considered a romantic/erotic thriller? Is there a reason at all for the two leading women in this movie to have a flirtation beyond giving the people what they want? All these questions and more are answered in this positively wild episode.

Special thanks to Mallory Johns for the introduction music.

Please don’t forget to follow our hosts on Twitter @ANelRetentive & @TylerMcCarthy and Instagram @ANelRetentive and to check out Tyler’s writing at USA Insider and Allie’s at Parade and Business Insider!

Welcome to TV Break, where Pop Break’s Podcasts Editor Alex Marcus is joined by editor-in-chief Bill Bodkin, and TV Columnist Josh Sarnecky to talk about the happenings in television.

Here’s the format of the show:

The Best Thing I Saw on TV Last Month – Alex, Bill, Josh and special guest TV Editor Avani Goswami talk about a show/episode/event they liked from the last month including HBO’s I Love LA & The Chair Company, AppleTV’s Pluribus, Prime Video’s Fallout, Disney Plus’s Taylor Swift: The End of An Era, and Netflix’s Stranger Things & Death By Lightning.

Streaming Wars – Alex, Bill, & Josh pick a streamer they think “won the month” based on new shows airing/upcoming shows announced etc. All three hosts plus their special guest handed the month’s honors to Netflix after their successful acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, their hugely successful Stranger Things Season 5 rollout, and their NFL Christmas Day telecasts.

New Series Spotlight – This month, we are reviewing HBOMAX’s Heated Rivalry The series, based on the Game Changers queer romance novel series by Rachel Reid and adapted for the small screen by the Canadian TV powerhouse behind Letterkenny and Shoresy Jacob Tierney, stars Hudson Williams and Connor Story as Shane Hollander & Ilya Rozanov, the top two picks in the 2008 Major League Hockey Draft, who strike up a secret affair the summer before their rookie season. The series first season follows roughly seven years of their closeted love affair, and also features a subplot following a veteran hockey player Scott Hunter, played by Francois Arnaud, and his love affair with art history grad student and smoothie barista Kip, played by Robbie GK, who are the focus of one of the other novels in the book series.

Most Anticipated Series of 2026 – Alex, Bill, Josh, and Avani break down their five most anticipated series of the year, along with some runners-up as they kick off 2026.

Avani

1. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End S2

2. Blue Eye Samurai S2

3. Yellowjackets S4

4. Spider-Man Noir

5. Blade Runner 2099

Josh

1. One Piece S2

2. Lanterns

3. House of the Dragon S3

4. Daredevil: Born Again S2

5. Avatar: The Last Airbender S2

Bill

1. Blue Eye Samurai S2

2. X-Men ’97 S2

3. Daredevil: Born Again S2

4. One Piece S2

5. Lanterns

Alex

1. VisionQuest

2. The Comeback S3

3. The Pitt S2

4. Euphoria S3

5. Shrinking S3

This is Podelay, a podcast dedicated to alternative rock pioneer Beck Hansen! After completing their Pod of Doom series, Randy Allain (Media/Lit) and Justin Mancini (TheCineMaverick.com) are back to take on a whole new genre. Our resident music podcasters are joined by Kris Ingersoll of Batman by the Numbers and the Media/Lit podcast, and this time, Randy steps into the host chair so that Justin can discover something new.

In the second episode, the hosts explore the humble beginnings of Beck’s storied career, covering albums from 1993 to 1994. From lo-fi roots rock and noise experiments to Satanic tacos and burrito-devouring Sasquatches, it turns out there’s something for everyone even this early in Beck’s catalogue.

In every episode, each host will spotlight the following:

· Where It’s At: a track they really like.

· It’s A Loser, Baby: a track they don’t.

· Sing It Again: a favorite lyric.

· Such A Beautiful Way: a favorite musical moment.

Join them as they travel to a destination a little up the road from the conversations and the pods you know. Please join us for the show that poses one simple question: I’m a podcast, baby, so why don’t you stream me?

Host Picks:

Where It’s At (A Song We Think Is Underrated or Just Really Like)

Justin – Asshole

Kris – The Fucked Up Blues

Randy – Totally Confused

It’s a Loser, Baby (A Song We Don’t Like So Much)

Justin – Bogus Soul

Kris – Salmonella Shizergeist (Utopia)

Randy – Aphid Manure Heist

Sing It Again (A Favorite Lyric)

Justin – Ozzy

Kris – Sleeping Bag

Randy – Rowboat

Such a Beautiful Way (A Favorite Musical Moment)

Justin – Gettin’ Home

Kris – Noise 3 (start of Aphid Manure Heist)

Randy – He’s a Mighty Good Leader

Other Artists We’ve Been Listening To:

Justin – Tori Amos

Kris – Spin Doctors

Randy – The Hu