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I get it now. It actually makes total sense that the new holiday movies sneak up on us every year, since it's happening during spooky season. Right? That explains it, for sure. It has nothing to do with capitalism rushing the calendar more every year or us getting older and time flying faster. Nope! Spooky season strikes again! Well anyway. Whether you're ready for it or not (and let me tell you, and I will keep on telling you, how incredibly ready I am for some cheese and cheer in my life), holiday movies are beginning in 3, 2, 1...NOW. This weekend brings us the first new holiday movies of the season! Woohoo! As always, my best friend (and best friend of the show) Anna Rendell and I are here to guide you through this hectic but holly-jolly season. We've waded through all the new holiday movies (nearly 100 of them, which is thankfully and bizarrely a much smaller number than recent years) to create for you a list of 23 holiday movies to watch in 2023. Of course, because this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, we also take time to talk about spy shows, lipsticks and earrings, other podcasts, and Hallmark's continued inability to cast children who look and act the age the script says their characters are. All right, it’s time to talk holiday movies with Anna. Let’s get started! MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: * My latest (in)courage article * The (in)courage podcast (where Anna is the voice) * The Hooked on Holiday Movies bundle (stay tuned for the 2023 version) * The Sorta Awesome Hangout on Facebook * At Midnight (Paramount+) * A Moment of Christmas: 25 December Devotions for Moms (by Anna Rendell) * Sleepless in Seattle (watch on Hulu) * The Cutting Edge (watch on Hulu or Showtime) * Field Day (Hallmark Channel) * The Bear (Hulu)

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES: * SUGARFIX earrings at Target * Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick * FUBAR (Netflix)

DON’T FORGET: * Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun! * Find Anna on Instagram at @annaerendell or at annarendell.com, and you can find her holiday devotional at Amazon. As always, you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Because you know me to be a clearly indoorsy person who loves the convenient things in life, you might be surprised by today’s topic. My good friend (and good friend of the show) Kathi Lipp is here to talk about homesteading and home renovation—and the shows that give us hope we can do those things.

Kathi is a speaker and author, and her newest book, The Accidental Homesteader: What I've Learned About Chickens, Compost, and Creating Home, came out yesterday. Part how-to, part memoir, and totally down-to-earth for even the most novice homemakers, this book is about the mindset of freedom, independence, and strength that anyone can find, no matter where they call home. And it’s the inspiration for today’s conversation about home shows that we have loved watching and are watching these days!

Of course, because this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, we also take time to talk about rewatching favorite shows, The Bear on Hulu, our devotion to TBS, and the online ads that have worked on us.

All right, it’s time to talk homes with Kathi. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Meg Tietz of Sorta Awesome
• MAX is where you can stream HGTV, DIY, and Magnolia Network shows.
• Clean Sweep
• Homestead Rescue
• Home Town
• Tiny House Nation
• Stay Here
• Flea Market Flip
• Good Bones
• Restoring Galveston
• The Biggest Little Farm
• Animal Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
• Bargain Mansions
• Grow Cook Eat
• Married to Real Estate
• @redleafranch on TikTok

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Rewatching The West Wing
• Watching The Bear (Hulu)
• And watching it slowly because it’s real intense!
• Buying clothes based on an online ad (from Bloomchic, who’s not a sponsor but who did create and sell me two very cute and comfy shirts)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Kathi on Instagram at @kathilipp or at kathilipp.com, and you can buy her newest book, The Accidental Homesteader: What I've Learned About Chickens, Compost, and Creating Home, today. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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One of my favorite parts of the Barbie movie was the soundtrack, chock full of songs written specifically for the movie. And that got me thinking about all the other iconic songs we have purely because a movie called for them. So today my brother (and friend of the show) James Walters is back on The Couch to talk about some of our favorite movie theme songs.

James is not just my brother and a music and pop culture expert, of course. He’s the owner of The Big Gay Collective, creating fabulous scented products including a whole lot of amazing candles. He’s also a former professional musician and the person on this planet whose pop culture memories most closely overlap with mine. So obviously he’s the person who invited me to go see Barbie and the person who’s perfect for another musical conversation.

But not a conversation about musicals. Because we’re talking about movies that are specifically not musicals. Because why? I don’t know but these are the parameters we ended up with.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, we also get into the King of Soundtracks, my favorite TV show which I promise I do really love even though I blank on the name of it, and karaoke.

Lastly, a note about the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, a.k.a. the writers strike. I’m not a member of the unions, nor am I paid to promote any of their products. As a quasi-journalist who reports entertainment information, I will continue providing that service to you at this time. But I fully acknowledge that the movies and series we discuss here on The Couch would not be possible without the writers, and I support those striking in favor of fair treatment and compensation.

All right, it’s time to see how long you can listen without breaking into song. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• The songs in this playlist
• Phil Collins
• Songs learned on the piano during childhood
• Our middle school music teacher, as always
• My adolescent love for Christian Slater

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Revisiting Pinterest
• Buying a pink dress to wear to Barbie

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s a guilt-free, laidback zone for people who love pop culture. (That’s you!)
• Find James on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, and buy his candles and other scented goods. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Between the writers’ strike and the post-4th of July summer situation we have most years, August doesn’t have a ton of new content to offer. But don’t you worry! I’m here to make sure you know what IS returning and premiering. Plus, we take a look at Hulu, in case you need more options for what to watch.

Speaking of What to Watch, remember that I create a monthly watch guide for Patreon members and newsletter subscribers. So for details on everything I talk about today plus a whole bunch more (including a list of series you can catch up on during slower seasons, like this one), head over to marycarver.com/patreon. Yes, it’s a few dollars a month, but you’ll get that monthly watch guide, a monthly movie watch party, and a bonus podcast episode.

All right, it’s almost time to get started on this episode, but I do want to reassure you that even when it’s just me here on The Couch, rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome and present. So be ready for that. Now, let’s dive in!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The Couch episode #164 (where I talk about Paramount+)
• The Couch Facebook group
• The Couch on Patreon

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July might not have a lot of new (or even returning) series to offer but wow! We are looking at more than two dozen new movies this month! So I am here to help you navigate it all.

Now, I know you’re going to be listening carefully and taking notes during this very educational episode, but in case you get distracted or overwhelmed, don’t worry! You can find dates and locations of everything I mention (plus more) in the July Watch Guide, a free resource for all Patreon members (join us at marycarver.com/patreon!).

Of course, even when it’s just me on The Couch, I welcome rabbit trails and side notes. So I share about a movie screening I recently attended and my undying affection for a certain spy series. It’s time to dive into what’s showing this month, so let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The Couch Facebook group
• The Couch on Patreon

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You asked, and I answered!

Today I’m answering all your burning pop culture questions, from what does the writers’ strike mean for us and what’s going on with streaming these days to what movies should we see in the theater this summer and, of course, what is Hallmark doing for Christmas in July.

My good friend (and good friend of the show) Alana Dawson is back for volume 8 of Ask the Couch, as well as a conversation about the rom coms we’ve seen lately (and the ones still on our lists to be watched). Of course, because this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, we also share some life updates, discuss book bans, and talk about where we get our nature fix. Basically, we cover it all, and you don’t want to miss it!

Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Friends University
• Emily Henry books
• Carley Fortune books
• I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
• Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
• The Accidental Text by Becky Monson (free on Kindle Unlimited!)
• The Couch Podcast #161 (summer movie preview episode)
• The Couch Podcast #148 (best of 2022 with Alana)
• Hallmark on Peacock
• S’moreos at Target

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Eating cereal (it’s fortified with vitamins!)
• Walking in nature
• Reading only ebooks for now
• A commute on the back roads

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Alana on Instagram at @alanapdawson. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Even though we’re focused on starting summer and looking forward to all our fun plans for the season, it’s not just time to look ahead. Today I’m joined by my good friend (and good friend of the show) Jenny Rapson, and we are taking a look back.

Jenny is a longtime friend of The Couch, but she’s also now hosting her own podcast. Disaster Queen examines disasters that have taken place in the past and reflects on what these parts of our history mean and what we can learn from them. So in honor of her new show, Jenny joined me this week to go back 30 years to the pop culture of 1993.

I know. It’s incredibly rude of us to point out that 1993 was three decades ago. I promise you we’re just as upset about this as you are. Still, existential crises aside, it’s fun to remember the biggest movies, TV shows, music, and news of 1993. So much happened that year!

And, of course, because this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, we also get into the joys of growing up without social media and generally unsupervised, reboots from Animaniacs to Murphy Brown, our eternal love of Whitney Houston, my incredibly picky taste when it comes to reading thrillers, and our shared experience of failing our first driving tests. It’s a whirlwind and a virtual trip in the time machine—and I know you’re going to love it. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• The Couch episode #40 (Jenny and I look back at 1994)
• The first Got Milk commercial (Aaron Burr!)
• The top songs from each week in 1993

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• A Small Light on Disney+
• Looking for more tame thrillers like The Last Flight (free on Kindle Unlimited right now), The Lies I Tell, I Have Some Questions for You, and The Last Thing He Told Me (adapted into a new series on Apple TV+)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Jenny on Twitter, Instagram, and her website. Find her new podcast, Disaster Queen, on Instagram or wherever you stream podcasts! And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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It’s summer and you know what that means! Summer! Movie! Preview!

My good friend (and friend of the show) Dawn Camp is back on The Couch to talk all about the movies coming out this summer. We have big action sequels to discuss, as well as animated movies for the kids and quieter indie films. So if you’re wondering what to see with your family or for a girls night out or on a date night, we’ve got you covered!

Of course, you know this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, so we also chat about writing books, watching baseball, our undying love of picture books, and my childhood friend who makes movies (including one coming out this summer). It’s a great time, just like every movie preview episode is, and I know you’re going to love it. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Katie Reid (friend of the show and author of A Very Bavarian Christmas)
• Romance GenreCon in Kansas City
• Fantastic Mr. Fox
• The Couch on Patreon
• Shrinking on Apple TV+

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Watching the Braves via a VPN
• Writing fiction!
• Picture books (especially Lou by Breanna Carzoo and Perfectly Norman by Tom Percival)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Dawn on Instagram at @dawncamp or on her website, And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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May might be coming to a close, but it’s always a good time to appreciate and learn more about Asian Americans through books, TV series, and movies. My good friend (and friend of the show), Tasha Jun, is back on The Couch this week to talk about some of our favorite stories about Asian Americans. We’re talking about everything from children’s picture books to Oscar-winning movies, and you don’t want to miss it!

And, of course, because this is The Couch where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, we also talk about Tasha’s new book, the origins of AAPI Heritage Month, zombies as my least favorite monster, the importance of representation and why we keep talking about it, favorite snacks and fast food, and elephant documentaries. We covered a lot! But most importantly, we made a list of great stories about Asian Americans for you. So, let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Tell Me the Dream Again: Reflections on Family, Ethnicity, and the Sacred Work of Belonging by Tasha Jun
• AAPI Heritage Month (History Channel and PBS)
• The Couch episode #48 with Tasha (about romantic comedies)
• The Couch episode #85 with Tasha (about Shang-Chi)
• The Couch episode #108 with Tasha (about Turning Red)
• The Couch episode #126 with Tasha (Ms. Marvel)
• Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri
• National Treasure: Edge of History (Disney+)
• American Born Chinese (comic book and Disney+ series)

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Secrets of the Elephants (Disney+)
• Kettle corn
• Taco Bell app

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun—plus, you'll receive a complete list of our recommendations there!
• Find Tasha on Instagram at @tashajunb or sign up for her newsletter on her website, and find her book (Tell Me the Dream Again) on Amazon or anywhere books are sold. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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I've noticed a trend lately, and it’s . . . spooky. That’s right, I’m talking about TV series and movies about ghosts. They’re everywhere these days! Ghosts are really having a moment.

When I noticed this and decided to talk about it on The Couch, I knew the only person to have this conversation with was my friend and fellow podcaster, Meg Tietz. Meg is the founder and host of Sorta Awesome, and someone who loves a good ghost story. So we are talking about why these stories are so popular right now, which shows and movies you should watch, and (of course) if we believe in ghosts ourselves.

Now, because this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, we also talk about celebrity gossip, the scary books we read as kids, and a specific genre of books that we’re not feeling guilty about reading at all. This episode is so fun it’s scary . . . get it? Ghosts? Scary? Anyway, let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• School Spirits (Paramount+)
• Lockwood & Co (Netflix)
• Boo, Bitch (Netflix)
• Julie & the Phantoms (Netflix)
• Ghosts (FOX/Hulu)
• Not Dead Yet (ABC)
• Spirited (Apple TV+)
• Afterlife of the Party (Netflix)
• We Have a Ghost (Netflix)
• Darby & the Dead (Hulu)

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Beyond the Blinds podcast
• YA hockey romance novels (such as Breaking the Ice by Julie Cross, Center Ice by Cate Cameron, and In the Penalty Box by Lynn Rush and Kelly Anne Blount)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Meg at @sortaawesomemeg on Instagram, on the Sorta Awesome podcast, or in the Sorta Awesome Hangout on Facebook. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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We all know Hallmark movies are a staple of the holiday season. But new movies air on the Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries all year long! Do you watch them?

I do, and so does my best friend and best friend of the show, Anna Rendell. But this year, Anna hasn’t had a chance to watch any of the new, non-holiday Hallmark movies yet, so this week I’m telling her—and you—which ones to watch next time they air, plus one to avoid and one coming soon to look forward to.

Now listen, Anna and I hadn’t talked in person in several weeks, so we did use up a lot of our podcasting time talking off-microphone. I have no excuse and yes, that does mean this episode is full-on rapid-fire. I think you’re gonna love it anyway!

And of course, short episode or not, this is still The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome. So we manage to talk work-from-home wardrobes and a reboot that’s actually good. Are you ready? Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Curious Caterer: Grilling Season (next airing May 7, 10am CST)
• The Cases of Mystery Lane (next airing May 21, 8pm CST)
• Sweeter than Chocolate (next airing May 6, 10am CST)
• Made for Each Other (keep an eye out for the next airing)
• The Wedding Cottage (next airing May 9, 7pm CST)
• Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery (premiering May 19, 8pm CST)

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• No bra during the day at home (#workfromhome perks!)
• Party Down, season 3 (a reboot, on Starz)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Anna at @annaerendell on Instagram or at annarendell.com. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Last weekend my family went to the movies and as we sat through eight (EIGHT!) trailers, my youngest daughter whispered to me, “Mom, there are a LOT of new movies coming out in May!” She’s not wrong, but as we know, every single month brings us A LOT of new movies and series. With so many options, I feel it’s my duty as your favorite pop culture-loving friend to narrow it down and help you pick a few gems to watch each month.

So today we’re talking about the new movies and series you’ll probably want to watch in May (while keeping in mind that I’ll share the where and when of allllll the new stuff in the May Watch Guide, which is extremely thorough and completely free for everyone in the Patreon community). Then (but wait! there’s more!) I’m taking a look at Apple TV+ and what you might want to watch during a short subscription or free trial.

After all, I know you’re playing the streaming subscription rotation game like I am. So let’s make sure you have a game plan for the day you hit “subscribe” on this service.

Of course, as you’ve learned, even in solo episodes of The Couch like this one, rabbit trails and side notes are welcome. So get ready to hear about my feelings on birds, the book club selection I loved, a snack I devoured, and so much more. (And, as always, I want to hear YOUR rabbit trails and side notes, so head over to the Facebook group and tell us all the things.)

All right. We’ve got a lot to add to our watch lists, so let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The Couch Facebook group
• The Couch on Patreon

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You know what’s worse than wasting your entire TV-watching window by clicking and scrolling and searching for the exact right thing to watch? Nothing! Nothing is worse than that!

So let me help you. April is bringing us DOZENS of returning series, new series, movies, documentaries, and comedy shows. It’s too much—and that’s why I’m here to help you navigate this mess. You can find dates and locations of everything you might want to watch in the April Watch Guide, a free resource for all Patreon members (ahem, that’s marycarver.com/patreon). But today I’m making sure you know about three returning series, a moving series, four options for kids, five new series, four documentaries and comedy specials, and three (count ‘em, THREE!) new romantic comedy movies.

Of course, even when it’s just me on The Couch, I welcome rabbit trails and side notes. (Obviously. Because when it’s just me, they’re all MY rabbit trails and side notes. Duh.) So get ready to hear more about a TV show I’m still obsessed with, a book I loved and read in one day, and the supermodel I’m told I look like. Or, was once told. Four decades ago. Whatever, it’s fine.

Get ready to make plans for what you’re going to watch this month. It’s time to get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• · The Couch Facebook group
• · The Couch on Patreon

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Netflix is at it again! Recently, Netflix has released several new adaptations of kids’ books, and I am here for it. Lyle, Lyle Crocodile was originally released in the theater and, I’ll confess, isn’t my favorite. But Lockwood & Co, a series about British teen ghost hunters that’s based on a book series, is fantastic. And since The Magician’s Elephant, which just came out this week, is based on a book by the wonderful Kate DiCamillo, I have high hopes for this animated film.

NOTE: Lockwood & Co. is excellent, but it's not for little kids. It's pretty creepy, and while every family is different, I'd say it's best for 12-13 and older. I personally, as a grown adult, found some scenes a little scary! As always, I recommend consulting Common Sense Media to help you make decisions about what to watch.

With all that in mind, and some scheduling issues making new episodes a struggle over here, I thought it was the perfect time to bring back an episode from last year. In episode #113, I was once again joined by my friend (and friend of the show) Latasha Ferguson, a speaker, writer, podcast host, educator, and mom. She’s super knowledgeable about movies and books for kids, plus super fun too!

And of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we’ll also get into coffee, other podcasts, and something called a “15-minute rule.” It’s a good one to enjoy again this year, so let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• The full list of TV or movie adaptations based on children’s books

ALSO MENTIONED:

• The Couch Podcast episode #70 with Latasha Ferguson (about what to stream right now)
• The Couch Podcast episode #52 with Amanda White (more about children’s book’s adaptations)
• The Couch Podcast episode #108 with Tasha Jun & Michelle Reyes (about Turning Red)
• Matilda
• Everything Everything
• Peter Rabbit
• Paddington
• Grace P. Cho
• Mr. Popper’s Penguins
• The Princess Diaries books
• Spinoff of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
• This scene from Designing Women
• Perspective on the cancellation of BSC

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Califia Farms cold brew coffee
• Dead Eyes, a podcast

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Latasha on Instagram at @latashamferguson, on her podcast Overcome to Become, and at latashaferguson.com. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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This is not an episode about Daisy Jones and the Six. I mean, we’re going to talk about that but mainly to get us to the topic we are covering, which is movies about starting a band. Yes, it’s similar. Yes, there’s a reason for that! We just know that after you watch Daisy Jones, you’re going to be looking for more “let’s start a band” content. And that’s where we come in.

My friend and fellow podcaster, Emily Humphries, is here to help me make a list of all the best movies (plus a TV series as a bonus) about getting the band together. These movies have all the overcoming underdogs, melodramatic creatives, and shockingly fantastic musical performances you’re looking for. It will certainly get you from week to week as you wait for new episodes of Daisy Jones or help fill the void when the miniseries is over.

And of course, because this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, we have quite the conversation about country music history, parenting kids with an age gap, and how freaking tired we all are. But you know, in a totally fun way!

All right, this is a fun one, friends. You are so going to fall in love with Emily and also have the very best watch list after this episode. So let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• · Harry Potter books on Audible
• · The Couch on Patreon
• · Kindle Unlimited (30-day free trial here)
• · We are all Elijah.
• · Lauren Ruth Martin and 9 to Kind
• · Daisy Jones & the Six novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• · Daisy Jones & the Six miniseries on Amazon Prime
• · I can’t believe I forgot to mention Perfect Harmony.
• · House of Cash
• · George & Tammy
• · The soundtrack for Julie & the Phantoms

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• · Planning a Harry Potter birthday party
• · Regency romance novels (again)
• · Sunday afternoon naps (again and always and forever, amen)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Emily on Instagram at @simplystoriespodcast or on her podcast, Simply Stories. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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March is here, and I’m coming in like a lion with another solo episode! This week I’m sharing the things I’m obsessed with—from a salty snack to a rom com getting a bad wrap to the audio books I cannot stop talking about—as well as the things I have not loved and am here to warn you against. Because that’s what friends do, right?

Of course, as we are heading into a new month, I also have my monthly picks for you. So if you’re wondering what to watch, I got you. (And remember, for a nearly exhaustive list of all the month’s returning series, new series, and new movies—plus when and where to watch them—join The Couch Patreon community. A free monthly watch guide is just one of many perks of supporting my work that way.

Now, sit back and get comfy for a conversation about all the pop culture that matters—and maybe a few side notes and rabbit trails. After all, this is The Couch.

Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

· The Couch Facebook group

· The Couch on Patreon

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Happy Valentine’s Day! Whether you’re celebrating with a significant other or friends or family members, or just avoiding the whole thing, today (or this week) gets most of us in the mood to watch a new romantic comedy. But which one? Well, thanks for asking.

My friend, fellow writer, and friend of the show Kayla Craig is back to help me make a list of recent rom coms for you. And of course, because this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, we also talk a bit about the Libby app and Super Bowl commercials, as well as where you can stream the 2006 Amanda Bynes comedy, She’s the Man. Because of course we do.

It’s a good time, and I know you’re going to leave with the perfect movie for your Valentine’s Day viewing.

And if we don’t mention a movie you want to watch, I have a whole BONUS section of this month’s What to Watch Guide where I tell you what romance and romantic comedy movies are streaming on each of the platforms. It’s a lot of movies, like 70 of them. So get yourself a Valentine by going to marycarver.com/patreon. Sign up and get that guide today!

Okay, it’s time to talk rom coms. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• · She’s the Man (Paramount+)
• · Father of the Bride (HBO Max)
• · The Reunion (Apple TV+)
• · Cost ‘n’ Mayor (Instagram)

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• · The Libby app for ebooks and audio books
• · Super Bowl commercials (these were my faves)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Kayla on Instagram at @kayla_craig and @liturgiesforparents, on her newsletter, or on the Liturgies for Parents podcast. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Tired of having the TikTok songs stuck in your head? We’re here to help! Well, kind of.

My brother, good friend of the show, and candlemaker James Walters and I are talking about original songs sung by characters in TV shows and movies that are not musicals or musical episodes. Yes, it’s a tiny little niche, but we manage to create quite a long list of songs sure to get stuck in your head. You’re welcome in advance.

Of course, this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, so James and I get into a Canadian fishing trip, a favorite Glee performance and a new Glee documentary, some changes going on in James’s business, and lots of songs we wanted to include but could not because they didn’t meet the parameters we made for ourselves.

As always, we had so much fun talking about music in pop culture and—as always, again—we want to hear your feedback. What songs did we leave out? What pop culture music topic should we tackle next? Tell us all about it over on Instagram or in The Couch Facebook group.

Okay, it’s time. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The songs in this YouTube playlist
• Sing Street on Freevee
• Ben Schwartz, who plays Jean-Ralphio on Parks and Rec and Yasper on The Afterparty.
• Two Shots from The Afterparty
• The Couch Podcast #106 about Tick Tick Boom!
• The Rainbow Connection by Kermit the Frog
• Lost in the Woods from Frozen 2

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Chaffles (like this)
• Witchy romance books (like this)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find James on Instagram and buy his candles and home goods. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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What’s that, you say? You don’t know what to watch? Well, I am here to help!

February is bringing us at least 50 new TV series, returning TV series, new movies, and movies new to free streaming. Fifty! We have choices, is what I’m saying, and I’m here to help you make good ones. Or, at least the ones I’m gonna make.

Today’s episode is the first in a new series called “What to Watch,” where I share with you my picks for the following month. Now, this won’t include every single thing coming out next month (but as always, if you want that info, I compile it for you in a free monthly watch guide available at Patreon). But I’m talking about the new stuff I’m planning to watch next month (and finnnnnnne, a few things I won’t be watching but you probably will be).

It's just us on The Couch this week, but don’t you worry. I manage some side notes and rabbit trails all by my own self. So get ready to hear about my new job, what I’m doing most Sunday afternoons, and an update on the fact that yes, I am still coughing because apparently I have caught the cold that never ends.

Believe it or not, it really is a good time. So let’s talk about what to watch in February!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The Couch Facebook group
• The Couch on Patreon

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Going to the gym. Drinking more water. Flossing every day. Those are good goals, I guess, but you know what’s more fun? Pop culture resolutions!

Last week we looked back on the best of 2022 pop culture, and today we’re looking forward to our pop culture goals for the year. My good friend, good friend of the show, and fellow podcaster Amy Clark is here with me, to talk about all the ways we hope to experience and enjoy more pop culture in 2023.

Of course, this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, so Amy and I get into reality TV, places to find new recipes, episodes on her podcast, episodes on this podcast, and the newsletter we both subscribe to and love.

We had a blast talking about our pop culture resolutions and we’d love to hear yours as well. If you haven’t joined The Couch Facebook Group, this is the perfect time to do so! All week long, we’re talking book recommendations, movie trailers, TV reboots, and more—and I’d love for you to hang out with us. There’s always room on The Couch, and that includes the Facebook group! Just click on the link in the show notes and click “join group”!

Okay, I just know you’re going to love this episode, so let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Pop Culture Parenting Goals for the Year on MomAdvice.com
• NPR Pop Culture Happy Hour newsletter
• Ben Rector
• M3GAN (movie)
• Babylon (movie)
• The Couch Podcast episode #146 with Alonso Duralde
• The Couch Podcast episode #118 with Dana White
• Book Gang, Amy’s podcast
• The episode about Libby on Amy’s podcast
• Storygraph
• Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter
• Kanopy app
• Flipster app

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Traitors on Peacock
• Instagram recipe reels (@callmekristatorres is one of my favorites)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Amy on her website, in the Mom Advice Book Club, and on her podcast, The Book Gang. And, of course, you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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What was the best movie of 2022 or, as we ask here on The Couch, your favorite movie of 2022? That’s right! Today my good friend and good friend of the show (and podcast coach extraordinaire), Alana Dawson, and I are looking back on our favorite parts of pop culture from the past year, sharing our favorite movies, TV series, and books.

As you know, here at The Couch, side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, so obviously Alana and I get into other fun topics like the best ways to make smoothies, how to watch The Chosen, and whether or not a certain mystery belongs on a best-of list or in the DNF (did not finish) pile.

We had a great time talking about our favorites of 2022, and after you listen, we’d love to hear from you. Head on over to The Couch Facebook group and tell us what you loved in 2022! Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• What’s Your Word? on (in)courage
• The Couch’s Patreon community

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Whipped cream on smoothies (via @lillieeatsandtells)
• Taking all of January to reflect and plan

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Alana on Instagram at @alanapdawson or on The Podcasting Party. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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The holidays might be over, but we’re not finished talking about holiday movies. (I mean, really, are we ever?) More than 200 new holiday movies aired on Hallmark, Lifetime, Netflix, and dozens of other channels and streaming services between October and December. Hallmark made more progress in the direction of diversity and also (maybe? kind of?) had some new competition this year. And Netflix didn’t premiere a single new movie starring Vanessa Hudgens. Let’s discuss.

Anna Rendell, my best friend and best friend of the show, is here to break down the season with me, from viewership numbers to our top 10 faves. Or at least 10-ish movies that at least one of us think belongs in the top 10. (Come for the list-making; stay for the debate over a movie Anna and I drastically disagree on!)

Of course, because this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, we also discuss doing our nails, getting our hair cut, and spoilers (hello, HI, there will be spoilers in this episode). If you love holiday movies like we love holiday movies, this is the episode you’ve been waiting for.

Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Hallmark vs. Great American Family: Who’s Winning the Holiday Movie War? (an article on Decider.com with actual ratings and stats)
• A list of the holiday movies I watched in 2022 on Letterboxd
• Hallmark changes social media code of conduct

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Dashing Diva nail strips
• Regular haircuts

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Anna at @annaerendell on Instagram or at annarendell.com. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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What do you mean there are no more new Hallmark Christmas movies? That’s right, friends. We’ve reached that point in the calendar when all the new holiday movies have been aired. So what do we watch now?

Well, don’t despair! I’m here with Alonso Duralde, holiday movie expert, to help!

Alonso is a film critic, podcaster, and author. He’s the film reviews editor for The Wrap, co-host of several movie-related podcasts including Linoleum Knife, Maximum Film, Breakfast All Day, A Film and a Movie, and my favorite, Deck the Hallmark. He’s also the author of Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas and co-author of I’ll Be Home for Christmas Movies. What I’m saying is that he knows movies, and he was kind enough to join me on The Couch to share his expertise.

And he didn’t even mock me . . . much . . . for my own lack of classic movies expertise.

Before we get started, if you’ve been missing my reviews of this year’s new holiday movies, they do exist! This year’s review episodes, where I’ve been joined by friends of the show Anna Rendell, Emily Humphries, Dorina Gilmore, Jen Babakhan, Tori Rask, and Latasha Ferguson, are over on Patreon. So give yourself a Christmas present and join the Patreon community! You’ll get all those review episodes, plus monthly bonus episodes, an exclusive monthly movie watch party, a monthly What to Watch Guide, access to every download in my resource library, and more! Head over to marycarver.com/patreon to join us!

All right, let’s get started.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• The classic holiday movies on this list

ALSO MENTIONED:

• A Christmas Story
• 8-Bit Christmas
• The ultimate White Christmas soundtrack
• Turner Classic Movies (TCM)

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• The Holiday Trap by Roan Parrish
• Movie trailers (especially this one for Spirited)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Alonso on Twitter or at The Wrap, and listen to him on the Linoleum Knife, Deck the Hallmark, Maximum Film, and Breakfast All Day podcasts. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Did you know the song, “White Christmas,” has been covered more than 100,000 times? And while you might think Mariah Carey’s version of “All I Want for Christmas is You” is the only version, it has actually has been recorded by other artists more than 13,000 times!

Christmas covers are a big thing—so big, in fact, that we sometimes don’t even realize the version of a song we’re most familiar with or like the most isn’t the original version. See exhibit A: me and “Please Come Home for Christmas (Bells Will Be Ringing).” Apologies to Charles Brown, who actually wrote and originally released the song 17 years before the Eagles sang it.

With so many different versions of Christmas songs (which, by the way, just making a list of the so-called biggest or most-loved or famous Christmas songs is daunting), I knew we needed to help you narrow down the options. And to do this, I knew I needed someone with a lot of opinions about music. So obviously I called on my good friend (and good friend of the show) Amanda White.

Amanda and I have created a festive, fun, and meaningful playlist for you, and I suspect you’re going to love listening to our process. After all, it does involve some awkward music clips and even more awkward singing, not to mention my decision to seize the day and mention once again my disgust for bonnets and my deep affection for both ska music and Gloria Estefan. Meanwhile, Amanda brings us a version of “Let It Snow” via a bizarre and twisty walk down the memory lane of old-school blogging.

Yes, this episode is a ride, and you will not regret it. After all, you know and love the way we welcome side notes and rabbit trails here at The Couch, so you know (and will love) what you’re in for. Get ready for a good time, friends! It’s time to get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Spotify playlist with our favorite versions of our favorite Christmas songs
• Truth in the Tinsel (Advent activity book by Amanda)
• David Phelps singing O Holy Night
• The Star (movie)
• “Blood harmony” discussed in this podcast
• The Twelve Days of Christmas by Hilary Knight (picture book)
• My Christmas Love (Hallmark movie)
• Most recorded holiday songs according to Billboard

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Kindle Unlimited (get your first month free with this link)
• What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon
• Reading different genres
• Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer
• The Martian and Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Amanda on Instagram or at ohamanda.com., and buy her book (Truth in the Tinsel) today. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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If you have or love little kids or even big kids who sometimes miss the magic of being a little kid, you’ll love this episode about children’s picture books for the holidays. I’m joined by my friend (and friend of the show), Katie Kenny Phillips, to build a list of 12 Books of Christmas!

Katie is a writer and children’s book author of several adorable books and a mom of five kids who still love pulling books out of their Christmas book basket every year. And my kids know that while the level of difficulty or Pinterest-like detail may vary year to year, we are going to read a whole stack of holiday books every December, no matter what. So Katie and I are sharing with you a few of our family’s favorites, plus I tell you about a few books I’m looking forward to reading for the first time this year.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, we also discuss chocolate-covered fruit, hiding our treats from our kids, and British lady detective shows.

Before we start our list of Christmas picture books, a quick question: Have you been missing my reviews of this year’s new holiday movies? Are you dying to know what someone else thought about that Christmas movie on Netflix or the one on Lifetime or, obviously, Hallmark? You know I’m watching them and you know I’ve got opinions! And I’ve been chatting with friends about these movies over on Patreon, where you can find weekly episodes with reviews of the most recently released holiday movies. You also get a whole bunch of other fun perks when you join Patreon, so go to patreon.com/thecouch and consider joining. It’s basically a Christmas present for yourself, you know. And ‘tis the season for that!

All right, let’s start the show.

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• All the books on this list (don't tell; there are more than 12!)

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Tru Fru
• British lady detective TV shows

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Katie on Instagram at @katiekennyphillips, and you can find her books on Amazon. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Have you seen the new Black Panther movie yet? Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is making a somewhat quieter splash than the first movie featuring T’Challa did, but it’s doing well in the box office and also prompting quite a few debates amongst fans.

One of the biggest and most educated superhero fans I know is my friend Theo, and he’s joining me this week to break down the newest Marvel film.

Theo Davis is a local friend and also one of the pastors at my church, but he’s also an artist, a gamer, and an avid consumer of all things comic and superhero. Basically, he was the perfect person to invite to The Couch to process my own reaction to this movie and examine what worked, what didn’t, and why.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, we also discuss a new video game (or, if you’re not old like me, a new game), fast food breakfast, and all the evidence we need that carbs are good.

We’re going to dive into Black Panther, but before we do . . . if you enjoy movie reviews, Couch-style, you should join me over in The Couch Patreon community! Right now, during holiday movie season, friends and I are breaking down all the new holiday movies we’re watching each week. And all year long, Patreon members get a detailed monthly what to watch guide, a monthly virtual movie watch party, a bonus podcast episode, and a list of other perks. Sign up now at patreon.com/thecouch, and you’ll get those holiday movie reviews plus the 2022 Hooked on Holiday Movies Bundle.

All right, let’s get started.

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Theo’s Facebook review of Black Panther Wakanda Forever
• Episode #77: Diversity in the MCU with Michelle Reyes
• Episode #85: Why is Shang-Chi Such a Big Deal with Michelle Reyes & Tasha Jun
• Episode #126: Talking about Ms. Marvel with Tasha Jun

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Tunic (Xbox game)
• Various fast food breakfast burritos
• Carbs

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Theo on Instagram at @theo_davis or @TheDavisArts, or over on Facebook. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Could our favorite TV shows GET any funnier? Oh yeah, they can. Because as we have seen time and time again, adding the pressure and potential catastrophe of a holiday to our favorite characters in our favorite shows inevitably leads to hilarity. And sometimes a little reflection or heartwarming connection.

But mostly? Holiday episodes are comedy gold.

This week, my good friend (and good friend of the show) Kathi Lipp is back on The Couch to talk with me about our favorite Thanksgiving-themed television episodes. Kathi is a best-selling author, nationally respected speaker, and podcast host, and one of my very favorite friends to talk TV with. Just like we did in episode #94 with Christmas (and Hanukkah) episodes, we do the hard work of rewatching and remembering our Thanksgiving favorites. From slap bets and family feuds to multiple turkeys (so many turkeys), we’ve created the perfect playlist for your holiday weekend.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, we also get into bedtime shows, pumpkin bread recipes, anticipatory grief and blatant misogyny, the brilliance of Donald Glover and Danny Pudi, and Kathi’s deep disappointment in the way I still have not watched all of The West Wing. Yeah, it’s a bit all over the place, but that’s the fun of it!

Now, one note: We did record this several weeks ago. So we don’t know what new Thanksgiving-themed episodes will air this fall. Please, come tell us about any episodes you’ve watched this year that will certainly become our new favorites!

Before we get started, have you gotten your 2022 Hooked on Holiday Movies bundle yet? We’ve been watching holiday movies for weeks now, but believe it or not, we’re only about halfway through the holiday movie season! We have so much more holiday movie goodness to look forward to between now and the end of the year, and getting the bundle will make that beloved holiday pastime better than ever. Go to HookedOnHolidayMovies.com for a printable schedule, BINGO cards, movie guides, movie watching party tips, an exclusive playlist, and so much more. After all, ‘tis the season for Thanksgiving episodes and Christmas movies!

All right, let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• The West Wing – Chibboleth (S2E8)
• Black-ish – Auntsgiving (S3E7)
• Modern Family – Three Turkeys (S6E8)
• Modern Family – Punkin Chunkin (S3E9)
• HIMYM – Slapsgiving (S3E9 and S5E2)
• New Girl – Thanksgiving (S1E6)
• Everybody Loves Raymond – Turkey or Fish (S1E10)
• The Goldbergs – In Conclusion, Thanksgiving (S3E8)
• Gilmore Girls – A Deep Fried Korean Thanksgiving (S3E9)
• Friends – The One with All the Thanksgivings (S5E8)

ALSO MENTIONED:

• Clutter-Free Academy podcast episode #515: What to Watch While Decluttering
• Clutter-Free Academy podcast episode #516: What to Watch While Decluttering, part 2
• The Couch Podcast episode #94: The Best Christmas & Hanukkah TV Episodes with Kathi Lipp
• 6 Sitcoms That Make Us Give Thanks at MomAdvice.com
• The Gilmore Girls Guide to Surviving Thanksgiving at MaryCarver.com
• Will & Grace Thanksgiving episodes
• The turkey drop episode of WKRP

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Call the Midwife
• Community
• Chocolate chip pumpkin bread (here’s the recipe)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Kathi on Instagram at @kathilipp, in her Clutter Free Academy community, or at kathilipp.com. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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It’s almost Thanksgiving, so it’s time to reflect on this year and the things that have enriched our lives, taught us something new, or just helped us get through the hard spots. We are talking the parts of pop culture we are thankful for this year!

My friend Barb Roose joins me for this conversation, and she not only has a lot to be grateful for but also a lot of insight into why and how pop culture adds value to our lives. Barb is a sought-after speaker, successful writer, and brilliant literary agent—as well as a fellow writer at (in)courage, the online community I’ve been with since 2009. So of course she has a lot to offer!

And you know, because this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, we certainly got off topic a bit. But it could not be helped. We needed to talk about faux leather jackets, high school plays, the necessity of naps, and our approaches to seasonal thermostat decision making.

This is an especially fun episode too, because I asked you what you’re thankful for this year and share some of your answers as well. Before we jump in, though, a quick reminder that time is running out to purchase your tickets to the Hooked on Holiday Movies LIVE Event coming up on the 19th. It’s not too late to plan a road trip or girls night out (or both) and snag your tickets. Head over to HookedOnHolidayMovies.com to get them now!

Okay, let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• TikTok and Instagram Reels
• Audiobooks (including these celebrity memoirs)
• The Great British Baking Show
• My book club
• Spotify
• The Dead Eyes podcast
• Love is Blind
• Waffle and Heardle online games
• Live theater
• Hallmark Channel’s progress toward diversity and inclusivity

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Vegan leather wrap from Macy’s
• Naps

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Barb on her website, where she will give you a free ebook about self-care or on Instagram at @barbroose. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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If you love holiday movies and reading romance novels, then I’m going to go out on a limb and assume you also love reading holiday romance novels! If so, this episode is for you.

(And if you happen to love watching holiday movies but aren’t as big a fan of reading romance, this episode is still for you, because we have some fun, behind-the-scenes information about how a certain holiday movie is being made.)

Today I’m joined by my friend (and friend of the show), Katie Reid. Katie is a writer, a podcast host, and a singer/songwriter—and she is the author of a holiday romance novel that, you guessed it, is being adapted into a movie! So she gives us the scoop on that, then we talk about a few other holiday romance novels you might also enjoy. It’s a good time, and will almost certainly bulk up your TBR list.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, we also discuss seasonal reading, book clubs, hot drinks, and what to do when we just can’t connect with a book.

Before we jump into book talk, though, let’s talk girls night out. Let’s talk movie watching party. Let’s talk live recording of this very podcast! Yes, I’m talking about the first-ever Hooked on Holiday Movies LIVE, and yes, you should absolutely come to this event! If you live in the Kansas City area or even if you’re a few hours away (I’m talking to you, Des Moines, Omaha, St. Louis, and Oklahoma City), this is the event for you. Hooked on Holiday Movies Live is going to be the most fun holiday party of the season. There’s no pressure at this party—no gift exchange where you have to figure out if you’re supposed to bring a real gift or a gag gift. No boss (or worse, spouse’s boss) to impress, no family to deal with, and if you aren’t a crafty person, no craft projects to do! (To be clear, we will have a craft project for those who are interested, but I promise it is not required. Not at all!) And we’ll have lots of other fun festivities—food, drinks, trivia, giveaways, time to watch a movie together (again, if you want), and we’ll finish up with a live recording of The Couch Podcast. Friends, you don’t want to miss this. Go to HookedOnHolidayMovies.com to get your tickets today! And then invite a friend! It’s going to be a blast!

All right, let’s get to the show.

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• A Very Bavarian Christmas (free on Kindle Unlimited right now)
• Most of the books on this list

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Hot chai latte made at home
• Putting down a book that I don’t love

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Katie on Instagram, on her podcasts (The Martha & Mary Show), or at katiemreid.com. You can find me on Instagram or at marycarver.com.

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The leaves may still be falling and the pumpkin spice may still be calling your name, but it’s no longer just autumn. We are in that sweet spot on the calendar where we are fully fall and fully holiday movie season, and it is glorious.

To help us prepare ourselves for the coming avalanche of holiday movies, Dara Alston of the Dear Hallmark podcast is here with me to preview this year’s new holiday movies from UPtv and Lifetime. Dara is a writer and podcaster and, just like all the best people are, a self-proclaimed cornball and devoted fan of made for TV movies. So that means yes, though we met for the first time in this episode, we did have a whole lot to talk about.

And of course, because this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, we also talked about cozy mysteries, the restorative powers of cheese dip from a jar, a possible Frasier reboot, and so much more.

You are going to love this episode. But before we jump in, I wanted to make sure you’ve gotten your 2022 Hooked on Holiday Movies Bundle. This bundle, this package, this veritable cornucopia of holiday movie resources is available on HookedonHolidayMovies.com, and you don’t want to start this season without it! It includes a printable schedule of all the new holiday movies airing this year, BINGO cards and word search games and trivia questions to make your viewing even more fun, tips for hosting your own movie watching party (although of course I hope you’ll come to mine on November 19), festive recipes, an exclusive holiday playlist, and guides to the best holiday movies in fun categories like baking! music! road trips! And more. Get your bundle today at HookedonHolidayMovies.com.

Okay, let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• The UPtv holiday movie schedule
• The Lifetime holiday movie schedule
• Frndly TV streaming service

OUR PICKS:

• The Picture of Christmas (UP)
• Christmas Lucky Charm (UP)
• Sappy Holiday (UP)
• Christmas Masquerade (UP)
• Santa’s Got Style (UP)
• Reindeer Games Homecoming (Lifetime)
• Steppin’ Into the Holiday (Lifetime)
• A Christmas Spark (Lifetime)
• The 12 Days of Christmas Eve (Lifetime)
• A New Orleans Noel (Lifetime)
• Well Suited for Christmas (Lifetime)
• Six Degrees of Santa (Lifetime)
• Santa Bootcamp (Lifetime)

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Elementary (Hulu)
• Tostitos cheese dip

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Dara on her podcast or YouTube channel, Dear Hallmark. You can also connect with her on Instagram or Facebook. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Are you ready, friends? It’s happening this week! Holiday movies are beginning!

I know, I know, we haven’t even had Halloween yet. This is why I’ve shared a fun movie watch game with Patreon subscribers that involves using leftover—or pregame—Halloween candy. Let’s just embrace it!

And, as always, my best friend and best friend of the show, Anna Rendell, is here to help me prepare you for this most glorious of seasons. This week we’re previewing all the new holiday movies airing on Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (and telling you which ones we’re most excited about . . . although, honestly, it’s most of them). And, to help make your holiday movie season even better, we have a brand-new and improved Hooked on Holiday Movies bundle available on our website.

So grab a handful of mini Snickers and Reese’s pumpkins, snuggle under your spooky lights or Halloween tree or whatever seasonal décor you have, and get ready to mark your calendar up with the Hallmark holiday movies you don’t want to miss! (And remember, go to HookedOnHolidayMovies.com for your bundle, too. It has a printable schedule of all the movies, our picks and their premiere dates, BINGO cards, movie party hosting tips, recipes, a playlist, and so much more!)

Okay, let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• The 2022 Hallmark holiday movies schedule

OUR PICKS:

• Jolly Good Christmas
• A Magical Christmas Village
• Lights, Camera, Christmas!
• The Royal Nanny
• Christmas at the Golden Dragon
• Inventing the Christmas Prince
• Three Wise Men & a Baby
• Haul Out the Holly
• The Gift of Peace
• Holiday Heritage
• Hanukkah on Rye
• A Tale of Two Christmases
• A Holiday Spectacular
• The Holiday Sitter

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Sweater pants from Target
• Actually reading my library books (like Just Another Love Song and Nora Goes Off Script)
• The Rockettes on Instagram

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Anna at @annaerendell on Instagram or at annarendell.com. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Remember a few weeks ago when my friend Kayla Craig joined me on The Couch to talk about the shows that are so good that we’d subscribe to their streaming networks just for them? Yeah? Do you remember how we were a little off the rails and a lot talkative and had so much to say that I promised a second installment of what we’re now calling “a limited series”?

Yeah? Well, this is that. We’re back to talk more streaming services and more shows that keep us hitting the subscribe button. If you’ve been wondering what to watch on these streamers, we’ve got you covered!

We also are a little wild in this episode, as Kayla had just reached an enormous writing deadline and I had, in a strange coincidence I’m still not over, spent the previous night in the emergency room with my daughter. Not the daughter I’d been in the ER with the night before recording our first episode together. Nope. Different day, different daughter. It’s a weird time right now.

(Note: Everyone is fine. Just a little broken arm for one and a migraine for the other. They’re resilient and recovering.)

Thankfully, this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, so when Kayla and I got distracted by talk of games on our phones, candle scents, and even Jessica Simpson’s memoir, it was okay.

Before we get started . . . have you bought your tickets for the live, in-person Hooked on Holiday Movies event coming up? Anna Rendell and I are hosting a movie watching party and live podcast recording on Saturday, November 19, near Kansas City, MO—and we want you to join us!! So book a flight, plan a road trip, or if you’re local, make a night of it! We’re going to have food and drinks, giveaways and crafts, and of course, the movie and the podcast recording. It’s going to be so fun; you don’t want to miss it! Grab a friend and put on something festive, and get your tickets today at hookedonholidaymovies.com.

Okay, let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• The Bear
• Only Murders in the Building
• Dopesick
• Under the Banner of Heaven
• The Dropout
• Little Fires Everywhere
• Candy
• Four Weddings & a Funeral (the series)
• Cruel Summer
• Holly Hobbie
• Reboot
• Just Add Magic
• Gortimer Gibbons
• Upload
• Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
• Z: The Beginning of Everything
• Sylvie’s Love
• Girls 5Eva
• Rutherford Falls
• Take Note
• Ted Lasso
• The Morning Show
• For All Mankind
• Mythic Quest
• Schmigadoon!
• The Afterparty
• Severance
• Amber Brown
• Loot
• Partner Track
• The Lincoln Lawyer
• Shadow & Bone
• Pretty Smart
• Never Have I Ever
• Dead to Me
• Narcos
• Queen’s Gambit
• Emily in Paris
• Julie & the Phantoms
• The Babysitters Club
• The Healing Powers of Dude
• Sweet Magnolias
• The Crown

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Heardle by the decades (games on my phone)
• The smell of bonfire
• Fireside candle from Bath & Body Works
• ALDI candle warmer lantern

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Kayla on Instagram at @kayla_craig and @liturgiesforparents, or on the Liturgies for Parents podcast. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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You may have noticed that I’m a big fan and proponent of family movie nights. I’ve talked about it with friend of the show, Jenny Rapson, and sneak the topic into just about every conversation I can. So you will not be surprised to hear I have found a family movie night EXPERT and invited her to The Couch!

Jennifer Borget is a blogger and award-winning digital content creator, as well as the founder of the Movie Night Journal. She and her husband and their three kids love movies and have got this thing down to a science—which is lucky for us, because today she’s sharing all kinds of tips and ideas for making movie nights a success for the entire family.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, Jennifer and I also talk about having husbands who work nights, different types of candy corn, and what we’re watching after the kids go to bed.

Before we get started . . . did you hear the news? Tickets are now on sale for the Hooked on Holiday Movies Live Event! For the first time ever, my best friend and best friend of the show, Anna Rendell, and I are hosting a movie watching party and live podcast recording. Please join us on Saturday, November 19, in Liberty, Missouri (which is just outside Kansas City, home of Hallmark, the maker of our favorite holiday movies). We’re going to have food and drinks, giveaways and crafts, and of course, the movie and the podcast recording. It’s going to be so fun; you don’t want to miss it! Grab a friend and put on something festive (or cozy . . . you do you!), and get your tickets today at hookedonholidaymovies.com.

Okay, let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• The Movie Night Journal
• The Croods
• Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse
• Bumblebee
• Jump In
• Secret Headquarters
• The Adam Project
• The upcoming Percy Jackson series
• Strange World
• Black Panther 2
• Lyle, Lyle Crocodile
• Spellbound (no trailer yet)

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Watching TV after the kids go to bed
• Eating candy pumpkins and candy corn

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Jennifer at @movienightjournal and @jenniferborget on Instagram, and make sure you check out the Movie Night Journal too. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Have you ever thought about what it would be like to be an actual scholar of your favorite author or book? To spend your days diving deep into the background of how a beloved story came to be and then getting to share everything you’ve learned with people who love the book, the author, the entire story as much as you do?

Well, I’ll be honest and tell you I hadn’t thought about this before, but now I’m obsessed. My friend Melissa Zaldivar is on The Couch this week to talk with us about Little Women, Louisa May Alcott, and Orchard House (the home Alcott lived in and where she set the events of Little Women). As a tour guide of the Orchard House, Melissa is an expert on all of this and generously shares her insights and expertise with us.

She’s also an editor and a writer, as well as both fun and thoughtful. You’re going to love getting to know her.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, Melissa and I do touch on college majors, plastic pumpkins, and “witness houses,” a term that was new to me but makes so much sense.

Before we jump in, I do want to make sure you’ve signed up for my email list. In just a few days, I’ll be sending out my free, downloadable and printable WHAT TO WATCH GUIDE for October. So many new series and movies are coming out, so you don’t want to miss this! And next week, I’ll be sending an extra edition of the newsletter with a whole lot of big news. I’m talking a giant giveaway, a new exclusive Couch community, an updated Hooked on Holiday Movies bundle, and details about the first-ever Hooked on Holiday Movies Live Event! You do not want to miss any of this, so go sign up at marycarver.com/email.

Okay, this is a fun episode. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
• Orchard House
• The 1994 movie adaptation
• The 2019 movie adaptation
• The BBC Radio dramatization (audiobook)
• Taste by Stanley Tucci
• This is Us
• Parenthood
• GK Chesterton
• Greta Gerwig

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Flying a drone
• Putting up fall decor

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Melissa at @melissazaldivar on Instagram, and get a free digital copy of her upcoming book, What Cannot Be Lost, at https://thegoodbook.com/not-lost. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Are you overwhelmed by all the streaming choices out there? Do you find yourself accidentally subscribed to too many services and unsure what to watch, where to even start? Well, worry no more! I am here with my friend, Kayla Craig, to share our favorite shows on all the streaming networks in the first episode of what we’re calling a limited series.

In other words, we talked so long that we have to chop this into parts. But in the end, you’re going to have a solid watch list for whatever streamer you’re committed to this month. And I’ll even be updating my printable Streaming Guide for you to reflect our recommendations.

Kayla, by the way, is not just my friend (though she is that, which you’ll notice as we get sidetracked so many times during this episode). She’s a writer and podcaster, most recently sharing prayers and liturgies for parents in a beautiful book and practical podcast. She’s a pastor’s wife and mom of four kiddos living in Iowa, and she’s one of my favorite people to talk television with.

As I mentioned, we do get off topic a time or twelve, but that’s okay. As you know, side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome on The Couch, so be prepared for us to talk about pumpkin-flavored foods, our current beefs with Amazon and a cable company that will remain nameless (but will probably also remain total garbage), potato salad preferences, and my enduring hatred for all things bonnet-related.

It's almost time to get started, but real quick I do want to let you know that I’ve got some big news coming soon. It might just be officially fall this week but holiday movies are coming. And that means Hooked on Holiday Movies will launch in just a few weeks—this time with exclusive episodes and community on Patreon and an updated bundle to make your holiday movie season the best ever. So stay tuned for that!

All right, let’s dive into the first part of this series called Shows Worth Subscribing For!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Big Shot
• The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers
• Bluey
• Marvel
• Big City Greens
• The Mandalorian
• Starstruck
• Hacks
• Somebody Somewhere
• Julia
• Theodosia
• The Gilded Age
• White Lotus
• Station Eleven
• The Way Down
• Ghosts (the BBC version)
• Secret Headquarters

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Abbott Elementary
• Pumpkin Spice Oreos
• Pumpkin Spice Cheerios
• Pumpkin Spice Goldfish

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Kayla on Instagram at @kayla_craig and @liturgiesforparents, or on the Liturgies for Parents podcast. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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What do you call mysteries that are also romance novels but are also really funny? Is there a name for that genre? I don’t know what it’s called, but these are the kind of books I’m loving right now, and my friend (and friend of the show) Jessica Howard is here to talk about this mishmashed genre and some of our favorite reads in it. Whatever it’s called.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, we also talk about our favorite blankets, watching The Bachelorette, and listening to audiobooks on road trips.

If you love this podcast, would you do me a favor and tell a friend? Share your favorite episode on Instagram or Facebook (and tag me so I see your post)! As I say, there’s always room for more friends on The Couch.

All right, let’s talk books!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Our list of funny, romantic mysteries on Amazon

ALSO MENTIONED:

• Kindle Unlimited (two months for $4.99)
• Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
• Cozy Mysteries for Fans of Stephanie Plum
• Blue Moon series by Lucy Score

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Blankets from Sam’s Club
• The Bachelorette (and recaps from The Popcast)
• I Take My Coffee Black (audiobook) by Tyler Merritt

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Jessica on Instagram at @howjessicareads, join her Cozy Book Club (on Instagram), and sign up for her weekly book-ish newsletter too. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon? In a little town, a quiet village? Am I a man or a muppet? And what are the bare necessities of life? And finally, is this episode going to get a whole bunch of songs stuck in your head? Yes, both, and absolutely. You’re welcome.

My brother and good friend of the show, James Walters, is back on the couch this week to help me create an exhaustive list of the very best Disney songs ever. We’ve got historical context, musical backgrounds, spreadsheets, and list-making parameters galore, so buckle up! We’re about to get real nerdy about Disney music.

Of course, though we try to focus on this very important topic of the day, this is still The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are welcome. So do we touch on horror movies, Zac Efron, and school supplies? Yes, yes, we do.

Before we get started, will you take two minutes to give this podcast a five-star review? Just click here on your phone or go to The Couch in iTunes, scroll all the way to the bottom, and click, “Write a Review.” I know you hear all your favorite podcast hosts say it all the time, but it really does help other people find our show. So help your fellow pop culture fans out and leave a review!

Okay, let’s not get lost in the woods (spoiler alert: that’s another reference to a Disney song). Time to start this episode!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Spotify playlist with all the Disney songs we love
• Human Again (new song in Beauty & the Beast)
• You’re Welcome video with LMM & Jordan Fisher
• Weezer singing Lost in the Woods
• Pentatonix and Voctave version of At Last I See the Light
• The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia from Designing Women

ALSO MENTIONED:

• Carrie
• Leprechaun
• Schitt’s Creek
• More HBO Max – Hacks, Starstruck, The Flight Attendant
• More Apple TV+ - CODA, Come From Away
• Zac Efron singing Bet On It in HSM 2
• The Couch Podcast episode #124 (beach movies with Tori Rask)
• Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar
• Lemonade Mouth
• Balderdash board game

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• HBO Max – Julia, The Gilded Age, Dune
• Apple TV+ – Schmigadoon!, The Morning Show, Ted Lasso
• Netflix – Stranger Things
• Grown-up school supplies (including this pencil sharpener)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find James on Instagram and buy his candles from his Etsy shop. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Kids are going back to school and pumpkin spice everything is back in the store. So you know what that means, right? Time to talk about fall movies!

My good friend (and good friend of the show) Dawn Camp is back on the couch to talk about the movies we’re planning to watch this fall. As always, we have recommendations for date nights, girls nights, family nights, and even take yourself to the movies night. Or afternoon. Or whenever you like to see a movie on your own. And, don’t worry, we also give you the premiere dates of the movies we have no interest in watching but will still be big ol’ hits. Basically, if it’s a movie you need to know about, we’re gonna talk about it!

A couple notes: As we mention in the episode, we are well aware that premiere dates and other info is all subject to change. And wouldn’t you know it, info changed as soon as we finished recording. Don’t get too excited about the Shazam! sequel coming out at Christmas, because it’s been bumped back to March 2023. However, we DO have a premiere date for Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery! That’ll be out on Netflix on December 23. So, mark your calendars for all these movies but also maybe write in pencil.

As always, side notes and rabbit trails are welcome here at The Couch, so it’s no surprise that Dawn and I got into legal thrillers, book subscriptions, climate change, and what happens when the power goes out at the movie theater. It’s a lot and it’s a good time. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• The Summer Movie Preview (The Couch Podcast episode #117)
• Harris Goes to Paris
• Minions: The Rise of Gru
• Where the Crawdads Sing
• Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
• Top Gun: Maverick
• The Sea Beast
• Luck
• Persuasion
• Secret Headquarters
• Thor: Love & Thunder
• Mystery 101: Playing Dead
• Clifford the Big Red Dog
• Join our weekly (virtual) movie watch parties with The Couch Facebook group!
• And all the new fall movies coming out (check out the trailers here)

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• The Lincoln Lawyer book – it’s actually free with Kindle Unlimited!
• The Lincoln Lawyer movie and series
• Only Murders in the Building, season two
• Book of the Month Club (get your first month for just $5 with my link)
• The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Dawn on Instagram at @dawncamp or on her website, And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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It’s back to school season! And while that may mean difficult goodbyes or mornings that come way too early after a summer of sleeping in, it also brings routine and structure and, for this podcast host, the ability to get a cheesy bagel and eat the whole thing by myself, in blessed quiet. And so, whether you are ready to celebrate or lament a new school year (or perhaps you don’t have kids at home so you aren’t concerned with a school calendar at all), I’ve got a fun episode for you this week!

My good friend (and good friend of the show) Jenny Rapson is back on the couch to talk about our favorite TV shows that are school-adjacent. We didn’t just list off all the series we could think of about school-aged kids, though. No, we made sure to have clear criteria for what shows receive an A+ from us.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, we do stray into a few other topics as well. For the second week in a row, we’re talking about game shows here, and I confess to a basic task I’ve never mastered.

Before we get started, I do want to let you know about a sale on graphic tees made for fans of pop culture and this podcast. If you head over to marycarver.com/shop, you’re going to find hand-selected shirts I know you’re going to love. This week in particular, I moved my favorite Saved by the Bell, Boy Meets World, and Derry Girls shirts up to the top of the page—even above my own Hooked on Holiday Movie shirts! But no matter what show, character, or genre of pop culture you want to proclaim your love for, it’s probably on sale (up to 35% off) this week. So, go crazy! Get yourself a new shirt for a new season! As for me and my house, I think I’m going to snag one with a quote from Mr. Feeny. That’s marycarver.com/shop.

All right, that’s enough chitchat. Time for class to start!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Head of the Class
• Boy (and Girl) Meets World
• Glee
• Never Have I Ever
• The Goldbergs (and Schooled)
• Freaks & Geeks
• My So-Called Life
• Derry Girls
• Abbott Elementary
• Saved by the Bell
• High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
• Friday Night Lights
• Community
• Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper
• On My Block

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Password, hosted by Keke Palmer
• Making lazy iced coffee at home

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Jenny on Twitter, Instagram, and her website. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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You don’t have to look far or listen long to know why we need to teach our kids empathy. Basic kindness seems to be harder and harder to find, and if you’re like me, you are deeply motivated to encourage your kids to be better. To be more inclusive, to be kinder, to be different than what we’re surrounded by.

And that is why my friend, Matthew Paul Turner, is here today to talk with me about specific children’s books that help us do just that. Matthew is a children’s author himself; he’s written some of my family’s favorites like When God Made You, When I Pray for You, and What Is God Like. So what I’m saying here is that he’s an expert. And, as you’ll hear, he’s genuinely dedicated to teaching his kids about the wonder and beauty of all people and the importance of showing each of them kindness and love.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, we also discuss game shows and Netflix shows about teen ghosts that may include a whole lot of cursing.

It’s almost time to get started, but one more quick note: Thank you to everyone who has already purchased my new book, Prayers from the Parking Lot! I am so grateful and I’m also hopeful it’s an encouragement to you and the moms you know. And to those of you who not only bought the book but then shared it on social media? Well, you are obviously my favorite. Thank you, friends.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• All the books on this list!

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Press Your Luck, hosted by Elizabeth Banks
• Boo, Bitch on Netflix

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Matthew on Instagram at @matthewpaulturner, on Twitter at @heympt, or on his website. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Do you know what day it is? It’s launch day for my new book, Prayers from the Parking Lot! And since this is a book written especially for busy moms who need a break, that’s exactly what I’m talking about in this week’s episode.

Jen Babakhan, author and curator of the best parenting memes on the internet, joins me to talk about our favorite TV moms—the messy, lovable moms we’d love to give a big iced latte or Diet Coke and send them off to the nearest park bench, parking lot, or pantry to hide in. All moms need a break sometime and these real, relatable moms are no exception (even though yes, we do understand they are fictional).

Of course, because this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, we also chat about learning new things like the piano, watching old TV shows we missed when they first aired, and the fine art of pre-watching a show to determine if we should convince our husbands to watch it with us.

Also, this episode more than any other IS sponsored by my upcoming book, Prayers from the Parking Lot: 50 Short Reflections for Moms on the Go. If you’ve ever found yourself hiding in the car, taking the long way home, or sitting in the parking lot for just a minute, okay?—this book is for you. God loves us so much that He meets us wherever we are, whenever we need Him, and sometimes that means we are praying in the parking lot. Find out more and order your copy at marycarver.com/parkinglot.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Claire Huxtable (The Cosby Show)
• Maddie Townsend and Dana Sue Sullivan (Sweet Magnolias)
• Lorelei Gilmore/Alex Morrow (Gilmore Girls/The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers)
• Penelope Alvarez (One Day at a Time)
• Beverly Goldberg (The Goldbergs)
• Jane, Xiomara, and Alba Villanueva (Jane the Virgin)
• Debra Barone (Everybody Loves Raymond)
• Maya DiMeo (Speechless)
• Claire Dunphy (Modern Family)
• Maria (Maggie)
• Maria Portokalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding)
• Nalini Vishwakumar (Never Have I Ever)
• Midge Maisel (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
• Moirs Rose (Schitt's Creek)

ALSO MENTIONED:

• Duolingo
• 1883
• Ted Lasso
• WandaVision
• Ms. Marvel
• Somebody, Somewhere

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Learning to play the piano
• Leverage (on Freevee)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Jen on Instagram at @jenbabakhan, on Facebook, or on her website. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Remember last week, when I talked about a superhero series? And a few months before when I talked about a superhero movie? And several weeks before that, when I talked about superheroes yet again? Why am I so obsessed with superheroes?

To be fair, it seems like the whole world of entertainment and pop culture is obsessed with superheroes, so I’m not exactly alone. My friend, Tara Cole, is with me too. Tara is a teacher, author, and podcaster—as well as a mom of three boys. Her family is maybe even more into superheroes than I am! So today we’re talking about what it is about these stories that keeps us coming back for more, and then we share some superhero movies and series for younger kids who might not be ready for the more intense action of Marvel and DC movies.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, we also chat about new podcasts, YA books, and the best book Tara has read all year.

And if you’re keeping track, you already know my book, Prayers from the Parking Lot: 50 Short Reflections for Moms on the Go, is coming out next week. So of course this episode is sponsored by that book. If you’ve ever found yourself hiding in the car, taking the long way home, or sitting in the parking lot for just a minute, okay?—this book is for you. God loves us so much that He meets us wherever we are, whenever we need Him, and sometimes that means we are praying in the parking lot. Find out more and order your copy at marycarver.com/parkinglot.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Caught Up in a Story by Sarah Clarkson
• Everyday Prayers for the School Year by Tara Cole
• Prayers from the Parking Lot by Mary Carver
• Super-Why
• PJ Masks
• Paw Patrol
• Rescue Bots
• The Rocketeer
• DC Super Hero Girls
• Lego Batman
• Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse
• Megamind
• Big Hero 6
• Zoom
• Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion
• Spy Kids
• We Can Be Heroes
• The Incredibles

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Rangers Apprentice series by John Flanagan
• The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton
• Pod Meets World podcast

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Tara on her podcast, Over a Cup, on Instagram at @taralcole, or at TaraLCole.com. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Have you watched Ms. Marvel yet? My good friend (and friend of the show) Tasha Jun and I got together on The Couch this week to RAVE about our favorite new show. If you’re a Marvel fan or a Ms. Marvel fan (or, obviously, both), you’re going to love our conversation about everything we enjoyed about this new Disney+ series, our favorite characters, what we think might happen next, and even what we wish might have been a little different.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, we also chat about protein bars and Hulu series we’re loving, so there’s that too.

Also, this episode more than any other IS sponsored by my upcoming book, Prayers from the Parking Lot: 50 Short Reflections for Moms on the Go. If you’ve ever found yourself hiding in the car, taking the long way home, or sitting in the parking lot for just a minute, okay?—this book is for you. God loves us so much that He meets us wherever we are, whenever we need Him, and sometimes that means we are praying in the parking lot. Find out more and order your copy at marycarver.com/parkinglot.

And now, time for the show! Let’s get started.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• We Are Lady Parts (Peacock)
• Luca (Disney+)
• Encanto (Disney+)
• Mitchells vs. the Machines (Netflix)

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Perfect Bars
• Only Murders in the Building, season 2 (Hulu)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Tasha on Instagram at @tashajunb or sign up for her newsletter on her website. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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If you've ever spent an hour scrolling through apps and skimming reviews in an effort to find a movie your entire family will like, this episode is for you! Yes, we're talking about family movie nights again, this time with a long list of movie recommendations you might not have heard of or perhaps you've forgotten. I'm digging deep into the archives and giving you real-life reviews from my family about some of our favorite recent watches.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Princess Protection Program
• Lemonade Mouth
• Cloud 9
• Let it Shine
• Hop
• Twitches
• 8-Bit Christmas
• Vivo
• Abominable
• Rock Dog
• Mitchells vs. the Machines
• Wish Dragon
• Over the Moon
• The Parent Trap
• A Night at the Museum
• The Home Team
• Yes Day
• Zoom
• Gulliver's Travels
• Dora & the Lost City of Gold
• Playing with Fire
• Mixtape
• Bandslam

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Sugar-free JELL-O and pudding cups

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.
• And pre-order your copy (and a copy for a friend) of Prayers from the Parking Lot today!

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Who else needs a beach vacay right about now? I don’t know about you, but the first half of my summer has not been what you’d call ideal. And this week’s guest said it’s been about the same for her. So we decided to lighten the mood and raise our spirits (or at least escape the things bringing us down) by talking about beach movies.

My friend (and friend of the show) Tori Rask is here to chat about our favorite movies that are beach-themed or at least beach-adjacent, and it is a good time! Of course, this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, so we also get into video games and summer pants. But I know you’re going to love it all.

Also, a real quick note to let you know this episode is sponsored by my upcoming book, Prayers from the Parking Lot: 50 Short Reflections for Moms on the Go. If you’ve ever found yourself hiding in the car, taking the long way home, or sitting in the parking lot for just a minute, okay?—this book is for you. God loves us so much that He meets us wherever we are, whenever we need Him, and sometimes that means we are praying in the parking lot. Find out more and pre-order your copy at marycarver.com/parkinglot.

And now, time for the show! Let’s get started.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• How Stella Got Her Groove Back (STARZ on Prime)
• Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar (Hulu)
• Death in Paradise (Britbox on Prime)
• Teen Beach Movie (Disney+)
• Gidget (Plex)
• Mamma Mia! (Peacock)
• Moana (Disney+)
• 50 First Dates (Prime)
• Surf’s Up (Prime)
• Point Break (HBO Max)
• Blue Crush (Peacock)
• Fool’s Gold (HBO Max)

ALSO MENTIONED:

• Tabitha Brown line at Target
• Beach Boys
• High School Musical 2 (this scene in particular)
• Royal Pains
• Burn Notice
• Father Brown
• Sister Boniface Mysteries
• Lilo & Stitch
• Into the Blue
• Outer Banks
• The Summer I Turned Pretty

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Pokemon Legends: Arceus
• Old Navy linen pants

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Tori at torirask.com. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Ughhhhh, this summer has been so stinking hot! Good thing Christmas in July—where we can at least watch snowball fights and ice skating and outright blizzards on the TV—is right around the corner!

Today my friend, friend of the show, and Hooked on Holiday Movies partner Anna Rendell is here to talk about our all-time favorite, watch them every year holiday movies plus all the ways you can celebrate Christmas in July with the Hallmark Channel. As always, it’s a lot of festive fun!

Of course, you know rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome on The Couch, so we touch on the merits of soft rock and radio DJs, as well as superhero movies and shows (and, obviously, how much we love them).

Also, a real quick note to let you know this episode is sponsored by my upcoming book, Prayers from the Parking Lot: 50 Short Reflections for Moms on the Go. If you’ve ever found yourself hiding in the car, taking the long way home, or sitting in the parking lot for just a minute, okay?—this book is for you. God loves us so much that He meets us wherever we are, whenever we need Him, and sometimes that means we are praying in the parking lot. Find out more and pre-order your copy at marycarver.com/parkinglot.

And now, time for the show! Let’s get started.

UPDATE: In this episode I talk about how the Hallmark Channel is only playing one holiday movie a day during the month of July. I was wrong! They're playing SEVEN holiday movies each day during the month of July! Stay tuned on social media for my daily recommendations (or just keep it on all day, every day; you do you).

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Love at the Christmas Table (rent on Prime)
• Two Turtle Doves (watch on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, June 29 at 2pm CST)
• The Christmas Contract (rent on Prime)
• Angels & Ornaments (watch on Hallmark Movies Now)
• Window Wonderland (watch on Hallmark Movies Now)
• A Bride for Christmas (watch on Prime)
• Snowed-Inn Christmas (buy from Prime)
• Snowglobe (watch on Disney Plus)
• My Christmas Love (watch on Hallmark Channel, July 21, 4pm CST)
• Dashing Through the Snow (watch on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, June 29, 10am CST)
• Holiday in Handcuffs (buy the DVD or wait to possibly stream it closer to Christmas)
• Snow (watch on Tubi)

ALSO MENTIONED:

• Letterboxd List of All-Time Favorite Holiday Movies
• Merry Movie Week on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
• Christmas in July Movie Schedule for Hallmark Channel
• New Hallmark holiday movies: My Grown-Up Christmas List, Campfire Christmas, and Christmas in Toyland

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Alexa and the soft rock radio station
• Marvel (Disney+)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Anna at @annaerendell on Instagram or at annarendell.com. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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What do you love reading in the summer? Is Netflix still the #1 streaming service? What shows are your daughters watching right now? Is it okay to quit reading a book if you just don’t like it?

I’m answering these questions and more today in volume 6 of Ask the Couch! My friend and podcast coach (and friend of the show), Alana Dawson, is here to grill me—I mean, ask me the questions. And as always, it’s a fun time!

Of course, you know rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome on The Couch, especially in an episode with a variety of questions on a variety of topics. So buckle up, we’ve got answers and ideas and opinions and more! Let’s get started.

QUESTIONS ASKED IN THIS EPISODE:

• What are the top 5 streaming services? And which ones do you watch the most?
• I’m curious about streaming burnout. How much binging can one do? How hard is it to get out of the stream and back on real earth?
• What show did your kids watch when they were younger that brings back fuzzy good feelings for you?
• Is there anything that is an immediate no for you in movies (for me it's aliens or snakes)?
• Do you have a schedule of what kinds of things you watch/read during different seasons? Or is it dictated by whims or library holds?
• Do you finish every book you start reading? Or will you quit a book you don’t like?
• Any new family shows out for this summer?
• What are your thoughts about the Hallmark folks leaving for GAC?
• What are the topics you're most excited to write about? Conversely, what are you afraid to write about?
• I’ve actually been wondering if you have more details for the fall getaway…
• Can you tell us more about your next book?

ALSO MENTIONED:

• Big Gay Candle Co.
• Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
• Prayers from the Parking Lot pre-order sale

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Stranger Things (Netflix)
• KC Pride Fest

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Alana on Instagram at @alanapdawson or on The Podcasting Party. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver on Instagram, in The Couch Facebook group, or at marycarver.com.

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Buckle up, friends. Today’s episode is about historical romance novels. My friend (and friend of the show) Rebekah Hoffer is back on The Couch to discuss why I love them and she doesn’t. And in the course of this conversation, we do dive into some spicier topics than usual, so head’s up that this episode might not be for little ears (and could, in theory, cause one to swoon). As you might recall, Rebekah is a blogger at SimplyRebekah.com and a co-host of the Sorta Awesome podcast. She’s also one of my very favorite people to talk books with because she not only loves to discuss what books she enjoys but is also willing to dive into why.

Can I convince her to give historical romance another try? You’ll have to listen to find out!

And of course, because this is The Couch (where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome), we do also touch on board games and Netflix shows. Time to get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Julie Garwood
• Catherine Coulter
• Jude Deveraux
• Christina Laurens
• Sally Thorne
• Lisa Kleypas
• Tessa Dare
• Julia Quinn (author of the Bridgerton series)
• Courtney Milan
• Sarah MacLean (and the Fated Mates podcast)
• Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas
• Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas
• When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Ticket to Ride board game
• The Lincoln Lawyer on Netflix

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Rebekah on Instagram at @simplyrebekah, on her website, or on the Sorta Awesome podcast. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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What’s better than reading a good book? Reading a book about books! Or bookstores or publishing or libraries!

Back for this very book-ish episode is my friend (and friend of the show) Amy Clark. Amy is a blogger and the founder of MomAdvice.com, which happens to be a place I write articles for on occasion. She’s also the host of the Mom Advice Book Club and my go-to person for book recommendations. Today we’re talking about some of our favorite books about books or book-adjacent themes, and we’ve compiled an excellent list of reads for you.

Of course, because this is The Couch (where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome), we also talk about word games, real housewives, and family movie nights. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• All the books (about books) on this list
• The Midnight Library
• Thank You for Listening
• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
• The Mom Advice Book Club

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• New York Times games
• Real Housewives of Dubai
• Evan Almighty
• Zoom

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Amy on her website, in the Mom Advice Book Club, and on her podcast, The Book Gang. And, of course, you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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When I say the words, “the soundtrack of your childhood,” what music pops into your head? If you’re anything like several members of The Couch community, I’m going to bet your list includes the Beach Boys, 80s or 90s country, and the forbidden Madonna. But maybe yours is different than ours! I can’t wait to compare notes.

But first, my brother, candle maker extraordinaire, and friend of the show, James Walters, joins me to compare notes on the childhood we allegedly shared and wonder at how a) we have some very different childhood musical memories despite being only three years apart and b) we have now basically turned into our parents with our love for soft rock and actual oldies (and by “oldies,” I mean 50s, 60s, and 70s; don’t you dare suggest Bon Jovi falls in that category). We also share lots of soundtracks from listeners, which is super fun.

Before we jump in, I will acknowledge a couple things up front. First, we recorded this on one microphone sitting across my dining room table, so the sound is a little wonky. And second, we recorded this episode the morning after the tragic shooting in a Texas elementary school and we are not quite ourselves. We did our best to rally, because we believe there’s great value in the light and lovely things of this world, even on our hardest, darkest days. But if you think we seem a little bit on edge, that’s why.

And of course, because this is The Couch (where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome), we also get into word games, our favorite sitcoms to rewatch, more childhood memories than you asked for, and also, call your senators. Believe it or not, it was still a good time, and I think we can have fun with this one. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• All the songs and bands on this playlist
• The Couch Podcast, episode #72 (TV theme songs)
• Alvin & the Chipmunks Christmas album

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Call your senators (find their contact info here, find scripts to use here and here).
• Word puzzles: Wordle, Waffle, Heardle, Weaver, Phoodle, and Quordle
• Rewatching favorite shows (Schitt’s Creek, Agents of SHIELD, Friends)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• James owns a company called Big Gay Candle Co., and he sells candles that smell amazing and have funny names too. Find him and the candles at @biggaycandle on Instagram or over on Facebook. And buy all the candles from his shop on Etsy!
• And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Traditionally, most TV series have aired their final episodes in May. Now with streaming and shorter seasons even on networks and cable, a series finale can come any time of the year. But we’re still gonna talk about them now, during this time of the year. Because if I know one thing about The Couch community, it’s that most of you love you some This Is Us and, like it or not, your beloved show is coming to an end this week.

My good friend and long-time listener, Amanda Hood, has joined me for this episode, as we discuss why people (and by “people,” I mean us) get so worked up about finales, which ones are for the birds, and which ones we love.

Originally from Louisiana, Amanda has lived all over the U.S. and currently calls Orange County, California, home. She spends her days working with homeless neighbors who have disabilities and her free time reading, going to concerts, riding her bike, and—here’s what we’re looking for—watching movies and television.

In this episode, I completely ruin Amanda’s life by reminding her of horrible endings to her favorite shows, but that’s not all. We cover a whole lot of TV shows in this episode, but because this is The Couch (where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome), we also get into game shows, good fats and health food, and NCIS. It’s a good time, so let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Lost
• How I Met Your Mother
• Castle
• Friday Night Lights
• Scandal
• JAG
• NCIS
• Chuck
• White Collar
• Golden Girls
• Timeless
• Friends
• Brooklyn Nine-Nine
• Superstore
• Parks & Recreation
• The Office
• Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Domino Masters (Hulu)
• Salmon from the farmer’s market

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Amanda on Instagram at @mildredstephens, and find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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It’s almost summertime, and I don’t know about you, but my calendar is already filling up. We’ve got camps and road trips and when can we go to the pool, Mom? Honestly, it’s kind of like putting together a puzzle, as I try to fit in family time and projects for work and goals and chores and, again, when are we going to the pool? But it’s never a chore to fit in movie nights. Because out of all the seasons, summer seems to be the most fun time for movie-going.

My friend (and friend of the show) Dawn Camp is back for this summer movie preview episode, and we have a great list of movies to look forward to—and mark on the calendar. Of course, yes, yes, this is The Couch (where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome), so we do spend some time talking about TV shows too. But mostly it’s a movie-centric episode this week, and I know you’re going to love it.

Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Watch the trailers for [most] the movies we previewed in this YouTube playlist.
• Join The Couch Facebook group’s weekly movie watch parties!

ALSO MENTIONED:

• The Couch Podcast episode #101 – Spring Movie Preview
• Magnum PI reboot
• Reacher (Prime)
• The Bad Guys
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2
• Top Gun: Maverick
• Downton Abbey movie
• The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
• Uncharted
• The Lost City (The Couch episode about treasure hunting movies)

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• The Chosen (Prime)
• Upload (Prime)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Dawn on Instagram at @dawncamp or on her website, and find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Well, it’s 100% summer at my house today but technically it’s still spring. So talking about spring cleaning? Totally relevant. And talking specifically about decluttering our digital lives? Super helpful.

I’m not even exaggerating. After recording this episode with my friend Dana White, I have decluttered my watch lists on Hulu, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Prime Video, Peacock, and IMDb. And! (But wait…there’s more…!) I also unsubscribed from some podcasts and cleaned up my Amazon wish list.

It’s no wonder I was inspired to actually do something. Dana is a writer, speaker, podcaster, and (much to her own surprise) a decluttering expert. You may know her as the creator of A Slob Comes Clean. I know her as one of my favorite friends from early blogging days. I love that she joined us on The Couch and shared her decluttering expertise.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also chat about wearing dresses and planting gardens. This may be my most practical, helpful episode yet, and you are going to love it. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Organizing for the Rest of Us: 100 Realistic Strategies to Keep Any House Under Control by Dana K. White
• What to Watch with Your Streaming Free Trial (2021 guide - stay tuned for an updated version!)

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Wearing dresses
• Planting a garden

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Dana on her website, aslobcomesclean.com. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.
• If you need help getting started, here's a list of places to begin! Click here for a FREE list of digital decluttering ideas.

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The thing about teen TV shows is that they answer some of life’s most important questions like, “what happens when a boy meets the world,” “did I do that?” and, of course, “Dawson or Pacey?” And that, obviously, is why we’re talking about these deeply important works of art today.

Or, my friend Lyndsay Rush and I just love to watch shows about teenagers and we decided it’s high time to investigate why. The explanation is one of those things, I’m sure.

Lyndsay is a comedy writer, copywriter, and poet who runs a creative agency called Obedient. She and her husband live in Nashville with their dog, Puffin Dorito, and she—like me—is a big fan of TV shows about the teens.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also get into where else we’ve seen every actor in every show, my strangely specific knowledge of a little show called Perfect Strangers, and where on earth pineapples are grown.

You are not going to want to miss this one, friends. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• (in)courage
• Dawson’s Creek
• Perfect Strangers
• Felicity
• Pen15
• Never Have I Ever
• The Sex Lives of College Girls
• Grown-ish
• Greek
• Family Matters
• Hey Dude
• Hang Time
• Derry Girls
• Veronica Mars
• Marvel’s The Runaways

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• TikTok (but only as a consumer)
• Guacamole (but only in Mexico)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Lyndsay’s poetry on Instagram at @maryoliversdrunkcousin, her creative work at obedientagency.com, and her personal shenanigans at @rushbomb on Twitter and Instagram (but not TikTok; she is too old [as am I]).
• And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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While most of us can admire and look up to superheroes like Wonder Woman or oh, I don’t know, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, we can’t necessarily relate to them. I mean, I don’t know about you, but I was not raised on an island of Amazons, trained to be a warrior, and given accessories that literally deflect bullets. So while my good friend (and good friend of the show) Jenny Rapson and I have long enjoyed talking about the fierce female characters we love (see episode 7 of this podcast for an hour-long example of this), today we decided to talk about a different group of strong women. The women who have faced challenges, who are vulnerable, who are struggling in one area or another—but still manage to face the day with determination, perseverance, and strength.

If you’re looking for a show about a relateable, strong woman, THIS is the episode and the list for you.

And of course, yes, this is still The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, so we also talk about documentaries, movies about women of a certain age, and why I may be watching NCIS until the day I die. It is, as always, a good time, so let’s get started!

SHOWS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• The Gilded Age (HBO Max)
• Dead to Me (Netflix)
• The Crown (Netflix)
• Somebody Somewhere (HBO Max)
• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Prime)
• NCIS (CBS)
• The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix)
• Kung Fu (The CW)
• Mare of Eastown (HBO Max)
• Hacks (HBO Max)
• Sweet Magnolias (Netflix)
• The Flight Attendant (HBO Max)
• Single Drunk Female (Freeform)
• Miss Scarlet & the Duke (PBS)
• Impeachment: American Crime Story (FX)

ALSO MENTIONED:

• The Couch Podcast #7 – Fierce Female Leads with Jenny Rapson
• Designing Women
• Grace & Frankie
• Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• WeCrashed on Apple TV+
• POMS and Wild Oats (movies on Netflix)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Jenny on Twitter and her website. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Have you read the book yet? Is the book better? Can you watch the movie even though it’s so different from the book? Watching TV and movie adaptations of books can bring up a lot of questions, and we’re answering all of them today.

In today’s episode I’m chatting with my friend (and friend of the show) Latasha Ferguson, a speaker, writer, podcast host, educator, and mom. To say she knows a thing or two about movies and books for our kids would be an understatement!

You know we’re going to make the best list of recent movies (and a few series) based on kids books for you today. And of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we’ll also get into coffee, other podcasts, and something called a “15-minute rule.” It’s a good one, so let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• The full list of TV or movie adaptations based on children’s books

ALSO MENTIONED:

• The Couch Podcast episode #70 with Latasha Ferguson (about what to stream right now)
• The Couch Podcast episode #52 with Amanda White (more about children’s book’s adaptations)
• The Couch Podcast episode #108 with Tasha Jun & Michelle Reyes (about Turning Red)
• Matilda
• Everything Everything
• Peter Rabbit
• Paddington
• Grace P. Cho
• Popper’s Penguins
• The Princess Diaries books
• Spinoff of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
• This scene from Designing Women
• Perspective on the cancellation of BSC

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Califia Farms cold brew coffee
• Dead Eyes, a podcast

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Latasha on Instagram at @latashamferguson, on her podcast Overcome to Become, and at latashaferguson.com. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Why do we love jungle movies so much? And why is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in all of them?

Okay, so he’s not in all of them and, as you’ll discover in this episode, our love for jungle movies may or may not be connected to our longing for adventure and significance as well as our infallible sense of self-preservation. Also, you’ll discover that when I say “jungle movies,” I mean movies where a majority of the action takes place in the jungle but I also include treasure hunting movies that may or may not take place in or near a jungle. They’re connected but they’re not but they are…

Either way, my friend (and friend of the show) Tori Rask and I dive into which of these movies are our favorites and why we think they’re so compelling. I’m not going to lie. We ramble and travel far down rabbit trails but, thanks to Harry Potter, we manage to bring it full circle for you.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also got into BTS, Bridgerton, and a few bits of entertainment news. If that sounds like your idea of a good time (and honestly, how could it not?), get comfy. It’s time to get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Indiana Jones
• Dora
• Duck Tales
• Jungle Book
• Jumanji
• Jurassic Park
• National Treasure
• Goonies
• The DaVinci Code
• Swiss Family Robinson
• Moana
• Percy Jackson
• Finding Ohana
• The Lost City
• Romancing the Stone
• The Librarians
• Blood & Treasure
• Hooten & the Lady
• LOST

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• BTS
• Bridgerton, season 2

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Tori at torirask.com. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

Welcome to The Couch!

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Thanks to some technical difficulties, this week’s episode is a little different than usual. And by “technical difficulties,” I mean I caused my own problem. And by “little different than usual,” I’m gonna say I mean “a very special episode.” Or perhaps I’ll let you decide. Because I did not have a new episode ready for you today, I’m releasing a conversation that was previously for Patreon members only. My good friend (and good friend of the show), Amanda White, has begged me for years to watch her beloved favorite show, LOST. Yes, if you’ve ever wondered, Who hasn’t seen LOST? it was me.

But back in 2020, when the state of the world gave me a little more time to binge things I’d missed, I decided I was finally going to watch it. And so I watched the first half of the first season of LOST—and then Amanda couldn’t take it anymore. We had to discuss and debrief!

The sound quality of this episode is not quite up to 2022 standards, we randomly talk about gun control for a minute, and I’m genuinely sorry we use the term “druggie” to refer to an addict. Truly sorry about that one. But if you’ve been wishing for an unedited, rambling conversation between friends about an iconic TV series from the early 2000s, first of all, who even are you? and second of all, this episode is for you! Here goes!

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Amanda on Goodreads, Instagram, or at ohamanda.com. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Never mind the same plots and tropes. Have you ever noticed that Hallmark movies feature the same actors over and over? Well, my best friend and best friend of the show, Anna Rendell, and I decided to fix that. We’re here to make a list of actors we want to see in more Hallmark movies, and we’re sure (haha) that the people making the movies are going to pay attention.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also got into pajamas, night sweats, audiobooks, and family movie nights. You don’t want to miss it, so let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Holiday Movie March Madness (The Couch Podcast #10)
• Ranking the Hallmark Movie Actors (The Couch Podcast #11)

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Soma and Hanna Andersson pajamas
• Popper’s Penguins (the book and the movie)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Anna at @annaerendell on Instagram or at annarendell.com. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

Welcome to The Couch!

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Anxiety. Immigration. Foster Care. Multi-generational families. Science fiction fandoms. Teen athletes. LGBTQ teens. Autism. Trauma. These are just a few of the things I’ve learned about in young adult books—and each reading experience has given me a wider perspective, deeper understanding, and so much more empathy.

This week my friend Jessie Weaver is joining me to talk about YA books that build empathy, and have we got a list for you!

Jessie is a writer, editor, mom, and avid reader—and one of my longest Internet friends turned real-life friend. I loved talking with her on The Couch and know you’re going to love discovering books to add to your TBR list.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also got into cooking shows, devotionals, and so much more. Let’s not delay. It’s time to get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Every book we discussed (plus the ones we didn’t get to) can be found here.
• The Baby-Sitters Club on Netflix
• Friday Night Lights
• Blue Bloods
• Mismatched on Netflix
• Brigid Kemmerer’s other books

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Top Chef
• Good Enough: 40ish Devotionals for a Life of Imperfection by Kate Bowler & Jessica Richie
• Journey to the Cross: Forty Days to Prepare Your Heart for Easter
• Bitter & Sweet: A Journey Into Easter by Tsh Oxenreider

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Jessie on Instagram at @jessielynnweaver or at Chattanooga Moms. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

Welcome to The Couch!

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Have you seen the new Pixar movie, Turning Red? Even if you haven’t watched it yet, I’m guessing you may have heard about it—and some of what you heard might not have been good. Spoiler alert: I disagree with the criticism being thrown at this movie, and we are here to talk about the giant panda in the room today. First, the basics – Turning Red is an animated kids movie about a 13-year-old girl living in Toronto. Mei-Lin is Chinese-Canadian, and like pretty much every 13-year-old ever, she’s also going through some changes. After a particularly difficult interaction with her mom, she turns into a giant red panda. Before this movie was even released last week, I was reading criticism and that did not stop after the public could flip on Disney+ and watch for themselves.

I invited my friends Michelle Reyes and Tasha Jun to talk with me about Turning Red, and I hope you’ll join us on the couch for a conversation full of, yes, pushback and opinions but also really good insight from my friends who are moms, Christians, and Asian Americans.

If you’ve been waiting for things to get spicy here on The Couch, today is your day. Let’s jump right in.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• “Turning Red” is a turning point for Asians in film. Why is it seen as unrelatable? (NPR)
• Domee Shi on Her “Weird” Film About “Magical Puberty,” “Turning Red” (Uproxx)
• People Think “Turning Red” is Too Mature for Kids, but Here are 10 Disney Movies That Are Actually Inappropriate (Buzzfeed)
• Questions to ask your kids after watching “Turning Red” together (Instagram)

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
• If You Leave Me by Crystal Hana Kim
• Orly nail polish subscription
• Women’s paranormal fiction on Amazon

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Tasha on Instagram at @tashajunb or on her website, and find Michelle on Instagram at @michelleamireyes, on Twitter at @drmichellereyes, or on her website. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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A told B, and B told C, “I’ll meet you at the top of the coconut tree.” “Whee!” said D to E F G, “I’ll beat you to the top of the coconut tree.” Chicka chicka boom boom! Will there be enough room?

No, this isn’t bedtime stories with Mary. But if you did recognize those words, then you are going to love this week’s episode!

Katie Kenny Phillips joins me to talk about our favorite books to read aloud to the kids in our lives, and while we struggle to narrow down our choices (as usual), we do end up with a fantastic list for you.

Katie is a writer, editor, and—most relevant for today’s conversation—a children’s book author of several adorable books and a mom of five kids who, I’m pretty sure, have listened to her read a whole lot of books over the years.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also got into the perfect reading spot, the truth about teaching teenagers to drive, and the March watch guide I made for you last week. Okay, it’s time. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Reading books to our kids creates connection, empathy, and a shared language.
• My library system has a goal for parents to read 1,000 books before kindergarten.
• Click here for a list of all the books we mentioned (and more).

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Reading in the sunshine (or the shade)
• Mary’s new Watch Guide for March 2022

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Katie on Instagram at @katiekennyphillips, and you can find her books on Amazon. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Are you a theater nerd? A musical lover? A creative in any way? Or just a big fan of Andrew Garfield and/or Lin-Manuel Miranda? Then, as you may have already guessed from those questions, this episode is for you! My friends and colleagues (and friends of the show), Anna Rendell and Grace Cho, are here to talk with me about the Netflix original musical, Tick…Tick…Boom!, as well as the creative process and our new book, Empowered.

If you don’t know, Tick…Tick…Boom! is about the life and work of Jonathan Larson, a theater composer best known for Rent. And Empowered is a devotional about how God cares about and is active in every part of our lives. You might not automatically see how those things are connected, but keep listening. I promise they actually are.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome (and, I guess, because we recorded this right before lunch), we also get into salads and chocolates, as well as the things that make working from home so much better.

All right, the clock is ticking (see what I did there), so let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Tick…Tick…Boom! on Netflix
• Tick…Tick…Boom! soundtrack on YouTube
• Empowered at Amazon, DaySpring, and Bookshop
• Article about the diner scene (Sunday)
• All the cameos in Tick…Tick…Boom!
• Critical article about the perspective of the movie
• Facebook video talking about the Empowered devotional
• Hear Mary, Anna, and Grace talking about the book on the (in)courage podcast

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Candy dish in the home office
• Beautiful, delicious chocolates
• Chopped salad kits and rotisserie chicken

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Anna on Instagram at @annaerendell or her website, and find Grace on Instagram at @gracepcho or her website. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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What have you been watching on TV lately? That is what I’m here to talk about this week, along with my good friend and friend of the show, Kathi Lipp. Kathi is an author, speaker, and my kindred spirit when it comes to TV shows. So when I decided to talk about all the new shows that have come out this year and are coming out in the next month or so, I knew Kathi would be the exact right person to chat with. Of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also get into soup recipes, romantic comedies, and podcasts.

Okay, get ready to program your DVR or load up your streaming queues. It’s time to talk TV!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Pivoting (Fox)
• Single Drunk Female (Freeform)
• Abbott Elementary (ABC)
• Somebody Somewhere (HBO Max)
• How I Met Your Father (Hulu)
• Murderville (Netflix)
• The Afterparty (Apple TV+)
• American Auto (NBC)

ALSO MENTIONED:

• An Abundant Place: Daily Retreats for the Woman Who Can't Get Away
• Empowered: More of Him for All of You
• Fair Game (podcast)
• The Rise & Fall of Mars Hill (podcast)
• In from the Cold (Netflix)
• Suspicion (Apple TV+)
• Bel-Air (NBC)
• Severance (Apple TV+)
• The Tourist (HBO Max, 3/3)
• Life & Beth (Hulu, 3/18)

THE NEW SHOWS WE DIDN'T GET TO:

• The Grand Crew (NBC)
• The Cleaning Lady (Fox)
• Reacher (Prime)
• Astrid & Lily Save the World (SyFy)
• Wolf Like Me (Peacock)
• The Endgame (NBC, 2/21)
• Pachinko (Apple TV+, 3/25)
• Welcome to Flatch (Fox, 3/17)

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Sabbath and soup (scroll down for Kathi's recipe for tomato, gin, and bacon soup!)
• Chicken enchilada soup
• Marry Me (theaters or Peacock)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Kathi in her Clutter Free Academy community or at kathilipp.com. You can find me on Instagram at @marycarver on Instagram, in The Couch Facebook group, or at marycarver.com.

Welcome to The Couch!

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Kathi's Tomato, Bacon, & Gin Soup Recipe

My only recommendation? Double the recipe. You will want to have this with a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch later in the week. Promise.

READY IN: Less than an hour

SERVES: 4 (you should double it - trust me...)

• 1 28 oz can peeled tomatoes
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1⁄8 teaspoon thyme
• 1⁄2 teaspoon paprika
• 1⁄8 teaspoon sugar
• 6 slices bacon, chopped
• 1⁄4 cup salted butter
• 4 ounces brown mushrooms, sliced
• 1⁄3 cup gin
• 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
• salt and pepper
• 2 t chives, diced

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine tomato, garlic, thyme, paprika, sugar in a blender and puree into a liquid.
2. In a soup pot, sauté bacon until crisp, drain on paper towels, but leave the drippings in the pot.
3. Add butter to pan with bacon drippings, melt butter, add mushrooms and sauté until golden.
4. Add gin and bacon, stir, add tomato sauce and simmer 15 minutes.
5. Add cream, season with salt and pepper, top with chives.
6. Serve as appetizer, or alongside a hearty salad.
7. Oh and if you've read this far, one more tip: don't spill the gin into the open flame in your gas stove. And if you do? Turn off the stove. You're welcome.

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Is it possible? Can we call it a comeback? Today I’m joined by Kerry Frances to talk about romantic comedies and the possibility that they are, indeed, making a comeback. Kerry is an actress, singer, songwriter, and voiceover artist, and she shares her unique perspective with us about the movie industry in general and rom coms in particular.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are always welcome, we also get into reality TV shows, books we can’t put down, and following your heart. This is a good one, friends. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Marry Me
• The Lost City
• Finding You
• Knives Out

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• The Amazing Race
• The Storyteller by Kathryn Williams

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Kerry on Instagram, or Twitter. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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What is going on here? Two podcasts, two weeks in a row, both about sports? What can I say, friends? It’s that time of year! This week I’m joined by my friend and sports fanatic, Robby Malone. Robby is a new friend from church and also the creator of some really fun stuff on TikTok and Instagram. As soon as we met, we started talking about getting him over to The Couch and with the Super Bowl coming up, we decided today was the day. Robby and I are talking all about football movies this week (even though we admit that our favorite parts of the Super Bowl are the food and the commercials). And because this is The Couch, where side notes and rabbit trails are welcome, we also get into football TV shows, cartoons for grownups, and poorly named but actually enjoyable sitcoms.

I’ve still got a cold and a scratchy throat, but that’s okay. Again, it’s that time of year. And regardless, this episode is a good time, and I know you’re going to love it. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• The Replacements (Prime)
• Jerry Maguire (Prime)
• The Waterboy (Prime)
• We Are Marshall (HBO Max)
• ESPN 30 for 30 – This Was the XFL (Prime)
• Remember the Titans (Disney+)
• Concussion (AMC+)
• Draft Day (AMC+)
• The Longest Yard (Netflix)
• The Blind Side (Prime)

ALSO MENTIONED:

• Episode #72 of The Couch Podcast (TV theme songs with James Walters)
• All-American (The CW)
• Friday Night Lights (Hulu)
• Last Chance U (Netflix)
• The Longest Yard (the original film, Prime)
• Rudy (Prime)

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• King of the Hill (Hulu)
• Single Drunk Female (Freeform or Hulu)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Robby on TikTok, Instagram, or Twitter. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Toe pick! It’s Olympics time! I didn’t slam into the ice this week, but I did catch a cold and show up to The Couch with a hoarse voice. Luckily, my friend and friend of the show, Jenny Rapson, was here to carry the conversation. As a self-proclaimed Olympaholic (it’s fine, it’s a word), she was the perfect fit for an episode about the best Olympic-themed movies.

But, of course, before we got to that, we also got into protein-packed snacks (and a possible copycat recipe) and a Netflix thriller that may or may not be a parody. After all, this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome!

A (related) SIDE NOTE: I owe an apology to Eddie the Eagle (the movie, not the man). When we recorded this episode, I’d only watched the first half of the movie. And honestly, I did not like it. But I watched the rest yesterday and ended up really loving it! Sorry, Eddie.

Now, grab a hot cup of tea (it’s great for a sore throat, ahem) and let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Miracle (Disney Plus)
• The Cutting Edge (Showtime through Amazon Prime)
• I, Tonya (Hulu)
• Eddie the Eagle (Amazon Prime)
• Bad Sport (Netflix)
• Meddling (Peacock)
• Cool Runnings (Disney Plus)
• The Gabby Douglas Story (Amazon Prime)
• Blades of Glory (HBO Max)
• Chariots of Fire (HBO Max)
• Goofy in The Olympic Champ (Disney Plus)

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Woman in the Window (Netflix)
• Bacon and gruyere egg bites at Starbucks (and a recipe)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Jenny on Twitter and her website. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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After a season (or two or three) of seeing very few new movies, 2022 is promising to be a big year for movies!

My friend (and friend of the show) Dawn Camp is back to preview the spring movies we think you are going to want to see. In this episode, we're sharing the best movies schedule to come out February to May (with the caveat that things may change because that happens). We'll share with you our lists of movies with theater releases and the ones you can stream right away, too. Because, in the world of movie-watching, it’s good to have options, right?

Of course, before we tell you about the movies, we get into a couple TV series we’re loving. Because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, and because why not!?

All right. Grab your calendar because you’re going to want to save these dates. Let’s talk movies!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Marry Me (2/11)
• Death on the Nile (2/11)
• Uncharted (2/18)
• Dog (2/18)
• Cyrano (2/25)
• The Batman (3/4)
• Downton Abbey: A New Era (3/18)
• The Lost City (3/25)
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (4/8)
• Bullet Train (4/8)
• The Bad Guys (4/15)
• Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (4/15)
• Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (5/6)
• DC League of Super-Pets (5/20)
• John Wick: Chapter 4 (5/21)
• Top Gun: Maverick (5/27)

ALSO MENTIONED:

• KIMI (HBO Max, 2/10)
• The Sky is Everywhere (Apple TV+, 2/11)
• I Want You Back (Amazon Prime, 2/11)
• Sneakerella (Disney+, 2/18)
• The Adam Project (Netflix, 3/11)
• Turning Red (Disney+, 3/11)

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Virgin River (Netflix)
• Alex Rider (Amazon Prime)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Dawn on Instagram at @dawncamp or at dawncamp.com. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver on Instagram, in The Couch Facebook group, or at marycarver.com.

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Today is a big day! This is the 100th episode of The Couch! Thank you so much for being here—this week and every week I’ve shared a new episode with you. It has been a blast so far, sitting on the virtual couch with some of my very favorite people (including you) to talk about pop culture and why it matters. I can’t wait for the conversations we’ll have in the next 100.

My good friend and friend of the show, Alana Dawson, is here with me today to celebrate this milestone and also take a look back at our favorite bits of pop culture in 2021. And, of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also get into cross stitch and coffee shops. Because why not!?

Let’s get started (but don’t forget to enter my Podcast Birthday Giveaway)!

GIVEAWAY:

To celebrate the 100th episode of The Couch, I’m giving away a $100 Amazon gift card!

To be entered for a chance to win, simply leave a review on iTunes. Yep, that’s all! If you’ve already done it, you’re already entered. If you haven’t had the chance, now’s the time! Just click here on your phone or go to The Couch in iTunes, scroll all the way to the bottom, and click, “Write a Review.”

Easy peasy! The lucky winner will be selected randomly and announced on Wednesday, January 26. I hope it’s you!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Little White Lies & Deadly Little Scandals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
• Here for It by R. Eric Thomas
• Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
• Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto
• Very Sincerely Yours by Kerry Winfrey
• Everything by Sarah Adams
• State of Terror by Louise Penny & Hillary Rodham Clinton
• Live No Lies by John Mark Comer
• Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
• Cruel Summer (Hulu)
• Mythic Quest (Apple TV+)
• The Flight Attendant (HBO Max)
• Miss Scarlet & the Duke (PBS)
• Yellowstone (Paramount+)
• The Chosen (Amazon Prime)
• My Favorite Movies of 2021
• The Best Movie Night Movies of 2021
• The Couch Facebook group

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Cross stitch
• Trying new, local coffeehouses

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Alana on Instagram at @alanapdawson or on The Podcasting Party. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver on Instagram, in The Couch Facebook group, or at marycarver.com.

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Now that we’ve come to the end of the holiday movie road for this year, it’s time to take a look back at the thousands (or, at least, many dozens) of new holiday movies we watched.

Together with my best friend, friend of the show, and partner in all things holiday movie-related, Anna Rendell, I’m here to review the 2021 season of new holiday movies. It was hard but we did it. We picked our top few favorites from Hallmark, Lifetime, and all the other channels.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we

also get into Lifetime’s scheduling choices and the mystery of Jake Epstein. And we also tap dance around our true feelings about Corbin Bleu’s tap dancing routine, but I think you can read between the lines. We’re just…big fans.

It’s a fun episode, and you’re going to love it. So, let’s get started!

REMEMBER:

Hooked on Holiday Movies –This is your hub for all things holiday movies!

Sign up for your FREE bundle that includes a printable schedule of all 150+ new movies airing this year, a printable list of all our picks mentioned in this episode, tips for hosting a movie-watching party (and fun party games), festive recipes, and an exclusive holiday playlist.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• The Hallmark Checklist app
• The Letterboxd app (you can find my lists here)
• The Teleparty extension for movie night
• Lifetime website (scroll down to watch holiday movies here)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Anna on Instagram at @annaerendell. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver on Instagram, in The Couch Facebook group, or at marycarver.com.

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Well, it was bound to happen eventually. Friends don’t have to agree on everything, right? Right. And this week, despite all the things we agree on wholeheartedly, my good friend NJ Rongner and I have very different opinions about a holiday movie. And you know what? It’s okay! Totally okay.

NJ is a woman of many hats. She works full time as a sales and marketing coach at Clickfunnels and is the founder of Working Christian Mom. She loves coffee, Jesus and Gilmore Girls. And for some reason, which she tries to explain to us today, she loves the California Christmas movies on Netflix.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we don’t stick to just holiday movies. We also talk about old and new musicals, an upcoming movie, and one of my favorite topics, movie night. It’s a fun episode, and I’m glad you decided to join us. Let’s get started!

REMEMBER:

Hooked on Holiday Movies –This is your hub for all things holiday movies!

Sign up for your FREE bundle that includes a printable schedule of all 150+ new movies airing this year, a printable list of all our picks mentioned in this episode, tips for hosting a movie-watching party (and fun party games), festive recipes, and an exclusive holiday playlist.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• West Side Story
• The Lost City
• Sugar Plum Twist
• Mistletoe in Montana
• A California Christmas: City Lights
• ‘Tis the Season to be Merry

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• The Sound of Music
• Little Debbie Christmas trees

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find NJ on Instagram at @nj.rongner. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver on Instagram, in The Couch Facebook group, or at marycarver.com.

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Welcome to a new episode of The Couch. Today I’m here with my friend and friend of the show, Latasha Ferguson.

Tasha is a speaker, writer, ministry leader, and host of the Overcome to Become podcast. She’s a teacher, a wife, and a mom who loves empowering women and, lucky for us, watching movies. We are talking about a bunch (although not all) of the holiday movies we watched last weekend and whether or not we liked them. Spoiler alert: we did.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also get into craft projects, teacher gifts, foot massages, and hair care. Basically, if you’re looking for two friends having a great time chatting about all the things, holiday movies included, you are in the right place. Get comfy, so we can get started!

REMEMBER:

Hooked on Holiday Movies –This is your hub for all things holiday movies!

Sign up for your FREE bundle that includes a printable schedule of all 150+ new movies airing this year, a printable list of all our picks mentioned in this episode, tips for hosting a movie-watching party (and fun party games), festive recipes, and an exclusive holiday playlist.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• A Sisterly Christmas (OWN)
• A Christmas Dance Reunion (Lifetime)
• Every Time a Bell Rings (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)
• A Holiday in Santa Fe (Lifetime)
• Feliz NaviDAD (Lifetime)
• A Dickens of a Holiday! (Hallmark)
• Christmas in the Rockies (UPtv)
• The Holiday Fix Up (Lifetime)
• A Clusterfunke Christmas (Comedy Central)
• Boyfriends of Christmas Past (Hallmark)

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Shiatsu foot massaging machine (here’s one)
• DIY Christmas tree ornament (here’s the tutorial I used)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Latasha on Instagram at @latashamferguson, on her podcast Overcome to Become, and at latashaferguson.com. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver on Instagram, in The Couch Facebook group, or at marycarver.com.

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Can a beloved country star win over a reluctant holiday movie viewer? Time will tell…

Laura Tremaine joins me this week to share her experience watching her very first Lifetime holiday movie, and it’s both exactly what we expected and a whole lot of fun! Laura is the author of Share Your Stuff, I’ll Go First, the creator of the #onedayHH Instagram campaign, and the host of the 10 Things to Tell You podcast. She’s also a complete newcomer to the world of holiday movies. Though she’s married to an actual movie director, Laura admitted to me last fall (when I was a guest on her podcast) that she’s never watched a made-for-TV holiday movie.

So this year, I asked if she’d be willing to give one a try—and she said yes! In the language of TikTok and good students everywhere, Laura understood this assignment.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also talk for quite a while about the very unofficial difference between thrillers and mysteries, the difference between reading Little Women and watching the movie adaptations, and my possibly offensive take on Amish fiction. This episode really is a blast and I know you’ll love it, so let’s get started!

REMEMBER:

Hooked on Holiday Movies –This is your hub for all things holiday movies!

Sign up for your FREE bundle that includes a printable schedule of all 150+ new movies airing this year, a printable list of all our picks mentioned in this episode, tips for hosting a movie-watching party (and fun party games), festive recipes, and an exclusive holiday playlist.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Reba McEntire’s Christmas in Tune
• The Couch Podcast, episode # with Patricia Raybon
• The Couch Podcast, episode # with Meg Tietz
• The Couch Podcast, episode # with Jessica Howard

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Reading thrillers
• Listening to The Vanderbeekers on 141st Street

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Laura on @laura.tremaine on Instagram, on her podcast 10 Things to Tell You, or at lauratremaine.com. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver on Instagram, in The Couch Facebook group, or at marycarver.com.

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Can I convince a holiday movie skeptic to give holiday movies a try? (Spoiler alert: I can!)

Meg Tietz is the host of the Sorta Awesome Show and the creator of the Sorta Awesome Hangout Community, and I adore her and both of those things so much! Last December I was on an episode of Sorta Awesome with Meg, in an attempt to convince her to try watching holiday movies. I have finally succeeded, and she’s here today to talk about the movie she watched and one I watched as well.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we do go on for a bit about the beauty of breakfast burritos and why we can’t believe anyone doesn’t love pumpkin pie. ‘Tis the season to talk food AND holiday movies, I guess! Let’s get to it!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Hooked on Holiday Movies –This is your hub for all things holiday movies!

Sign up for your FREE bundle that includes a printable schedule of all 150+ new movies airing this year, a printable list of all our picks mentioned in this episode, tips for hosting a movie-watching party (and fun party games), festive recipes, and an exclusive holiday playlist.

ALSO MENTIONED:

• A Castle for Christmas
• Mary Lambert
• Christmas at Castle Hart
• Paul Campbell
• An Unexpected Christmas
• The Princess Switch 3
• Laura Tremaine
• Chocolate chip pumpkin bread
• The Drew Barrymore Show (It's not cancelled! I was thinking of the Busy Philipps show.)

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Breakfast burritos
• Pumpkin pie
• What can I say? We like food!

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Meg at @sortaawesomemeg on Instagram or on the Sorta Awesome podcast. You can find me on Instagram at @marycarver on Instagram, in The Couch Facebook group, or at marycarver.com.

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Is anything better than watching our favorite characters in our favorite shows engage in holiday hijinks? Or learning something brand-new about those characters when they go home for the holidays or attempt to roast a turkey or win the ugly sweater contest? I don’t know for sure, but I do know that I love a good holiday episode of my fave TV shows. And that’s why my friend and friend of the show, Kathi Lipp, is here to help me make a list of the best (or, at least, our favorite) holiday TV episodes.

Kathi is a best-selling author, nationally respected speaker, and podcast host—and my soul mate when it comes to a love of sitcoms. And apparently she’s also here to challenge me and my lack of legitimate holiday movie knowledge. Because—as you know, this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome—we get into our annual must-watch holiday movies, and I have the nerve (the nerve!) to confess I have seen neither Die Hard nor It’s a Wonderful Life. If you’re just as appalled as Kathi, listen on to hear her explain just exactly why I need to remedy this tragedy immediately!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Big Bang Theory
• Parks & Recreation
• Modern Family
• Ted Lasso
• Gilmore Girls
• Chuck
• Mom
• The Mindy Project
• West Wing
• New Girl
• Happy Endings
• Friends
• The Goldbergs

ALSO MENTIONED:

Hooked on Holiday Movies –This is your hub for all things holiday movies!

Sign up for your FREE bundle that includes a printable schedule of all 150+ new movies airing this year, a printable list of all our picks mentioned in this episode, tips for hosting a movie-watching party (and fun party games), festive recipes, and an exclusive holiday playlist.

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Die Hard
• It’s a Wonderful Life
• Home for the Holidays
• Claymation Christmas
• Peppermint bark

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Kathi in her Clutter Free Academy community or at kathilipp.com. You can find me on Instagram at @marycarver on Instagram, in The Couch Facebook group, or at marycarver.com.

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What do we do when our holiday movies are wholly holey (but—don't get confused—not holy)? This week my friend Kristen Strong is here to chat with me about a couple of new original holiday movies, including one that requires so much suspension of disbelief that we just don't even know how to rate it!

Kristen is a writer and speaker, a fellow fan of Hallmark movies, and just a dear friend. I know you all love it when she’s here on The Couch, and this episode will be no exception. We are reviewing a couple of the new holiday movies we watched over the weekend, and gosh, we had so many to choose from! It’s that time of the year—when I’m already behind because all our favorite channels are bombarding us with festive films.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we take a break from all this holiday movie talk to chat about westerns, cheerleaders, and our favorite kind of friends. It’s a good time, so I think we should go ahead and get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Hooked on Holiday Movies –This is your hub for all things holiday movies!

Sign up for your FREE bundle that includes a printable schedule of all 150+ new movies airing this year, a printable list of all our picks mentioned in this episode, tips for hosting a movie-watching party (and fun party games), festive recipes, and an exclusive holiday playlist.

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Yellowstone (on the Paramount Network)
• Dallas Cheerleaders Making the Team
• Low-maintenance friendship

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Kristen at @kristenstrong on Instagram or at kristenstrong.com, and make sure you check out her latest book, When Change Finds You. You can find me on Instagram at @marycarver on Instagram, in The Couch Facebook group, or at marycarver.com.

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Time travel: yay or nay? And does it belong in our holiday movies? Join my friend, Aliza Latta, and me as we discuss this and so much more in this week’s holiday movie recap episode.

Aliza is a Canadian writer, artist, and author—and a huge fan of telling stories. Her artwork and writing has been featured in publications for LifeWay, Dayspring, and (in)courage. She's always searching for the goodness of God, even when she has to squint to see it. And when Aliza reminded me that she watches holiday movies while creating all the pieces she sells in her Christmas market, I knew I had to get her on the couch. Not literally, unfortunately, because she does live in Canada. But metaphorically – podcastilly? – is the next best thing! So today we are talking about two of the new Hallmark movies we watched last weekend: Gingerbread Miracle and Next Stop, Christmas.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also get into our favorite holiday snacks and our differing opinions on time travel stories. Hint: Aliza is wrong, and I am right, you’ll just have to listen to see if you agree. So, let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Hooked on Holiday Movies –This is your hub for all things holiday movies!

Sign up for your FREE bundle that includes a printable schedule of all 150+ new movies airing this year, a printable list of all our picks mentioned in this episode, tips for hosting a movie-watching party (and fun party games), festive recipes, and an exclusive holiday playlist.

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Peppermint mochas at Starbucks
• Gingerbread Oreos

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Aliza at @alizalatta on Instagram or in her shop. You can find me on Instagram at @marycarver on Instagram, in The Couch Facebook group, or at marycarver.com.

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It’s happening! The Christmas Couch is back as my friends and I sit down each week to talk about the holiday movies we watched—the good, the bad, and the so bad they’re good! This week I’m so excited to be here with my friend and friend of the show, Tori Rask, for the first holiday movie recap of the season!

As you may have picked up on, we are hooked on holiday movies around here, and it’s possible Tori is even a bigger fan of these things than I am. Of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also get into K-Pop, cheesy sitcoms on Netflix, and just how much we do are not here for Hallmark movies that make us cry.

Grab your favorite hot beverage, friends. It’s time to get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Hooked on Holiday Movies –This is your hub for all things holiday movies!

Sign up for your FREE bundle that includes a printable schedule of all 150+ new movies airing this year, a printable list of all our picks mentioned in this episode, tips for hosting a movie-watching party (and fun party games), festive recipes, and an exclusive holiday playlist.

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Tori at @tori_rask on Instagram or at torirask.com. You can find me on Instagram at @marycarver on Instagram, in The Couch Facebook group, or at marycarver.com.

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year—holiday movie season! Yes, it’s already here, and we are so excited! My best friend and friend of the show, Anna Rendell, is with me on The Couch this week to preview this holiday movie season.

As you know, Anna is a writer, speaker, wife, and mom—and the author of several devotionals including A Moment of Christmas. And she’s a fellow super-fan of holiday movies and my partner in all things Hooked on Holiday Movies.

Just like we have in years past, Anna and I are here to help YOU have your very best holiday movie season ever. We have a free bundle of goodness for you over at HookedonHolidayMovies.com, and today we’re sharing our top picks for the Hallmark channels, Lifetime, and all the other channels and streaming services pumping out holiday movies like an artificial snow machine on a movie set.

All right, it’s time! Break out your Christmas mug, get comfy, and get ready to be hooked on holiday movies!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Hooked on Holiday Movies –This is your hub for all things holiday movies!

Sign up for your FREE bundle that includes a printable schedule of all 150+ new movies airing this year, a printable list of all our picks mentioned in this episode, tips for hosting a movie-watching party (and fun party games), festive recipes, and an exclusive holiday playlist.

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Anna at @annaerendell on Instagram or at annarendell.com. You can find me on Instagram at @marycarver on Instagram, in The Couch Facebook group, or at marycarver.com.

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Holiday movie season is almost here, so let’s talk made-for-TV holiday movies! What do Lifetime movie fans think when the station switches from killer cheerleaders to stars from the 90s having snowball fights? What’s the best way to watch a Hallmark movie—while doing laundry or while taking notes because this is serious business? One of my favorite podcasters and now, friend of the show, Brandon Gray is here to address all these questions and more.

Brandon is a podcast producer and co-host of the Deck the Hallmark podcast, which happens to be one of my favorite shows. He and his friends watch all the Hallmark movies and talk about them from their varying viewpoints. Luckily for us, Bran is the one who loves Hallmark movies, just like we do here at The Couch. As fellow fans of made-for-TV movies, we had a great time talking about all the related things—including Bran’s new book coming out next week. I’ll Be Home for Christmas Movies is both hilarious and helpful, and you’re going to want to get a copy.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also get into BTS and bookstagramming, so look forward to that. This episode is a good one, so let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Hooked on Holiday Movies
• The Couch episode #82 (Fall Movie Preview)
• The Teleparty extension for virtual movie parties
• Melissa & Joey
• Project Hail Mary
• A Court of Thorns & Roses
• SleepyKittyPaws
• A whole bunch of Hallmark movies
  • Roadhouse Romance
  • Redemption in Cherry Springs
  • The Irresistible Blueberry Farm
  • As Luck Would Have It
  • Right in Front of Me
  • It Was Always You
  • Hitched for the Holidays
  • Christmas with Holly
  • The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
  • Cross Country Christmas
  • Project Christmas Wish
  • Crashing Through the Snow
• I’ll Be Home for Christmas Movies: The Deck the Hallmark Podcast’s Guide to Your Holiday TV Obsession

To leave a review for The Couch, like Bran told you to, click here please and thank you.

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• BTS
• Re-reading books and generally being influenced by BookTok and Bookstagram

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Bran and his podcast @hallmarkpodcast on Instagram or at deckthehallmark.com. And get his new book anywhere books are sold (here it is on Amazon). You can find me on Instagram at @marycarver on Instagram, in The Couch Facebook group, or at marycarver.com.

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Can a book change your life?

Today I’m answering that question with my good friend, Shannan Martin. Shannan is a speaker and writer who found her voice in the country and her story in the city. Shannan, her jail-chaplain husband, Cory, and their kids, live as grateful neighborsin Goshen, Indiana. She’s also one of my favorite teachers who is constantly nudging me to follow God more fully and pursue Jesus and justice in real, tangible ways. But as you might remember me mentioning a few episodes back, when I recommended her Instagram account as my not-so-guilty-pleasure, she also points me to hope, tells me about the cutest things I can find at Dollar General, and shares my love for chips and queso.

And today we’re bringing all of those things to the table (or the couch, as the case may be) as we share some of the books that have changed our hearts and our lives over the years.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also get into quite a few TV shows, a spinach artichoke dip from ALDI, and the merits of one Will Arnett. This might just be one of my favorite episodes yet, and I know you’re going to love it too. Let’s get to it!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Tattoos on the Heart by Gregory Boyle
• The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns (this one is just $1.99 on Kindle)
• Never Change by Elizabeth Berg
• Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist (and also Bittersweet)
• Interrupted by Jen Hatmaker
• Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson (this is the young adult adaptation I read)
• How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith
• Harry Potter & the Sorceror’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (free on Kindle, FYI)
• Abuelita Faith by Kat Armas
• Believing God by Beth Moore

For a full list of the books that have changed my life (so far), click here.

ALSO MENTIONED:

• The Ministry of Ordinary Places by Shannan Martin
• The Very Good Gospel by Lisa Sharon Harper
• Dear White Peacemakers by Osheta Moore
• Jesus & John Wayne by Kristin Kobes Du Mez
• The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Family Reunion (Netflix series)
• Spinach artichoke tzatziki dip from ALDI
• Seasonal banners on my mantel

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Shannan on Instagram at @shannanwrites or on Twitter at @shannanwrites. You can also sign up for her newsletter here. And, of course, you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Planning to watch the new Wonder Years? Can't wait to see Paul Rudd and Will Ferrell in a drama? Already hooked on The Big Leap? We've got book recommendations based on your favorite new fall shows, so get ready to watch your TBR list grow!

Welcome to a new episode of The Couch! Today I’m back with my good friend and good friend of the show, Amy Clark. Amy is a blogger and the founder of MomAdvice.com, which happens to be a place I write articles for on occasion. She’s also a book genius and the host of The Book Gang podcast and the Mom Advice Book Club, which yes, is a Facebook group but is really so much more. It’s one of my favorite online communities, full of book nerds just like you and me. You might remember Amy from a few past episodes, including episode #15 where she recommended books to read based on our favorite TV shows. She’s back to do that again today, and I can’t wait for you to hear her picks!

Of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also get into making dates with ourselves, candles, and alcohol-free wine. All right, get ready to watch your book stacks grow! It’s time to get started.

Want even more book matchmaking? I'm on Amy's podcast too, where she gives book recommendations based on my favorite shows (so far) of 2021. Head over to listen to that next!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Ordinary Joe (Mondays on NBC)
  • The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano
  • The Two Lives of Lydia Bird
• The Big Leap (Mondays on FOX)
  • One to Watch
• Wonder Years (Wednesdays on NBC)
  • The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones
  • Nothing More Dangerous
• One of Us is Lying (Oct. 7 on Peacock)
  • In My Dreams, I Hold a Knife
  • Ace of Spades
• Dopesick (Oct. 13 on Hulu)
  • Empire of Pain
  • Do No Harm
  • John Oliver’s video series about opioids
• The Shrink Next Door (Nov. 12 on Apple TV+)
  • Goodnight Beautiful
• Mayor of Kingstown (Nov. 14 on Paramount+)
  • Darktown
  • A Good Family

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Fre Wine from Sutter Homes (alcohol-free)
• Candles from Big Gay Candle Co.

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Amy on her website and her new podcast, MomAdvice Book Gang. And, of course, you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Why do we love mysteries so much? Why is fiction so important? And who are our favorite female detectives?

Today I’m talking all of that and more with my friend, Patricia Raybon. ist who writes about faith and mystery, and she’s also on the (in)courage writing team with me. And, as you’ll hear in this episode, she has a lot to share with us about writing in general and mysteries in particular.

That’s right. We’re talking about mysteries this week—specifically ones solved by female detectives. It’s a fun one, friends! And, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also get into Netflix binges, romance novels, and nineties music. So, get ready, because we’re starting now!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Nancy Drew
• Her Royal Spyness series by Rhys Bowen
• Kinsey Millhone series by Sue Grafton
• The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith
• Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich
• Miss Marple Mysteries by Agatha Christie
• Miss Fortune Mysteries by Jana DeLeon
• Blanche White Mysteries by Barbara Neely
• Charlotte Holmes series by Brittany Cavallaro
• American Girl History Mysteries
• Hannah Swensen Mysteries by Joanna Fluke

ALSO MENTIONED:

• The Ravenous Brain
• Story by Robert McKee
• Save the Cat
• James Scott Bell
• Why We’re Addicted to Mysteries (Salon.com)

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Bridgerton on Netflix
• The Bridgerton books by Julia Quinn
• Nineties music (don't sleep on this playlist!)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Patricia on her website and order her new book, All That Is Secret, today! And, of course, you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Welcome to this BONUS episode of The Couch. Today I’m here with my good friends and friends of the show, Tasha Jun and Michelle Reyes.

Tasha is biracial Korean American storyteller, and Michelle is a second-generation Indian American author, speaker, and activist. And, like me, they are both wives, moms, writers for the (in)courage website, and big fans of Marvel movies. But though we share quite a few things in common, they do bring a different perspective to our conversation about Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. I’m grateful for their insight, and I know you’re going to love this episode. Let’s get right to it!

QUESTIONS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why does it matter that the MCU has an Asian superhero?
• In what ways does the movie Shang-Chi challenge Asian stereotypes?
• Why is it important/what difference did it make to not only have Asian/Asian Americans as actors, but also as the writer and director of the film?
• What (if anything) did the movie teach us or reveal to us about God?
• What (if anything) did the movie teach us or reveal to us about people and/or ourselves?

ARTICLES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Shang-Chi and the Mothering Heart of God by Tasha Jun
• Communal Heroism in Shang-Chi & the Legend of the Ten Rings by Dr. Michelle Ami Reyes

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Tasha on Instagram at @tashajunb or on her website, and find Michelle on Instagram at @michelleamireyes, on Twitter at @drmichellereyes, or on her website. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Welcome to a new episode of The Couch. Today I’m back with my good friend and good friend of the show, Jenny Rapson!

Jenny is a writer, a shampoo slinger, and as she won’t let me forget, a true crime aficionado. In this episode we’ve been talking about making for, well, a long time, Jenny is going to do her best to convince me to give the true crime genre a try. So if you’re like me and you’ve been reluctant or resistant to diving into all the true crime podcasts, books, and TV series out there, this episode just might be for you. Who knows? Maybe we’ll become true crime’s biggest fans! … Maybe.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also lose our minds a little bit that we have the same not-so-guilty pleasure. All right. This is a fun one, friends. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• The Girl on the Volkswagen Floor
• Serial
• Crime Junkie
• Criminology
• Accused
• Park Predators
• Obsessed with Disappeared
• True Crime Obsessed
• My Favorite Murder
• If I Can’t Have You
• I’ll Be Gone in the Dark
• The Devil in the White City
• Cold Justice
• It Couldn’t Happen Here

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Only Murders in the Building on Hulu

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Jenny on Twitter and her website. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Welcome to a new episode of The Couch. Today I’m here again with my good friend and friend of the show, Alana Dawson.

Alana is wife and mom, as well as host of The Podcasting Party podcast and a brilliant podcast coach (no, I’m not biased at all). She has held my hand and patted my back throughout my own podcasting journey, and she’s also one of my favorite people to talk to about pop culture and raising girls (and sometimes, pop culture specifically for our girls).

In this episode, we are once again tackling all of your most pressing pop culture questions in volume five of our “Ask the Couch” series. I took questions from so many of you and, with Alana’s help, tried to answer them the best I could. We had so much fun talking, and I know you’re going to love this conversation.

And, of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also get into chips and queso, getting our nails done, a fun new show on Netflix, and an Instagram account we love following. Okay, friends, let’s get started!

QUESTIONS ASKED IN THIS EPISODE:

• What book, movie, or TV show has been loved by multiple generations?
• If you could only choose one streaming service, which one would it be?
• What’s a good, light book to read right now?
• What are some good, new-ish science fiction books to get my dad?
• When watching Marvel movies in chronological order, do we have to include the Marvel TV shows?
• What is your earliest pop culture memory?
• What’s your favorite musical album from your senior year of high school?
• Which film adaptation of Pride & Prejudice do you like better?
• Whhhyyyyy did they cancel Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist and how are we supposed to go on without it?
• How long do you stay with a series that everyone loves, but you can't get into?
• Who should Rory have chosen?
• What’s a good Netflix show to watch with my 10-year-old daughter?
• What’s coming next on The Couch?

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Manicures (If you want to try Olive & June, click here for 20% off a mani system.)
• Motel Makeover on Netflix
• Shannan Martin on Instagram (@shannanwrites)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Alana on Instagram at @alanapdawson or on The Podcasting Party. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Welcome to a new episode of The Couch. Today I’m here with my good friend and friend of the show, Dawn Camp. Dawn is a writer, photographer, wife, mom, and huge movie buff. And we have been waiting for this episode for soooo long!

This week, Dawn and I are taking a look at some of the biggest movies scheduled for release this fall—something we haven’t been able to do for quite a while! As a matter of fact, the last time we brought you a movie preview episode was, well, February 2020. Obviously those predictions did not all come true!

Similarly, you’re going to hear us talk about the new Top Gun movie annnnnd, between recording this episode and releasing it, Paramount decided to postpone this movie once again. So, take a listen to our conversation about upcoming movies but do know that, like has become the norm, things may change. Still, this is a fun episode all about movies, and I know you’re going to love it.

And, of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also get into our latest binge watches, a passionate defense of a beloved show, selling old books, and a story about one of the most unexpected things I saw at my old house. All right, I’m glad you’re here, friends. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
• Language Lessons
• Queenpins
• The Card Counter
• Dear Evan Hansen
• No Time to Die
• Eternals
• Ghostbusters: After Life
• Top Gun: Maverick
• Encanto
• West Side Story
• Spider-Man: No Way Home
• Sing 2

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• The Mentalist
• Ted Lasso, season two

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Dawn on Instagram at @dawncamp or on her website, and check out her books: My Essential Oil Companion: A Guided Journal Featuring 50 Key Essential Oils and It All Began in a Garden: A Practical Guide to God’s Gift of Essential Oils. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Welcome to a new episode of The Couch. Today I’m here with my friend and friend of the show, Rebekah Hoffer. Rebekah is a blogger, podcast, wife, and mom—and as you might remember from episode #64, a big fan of romance novels. You might recognize Rebekah from Instagram, where she shares book reviews and tips for living frugal and green, or the Sorta Awesome podcast, which is where I first met her. Which fits because the conversation you’re going to hear today is truly awesome.

This week, we’re talking about tropes (or cliches, if you insist) often found in romance novels—and our favorite examples of each one. Basically I thought, “How can I get Rebekah back on the podcast? What angle can we find to talk about romance novels again? Aha!”

And, of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also get into stovetop popcorn, various fall-themed drinks (and the stress of ordering coffee at Starbucks), and alien books that may or may not be directly related to our topic. It’s a super-sized episode full of all the book recommendations you didn’t ask for but totally want, and I think you’re going to like it. I’m glad you’re here, friends. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Popular romance tropes
• All the recommendations – Get our entire list, plus the ones we cut for time, here!

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Stovetop popcorn from Free Day Popcorn
• Iced Apple Crisp Macchiato from Starbucks

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Rebekah on Instagram at @simplyrebekah, on her website, or on the Sorta Awesome podcast. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Welcome to a new episode of The Couch! Today I’m here with my good friend and good friend of the show, Amanda White. As you know from at least 10 other episodes, Amanda is a blogger and the author of Truth in the Tinsel, an Advent experience for families. Also one of my oldest internet friends and favorite people in general.

This week, we’re talking about something unexpected to anyone who knows us and our deep, abiding love of fiction—memoirs. We’re talking about memoirs! What they are (how they’re different than autobiographies or collections of essays or maybe they aren’t?), which ones we’ve read and loved, and the ones we hope to read soon. And because we’re friends for real but don’t always agree on all the things, we talk about some books that come from differing perspectives and what that means for us as readers, friends, and people.

And, of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also get into rewatching favorite shows with our kids, frozen breakfast sandwiches, and the art of stand-up comedy. Among other things. It’s a good talk, and I think you’re going to like it. I’m glad you’re here, friends. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The Diary of Anne Frank
• The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
• Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi
• Through the Storm by Lynne Spears
• Open Book by Jessica Simpson
• Bossypants by Tina Fey
• Paris Letters by Janice MacLeod
• Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist
• Gay Girl Good God by Jackie Hill Perry
• Here For It by R. Eric Thomas
• Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
• My Wynter Season by Jonathan Pitts
• Choose Joy by Sara Frankl and Mary Carver - only $1.99 on Kindle!
• Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
• Becoming by Michelle Obama
• Sweet Like Jasmine by Bonnie Gray

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Chuck (watch for free on Prime)
• Frozen breakfast sandwiches
• Also, Once Upon a Time

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Amanda on Goodreads, Instagram, or at ohamanda.com. And you can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Welcome to a new episode of The Couch. Today I’m back with my good friend and friend of the show, Jenny Rapson!

Jenny is a writer, a shampoo slinger for Monat, and a proponent of forced family fun (which, yes, will come up later). We had a great time talking, just like we always do, and I know you’ll love this conversation too.

In this episode, we’re talking about family movie nights—something we’ve both been doing a lot of over the past year and a half, and one of the few things we want to keep from pandemic life. We’ve got tips for making a movie night work for your family and a big ol’ list of movies we’ve loved watching. And because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also get into favorite TV shows we’ve introduced to our kids and a kitchen gadget I may have mentioned before but love it so much I’m talking about it today anyway. I’m glad you’re here, friends. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Flight of the Navigator
• Father of the Bride
• Honey I Shrunk the Kids
• Night at the Museum
• National Treasure
• Spy Kids
• Kim Possible
• We Can Be Heroes
• Abominable
• Dora and the Lost City of Gold
• American Girl movies
• Peter Rabbit
• Playing with Fire
• Sonic the Hedgehog
• School of Rock
• Nacho Libre
• The Mitchells vs. the Machines
• Finding 'Ohana
• The Sleepover
• Yes Day
• Alexander and the No Good, Horrible, Very Bad Day
• The Rocketeer
• Cinderella
• Raya and the Last Dragon
• Onward
• Flora & Ulysses
• Magic Camp
• Hidden Figures
• Ruby Bridges
• Noelle
• Godmothered
• Jingle Jangle
• The Christmas Chronicles
• Klaus

MOVIES MENTIONED FOR OLDER KIDS:

• Back to the Future
• Indiana Jones
• Big
• The Goonies
• Just Mercy
• 42

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Alias
• Egg maker

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Jenny on Twitter and her brand-new blog. You can find me on Instagram or at marycarver.com.

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Welcome to a new episode of The Couch. Today I’m here with my new friend and fellow (in)courage writer, Rachel Kang.

Rachel is a writer of prose, poems, and other pieces, and a woman of African American, Native American, Irish, and Dutch descent. She’s the founder of Indelible Ink Writers, and her first book, which is about creativity, comes out next year. We had so much fun chatting, and I think you’re going to love this episode.

This week, Rachel and I are talking about our favorite movies about road trips. After all, it’s summertime and we’ve finally been able to start traveling again. Plus, both Rachel and I love a good road trip. And movies. So, voila! Also, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also get into used books and essential oils. I’m glad you’re here, friends. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• National Lampoon's Vacation
• Sonic the Hedgehog
• Onward
• Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
• Little Miss Sunshine
• The Fundamentals of Caring
• Rain Man
• Tommy Boy
• Safe Haven
• Guilt Trip
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul
• Almost Famous
• Desperadoes
• Supernova
• Crossroads

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• SecondSale.com
• This essential oil diffuser

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Rachel on Instagram at @rachelmariekang or on her website at rachelmariekang.com. You can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Welcome to a new episode of The Couch. Today I’m here with my friend and friend of the show, Michelle Reyes!

Michelle is a second-generation Indian American author, speaker, and activist. She’s the vice president of the Asian American Christian Collaborative and the co-executive director at Pax. She’s also co-planted Hope Community Church in Austin with her husband, and as you’ll figure out quickly, she’s a huge fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Once again, Michelle and I had a blast talking some of our favorite movies and shows, and once again, I learned so much from a short conversation. I just know you’re going to learn something and have fun, too.

In this episode, we’re talking about the state of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We are talking about the recent additions to the MCU, both movies and series; and we’re talking about what’s coming in the next several months. We also look at representation in Marvel movies and series—what we’ve observed and what we’re hoping for in future stories. And of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also get into novels perfect for vacation reading and library fines. I’m glad you’re here, friends. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Upcoming Marvel series and movies
• The Bechdel test
• The Duvernay test
• Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (trailer)
• We Are Lady Parts
• Crazy Rich Asians
• The Eternals (trailer)

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Library fines
• Folklorn by Angela Mi Young Hur, The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi, and A Thousand Beginnings and Endings by Ellen Oh

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Michelle on Instagram at @michelleamireyes, on Twitter at @drmichellereyes, or on her website.
• and sign up for her weekly book-ish newsletter too. You can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Welcome to a new episode of The Couch. Today I’m here with a new friend, Jessica Howard. Jessica lives in Flagstaff, Arizona, with her husband, two kids, and about 1,200 books. She works in a bookstore, and can pretty much always be found either reading, baking, or talking about books. If you need a good book recommendation, Jessica has you covered! We had so much fun chatting, and I think you’ll get a lot out of our conversation, too.

In this episode, we’re talking about audiobooks that are perfect for road trips. After all, ‘tis the season for road trips, right? And even if you don’t have a trip coming up anytime soon, hopefully you’re starting to get back to quasi-normal life in some ways—and for lots of us, I know that involves a lot of time in the car, often with our kids.

So, Jessica is here to tell us what we can listen to to make those hours and miles go by quicker. Or, at least quieter? And because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also get into a twisty teen TV show and our favorite non-coffee drinks at Starbucks. I’m glad you’re here, friends. Get comfy and enjoy this episode!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The Chronicles of Narnia audio box set
• Ramona Quimby collection
• The Vanderbeekers series
• The Penderwicks series
• Anne of Green Gables with Rachel McAdams
• Little Women (a BBC full-cast dramatization)
• Rivers of London series
• The Illuminae Files series
• Green Lights by Matthew McConaughey
• Here for It by R. Eric Thomas
• What Happened to You? by Oprah Winfrey & Bruce D. Perry
• Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Starbucks Refreshers and Iced Passion Tango Tea
• Cruel Summer on Hulu

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Jessica on Instagram at @howjessicareads, and sign up for her weekly book-ish newsletter too. You can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Welcome to a new episode of The Couch. Today I’m here with my friend, Katie Reid!

Katie is an author, a podcast host, and a singer/songwriter. She inspires others to live out their God-given purpose and lives in the middle of Michigan with her handsome hubby and five lively children. We had so much fun swapping stories about our favorite musicals, and I think you’ll get a kick out of this conversation, too.

That’s right. We’re making a list of our top 10 favorite musicals in this episode (although, spoiler alert, we had a real hard time sticking to just 10 and may have broken our own rules to sneak in a few more. Also, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also get into pizza and romance novels. I’m glad you’re here, friends. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Annie
• Singin’ in the Rain
• The Wizard of Oz
• Oliver
• Li’l Abner
• The Music Man
• Anything Goes
• The Little Mermaid
• Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
• Beauty and the Beast
• Grease
• In the Heights
• Plus our actual list of our 10 favorite musicals
  • The Sound of Music
  • Guys & Dolls
  • Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
  • Wicked
  • Les Miserables
  • Mary Poppins
  • The Greatest Showman
  • Mamma Mia
  • Seussical the Musical
  • Hamilton

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Funny romance novels by Melissa Ferguson
• Detroit style pizza

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Katie on Instagram, on her podcasts (The Martha & Mary Show and A Remarkable Thought), or at katiemreid.com. You can find me on Instagram or at marycarver.com.

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Welcome to a new episode of The Couch. Today I’m here with best-selling author, nationally respected speaker, and podcast host, Kathi Lipp. Kathi is warm and funny and, between you and me, someone I’ve admired for years. So to get to know her this spring and welcome her to the podcast has been a dream. We really could have kept talking for hours. But for your sake, we didn’t—and I think you’re going to love this conversation! We talk about our favorite heartwarming TV shows because LORD KNOWS we need some comfort food in the way of Netflix binges these days, right?!

And because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also get into your new favorite frozen treat and a TV show I expected to hate but ended up binging. I’m glad you’re here, friends. Get comfy and enjoy this episode!

GIVEAWAY: Kathi is giving away a copy of her best-selling book, Clutter Free: Quick & Easy Steps to Simplifying Your Space, to one listener. Comment on the Instagram post sharing this episode to be entered for a chance to win!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Parks and Recreation
• One Day at a Time (only the first three seasons are on Netflix)
• West Wing
• Madam Secretary
• Jane the Virgin
• Gilmore Girls
• Miranda
• Kim’s Convenience
• Mom
• Superstore
• Mum
• Sweet Magnolias
• Perfect Harmony (it’s only streaming on Prime)
• Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street
• Holly Hobbie
• The Healing Powers of Dude

ALSO MENTIONED:

• The Couch episode #4 with Kristen Strong about cozy shows
• The Couch episode #26 with Lisa-Jo Baker about Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
• The Couch episode #47 with James Walters about musical scenes
• Rutherford Falls
• Girls 5Eva
• How I Met Your Mother (and How I Met Your Father)
• Ted Lasso
• Playing House

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Yasso Bars (especially the mint chocolate chip kind)
• Saved by the Bell, the reboot on Peacock

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Kathi in her Clutter-Free Academy Facebook group, or at kathilipp.com. You can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Welcome to a new episode of The Couch. Today I’m here with my friends Lucretia Berry and Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young.

Lucretia is the creator of Brownicity.com, a learning community that celebrates many hues and one humanity. She’s a wife, mom of three, and a former college professor, and her passion for racial healing led her to becoming an author and speaker.

And long-time listeners know Dorina, friend of the show. She’s a multicultural speaker, author, Bible teacher, foodie, podcaster, and trail runner. She helps people chase God's glory down unexpected trails and flourish in their God-given callings. Dorina and her husband Shawn are raising three brave girls in Central California. Both of these ladies are also (in)courage contributors, which is how we first became friends.

We had so much fun chatting, and I think you’ll get a lot out of our conversation, too.

In this episode, we’re talking about how to teach your kids about other races and cultures through media. We’ve got tons of book recommendations for you, plus TV shows and movies to watch with your family, as well as details about a cool new program Lucretia and Dorina have just launched. And because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also get into Scholastic book orders, the next show you’ll want to binge on Netflix, and charcuterie boards. (Yes, again.) All right, friends. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• (in)courage
• Everything & Everywhere by Marc Martin
• All the Colors We Are by Katie Kissinger
• Mira, Royal Detective on Disney Junior
• My Breakfast with Jesus by Tina Cho
• The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammadand K. Ali
• Under My Hijab by Hena Khan
• Cora Cooks Pancit by Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young
• Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho
• Don’t Touch My Hair! by Sharee Miller
• Wanda by Sihle Nontshokweniand Mathabo Tlali
• Mindy Kim series by Lyla Lee
• Any Day with You by Mae Respicio
• KC Undercover on Disney+
• Global Glory Chasers
• Brownicity

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Charcuterie boards
• High on the Hog (Netflix)
• Scholastic book orders

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Lucretia on Instagram or at Brownicity, and find Dorina on Instagram or at dorinagilmore.com. And you can find me on Instagram or at marycarver.com.

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Welcome to a new episode of The Couch. Today I’m here with my brother and friend of the show, James Walters! James is a candlemaker, a small business owner, and—perhaps most relevant to this episode—a professional musician. He joined me to talk about our favorite TV theme songs and, while we kept things legal by NOT playing any clips of said songs, we just might have hummed or sung a couple along the way.

Of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also get into boy bands from the 90s, TikTok and other time sucks, and the history of ska music. Believe me, this is a fun one! And I’m glad you’re here, friends. Get comfy and enjoy the episode!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Ska music (including the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, which Wikipedia categorizes as “ska punk”
• Mission Impossible movies and somebody’s lapse in viewing them
• Sylvie’s Love on Prime
• Hey Dude (the first thing that’s made me want Paramount+, actually)
• Des Moines Metropolitan Opera
• Mike Post, composer of a whole bunch of theme songs
• Alan Thicke, also composer of theme songs
• WandaVision and its many theme songs
• This long list of TV theme songs (Spotify playlist of everything we mentioned, plus a few we missed!)

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Hanson
• TikTok

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find James on Instagram and at his Etsy shop. You can find me on Instagram or at marycarver.com.

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Welcome to a new episode of The Couch. Today I’m here with my best friend and best friend of the show, Anna Rendell! Anna is a writer and speaker who shares encouragement and celebration of the ordinary glory found in our everyday. She’s a wife and a mom to four littles, and she’s the digital content manager for (in)courage. And, of course, she’s my partner in all things Hooked on Holiday Movies.

In this episode, Anna and I are here to help you get ready to celebrate Christmas in July by talking about our favorite holiday movies in a few specific categories. So if you’ve ever wondered, what the best holiday movies about music, food, royal life, weddings, or road trips are, we are here for you!

And because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also get into new TV shows that actually come out one episode at a time, donut bakeries, and the comfiest t-shirts at Target. I’m glad you’re here, friends. Get comfy and enjoy this episode!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The Hooked on Holiday Movies playlist
• The Hooked on Holiday Movies bundle (which includes guides to movies in each of the categories discussed in this episode)
• Two Turtle Doves
• Sweetest Christmas
• A Sugar & Spice Holiday
• Christmas Joy
• A Song for Christmas
• Angels & Ornaments
• Christmas Stars
• It’s Christmas, Eve
• Feliz Navi-Dad
• One Royal Holiday
• Once Upon a Holiday
• A Royal Christmas
• A Bride for Christmas
• The Christmas Cottage
• Cross Country Christmas
• A Christmas Detour
• Debbie Macomber’s Dashing Through the Snow

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (season two)
• Donut bakeries
• Universal Thread v-neck t-shirts at Target (here it is in plus size)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Anna on Instagram at @annaerendell or at annarendell.com. You can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Welcome to a new episode of The Couch. Today I’m here with my friend and fellow podcaster, Latasha Ferguson. Latasha is a speaker, writer, ministry leader, and host of the Overcome to Become podcast. She loves empowering women to do the hard work of heart work so they can overcome, own their story, and live authentically. Latasha has also spent the last 16 years in education as a teacher and administrator, and she and her husband have four beautiful girls. She and I had a really fun conversation, and I think you’re going to enjoy it, too.

In this episode, we’re talking about all the many streaming platforms we subscribe to and our favorite shows on each one. That way, next time you get a free trial or one month subscription to a streaming service, you won’t waste your time scrolling and clicking and trying to figure out what to watch first. We’ve got a great list of what to watch right here!

And of course, because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also get into chocolate, kitchen gadgets, and my new favorite TV show. I’m glad you’re here, friends. Get comfy and enjoy this episode!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• This Is Us
• Handmaid’s Tale
• Four Weddings and a Funeral
• Holly Hobbie
• The Underground Railroad
• Sylvie’s Love
• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
• Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street
• The Me You Can’t See
• Ted Lasso
• WandaVision
• High School Musical
• Big Shot
• Mighty Ducks: Game Changers
• Roald Dahl’s The Witches
• The Personal History of David Copperfield
• The Flight Attendant
• Downton Abbey
• Saved by the Bell
• Girls 5Eva
• Rutherford Falls
• Anne with an E
• Lemony Snicket and a Series of Unfortunate Events
• Call the Midwife
• Motown Magic
• The Babysitters Club
• Dead to Me
• Cobra Kai

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• PowerXL Air Fryer
• Peacock free trial (and maybe a one-month subscription)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Latasha on Instagram at @latashamferguson and at https://latashaferguson.com. You can find me on Instagram at @marycarver or at marycarver.com.

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Welcome to a new episode of The Couch. Today I’m here with my good friend and friend of the show, Jenny Rapson!

Jenny is a writer, a shampoo slinger for Monat, and as you’ll find out later in the episode, a blogger once more. As always, we had such a good time talking and I know you’ll love this conversation too.

In this episode, we’re talking about the best (and worst) friend groups in TV. Which ones would we like to be part of? And which ones would we avoid at all costs? We cover it all. And because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also get into celebrity game shows, fire pits, and Oreos of all kinds including s’mores flavored and gluten free. I’m glad you’re here, friends. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The Marco Polo app
• The Voxer app
• Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper
• 227
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• New Girl
• My So-Called Life
• On My Block
• Cobra Kai
• The Unicorn
• Designing Women
• The Golden Girls
• We Are Lady Parts
• Girls 5Eva
• How I Met Your Mother
• My Boys
• Glee
• That 70s Show
• Dawson’s Creek
• Never Have I Ever
• Freaks & Geeks
• Will & Grace

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• S’mores Oreos
• Celebrity Family Feud

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Jenny on Twitter and her brand-new blog. You can find me on Instagram or at marycarver.com.

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Welcome to a new episode of The Couch. You are in for such a treat today; I can hardly even wait! Today’s guest is a new friend and, as of this spring, a fellow writer at (in)courage, Aarti Sequeira! Aarti is a producer, journalist, and food personality who can be seen on HBO Max’s Selena + Chef, several Food Network shows including Guy’s Grocery Games, Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family, and most notable for at least my 7-year-old, voicing a character in Mira the Royal Detective, a Disney Jr. cartoon series we LOVE at my house.

I enjoyed talking to Aarti SO much, and I’m pretty sure you’re going to enjoy this too—and maybe feel a little hungry.

In this episode, we’re talking about how food is used to help people gather and connect, both in real life and in pop culture. We also rave for quite a while about our shared favorite show, Ted Lasso. And because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also get into time travel romance, charcuterie boards, and Turkish period dramas. Okay, I can’t wait any longer. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Ted Lasso
• Big Boards for Families by Sandy Coughlin
• Parenthood
• Blue Bloods
• Resurrection on Netflix
• Lady and the Tramp
• Hannibal
• Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
• How I Met Your Mother
• Chuck
• Avengers eating shawarma

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• The Outlander TV series
• Charcuterie boards

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Aarti on Instagram, YouTube, or the Food Network. You can find me on Instagram or at marycarver.com.

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Welcome to a new episode of The Couch. Today I’m here with my good friend and friend of the show, Kristen Strong! Kristen is a writer and speaker, a fellow (in)courage contributor and a dear friend. I know you love it when she’s here on The Couch, and this will be no exception.

In this episode, we’re talking about how friends can help us make it through hard times and some examples of that in pop culture. And because this is The Couch, where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome, we also get into two TV shows you and your significant other might enjoy watching together and the internet browser extension that has seriously saved my life this past year. All right, time to dive in. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Playing House
• Parks and Recreation
• Sweet Magnolias
• Brooklyn Nine-Nine
• Big Shot
• Bear Grylls Running Wild
• Dead to Me
• Designing Women
• Kids Baking Championship/The American BBQ Showdown/The Great British Baking Show

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Yellowstone, the series not the place, on Peacock
• Turn, the historical spy series on Netflix
• The Teleparty app for virtual movie watch parties

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It’s so much fun!
• Find Kristen on Instagram or at kristenstrong.com. You can find me on Instagram or at marycarver.com.

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Today I’m joined by my very good friend, friend of the show, and Hooked on Holiday Movies partner, Anna Rendell. As you know, if you’ve been listening to The Couch for a while, Anna and I love holiday movies but we also look at them with a bit of a critical eye, especially when it comes to diversity. So today we’re taking a look at the holiday movie season overall to see if the big networks (especially Hallmark) followed through on their promises to be more diverse and inclusive.

I’m not going to lie. Some of our conversation might sound a smidge awkward, because we are two white ladies talking about this. But we think it’s worth it. Because this is important, and we need to talk about it, even if it’s hard or awkward or we don’t know the exact words to use.

So, grab your hot cocoa, stick a candy cane in it or top if off with all the marshmallows (or both! Who are we to judge your holiday movie season beverages?!), and let's get started.

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Jingle Bell Bride
• The Christmas House
• Christmas with the Darlings
• Christmas by Starlight
• Wedding Every Weekend
• Deliver by Christmas
• The Christmas Bow
• Christmas Comes Twice
• A Christmas Tree Grows in Colorado
• Christmas in Evergreen: Bells Are Ringing
• Love Lights Hanukkah
• Molly of Denali
• Mira, Royal Detective
• Snowglobe
• A Sugar & Spice Holiday
• The Christmas Setup
• Christmas Ever After
• Feliz NaviDad
• The Christmas Aunt
• Christmas Unwrapped
• Let's Meet Again on Christmas Eve
• Paul Campbell on Twitter
• Eion Bailey's Instagram post

FIND US ONLINE:

• You can connect with Anna at @annaerendell on Instagram or on her website.
• You can also find me on Instagram or on my website.
• And connect with us both and the best pop culture fans on the internet in The Couch Facebook group!

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Welcome back to The Christmas Couch! In these weekly bonus episodes, a friend and I recap and review the new holiday movies we watched the weekend before. We tell you if we're giving it a thumbs up or down, how diverse the movie was, what made us groan, "C'mon!" and if we're still hooked on holiday movies.

This week’s episode is super fun, because both my guest and I brought our daughters along to chat! My friend (and friend of the show) Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young brought her daughter Zayla to the Couch, and my daughter Adrienne joined us as well. So that means we’ve got extra giggles, plenty of rabbit trails, and honestly? Some really good insight from our girls who watch holiday movies along with us.

So, Dorina and Zayla tell us about their favorite five movies of the season so far, and then I talk about a couple Hallmark Channel movies I watched last weekend and, surprise! a movie Adrienne and I watched on UPtv.

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The Christmas Bow (airs next on HMM, 12/20)
• The Christmas Waltz (airs next on Hallmark Channel, 12/25)
• Time for Us to Come Home for Christmas (airs next on HMM, 12/20)
• Five Star Christmas (airs next on Hallmark Channel, 12/19)
• A Sugar & Spice Holiday (airs next on Lifetime, 12/19)
• Love, Lights & Hanukkah (airs next on Hallmark Channel, 12/19)
• Christmas Comes Twice (airs next on Hallmark Channel, 12/19)
• Dashing Home for Christmas (airs next on UPtv, 12/20)

FIND US ONLINE:

• Find Dorina on her website (where she has a free, beautiful Advent devotional for you!), and you can find me on my website as well.
• You're also invited to join us both in The Couch Facebook group.

And, of course, don't forget to get your "hooked on holiday movies" or "this is my holiday movie-watching shirt" shirts! Click here to shop.

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Welcome back to The Christmas Couch! In these weekly bonus episodes, a friend and I recap and review the new holiday movies we watched the weekend before. We tell you if we're giving it a thumbs up or down, how diverse the movie was, what made us groan, "C'mon!" and if we're still hooked on holiday movies.

This week, I’m hanging out with my friend and friend of the show, Tori Rask, to talk about the new movies we watched last week. Take a listen to hear our take on Hallmark Channel's Chrismtas in Evergreen: Bells Are Ringing and Lifetime's Christmas Ever After. We also check in with our predictions from the preview episode (ep. #59).

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The Couch Podcast #59 (holiday movie preview episode)
• Christmas in Evergreen: Bells Are Ringing
• Christmas Ever After

FIND US ONLINE:

• Find Tori on Instagram. You can find me on my website and on Instagram.
• And join us both in The Couch Facebook group.

And, of course, don't forget to go to HookedonHolidayMovies.com for a free bundle of holiday movie goodness—including a printable schedule of the nearly 100 new movies, recipes, playlist, bingo cards, devotional, movie guides, and more!

Welcome to The Christmas Couch!

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Welcome back to The Christmas Couch! In these weekly bonus episodes, a friend and I recap and review the new holiday movies we watched the weekend before. We tell you if we're giving it a thumbs up or down, how diverse the movie was, what made us groan, "C'mon!" and if we're still hooked on holiday movies.

This week, I’m hanging out with my friend and fellow podcaster, Misty Wagner, to talk about the new movies we watched last week. Take a listen to hear our take on Dear Christmas (Lifetime) and a whole bunch of others!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The Couch Podcast #59 (holiday movie preview episode)
• Dear Christmas (airs next 12/6)
• Feliz NaviDAD (airs next 12/4)
• The Princess Switch: Switched Again (Netflix)
• A Christmas Tree Grows in Colorado (airs next 12/4)
• Good Morning Christmas! (airs next 12/6)
• Christmas Chronicles, Part Two (Netflix)
• Christmas by Starlight (airs next 12/6)
• Five Star Christmas (airs next 12/5)
• Christmas Waltz (airs next 12/5)
• USS Christmas (airs next 12/4)
• If I Only Had Christmas (airs next 12/5)
• Once Upon a Main Street (airs next 12/6)
• Happiest Season (Hulu)

FIND US ONLINE:

• Find Misty at her website and on Instagram. You can find me on my website and on Instagram.
• And join us both in The Couch Facebook group.

And, of course, don't forget to go to HookedonHolidayMovies.com for a free bundle of holiday movie goodness—including a printable schedule of the nearly 100 new movies, recipes, playlist, bingo cards, devotional, movie guides, and more!

Welcome to The Christmas Couch!

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Welcome back to The Christmas Couch! In these weekly bonus episodes, a friend and I recap and review the new holiday movies we watched the weekend before. We tell you if we're giving it a thumbs up or down, how diverse the movie was, what made us groan, "C'mon!" and if we're still hooked on holiday movies.

This week, I’m hanging out with my new friend and fellow podcaster, Jane, to talk about the new movies we watched last weekend, one from the Hallmark Channel and one from Lifetime. Take a listen to hear our take on A Nashville Christmas Carol and Feliz NaviDAD!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The Couch Podcast #59 (holiday movie preview episode)
• A Nashville Christmas Carol
• Feliz NaviDAD
• Holiday in Handcuffs

FIND US ONLINE:

• Listen to Jane's podcasts, Psych You Out and Friday Five with Lori & Jane. They are both super fun!
• Join us both in The Couch Facebook group.

And, of course, don't forget to go to HookedonHolidayMovies.com for a free bundle of holiday movie goodness—including a printable schedule of the nearly 100 new movies, recipes, playlist, bingo cards, devotional, movie guides, and more!

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You asked and I answered! Today I’m joined by my good friend (and friend of the show), Alana Dawson. Alana is a podcast coach and podcaster, as well as a fellow fan of pop culture, and she is here for another round of “Ask the Couch.” You all have sent me your burning questions about TV, movies, books, and more—and I’m here with the answers. Or at least my opinions. Either way, we had a lot of fun talking about all of it, and I think you’ll enjoy listening too.

One note: This episode is airing a bit earlier than I originally planned, so when I say that the Saved by the Bell reboot and second season of Virgin River are already out, don’t get confused. Saved by the Bell comes back tomorrow, the 25th, and Virgin River returns on Friday, the 27th. Also, if you’re wondering why I didn’t mention Wonder Woman 1984 when we talk about upcoming movies, it’s because at the time of this recording, I didn’t know when it would be released. Now we know it will be released in theaters and on HBO Max on Christmas Day, and I am absolutely looking forward to that! All right, everything else should make perfect sense. So get comfy and enjoy episode #65 of The Couch!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Friday Night Lights (Prime)
• Psych (Prime)
• Magic Camp (Disney+)
• Onward (Prime)
• The Baby-Sitters Club (Netflix)
• Julie & the Phantoms (Netflix)
• Upload (Prime)
• Sweet Magnolias (Netflix)
• Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)
• Cobra Kai (Netflix)
• Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
• Soul (Pixar, coming soon)
• Sylvie's Love (Prime, here's a trailer)
• Raya and the Last Dragon (trailer)
• Virgin River (Netflix)
• Dead to Me (Netflix)
• Bridgertons (Netflix, trailer)
• Chesapeake Shores (Hallmark Channel)
• A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (the books, the show)
• Saved by the Bell reboot (Peacock)
• Supermarket Sweet reboot
• Animaniacs reboot (Hulu)
• Walker Texas Ranger reboot
• Fresh Prince as a drama (trailer)
• Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich
• Stumptown
• Lost in Isolation (YouTube)
• Songbird (trailer, but again, no thank you)
• This is Us
• Clouds (Disney+)
• Superstore
• High School Musical

ALSO MENTIONED:

• Book of the Month Club (get your first month for just $5)
• The Couch on Patreon (don't miss the Lost bonus episode!)

DON'T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It's so much fun!
• And don't forget to get your Hooked on Holiday Movies bundle of free downloads.
• Find Alana on Instagram at @alanapdawson, or on her website. You can find me on Instagram at @marycarver, or on my website.

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Welcome back to The Christmas Couch! In these weekly bonus episodes, a friend and I recap and review the new holiday movies we watched the weekend before. We tell you if we're giving it a thumbs up or down, how diverse the movie was, what made us groan, "C'mon!" and if we're still hooked on holiday movies.

This week, I’m hanging out with fellow blogger and kindred holiday movie lover Erin Mohring to talk about the new movies we watched last weekend, both from the Hallmark Channel this time. Take a listen to hear our take on A Timeless Christmas and Christmas in Vienna!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The Couch Podcast #59 (holiday movie preview episode)
• A Timeless Christmas
• A Timeless Christmas, the book by Alexis Stanton (only $1.99 on Kindle right now!)
• Christmas in Vienna
• Other movies with Sarah Drew: Twinkle All the Way and Christmas Pen Pals (both are just 99 cents on Prime right now!)

FIND US ONLINE:

• Find Erin on Instagram at @homewiththeboys, and find me there at @marycarver.
• Join us both in The Couch Facebook group.

And, of course, don't forget to go to HookedonHolidayMovies.com for a free bundle of holiday movie goodness—including a printable schedule of the nearly 100 new movies, recipes, playlist, bingo cards, devotional, movie guides, and more!

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Today I’m joined by Rebekah Hoffer. Rebekah is a blogger, podcaster, wife, and mom—and you may recognize her from the Sorta Awesome podcast team. She is here this week to talk with me about romance novels, and you all? You are in for a treat. We had so much fun talking about all the many different types of romance novels are out there, as well as things like Facebook Marketplace and TikTok. You are going to be so glad you tuned in, I just know it. So get comfy and enjoy episode #64 of The Couch!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The problem with romance novels (irony, anyone?)
• Kindle Unlimited (HELLO! You can get two months for 99 cents right now! Or, simply sign up for a FREE 30-day trial. Either way, great deal!)
• Book of the Month Club (Your first month is just $5 with this link!)
• Love & Other Words by Christina Lauren
• American Royals by Katharine McGee
• The Selection series by Kiera Cass
• One to Watch by Kate Staymon-London
• Beach Read by Emily Henry
• The Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn
• Maggie Dallen
• Paranormal women's fiction
• The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
• Well Played by Jen DeLuca
• Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Selling things on Facebook Marketplace. (Don't sleep on Rebekah's tips for making this work!)
• Watching TikTok videos, mostly courtesy of Jillian and Tracey.

DON'T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It's so much fun!
• And don't forget to get your Hooked on Holiday Movies bundle of free downloads.
• Find Rebekah on Instagram at @simplyrebekah, on her website, or on the Sorta Awesome podcast. You can find me on Instagram at @marycarver.

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Welcome back to The Christmas Couch! In these weekly bonus episodes, a friend and I recap and review the new holiday movies we watched the weekend before. We tell you if we're giving it a thumbs up or down, how diverse the movie was, what made us groan, "C'mon!" and if we're still hooked on holiday movies.

This week, my very good friend (and very good friend of the show) Anna Rendell joins me to discuss A Very Charming Christmas Town and A Welcome Home Christmas (both from Lifetime). Take a listen to hear our take on these two new holiday movies!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The Couch Podcast #59 (holiday movie preview episode)
• A Very Charming Christmas Town
• A Welcome Home Christmas

FIND US ONLINE:

• Find Anna on Instagram at @annaerendell, and find me there at @marycarver.
• Join us both in The Couch Facebook group.

And, of course, don't forget to go to HookedonHolidayMovies.com for a free bundle of holiday movie goodness—including a printable schedule of the nearly 100 new movies, recipes, playlist, bingo cards, devotional, movie guides, and more!

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Today my friend, Dr. Michelle Reyes, and I are talking all about fairy tales. Michelle is a brilliant writer and teacher, who writes and speaks about faith, culture, and justice. She’s also a pastor’s wife, an activist, and the vice president of the Asian American Christian Collaborative. I’m truly honored that she joined me on The Couch to talk about fairy tales and how Disney keeps getting them wrong!

One thing before we dive in. Although we’re talking about fairy tales, this episode does have some mature themes that might not be a good fit for little ears. You, though, are certainly going to find it as fascinating as I did! I learned so much talking with Michelle, and I can’t wait to share this with you. So, get comfy and settle in because once upon a time, The Couch was all about fairy tales…

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• 100 Must-Read Fairytale Retellings for Adults and YA Readers (Book Riot)
• 20 Spellbinding Fairytale Retellings to Get Lost In (Modern Mrs. Darcy)
• Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer
• Disney's A Twisted Tale series
• Asian American Christian Collaborative

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Nespresso machines
• Plain ol' lattes made by someone else

DON'T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It's so much fun!
• And don't forget to get your Hooked on Holiday Movies bundle of free downloads.
• Find Michelle on Instagram at @michelleamireyes, and find me there at @marycarver.

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Welcome back to The Christmas Couch! In these weekly bonus episodes, a friend and I recap and review the new holiday movies we watched the weekend before. We tell you if we're giving it a thumbs up or down, how diverse the movie was, what made us groan, "C'mon!" and if we're still hooked on holiday movies.

This week, my friend (and friend of the show) Alana Dawson joins me to discuss Holidate (Netflix) and One Royal Holiday (Hallmark). Take a listen to hear our take on these two new holiday movies!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The Couch Podcast #59 (holiday movie preview episode)
• Holidate
• One Royal Holiday
• Hallmark's checklist app

FIND US ONLINE:

• Find Alana on Instagram at @alanapdawson, and find me there at @marycarver.
• Join us both in The Couch Facebook group.

And, of course, don't forget to go to HookedonHolidayMovies.com for a free bundle of holiday movie goodness—including a printable schedule of the nearly 100 new movies, recipes, playlist, bingo cards, devotional, movie guides, and more!

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Today I’m joined by my friend and marketing powerhouse, NJ Rongner. NJ is a full-time working mom who also hosts not one but two podcasts, and she was kind enough to come hang out with us this week.

We are well aware that this episode is coming out the week of the U.S. presidential election, and we are well aware that this might mean you’re having a challenging week. Since this is not a podcast about politics and is, instead, a place where we talk about pop culture and why it matters, that’s what we’re doing today.

We’re here to distract you for a little while as we debate the proper way and time to decorate a Christmas tree, the calories in a PSL versus a pumpkin cold brew, and whether or not Rory Gilmore would really have behaved the way her character was written in the Gilmore Girls revival.

It’s a lot, we’re a lot, and this episode is a lot of fun. So, take a deep breath, get comfy, and enjoy this break from your week.

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Gilmore Girls
• Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life
• Fast Talk & Faith: A 22-Day Devotional Inspred by the Gilmore Girls

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Chocolate covered toffee pretzels from Aldi
• Pizza envelopes
• Anne of Green Gables audiobook narrated by Rachel McAdams
• Chellsie Memmel's journey back in gymnastics on Instagram
• Starbucks' pumpkin cold brew (which is, indeed, much lower in calories and sugar than a PSL)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It's so much fun!
• And don't forget to get your Hooked on Holiday Movies bundle of free downloads.
• Find NJ in her Working Christian Moms Facebook group, or at her websites: NJRongner.com and MarketingandMinistry.com.

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Welcome back to The Christmas Couch! In these weekly bonus episodes, a friend and I recap and review the new holiday movies we watched the weekend before. We tell you if we're giving it a thumbs up or down, how diverse the movie was, what made us groan, "C'mon!" and if we're still hooked on holiday movies.

This week, my friend (and friend of the show) Kristen Strong joins me to discuss Jingle Bell Bride (Hallmark) and Christmas Unwrapped (Lifetime). Take a listen to hear our take on these two new holiday movies!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Jingle Bell Bride
• Christmas Unwrapped
• Hallmark's checklist app
• The holiday movie candy game

FIND US ONLINE:

• Find Kristen on Instagram at @kristenstrong or on her website.
• Find me on Instagram at @marycarver or on my website.
• Join us both in The Couch Facebook group.

And, of course, don't forget to go to HookedonHolidayMovies.com for a free bundle of holiday movie goodness—including a printable schedule of the nearly 100 new movies, recipes, playlist, bingo cards, devotional, movie guides, and more!

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Today I’m joined by my friend and friend of the show, Jenny Rapson. Annnnnd, spoiler alert: We’re talking about spoilers today!

Another spoiler… our sound is a bit wonky in this short but sweet episode, but I know if you hang in there with us, you’re going to love groaning about the spoilers we’ve been victims of…and maybe even ones that we’ve (fine, I have) spilled. And then, after we talk about all the famous movies neither one of us has actually seen, we talk a bit about why spoilers matter anyway and if they can ever be a good thing.

So, get something to drink, get comfy, and enjoy!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The Couch podcast episode #25 (about Veronica Mars)
• CommonSenseMedia.org

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Obsessed with Disappeared podcast
• Chocolate chip pumpkin bread

ALSO MENTIONED:

• Sixth Sense
• Up Close & Personal
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens
• Fight Club
• The Crying Game
• Usual Suspects
• Gone Girl
• The Lottery
• This is Us
• Psycho
• Ocean's Elevent
• Gone Girl
• Avengers

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It's so much fun!
• And don't forget to get your Hooked on Holiday Movies bundle of free downloads.
• Find Jenny on Instagram at @jennyitup, and find Mary at @marycarver.

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Katie Reid—my friend and author—is here this week to talk about her new book, A Very Bavarian Christmas, which is basically a Hallmark Christmas movie waiting to happen. She talks about making the switch from writing non-fiction to fiction and, of course, why it is we love these types of stories so much. I know you’ll enjoy hearing from her.

If you order two or more copies of A Very Bavarian Christmas, by the way, you'll get a free book club kit. So fun! (Click here for all the details on that.)

And hey, if you love holiday movies and haven’t listened to LAST WEEK’S episode, make sure you go back and do that too! Episode #59 is all about the new holiday movies on Hallmark and Lifetime that, believe it or not, start this week. So listen to today’s episode, listen to last week’s episode, and then head over to hookedonholidaymovies.com to get the free bundle I have for you to help make this your best holiday movie season ever.

All right, let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist
• Bethany Turner
• Robin Jones Gunn
• Palisades contemporary (in the 90s) Christian romance novels
• Elf (the movie)
• Miracle on 34th Street (the black and white version)
• A Christmas Prince on Netflix

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Pre-made meals from Sam's Club
• Stand-up comedy specials on Netflix and Prime (top recommendations: John Mulaney and Mike Birbiglia)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It's so much fun!
• And don't forget to get your Hooked on Holiday Movies merch!
• Find Katie on Instagram at @katiemreid or her website. Find A Very Bavarian Christmas on Amazon. And you can find Mary at @marycarver or her website.

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Today we have a very special episode for you, the long-awaited, much-beloved, annual holiday movie preview episode! My friend (and friend of the Facebook group) Tori Rask is here to help me decide which of the 70—count them, SEVENTY—Hallmark and Lifetime holiday movies are worth watching this year. We are going through all three of the channels—Lifetime, Hallmark, and Hallmark Mysteries and Movies—and taking turns telling you about our top five must-watch movies on the schedule.

In some cases we overlap and pick the same movies, in some cases we automatically dismiss a movie because of an actor’s hair or face (don’t ever say we’re not deep and thoughtful here at The Couch!), and in some cases, friends, Tori picked the very movies I crossed out on my list as don’t-bother-watching. So we have quite the selection for you!

And, as always, this isn’t the only way I’m helping you have the very best holiday movie season. Make sure you’ve joined the Facebook group for weekly chats about which movies we’re watching, and this Thursday, Tori and I will be going live to tell you what didn’t make it into this episode—the movies we definitely ARE NOT going to watch! Plus, I’m inviting friends to join me for bonus podcast episodes each week during the holiday season to recap and review the new movies we’ve watched.

That’s a lot, right? But wait! There’s more!—we’re offering a “Hooked on Holiday Movies” bundle of goodies (like BINGO cards, holiday recipes and a playlist, and a printable schedule of all the holiday movie premieres). All of that is at hookedonholidaymovies.com.

AND! This year, for the first time, we’re offering merch. Yes, that’s right, you can get your very own “hooked on holiday movies” shirts or mugs at marycarver.com/teepublic. I’m obviously 100% biased, but I think these shirts and mugs are so cute. I just know you’re going to want one!

Get comfy and enjoy this episode!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Scrubs
• Against the Wall
• Tony Giroux
• Warehouse 13
• Hallmark's holiday movies announcement
• Lifetime's holiday movies announcement
• @hooked.on.hallmark (Instagram account)
• The Couch Facebook Group
• The Couch Patreon Community
• HookedonHolidayMovies.com
• Hooked on Holiday Movies merchandise for sale!

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES

• Playing Pokemon GO
• Watching LOST (for the first time!)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It's so much fun!
• And don't forget about The Couch's new Patreon community
• Find Tori on Instagram at @tori_rask or her website. And you can find Mary at @marycarver or her website.

WELCOME TO THE COUCH! These notes include affiliate links. This means that if you click and purchase, I might receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

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Today my friend, Dorina Lazo Gimore-Young, is here to talk about exercise in pop culture. Now, Dorina is an author and speaker, a fellow writer at (in)courage, and also a friend of the show, but she’s also an experienced runner and a running coach. So she is definitely an expert on this topic!

We’ll talk about the extreme portrayals of fitness pop culture tries to tell us are the only options, as well as how training montages show up in so many different types of movies. She’ll share with us a bit about her new book—a devotional for runners—and I share the TV shows I bribe myself with to force myself to walk on the treadmill. Whether you like working out or not, it’s a good time. I promise! Let’s get started.

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Rocky (and "Gonna Fly Now," the one true fight song)
• Chris Traeger of Parks and Recreation
• How I Met Your Mother
• Brittany Runs a Marathon
• Greek
• Kim's Convenience
• Bob's Burgers
• The Goldbergs
• Lost in Translation
• The Lizzie Bennet Diaries
• Erwin McManus
• Mitchel Lee

ALSO MENTIONED:

• Walk, Run, Soar virtual race
• HaitiGO
• Walk, Run, Soar: A 52-Week Running Devotional by Dorina Gilmore Young
• This Pinterest board with workouts to do while watching movies and TV

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES

• Crash Landing on You (Korean drama on Netflix)
• Watching Marvel movies in chronological order with my 12yo daughter

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It's so much fun!
• And don't forget about The Couch's new Patreon community
• Find Dorina on Instagram at @dorinagilmore or her website. And you can find Mary at @marycarver or her website.

WELCOME TO THE COUCH! These notes include affiliate links. This means that if you click and purchase, I might receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

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Today my friend—and, likely, one of your favorite authors and speakers—Holley Gerth is here to talk about introverts. We’ll talk about famous introverts in pop culture and whether or not they’re represented fairly or if they’re giving introverts a bad wrap, and then we’ll dive into what makes a person an introvert and why that matters.

If you love talking about personalities, pop culture, science-y stuff, or the beauty of God’s creation, this is the episode you’ve been waiting for. So grab your favorite fall drink—pumpkin-related or not—and get comfortable. It’s time to get started!

(Remember, though: The conversation doesn’t have to stop here. I’d love for you to join us over at The Couch Facebook group, where we have conversations like this one and so much more all week long. And, if you’d like even more of The Couch, go check out the Patreon group. And do it now, because the September bonus episode will drop later this week and you don’t want to miss it!)

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The Powerful Purpose of Introverts: Why the World Needs You to Be You by Holley Gerth
• Rory Gilmore
• Lara Jean Covey
• Oprah
• Brie Larson
• Liz Lemon
• Sherlock Holmes
• Joanna Gaines

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Weighted blankets
• Reading non-fiction

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It's so much fun!
• And don't forget about The Couch's new Patreon community
• Holley can be found at holleygerth.com, and Mary can be found at marycarver.com.

Welcome to The Couch! This post includes affiliate links. This means that if you click and purchase, I might receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

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Today my good friend—and friend of the show—Jenny Rapson is back for a deep dive into one of our favorite shows of all time, PSYCH. In preparation for the new Psych movie released on NBC’s streaming app, Peacock, this summer, both Jenny and I rewatched the series. And in case you aren’t impressed yet, let me just inform you that there are 121 episodes of this show! I’ve watched them all and at the time of this recording, Jenny was making her way through all eight seasons as well.

So we chat about our favorite characters and catchphrases from this show, as well as the best guest stars and even the occasional variations on the theme song. Also, while we love Psych as a buddy comedy, a fun and funny show with lots of heart, this IS 2020, a time when we are re-examining everything (rightfully so). So we do take a look at whether this law enforcement procedural holds up 15 years after it first aired.

Take a listen to hear what we decided—and then, if you’re a fellow Psych-o, head over to The Couch Facebook group to let us know your favorite parts about Psych and what you thought about the new movie!

And, hey, even if you’ve never watched an episode of Psych, I think you’ll still like this episode – AND find another show to add to your queue. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Psych, seasons 1-8
• Psych, the musical
• Psych, the movie
• Psych 2: Lassie Come Home
• Article about James Roday's name change
• Alan Sepinwall on cop shows
• A list of "must-watch" episodes, if you can't watch them all. (This is not a fancy printable list, FYI, though you can print it. It's literally just a list I made for Jenny, and I'm sharing it with you!)

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Very Presidential podcast
• Single by 30 web series

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It's so much fun!
• And don't forget about The Couch's new Patreon community
• Find Jenny on Instagram at @jennyitup, and find Mary at @marycarver.

Welcome to The Couch! This post includes affiliate links. This means that if you click and purchase, I might receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

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Today my friend—and friend of the show—Dawn Camp is here to talk with me about movies in the time of COVID. Since we haven’t been able to go to the theater, where have we been getting our movie fix? Have any of the new movies of 2020 been good? And when will we ever see the new James Bond movie?

We cover all that and more—including a brief discussion of Xanadu. Bet you weren’t expecting that kind of up-to-date content, were you? If you love movies like we love movies, you’re going to love this episode. Let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Flash, Arrow, Supergirl, and The Legends of Tomorrow
• Tenet
• Bill & Ted Face the Music
• Mulan
• Hamilton on Disney+
• Goonies
• Dirty Dancing
• Night at the Museum
• National Treasure
• School of Rock
• Pure Country
• Xanadu
• Netflix Parties
• The Willoughbys on Netflix
• The Lovebirds on Netflix
• The Aeronauts on Amazon (free with Prime, FYI)
• Trolls World Tour
• Sonic the Hedgehog
• Scoob!
• Onward
• Emma
• James Bond. We always mention James Bond.

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• The Mitford series by Jan Karon
• Rewatching the entire series of Psych

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook! It's so much fun!
• And don't forget about The Couch's new Patreon community
• Find Dawn at dawncamp.com, and check out her new book, It All Began in a Garden. Find Mary on Instgram at @marycarver.

Welcome to The Couch! This post includes affiliate links. This means that if you click and purchase, I might receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

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This episode is the first of a new season, and my good friend—and friend of the show—Amanda White is here to talk with me about how sometimes, our first (pop culture) loves become our forever loves. We cover my long history of loving mysteries and her insistence on bonnets and survival stories. And hang in to the very end, because we also share some listeners’ first and forever pop culture loves. You won’t want to miss that!

More fun includes Amanda sharing her mental image of Patreon supporters with us, urging you all to become “rich old ladies” who support this podcast, and even though she later suggests I’m still using a VCR (which I am not), I bring her to actual tears of joy by agreeing to watch one of her very favorite TV shows of all time and record my reactions with her for a bonus episode for patrons. Or rich old ladies. We also discuss what Patreon supporters should be called, because “rich old ladies” and even “patrons” don’t seem nearly as fun as tater tots and French fries.

If all that crazy sounds like your idea of a good time, then you are in for a treat. Welcome back to The Couch!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Nancy Drew books
• Hardy Boys books
• Trixie Belden books
• Encyclopedia Brown
• H is for Homicide
• Mary Higgins Clark
• John Grisham
• Jonathan Kellerman
• NCIS
• Psych
• The Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny
• Grandma's Attic book series
• Laura Ingalls Wilder books
• Betsy Tacy books
• Historical fiction by Jane Kirkpatrick
• Hatchet
• The Martian
• Robinson Crusoe
• Naked and Afraid
• Lost
• Wizard of Oz
• The Greatest Showman
• Dirty Dancing
• Step Up
• So You Think You Can Dance
• World of Dance
• Anne of Green Gables (Whoa! All 8 books for $1.99!)
• Books by Lloyd Alexander
• Lunar Chronicles series

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Plants
• The Couch's new Patreon community

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook!
• Find Amanda on Instagram at @oohamanda, and find Mary there at @marycarver.

Welcome to The Couch!

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HEAD'S UP: This episode was recorded (with my friend and friend of the show, Alana Dawson) before we knew much about COVID-19 and before we were all social distancing and shelter-in-place-ing.

I thought about not releasing this one, but though the conversation may seem out of touch (I'm not seeing any movies in the theater right now, for example.), my hope is that it will also be helpful -- either as a brief distraction or as a list of things you might read or watch during this difficult season. As always, I'm your gal for lists of "comfort food" books, movies, TV shows, and more.

This episode (Ask the Couch, volume 3, where I take your burning pop culture questions) was already planned as the final one of season three. I'm working on a writing project that is going to take up the majority of my time (even before the addition of helping my kids with distance learning!) for the next several weeks.

I hope to be back on the air and in your earbuds soon. Please, please keep in touch with me and our Couch Community in our Facebook group. In the meantime, here's a real long list of things we mentioned in this episode:

• Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
• Virgin River
• Deputy
• LEGO Masters
• High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
• Cheer
• High Fidelity
• Season 2 of Fleabag
• The Wedding Planner
• How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
• Two Weeks’ Notice
• You’ve Got Mail
• Sweet Home Alabama
• She’s All That
• 10 Things I Hate About You
• All Things Reconsidered: How Rethinking What We Know Helps Us Know What We Believe by Knox McCoy
• The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi
• Little Women
• Jumanji: The Next Level
• Mulan
• No Time to Die
• Trolls World Tour
• The Couch Podcast (S3E2) - spring movie preview episode
• The Library of Lost Things by Laura Taylor Namey
• Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
• Of Curses & Kisses by Sandhya Menon
• Lucky Caller by Emma Mills
• A Castle in the Clouds by Kerstin Gier
• A Heart So Fierce & Broken by Brigid Kemmerer
• Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli & Aisha Saeed
• The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow
• A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
• Debbie Gibson – Girls Night Out
• Celine Dion - Imperfections
• Richard Marx – Another One Down
• NKOTB – The Boys in the Band
• Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
• The Accidental Beauty Queen by Teri Wilson
• Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey
• Meet Cute by Helena Hunting
• Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane
• Would Like to Meet by Rachel Winters
• Open Book by Jessica Simpson
• Here For It: Or, How to Save Your Soul in America by R. Eric Thomas
• Alan Sepinwall
• Matt Roush
• Linda Holmes
• TV Line
• Variety
• UProxx

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• The Bleachers (on Spotify)
• Book of the Month Club

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook!
• Find Alana on Instagram at @alanapdawson, and find Mary there at @marycarver.

Thanks for listening. Can't wait to chat with you again soon!

These notes include affiliate links, so if you click and purchase I might receive a small commission at no cost to you.

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This week, Amanda White and I combine two of our favorite things into one fun conversation. We're talking about children's books (yay!) adapted into children's movies (double yay!). And while we recorded this well before we had even heard of the coronavirus, we're hopeful this episode will be helpful as you're looking for ways to keep your kids entertained while you're staying home.

We planned this episode because of the movies based on children's books coming out this year: Dolittle, Peter Rabbit 2, Secret Garden, The Call of the Wild, Artemis Fowl, and The One and Only Ivan. Though we mention release dates for several of these movies, know that many films are being held until this virus crisis is over. So stay tuned for the new release dates!

Because there are SO MANY movies made from children's books, we tried to limit ourselves to just children's or middle grade stories (not young adult). As always, we can't stick to our own parameters. But we tried.

We also tried to hit all the biggest and best books and movies, but if we missed your favorite, let us know! Find us on Instagram or email us at mailthecouchpodcast@gmail.com.

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• How to Train Your Dragon
• Night at the Museum
• Hunger Games
• Mary Poppins
• 101 Dalmatians
• Wonder
• Ella Enchanted
• Holes
• Paddington
• Harry Potter
• Percy Jackson

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Encore on Disney+
• Diary of a Future President on Disney+

ALSO MENTIONED:

• Ferdinand
• Mrs. Frisby & the Rats of NIMH
• Over the Moon by Natalie Lloyd
• Gallagher Girls books by Ally Carter

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook!
• Find Amanda on Instagram at @oohamanda, and find Mary there at @marycarver.

These notes include affiliate links, so if you click and purchase I might receive a small commission at no cost to you.

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Today I’m talking with my good friend (and friend of the show), Kristen Strong. If you’ve heard Kristen and me chat about pop culture before, you know we could go on forever, gushing about all the many favorites we have in common. But today we decided to be a smidge more serious and hopefully helpful and talk about how pop culture can help us deal with change.

Whether the biggest change in your life right now is spring finally showing winter the door, or you’re experiencing a major life change like moving, changing jobs, getting married or divorced, this episode will have something that can help you escape your stress and process it, too.

NOTE: Kristen shares my favorite movie review of 2020 when she talks about The Marriage Story in this episode. She really cracked me up! HOWEVER, she and I both want to make it clear that we understand that some marriages end with valid reasons. Neither one of us is saying (or believes) infidelity or abuse is acceptable. It’s not, end of story.

ANOTHER NOTE: Kristen also mentions a Spotify list in this episode, and she’s sharing it with us! Just click here to listen.

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Mine: contemporary romance by Christina Lauren
• Kristen: Trader Joe’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Today Show on XM
• Bobby Bones Show
• Cheer on Netflix
• The Marriage Story on Netflix
• Virgin River on Netflix
• Dead to Me on Netflix
• Anxious for Nothing and You’ll Get Through This by Max Lucado
• Remember God by Annie Downs
• Do the Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman
• Whispers of Rest by Bonnie Gray
• Girl Meets Change by Kristen Strong
• Home Town on HGTV
• Trisha Yearwood on Food Network
• The Pioneer Woman on Food Network
• Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives on HGTV
• Crazy Rich Asians movie
• Little Women movie (2019)

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook!
• Find Kristen at her website or on Instagram, and find Mary at her website or on Instagram.

By the way, these notes may include affiliate links. That means if you click and purchase, I might earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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Fun fact: If you don’t count the bonus episodes Anna and I made for you last holiday season, this episode is actually #50. Our 50th episode! That feels like a big deal! Thank you so much for being here – this week and every week. I love getting to share these conversations with you.

And this week is especially fun. Jenny Rapson is back on the show, and we are talking about the celebrities we are rooting for. Contrary to popular opinion and all evidence that tells us who the real winners are and aren’t, these handful of people have, for one reason or another, captured our hearts. And no matter what, we can’t stop hoping things will turn around for them.

Also, a quick announcement: TeePublic is giving listeners of The Couch a special promo code to celebrate us getting here to Episode #50. This week only (March 3-8), TeePublic is offering 30% off the entire store through the end of this week. Just visit marycarver.com/teepublic and use the code COUCH to get 30% off tons of super cute, funny pop culture related shirts and other gear designed by brilliant independent artists.

Now, let’s talk about the celebs we’re rooting for. And then tell us who YOU are rooting for. We want to know! Find us on Instagram or email us at mailthecouchpodcast@gmail.com.

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Demi Lovato at Grammy’s
• Demi Lovato at the Super Bowl
• Hollywood Darlings
• Never Thought I’d Say This
• The Way Back
• Wizards of Waverly Place
• The Couch Podcast, S2E4 (Studio 60 episode)
• This Instagram post

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• The Stanger on Netflix
• YA Book of the Month – first month for $5

ALSO MENTIONED:

• The Couch Podcast, S1E7 (the Buffy episode)
• Profile on Macauley Culkin
• Interview with Demi Lovato
• Profile on Ben Affleck
• Profile on Amanda Bynes
• Profile on Justin Bieber
• Profile on Adam Sandler

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook!
• Find Jenny on Instagram at @jennyitup, and find Mary there at @marycarver.

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Little known fact: My very favorite song to sing is "If I Could Turn Back Time" by Cher. I tend to think it's because Cher has a nice alto voice I can sing along to with confidence. No super high notes here but plenty of delicious angst. But you know what? Now that I think about it, I'm wondering if my subconscious attached itself to this song because of my unrelated (but maybe related?) love of time travel stories.

Perhaps part of me wishes I could, in fact, turn back time. Who knows? Regardless, the truth is that I LOVE TIME TRAVEL STORIES. And so does my friend (and friend of the show), Amanda White. So today, the time has come (see what I did there?) for us to talk about ALL our favorite time travel stories in books, TV shows, and movies.

Now, I'll admit that we haven't read or watched all the time travel stories out there. But the ones we have? WE LOVE. So take a listen and let us know which time travel stories are your favorites. Which ones did we forget? How did YOU feel about The Knight Before Christmas?

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• About Time
• Deja Vu (the time I tried to understand science)
• The Lake House
• Kate & Leopold
• Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
• Back to the Future
• The Knight Before Christmas
• Edge of Tomorrow (also known as Live. Die. Repeat.)
• Timeless (insert heart eyes here)
• Doctor Who
• Travelers
• Hindsight (one of my very favorites)
• Being Erica

ALSO MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The Couch Podcast, S2E21 (Santa Claus movies)
• Bill & Ted Face the Music (yes, a new Bill & Ted movie coming out this summer)
• Time Trial graphic novel series by Rysa Walker

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Survivor, season 40 (HOW is that even possible?!)
• Virgin River on Netflix (So. Good.)

DON'T FORGET:

• Find Amanda at her website or on Instagram, and find me at marycarver.com or on Instagram. We'd love to connect with you!
• If you wanna watch Hallmark movies but don't have cable, you need Frndly TV. Frndly TV is a streaming app that has all three (THREE!) Hallmark channels, UPtv, and several other family-friendly channels. You can watch live or on demand, and it's as low as $5.99. Check it out with a FREE 7-day trial here!
• And I'd love for you to join us over at The Couch Facebook group, a fun, judgment-free zone for anyone who loves talking books, TV, movies, music, and more.

By the way, these notes may include affiliate links. That means if you click and purchase, I might earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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This week I'm talking with my friend Tasha Jun about why we need more diversity in romantic comedies. We also share a few of our favorite rom coms and talk about our FEELINGS related to the To All the Boys sequel. Halloween costume parties and Mr. Miyagi are also discussed. Enjoy!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Joy Luck Club
• Karate Kid
• Hitch
• Crazy Rich Asians (the book)
• Crazy Rich Asians (the movie)
• Always Be My Maybe

ALSO MENTIONED:

• (in)courage
• High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
• Korean sheet masks
• The Couch, episode S3E3 with about musical TV shows

For our list of 20 diverse romantic comedies, click here!

If you wanna watch Hallmark movies but don't have cable, you need Frndly TV. Frndly TV is a streaming app that has all three (THREE!) Hallmark channels, UPtv, and several other family-friendly channels. You can watch live or on demand, and it's as low as $5.99. Check it out with a FREE 7-day trial here!

DON'T FORGET:

• Find Tasha at her blog or on Instagram.
• You can find me at marycarver.com or @marycarver on Instagram.
• And I'd love for you to join us over at The Couch Facebook group, a fun, judgment-free zone for anyone who loves talking books, TV, movies, music, and more.

By the way, these notes may include affiliate links. That means if you click and purchase, I might earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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My brother is back on the podcast to talk about musical TV shows, episodes, and scenes -- and we are so proud of ourselves for not breaking into song and dance a single time. It's a miracle! (Yes, I did sing that in my head.)

Because we are both super psyched about the new NBC show, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (you can watch the pilot here), we decided to deep dive into all of the best and all of our favorite (sometimes the same thing, but not always) singing and dancing on TV. Well, not all of it. This is already a supersized episode and that's with some strict parameters! While we certainly would have loved to chat (fine. GUSH.) about every single note sung or played on television in the history of ever, we had to limit ourselves a bit.

So today we are sharing musical shows, episodes, and scenes from scripted shows only and almost exclusively from the past 20 years. And it had to be a thing where the characters actually did the singing, rather than a soundtrack or even lip syncing. If that's your jam (musical pun intended), this episode is for you. Enjoy!

MUSICAL SHOWS & EPISODES:

• Glee
• Smash
• Galavant
• Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog
• Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
• Nashville
• Perfect Harmony
• Encore! (This does not fit in my parameters, but my brother didn't follow the rules. Says his big sister. AHEM.)
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer (S6E7)
• It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (S4E13)
• Community (S3E10)
• Scrubs (S6E6)
• Psych (S7E15-16)
• Flash/Supergirl crossover

MUSICAL SCENES:

• Pushing Daisies (Hopelessly Devoted in S1E2)
• The Politician (The River in S1E1)
• 30 Rock (Midnight Train to Georgia in S2E10)
• How I Met Your Mother (Girls vs Suits in S5E12)
• Selfie (Chandelier and Wild World in S1E10)
• Chuck (Mr. Roboto in S2E22)
• Schitt's Creek (Simply the Best in S4E6)

ALSO MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Suddenly Seymour in American Housewife, The Goldbergs, Glee, and Head of the Class
• The Couch Podcast, S1E2 - where we talk about Chuck
• The Couch Podcast, S1E7 - where we talk about Buffy
• The Couch Podcast, S2E2 - where we talk about Pushing Daisies

DON'T FORGET:

• You can also hear James on episodes S2E7 (Wizard of Oz) and S2E19 (Christmas TV specials).
• You can find me at marycarver.com or @marycarver on Instagram.
• I've curated a great bunch of fun shirts for fans of many of the shows we talked about today. Check it out at TeePublic.
• And I'd love for you to join us over at The Couch Facebook group, a fun, judgment-free zone for anyone who loves talking books, TV, movies, music, and more.

By the way, these notes may include affiliate links. That means if you click and purchase, I might earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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Let’s go to the movies! Today my friend Dawn and I are talking about upcoming we’re excited about. Prepare yourself to roll your eyes as we swear up and down that we’re underwhelmed by this season’s movies and then proceed to tell you about almost 20 movies that we just HAVE to see.

This time around we break it down into three categories: date night movies, girls night movies, and family movies. And we even take a quick look back at the movies we predicted would be our favorites last time around (and, once again, I still haven’t seen some of the biggest ones. Shocker.).

I’d love to hear what movies YOU’RE looking forward to this spring, so shoot me an email at mailthecouchpodcast@gmail.com, or find me on Instagram or Facebook and let me know!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• AMC Stubs A-List program (not an ad, but if you can go to the movies this often, it seems like a great deal!)
• Just Mercy, the book
• Check out the full list of movies we’re excited about this spring at marycarver.com.

ALSO MENTIONED:

• Endeavor, season 6 on Amazon Prime
• Home Town on HGTV

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook!
• Find Dawn at her website or on Instagram, and find Mary at her website or on Instagram.

EPISODE SPONSOR: Women of Courage, a 40-Day Devotional by yours truly (Less than $11 at Amazon, yo!)

Heads up, this post includes affiliate links. That just means that if you click and buy, I might earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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Welcome! Everything is fine. Since that’s how The Good Place starts and this, the first episode of a new season, is about The Good Place, it seemed a fitting greeting.

Of course, I could also say that “Everything is fine” is for those of you who are bummed out that your favorite show is coming to an end, as well as those of you who haven’t bothered watching this show because hello, it makes fun of heaven and hell! Well, my friend Jenny and I are here to tell you that everything is fine and also, we have very good reasons for loving The Good Place.

Ready for that? Then you're going to love this episode!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The Good Place
• The Good Place podcast
• The Good Place cast reacts to twist at end of Season 1

ALSO MENTIONED:

• Monster: DC Sniper podcast
• The Curse Keepers series by Denise Grover Swank

DON'T FORGET:

• Find Jenny at @jennyitup on Instagram and Twitter. Find Mary at @marycarver on Instagram and Twitter.
• Join The Couch Facebook group for more conversations about pop culture and why it matters!
• Find hilarious (and cute, of course) The Good Place shirts at teepublic.com/thecouch.

SPONSORED BY: My latest book, Women of Courage, a 40-day devotional featuring women of the Bible. Find it at marycarver.com/courage.

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Get ready, because we have two weeks' worth of movies to catch up on today!

THE CHRISTMAS COUCH is a series of special episodes of The Couch Podcast devoted to holiday movies. My friend Anna and I are hooked on holidays and honored to be your guides through this holiday movie season , candy cane and ugly sweater at a time. So grab your cocoa and let’s get started!

Wanna watch Hallmark movies but don't have cable? Frndly TV is a streaming app that has all three (THREE!) Hallmark channels, as well as several other family-friendly channels. You can watch live or on demand, and it's as low as $5.99. Check it out with a FREE 7-day trial here!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The Christmas Couch, episode 1
• The Christmas Couch, episode 2
• The Christmas Couch, episode 3
• The Christmas Couch, episode 4
• The Christmas Couch, episode 5
• The Christmas Couch, episode 6
• Hooked on Holiday Movies bundle (it's free!)
• The Hallmark Movie Checklist app (we love it! this isn't even an ad!)

LAST WEEK'S MOVIES TO CHOOSE FROM:

• Angel Falls: A Novel Holiday (Hallmark Mysteries & Movies)
• Christmas in Montana (Hallmark Mysteries & Movies)
• Cheerful Christmas (Hallmark Channel)
• Holiday Date (Hallmark Channel)
• Snowbound for Christmas (UPtv)
• A Beauty & the Beast Christmas (ION)
• Best Christmas Ball Ever! (ION)
• Christmas Stars (Lifetime)
• A Christmas Winter Song (Lifetime)
• Rediscovering Christmas (Lifetime)
• Matchmaker Christmas (Lifetime)

DON'T FORGET:

• Find Anna at her website or at @annaerendell on Instagram.
• Find Mary at her website or at @marycarver on Instagram.
• Download your FREE Hooked on Holiday Movies bundle here, including 10-day devotional inspired by holiday movies, printable premiere schedule of all 90 new holiday movies, two holiday movie BINGO cards, and more!

SPONSORED BY: A Moment of Christmas: 25 December Devotions for Moms by Anna Rendell (Use the code COUCH for 10% off the digital version!)

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Whew! Have you recovered from Thanksgiving week yet? And I don't mean all the turkey and potatoes and pies. I mean the dozens and dozens of movies that aired during the week and weekend! I'm still working my way through the list saved on my DVR, but we're still here with a review for you.

THE CHRISTMAS COUCH is a series of special episodes of The Couch Podcast devoted to holiday movies. My friend Anna and I are hooked on holidays and honored to be your guides through this holiday movie season , one nosy neighbor and small town festival at a time. This week we're doing something a bit different and deep diving into last weekend's CHRISTMAS TOWN with Candace Cameron Bure.

Grab your cocoa and let’s get started!

Wanna watch Hallmark movies but don't have cable? Frndly TV is a streaming app that has all three (THREE!) Hallmark channels, as well as several other family-friendly channels. You can watch live or on demand, and it's as low as $5.99. Check it out with a FREE 7-day trial here!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The Christmas Couch, episode 1
• The Christmas Couch, episode 2
• The Christmas Couch, episode 3
• The Christmas Couch, episode 4
• The Christmas Couch, episode 5
• Hooked on Holiday Movies bundle (it's free!)
• The Hallmark Movie Checklist app (we love it! this isn't even an ad!)

LAST WEEK'S MOVIES TO CHOOSE FROM:

• Sense, Sensibility & Snowmen (Hallmark Mysteries & Movies)
• Christmas in Evergreen: Tidings of Joy (Hallmark Channel)
• Christmas Town (Hallmark Channel)
• A Christmas Duet (Hallmark Channel)
• Christmas in Rome (Hallmark Channel)
• The Christmas Club (Hallmark Channel)
• Check Inn to Christmas (Hallmark Channel)
• Christmas at the Plaza (Hallmark Channel)
• Holiday Rush (Netflix)
• Christmas Chalet (UPtv)
• A Very Vintage Christmas (Lifetime)
• A Christmas Wish (Lifetime)
• Staging Christmas (Lifetime)
• Merry Liddle Christmas (Lifetime)
• You Light Up My Christmas (Lifetime)
• Baking Christmas (OWN, not pictured because it was announced late)

DON'T FORGET:

• Find Anna at her website or at @annaerendell on Instagram.
• Find Mary at her website or at @marycarver on Instagram.
• Download your FREE Hooked on Holiday Movies bundle here, including 10-day devotional inspired by holiday movies, printable premiere schedule of all 90 new holiday movies, two holiday movie BINGO cards, and more!

SPONSORED BY: A Moment of Christmas: 25 December Devotions for Moms by Anna Rendell (Use the code COUCH for 10% off the digital version!)

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This week’s episode is kind of a big deal. I'm not saying it smells like leather-bound books, but maybe...?

Seriously, this week marks the end of Season 2 of The Couch, so I decided to take a moment to chat with you all. It's a combination of "Ask the Couch," where I answer your most recent pop culture questions, and "State of the Podcast," where I talk about what's in the works for The Couch in 2020.

I hope you find this episode informative and helpful and maybe even a smidge entertaining. Take a listen and let me know if I missed any of your questions!

BUT FIRST, SOME IMPORTANT NEWS:

Wanna watch Hallmark movies but don't have cable? Frndly TV is a streaming app that has all three (THREE!) Hallmark channels, as well as several other family-friendly channels. You can watch live or on demand, and it's as low as $5.99. Check it out with a FREE 7-day trial here.

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Stumptown
• The Unicorn
• Chuck
• Ed
• Gilmore Girls
• The Walking Dead
• Daisy Jones & the Six
• Choose Joy: Finding Hope & Purpose When Life Hurts
• Women of Courage: A 40-Day Devotional
• Office Ladies podcast
• One Day at a Time
• Will & Grace

ALSO MENTIONED:

• Frndly TV
• The Babysitters Club Club podcast
• The Couch Podcast episode S2E13 - Ask the Couch, vol. 1

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook!
• Download your FREE Hooked on Holiday Movies bundle here, including 10-day devotional inspired by holiday movies, printable premiere schedule of all 90 new holiday movies, two holiday movie BINGO cards, and more!

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Happy Thanksgiving, friends! We are in the middle of a jam-packed (turkey-stuffed?) week of holiday movies. But today's episode has our reviews of last weekend's movies. That way you know which ones to fit into your long weekend (or set the DVR to record for later)!

THE CHRISTMAS COUCH is a series of special episodes of The Couch Podcast devoted to holiday movies. My friend Anna and I are hooked on holidays and honored to be your guides through this holiday movie season.

We’re here to guide you through this holiday movie season, one nosy neighbor and small town festival at a time. Grab your hot cider and let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The Christmas Couch, episode 1
• The Christmas Couch, episode 2
• The Christmas Couch, episode 3
• The Christmas Couch, episode 4
• Hooked on Holiday Movies bundle (it's free!)
• The Hallmark Movie Checklist app (we love it! this isn't even an ad!)

LAST WEEKEND'S MOVIES TO CHOOSE FROM:

• Holiday Hearts (Hallmark Mysteries & Movies)
• Our Christmas Love Song (Hallmark Mysteries & Movies)
• Christmas at Graceland: Home for the Holidays (Hallmark Channel)
• Cherished Memories: A Gift to Remember 2 (Hallmark Channel)
• The Knight Before Christmas (Netflix)
• Turkey Drop (Freeform - you can watch online)
• A Christmas Recipe for Romance (UPtv)
• Our Christmas Love Song (Lifetime)
• The Magical Christmas Shoes (LIfetime)
• Twinkle All the Way (Lifetime)
• Christmas 9 to 5 (Lifetime)

DON'T FORGET:

• Find Anna at her website or at @annaerendell on Instagram.
• Find Mary at her website or at @marycarver on Instagram.
• Download your FREE Hooked on Holiday Movies bundle here, including 10-day devotional inspired by holiday movies, printable premiere schedule of all 90 new holiday movies, two holiday movie BINGO cards, and more!

SPONSORED BY: A Moment of Christmas: 25 December Devotions for Moms by Anna Rendell (Use the code COUCH for 10% off the digital version!)

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So, sometimes I have what I think is a fantastic idea for a podcast episode and it turns out just like that. Fantastic. Other times, I scribble a note after someone makes a random, offhand comment and then stick to it like it’s a bit I’m contractually obligated to carry on for eight seasons. And the latter might be what happened here.

In theory, my friend Amanda and I got together to talk about our favorite Santa movies. Because, holidays. And because, she mentioned it one time and I thought it was a good idea. But, really, we got together to talk about Santa movies and chocolate covered bacon and what we have told our kids about Santa and about hey, remember that time we talked about Pushing Daisies and Chuck? Yeah, that’s this episode. We’re a bit off the rails and even our sound is a little wonky. So if listening to two friends laugh and chat and laugh some more is your jam, well, you are in for a treat, my friend.

Don’t forget: Click here to download your FREE Hooked on Holiday Movies bundle!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The Santa Clause
• Miracle on 34th Street (the original)
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
• Elf
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas
• The Christmas Chronicles

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Lilli’s chocolate
• The Lady Rogue by Jenn Bennett

ALSO MENTIONED:

• The Grinch song by Jordan Smith on The Voice
• Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving (VeggieTales)
• The Couch, S2E2 – A Love Letter to Pushing Daisies
• The Couch, S1E2 – The One About Spies

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook!
• Find Amanda at her website or on Instagram, and click here for her fantastic Advent experience for families, Truth in the Tinsel.

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Whew! We are already feeling the stress of holiday busyness and a ramped-up movie schedule over here! Anyone else?

THE CHRISTMAS COUCH is a series of special episodes of The Couch Podcast devoted to holiday movies. My friend Anna and I are hooked on holidays and honored to be your guides through this holiday movie season - even when we're hit with 10 new movies in a weekend we're working and out of town!

Each week during the holiday season, we’re picking our favorite new movies from the weekend before and then make sure you know when they’re playing again in case they aren’t all saved on your DVR. (And some weeks, we'll talk about our disappointment in the networks not stepping up their diversity or representation. {Hint: Hallmark, we're talking about you!})

We’re here to guide you through this holiday movie season, one gingerbread house and clumsy leading lady at a time. Grab your hot cocoa and let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The Christmas Couch, episode 1
• The Christmas Couch, episode 2
• The Christmas Couch, episode 3
• The Couch, S2E16 - Hallmark Movie Preview
• Hooked on Holiday Movies bundle (it's free!)
• The Hallmark Movie Checklist app (we love it! this isn't even an ad!)

LAST WEEKEND'S MOVIES TO CHOOSE FROM:

• A Christmas Miracle (Hallmark Mysteries & Movies)
• A Godwink Christmas: Meant for Love (Hallmark Mysteries & Movies)
• Christmas Under the Stars (Hallmark Channel)
• Write Before Christmas (Hallmark Channel)
• Christmas ala Mode (Lifetime)
• Christmas in Louisiana (Lifetime)
• Random Acts of Christmas (Lifetime)
• Christmas Cupcakes (UPtv)
• Noelle (Disney+)
• Klaus (Netflix)

DON'T FORGET:

• Find Anna at her website or at @annaerendell on Instagram.
• Find Mary at her website or at @marycarver on Instagram.
• Download your FREE Hooked on Holiday Movies bundle here, including 10-day devotional inspired by holiday movies, printable premiere schedule of all 90 new holiday movies, two holiday movie BINGO cards, and more!

SPONSORED BY: A Moment of Christmas: 25 December Devotions for Moms by Anna Rendell (Use the code COUCH for 10% off the digital version!)

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Hey, friends. Do you have kids? Or kids in your life? Do you want to teach them about other cultures and how to be kind and inclusive to others? Duh. Of course you do. Well, like I do about pretty much every topic, I think the answer to all that lies in books. And that’s why I wanted to sit down with my friend, Dorina, who is a multicultural children’s author. She’s 100% the expert on this topic, plus super fun to talk to.

And the most fun of this is that we were actually sitting right next to each other when we recorded. We were in person, and it was so lovely. (Although, we did have to keep ourselves from saying all the podcast things when we ate dinner together the night before!) I know you’re going to find this conversation so helpful, and I can’t wait to hear from you. Go ahead and listen!

Don’t forget: Click here to download your FREE Hooked on Holiday Movies bundle!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• 9 Days ‘til Christmas
• Moses
• Mama Does the Mambo
• Grandma’s Tiny House
• Jabari Jumps
• The Sandwich Swap
• Don’t Touch My Hair
• Malala’s Magic Pencil
• Under My Hijab
• Pink is for Boys
• When God Made You
• One Day, So Many Ways

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Trader Joe’s gummies
• Office Ladies podcast

ALSO MENTIONED:

• @leeandlow on Instagram

• weneeddiversebooks on Instagram

• ownvoices on Instagram

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook!
• Find Dorina on Instagram, and click here for a FREE list of diverse books for Advent.

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We're back after another full weekend of holiday movies, and we have lots of opinions to share! Remember, THE CHRISTMAS COUCH will be a series of special episodes of The Couch Podcast devoted to holiday movies. My friend Anna and I are hooked on holidays and honored to be your guides through this holiday movie season.

After all, when the powers that be are hitting us with nearly 100 brand-new movies, you need help choosing which ones to watch!

And that's where Anna and I come in. Each week during the holiday season, we’re going to pick our favorite new movies from the weekend before and then make sure you know when they’re playing again in case they aren’t all saved on your DVR. (And some weeks, LIKE THIS ONE, we'll tell you which movie was definitely not better than the book.)

We’re here to guide you through this holiday movie season, one Christmas tree farm and baking contest at a time. Grab your Irish coffee and let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The Christmas Couch, episode 1
• The Christmas Couch, episode 2
• The Couch, S2E16 - Hallmark Movie Preview
• Hooked on Holiday Movies bundle (it's free!)
• The Hallmark Movie Checklist app (we love it! this isn't even an ad!)
• Sara Groves' Christmas album

LAST WEEKEND'S MOVIES TO CHOOSE FROM:

• A Blue Ridge Mountain Christmas (Hallmark Mysteries & Movies)
• The Mistletoe Secret (Hallmark Channel)
• Holiday for Heroes (Hallmark Mysteries & Movies)
• Picture a Perfect Christmas (Hallmark Channel)
• Radio Christmas (Lifetime)
• A Sweet Christmas Romance (Lifetime)
• Rock 'n' Roll Christmas (UPtv)
• Let It Snow (Netflix)

DON'T FORGET:

• Find Anna at her website or at @annaerendell on Instagram.
• Find Mary at her website or at @marycarver on Instagram.
• Download your FREE Hooked on Holiday Movies bundle here, including 10-day devotional inspired by holiday movies, printable premiere schedule of all 90 new holiday movies, two holiday movie BINGO cards, and more!

SPONSORED BY: A Moment of Christmas: 25 December Devotions for Moms by Anna Rendell (Use the code COUCH for 10% off the digital version!)

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Happy holidays! What…too soon? I know, I know, this is the debate of the year. When should we start with all the holiday celebrating. Obviously, as one who won’t shut up about being hooked on holiday movies, I fall into the camp of earlier. But even if you’re not, I hate to break it to you…it’s already the middle of November, and Thanksgiving is right around the corner.

So, today my brother James and I are talking holiday specials. NOT holiday movies, but the animated specials, the parades, the concerts, the light contests and gift wrapping contests and, let’s have a moment of silence for the days of the a capella singing contests. We reminisce about our family’s weird holiday traditions and then pick our top 3 holiday specials. And I’m going to tell you right now that we probably left out your favorites. So find me on Instagram or email me at mailthecouchpodcast@gmail.com to let me know what I forgot. Listen to the show and just see if, by the end, your heart doesn’t grow three sizes.

Don’t forget: Click here to download your FREE Hooked on Holiday Movies bundle!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• How the Grinch Stole Christmas
• A Claymation Christmas Celebration
• A Charlie Brown Christmas
• Buck Denver Asks: Why Do We Call It Christmas
• The Tabernacle Choir Christmas Special
• Frosty the Snowman
• A Garfield Christmas
• Mickey’s Christmas Carol

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Shine On with Reese Witherspoon on Netflix
• The Highwomen (group and album)

ALSO MENTIONED:

• Alvin & the Chipmunks Christmas song
• A Christmas Story
• It’s a Wonderful Life
• Elmo’s Christmas Countdown
• Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving (VeggieTales)
• Emmett Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook!
• Find Mary on Instagram at @marycarver or @hooked.on.hallmark.

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We are back after a full weekend of holiday movies, and we have lots of opinions to share! Remember, THE CHRISTMAS COUCH will be a series of special episodes of The Couch Podcast devoted to holiday movies. My friend Anna and I are hooked on holidays and honored to be your guides through this holiday movie season.

After all, when the powers that be are hitting us with nearly 100 brand-new movies, you need help choosing which ones to watch!

And that's where Anna and I come in. Each week during the holiday season, we’re going to pick our favorite new movies from the weekend before and then make sure you know when they’re playing again in case they aren’t all saved on your DVR. (And some weeks, LIKE THIS ONE, we'll tell you which movie should be avoided at all costs.)

We’re here to guide you through this holiday movie season, one gingerbread house and Christmas pageant at a time. Grab your hot cider and let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The Christmas Couch, episode 1
• Hooked on Holiday Movies bundle (it's free!)
• The Hallmark Movie Checklist app (we love it! this isn't even an ad!)

LAST WEEKEND'S MOVIES TO CHOOSE FROM:

• Nostalgic Christmas (Hallmark Mysteries & Movies)
• Merry & Bright (Hallmark Channel)
• Two Turtle Doves (Hallmark Mysteries & Movies)
• Christmas Scavenger Hunt (Hallmark Channel)
• Christmas Reservations (Lifetime)
• Always & Forever Christmas (Lifetime)
• Christmas with a Prince: Becoming Royal (UPtv)
• Holiday in the Wild (Netflix)

DON'T FORGET:

• Find Anna at her website or at @annaerendell on Instagram.
• Find Mary at her website or at @marycarver on Instagram.
• Download your FREE Hooked on Holiday Movies bundle here, including 10-day devotional inspired by holiday movies, printable premiere schedule of all 90 new holiday movies, two holiday movie BINGO cards, and more!

SPONSORED BY: A Moment of Christmas: 25 December Devotions for Moms by Anna Rendell (Use the code COUCH for 10% off the digital version!)

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How old AM I? This is a question I find myself asking on the regular these days. With all the anniversaries and remakes and remember-when lists on Buzzfeed, I cannot seem to escape the passage of time. I mean, none of us can escape the passage of time, but it feels like I can’t get away from acknowledging it these days! And so, I’m just leaning into it.

Not only is 2019 the 25th anniversary of Friends, our loss of Kurt Cobain, and the original (and only good) Lion King, but it’s also the 25th anniversary of my first date with my husband. So 1994 is deeply embedded in my heart and my memory, including all the pop culture that came with it. Luckily, my friend Jenny was also a hormonal, impressionable, and likely melodramatic teen in 94, and she agreed to sit down with me and reminisce.

You might not be the same age as us, but no matter how old you were in 1994, I think you’ll enjoy taking a look back with us. And, please, let us know what YOU remember about 1994 – where you were then, what you loved then, what you still love now. We want to know! Find us on Instagram or email us at mailthecouchpodcast@gmail.com.

As promised, I made a 1994 Spotify playlist for you. (I actually promised two, but it's been brought to my attention that perhaps there's not much demand for a separate country music throwback playlist. So, one [combined] list it is!)

Click here for the playlist.

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Forrest Gump
• Pulp Fiction
• Shawshank Redemption
• Interview with a Vampire
• Stargate
• Speed
• Friends
• ER
• Home Improvement
• My So-Called Life

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• The Crown, seasons 1 and 2
• Hallmark Movies & Mysteries mystery movie series

ALSO MENTIONED:

• Nancy Kerrigan & Tonya Harding
• OJ Simpson
• Kurt Cobain
• Nelson Mandela
• Beanie Babies
• Wonderbra
• Best-selling authors Danielle Steele, John Grisham, Michael Crichton, Mary Higgins Clark, Robert James Waller
• Bridges of Madison County
• Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook!
• Find Jenny on Instagram at @jennyitup, and find Mary there at @marycarver.

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As you might have guessed, THE CHRISTMAS COUCH will be a series of special episodes of The Couch Podcast devoted to holiday movies. My friend Anna and I believe there’s nothing better than snuggling on the couch with a comfy blanket and hot beverage of choice and watching a cozy Christmas movie on one of the many channels cranking them out every year. But how to choose which ones to watch? There are so many!

That's where Anna and I come in. Each week during the holiday season, we’re going to pick our favorite new movies from the weekend before and then make sure you know when they’re playing again in case they aren’t all saved on your DVR. (And some weeks, LIKE THIS ONE, we'll tell you which movie should be avoided at all costs.)

We’re here to guide you through this holiday movie season, one snowball fight and tree lighting at a time. Grab your hot cocoa and let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• The Couch Podcast, S1E10 - Holiday Movie March Madness
• The Couch Podcast, S1E11 - Who's Your Favorite Hallmark Actor?
• A Merry Christmas Match (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)
• Sweet Mountain Christmas (Lifetime)
• Christmas Wishes & Mistletoe Kisses (Hallmark)
• The Road Home for Christmas (Lifetime)
• No Time Like Christmas (Lifetime)
• A Christmas Movie Christmas (UPtv)

DON'T FORGET:

• Find Anna at her website or at @annaerendell on Instagram.
• Find Mary at her website or at @marycarver on Instagram.
• Download your FREE Hooked on Holiday Movies bundle here, including 10-day devotional inspired by holiday movies, printable premiere schedule of all 90 new holiday movies, two holiday movie BINGO cards, and more!

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Grab your candy corn and get comfy, friends. In this episode my friend Amy and I are talking Halloween in pop culture, starting with our favorite costumes and ending with the scary movies Amy thinks I might be able to handle (despite my tendency to be a great big scaredy cat baby). I have little kids and a low tolerance for spookiness, while she has older kids and loves to be scared. So we have a great mix of Halloween fun in books, movies, and TV shows for you. And if you notice that we didn’t mention Thriller in this list, well, just forgive us. I do have some fun facts about candy corn, though, so there’s that.

Bonus! For 8 TV series with hilarious Halloween episodes, check out this post on Amy’s site.

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Brooklyn Nine-Nine
• How I Met Your Mother
• Parks and Recreation
• Sabrina the Teenaged Witch (the old one)
• Freaks & Geeks
• Bob’s Burgers (I really am now watching this when I’m on the treadmill!)
• Happy Death Day
• Sabrina
• Get Out
• Birdbox by Josh Malerman (free on Kindle Unlimited, FYI)

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Corala weighted blanket
• The Misadventures of Lolo & MaeMae

ALSO MENTIONED:

• Amy’s Halloween costumes
• Interview with Birdbox author

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook!
• Find Amy on her website or join her Facebook book club, and find Mary at her website or on Instagram.

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It’s that time of year! We are fully into fall now, friends, so it must be time to talk about holiday movies, right?! I know, I know, Christmas is so many weeks away. But take it up with Hallmark! Because the onslaught of holiday movies coming your way starts in just a few days.

Once again, Anna Rendell and I are honored to be your guides through this holiday movie season, and we help you get started in this episode by picking 10 new Hallmark movies we think you might want to watch this year. Or, at least the 10 movies we are going to watch. And by 10, I mean almost double that because we each came with 10 movies but then some overlapped. It’s a lot, guys, but it’s super fun. Enjoy!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• All the information out there about this year’s Hallmark movies (from Country Living magazine)
• Who’s your favorite Hallmark actor brackets
• Holiday movie March Madness
• 10th Anniversary of Countdown to Christmas on the Hallmark website
• The Hallmark movie checklist app

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• The Great British Baking Show (new episodes weekly)
• Grey’s Anatomy
• NCIS

ALSO MENTIONED:

• Pumpkin Spice for Your Soul: 25 Devotions for Autumn
• A Moment of Christmas: Daily Devotions for Time-strapped Moms

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook!
• Find Anna on Instagram or her website, and find Mary at her website or on Instagram.

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Today’s episode is all about treating yourself. Or, as Donna and Tom say on Parks and Rec, TREAT YO SELF! But we’re not just talking mimosas or fine leather goods. Nope.

My friend Amber and I are talking about the whole gamut of self-care, from good health practices to genuine indulgence. I mean. Within parameters. Nobody here has a money tree or days on end to spare. So each one of us shares ideas for treating yourself with care, from the small things to the really crucial. Also, zebras might be involved. Sound good to you? Well, let’s get started!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Parks and Recreation
• The Mom Wants More podcast
• Date Night movie
• Fleabag (rated TV-MA)
• This Will Only Hurt a Little by Busy Philipps

ALSO MENTIONED:

• Our friend Melissa Blair
• Our friend Maeve Gerboth
• Retta is a little tired of “treat yo self”!

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook!
• Find Amber on Instagram or her podcast, and find Mary at her website or on Instagram.

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This week, I had the best time talking with my friend Alana about babies and births in pop culture. Today is my oldest daughter’s birthday, and since her birth was a bit, shall we say, dramatic, I thought it would be appropriate to mark this occasion with a look at the even more dramatic births in TV shows and movies. Alana and I attempted to give the babies and the births a thumbs up or thumbs down, but mostly we just talk about which ones are realistic, which ones made us cry, and whether or not a baby or birth can flat-out ruin a good show.

Side note: We did stick to human births, so if you were hoping to hear about aliens or dragons or evil spirits, well, that is another show altogether. For now, for us, we’re talking human babies and all the ways they’re portrayed in pop culture. Enjoy!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Friday Night Lights
• Bones
• The Office
• Friends
• Glee
• Grey’s Anatomy
• Downton Abbey
• This Is Us
• Jane the Virgin
• The Mindy Project
• How I Met Your Mother
• Playing House
• Gilmore Girls

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Alana just introduced her daughters to Chuck, and of course they loved it.
• I suggested Psych would be another show they might like.
• I’m not watching everything in this new TV season, possibly quitting A Million Little Things and God Friended Me (even though I liked their first seasons a lot!).
• And while I loved the pilot of Stumptown, I am not feeling it with The Unicorn.

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook!
• Find Alana on Instagram or on her podcasts (The Mom Wants More and The Podcasting Party), find Mary at her website or on Instagram.

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This week’s episode is something totally different. If you’ve ever thought to yourself (and who hasn’t, haha!), “I could listen to Mary talk all day long,” or if (more likely) you’ve ever wanted to ask me a pop culture question and then hear the answer in the podcast, this is the episode for you!

I had a little scheduling mix-up this week, so I didn’t have a guest for this episode. Instead, I went solo and answered your burning pop culture questions. As it turns out, surprising to no one, I have both opinions and answers to share. I also have, surprising to me, the bad habit of overusing the word, “whatever.” So listen for that and enjoy!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Stumptown
• Perfect Harmony
• The Unicorn
• NCIS
• The Rookie
• The Good Place
• Shows ending in 2019-2020
• Hallmark Movies Now app
• Frndly streaming app
• Nancy Drew
• Princess Bride
• All about Disney+

ALSO MENTIONED:

• So You Think You Can Dance finale group routine
• The Couch Podcast episode S2E10 – about fall TV
• The Couch Podcast episode S2E11 – about Disney+
• 14 Books I’m Excited to Read This Fall

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook!
• Download this FREE guide I made for you: Short-Lived Shows for Every Season

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Somehow it is already fall, even though it’s still a thousand degrees at a lot of places. So my friend Dawn Camp, who is the biggest movie-goer I know, and I sat down and talked through all the movies coming out this fall.

Just for you, we watched every single trailer we could find and then picked the movies we think we’ll go see and the movies you might like, too. We also take a quick look back at our summer movie picks to see what we got right and what we did not. What movies are you looking forward to seeing between now and Christmas? Did we pick the same ones? We’ll find out!

(And FYI, the links below go to trailers for each movie. And just because we mentioned a movie does not mean we gave it a thumbs up. Listen to hear our picks!)

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Summer Movie Preview episode (Season 1, Episode 17)
• The Peanut Butter Falcon
• Downton Abbey
• 21 Bridges
• Abominable
• Ad Astra
• Judy
• The Current War
• Zombieland: Double Tap
• Joker
• Gemini Man
• Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
• Charlie’s Angels
• Terminator: Dark Fate
• Ford v. Ferrari
• Last Christmas
• A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
• Frozen II
• Knives Out
• Jumanji: The Next Level
• 1917
• Just Mercy
• Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
• Cats
• Little Women
• Spies in Disguise

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Listening to the Beatles on repeat
• Going to the movies alone

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook!
• Find Dawn at her website or on Instagram, and find Mary at her website or on Instagram.

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Grab a pen and paper, because today’s supersized episode is chock full of great recommendations. Have you ever wondered, “What TV shows would my tween like?” and what you really meant was, “What shows would my tween like that I wouldn’t hate with the passion of a thousand burning suns?” or maybe, “What shows can I let my tween watch that are interesting and clever but not obnoxious or focused on romance, that tell great stories and maybe offer some gentle lessons but don’t hit them over the head with it because nobody really likes that?” Well, then, have we got a show for you.

Amanda White is back on the podcast, and we share with you all the great shows our kids (currently ages 5 to 13) have loved – including our number one, gold standard, very top favorite. We also talk for just a bit about some of the original content coming on Disney’s streaming service, Disney+. We had a lot to say, so let’s get right to it!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Click here for a complete list of the best TV shows for tweens.
• Everything you want to know about Disney+ streaming service
• The Couch podcast episode S1E20 (all about live-action Disney movies)

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Anne of Green Gables books
• The Lion, Witch, & the Wardrobe audiobook

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook!
• Find Amanda at her website or on Instagram, and find Mary at her website or on Instagram.

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Hello, friends! That’s no pun intended, but it just so happens that today’s episode is all about Friends. The TV show, that is. In honor of the show’s 25th anniversary (which is ridiculous because 1994 was just a couple years ago), I invited my friend and proven Friends expert, Kayse, to chat with me. Actually, I asked her to please give us a primer or refresher on Friends with the best episodes and guest stars and quotes. Boy, did she deliver. Kayse knows and loves her Friends!

We also talk a little bit about new TV shows coming out this fall, which is either more or less interesting once you realize we are planning to watch the exact same shows. Great minds clearly think alike! Will you agree with Kayse’s list of best Friends episodes? Are you planning to watch the same new shows are? Listen to find out – and then let us know!

MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• Friends on Netflix
• Friends marathon at the theater
• Friends line at Pottery Barn
• Friends jewelry from Alex & Ani
• Central Perk coffee
• I’ll Be There for You by Kelsey Miller

NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Veronica Mars rewatch (series and movie)
• Four Weddings & a Funeral series

DON’T FORGET:

• Join The Couch on Facebook!
• Find Kayse at her website or on Instagram, and find Mary at her website or on Instagram.