The Sam Sanders Show

The Sam Sanders Show from KCRW is your guide to entertainment. Find out what makes your favorite artists tick, dissect the trends that shape our culture, or just make sense of that random meme you can’t stop thinking about. Join us every week to unpack the pop culture we love. Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week. Sam Sanders is an award-winning podcast and radio host. He’s been named best podcast host by both The Ambies and the iHeart Podcast Awards. He was one of the founding hosts of The NPR Politics Podcast and the host who launched both It’s Been A Minute from NPR and Into It from Vulture.

The Sam Sanders Show is a society podcast hosted by KCRW & Sam Sanders, with 162 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

KCRW & Sam Sanders hosts The Sam Sanders Show, a society show with 162 episodes published.

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  The Sam Sanders Show

  Barry Jenkins: The Legacy Of 'Moonlight'

  Oct 2, 202645 minS152

  Ten years ago, ' Moonlight ' premiered in theaters with an entirely Black cast and a haunting queer story that captivated audiences. It quickly earned critical acclaim and won three Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay.  Director Barry Jenkins joins Sam to celebrate the film’s enduring legacy. He also breaks down how the project reflects his own relationship with his mother, and shares a very touching story involving a bootleg 'Moonlight' DVD. Plus, he reveals his surprising pop culture scriptures…Turns out, even Barry Jenkins can appreciate reality TV! Also, to celebrate the film’s 10th anniversary, 'Moonlight' has been remastered in 4K, now showing in theaters nationwide. Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week. The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.  

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  Episode #151

  Kerry Washington Has a Podcast?!

  Sep 29, 202648 min

  Sam is feeling sooo nostalgic this episode. Flashback to 2012. Monoculture is omnipresent. ‘Scandal’ is on every Thursday night. Twitter is ablaze with reactions to the iconic Olivia Pope, played by Kerry Washington. Sam never misses an episode. Flash forward to today, and Kerry now has a lot in common with Sam. She just launched a new podcast called Street You Grew Up On . The show revolves around one simple question — Can you tell me about the street you grew up on? Kerry explores the people, places, family stories, and defining moments that made them who they are. She tells Sam all about launching the show and how interviewing relates to acting. Plus, they get into all their memories of the Scandal era, today’s political climate and her favorite pop culture scriptures.  Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week. The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.  

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  Episode #150

  John Cho Just Wants To Connect

  Sep 25, 202637 min

  John Cho has portrayed plenty of lovable characters in Hollywood, but never a villain.  In the new action thriller ‘ Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother , ’ John finally steps into that role as a violent evangelical pastor. His character is equipped with a cowboy hat, gold grills and huge guns. John spoke with Sam about preparing for the role, the importance of connection and how becoming a father changed the way he approaches his craft. Plus, a decade after the viral #StarringJohnCho online moment, he gets real about diversity and representation in Hollywood today. Sign up for  Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week. The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.  

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  The Sam Sanders Show

  Introducing: Reaching Out

  Sep 23, 202641 min

  Today we’re excited to share a special episode of Reaching Out , a new podcast from Futuro and KCRW.   Hailed by Ira Glass as the “best new show I’ve heard in years,” Reaching Out is a story about fathers, sons, and the distance between. The story begins on the eve of twin brothers’ Sayre and Connor’s 30th birthday, when they set out to find the biological father who abandoned them before they were born. Their search pulls them through desert raves, drunken nightclubs, and across borders of time and language, forcing the brothers to confront the truths they’ve hidden from each other and themselves. And it’s not long before the twins discover that their birth father is closer than they ever could have imagined. Follow Reaching Out on your favorite podcast app. New episodes drop every week.  Sign up for  Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week. The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.  

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  Episode #149

  It’s Time To Have Better Fights w/ Priya Parker

  Sep 22, 202626 min

  From The Real Housewives to The Jerry Springer Show , today’s episode is all about conflict through the lens of pop culture. Author and conflict facilitator Priya Parker joins Sam to explain why conflict is so vital to building healthy communities and relationships. She also breaks down the tactics we often see in the media, and how they can teach us to fight in healthier ways. Priya even encourages something we do on this show a lot…Sharing and defending Hot Takes! Priya’s new book The Art of Fighting: The Transformative Power of Conflict is available now. Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week. The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.  

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