The Colin McEnroe Show

Connecticut Public

The Colin McEnroe Show is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called The Nose for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.

  1. The Nose looks at ‘The Sheep Detectives’ and ‘Marty, Life Is Short’

    May 22

    The Nose looks at ‘The Sheep Detectives’ and ‘Marty, Life Is Short’

    The Sheep Detectives is a live-action talking animals cozy murder mystery comedy directed by Kyla Balda, whose previous movie credits are pretty much exclusively about animation. It’s based on a German-language novel, Three Bags Full, by Leonie Swann. As a PG-rated murder mystery, it’s maybe doing surprisingly well at the box office. And: Marty, Life Is Short is a Netflix celebrity documentary about the life and work of Martin Short. It’s directed by Lawrence Kasdan (who wrote The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark and wrote and directed Body Heat, The Big Chill, The Accidental Tourist, and more). It includes new interviews with Short, Eugene Levy, Steve Martin, John Mulaney, Catherine O’Hara, Steven Spielberg, and more. GUESTS: Carolyn Paine: An actress and comedian, she’s the founder and director of CONNetic Dance and the creative producer and choreographer for The Bushnell’s Digital Institute Irene Papoulis: Taught writing for a long time at Trinity College Bill Yousman: Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart University Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    49 min

  2. May 21

    As ‘The Late Show’ ends, a look at the state of late-night comedy

    Stephen Colbert’s nearly-11-year run on The Late Show comes to an end tonight. And The Late Show’s nearly-33-year run on CBS comes to an end tonight, too. This hour, as the late-night TV landscape rejiggers itself, a look at the state and future of late-night comedy. Plus: A look at the FCC’s crusade against ABC (and, seemingly, Jimmy Kimmel). And: the banal horror of Jimmy Fallon. GUESTS: Eric Deggans: Critic-at-large at NPR, and he writes the Switching Codes Substack Jon Greenaway: A writer and podcaster and the author of Capitalism: A Horror Story — Gothic Marxism and the Dark Side of the Radical Imagination Jason Zinoman: Critic at large for the culture section of The New York Times, where he writes the On Comedy column Music featured (in order): Lost in a Wonderland – SNL Band The Party’s Over – Nat King Cole Colbert – Pivot Gang ABC – Jackson 5 The FCC Song (from “Family Guy”) – Cast – Family Guy Only A Fool Would Say That – Steely Dan Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    50 min
  3. We don't need politicians. Hélène Landemore makes the case

    May 20

    We don't need politicians. Hélène Landemore makes the case

    Do we really need politicians? What would our politics look like without them? These are some of the ideas that Yale political scientist Hélène Landemore explores in her work, including in the Connecticut Citizens’ Assembly, taking place this summer. Landemore joins us for the hour. GUEST: Hélène Landemore: Professor of Political Science at Yale University. Her new book is Politics Without Politicians: The Case for Citizen Rule Music featured (in order): Hands Across The Sea – John Philip Sousa as performed by “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart – Stevie Wonder People Have the Power – Patti Smith Democracy – Leonard Cohen Love Is Sweeping the Country – Chris Connor Of Thee I Sing – Ella Fitzgerald Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    50 min
  4. Why does "like" bother us so much?

    May 19

    Why does "like" bother us so much?

    The word "like" has been around for centuries, but it reached a new cultural prominence in the 1980s, partially thanks to Frank Zappa's song "Valley Girl." Since then, "like" has taken on a life of its own, inspiring strong emotions. This hour, we look at the meaning and evolution of "like." Plus, how movies like the now 30-year-old Clueless have impacted our language. GUESTS: Megan C. Reynolds: Former editor at Dwell and author of Like: A History of the English Language’s Most Hated (and Misunderstood) Word Kory Stamper: Lexicographer and author of Word By Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries Veronica Litt: English Professor and author of Ugh! As If!: Clueless The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Dylan Reyes, Robyn Doyon-Aitken, and Isaac Moss contributed to this show, which originally aired August 20, 2025. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    50 min
  5. All Calls: Stop spraying your sperm-laden dust on my Subaru Outback

    May 18

    All Calls: Stop spraying your sperm-laden dust on my Subaru Outback

    We’ve been doing these shows where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing — This hour, the conversation winds around to spousal knowledge, tree sperm, progressive candidates, tree sperm, hitpeople, tree sperm, sleepy bees … Anything. (Seemingly) everything. These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we’re doing another one.In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EDT hour about whatever you want to talk about. 888-720-9677.‌ Music featured (in order): thank u i guess – forrest nolan Museum of Idiots – They Might Be Giants Love Is Salvation – Jesca Hoop I Don’t Know Anything – Alan Hsiao Something’s Coming – Laura Anglade Mary Singletary – Deer Tick With New Eyes – Simon Lynge Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    49 min
  6. You may be wrong, but you may be right: A look at Billy Joel

    May 15

    You may be wrong, but you may be right: A look at Billy Joel

    Billy Joel has reportedly sold more than 160 million albums. He’s been nominated for 24 Grammy Awards (and won six of them), an Emmy, and a Tony Award (which he won). In the U.S., he’s had 33 top 40 singles and 11 top 10 albums. He’s simply one of the most popular recording artists in the history of music. But. Critics have never been terribly kind to him, and a lot of the general public hasn’t either. This hour, we look at the two-part, nearly five-hour HBO documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes. And we look at Billy Joel more generally and at the love/hate relationship we all seem to have had with him and his music for more than 50 years now. GUESTS: Jen Allen: A pianist, composer, arranger, and educator; her new album is Possibilities Rebecca Castellani: Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and the director of marketing at Washington Montessori School Jack Hamilton: Slate’s pop critic and the author of Just Around Midnight: Rock and Roll and the Racial Imagination Gene Seymour: A “writer, professional spectator, pop-culture maven, and jazz geek,” and he now writes the That Gene Seymour Substack The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Isaac Moss contributed to this show, which originally aired August 8, 2025. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    50 min
  7. The day the clowns cried: A look at ‘Circus Fire’ and the Hartford circus fire

    May 14

    The day the clowns cried: A look at ‘Circus Fire’ and the Hartford circus fire

    The Hartford circus fire in 1944 was the deadliest disaster in the history of Connecticut. Our friend Jacques Lamarre (if you listen to The Nose most Fridays, you know Jacques) has written a big-deal new play about the fire and its aftermath that TheaterWorks Hartford is currently world premiering. This hour, a conversation recorded in front of a live audience at TheaterWorks about the play Circus Fire and the actual Hartford circus fire. Note: This podcast version of the show is more than 12 minutes longer than the episode as it’s airing on the radio, and it includes our full interview with circus fire survivor Charles Ericson. GUESTS: Charles Ericson: A survivor of the Hartford circus fire Jacques Lamarre: A playwright and a frequent guest on The Nose; he wrote and co-conceived Circus Fire Rob Ruggiero: Artistic director at TheaterWorks Hartford and a co-conceiver of Circus Fire TheaterWorks Hartford is a current underwriter of Connecticut Public. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Thanks to Kate Cudworth, Dennis Dowding, Ethan Pervere, and Katherine Plutnicki at TheaterWorks Hartford. Colin McEnroe, Robyn Doyon-Aitken, Dylan Reyes, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 3m
  8. The intangibility of ‘good taste,' from literature to food

    May 13

    The intangibility of ‘good taste,' from literature to food

    What does it mean to have 'good taste'? And what would it take to develop it? This hour, we talk about taste and discernment. Plus, a look at flavor and why some things taste good. GUESTS:  Henry Oliver: Writes the literary Substack “The Common Reader,” and is the author of Second Act: What Late Bloomers Can Tell You About Reinventing Your Life. He is part of the Emerging Scholars Programme at the Mercatus Centre Becca Rothfeld: Staff Writer at The New Yorker, an editor at The Point, and a contributing editor at The Boston Review. She is the author of All Things Are Too Small: Essays in Praise of Excess Nik Sharma: A molecular biologist turned two-time James Beard finalist, best-selling cookbook author, photographer, columnist, and editor at America’s Test Kitchen. His cookbooks include The Flavor Equation: The Science of Great Cooking Explained in More Than 100 Essential Recipes, among others Join the conversation on Facebook. Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Colin McEnroe, Dylan Reyes, Isaac Moss, Coco Cooley, and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show, which originally aired on August 6, 2025. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    49 min
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4.4
out of 5
216 Ratings

About

The Colin McEnroe Show is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called The Nose for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.

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