‘Tis the season for holiday movies. This hour, we look at this year's offerings from Netflix and Hallmark, discuss what makes a good holiday movie, and get some ideas for what to watch this holiday season.

GUESTS: 
Laura Bradley: Entertainment and features reporter
Amanda Hess: Critic at large for The New York Times

&lsquo;Tis the season for holiday movies. This hour, we look at this year's offerings from Netflix and Hallmark, discuss what makes a good holiday movie, and get some ideas for what to watch this holiday season.
GUESTS:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Laura Bradley: Entertainment and features reporter</li>
<li>Amanda Hess: Critic at large for The New York Times</li>
</ul>

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.

<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/the-colin-mcenroe-show/about">The Colin McEnroe Show</a> 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 <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/tags/the-nose">The Nose</a> for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.

The Colin McEnroe Show

The joy of Christmas movies, from the classics to the NFL and ‘Hot Frosty’

Billboard

Next week marks 250 years since Connecticut's Nathan Hale was executed by British soldiers. This hour we look back at the life of Nathan Hale, and the local historian who kept his legacy alive. Plus, we'll learn about spying during the Revolutionary War, and discover another Connecticut spy who escaped Hale's fate.

GUESTS:
Alexander Rose: Author of books including Washington's Spies: The Story of America’s First Spy Ring. His last two books have been on American secret intelligence. He is also a writer and producer on the television series Turn: Washington’s Spies
Michael Morand: Director of Community Engagement at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. He is also the City Historian of the City of New Haven
Claire Bellerjeau: Co-author of Espionage and Enslavement in the Revolution: The True Story of Robert Townsend and Elizabeth and the founder of Remember Liss, a nonprofit sharing this story in schools and communities

Music featured (in order):
The Girl I Left Behind Me – The Norman Luboff Choir
Hush – Joy Williams & Matt Berninger (Theme to the AMC Original Series “Turn”)
Spies – Coldplay
My Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose – Wendy Weatherby
Miller and the Lass – Eliza Carthy
Turpin Hero – Colin Meloy

Next week marks 250 years since Connecticut's Nathan Hale was executed by British soldiers. This hour we look back at the life of Nathan Hale, and the local historian who kept his legacy alive. Plus, we'll learn about spying during the Revolutionary War, and discover another Connecticut spy who escaped Hale's fate.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>Alexander Rose:&nbsp;Author of books including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.alexrose.com/washingtons-spies">Washington's Spies: The Story of America&rsquo;s First Spy Ring</a>. His last t<a href="https://www.alexrose.com/books">wo books</a>&nbsp;have been on American secret intelligence. He is also a writer and producer on the television series&nbsp;Turn: Washington&rsquo;s Spies</li>
<li>Michael Morand:&nbsp;Director of Community Engagement at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. He is also the City Historian of the City of New Haven</li>
<li>Claire Bellerjeau:&nbsp;Co-author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espionageandenslavement.com/">Espionage and Enslavement in the Revolution: The True Story of Robert Townsend and Elizabeth</a>&nbsp;and the founder of&nbsp;<a href="https://rememberliss.org/">Remember Liss</a>, a nonprofit sharing this story in schools and communities</li>
</ul>
Music featured (in order):
<ul>
<li><a href="https://archive.org/details/lp_songs-of-the-british-isles_the-norman-luboff-choir/disc1/02.01.+The+Girl+I+Left+Behind+Me.mp3">The Girl I Left Behind Me</a>&nbsp;&ndash; The Norman Luboff Choir</li>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/m8WUUdoI99I">Hush</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Joy Williams &amp; Matt Berninger (Theme to the AMC Original Series &ldquo;Turn&rdquo;)</li>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/9QzDHPcNfrw">Spies</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Coldplay</li>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/uCu0GpLnmLI">My Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Wendy Weatherby</li>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/flgBLtdY00Q">Miller and the Lass</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Eliza Carthy</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fteVMpFeTOI">Turpin Hero</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Colin Meloy</li>
</ul>

The story of the "one life" novice spy Nathan Hale gave for his country

Laura Nyro’s most famous compositions — “Stoned Soul Picnic,” “Stoney End,” “When I Die,” “Wedding Bell Blues,” “Eli’s Coming” — are jewels of mainstream music, and her covers of songs like “Jimmy Mack” and “Gonna Take a Miracle” are legendary.

But she was uncomfortable under the spotlight and withdrew from it to become the Belle of Danbury, Connecticut.

This hour: a night of singing, reflecting, and celebrating recorded in front of a live audience at Watkinson School in Hartford.

GUESTS:


Jim Chapdelaine: Guitar and vocals


Latanya Farrell: Vocals and tambourine


Steve Metcalf: Piano and vocals

The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!

Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Colin McEnroe contributed to this show, which originally aired February 21, 2020.

Laura Nyro&rsquo;s most famous compositions &mdash; &ldquo;Stoned Soul Picnic,&rdquo; &ldquo;Stoney End,&rdquo; &ldquo;When I Die,&rdquo; &ldquo;Wedding Bell Blues,&rdquo; &ldquo;Eli&rsquo;s Coming&rdquo; &mdash; are jewels of mainstream music, and her covers of songs like &ldquo;Jimmy Mack&rdquo; and &ldquo;Gonna Take a Miracle&rdquo; are legendary.
But she was uncomfortable under the spotlight and withdrew from it to become the Belle of Danbury, Connecticut.
This hour: a night of singing, reflecting, and celebrating recorded in front of a live audience at Watkinson School in Hartford.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>
Jim Chapdelaine: Guitar and vocals
</li>
<li>
Latanya Farrell: Vocals and tambourine
</li>
<li>
Steve Metcalf: Piano and vocals
</li>
</ul>
The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-colin-mcenroe-show/id714179884">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0AXtqrzWounIoJyIqz003p">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9b6b3cee-f69b-4729-a78b-181f851d80e8/the-colin-mcenroe-show">Amazon Music</a>, <a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/The-Colin-McEnroe-Show-p1208473/">TuneIn</a>, <a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-colin-mcenroe-show-connecticut-public-lXR08dxQSM5/">Listen Notes</a>, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/newsletters">Subscribe to The Noseletter</a>, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.
Join the conversation on <a href="https://facebook.com/ColinMcShow">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/colinmcshow">Twitter</a>.
Colin McEnroe contributed to this show, which originally aired February 21, 2020.

Laura Nyro was the Emily Dickinson of American pop music

What happens when the people reshaping our world don't believe in introspection? This hour, a look at looking inward. And, we explore the spectrum of mental imagery.

GUESTS:


Elizabeth Lopatto: Senior reporter for The Verge


Maja Spener: Associate Professor in Philosophy at the University of Birmingham. She is the author of Introspection: First-Person Access in Science and Agency


Reshanne Reeder: Lecturer in Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience at the University of Liverpool

Music featured (in order):


Who Knows – Daniel Caesar


What Kind of Fool Am I – Sammy Davis Jr.


Man in the Mirror – Michael Jackson


There’s No Telling – Duncan Sheik


I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry – Cassandra Wilson


Pretty Little Picture – Zero Mostel (Original Broadway Cast)

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.

Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on April 21, 2026.

What happens when the people reshaping our world don't believe in introspection? This hour, a look at looking inward. And, we explore the spectrum of mental imagery.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>
Elizabeth Lopatto: Senior reporter for <a href="https://www.theverge.com/authors/elizabeth-lopatto">The Verge</a>
</li>
<li>
Maja Spener: Associate Professor in Philosophy at the University of Birmingham. She is the author of <a href="https://academic.oup.com/book/55721">Introspection: First-Person Access in Science and Agency</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.reshannereeder.com/">Reshanne Reeder</a>: Lecturer in Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience at the University of Liverpool
</li>
</ul>
Music featured (in order):
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glscfhJyZHo">Who Knows</a> &ndash; Daniel Caesar
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7Hv5Bw-AUc">What Kind of Fool Am I</a> &ndash; Sammy Davis Jr.
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PivWY9wn5ps">Man in the Mirror</a> &ndash; Michael Jackson
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZL-XeZvv5k">There&rsquo;s No Telling</a> &ndash; Duncan Sheik
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBvVwgEjRsM">I&rsquo;m So Lonesome I Could Cry</a> &ndash; Cassandra Wilson
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://youtu.be/7qBLJCZZPi4">Pretty Little Picture</a> &ndash; Zero Mostel (Original Broadway Cast)
</li>
</ul>
The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-colin-mcenroe-show/id714179884">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0AXtqrzWounIoJyIqz003p">Spotify</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9b6b3cee-f69b-4729-a78b-181f851d80e8/the-colin-mcenroe-show">Amazon Music</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/The-Colin-McEnroe-Show-p1208473/">TuneIn</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-colin-mcenroe-show-connecticut-public-lXR08dxQSM5/">Listen Notes</a>, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/newsletters">Subscribe to&nbsp;The Noseletter</a>, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by&nbsp;The Colin McEnroe Show.
Join the conversation on&nbsp;<a href="https://facebook.com/ColinMcShow">Facebook</a>.
Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on April 21, 2026.

The joy of Christmas movies, from the classics to the NFL and ‘Hot Frosty’

In 1 playlist(s)

The Colin McEnroe Show

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips