Raven On: A Pop Culture Podcast

Raven On returns for House of the Dragon Season 3! Mother of Kittens Natalie Bochenski is once again joined by writer extraordinaire Ben Pobjie to take a deep dive into the first episode "Salt and Sea, Fire and Blood", which features as its bloody centrepiece the Battle of the Gullet. Big name characters are lost, others merely trying to find direction (Christon Cole, looking at you). Nat and Ben dust off the cobwebs and try to get the various incestous family trees straight and gear up for a massive season. Enjoy! Relevant recaps accessible via www.nataliebochenski.com

As Tom says to Nat in this episode re: nudity: "ask and ye shall receive". There's a lot to this week's HotD, but surely Hot D itself is a... well.... large part of it. Join Nat and Tom as they deep dive into Alicent and Rhaenyra's reunion, the arrival of Sir Simon as Ser Simon, Ser Gwayne the Green Knight and more. There's also updates on the impending British election, AND a tangent about why Nat's brain might not be functioning properly. Enjoy!

By the Old Gods and new, this is a very strange thing - to be delighted to be back in Westeros, but still so sad our wonderful friend and bloodrider Stuart Layt isn't here to lead the way with his booming laugh and unparalled knowledge of all things House of the Dragon. While of course Stu is irreplaceable, it's wonderful to welcome podcast regular Tom Salinsky onboard to help steer the dragon through Season 2 of HotD. There's lots to chew over in this first instalment, including the return (briefly) of the Starks, Alicent and Cristan Cole-dancing, Rhaenyra's grief, Aegon's magnanimity, and a terrible crime to wrap it all up.

The trio of Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials concludes with "The Giggle", in which Neil Patrick Harris has the time of his life with a dance number to a song very close to Natalie's heart. Once again she's joined by Tom and John from the Best Pick Pod to deep dive into David Tennant's last(?) outing as the Fourteenth Doctor and (spoiler!) Ncuti Gatwa's first appearance as the Fifteenth. Thanks for listening to these podcast specials, which of course have been our first since losing the lion-hearted, Doctor Who-loving genius that was Stuart Layt. We know he would have loved them.

Kittens! This is WEIRD. It is WEIRD to podcast without the genius that is Stuart Layt. WEIRD, and NOT RIGHT. Sadly Stu passed away three months ago, and boy am I still mad about it. Particularly since he LOVED Doctor Who with his whole soul. But I am so glad that Tom Salinsky from the brilliant Best Pick Pod reached out about joining forces to recap the David Tennant 60th anniversary specials. And so here it is - Who's Raven On with Tom and John from the Best Pick Pod, chatting all things Star Beast. This same podcast will appear on their feed (albeit with a different top and tail!). I hope you enjoy it. Much love, wonderful listeners.

Lookout! Natalie's got herself a soundboard and isn't afraid to use it. Will this be enough to alienate Stu? Probably not, because he loves these dang movies too much. When Agent Hobbes needs to take down a car-based baddie, of course he turns to Dom's car-based superhero crew. They hit London to make those stupid Brits look even stupider, and track down the badass Owen Shaw. There's a chase through the Monopoly board, Rita Ora in hot pants, and Letty's back from the dead. Enjoy!

In an eclectic turn, this podcast features all manner of pop culture subjects including the classic Australian series "Underbelly", the classic English detective series "Vera", and the classic time Nat & Stu watched a porno. That might give you an indication of how much the fourth instalment of the Fast & Furious franchise - conveniently called "Fast & Furious" - held the attention of your erstwhile hosts. Still, there's a bit to dive into about the film, including its somewhat familiar plot, obsession with tunnels, and big twist reveal. Enjoy!

Nat and Stu re-start their engines for the second instalment in the Fast & Furious franchise: 2 Fast 2 Furious. Brian O'Connor is back - no longer a cop, he makes his money from what else, illegal street racing. But he's given a chance to clear his records by what else, going undercover to run cash for a drug baron. There's no Vin Diesel, but there is Tyrese. Also Ludacris. It's a rappers' delight. Together they WILL jump a car onto a boat. This ep also sees the introduction of commentary by Natalie's brother and F&F fanatic, Simon. Enjoy!