The Sam Sanders Show

This episode is nothing but hot takes!

In a world drowning in opinions, Sam and friends serve up their spiciest ones — the kind that spark debate, start drama, or are just too real to admit out loud.

TV writer and producer Kara Brown (Swarm, She-Hulk, Grown-ish) joins to argue that spoilers aren’t actually bad — and she means it. But not so fast: Sam&rsqu...

How is entertainment changing with our current political moment? 

Hollywood networks are scrapping trans storylines, DEI pipelines set up after 2020 are shutting down, and the conservative universe is thriving online. Are big studios chasing Donald Trump voters like the last time he was elected? Or is the chokehold of social media influencing how everyone else does business? Sam unpacks it all...

Marsai Martin became a star at just 9 years old on Black-ish. Now 20, she’s holding her own opposite Viola Davis in the new action thriller G20. Sam talks with Marsai about growing up in Hollywood, why she avoids “Black pain” roles, and how her Texas upbringing keeps her grounded. Plus, her mom Carol joins the conversation to share the family values that helped Marsai thrive in th...

For millions of people, the soundtrack of their lives is curated by Spotify. The streaming giant has made it easier than ever to listen to music, but journalist Liz Pelly argues that it’s also devalued music in our culture and the artists who make it. Her new book is called Mood Machine: The Rise Of Spotify And The Costs Of The Perfect Playlist. Liz breaks down how the streaming service chang...

The Star Wars Holiday Special, The Brady Bunch Variety Hour, and Rob Lowe singing with Snow White at the Oscars have gone down in history as some of the worst TV ever made. Bruce Vilanch is the man behind them all. He recounts his biggest TV flops in his new book It Seemed Like a Bad Idea at the Time. Sam chats with Bruce about how those infamous TV moments were made, how writing TV comedy has chan...

With her debut novel Detransition, Baby, Torrey Peters made history as the first openly trans writer to be published by a major publishing house. Now, she’s back with a new book that makes the case that we’re all living the trans experience. It’s called Stag Dance, and it challenges how we think about gender and explores transness not as an identity, but an invitation. Torrey and ...

Are movie stars a thing of the past? Paul Scheer (actor, comedian) and Amy Nicholson (LA Times film critic) – co-hosts of the Unspooled podcast – join Sam to break down why Hollywood stopped making true stars. Gone are the days of Denzel, Julia, and Tom – now it’s all about franchises, streaming, and social media clout. So who’s to blame? Studio execs afraid ...

Is reality TV in trouble? Seasons are shorter, fresh stars are hard to find, and production is down. Sam digs into the drama with Rachel Lindsay (former Bachelorette, host of Morally Corrupt and Higher Learning) and Ryan Bailey (host of So Bad It’s Good). They break down whether the reality TV bubble is bursting, how social media changed the game, and why execs keep making the same mistakes. ...

This Oscars weekend we have a bonus episode on a topic that really irks Sam – bad wigs on the big screen. Here to break down what’s going on is Hollywood hairstylist and wigmaker Dawn Dudley. Her work has been seen in A Star is Born, Rob Zombie’s The Munsters, HBO’s Westworld and tons more. She breaks down what’s really happening on Hollywood sets and says it’s o...

Kari Ferrell became a viral sensation in 2009 after her small time cons gained international attention. She was living in Brooklyn, working at Vice News when she was exposed and dubbed “The Hipster Grifter.” Sam chats with Kari about what led her to become a scammer, why the media became so obsessed and her road to redemption. Kari Ferrell’s new memoir You'll Never Believe Me: A L...

Caroline Rose makes music that cuts deep, and their latest album, year of the slug, is no exception. Sam talks with the indie singer-songwriter about why this album isn’t on Spotify, the struggle of working-class musicians in today’s industry, and how rejecting major platforms is an act of artistic defiance. Plus, Caroline opens up about their past breakup album The Art of Forgetting, h...

It’s Black History Month, and Sam is doing something a little different: building a Black Hollywood Mount Rushmore! Comedians and writers Yassir Lester and Garrick Bernard join Sam to debate which Black entertainers have left the biggest mark on the industry.

Plus, the trio unpacks how the entertainment industry has evolved for Black creatives, the impact of strikes and streaming...

Sam’s hot take — it’s time to put an end to the Academy Awards. He lays out his case to Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins, hosts of The Big Picture podcast from The Ringer. They break down why the Oscars often reward the wrong films, prioritize campaigning over quality, and struggle to stay relevant in today’s entertainment landscape. Plus, how to make the hours-long ceremon...

Instead of dishing on Grammys predictions, we’re taking singing lessons. Vocal coach Doug Peck has worked with Grammy winners like Billie Eilish, Paramore’s Hayley Williams, and Broadway legend Patti Lupone. What exactly does a vocal coach do, why does everyone in the biz have one, and how do you learn to sing like a star? Plus, listen to the very end for Sam’s own musical surpris...

The internet was in a frenzy over the short-lived TikTok ban. The app went down, then came back, and could still disappear again? Here to unpack what it all means for pop culture are two viral sensations, Franchesca Ramsey and Brandon Kyle Goodman. They’re both creators, podcasters, actors, and TV writers who had a lot to say about the internet and why Americans should party more.

It’s been a rough start to the year for everyone in Los Angeles so we invited some friends to help us get through it with laughter. Chelsea Devantez, host of the Glamorous Trash podcast, and comedian Erin Dewey Lennox. Together, we break down the pop culture we’re excited for in 2025 and what we’re leaving behind in 2024.  

If you need resources or you&...

In early 2020, comedian and actor Rachel Bloom faced life-changing extremes: the birth of her first child and the loss of collaborator Adam Schlesinger to COVID in the same week. In her Netflix special Death, Let Me Do My Special, Bloom processes these losses in a way that caught Sam’s attention, making his favorite comedy special of the last year. Rachel chats with Sam about her process and ...

Today we’re sharing an episode from our friends at 10% Happier with Dan Harris featuring our own Sam Sanders. 

Sam shares how he’s been dealing with grief over the last year, what it looks like to maintain a relationship with someone even after they’ve died, and what death has taught him about living a good life. 

If you like what you hear, chec...