Stephen Thompson

This week's episode of Pop Culture Happy Hour coincides exactly with Netflix's release of GLOW, a 10-episode TV series starring Alison Brie, Betty Gilpin and Marc Maron. Presenting a fictionalized history of the late-'80s syndicated TV show GLOW: Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling, GLOW carries the formidable DNA of executive producer Jenji Kohan (Orange Is The New Black, Weeds) and producers Liz Flahive (Nurse Jackie, Homeland) and Carly Mensch (Orange Is The New Black, Weeds, Nurse Jackie).

Sherlock and Pop Culture Happy Hour both premiered in 2010, but until now, the two have never intersected in the form of a full segment on our show. The series of 90-minute episodes — which air in America as part of PBS's Masterpiece Mystery! series — stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, respectively. Last weekend, Sherlock launched its fourth three-episode season (not counting a one-off special in January 2016), which makes this a perfect time to dive in.

The twists and turns of the 2016 election — not to mention the characters at the top of each major-party ticket — provide many opportunities for comedy. But it's tough out there for late-night joke-makers, who face more competition than ever, not to mention a social-media landscape in which seemingly every possible quip is being made in real time.

[In case you haven't heard, Pop Culture Happy Hour is about to embark on a West Coast tour. San Francisco, Seattle and Los Angeles are sold out — though we recently added an appearance (with Guy Branum!) at the Now Hear This podcast festival in Anaheim on Oct. 29 — but we'll also be in Portland on Oct. 19 with our dear pal Audie Cornish.