Pop Culture

Comedian Trevor Noah hosts his first episode of The Daily Show on Sept. 28.

'The Daily Show' Introduces A New Host — And A Familiar Feel

11:59am September 29, 2015

by Eric Deggans

Longtime viewers didn't know what to expect of Trevor Noah's debut Monday night. What they got resembled the old show, perhaps because it kept a lot of writers and producers from Jon Stewart's era.

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Wes Craven's most memorable creation may have been knife-fingered nightmare Freddy Krueger.

Arts

Rest In Peace, Wes Craven — The Rest Of Us Sure Won't

9:39am September 29, 2015

by Neda Ulaby

The horror master, who died Sunday, disturbed the dreams of millions of moviegoers in A Nightmare on Elm Street, and he helped to revitalize horror in the 1990s by directing the Scream movies.

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Arts

Devoted Fans Cross The Country For 'Gunsmoke' Reunion

9:13am September 27, 2015

by Abigail Wilson

It's been 40 years since Gunsmoke ran on television, but it remains a classic Western. Several actors, including Burt Reynolds, reunite in Dodge City, Kan.

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National

Happy Punctuation Day! Which Is All The Rage, Next To Go?

1:59pm September 25, 2015

It's National Punctuation Day, and, mysteriously, some of the All Things Considered staff still use periods when texting. What punctuation is next to go? And what is making a comeback?

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Linda and Glen look forward to watching Supergirl, the new CBS series starring Melissa Benoist.

Arts

Pop Culture Happy Hour: The Toronto International Film Festival And Our Fall TV Pool

10:53am September 25, 2015

by Linda Holmes

This week, a big fall movie update from Toronto, plus our annual futile effort to predict the future of fall shows.

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After Prank Calls, Russian President Putin Actually Chats With Elton John

7:36pm September 24, 2015

A week ago, two pranksters called Elton John and pretended to be Russian President Vladimir Putin. On Thursday, the real Putin phoned the singer and proposed that they meet.

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Comic Jim Gaffigan On Stand-Up, Faith And Opening For The Pope

4:50pm September 24, 2015

On Saturday, Gaffigan will perform for an audience that may include Pope Francis. A practicing Catholic, the comic says faith is a central part of his humor.

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Taraji P. Henson's Cookie refuses to be marginalized or dismissed.

The Tao Of Cookie: Behind The 'Empire' Character's Many-Layered Persona

12:34am September 24, 2015

by Karen Grigsby Bates

Brash, biting Cookie Lyon is arguably the most compelling character on Fox's hit show Empire. The show's co-producer and writer Attica Locke says that's because we've all got a bit of Cookie in us.

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ABC's The Muppets is a faux-documentary about the making of the late night talk show Up Late with Miss Piggy.

Arts

5 TV Shows To Watch In An Otherwise Uninspiring Fall Season

3:15pm September 23, 2015

by Eric Deggans

The networks mostly played it safe — and boring — this year. But critic Eric Deggans found a few shows you shouldn't miss: The Muppets, Supergirl, Grandfathered, The Grinder and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

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Arts

Long-Running Variety Show 'Sabado Gigante' Comes To An End

2:25pm September 23, 2015

by Jasmine Garsd

After more than half a century, Sabado Gigante, or "Gigantic Saturday," is going off the air. For years, the variety show was one of the few "family" shows broadcast across the Spanish-speaking world.

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