Pop Culture

James Corden (left) talks to Mila Kunis and Tom Hanks on Monday's debut of The Late Late Show with James Corden.

Arts

James Corden Nods To Talk Show Tradition With CBS's 'Late Late Show'

3:44pm March 24, 2015

by Eric Deggans

British comic actor James Corden took over CBS's Late Late Show on Monday with a star-studded debut. NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans says he offered a touch of talk show tradition with a modern feel.

Arts

'American Crime': A Series Packed With 'Emotional Honesty' About Race

2:59pm March 24, 2015

The show revolves around a murder case in which nearly all the characters are part victim and part aggressor. Creator John Ridley and actor Benito Martinez explain.

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Arts

James Corden Hits Late-Night TV With His Own Skill Set And Mindset

2:53pm March 24, 2015

by David Bianculli

The Late Late Show with James Corden fills the post-David Letterman time slot on CBS. TV critic David Bianculli says that based on first impressions, Corden will "settle in nicely."

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Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny will reprise their roles as Dana Scully and Fox Mulder in The X-Files limited series.

Arts

Here Comes 'The X-Files,' Back For More Mulder, More Scully, And More

12:58pm March 24, 2015

by Linda Holmes

Fox has announced that its beloved sci-fi series The X-Files will be back for six new episodes from creator Chris Carter, with stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson.

Arts

In Move From Web To TV, 'Childrens Hospital' Could Set An Example

8:14pm March 23, 2015

by Eric Deggans

Childrens Hospital returns to Cartoon Network's Adult Swim for its sixth season Friday. NPR's Eric Deggans spent a day on set and reports on how this niche comedy is swimming against the tide.

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From left, Videofreex David Cort, Bart Friedman and Parry Teasdale filmed kids' programs and daily goings-on in 1973 at their Maple Tree Farm in Lanesville, N.Y.

Arts

Decades Before YouTube, Video Pioneers Captured Turbulent Era

12:02pm March 22, 2015

by Karen Michel

In the pre-digital age, shooting video was unwieldy and expensive. But in the late 1960s, storytellers calling themselves "Videofreex" used the first portable video recorders to film a changing world.

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Jamal (played by Jussie Smollett) and Cookie (played by Taraji P. Henson) attend the all white party in the "The Lyon's Roar" episode of Empire.

Swagger On Display At 'Empire' Season Finale Parties

12:18pm March 20, 2015

by Bilal Qureshi

With its flashy swagger and quotable one-liners, Empire, the Fox series about a black music label, has become a cultural phenomenon. A watch party in D.C., had just as much.

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A drawing of two clinking martini glasses.

Books
Arts

Pop Culture Happy Hour: Nick Hornby's 'Funny Girl' And Adapting Books

11:23am March 20, 2015

by Linda Holmes

On this week's show, we read a book — specifically Nick Hornby's Funny Girl. We broaden out from there to film adaptations of books, and as always, we tell you what's making us happy this week.

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Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) has been the highlight of the first season of Empire.

Arts

The 'Empire' Touch: A Cookie By Any Other Name

9:39am March 19, 2015

by Linda Holmes

Fox's freshman series Empire finished its first season with an action-packed often baffling finale that underscored how much fun it is, even when it doesn't make sense.

Terrence Howard (center) stars in Empire with (from left): Jussie Smollett, Serayah McNeill, Taraji P. Henson, Bryshere Gray, Grace Gealey, Trai Byers and Kaitlin Doubleday.

Arts

Does Fox's 'Empire' Break Or Bolster Black Stereotypes?

7:51pm March 18, 2015

by Eric Deggans

The hip-hop drama ends its first season Wednesday as a huge hit, thanks to black viewers. But NPR TV critic Eric Deggans says it also has sparked a complex debate over TV stereotypes.