Pop Culture

David Suchet plays Hercule Poirot in Agatha Christie's Poirot. The last season premiers Aug. 25 on Acorn TV.

Arts

Case Closed: Agatha Christie's Detective Poirot Solves His Last TV Mystery

3:24pm August 13, 2014

by David Bianculli

After decades on air, Poirot's 13th and final season begins Aug. 25. David Suchet still stars as detective Hercule Poirot, but you won't find the show on PBS. So where is it?

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A peek inside the kitchen of Next, an early adopter of the ticket system that's replacing reservations at some restaurants.

National

No More Reservations: Exclusive Restaurants Require Tickets Instead

10:57am August 11, 2014

by Jeff Tyler

High-end restaurants featuring rock star chefs are starting to turn to tickets to stem the tide of no-shows. In the future, going out to eat could become a lot like going to a sold-out concert.

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On The Knick, the graphic scenes are riveting, says David Bianculli, though at times you may want to look away. Here, Clive Owen's character administers a shot.

Arts

Stick With 'The Knick,' A Medical Drama With Amazing Inventions

4:37pm August 07, 2014

by David Bianculli

The new Cinemax show stars Clive Owen as a rude doctor in a New York City hospital in 1900. It may take a few episodes, but you'll care about the characters and their inventions.

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On Masters of Sex, Allison Janney plays Margaret Scully. Janney was nominated for an Emmy as outstanding guest actress in a drama series for her performance.

Arts

Allison Janney On Sex, Sorkin And Being The Tallest Woman In The Room

7:11pm August 04, 2014

Allison Janney has been nominated for Emmys for her roles on Masters of Sex and Mom. She says her relationships with her mother and her brother, who was an addict, helped inform her characters.

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Arts

How Interactive TV Is Older Than TV Itself

3:52pm August 04, 2014

by David Bianculli

As technology gets more complex, TV producers aim to take advantage of it, such as relying on phoned-in votes from viewers. The interactive talent show, it turns out, predates TV itself.

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Marion Cotillard stars in The Immigrant, director James Gray's film about a Polish woman's experience after she disembarks at Ellis Island.

National

Arrivals And Departures: Films Explore The Immigrant Experience

8:55am August 01, 2014

by Bilal Qureshi

The Immigrant and Zinda Bhaag are idea-driven films that delve into the global arc of migration from different corners of the world.

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Maggie Gyllenhaal stars as Nessa Stein in the SundanceTV original series The Honorable Woman.

Arts

Maggie Gyllenhaal Is 'The Honorable Woman': A Series Both Ruthless And Rewarding

5:18pm July 31, 2014

by David Bianculli

The eight-part drama that begins Thursday stars Maggie Gyllenhaal as a British baroness with an Israeli passport. She's a fearless actor in a show full of kidnappings, seductions and betrayals.

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On Wednesday, Lifetime premiered BAPs, a reality show that follows "an exclusive, privileged and affluent group of African American friends from St. Louis who self-identify as 'BAPs' — Black American Princesses and Princes."

Arts

Hoping To Reach A Wider Audience, Lifetime Breaks Out Of Familiar Formula

5:19am July 29, 2014

by Priska Neely

Lifetime's general manager says the channel is trying to reflect "the true breadth" of America. It recently launched a reality show called BAPs — which stands for "Black American Prince or Princess."

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Tim Gunn: On And Off The Runway, 'Life Is A Big Collaboration'

10:18am July 28, 2014

"Make it work," the fashion guru tells designers on Project Runway. But life hasn't always "worked" for Gunn. Originally broadcast on Feb. 5, 2014.

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"When I'm working on The Daily Show, I understand that I'm having a dialogue with the audience about something that is pretty charged," says Larry Wilmore. "And I'm always trying to work on: What is this really about?"

Arts

Larry Wilmore Knows: Heavy Lies The Late-Night Mantle

4:13pm July 26, 2014

by Eric Deggans

Larry Wilmore talks to NPR TV critic Eric Deggans about the pressure of moving from his job as the "senior black correspondent" on The Daily Show to his spot as host of the new show Minority Report.

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