Pop Culture

Kevin Spacey (left) and Robin Wright star in House of Cards, directed by David Fincher. The Netflix series, which follows a Machiavellian politician, is an adaptation of a BBC series of the same name. Hear an interview with Spacey and Fincher.

Arts

David Bianculli's Top 10 Shows: 2013 Was A 'Good Year For TV'

4:44pm January 02, 2014

by David Bianculli

Two new shows from Netflix -- House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black — changed the TV landscape, but Bianculli's top pick for 2013 is AMC's Breaking Bad. "It ended as brilliantly as it began," he says. "I'm so grateful for that series."

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Isaac Asimov Right On With Some 2014 Predictions

7:52am January 02, 2014

Fifty years ago, science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov foresaw gadgets that "relieve mankind of tedious jobs" like machines that heat water and prepare coffee. He predicted smartphones — noting we'd be able to see and hear someone we call, and be able to look at photos on the same screen.

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American Dialect Society To Vote On Word Of The Year

7:44am December 31, 2013

Later this week the American Dialect Society will announce its word of the Year. Renee Montagne discusses word contenders with linguist Ben Zimmer, who is the language columnist for The Wall Street Journal.

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One of Machinima's signature offerings is a series called Christopher Walkenthrough, in which creator Jason Stephens, in character as actor Christopher Walken, navigates his way through popular video games. You kind of have to see it to understand.

Arts

A YouTube Powerhouse Looks Beyond Its Gamer Base

6:53pm December 23, 2013

by Neda Ulaby

The top digital network for gamers — a mostly young, male crowd — is eyeing a broader audience of geeks and nerds who enjoy TV, music and movies. But on the road from user-generated content to corporate enterprise, Machinima has hit a few speed bumps.

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Alex Borstein (left) and Niecy Nash star as nurses in the HBO comedy series Getting On, which was modeled after the hit BBC series of the same name.

Arts

'Getting On' With It: A New HBO Show Doesn't Tiptoe Around Death

4:01pm December 23, 2013

Set in the geriatric extended-care wing of a California hospital, Getting On is a different kind of workplace comedy. Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer adapted the show from a BBC series of the same name, and added new material largely inspired by experiences they had with their own mothers.

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The Secrets Of Great Cooking And Great Business

10:28pm December 21, 2013

by NPR Staff

Carlos Watson, co-founder of the online magazine Ozy, tells host Arun Rath about a chef hoping to bring cooking genius to the masses, and the "CEO Whisperer" who is a secret weapon for many powerful business leaders.

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President Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron pose for a "selfie" with Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning Schmidt during the memorial service for Nelson Mandela.

Arts

Narcissistic Or Not, 'Selfie' Is Nunberg's Word Of The Year

11:48am December 20, 2013

by Geoff Nunberg

Linguist Geoff Nunberg says he feels a little defensive about choosing "selfie" — a word that wears its ephemerality on its outstretched sleeve — as the word of 2013. But not only was this a year when we couldn't stop posting photos of ourselves online; we couldn't stop talking about it either.

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Jenna Coleman plays Clara, companion to Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith. The relationship between the Doctor and his companions is at the core of Doctor Who's long-lived appeal.

Arts

Allons-y! Why We've Been Traveling With 'Doctor Who' For 50 Years

5:24pm December 16, 2013

by Petra Mayer

The classic British sci-fi series Doctor Who turns 50 today — though the time-traveling Doctor himself is probably somewhere on the wrong side of 1000. NPR's Petra Mayer has an appreciation of the show and the enduring appeal of its ancient, alien hero.

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Nothing's sacred in We Are Miracles — but then as Sarah Silverman told Terry Gross in 2010, "there's a safety in what I do because I'm always the idiot. ... I'm always the ignoramus no matter what I talk about or what tragic event, off-color, dark scena

Arts

Sarah Silverman, Serving Up Sinfully Divine Comedy

5:24pm December 16, 2013

by NPR Staff

NPR's Scott Simon talks with Sarah Silverman about her upcoming stand-up special, We Are Miracles. Taped in front of a tiny live audience — just 39 people — the show takes aim at religion, childhood, politics, stereotypes and more.

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Science Becomes 'Sexy' With Fast Cars And Gangsta Physics

6:19pm December 14, 2013

Can science be cool? This week, Ozy co-founder Carlos Watson tells NPR about a gangster-turned-astrophysicist and a race car driver working to making science "sexy" again. Plus, a look at the changing landscape of African art — no tribal masks allowed.

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