Pop Culture

Arts

John Oliver: Topical Comedy With A Crisp Accent

1:26pm June 14, 2013

With Jon Stewart on leave, The Daily Show's "Senior British Correspondent" John Oliver has stepped up to fill in as host. In a Fresh Air interview from 2010, he talks about moving to the United States to join the show — and the weird credibility his accent immediately gives him with Americans.

Queue Listen Now

Jerry Seinfeld won a 2013 Webby Award for Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.

Arts

From Seinfeld, A Second Season Of 'Coffee' Talk

11:01am June 13, 2013

by NPR Staff

The stand-up is back with another run of his Webby-winning online series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. He tells NPR's Linda Wertheimer the project still feels like a personal outing with friends from the business.

Queue Listen Now

Mara Wilson, 25, was a child actor who starred in Matilda and Mrs. Doubtfire.

Arts

'Matilda' Star Mara Wilson On Why Some Child Actors Lose It

8:50am June 12, 2013

by NPR Staff

After years in movies and TV shows, some child actors end up making headlines for stints in rehab and legal drama later in life. Others leave Hollywood behind and pursue different careers. Mara Wilson, star of Matilda and Mrs. Doubtfire, explains the challenges of transitioning to adulthood.

Queue Listen Now

The 1939 film The Wizard Of Oz was rated G. The 2013 film Oz the Great and Powerful was rated PG. The difference? Maybe a little violence and a womanizing leading man.

Arts

When 'G' Movies Are For Kids, Do Kids Avoid 'G' Movies?

5:38pm June 10, 2013

by Bob Mondello

Bob Mondello says a G rating used to mean "general audiences." Now it means a movie for kids, and that means kids are less likely to be interested in them than they once were.

Queue Listen Now

David Cross (left) reprises his role as Dr. Tobias Funke, the sexually ambiguous brother-in-law of Jason Bateman's character, Michael Bluth, in Netflix's new season of Arrested Development.

Arts

'Arrested' No More: Hurwitz On Why The Bluths Are Back

5:05pm June 10, 2013

Seven years after Fox canceled the cult-favorite sitcom, a fourth season of Arrested Development is streaming on Netflix. The show's creator, Mitch Hurwitz, tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross that if the show doesn't get the right ratings this time, he can't blame the time slot.

Queue Listen Now

Jeffrey Tambor and Jessica Walter reprise their roles as George and Lucille Bluth in Netflix's new fourth season of Mitch Hurwitz's Arrested Development.

Arts

New 'Arrested Development' Gags Are Best Served In One Sitting

4:45pm June 04, 2013

by David Bianculli

Show creator Mitch Hurwitz advises against binge-watching the new season, but TV critic David Bianculli begs to differ. He says hidden identities and perplexing mysteries unfold slowly, and watching everything in one sitting helps make those connections even clearer.

Queue Listen Now

How To Speak Teen

9:11am June 01, 2013

Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon speaks with Canadian linguist James Harbeck about his collection and phonetic translation of annoying teenage sounds.

Queue Listen Now

Last year's Comikaze, seen here in September 2012, attracted tens of thousands of attendees.

Arts

Comikaze: Not Just The Other Comic Convention

8:43am May 29, 2013

by Linda Holmes

Dissatisfied with the scope and costs of the biggest fan convention in the country, one fan started a new gathering of her own, and she quickly brought some big names in to help out.

Queue Listen Now

Arts

From 'Groovy' To 'Slacks,' The Words That Date You

2:11pm May 27, 2013

When Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich used the word "slacks" in a column, a reader commented: "Slacks? How old are you?" The reader's comment got Schmich thinking about the words we choose and how much those choices can reveal about our age. (Originally broadcast on October 22, 2012.)

Queue Listen Now

Keith Carradine (right) performs with the cast of Hands on a Hardbody during its spring 2013 run in New York.

Two Songs That Led Keith Carradine From Screen To Broadway

6:22pm May 25, 2013

by NPR Staff

One of Keith Carradine's most famous roles in recent years was as Wild Bill Hickok on the HBO TV show Deadwood. But Carradine is also a musician, and it was a song that jump-started his career — and another that drew him to his latest Broadway role.

Queue Listen Now