Television

Matthew Rhys plays Perry Mason in the new HBO reboot of the legal drama based on Erle Stanley Gardner's detective stories. "To my mind, he makes a good private investigator because he doesn't fit in in any way," Rhys says.

Arts

'Perry Mason' Reboot Is No Rerun: This Is A 'Very Dark' Take, Says Matthew Rhys

8:09am June 20, 2020

by Scott Simon

Welsh actor Matthew Rhys stars in the HBO version of the 1960s legal drama. This Perry Mason is a seamy, slovenly private eye in 1932 Los Angeles. "He doesn't fit in in any way," Rhys says.

Arts

'Perry Mason' Reboot Reimagines The Original Aggressively — And Effectively

2:13pm June 18, 2020

by David Bianculli

HBO's new 8-part miniseries stars Matthew Rhys in the title role. The show is full of delightful surprises, including its portrayal of Mason as a gumshoe — not an iconic defense attorney.

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Espress yourself: Victor (Michael Cimino, left) bellies up to barista Benji (George Sear) in Hulu's Love, Victor.

Arts

Hovering In The Closet Doorway: 'Love, Victor'

7:54am June 17, 2020

by Glen Weldon

The makers of 2018's inoffensive Love, Simon center this Hulu series on a Latinx teen from a conservative, working-class family, but otherwise recapitulate the film's strengths — and weaknesses.

Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) becomes temporarily paralyzed after the sudden death of her father in Never Have I Ever.

Arts

If You're Grieving Right Now, Here Are 5 Shows That Get It

6:59am June 17, 2020

by Eric Deggans

It may sound odd to highlight fictional stories about grief at a time when so much of the real thing is around. But experts say there is catharsis in watching someone struggle with familiar feelings.

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Arts

Mark Ruffalo Discusses Family, Grief On His New Show 'I Know This Much Is True'

8:00am June 14, 2020

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talk to Mark Ruffalo about his HBO Max series, I Know This Much is True.

Study: TV Police Shows Affect Real-World Policing

7:25pm June 13, 2020

by Andrew Limbong

Some police procedurals are getting booted off television. One study reveals how TV portrays police and the criminal justice system can interfere with attempts at reform.

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As Police Shows Leave TV, Activists Hope Inaccurate Portrayals Of Police Leave, Too

6:57pm June 13, 2020

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Rashad Robinson from Color of Change, about the group's longstanding campaign to end what they say are harmful and inaccurate portrayals of police work on television.

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Science

TV Cop Shows Affect Real-World Policing, Study Says

6:09pm June 13, 2020

by Andrew Limbong

Police procedurals are standard fare on television. But a recent study says the way TV portrays police and the criminal justice system at large can get in the way of attempts at reform.

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Books
Arts

Tune In To 'Up All Night' For The Story Of Daniel Schorr And The Birth Of CNN

8:00am June 13, 2020

by Scott Simon

Former Murrow Boy Dan Schorr and "Mouth of the South" Ted Turner seem like an unlikely pairing — but when Turner was launching CNN 40 years ago, the veteran newsman was his first editorial employee.

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Entertainment Companies Express Solidarity With Black Lives Matter

4:09pm June 12, 2020

Big streaming services are highlighting TV shows and movies about black life and dropping movies like Gone With The Wind in support of Black Lives Matter.