Television

In her memoir, I, Rhoda, Harper (pictured here in 2013) writes that she was "determined to define [Rhoda's] style" and help soften her sharp edge.

Arts

Valerie Harper, Who Played Beloved TV Sidekick Rhoda, Dies At 80

11:06am August 31, 2019

by Elizabeth Blair

Harper's Mary Tyler Moore Show character was the perfect foil for the sitcom's buttoned-up protagonist. "Rhoda had this wonderful quality of saying the unsayable," Harper told NPR in 2010.

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Satirist Randy Rainbow Uses Show Tunes And Pop Songs To Lampoon Trump

1:37pm August 30, 2019

by Terry Gross

The Emmy-nominated lyricist/performer used to consider song parody cheap humor: "But ... I've gotten [such a] response ... that I'm appreciating it as an art form." Originally broadcast July 17, 2019.

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Arts

Billy Eichner Makes A Career Out Of Love/Hating Celebrity Culture

1:37pm August 30, 2019

by Terry Gross

In his Emmy-nominated series Billy on the Street, Eichner roams the sidewalks of Manhattan, asking strangers open-ended questions about the entertainment industry. Originally broadcast Dec. 12, 2016.

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Trebek's Back

7:22am August 30, 2019

Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek returned to hosting the program after cancer treatment.

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The three sister-princesses of the Vapra clan await the apology they feel they are owed in the Netflix prequel series Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

Arts

'Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance': Gorgeous, Multi-Faceted, Hollow At Its Center

5:00am August 30, 2019

by Glen Weldon

Netflix's 10-episode series — a prequel to the 1982 film — is, like the original, breathtaking to look at, but its thinly-drawn characters can't carry their narrative weight.

'Jeopardy!' Host Alex Trebek Back At Work Following Chemotherapy

7:53pm August 29, 2019

by Richard Gonzales

Trebek actually began taping the 36th season of the TV show in July.

Racer and TV host Jessi Combs died in a jet car crash on Tuesday attempting to break her own land speed record of 398 mph.

National

After Fatal Crash, Loved Ones Remember Racer Jessi Combs: 'She Was A Badass'

4:58pm August 29, 2019

by Brakkton Booker

Harney County Sheriff's Office confirmed Jessi Combs was trying to break her record of 398 mph when she died. Her North American Eagle Supersonic Speed Challenger crashed in Oregon's Alvord Desert.

Arts

'Dead To Me' Star Christina Applegate: Loss 'Lives In The Fibers Of Your Being'

1:32pm August 29, 2019

by Terry Gross

Applegate is nominated for an Emmy for her role as a woman mourning the sudden death of her husband in the Netflix series Dead to Me. Originally broadcast June 5, 2019.

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Arts

Natasha Lyonne On Being A 'Tough Guy' And Finding Herself Inside 'Russian Doll'

1:32pm August 29, 2019

by Terry Gross

Lyonne is up for an Emmy for her role as a woman who keeps dying and coming back to life on Russian Doll. It's a premise that she finds particularly resonant. Originally published March 27, 2019.

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Arts

Ava DuVernay Focuses On The Central Park 5's Perspective: 'Now People Know'

1:34pm August 28, 2019

by Terry Gross

DuVernay's When They See Us, which is up for 16 Emmys, chronicles five black and brown teenagers who were manipulated into falsely confessing to a brutal rape. Originally broadcast June 19, 2019.

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