Television

Arts

HBO's Garry Shandling Biography Is An Affecting Take On The Meaning Of Life

2:25pm March 22, 2018

by David Bianculli

Filmmaker Judd Apatow examines the major influences in Shandling's life — as well the ways the late comedian influenced others — in his two-part documentary, The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling.

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Roy Wood Jr. is a correspondent for The Daily Show.

Comic Roy Wood Jr. Taps Into America's Psyche On 'The Daily Show'

1:16pm March 21, 2018

by Terry Gross

Wood says the years he spent performing in comedy clubs in the South and Midwest — sometimes in places where he felt unsafe as a black man — prepared him for his work on The Daily Show.

The Guy (Ben Sinclair) on High Maintenance.

Pop Culture Happy Hour: 'High Maintenance'

12:55pm March 21, 2018

by Linda Holmes

The popular web series turned HBO comedy follows a single weed dealer from customer to customer, dropping in on their lives and doing little to cure their loneliness.

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Comedian Andy Richter and Guy Branum, the host and creator of Talk Show The Game Show.

Pop Culture Happy Hour: Talk Shows With Guy Branum

10:08am March 16, 2018

by Linda Holmes

We've wanted to spend some time talking about talk shows — not just hosts, but guests, too — for a while now. We got the perfect opportunity when Guy Branum came to town.

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Actor Danny Trejo, shown here in 2014, produced the documentary Survivors Guide To Prison, which focuses on injustices within the criminal justice system.

Arts

Danny Trejo On Acting, Addiction And Playing 'The Mean Chicano Dude'

5:34pm March 14, 2018

by Terry Gross

Trejo says that his experience standing in the San Quentin prison yard waiting for a riot prepared him for acting: "You're absolutely scared to death ... [but] you have to pretend you're not."

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Actors Claire Foy and Matt Smith attend the world premiere of season 2 of Netflix's The Crown in London last year.

World News

The Queen Was Paid Less Than Her Prince On Netflix's 'The Crown'

7:25pm March 13, 2018

by Eric Deggans

The producers of the TV drama say the star, Claire Foy, got less than former Doctor Who star Matt Smith, but also say that will be rectified in future seasons when new actors take over the characters.

ABC's reboot of American Idol is hosted by Ryan Seacrest and judged by Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan.

'American Idol' Reboot Has 3 Potential Problems, But The Pitch Ain't One

1:31pm March 12, 2018

by Eric Deggans

American Idol was a powerful brand before Fox canceled it in 2016. It'll be tough for this new version to reignite interest, but it has one thing going for it: a huge heart.

TV Review: 'O.J. Simpson: The Lost Confession?'

7:00am March 12, 2018

by Eric Deggans

Fox aired a special Sunday night using tape from 2006, which hadn't been aired before, in which O.J. Simpson essentially admits to killing his wife Nicole, and her friend Ron Goldman.

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Why The Revival Of 'American Idol' Might Just Work

4:20pm March 09, 2018

by Eric Deggans

ABC will revive Fox's onetime blockbuster music competition American Idol on Sunday. NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans says the first episode reveals lots of reasons why the reboot was probably a bad idea — including a tarnished host in Ryan Seacrest. But there are also a couple of surprising arguments for why it just might work.

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Former President Barack Obama addresses participants at a summit on climate change involving mayors from around the globe on Dec. 5 in Chicago.

Obama In Talks To Produce Shows For Netflix, Report Says

11:38am March 09, 2018

by Doreen McCallister

The former president is in negotiations to produce a series of high-profile shows for Netflix, according to The New York Times. The number of episodes and show formats have not been decided.