Television

Charles Barkley and executive producer Dan Partland speak during the American Race Press Luncheon in May in New York City.

In 'American Race,' Charles Barkley Is A True Believer In The Power Of Dialogue

12:01pm May 22, 2017

by Gene Demby

In the new TNT docu-series about race, the former NBA star is mostly indifferent to the broader context of the discussions he's wading into — and to the limits of trying to "start a dialogue."

Rachel Lindsay Will Debut As The First Black 'Bachelorette'

6:37am May 22, 2017

ABC's hit reality TV dating show The Bachelorette, has its first black lead. Morning Edition's Rachel Martin sits down with Rachel Lindsay, the star of the new season of The Bachelorette.

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Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson hosted the season finale for Saturday Night Live. Johnson, who has been publicly toying with the idea of running for president, recruited Tom Hanks to be his vice president.

'America Needs Us': Johnson And Hanks Announce Presidential Bid On 'SNL'

6:05pm May 21, 2017

by Doreen McCallister

On the season finale of Saturday Night Live, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson used the monologue to enlist Tom Hanks to be his 2020 running mate. A "crazy week" in news provided lots of fodder for the show.

This Week In Race: Dave Says Sorry, Coin Controversy, Health Hazards Of Segregation

7:30pm May 19, 2017

by Karen Grigsby Bates

Has there ever been such a week?

Arts

A Salute To 30 Years Of 'The Simpsons'

3:06pm May 19, 2017

We listen back to interviews with some of the show's cast members and writer-producers, plus its music composer. Among those featured: creator Matt Groening and Nancy Cartwright, who voices Bart.

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Aziz Ansari and Eric Wareheim play Dev and his friend Arnold on Netflix's Master Of None.

Arts

Pop Culture Happy Hour: 'Master Of None' And 'Snatched'

10:34am May 19, 2017

by Linda Holmes

On this week's show, Gene Demby from NPR's Code Switch and NPR TV critic Eric Deggans join us for a conversation about the second season of Master Of None and the very silly film Snatched.

25 Years After 'Twin Peaks,' The Odd Genius Of David Lynch Remains

7:45am May 19, 2017

by Eric Deggans

Director David Lynch likes to weird out audiences. His eccentric style can be unsettling to fans, but they keep coming back for more, as evidenced with the return of the Twin Peaks series.

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In Homecoming King, Minhaj talks about growing up caught between cultures.

Arts

Comic Hasan Minhaj On Roasting Trump And Growing Up A 'Third Culture Kid'

3:16pm May 18, 2017

by Terry Gross

"I'm an Indian-American-Muslim kid," Minhaj says, "but am I more Indian or am I more American? What part of my identity am I?" His new Netflix special is called Homecoming King.

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Actor Daniel Dae Kim attends a cocktail party celebrating dynamic and diverse nominees for the 67th Emmy Awards hosted by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and SAG-AFTRA at Montage Beverly Hills on August 27, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California.

Asian Americans In Hollywood Still Waiting For The Spotlight

1:45pm May 18, 2017

by Leah Donnella

In the meantime, some are producing their own shows or creating material for alternative platforms like YouTube.

Arts

TV Networks Unveil Fall Seasons At 2017 Upfronts

4:37pm May 17, 2017

by Eric Deggans

The upfronts are underway in New York. That's where networks show their fall season to advertisers to drum up business. NPR looks at what's coming and what's cancelled.