Television

Arts

'The Knick' Redefines Oscar-Winning Director's Role In Television

5:25pm October 16, 2015

by Eric Deggans

The Knick returns for its second season on Cinemax Friday night. And with it, Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh seems to be making good on his vow to turn his back on the film world and work exclusively in TV. He also has a new show on Amazon called Red Oaks, a comedy set in the 1980s. NPR reviews both and says Soderbergh's success is enabling him to shift power in the TV business from writer/producers to director/producers, and that power shift has a lot of repercussions.

Queue Listen Now

National

'Ebony Magazine' Explores 'The Cosby Show's' Tainted Legacy

5:23pm October 16, 2015

NPR's Kelly McEvers speaks with Ebony Magazine writer Goldie Taylor about the cover of next month's issue, which features the Huxtables with shattered glass over the image of Bill Cosby.

Queue Listen Now

Beakman, played by performance artist Paul Zaloom, was on TV in the U.S. 20 years ago, but is still beloved in Latin America, where it plays in reruns.

Arts

Remember 'Beakman's World'? The Wacky Scientist Is Still Big In Latin America

7:33pm October 15, 2015

by Jon Kalish

The children's TV show ran for just five years in the U.S. in the 1990s. But it's still hugely popular in Latin America, and a stage version of the show attracts audiences in the thousands.

Queue Listen Now

Grittier Telenovelas Are Ratings Gold For Telemundo

6:12pm October 15, 2015

by Jasmine Garsd

Telenovelas' standard plots grew stale and viewership was down. Then networks led by Telemundo in the U.S. began producing more realistic and lurid series. And it's working, Telemundos ratings are up.

Queue Listen Now

Hasan Minhaj performs in his new one-man show "Homecoming King".

Arts

Hasan Minhaj Of 'Daily Show' On Prom, Indian Dads And White Folks At Desi Weddings

2:30pm October 15, 2015

by Elizabeth Blair

Homecoming King is the comedian's absorbing tale about the first-generation American experience and the NBA (New Brown America).

Queue Listen Now

Justin Theroux plays a former police chief who has moved from New York to Texas and is trying to create a new family in the second season of the HBO series, The Leftovers.

Arts

As One Of 'The Leftovers,' Actor Justin Theroux Explores Loss And Spirituality

5:19pm October 14, 2015

In the HBO series, Theroux is a man trying to make sense of the disappearance of 2 percent of the world's population. He describes Season 2 as moving into "spiritual territory."

Queue Listen Now

Economy

What Do We Know About People Who Don't (And Never Did) Have Cable?

5:16pm October 14, 2015

by Alina Selyukh

One analyst finds that economics is the key driver behind the growing phenomenon of so-called "cord-nevers," people who never subscribed to cable or satellite TV.

Randall Park plays Louis Huang on the ABC comedy Fresh Off the Boat. He says it was easy for the show to steer clear of "easy" racist jokes. "To us that's not funny," he says. "We weren't going to go there."

Arts

Actor Randall Park Says 'Fresh Off The Boat' Is Comedy Without The Cliché

4:22pm October 14, 2015

The Asian-American actor is determined to "do good by the community" in his work. He says the ABC comedy steers clear of "easy" and "tired" racist jokes.

Queue Listen Now

In Indian Summers Sooni Dalal (Aysha Kala) is a bold revolutionary, determined to become a lawyer.

Arts

Ruling Class And Revolution Clash In Sumptuous 'Indian Summers'

3:05pm October 14, 2015

by NPR Staff

While the British gossip over gin and tonics, the Indian streets are brewing with calls for independence. The new 10-part British TV drama has just had its U.S. debut.

Queue Listen Now

Arts

I Met A Girl Named Maria

3:02pm October 14, 2015

VIP Sonia Manzano leads a game for mother-and-son contestants on their Sesame Street expertise.

Queue Listen Now