Television

ABC's 'The Muppets' Brings The Classic Characters Into Modern Culture

6:36pm September 22, 2015

by Eric Deggans

The fall TV season begins this week and one of the most anticipated new shows is The Muppets. It's a mockumentary, behind-the-scenes type of show that premieres Tuesday night on ABC.

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"L-R: (Bottom Row) Bryshere Gray as Hakeem Lyon, Jussie Smollett as Jamal Lyon, Trai Byers as Andre Lyon (Middle Row) Grace Gealey as Anika, Kaitlin Doubleday as Rhonda Lyon (Top Row) Gabourey Sidibe as Becky, Terrence Howard as Lucious Lyon, Taraji P. He

Arts

Showrunner Hopes 'Empire' Is 'On The Crest Of A Wave Of Change'

2:48pm September 22, 2015

by NPR Staff

Empire — a drama about an African-American family, a rare thing on broadcast TV — has had stellar ratings. As Season 2 begins, Ilene Chaiken talks about entertainment value and cultural impact.

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Arts

'Olive Kitteridge' Emmy Wins Follow Debate On Roles For Women

2:19pm September 22, 2015

The HBO miniseries won six Emmys Sunday. Lead actress Frances McDormand explains how the show brought a complex, ordinary woman to life in a year of debate about roles for women in Hollywood.

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Arts

'Fresh Air' Remembers: Jack Larson, Who Played Jimmy Olsen On TV's 'Superman'

1:45pm September 22, 2015

Best known as the oft-kidnapped cub reporter on the original Superman TV show, Larson was also a poet, playwright and librettist. He died at his home Sunday. Originally broadcast in 1993.

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Viola Davis accepts the Emmy for outstanding Best Actress in a Drama series for How to Get Away With Murder at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday in Los Angeles.

Arts

Roundup: Some Of The Best Writing On Viola Davis' Emmy Win

1:24pm September 22, 2015

by Leah Donnella

Oh, and the musings of a daytime soap star who got a crash course in Black Twitter on Sunday night.

Tom Bergeron goofs around amiably with Kermit The Frog on the first episode of ABC's new The Muppets, premiering Tuesday night.

Arts

'The Muppets' Get Good Help From The Live Humans

8:35am September 22, 2015

by Linda Holmes

Oddly enough, the best understanding of the best tone for a new Muppet project comes from Elizabeth Banks, Tom Bergeron and Josh Groban.

Viola Davis poses with her Emmy on Sunday night.

Arts

There's A Story There: Why The Emmys Rocked Even As HBO Rolled

9:40pm September 21, 2015

by Linda Holmes

Despite single-network dominance that could seem a little dull, Sunday's Emmys brought great stories and some very stirring speeches.

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Jack Larson, Who Played Jimmy Olsen In 'Superman' TV Series, Dies

8:01pm September 21, 2015

by Neda Ulaby

Actor Jack Larson has died at the age of 87. He was best known for playing cub reporter Jimmy Olsen in the TV series, The Adventures of Superman. Larson went on to become a playwright and librettist.

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World News

'Sabado Gigante,' Longest-Running TV Variety Show, Ends This Weekend

4:19pm September 21, 2015

The world's longest-running TV variety show ends Saturday. For more than half a century, Sabado Gigante loomed large in living rooms across the U.S. and Latin America. Commentator Cynthia Leonor Garza looks back.

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Arts

TV After The Emmy Awards: The Good, The Bad And 'The Muppets'

1:55pm September 21, 2015

by David Bianculli

TV critic David Bianculli reflects on the Emmy ceremony held last night and looks ahead at the new fall TV season. If you only catch one new show this year, Bianculli recommends The Muppets on ABC.

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