Television

Edie Falco stars in Showtime's "Nurse Jackie."

'Nurse Jackie' Ends As TV's Most Honest Depiction Of Addiction

4:46pm April 13, 2015

by Eric Deggans

Showtime's dramedy Nurse Jackie begins its final season Sunday. NPR TV critic Eric Deggans says the show offers television's most realistic depiction of a high functioning drug addict.

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer on HBO's Veep.

Arts

The Hapless 'Veep' Staff Trips Itself Up As Selina Ascends

1:02pm April 13, 2015

by Linda Holmes

HBO's terrific political satire returned Sunday night as a teleprompter created a disaster.

Arts

A Good-Old-Boy Thing: Remembering Actor James Best

11:01am April 12, 2015

Actor James Best died last week at age 88. He was best known for playing Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane in the TV series "The Dukes of Hazzard." NPR's Rachel Martin spoke with him in 2013.

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In American Odyssey, Anna Friel plays Sgt. Odelle Ballard, who is stationed in Mali. After her team is killed, she finds herself running for her life — which includes disguising herself as a man.

Arts

'American Odyssey': Three Ordinary People, One Thrill-Filled Plot

10:47pm April 11, 2015

by NPR Staff

The show is about a government conspiracy. But co-creator Peter Horton says beneath the action, human stories drive the show. "That's the little dirty secret," he says. "This is a character piece."

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Mulgrew starred as Captain Kathryn Janeway, the first woman to command a Federation Starship, in Star Trek: Voyager.

Books
Arts

'Born With Teeth,' Actress Kate Mulgrew On A Life Lived With Abandon

7:22pm April 11, 2015

by NPR Staff

Mulgrew played Captain Janeway on Star Trek: Voyager and is a formidable kitchen manager on Orange Is the New Black. But her personal story is more dramatic than any she's ever played on screen.

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As the new season of Game of Thrones begins, Tyrion Lannister (played by Peter Dinklage) is on the run after killing his manipulative father.

Arts

'Game Of Thrones' And 'Veep' Anchor HBO's Killer Sunday Lineup

8:26pm April 10, 2015

by Eric Deggans

HBO's Game of Thrones, Veep and Silicon Valley all start new seasons Sunday. NPR TV critic Eric Deggans says these three shows just might form the best Sunday night lineup on television this spring.

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Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell in Masterpiece's Wolf Hall.

Arts

Small Batch Edition: 'Wolf Hall' On PBS

3:51pm April 09, 2015

by Linda Holmes

PCHH pal and book enthusiast Barrie Hardymon joins us to talk Tudors, historical fiction, and expressive eyebrow acting.

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The gesture Kimmy's making doesn't mean the same thing to Dong.

Why It's So Hard For Us To Agree About Dong From 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt'

10:35am April 09, 2015

by Kat Chow

With a name like Dong — and so few roles for Asian-American men on TV — it's understandable that this character has been raising eyebrows. But in the context of the show, Dong makes complete sense.

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Arts

'Louie' Hits Its Mark While 'The Comedians' Hasn't Yet Fully Succeeded

3:25pm April 08, 2015

by David Bianculli

Louis C.K.'s comedy and the new mockumentary The Comedians start Thursday on the FX cable network. Both are unusual and ambitious, says critic David Bianculli, but only one hits the ground running.

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National

Watch Jon Stewart Defend Trevor Noah On 'The Daily Show'

2:15pm April 07, 2015

by Krishnadev Calamur

Stewart, the show's host, called Noah, the man named to succeed him, "incredibly thoughtful and ... funny." Noah had been criticized for the tone and content of some of his tweets.