Television

Jon Stewart (from left) and Stephen Colbert hosted live editions of their programs, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, on Tuesday.

'Daily Show', 'Colbert' Strain To Lampoon Democratic Losses

3:17am November 06, 2014

by Eric Deggans

Both comedy shows aired live, election-themed episodes Tuesday. NPR TV critic Eric Deggans says the broadcasts showed the limits of news-tinged satire on the political scene.

Benedict Cumberbatch, right, and Martin Freeman star as Sherlock Holmes and John Watson on the BBC's crime drama Sherlock.

Arts

'Sherlock' Star Benedict Cumberbatch: Show's Last Season 'Really Freudian'

12:35pm November 04, 2014

by Eric Deggans

The BBC has just released a new deluxe DVD box set with all three seasons of Sherlock, and star Benedict Cumberbatch says the show's last season was its most revealing yet.

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Frances McDormand, left, stars with Richard Jenkins, right and Devin McKenzie Druid in HBO's Olive Kitteridge.

Arts

HBO's 'Olive Kitteridge' May Be The Best Depiction Of Marriage On TV

4:44pm November 03, 2014

by Eric Deggans

HBO's miniseries, starring Frances McDormand as a sharp-tongued wife, concludes tonight. NPR TV critic Eric Deggans calls it an unsparing, detailed look at the most quietly troubled marriage on TV.

Sports
Arts

'We Need To Talk': Sports News By Women, But Men Can Watch, Too

10:04am November 02, 2014

This fall, CBS launched the first sports talk show with all female commentators. NPR's Rachel Martin talks to panelist Amy Trask about the show, and the evolving role of women in sports journalism.

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Adam Driver starred in Tracks, This Is Where I Leave You and What If — all out this year. He says there are surprising similarities between two of his other biggest roles, on HBO's Girls and in the new Star Wars film. "If you think about breaking it dow

Arts

Actor's Calendar: 'Girls,' 'Star Wars,' Taking Theater To The Military

6:24pm November 01, 2014

by NPR Staff

Adam Driver is famous for his role in HBO's Girls and his major (and mysterious) part in the next Star Wars film. Less famous: The former Marine's nonprofit organization, Arts in the Armed Forces.

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Frances McDormand plays Olive Kitteridge in the four-hour HBO miniseries adapted from Elizabeth Strout's Pulitzer Prize-winning book of short stories.

Arts

Like Olive Kitteridge, Actress Frances McDormand Was Tired Of Supporting Roles

7:41pm October 31, 2014

by NPR Staff

"I've made a career of playing small supporting roles," McDormand says. And in a four-hour HBO miniseries she plays Kitteridge, a supporting character who "should be a leading lady."

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A new digital platform called Simpsons World features all 25 years of episodes. FX says it is trying to cater to both old-fashioned TV fans and people who watch shows on other devices.

Arts

In An Online, On-Demand Age, TV Reruns Are Redefined

3:27pm October 31, 2014

by Eric Deggans

FX's new digital platform, Simpsons World features all 25 years of episodes from The Simpsons. NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans says it's also among several sites that are revitalizing the TV rerun.

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Richard Jenkins plays Henry, Olive's husband.

Arts

In The Life Of 'Olive Kitteridge,' It's The Little Things That Add Up

2:48pm October 31, 2014

by David Bianculli

The HBO miniseries starring Frances McDormand is based on a collection of stories about residents in a small town in Maine. It's about family, friends and the tenuous relationships that make up life.

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Jeffrey Tambor plays Maura in the new Amazon series Transparent. Jill Soloway says she cast Tambor in the role because everyone knows Tambor as a "dad figure."

Arts

Funny, Dirty, Sad: The 'Holy Trinity' For 'Transparent' Creator Jill Soloway

11:52am October 31, 2014

When writer Jill Soloway's father came out as a trans woman, Soloway says, it was a huge relief. And it helped her create the series Transparent about "boundaries, legacy, gender, family."

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Tyler Ritter (center) stars in CBS's The McCarthys with, clockwise from top left, Jack McGee, Laurie Metcalf, Jimmy Dunn, Joey McIntyre and Kelen Coleman.

Sports
Arts

Can Shows Like 'The McCarthys' Replace CBS' 'Thursday Night Football'?

4:47pm October 30, 2014

by Eric Deggans

Tonight marks the return of scripted programming on CBS after seven weeks of Thursday Night Football, including a new show, The McCarthys, that should have been left in the locker room.