Television

David Tennant, left, and Anna Gunn star in the Fox TV crime drama, Gracepoint.

Arts

Fox's 'Gracepoint': An American Remake Best Viewed With Fresh Eyes

1:00pm October 02, 2014

by Eric Deggans

Fox's new show Gracepoint is a remake of a British murder mystery, Broadchurch. NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans says those who saw the original might want to watch the new series with someone who hasn't.

Adam Sandler, seen here at the recent premiere of Jason Reitman's Men, Women & Children, probably didn't mean it when he said he signed on with Netflix because it rhymes with "wet chicks."

Arts

Adam Sandler Signs Up With Netflix For 4 New Movies

10:02am October 02, 2014

by Linda Holmes

Adam Sandler and Netflix are doing four original movies together — perhaps because you can't build a network on prestigious, binge-watchable television series alone.

Ramon Franco as Fausto Galvan on FX's The Bridge.

Arts

FX's 'The Bridge' Finds Authenticity In Spanish-Language Scenes

9:06am October 01, 2014

by Eric Deggans

"We're giving those 33 million Hispanics in the U.S. ... a point where they can actually identify themselves," says Demian Bichir, a star of the cross-border crime drama.

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Social Media superstar Eliza Dooley has 263,000 followers who hang on to her every post, tweet and selfie. But she needs help from Henry (John Cho).

Arts

The Strange, Split 'Selfie' Pilot

12:21pm September 30, 2014

by Linda Holmes

ABC's new comedy Selfie doesn't have a good pilot. It has half of a decent pilot, however, and it has intriguing signs that inside of it, trapped under the dumb parts, there might be a good show.

Lena Dunham's new collection of personal essays about her relationships, friendships and obsessive-compulsive disorder has received rave reviews.

Books
Arts

Lena Dunham On Sex, Oversharing And Writing About Lost 'Girls'

12:33am September 30, 2014

Dunham says when she started writing HBO's Girls, she was drawn to characters with "a bit of a Zelda Fitzgerald lost, broken woman quality." Her new essay collection is called Not That Kind of Girl.

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Jeffrey Tambor plays Maura on the new drama Transparent on Amazon Prime.

Arts

In 'Transparent,' A 70-Year-Old Divorced Dad Comes Out As A Woman

5:00pm September 27, 2014

by David Bianculli

The new drama, which launches Friday on Amazon Prime, stars Jeffrey Tambor as a transgender woman coming out to her three grown kids. Tambor acts the role without any hint of cheap humor.

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The cast of Gilligan's Island (clockwise from top left): Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Tina Louise, Alan Hale Jr., Dawn Wells, Bob Denver, Russell Johnson

Arts

Gilligan's Island At 50: A Goofy Show From A Time Of TV Innocence

6:23pm September 26, 2014

by Eric Deggans

As classic sitcom Gilligan's Island celebrates its 50th birthday, NPR TV critic Eric Deggans says it is an example of a show much loved by fans despite widely acknowledged mediocrity.

Thailand's Prime Minister Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, at the government house in Bangkok earlier this month. Prayuth, who seized power in May, has threatened to personally take over the writing of soap operas on Thai television.

World News

Thai Leader Threatens New Takeover: The TV Soaps

4:00pm September 26, 2014

by Scott Neuman

Prime Minister Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha says he's ordered a complete rewrite of Thailand's daily fare of infidelity and violence, and if it's not done right, he's threatened to do the job himself.

Network TV's Fall Lineup Distinguished By Diversity

11:12am September 26, 2014

by Eric Deggans

This season a dozen new network TV shows feature non-white characters as leads or co-leads. The shows aren't just notable for their casting diversity, but for how they talk about race and culture.

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'Saturday Night Live' Begins Season 40 This Weekend

7:17am September 26, 2014

A new edition of the book Live From New York pulls back the curtain on the last 12 years of Saturday Night Live. Author Jim Miller says SNL is a more professional place than when the show began.

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