Television

The threat is both viral and vampire in The Strain, a show about the sudden outbreak of a disease that kills most of its victims — then begins to mutate them into another species entirely.

Arts

'The Strain' And 'Extant' Play On Fears Of Forces Out Of Our Control

4:02pm July 09, 2014

by David Bianculli

This week, two new TV series begin in the threats-from-nowhere genre: Extant on CBS and The Strain on FX. The better of the two, The Strain, about a disease outbreak, is effectively creepy.

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Comedian Joel McHale spoke at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner in May. He says everyone wanted to see his jokes ahead of time, but he likes keeping them a secret.

Arts

Comedian Joel McHale Talks Dyslexia, Bad TV And Filming A Thriller

10:19am July 01, 2014

The host of The Soup co-stars in the thriller Deliver Us From Evil. "I felt like a 12-year-old getting to be in an action film," McHale tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross.

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Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party delegates and supporters stage a demonstration on the boardwalk in front of the Atlantic City Convention Center in 1964.

Books
Arts

'Freedom Summer' And 'The Watsons': Powerful TV About A Civil Rights Journey

4:15pm June 30, 2014

by Eric Deggans

This story in the "Book Your Trip" series features NPR TV critic Eric Deggans on two books turned TV shows about civil rights: PBS's Freedom Summer and Hallmark Channel's The Watsons Go to Birmingham.

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Prolific Character Actor Eli Wallach Dies At 98

12:48pm June 25, 2014

by Tom Vitale

In a career spanning seven decades, Wallach appeared in over 200 films, plays and TV shows. His roles ranged from Mr. Freeze on TV's Batman to Kilroy in Tennessee William's Camino Real on Broadway.

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Fannie Lou Hamer was an activist who spoke out for black rights during Freedom Summer.

50 Years Ago, Students Fought For Black Rights During 'Freedom Summer'

4:50pm June 23, 2014

A PBS documentary about the 1964 movement to get blacks to vote in Mississippi airs Tuesday. Freedom Summer director Stanley Nelson and organizer Charles Cobb discuss the dangers the students faced.

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Arts

Sputtering On Fumes, 'True Blood' Has Outstayed Its Welcome

7:08pm June 20, 2014

by Eric Deggans

HBO's True Blood is a prime example of a TV show that kept going long after it should have ended. Why is it that some shows stay on air well after they've run out of creative juice?

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Arts

A-List Celebrities Flock To Late-Night 'Graham Norton Show'

11:39am June 20, 2014

by David Bianculli

The late-night talk show, imported by BBC America, has been around for years. TV critic David Bianculli says it's never been better — it's like eavesdropping on an all-star cocktail party.

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John Oliver's new political satire Last Week Tonight airs on HBO. Oliver says the network gives him an almost "confusing amount of freedom."

Arts

John Oliver Is No One's Friend On His New HBO Show

2:37pm June 19, 2014

The comedian who was a correspondent on The Daily Show for 7 1/2 years now pokes fun on Last Week Tonight. Oliver talks about tasing his leg, temping for a thief and remaining an outsider.

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Allison Tolman plays Deputy Sheriff Molly Solverson in the FX TV series Fargo. It's a breakout role for the actress who had done only theater and commercials.

Arts

'Fargo' TV Series Captures The Best And Worst Of America

10:46am June 17, 2014

The finale of the Fargo TV series airs Tuesday. The characters are different, like a deputy sheriff played by Allison Tolman. But writer Noah Hawley says the Coen brothers told him he "nailed it."

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Arts

New Season Of 'Orange Is The New Black' Has A Strong, Unsettling Start

5:31pm June 11, 2014

Netflix's women-in-prison series, based on a memoir by Piper Kerman, returns Friday. Fresh Air listens back to interviews with Kerman and series creator Jenji Kohan.

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