Television

Actor James Gandolfini speaks at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards in January 2013. He died on June 19.

Arts

Gandolfini Through The Eyes Of Those He Worked With

2:19pm June 20, 2013

The actor who brought mob boss Tony Soprano to life on the HBO drama The Sopranos died Wednesday at age 51. Fresh Air listens back to interviews with his co-stars Edie Falco and Jeff Daniels and Sopranos director David Chase, to hear their thoughts on Gandolfini's prodigious talent.

Queue Listen Now

Actor James Gandolfini Dies Suddenly While On Vacation

7:25am June 20, 2013

by Karen Grigsby Bates

The 51-year-old actor died on Wednesday in Rome. Reports attribute his death to a heart attack. Gandolfini had been a character actor for years before he was given a chance to read for Tony Soprano in a new series about a New Jersey mob boss HBO was producing in the late 90s.

Queue Listen Now

TV, Movie Streaming Services Want To Grow With Kids

9:40am June 19, 2013

Twenty percent of Netflix's streaming is made up of content for kids. Amazon just ordered a bunch of pilots of kids' shows. TV critic Eric Deggans says subscription streaming services are going to lean on parents' desire for control of what their kids watch as they build their audiences.

Queue Listen Now

Netflix Partners With Dreamworks To Make Kids' Programming

5:45pm June 17, 2013

by Neda Ulaby

Netflix and Dreamworks Animation have announced an exclusive deal to develop animated kids' shows based on Dreamworks Animation's characters.

Queue Listen Now

Arts

John Oliver: Topical Comedy With A Crisp Accent

1:26pm June 14, 2013

With Jon Stewart on leave, The Daily Show's "Senior British Correspondent" John Oliver has stepped up to fill in as host. In a Fresh Air interview from 2010, he talks about moving to the United States to join the show — and the weird credibility his accent immediately gives him with Americans.

Queue Listen Now

Jerry Seinfeld won a 2013 Webby Award for Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.

Arts

From Seinfeld, A Second Season Of 'Coffee' Talk

11:01am June 13, 2013

by NPR Staff

The stand-up is back with another run of his Webby-winning online series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. He tells NPR's Linda Wertheimer the project still feels like a personal outing with friends from the business.

Queue Listen Now

Mara Wilson, 25, was a child actor who starred in Matilda and Mrs. Doubtfire.

Arts

'Matilda' Star Mara Wilson On Why Some Child Actors Lose It

8:50am June 12, 2013

by NPR Staff

After years in movies and TV shows, some child actors end up making headlines for stints in rehab and legal drama later in life. Others leave Hollywood behind and pursue different careers. Mara Wilson, star of Matilda and Mrs. Doubtfire, explains the challenges of transitioning to adulthood.

Queue Listen Now

Unhappy Endings: When Our TV Show Worlds Get Rocked

3:42pm June 11, 2013

The second to last episode of the third season of the HBO series Game of Thrones enraged many viewers. Writer George R.R. Martin says he isn't afraid to end any character's life. The American Prospect's Paul Waldman talks about what happens when our narrative expectations are turned upside down.

Queue Listen Now

David Cross (left) reprises his role as Dr. Tobias Funke, the sexually ambiguous brother-in-law of Jason Bateman's character, Michael Bluth, in Netflix's new season of Arrested Development.

Arts

'Arrested' No More: Hurwitz On Why The Bluths Are Back

5:05pm June 10, 2013

Seven years after Fox canceled the cult-favorite sitcom, a fourth season of Arrested Development is streaming on Netflix. The show's creator, Mitch Hurwitz, tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross that if the show doesn't get the right ratings this time, he can't blame the time slot.

Queue Listen Now

Jeffrey Tambor and Jessica Walter reprise their roles as George and Lucille Bluth in Netflix's new fourth season of Mitch Hurwitz's Arrested Development.

Arts

New 'Arrested Development' Gags Are Best Served In One Sitting

4:45pm June 04, 2013

by David Bianculli

Show creator Mitch Hurwitz advises against binge-watching the new season, but TV critic David Bianculli begs to differ. He says hidden identities and perplexing mysteries unfold slowly, and watching everything in one sitting helps make those connections even clearer.

Queue Listen Now