Television

The new TLC show The Sisterhood follows the lives of five preachers' wives in Atlanta.

Lives Of Praise, Lives In Progress On 'The Sisterhood'

9:14am January 25, 2013

by NPR Staff

The Sisterhood is a new reality show about the lives and struggles of five Atlanta-area preachers' wives. The show has been likened to the Real Housewives franchise and has drawn criticism for its warts-and-all portrayal of the women. But they say they felt called by God to participate.

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Du Xin, the "Chinese Gunther," owns Central Perk in Beijing. That's not all he has in common with Gunther on the show. "I love Rachel," he sighs.

'Friends' Will Be There For You At Beijing's Central Perk

8:53pm January 23, 2013

by Louisa Lim

A Chinese man in Beijing has set up a cafe identical to the New York hangout on the hit TV show. For owner Du Xin, Friends is "like a religion" — and he's not the only one. He's opened a second Central Perk in Shanghai, capitalizing on the Chinese fondness for the six friends and their laid-back, freewheeling lives.

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Jeannane Goossen and Kevin Bacon star as FBI special agents tracing a network of serial killers in Fox's new crime drama The Following.

Arts

Kevin Bacon, Seeking A TV 'Following'

1:46pm January 21, 2013

by David Bianculli

The actor stars in a new Fox series about a former FBI agent asked to help apprehend a serial killer he once put behind bars. The series is well done, but the violence in it is alarming — especially for network television.

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At Tyler Perry's live performances, his gospel-tinged references aren't meant for everyone in the audience.

Arts

In A Fragmented Cultureverse, Can Pop References Still Pop?

9:11am January 18, 2013

by Neda Ulaby

In film and TV, pop culture references are meant to give a knowing nod to those in the audience who understand the joke. But in an increasingly segmented and diverse country, those jokes may be pulling in fewer laughs.

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Richard (Mark McKinney) and Sanjay (Colm Feore) get up close and personal in the zany backstage comedy Slings and Arrows.

Arts

Home Video Review: 'Slings And Arrows'

7:16am January 18, 2013

by Bob Mondello

If you're not a drama nerd, you might think the Canadian backstage comedy Slings and Arrows isn't for you. But film critic Bob Mondello says just one episode may be enough to change your mind.

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Lena Dunham's series Girls, which follows the lives of a group of young women in New York City, returns to HBO this month.

Arts

Season Two Brings Changes For 'Girls'

3:25pm January 11, 2013

by David Bianculli

The second season of the HBO series premieres this month, and Fresh Air critic David Bianculli says "these young women — these girls — really are changing and growing and adapting to tough life in the big city."

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Girls has been compared to Sex and the City. The characters, played by (from left) Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke, Lena Dunham and Zosia Mamet, navigate the ups and downs of life in New York City.

Arts

Lena Dunham Addresses Criticism Aimed At 'Girls'

3:25pm January 11, 2013

The creator and star of HBO's new series Girls addresses the backlash against the show, which follows four 20-somethings as they navigate the ups and downs of life in New York City. The second season premieres January 13.

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Living Single (1993-1998) featured four young, black, professional women in New York — including Queen Latifah as the ambitious head of a small magazine.

Arts

'Living' In Color, Long Before 'Girls'

1:14pm January 11, 2013

by Karen Grigsby Bates

HBO's series Girls has been criticized for not being diverse enough. Long before Girls, two shows — Living Single and Girlfriends — featured professional African-American women. But the creator of Girlfriends says times have changed, and the shows she now produces have more multicultural casts to reflect changing demographics.

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Jim Carter as Mr. Carson in Downton Abbey. The third season premiered on PBS Sunday.

Julian Fellowes On The Rules Of 'Downton'

1:23pm January 07, 2013

On the hit Masterpiece Theater series, the social rules the characters have always known are changing as the world events of the 20th century unfold. The series' creator, Julian Fellowes, says his relatives who lived through that era inspired his lasting interest in class.

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'The Americans': Looking Back On The Cold War 'Fondly'

9:59am January 05, 2013

Guest host Linda Wertheimer interviews Joe Weisberg, the writer for the new FX show The Americans about KGB spies living in the United States during the Cold War.

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