Television

Last month, Mike Rowe quietly let his fans know that his TV show Dirty Jobs had been canceled. On the show, Rowe showcased people proudly doing difficult, dirty and often low-paying work. TV critic Eric Deggans says it's out of fashion now for a show to look up to its subjects.

PBS remixes another of its iconic shows, and this time, it's all about books.

It's holiday box-set season, and Fresh Air critic David Bianculli shares some favorites for the TV-lover on your list. "Giving someone a gift of a TV show," he says, "is somehow very personal. You're giving something that you love, and that, in many cases, will occupy many hours ... of their time."