Television

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Hulu's Future Depends On Which Company Buys It

5:06am May 27, 2013

by Dan Bobkoff

Multiple companies — from Time Warner Cable to Yahoo — are said to be interested in acquiring Hulu. The site streams TV shows and movies online. Some shows on Hulu are free, but paid subscribers get access to more programming.

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Keith Carradine (right) performs with the cast of Hands on a Hardbody during its spring 2013 run in New York.

Two Songs That Led Keith Carradine From Screen To Broadway

6:22pm May 25, 2013

by NPR Staff

One of Keith Carradine's most famous roles in recent years was as Wild Bill Hickok on the HBO TV show Deadwood. But Carradine is also a musician, and it was a song that jump-started his career — and another that drew him to his latest Broadway role.

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Michael Douglas stars as the flamboyant pianist and entertainer Liberace in Steven Soderbergh's new HBO biopic, Behind the Candelabra.

Arts

Douglas, Damon Illuminate HBO's 'Candelabra'

6:43pm May 23, 2013

by David Bianculli

Steven Soderbergh's latest film is a showbiz story about Vegas icon Liberace and his secret lover — played, respectively, by Michael Douglas and Matt Damon, both terrific in their roles. It premieres Sunday on HBO.

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Once vehemently opposed to the idea of being the subject of a documentary, Brooks had a change of heart. The result is a new American Masters episode, Mel Brooks: Make a Noise.

Arts

Mel Brooks: 'I'm An EGOT; I Don't Need Any More'

11:54am May 22, 2013

The screenwriter, producer, director and actor, whose name has become synonymous with American comedy, talks about his penchant for spoofs and his decades-long friendship with Carl Reiner. Brooks, who is among a handful of people who've won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards, is the subject of a new documentary on PBS.

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