Television

Arts

Part satire, part tragedy, 'The Sympathizer' will reward your full attention

1:57pm April 11, 2024

by John Powers

A new HBO series based on Viet Thanh Nguyen's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel takes a surreal look at the Vietnam war, the costs of colonialism and the disillusionments of revolution and immigration.

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Arts

Michael Douglas stars as a flirty Ben Franklin in this Apple TV+ series

2:35pm April 10, 2024

by David Bianculli

Franklin is worth watching — not only for what it reveals about how the U.S. won independence from England then – but also about the complexities of war, and international politics now.

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An average of about 18.7 million viewers tuned in to watch the South Carolina Gamecocks triumph over the Iowa Hawkeyes in the 2024 NCAA Women's Basketball National Championship on Sunday.

Women's NCAA championship TV ratings crush the men's competition

10:38am April 10, 2024

by Vanessa Romo

At its peak, 24 million basketball fans tuned in to watch the women's championship between Iowa and South Carolina, making it the most-watched basketball game since 2019.

National

Show creator Larry David learns a lesson from 'Seinfeld' for 'Curb' finale

4:40pm April 09, 2024

In the finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm, characters from previous seasons testify to Larry David's selfish behavior. This mirrors the last episode of Seinfeld, which David helped create.

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Andrew Scott, above, says he tried to "unlearn the stuff" he knew from previous adaptations of the Highsmith novel, including the 1999 film adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley, starring Matt Damon.

Arts

Don't call him a sociopath: Here's how Andrew Scott humanizes 'Ripley'

1:20pm April 08, 2024

by Terry Gross

Scott (who you may know as "hot priest" from Fleabag) plays con man Tom Ripley in the Netflix adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley. He says his job is to advocate for his characters, not judge them.

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The new Netflix adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley is brilliantly shot in black and white. It's a meticulously built piece of filmmaking and looking at it shot by shot is a profound pleasure.

Arts

'Ripley' returns in black and white — and is so much better for it

7:00am April 07, 2024

by Linda Holmes

The Netflix adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley is brilliantly shot in black and white. It's a meticulously built piece of filmmaking and looking at it shot by shot is a profound pleasure.

Arts

A 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' appreciation, as the series comes to an end

1:41pm April 05, 2024

After 25 years and 12 seasons, Curb wraps April 7. We mark the occasion with archival interviews with Larry David, Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman, Robert B. Weide, Timothy Olyphant, Ted Danson and others.

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Former 'Tonight Show' host Conan O'Brien will make his first trip back as a guest

7:26am April 05, 2024

In 2010 NBC ended O'Brien's brief stint as host of The Tonight Show so the network could bring back Jay Leno. Fourteen years later, O'Brien will visit with current host Jimmy Fallon.

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Director Steven Zaillian and cinematographer Robert Elswit make the most of the Ripley's black and white aesthetic, presenting stunning images of Italian landscape.

Arts

Netflix's stylish 'Ripley' stretches the grift — and the tension — to the max

3:12pm April 04, 2024

by David Bianculli

Andrew Scott stars as a grifter who's always ready to swindle, seduce or murder in a new eight-part miniseries based on 1955 novel. Ripley combines a bold narrative with visual surprises throughout.

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Former cast members of SCTV Dave Thomas (from left), Joe Flaherty, Catherine O'Hara, Andrea Martin, foreground, Harold Ramis, Eugene Levy and Martin Short, pose at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival on March 6, 1999, in Aspen, Colo. Flaherty, a founding member of the Canadian sketch series "SCTV," died Monday at age 82.

Arts

'SCTV' star and comedian Joe Flaherty dies at 82

5:19pm April 02, 2024

by The Associated Press

The Emmy winner starred with John Candy and Catherine O'Hara in "SCTV,″ about a fictional TV station. Flaherty's characters included network boss Guy Caballero and the vampiric TV host Count Floyd.