Television

Rachel Nichols has been removed from NBA coverage on ESPN and her show The Jump was canceled.

Sports

Rachel Nichols' ESPN Show Is Canceled After Her Comments About Maria Taylor

3:41pm August 26, 2021

Nichols has been removed from NBA coverage and The Jump was canceled a few weeks after remarks she made became public suggesting that Maria Taylor was promoted because she is Black.

Bob Ross hosted The Joy of Painting for 31 seasons in the 1980s and '90s. He died in 1995. The painter is now the subject of a new documentary, Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed.

Arts

Bob Ross Documentary Filmmakers Ran Into Some Happy Little Legal Hurdles

8:00pm August 25, 2021

by Audie Cornish

Actor Melissa McCarthy and her husband, filmmaker Ben Falcone, are big fans of Ross. But they found it was difficult to land interviews about the celebrity painter — people were scared of being sued.

Flag bearers Melissa Stockwell and Charles Aoki of Team USA lead their delegation in the parade of athletes during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games on August 24, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.

The Tokyo Paralympics Are Here. These Are Some Of The Sports And Athletes To Watch

12:20pm August 24, 2021

by Rachel Treisman

Mark your calendars: The Games will feature 539 events across 22 sports before the closing ceremony on Sept. 5.

Bialik Will Guest Host 'Jeopardy!' As Search Resumes For Trebek Replacement

6:55am August 24, 2021

Mayim Bialik is filling in as the weeknight host after Mike Richards stepped down last week as the successor to Alex Trebek. She was chosen to host Jeopardy! prime-time series and spin-offs.

R. Kelly appears during a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago in September 2019.

R. Kelly And Britney TV Docs Tap Into 'Consequence Culture,' Not Cancel Culture

2:34pm August 23, 2021

by Eric Deggans

Surviving R. Kelly and Framing Britney Spears are among a growing list of documentary projects challenging audiences to reconsider old controversies with fresh eyes.

Arts

'Schmigadoon!' Co-Creator Says Series Was Inspired By A 'Love Affair' With Musicals

1:27pm August 23, 2021

by Terry Gross

Cinco Paul loves musicals — unlike his long-time writing partner, with whom he created the new Apple TV+ satire. Their series centers on a couple who become trapped in a musical town.

Queue Listen Now

Why The 'Jeopardy!' Host Search Drama Outraged Fans

6:07pm August 21, 2021

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Claire McNear, a writer for The Ringer, about the controversy swirling around Jeopardy! and the saga of picking a new host after Mike Richards stepped down.

Music & Culture

HBO's 'White Lotus' Soundtrack Haunts The Show And People's Lives

8:59am August 21, 2021

Cristobal Tapia de Veer is the composer of the infamous theme of HBO's show, "White Lotus." He talks about his process creating it and the score of the hit comedy-drama.

National

This New 'Jeopardy!' Host Has Already Resigned: Who Is Mike Richards

4:27pm August 20, 2021

by Eric Deggans

After weeks of speculation, 'Jeopardy!' executive producer Mike Richards was announced as the new host of the show. Friday, Richards resigned after offensive past comments he made in podcasts emerged.

Mike Richards told the Jeopardy! staff on Friday that continuing with him as host would create a distraction for the show.

Arts

The Mike Richards 'Jeopardy!' Fiasco Was Maddeningly Predictable

3:37pm August 20, 2021

by Linda Holmes

A bungled process led executive producer Mike Richards to be announced as the next host of Jeopardy! Now, an unsurprising rolling disaster has led to the announcement that he will not, in fact, host.