Television

Arts

Before He Became The 'Night Court' Judge, Harry Anderson Was A Con-Man Magician

2:20pm April 20, 2018

by Terry Gross

Anderson, who died April 16, began his career as a street performer specializing in elaborate pranks. He spoke to Fresh Air in 1989 about an illusion in which he pretended to chop off his own hand.

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Arts

'Westworld' And 'The Handmaid's Tale' Make Impressive Season 2 Returns

2:03pm April 19, 2018

by David Bianculli

Both shows are set in a dystopian near-future where things have gone terribly wrong — and both expand their established environments considerably in their sophomore seasons.

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Wyatt Cenac's new show tackles American policing.

Wyatt Cenac Wants To Talk About Policing

9:44am April 19, 2018

by Linda Holmes

Cenac's new HBO show, Wyatt Cenac's Problem Areas, is a 10-part comedy-documentary focused on American policing and its considerable challenges.

How 'Scandal' Changed TV

5:33am April 19, 2018

by Eric Deggans

The ABC show Scandal is ending its seventh and final season. The political thriller is the first Shonda Rhimes show to end on its own accord. We look back at the ground it broke.

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Netflix CEO Reed Hastings delivers a keynote address at the 2016 CES trade show in Las Vegas. Big entertainment rival Disney could challenge the service that made binge-watching popular.

Arts

Is Netflix On Its Way To World Domination Of Streaming?

4:19pm April 18, 2018

by Laura Sydell

Netflix flew past Wall Street expectations and added 7.4 million subscribers globally in the first quarter. But a big entertainment rival could challenge the service that made binge-watching popular.

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Arts

Actor Brian Tyree Henry On Fame, Authenticity And 'Atlanta'

2:41pm April 18, 2018

by Terry Gross

Henry plays Alfred, aka the rapper "Paper Boi'," on the FX series Atlanta. As his character becomes more successful, Henry says, he's getting "a little further away from the essence of who [he] is."

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Buckle Up: The cover of Action Comics #1000, by Jim Lee (pencils), Scott Williams (inks) and Alex Sinclair (coloring).

Books
Arts

Man Of Steel, Belted: 'Action Comics #1000' And The Return Of A Super-Accessory

12:01pm April 18, 2018

by Glen Weldon

This week, Action Comics becomes the first American comic book to reach #1000, though that numbering comes with an asterisk. More important: the return of Superman's red trunks — and yellow belt.

Music & Culture

Pop Culture Happy Hour: Cultural Dichotomies

7:00am April 18, 2018

by Linda Holmes

We return to a conversation we had in 2014 about cultural dichotomies, from Beatles/Stones to Trek/Wars to creamy/crunchy.

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Scandal's Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) is based on real-life African-American political fixer Judy Smith.

Arts

'Scandal' Will Keep On Giving Long After Olivia Pope Handles Her Last Crisis

5:00am April 18, 2018

by Eric Deggans

When the show premiered in 2012, it had been decades since network TV presented a drama starring a black woman. Scandal reshaped the landscape. Its final episode airs Thursday.

South African comic Loyiso Madinga in Newtown, Johannesburg.

How Funny Is The New Africa Correspondent for Trevor Noah's 'Daily Show'?

12:26pm April 17, 2018

by Shoks Mnisi Mzolo

Comedian Loyiso Madinga delivers politics with a punchline in his segments for the Africa version of the Comedy Central program.