Television

Robert Ripley traveled the world collecting souvenirs like this Balinese lion mask.

Books
Arts

The 'Curious' Story Of Robert 'Believe It Or Not!' Ripley

6:26pm May 11, 2013

by NPR Staff

Neal Thompson's new biography traces the life of the newspaper cartoonist who became an international celebrity and media superstar. Ripley's pioneering mix of the strange, the shocking and the barely believable shaped the way Americans saw the world.

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Some of the cast members of the reality show Duck Dynasty find themselves handcuffed to one another.

Arts

On 'Hicksploitation' And Other White Stereotypes Seen On TV

8:10am May 10, 2013

by Eric Deggans

Writer Eric Deggans argues that it's just as easy to stereotype white, working-class people as folks of color. He's wondering: Why haven't we seen stronger protests of shows that stereotype whites?

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In the new HBO series Family Tree, Chris O'Dowd (above left, with the series' writer-director-producer Christopher Guest) stars as a guy who has just lost his job and girlfriend and fills the void by looking into his family genealogy.

Arts

In A Cluster Of New Sitcoms, 'Family Tree' Stands Tall

2:29pm May 09, 2013

by David Bianculli

Christopher Guest's new HBO comedy series follows a down-on-his-luck guy looking into his family genealogy. Guest, who pioneered the mockumentary style in cult classics like This Is Spinal Tap, co-created the show with Jim Piddock and star Chris O'Dowd.

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Laura Linney and Alan Alda star in The Big C, now in its fourth season on Showtime. Linney took on the role not long before her own father died of cancer.

Arts

Linney Mines 'The Big C' For Serious Laughs

3:20pm May 06, 2013

On Showtime's dark comedy series, Laura Linney plays a terminally ill cancer patient. The actress's own father died from lung cancer while the series was being made; her mother was a cancer nurse when Linney was young. These experiences, she says, inform her performance.

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Retta as office manager Donna Meagle on NBC's Parks and Recreation.

To Avoid Or To Embrace? How Actors Navigate Stereotypes

2:26pm May 01, 2013

by Priska Neely

Stereotyping in films and TV is as old as Hollywood itself. For some, portraying a stereotypical character — the ditzy blonde or angry black man — is a foot in the door to the acting world. For others, it is a path that can be limiting and repetitive.

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Politics & Government

The Strategy Of Putting Politics On TV

2:25pm May 01, 2013

The last couple of years have seen a proliferation of politically-themed television, including Scandal, Veep and House of Cards. Reporter, columnist and TV analyst Jonathan Alter talks about his new political satire Alpha House, and what's changed in how entertainment television does politics.

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New episodes of All My Children will be airing on Hulu starting Monday.

Arts

Two Daytime Soaps Return, But Will Fans Follow Online?

3:15pm April 29, 2013

by Craig LeMoult

When ABC canceled the daytime soaps All My Children and One Life to Live in 2011, millions of fans suddenly found themselves left without their daily guilty pleasure. Both shows are relaunching Monday, but they won't be on any TV channel — the soaps are going online.

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Marc Maron, whose latest book is Attempting Normal, is also the author of The Jerusalem Syndrome: My Life As a Reluctant Messiah.

Books
Arts

Marc Maron: A Life Fueled By 'Panic And Dread'

2:15pm April 29, 2013

The comedian turned his life around when he started "WTF with Marc Maron" out of his garage in 2009. He has parlayed the popularity of the podcast into a new television show called Maron, based on his life, as well as a new memoir.

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Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner was also a writer and producer on The Sopranos for a time.

Arts

Matthew Weiner On 'Mad Men' And Meaning

1:37pm April 25, 2013

The creator of the acclaimed AMC series talks about his protagonist — Don Draper — as an aging existentialist looking for meaning in a chaotic world. He says the show's sixth season, set in 1968, is situated in that historical moment for a reason: to reflect a traumatic passage in Don's life.

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Daniel (Aden Young) finds a supporter in the devout Tawney (Adelaide Clemens) — if not among all of his other neighbors — when he's exonerated after spending more than 19 years in prison for a crime he did't commit.

Arts

'Rectify': An Ex-Con Navigates The World Outside

11:05am April 24, 2013

by David Bianculli

A new six-episode drama for the Sundance Channel follows a man who, after 19 years in prison, is exonerated by DNA evidence and returns to his family. Critic David Bianculli says it's a unique show, and a memorable one.

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