Television

Arts

'Only Murders' returns for Season 3 with a new case to solve and surprises galore

1:23pm August 10, 2023

by David Bianculli

Hulu's comedy-mystery series is back, and solving the crime is only part of the fun when the unlikely podcasting trio played by Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez get involved.

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'Painkiller' director thinks everyone will take Netflix series' message personally

5:18am August 10, 2023

The rise of the opioid crisis is dramatized in a new Netflix series called Painkiller. Producer and director Pete Berg talks to NPR's Leila Fadel.

Mickey Mouse stars in the "Mickey and Friends Cavalcade" on July 2, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Arts

Six takeaways from Disney's quarterly earnings call

8:50pm August 09, 2023

by Elizabeth Blair

In a fickle media market, Disney's overall revenue grew 4%. Despite declining ad revenue and uncertainty over the Hollywood writers and actors strikes, CEO Bob Iger sees growth opportunities.

How 'Yo! MTV Raps' helped mainstream hip hop

4:42pm August 09, 2023

The MTV show Yo! MTV Raps helped bring hip-hop into mainstream American culture in the 1980s and was made by a scrappy team in the face of a skeptical corporate network.

Longtime media-watcher explains why Trump's federal trial should be televised

7:14am August 08, 2023

NPR's Leila Fadel asks Steven Brill, founder of Court TV, why he thinks the 2020 election interference case against former President Donald Trump should be televised.

Law & Order castmembers Jerry Orbach, Angie Harmon, Sam Waterston and Jesse L. Martin in 1999.

Arts

Dun dun — done! Why watching 'Law & Order' clips on YouTube is oddly satisfying

1:48pm August 04, 2023

by Eric Deggans

These slimmed-down episodes are perfect for attention spans shortened by TikTok. I don't need to see the whole story — not even how it ends — as long as the conveyor belt of clips keeps rolling.

Arts

Remembering Pee-wee Herman creator Paul Reubens

1:40pm August 04, 2023

by Terry Gross

We remember Reubens, who died July 30, by listening back to a 2004 interview with him, and to archival interviews with Laurence Fishburne and S. Epatha Merkerson, who appeared on Pee-wee's Playhouse.

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Arts

Here's what to watch during the ongoing writer's strike

1:40pm August 04, 2023

by David Bianculli

The work stoppage has curtailed late-night talk shows and put the fall broadcast season in disarray. Critic David Bianculli says there's still some excellent TV to watch, if you know where to look.

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Arts

Oprah, Meryl Streep and more have donated at least $1 million to help striking actors

5:33pm August 02, 2023

by Ayana Archie

The SAG-AFTRA Foundation has raised $15 million over the past three weeks for its emergency fund. The Entertainment Community Fund has received over $6 million since the WGA went on strike.

Remembering actor Angus Cloud of 'Euphoria,' dead at 25

5:26pm August 02, 2023

Angus Cloud, best known for his role on HBO's Euphoria died Monday at the age of 25. He was spotted to play Fezco, the drug dealer with a heart of gold, by a casting scout on a street in New York.