Television

Bobby Moynihan (left) appears on Saturday Night Live as the character "Drunk Uncle."

Arts

For 'SNL' Cast Member, The Waiting Was The Hardest Part

6:20pm January 26, 2014

by NPR Staff

After years of working at a restaurant by day and performing improv comedy by night, Bobby Moynihan got the opportunity of a lifetime: an audition for Saturday Night Live. But as Moynihan recalls, actually getting his 'big break' on the show was much more difficult.

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Books

An Admitted 'Ham' Shares Slices Of Show-Biz Life

12:14pm January 25, 2014

Sixteen short stories of a triumphant, tragic, and most of all, hilarious life in show business make up Sam Harris' new memoir, Ham: Slices of a Life. NPR's Jacki Lyden speaks to Harris about his rise to fame after winning the first season of the 1980's hit TV show Star Search.

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Sports

In The Super Bowl Ad Game, One Small Business Will Win Big

8:55pm January 24, 2014

by Elizabeth Blair

This year, one lucky little company's professionally produced commercial will air during the Super Bowl's third quarter — all free — thanks to a contest held by the software firm Intuit. The four finalists include an organic egg farm and a natural compost supplier. For Intuit, it's a smart way to drum up more business.

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World News

Danish TV Drama Sparks Discussions On Wills

8:20am January 23, 2014

by Sidsel Overgaard

A popular new drama series on Danish TV about a family torn apart over a disputed inheritance has viewers concerned about their own estate planning. Denmark's largest legal chain says online inquiries about inheritance issues are up by 143 percent.

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Bobby Bottleservice is a recurring character on Nick Kroll's Kroll Show.

Before 'Jersey Shore' Owned Sleaze, There Was Bobby Bottleservice

6:42pm January 19, 2014

by NPR Staff

Nick Kroll's sketch comedy TV series, Kroll Show, kicked off its second season this month. One of his signature characters is a seedy, wannabe ladies man named Bobby Bottleservice. Kroll says playing a variety of characters keeps him from being pigeon-holed by his role as Ruxin on the FX show The League.

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Why Live Award Shows Have High Value, Even When We Hate Them

6:50pm January 12, 2014

by NPR Staff

Award shows are a booming business these days. Major networks are bringing in new televised awards and revitalizing old ones. The Hollywood Reporter's Matt Belloni explains why there's a sudden surge in producing these largely "DVR-proof" programs.

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IFC's The Spoils Of Babylon follows a sister (Kristin Wiig) and adopted brother (Tobey Maguire) caught up in a passionate romance.

Arts

On TV This Week: 'Babylon' Has Good Fun, 'Detective' Is The Real Deal

4:55pm January 08, 2014

by David Bianculli

Fresh Air TV critic David Bianculli says two new miniseries this week are worth special mention — and couldn't be more different. The Spoils Of Babylon is a miniseries soap-opera spoof on IFC; True Detective looks like the best HBO drama since The Wire.

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Michelle Dockery's Lady Mary is in deep mourning as Downton Abbey returns for a fourth season on PBS.

Arts

'Downton' Returns, And It's As Rich As Ever

7:36am January 07, 2014

by David Bianculli

Downton Abbey is the most popular drama in the history of public television. And when the whole of the TV universe is fragmenting, that isn't just impressive — it's almost impossible. Critic David Bianculli ponders the hit show's unlikely success.

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Kevin Spacey (left) and Robin Wright star in House of Cards, directed by David Fincher. The Netflix series, which follows a Machiavellian politician, is an adaptation of a BBC series of the same name. Hear an interview with Spacey and Fincher.

Arts

David Bianculli's Top 10 Shows: 2013 Was A 'Good Year For TV'

4:44pm January 02, 2014

by David Bianculli

Two new shows from Netflix -- House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black — changed the TV landscape, but Bianculli's top pick for 2013 is AMC's Breaking Bad. "It ended as brilliantly as it began," he says. "I'm so grateful for that series."

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TV Prank Reveals News Media Shortcoming

7:42am December 30, 2013

by Eric Deggans

ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel's fake twerking video not only made thousand of people believe a woman accidentally set herself on fire by twerking upside down, it fooled loads of news outlets into playing the fraudulent clip as if it were real. In one swoop, Kimmel uncovered how reliant many news programs are on found material they cannot or do not verify.

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