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January 30, 2013 As the alcoholic paterfamilias Frank Gallagher on the Showtime series Shameless, the actor enjoys portraying a man with a dark side. But he says it's Frank's better qualities that make him sustainable as a character.

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On Fresh Air from WHYYPlaylist

January 30, 2013 The "lowest common denominator" isn't really a bad thing. It's commonality; it's one of the parts of culture that are richest and most beneficial, provided we can define it properly.

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January 29, 2013 In Japanese culture, how food looks can be as important as how it tastes — a lesson children learn from a very early age. From children's television and toys to school lunches, the visual delights of food are never far from sight.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

January 29, 2013 One of the saddest episodes of 30 Rock — if you happen to be Liz Lemon — turned out to be one of its most important.

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January 29, 2013 Serving chicken wings during the Super Bowl has become de rigueur for couch watchers on game day, thanks to the rise of sports bars' demand for cheap snacks. But now wings are so popular, they're one of the most expensive cuts of chicken you can buy.

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January 28, 2013 For this week's Sandwich Monday, we try a marvel of multiculturalism: the Reuben Egg Roll, from Hackney's Restaurant in Chicago.

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January 28, 2013 With the departure of Ben & Kate, television loses one of its few comedies whose characters — gasp! — like one another.

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January 28, 2013 From The Muppet Show to The Twilight Zone and a creepy animated version of Alice in Wonderland, author Neil Gaiman shares his film and television favorites for the occasional Morning Edition series Watch This. Gaiman calls the Muppets "one of the comedic glories of the human race."

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

January 25, 2013 Across Scotland and around the world, poetry lovers gather in appreciation of 18th century bard Robert Burns. Central to the menu of all these Burns Suppers is, of course, haggis, paraded into the room on a silver platter.

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January 25, 2013 The writer, actress and comedian has helmed the hit NBC show — which will have its series finale on January 31 — for seven seasons, during which time she's had two kids, been in a few movies and written a memoir called Bossypants.

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On Fresh Air from WHYYPlaylist

January 25, 2013 As 30 Rock wraps up its seven-season run on NBC, the star talks about why he chose to take on the role of Jack Donaghy in the first place and about looking to NBC bigwig Lorne Michaels for inspiration in creating the character.

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On Fresh Air from WHYYPlaylist

January 25, 2013 As the series prepares for its finale, the comedian talks about how Tina Fey created the character of Tracy Jordan specifically for Morgan and how she allowed him "to fly over the cuckoo nest once a week."

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On Fresh Air from WHYYPlaylist

January 25, 2013 Fey's impersonation of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin helped draw record audiences to Saturday Night Live in the fall of 2008. The former head writer for SNL opens up about politics, satire and her Emmy Award-winning sitcom, 30 Rock, which will have its series finale on January 31.

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On Fresh Air from WHYYPlaylist

January 25, 2013 On this week's show, we borrow from a great essay about nerd culture and autism and bring back one of our favorite semi-regular segments.

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