Accessibility links
Eric Deggans Eric Deggans is NPR's first full-time TV critic.
Eric Deggans
Stories By

Eric Deggans

Television

Hulu's 'Harlots' Follows Prostitutes In 18th Century London

Set in 18th century London, Hulu's new drama, Harlots, is about a group of women who work and live in brothels. The show is told from the point of view of the women and has an almost entirely female production team.

Hulu's 'Harlots' Follows Prostitutes In 18th Century London

Listen · 3:54
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/521954075/521954076" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Seeking Empathy, 'Shots Fired' Creators Flip The Script On Police Shootings

Stephan James and Sanaa Lathan star as federal investigators looking into a racially charged shooting in Fox's new limited series Shots Fired Fred Norris/FOX hide caption

toggle caption
Fred Norris/FOX

Television

Seeking Empathy, 'Shots Fired' Creators Flip The Script On Police Shootings

The new Fox show Shots Fired follows two investigators looking into a police shooting where a black cop kills an unarmed white man. It's one of a handful of new network shows that are about policing.

Seeking Empathy, 'Shots Fired' Creators Flip The Script On Police Shootings

Listen · 4:36
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/521006704/521135599" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Television

Netflix's 'Iron Fist' Stumbles In Depiction Of Asian Culture

Netflix releases another Marvel superhero series, Iron Fist. This one features a white martial arts expert who fights bad guys, most of whom are Asian. After successful shows like Jessica Jones, this one misses the mark.

Netflix's 'Iron Fist' Stumbles In Depiction Of Asian Culture

Listen · 3:55
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/520576925/520576928" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
'This Is Us' Creator Dan Fogelman Says He Didn't Mean To Make You Cry

Dan Fogelman is the creator of the breakout NBC family drama This Is Us. Producer Kevin Falls, who has worked with Fogelman on previous shows, has coined a term for the twists and monologues that Fogelman sprinkles into scripts: "Fogeldust." Maarten de Boer/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Maarten de Boer/Getty Images

Television

'This Is Us' Creator Dan Fogelman Says He Didn't Mean To Make You Cry

Fogelman says he was genuinely surprised to learn that his NBC family drama has a reputation for making audiences teary. "It was not the intent, nor something I expected," he says.

'This Is Us' Creator Dan Fogelman Says He Didn't Mean To Make You Cry

Listen · 4:56
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/519986806/520162964" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Television

Reality Show Networks Getting Into High Quality Scripted TV

Emerging TV outlets once used cheap reality TV shows to define their brands. Now, they're among those using high quality scripted shows to redefine themselves and build new audiences.

Reality Show Networks Getting Into High Quality Scripted TV

Listen · 3:56
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/519879461/519879462" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Television

Anthology TV Series Undergo Renaissance With 'American Crime,' 'Feud'

The third season of American Crime debuts this week on ABC. It's one of a number of interesting anthology series on TV now. NPR takes a look at the pros and cons of anthology series.

Anthology TV Series Undergo Renaissance With 'American Crime,' 'Feud'

Listen · 5:11
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/519499982/519499983" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
'I Create Worlds': 'Feud' Showrunner Ryan Murphy On Making TV

Feud tells the story of Bette Davis (Susan Sarandon) and Joan Crawford (Jessica Lange) in the early 1960s, a time when both actresses were struggling to find work. Suzanne Tenner/Courtesy of FX hide caption

toggle caption
Suzanne Tenner/Courtesy of FX

Television

'I Create Worlds': 'Feud' Showrunner Ryan Murphy On Making TV

Murphy has compared the process of developing a show to having a dream — and his dreams have quite a track record. They include Nip/Tuck, Glee, American Horror Story and now Feud.

'I Create Worlds': 'Feud' Showrunner Ryan Murphy On Making TV

Listen · 5:06
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/518128765/518292201" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Television

Late Night TV Shows Take Aim At Trump, Score Well In Ratings

Late night TV shows heavy on sharp satire of President Donald Trump are scoring well in the ratings. NPR takes a look at the phenomenon.

Late Night TV Shows Take Aim At Trump, Score Well In Ratings

Listen · 3:50
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/516695471/516695474" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Television

'The Good Fight' Offers Edgier Version of 'The Good Wife' In Series Debut

The Good Fight is a spinoff of CBS's award-winning drama, The Good Wife. It brings back star Christine Baranski, whose character's savings were wiped out in a financial scam.

'The Good Fight' Offers Edgier Version of 'The Good Wife' In Series Debut

Listen · 3:34
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/516137854/516137855" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
The Stylish FX Series 'Legion' Suffers From A Split Personality

Syd (Rachel Keller) and David (Dan Stevens) find themselves at the end of their tether in Legion. Chris Large/FX hide caption

toggle caption
Chris Large/FX

Television

The Stylish FX Series 'Legion' Suffers From A Split Personality

Noah Hawley, writer-director of the FX series Fargo, has created a promising and visually striking series set in the X-Men universe that seems oddly reluctant to embrace its pulpy, superheroic roots.

The Stylish FX Series 'Legion' Suffers From A Split Personality

Listen · 3:38
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/513904622/514049776" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Television

Patriots' Victory Overshadows Super Bowl Commercials, Lady Gaga

New England won the Super Bowl in overtime beating the Atlanta Falcons. But the Super Bowl is more than the game. From the half-time show to ads — we do a little Monday morning quarterbacking.

Patriots' Victory Overshadows Super Bowl Commercials, Lady Gaga

Listen · 2:17
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/513388122/513388123" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Television

BET Continues To Redefine Brand With Nelson Mandela Miniseries

The new BET miniseries, Madiba, starring Laurence Fishburne as Nelson Mandela, premieres Wednesday night. BET says the show is at the heart of their Black History Month programming. The show is also part of the latest attempt to redefine the BET brand with high quality scripted shows.

BET Continues To Redefine Brand With Nelson Mandela Miniseries

Listen · 3:53
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/512906712/512906713" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Television

TV Review: '24: Legacy' Is A Lot Like What We've Seen Before

The spinoff of the hit political action TV show 24, called 24: Legacy, premieres after the Super Bowl. The show is very familiar to the original, which is a "missed opportunity," our commentator says.

TV Review: '24: Legacy' Is A Lot Like What We've Seen Before

Listen · 3:28
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/512799944/512799945" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Hollywood Grapples With TV In The Age Of Trump

Empire and Star creator Lee Daniels at this year's Television Critics Association winter press tour. He says brilliant art may come from Donald Trump's victory. Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic hide caption

toggle caption
Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

Television

Hollywood Grapples With TV In The Age Of Trump

As Donald Trump's inauguration approaches, Hollywood faces the question of how this polarizing president might affect its work — and how to tell politically charged stories for a divided audience.

Hollywood Grapples With TV In The Age Of Trump

Listen · 3:43
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/510594392/510628905" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript