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Analysis

Friday September 26, 2014

Gilligan's Island At 50: A Goofy Show From A Time Of TV Innocence

The cast of Gilligan's Island (clockwise from top left): Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Tina Louise, Alan Hale Jr., Dawn Wells, Bob Denver, Russell Johnson CBS/Landov hide caption

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CBS/Landov

Gilligan's Island At 50: A Goofy Show From A Time Of TV Innocence

September 26, 2014 • As classic sitcom Gilligan's Island celebrates its 50th birthday, NPR TV critic Eric Deggans says it is an example of a show much loved by fans despite widely acknowledged mediocrity.

Tuesday September 23, 2014

Shonda Rhimes (left) with Scandal star Kerry Washington at a 2012 press conference. Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images hide caption

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Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

How Not To Handle A New Voice In TV

September 23, 2014 • The firestorm kicked off by a New York Times analysis of TV's most successful black female showrunner mostly highlights how some struggle to handle new voices taking over the cultural conversation.

How Not To Handle A New Voice In TV

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Monday September 22, 2014

Deggans Picks 'Gotham,' 'Black-ish,' 'The Flash' Among Fall TV's Best

Ben McKenzie (front right) and Donal Logue (left) lead the cast of Fox's Batman prequel Gotham. Fox TV hide caption

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Fox TV

Deggans Picks 'Gotham,' 'Black-ish,' 'The Flash' Among Fall TV's Best

September 22, 2014 • As the fall TV season begins this week, NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans gives his picks on new shows to watch and a few to avoid (or hate-watch, if you like).

Friday September 19, 2014

Examining Bill Cosby's Legacy As 'The Cosby Show' Turns 30

The Cosby Show starred Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashad as Cliff and Clair Huxtable, an upper-middle-class couple in New York. Tempestt Bledsoe, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Lisa Bonet and Keshia Knight Pulliam played four of their five children. Frank Carroll/AP hide caption

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Frank Carroll/AP

Code Switch

Examining Bill Cosby's Legacy As 'The Cosby Show' Turns 30

September 19, 2014 • On the anniversary of the iconic series, NPR's Eric Deggans talks with the author of a new Bill Cosby biography about how the show and the comedian have shaped perceptions of black families.

Examining Bill Cosby's Legacy As 'The Cosby Show' Turns 30

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Monday September 15, 2014

Who Determines Whether Someone Has A 'Latino Heart'?

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez (right) talks about the state's green chile during a visit to a restaurant in Bernalillo. Susan Montoya Bryan/AP hide caption

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Susan Montoya Bryan/AP

Code Switch

Who Determines Whether Someone Has A 'Latino Heart'?

September 15, 2014 • New Mexico gubernatorial candidate Gary King has lost support among Latino voters in the state after questioning the Latino bona fides of incumbent Gov. Susana Martinez.

Sunday September 14, 2014

Overthinking It: Using Food As A Racial Metaphor

This is a Twinkie. Christian Cable/Flickr hide caption

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Christian Cable/Flickr

Code Switch

Overthinking It: Using Food As A Racial Metaphor

September 14, 2014 • Why do we use fruits, vegetables, Twinkies and other food items to describe the idea of someone being [Race A] on the inside, [Race B] on the outside?

Saturday September 13, 2014

Why Michael Che's New Role Could Change More Than 'SNL'

Daily Show correspondent Michael Che will become the first black co-anchor of Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update. Paul Marotta/Courtesy of Michael Che hide caption

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Paul Marotta/Courtesy of Michael Che

Code Switch

Why Michael Che's New Role Could Change More Than 'SNL'

September 13, 2014 • The Daily Show correspondent will become the first black co-anchor of Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update." NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans says his hire could help diversify comedy well beyond NBC.

Tuesday September 9, 2014

In Korea, Adoptees Fight To Change Culture That Sent Them Overseas

Dain Suh/NPR

Code Switch

In Korea, Adoptees Fight To Change Culture That Sent Them Overseas

September 9, 2014 • Two years ago, South Korea passed a law informed by the experiences of the 160,000 people who were adopted to other countries after World War II. Steve Haruch examines the law's history and legacy.

Friday September 5, 2014

Does It Matter That Rosie Perez Is The First Latina Co-Host Of 'The View'?

Rosie Perez (above) becomes a regular co-host on The View Sept 15. Phil McCarten/Reuters /Landov hide caption

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Phil McCarten/Reuters /Landov

Code Switch

Does It Matter That Rosie Perez Is The First Latina Co-Host Of 'The View'?

September 5, 2014 • The Oscar-nominated daughter of Puerto Rican parents is the first permanent Latina co-host in The View's 17-year history. NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans explains why that matters.

Thursday September 4, 2014

Joan Rivers, An Enduring Comic Who Turned Tragedy Into Showbiz Success, Dies

Comic Joan Rivers in a portrait taken at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2010. Larry Busacca/Getty Images hide caption

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Larry Busacca/Getty Images

Culture

Joan Rivers, An Enduring Comic Who Turned Tragedy Into Showbiz Success, Dies

September 4, 2014 • NPR's Eric Deggans says the comedian was a show business survivor whose tireless work ethic kept her relevant long after other comics would have faded away. She died Thursday at 81.

Joan Rivers, An Enduring Comic Who Turned Tragedy Into Showbiz Success, Dies

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CBS's Thursday Night Football: An Ambitious Alliance With A Lot At Stake

Actor Don Cheadle will narrate the opening for each broadcast of Thursday Night Football. Neil Jacobs/CBS hide caption

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Neil Jacobs/CBS

Television

CBS's Thursday Night Football: An Ambitious Alliance With A Lot At Stake

September 4, 2014 • On Sept. 11, CBS and the NFL will debut Thursday Night Football games. NPR TV critic Eric Deggans says it's a sure bet that two of the world's biggest corporations have a lot riding on.

CBS's Thursday Night Football: An Ambitious Alliance With A Lot At Stake

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Wednesday September 3, 2014

What Does It Mean To Prevent 'The Next Michael Brown'?

Demonstrators last month chanted on West Florissant, one of the main boulevards in Ferguson, Mo. According to a state report, nearly 9 in 10 people stopped by the police in 2013 were black. Eric Kayne for NPR hide caption

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Eric Kayne for NPR

Code Switch

What Does It Mean To Prevent 'The Next Michael Brown'?

September 3, 2014 • The coverage around the shooting of an unarmed black man by a police officer in Missouri has followed a familiar trajectory, and it doesn't let us wrestle with the larger issues that swirl around it.

Thursday August 28, 2014

New Amazon Series Pilots Fall Short Of A TV Revolution

Jay Chandrasekhar and Sarah Chalke are a married couple in the new Amazon Studios pilot Really. Quantrell Colbert/Amazon Studios hide caption

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Quantrell Colbert/Amazon Studios

Pop Culture Happy Hour

New Amazon Series Pilots Fall Short Of A TV Revolution

August 28, 2014 • NPR TV critic Eric Deggans ranks Amazon's new batch of five series pilots, asking why none of them seem to break the rules of TV quite enough to draw attention.

Tuesday August 26, 2014

Emmy Awards 2014: Safe Choices In A Time Of Groundbreaking TV

Julia Louis-Dreyfus won her fifth Emmy on Monday night. Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP hide caption

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Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

Television

Emmy Awards 2014: Safe Choices In A Time Of Groundbreaking TV

August 26, 2014 • NPR TV critic Eric Deggans says Monday's Emmy Awards promised to recognize TV's emerging future — but ultimately rewarded comfortable favorites over disruptive upstarts.

Emmy Awards 2014: Safe Choices In A Time Of Groundbreaking TV

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Thursday August 21, 2014

An Officer Shot A Black Teen, And St. Louis Rioted — In 1962

News outlets in 1962 paired this image of injured police officers with a story about the aftermath of a riot in a St. Louis suburb. Proquest Historical Newspapers Archive hide caption

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Proquest Historical Newspapers Archive

Code Switch

An Officer Shot A Black Teen, And St. Louis Rioted — In 1962

August 21, 2014 • As we unpack St. Louis' long, tense history of racial unrest amid continuing protests in Ferguson, Mo., we find striking parallels between the events of years past and those of the past few weeks.