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'The Other Black Girl' explores identity and unease

Sinclair Daniel and Ashleigh Murray in The Other Black Girl. Hulu hide caption

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Hulu

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'The Other Black Girl' explores identity and unease

Part blistering workplace satire, part creepy thriller, Hulu's The Other Black Girl packs a lot of punches. Nella (Sinclair Daniel) is a young editorial assistant who forms a fast-friendship with her new-coworker, Hazel (Ashleigh Murray) as they both navigate working in a mostly white publishing company. Hazel is confident, a bit mysterious, and full of secrets. The Other Black Girl is based on the novel by Zakiya Dalila Harris.

'The Other Black Girl' explores identity and unease

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New TV shows take on the hazard of Working While Black

Sinclair Daniel (center) plays Nella on Hulu's The Other Black Girl. Wilford Harwood/HULU hide caption

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Wilford Harwood/HULU

New TV shows take on the hazard of Working While Black

The Other Black Girl and Dreaming Whilst Black talk about race, class, gender and upward mobility in compelling ways

New TV shows take on the hazard of Working While Black

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Have you run out of TV? Our 2023 fall streaming guide can help

Clockwise from top left: American Horror Stories, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Changeling, The Mothers-in-Law, Reacher, The Continental: From the World of John Wick. Hulu; Peacock; Apple TV+; Tubi TV; Keri Anderson/Prime Video; Katalin Vermes/Starz Entertainment hide caption

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Hulu; Peacock; Apple TV+; Tubi TV; Keri Anderson/Prime Video; Katalin Vermes/Starz Entertainment

Have you run out of TV? Our 2023 fall streaming guide can help

As Hollywood's strikes stretch on, viewers are sitting down on the couch and asking: What's next? We scoured the streaming sites to find fantastic new releases as well as great shows worth revisiting.

'Face to Face' is a murder mystery that lives up to the tradition of Nordic Noir

Lars Mikkelsen stars as real estate baron Holger Lang in Season 3 of the Danish thriller Face to Face. Viaplay hide caption

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Viaplay

'Face to Face' is a murder mystery that lives up to the tradition of Nordic Noir

Fresh Air

Imagine if Logan Roy from Succession had to solve a murder. That's the vibe of the third and final season of this Danish thriller, which focuses on a heartless developer's attempt to solve a crime.

'Face to Face' is a murder mystery that lives up to the tradition of Nordic Noir

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What makes a good TV guest star?

Meryl Streep on Only Murders in the Building. Patrick Harbron/HULU hide caption

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Patrick Harbron/HULU

Pop Culture Happy Hour

What makes a good TV guest star?

New seasons of FX's The Bear and Hulu's Only Murders in the Building are bringing in big talent like Jamie Lee Curtis, Olivia Coleman and Meryl Streep. So we decided to discuss: What makes a great TV guest star? And who are some of the best guest stars of all time?

What makes a good TV guest star?

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CNN's new Little Richard documentary is a worthy tribute to the rock 'n' roll legend

The new documentary Little Richard: I Am Everything premieres Monday Sept. 4. Above, Little Richard performs in 1975. Angela Deane-Drummond/vening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images hide caption

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Angela Deane-Drummond/vening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

CNN's new Little Richard documentary is a worthy tribute to the rock 'n' roll legend

Little Richard: I Am Everything focuses on the star's roots in — and struggle with — his connection to queer culture. TV critic Eric Deggans says it's a masterpiece.

CNN's new Little Richard documentary is a worthy tribute to the rock 'n' roll legend

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This romcom lets you pick the ending — that doesn't make it good

The idea that boundless customization is the way of the future misunderstands the relationship between creator and audience and the negotiation that goes on between the two. Above, Laura Marano as Cami and Jordi Webber as Jack in Choose Love. Netflix hide caption

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Netflix

Pop Culture Happy Hour

This romcom lets you pick the ending — that doesn't make it good

Turns out multiple choice options work better for SATs than for storytelling. Netflix's Choose Love makes the case against AI writing — ordering a movie like a pizza doesn't make for good movies.

Why 'Suits'? We dive into this summer's streaming hit

Meghan Markle and Patrick J. Adams in Suits. Cinematic / Alamy Stock Photo hide caption

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Cinematic / Alamy Stock Photo

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Why 'Suits'? We dive into this summer's streaming hit

The long-running lawyer show Suits is this summer's streaming sensation, and riding high on Netflix's top ten. Starring Gabriel Macht and Patrick J. Adams, the series originally ran on the USA Network and ended its run four years ago. So why is it now so popular? Is it nostalgia for a different kind of television? Is it Meghan Markle? And how good is this show?

Why 'Suits'? We dive into this summer's streaming hit

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HBO shines a light on scams in 'Telemarketers' and 'BS High'

Roy Johnson (right) with a Bishop Sycamore player in the HBO documentary, BS High. HBO hide caption

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HBO

Pop Culture Happy Hour

HBO shines a light on scams in 'Telemarketers' and 'BS High'

HBO has two great new documentary projects about two very different scams. BS High is about a high school football team that came from what turned out to be a nonexistent high school. Telemarketers is about telemarketing scams, and how hard it is to stop them. Both stories are about not just the very colorful nitty-gritty details of a successful scam, but also the conditions and the systems that make scams possible.

HBO shines a light on scams in 'Telemarketers' and 'BS High'

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Into the raunchy, violent danger zone of 'Archer' one last time

Natalie Dew and H. Jon Benjamin voice the characters Zara Kahn and Sterling Archer on FX's Archer. FX hide caption

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FX

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Into the raunchy, violent danger zone of 'Archer' one last time

The FX animated comedy Archer explores the raunchy exploits of Sterling Archer (H. Jon Benjamin), who is known from Berlin to Bangkok as the world's most dangerous spy. The show is violent, smutty, and packed with profanity, wordplay, and callbacks. The final season is about to premiere, so we thought now would be the perfect time to revisit our conversation about the series.

Into the raunchy, violent danger zone of 'Archer' one last time

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Cozy up in Tokyo's 'Midnight Diner' for the TV version of comfort food

Diners sidle up to the counter in Netflix's Midnight Diner: Tokyo. Netflix hide caption

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Netflix

Cozy up in Tokyo's 'Midnight Diner' for the TV version of comfort food

Fresh Air

The strangely addictive Japanese series is set in a small, all-night joint, run by a chef whose dishes helps strangers tap into something deep and universal.

Cozy up in Tokyo's 'Midnight Diner' for the TV version of comfort food

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'Star Wars: Ahsoka' has a Jedi with two light sabers but not much else. Yet.

Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano. Suzanne Tenner/Suzanne Tenner / Lucasfilm Ltd. hide caption

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Suzanne Tenner/Suzanne Tenner / Lucasfilm Ltd.

'Star Wars: Ahsoka' has a Jedi with two light sabers but not much else. Yet.

A fan-favorite is finally getting her own series. But why is it so boring?

'Star Wars: Ahsoka' has a Jedi with two light sabers but not much else. Yet.

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'The Afterparty' is a genre-generating whodunit

John Cho in season two of Apple+ series The Afterparty. Apple TV+ hide caption

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Apple TV+

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'The Afterparty' is a genre-generating whodunit

The Apple TV+ murder mystery comedy series The Afterparty looks at the events around a murder and its investigation from a different character's point of view in each episode. Starring Sam Richardson, Zoë Chao, Tiffany Haddish, and many others, each installment is made in a different film style — like an erotic thriller, a midcentury melodrama, or a Wes Anderson sendup.

'The Afterparty' is a genre-generating whodunit

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On 'Harley Quinn' love reigns, with a side of chaos

Kaley Cuoco and Lake Bell voice Harley and Poison Ivy on Harley Quinn. Max hide caption

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Max

Pop Culture Happy Hour

On 'Harley Quinn' love reigns, with a side of chaos

The fantastic Max animated series Harley Quinn is set in its own separate version of the DC Universe where the violence is frequent and the raunchy jokes come at you fast. In the show, Harley (Kaley Cuoco) has ditched the Joker and started making her own brand of mayhem alongside her best friend and romantic partner Poison Ivy (Lake Bell). Harley Quinn recently returned for a new season, so we decided to revisit our conversation about the series.

On 'Harley Quinn' love reigns, with a side of chaos

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'Heartstopper' bursts with young queer love, cartoon hearts and fireworks

Joe Locke and Kit Connor in Netflix's Heartstopper. Samuel Dore/Netflix hide caption

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Samuel Dore/Netflix

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Heartstopper' bursts with young queer love, cartoon hearts and fireworks

They're young, they're in love, and they're navigating the hallways of high school. The Netflix series Heartstopper is a romcom for soft hearts everywhere. The two teenage boys at the center of the story go from rugby teammates to good friends to, you guessed it, something more. The series just returned for a second season, so we decided to revisit our conversation about the first season.

'Heartstopper' bursts with young queer love, cartoon hearts and fireworks

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Idris Elba is the hero we need in 'Hijack'

Idris Elba stars in the Apple TV+ series Hijack. Apple TV+ hide caption

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Apple TV+

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Idris Elba is the hero we need in 'Hijack'

Idris Elba is in full action hero mode in the Apple TV+ series Hijack. He stars as a corporate business negotiator onboard an airplane that is taken hostage by an eclectic bunch of assailants with mysterious motives. The series is very fun and very silly.

Idris Elba is the hero we need in 'Hijack'

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Haven't caught on to 'Reservation Dogs'? Now's your chance.

D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai and Dallas Goldtooth. Shane Brown/FX hide caption

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Shane Brown/FX

Haven't caught on to 'Reservation Dogs'? Now's your chance.

The FX on Hulu show offers an unassuming brilliance in its third and final season.

Haven't caught on to 'Reservation Dogs'? Now's your chance.

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'This Fool' is an odd-couple comedy with L.A. flair

Chris Estrada as Julio in This Fool. Hulu hide caption

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Hulu

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'This Fool' is an odd-couple comedy with L.A. flair

The Hulu comedy series This Fool is set in South Central Los Angeles and follow an odd couple of cousins named Julio and Luis. They bicker, help each other out and try to figure out what's next for themselves. Star and co-creator Chris Estrada, who plays Julio, based a lot of the show on his standup.

'This Fool' is an odd-couple comedy with L.A. flair

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'Good Omens' takes a breather between apocalypses

David Tennant as Crowley and Michael Sheen as Aziraphale in season 2 of the Prime Video series Good Omens. Mark Mainz/Prime Video hide caption

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Mark Mainz/Prime Video

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Good Omens' takes a breather between apocalypses

The second season of Prime Video's Good Omens re-teams Michael Sheen and David Tennant as the angel Aziraphale and the demon Crowley. In season one they worked together to prevent the apocalypse. Now, they're stuck hiding an amnesiac archangel (Jon Hamm) while Heaven and Hell maneuver to take advantage of his absence. The series is based on characters in a best-selling novel by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.

'Good Omens' takes a breather between apocalypses

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