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Friday

Bridesmaids No More: TV's Women Get All The Laughs

Zooey Deschanel plays Jess on Fox's New Girl. Fox uses the term "adorkable" to describe her. Isabella Vosmikova/Fox hide caption

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Isabella Vosmikova/Fox

Opinion

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Bridesmaids No More: TV's Women Get All The Laughs

Just a few years ago, some critics predicted reality TV shows would kill the sitcom altogether. Instead, the rise of the Funny Female proves network television's future likely comes with a smile — and a pair of snappy high heels.

Bridesmaids No More: TV's Women Get All The Laughs

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Stephen Colbert: A 'Company' Man On Broadway

Stephen Colbert and Martha Plimpton perform a song from Company on stage during the 65th annual Tony Awards. Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images hide caption

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The Best Of Fresh Air 2011

Stephen Colbert: A 'Company' Man On Broadway

Fresh Air

The political satirist and comedian talks about his Broadway performance (and performance anxieties) and about his recent segments on The Colbert Report featuring Sarah Palin and Anthony Weiner.

Stephen Colbert: A 'Company' Man On Broadway

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Oprah Winfrey Network Still Finding Its Footing

Oprah Winfrey talks to reporters during a press tour that followed the launch of her cable network, OWN, in January. Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images hide caption

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Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Television

Oprah Winfrey Network Still Finding Its Footing

Oprah Winfrey gave up her coveted spot as the queen of daytime talk to start a cable network. A year after its launch, however, OWN is struggling. Winfrey hopes a show of her own will boost viewership, but admits that running the network is much harder than she anticipated.

Oprah Winfrey Network Still Finding Its Footing

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Thursday

The Logic - Or Lack Thereof - Behind Top 10 Lists

Year's end always means a slew of top ten lists, the ubiquitous arbiter of the year's best films, books, albums and political stories. But Dallas Morning News film critic Chris Vognar has a confession: Those lists are not just subjective — they're often completely arbitrary.

The Logic - Or Lack Thereof - Behind Top 10 Lists

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Try A Champagne Cocktail For A Sparkling New Year

Greg Seider's version of a French 75 is a cocktail with gin, lemon juice and agave topped with prosecco or champagne. iStockphoto.com hide caption

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iStockphoto.com

Food

Try A Champagne Cocktail For A Sparkling New Year

Champagne is the go-to drink for the celebratory moments in our lives. It's also far more versatile than many people think. You can mix it with any number of spirits to create a range of cocktails — like these.

Try A Champagne Cocktail For A Sparkling New Year

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Sounds Of Blackness: Songs Of Hope In Hard Times

Sounds of Blackness founder Gary Hines (left) and vocalist Jamecia Bennett, perform with the Howard University Gospel Choir at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C. Amy Ta/NPR hide caption

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Music

Sounds Of Blackness: Songs Of Hope In Hard Times

The Grammy-winning group has been inspiring listeners for decades. In a performance chat with host Michel Martin, band members discuss their anniversary CD, which focuses on reconciliation and healing.

Sounds Of Blackness: Songs Of Hope In Hard Times

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Tuesday

Aaron Paul: Playing Bad On 'Breaking Bad'

Aaron Paul plays a meth-making drug dealer on the AMC drama Breaking Bad. He also played a recurring character on the HBO series Big Love. Ursula Coyote/AMC hide caption

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Ursula Coyote/AMC

The Best Of Fresh Air 2011

Aaron Paul: Playing Bad On 'Breaking Bad'

Fresh Air

Student-turned-drug dealer Jesse Pinkman was supposed to die in the first season of the AMC drama. But the writers decided the chemistry between high school teacher Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse (Aaron Paul) was too good to let go.

Aaron Paul: Playing Bad On 'Breaking Bad'

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Margo Martindale: A 'Justified' Backwoods Matriarch

Margo Martindale is Mags Bennett, a charmingly villainous moonshiner in the FX series Justified. For her performance, Martindale drew on her roots in East Texas and Kentucky. "It's all part of my makeup. It's something I really understand," she says. Prashant Gupta/FX hide caption

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Prashant Gupta/FX

The Best Of Fresh Air 2011

Margo Martindale: A 'Justified' Backwoods Matriarch

Fresh Air

Margo Martindale plays Mags Bennett, the leader of a law-defying Appalachian family in the FX series Justified. The Emmy-nominated actress talks about playing Mags — as well as her other roles in Paris, Je T'Aime and Million Dollar Baby.

Margo Martindale: A 'Justified' Backwoods Matriarch

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Monday

The Touchy-Feely Future Of Technology

While many think of the tablet computer as a new idea, the concept can traced back to the original Star Trek series and Arthur C. Clarke's 1968 novel 2001: A Space Odyssey. Noel Celis/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Noel Celis/AFP/Getty Images

Technology

The Touchy-Feely Future Of Technology

With the gift-giving season winding down, All Things Considered takes some time to look at a technology that likely played a part in many of this year's offerings — touch screens. From its early innovators to its most recent, groundbreaking applications, the one thing that's for sure is there's still plenty of change on the way.

The Touchy-Feely Future Of Technology

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Jimmy Fallon's 'Thank You Notes' For Everything

Jimmy Fallon says he spends almost 12 hours each day at the Late Night offices, which makes the rest of his life difficult. "If I want to play video games now, I have to schedule it," he tells Terry Gross. Virginia Sherwood/NBC hide caption

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The Best Of Fresh Air 2011

Jimmy Fallon's 'Thank You Notes' For Everything

Fresh Air

Fallon is thankful for slow walkers, people named Lloyd and the word "moist." The comedian and host of Late Night collects more than 100 nuggets of gratitude in his book called Thank You Notes. He talks with Terry Gross about giving thanks and doing impressions.

Jimmy Fallon's 'Thank You Notes' For Everything

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Sunday

Bronx Family's Christmas Display Is 'So Bad, It's Good'

Onlookers gather in front of the Garabedian family home in the Bronx in this 2004 photo. The Garabedians have decorated their home for nearly four decades with lights and hundreds of animated figurines. Mario Tama/Getty Images hide caption

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Mario Tama/Getty Images

National

Bronx Family's Christmas Display Is 'So Bad, It's Good'

WFUV

The Garabedians' over-the-top decorations have been a traffic-snarling must-see for nearly four decades. And "traditional" is definitely not the right word for this holiday attraction. Amid Santa and his reindeer, life-size figures of celebrities rejoice.

Bronx Family's Christmas Display Is 'So Bad, It's Good'

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Bill Cosby Enlists Santa's Staff For A Silent Night

Author Interviews

Bill Cosby Enlists Santa's Staff For A Silent Night

Every year, the comedian's three young grandchildren visit him for Christmas. Problem is, "they're annoying," he says. So Cosby came up with a plan to calm the squabbling children and restore Christmas cheer to his household.

Bill Cosby Enlists Santa's Staff For A Silent Night

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Saturday

At LAX, TSA Workers Sing Cheer Into Holiday Travel

TSA workers sing at Los Angeles International Airport in this screen grab from a USA Today video. The chorus dons Santa hats during the holiday season and perform in the middle of the airport. USA Today hide caption

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USA Today

The Two-Way

At LAX, TSA Workers Sing Cheer Into Holiday Travel

True to its profession, the Los Angeles Transportation Security Administration Chorus isn't joking. They're actually TSA employees who don Santa hats during the holiday season and perform in the middle of the airport.

At LAX, TSA Workers Sing Cheer Into Holiday Travel

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The Good Old Yule Log Spreads To HDTV

A screencap of the iconic WPIX Yule Log. The original video was filmed in 1966; this version was redone in 1970. WPIX hide caption

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WPIX

Television

The Good Old Yule Log Spreads To HDTV

The yule log debuted on WPIX in New York City 45 years ago this Christmas. Since its first broadcast, the log has inspired a quirky genre of film that's finding new popularity on high-definition televisions and beyond.

The Good Old Yule Log Spreads To HDTV

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