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Thursday

Clive James, Writer, TV Host And Cultural Critic, Dies At 80

In childhood, "telling stories was crucial to my existence and indeed to my survival," writer and cultural critic Clive James said. He died Sunday at age 80. David Levenson/Getty Images hide caption

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David Levenson/Getty Images

Obituaries

Clive James, Writer, TV Host And Cultural Critic, Dies At 80

"Fiction is life with the dull bits left out." That is just one of the many clever observations of the writer, TV host and cultural critic Clive James. He died Sunday in Cambridge, England.

Clive James, Writer, TV Host And Cultural Critic, Dies At 80

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The Dismal 'Merry Happy Whatever' Is The Downside Of Binge-Watching

Mason Davis, Elizabeth Ho, Hayes MacArthur, Lucas Jaye, Ashley Tisdale, Dennis Quaid, Brent Morin, Bridgit Mendler, Siobhan Murphy, and Adam Rose in Merry Happy Whatever. Adam Rose/Netflix hide caption

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Adam Rose/Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

The Dismal 'Merry Happy Whatever' Is The Downside Of Binge-Watching

You can understand why Netflix thought people might want a holiday-themed family comedy to watch this season. But unfortunately, the one they made is a big miss.

Sunday

Rachael Ray At 50: 'Eat Your Spaghetti!'

Television chef Rachael Ray celebrates a milestone with a new book, Rachael Ray 50, that's part cookbook and part memoir. Food Network hide caption

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Food Network

Author Interviews

Rachael Ray At 50: 'Eat Your Spaghetti!'

The television chef celebrates a milestone with a new book, Rachael Ray 50, that's part cookbook and part memoir. She says she wanted to show that women older than 50 can still be relevant in America.

Rachael Ray At 50: 'Eat Your Spaghetti!'

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Thursday

'Mad About You': If A Reboot Falls In A Very Particular Forest, Is It Really On?

Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt return in Mad About You, 20 years after the original show ended. Trae Patton/Sony Pictures Television hide caption

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Trae Patton/Sony Pictures Television

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Mad About You': If A Reboot Falls In A Very Particular Forest, Is It Really On?

You might not even know that there's a reboot of Mad About You coming this week. But that might not matter, because unless you have the right cable provider, you can't watch it.

Wednesday

We Try On 'The Crown' For Size

Olivia Colman plays Queen Elizabeth in season three of The Crown. Sophie Mutevelian/Netflix hide caption

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Sophie Mutevelian/Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

We Try On 'The Crown' For Size

Netflix's The Crown is back for season three, and it's got a fresh polish in the form of a brand new cast playing the British royal family. This time out, the great Olivia Colman steps into Claire Foy's sensible brown shoes as Queen Elizabeth. This season follows the Royals from the mid-60s to late 70s, as we watch them contend with both external events — labor strikes, a mine disaster, a possible coup — and with internal strife — Margaret's wild ways, Charles coming-of-age, and the fact that Philip's still the same insufferable prig he always was.

We Try On 'The Crown' For Size

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Monday

'Sorrow Is Not The Same As Pessimism': Comedian Jenny Slate

Jenny Slate's new Netflix comedy special is Stage Fright. JoJo Whilden/Netflix hide caption

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JoJo Whilden/Netflix

She's Funny

'Sorrow Is Not The Same As Pessimism': Comedian Jenny Slate

Now that she's released her first Netflix stand-up special (Stage Fright) and her first book (Little Weirds), Slate says she's finally finding her comedic voice in smallness.

'Sorrow Is Not The Same As Pessimism': Comedian Jenny Slate

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Friday

'The Crown' Creator Sees Britain's Royals As 'Just A Regular Family'

Fresh Air

In his Netflix series, now in its third season, Peter Morgan explores the shame, regret and "misdemeanors of the past" that haunt the House of Windsor. Originally broadcast Jan. 16, 2018.

'The Crown' Creator Sees Britain's Royals As 'Just A Regular Family'

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Thursday

'From Book To Script To Screen,' Reese Witherspoon Is Making Roles For Women

"I will be a storyteller 'till the day I die," Reese Witherspoon says. "It's really what I was born to do." Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Turner Image hide caption

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Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Turner Image

'From Book To Script To Screen,' Reese Witherspoon Is Making Roles For Women

Fresh Air

Frustrated by the lack of leading roles for female actors, Witherspoon decided to start her own production company. Her new project, The Morning Show, takes on sexual harassment in the news industry.

'From Book To Script To Screen,' Reese Witherspoon Is Making Roles For Women

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Monday

After Comic Garry Shandling's Death, Judd Apatow Found Zen In His Diaries

Filmmaker Judd Apatow describes his mentor, the comedian Garry Shandling (above), as a perfectionist: "He just could not just be chill and make it easy on himself. He wanted everything to be amazing." Bonnie Schiffman/HBO hide caption

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Bonnie Schiffman/HBO

Author Interviews

After Comic Garry Shandling's Death, Judd Apatow Found Zen In His Diaries

Fresh Air

"He completely changed my life," Apatow says of his mentor. It's Garry Shandling's Book, which Apatow edited, explores the insecurities and personal trauma that Shandling turned into comedy.

After Comic Garry Shandling's Death, Judd Apatow Found Zen In His Diaries

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Saturday

The Cozy Snowbound Sweater-Wearing Guide To 2019 Holiday Movies

Josh Whitehouse and Vanessa Hudgens star in a movie in which an actual knight comes to modern-day Ohio, and if that's not enough for you, I can't help you. Brooke Palmer/Netflix hide caption

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Brooke Palmer/Netflix

Pop Culture Happy Hour

The Cozy Snowbound Sweater-Wearing Guide To 2019 Holiday Movies

Yes, it's here again: the season when cable and streaming networks offer a deluge of holiday stories — 61 in all! — full of happy couples, moppets and people learning the true meaning of Christmas.

Wednesday

We're Watching 'Watchmen'

Regina King plays Tulsa Police detective Sister Night in the new HBO series Watchmen. Mark Hill/HBO hide caption

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Mark Hill/HBO

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

We're Watching 'Watchmen'

HBO's series Watchmen is not strictly an adaptation of the landmark comic book series by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons — it's technically a sequel. It stars Regina King as an ex-cop in Tulsa Oklahoma who's not-so-secretly the masked vigilante Sister Night. It also stars Don Johnson and Tim Blake Nelson, alongside Jean Smart and a very odd Jeremy Irons, who are both playing characters from the comic. Showrunner Damon Lindelof has set the show within a big, weird world that keeps getting bigger and weirder, even as it seeks to comment on some very contemporary, real-world issues.

We're Watching 'Watchmen'

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Friday

Thursday

'His Dark Materials' Producer Jane Tranter Stays True To The Story

Dafne Keen as Lyra (alongside her daemon Pantalaimon) in HBO's new adaptation of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. HBO hide caption

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HBO

'His Dark Materials' Producer Jane Tranter Stays True To The Story

Where will HBO go next after Game of Thrones? The network is betting on a big-budget adaptation of Philip Pullman's classic His Dark Materials trilogy, helmed by veteran TV producer Jane Tranter.

'His Dark Materials' Producer Jane Tranter Stays True To The Story

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