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Wednesday

'Glee' Star Jane Lynch's Long Road To Fame

Fresh Air

Actress Jane Lynch has spent 2009 animating Glee's ruthless cheerleading coach, Sue Sylvester. But Lynch began building her career well-before she started stealing scenes on Fox. In this memorable interview from earlier in the year, Lynch opens up about her life on- and off-screen.

'Glee' Star Jane Lynch's Long Road To Fame

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Tuesday

Pop Culture

Tracy Morgan On Becoming 'The New Black'

Fresh Air

The star of NBC's 30 Rock talks to Terry Gross about his tough childhood, how he made the grade in the comedy college that was Saturday Night Live, and why even though he may cry a little on the radio, "the funny bus is still sitting downstairs." (Rebroadcast from Oct. 22, 2009)

Tracy Morgan On Becoming 'The New Black'

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Monday

Alcott: 'Not The Little Woman You Thought She Was'

Elizabeth Marvel as Louisa May Alcott, who loved to run. Liane Brandon hide caption

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Liane Brandon

American Lives

Alcott: 'Not The Little Woman You Thought She Was'

For many readers, Louisa May Alcott is synonymous with her most famous character, Jo March, the spirited sister in Little Women. But author and filmmaker Harriet Reisen says Alcott's life "was no children's book." Reisen's The Woman Behind 'Little Women' premieres Monday night on PBS.

Alcott: 'Not The Little Woman You Thought She Was'

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Friday

Linda Holmes: 10 Reasons This Was TV's Decade

Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini react to Clarkson winning the first season of American Idol. Lucy Nicholson/AP hide caption

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Lucy Nicholson/AP

Linda Holmes: 10 Reasons This Was TV's Decade

Ten years ago, "reality TV" meant The Real World and people watched TV with a quaint device ... the TV set. NPR's pop-culture blogger counts 10 of the things that have changed our TV-watching lives the most. She finds they're mostly for the better.

Linda Holmes: 10 Reasons This Was TV's Decade

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Thursday

For Sale: 'Lost In Space' Robot Replicas

Mike Joyce has sold 53 robot replicas at $25,000 apiece. Mike Joyce/NPR hide caption

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Mike Joyce/NPR

Diversions

For Sale: 'Lost In Space' Robot Replicas

As a child, Mike Joyce dreamed of two things: being an astronaut and owning his own robot from the show Lost in Space. Now, he makes and sells them at $25,000 a pop. Building the robot started as a hobby, and then selling these replica robots became a business. He's sold 53 so far.

For Sale: 'Lost In Space' Robot Replicas

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Wednesday

TV 2009: David Bianculli On The Best ... And The Rest

Fresh Air

The economy may have hit the broadcast business hard, but TV critic David Bianculli says the future is looking bright — for cable, anyway. He joins Terry Gross to talk about the best and the worst television of '09 and what we can look forward to in '10.

TV 2009: David Bianculli On The Best ... And The Rest

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'American Idol' And The Making Of A Star
Jason Merritt/Getty Images

The Decade In Music: '00s

'American Idol' And The Making Of A Star

Launched in 2002, American Idol wasn't the first TV show to make a pop star, and it hasn't been the last. But the show has changed the way the public interacts with the machinery of the music industry. NPR Music's Stephen Thompson looks at the show and describes his own brush with Idol glory.

'American Idol' And The Making Of A Star

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Sunday

Music Interviews

Sing, Muse, Of The 'Jeopardy!' Three-Way Tie

Every month, John Wood and a bunch of his musician friends get together to make a new album from scratch. This month, the theme is the first event of its kind in the history of a television game show — adapted as a Greek myth.

Sing, Muse, Of The 'Jeopardy!' Three-Way Tie

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Tuesday

Monday

Opinion

Can I Just Tell You?

What Chris Brown And Tiger Woods Have In Common

In her weekly commentary, host Michel Martin draws a parallel between the tarnished public images of golfer Tiger Woods and R&B singer Chris Brown. Martin says both men's troubles feed stereotypes and unflattering statistics about black men.

What Chris Brown And Tiger Woods Have In Common

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'As The World Turns' Villainess Will Miss Fans, Family

Eileen Fulton at the 31st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards in 2004 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Fulton is a longtime star of As The World Turns, which was recently canceled by CBS. Peter Kramer/Getty Images hide caption

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Peter Kramer/Getty Images

'As The World Turns' Villainess Will Miss Fans, Family

Eileen Fulton has played the character "Lisa" on the soap opera for nearly 50 years. Last week, CBS officials announced the show's cancellation. Fulton reflects on her longtime relationship with fans — and her role as one of the first "mean girls" on TV soaps.

'As The World Turns' Villainess Will Miss Fans, Family

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Friday

Thursday

Classic TV on DVD Makes A Personalized Holiday Gift

Fresh Air

For those looking for gifts for the holiday season, TV critic David Bianculli has a few suggestions—recently released DVD sets of old and new TV shows. Match the right shows to the right recipients, he suggests, and the gift becomes hours and hours of passive pleasure.

Classic TV on DVD Makes A Personalized Holiday Gift

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Monday

Move Over MacGyver: Other Shows Make Science Fun

Plenty of children and adults have made science-based shows like MythBusters on the Discovery Channel into hits. And there are educational shows designed to entertain, too, from Sid the Science Kid on PBS to nature shows on Animal Planet.

Move Over MacGyver: Other Shows Make Science Fun

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