- Social:
Slate
Culture critic for Slate and editor of its LGBTQ section, Outward
PROFILE
June Thomas
Guest
FROM June Thomas
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Best of new TV: Superheroes and Hollywood superstars on the small screen Our TV critics talk about Jude Law playing the young Pope on HBO; the dark historical drama starring Tom Hardy; another Marvel series, and more.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
What's the reality of reality TV It’s the night fans have been waiting for: the final rose ceremony on ABC’s The Bachelorette. The big question on fans’ minds is whether JoJo will choose the former competitive swimmer Robby or the former football quarterback Jordan. The bigger question, however, is whether reality shows like The Bachelorette are still capturing viewers. And how has the reality landscape changed since the early days of The Real World and Survivor?
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Foreign TV Shows Americans Should Be Watching People often complain these days that there’s just too much good TV, and with so many ways to watch – Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Acorn.tv – it’s hard to keep up. That means if you’re focused solely on American television, you could be missing out on some really good stuff . In our weekly TV segment, we take a little tour around the world and talk about what shows from other countries Americans might be missing out on.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
TV Roundup Spoiler alert! The creator of a cult favorite TV show has apologized to fans for killing off a character. Lexa, a popular lesbian character on The 100 on the CW, was killed earlier this month just after she consummated her relationship with series lead character Clarke. That enraged fans and prompted several entertainment outlets to explore what some are calling a troubling trend of offing lesbian characters on television. We discuss that and more in our regular Monday TV roundup.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
TV Roundup: 'Transparent' Returns Attention fans of the series 'Transparent,' don’t make any plans this weekend. The full second season drops on Amazon this Friday . Amazon has already released the first episode to rave reviews. So can the show avoid the sophomore slump that infects so many other TV shows?
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
TV Roundup: 'I Am Cait,' and More Caitlyn Jenner’s new docu-series I Am Cait debuted last night. It was one of the most anticipated new TV shows of the year. That and more in television news today.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
TV Roundup: 'Game of Thrones' Bloody Finale, and More For those of you still smarting from the Game of Thrones finale last night, perhaps the new season of Orange Is the New Black will work as a salve? We talk about how HBO’s historical fiction/fantasy series ended its latest round of episodes, and more in our weekly television segment.
Recommended
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Why did Jared Kushner want a back channel with Russians? News broke Friday that President Trump’s son-in-law and senior advisor, Jared Kushner, tried setting up a back channel between the Trump transition team and the Russian government. What are the consequences for Kushner, President Trump, and the investigation into Russian meddling?
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Why is Trump so behind on filling staff jobs, establishing concrete policies? Yesterday Donald Trump signed a “decision memo” to revamp the air traffic control system. But there was little legislative detail in the plan. There’s not much to other splashy announcements from the White House, including tax cuts and the arms deal with Saudi Arabia. And hundreds of positions are unfilled in federal agencies.
Bookworm
Claudio Magris: Blameless In Claudio Magris' Blameless, a museum of the implements of war and destruction is created to inspire peace. But this conversation is not just about war and peace.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Previewing James Comey's blockbuster testimony Former FBI director James Comey testifies Thursday in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee, but his opening statement has been released. In it, he says he felt pressured by Donald Trump to declare loyalty to him and publicly clear him of any wrongdoing in the Russia investigation.