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'It's just so fun to make people laugh,' says 'Hacks' star Jean Smart

Fresh Air

The fifth and final season of the HBO Max series Hacks is nominated for 24 Emmys, including one for Smart as best actress in a comedy series. The writers "raised the bar every single season," Smart says.

FA: Jean Smart, Hacks

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Kevin Sussman, left, Lauren Lapkus, Brian Posehn, John Ross Bowie in Stuart Fails to Save the Universe.

Lauren Lapkus, Kevin Sussman and Kunal Nayyar star in Stuart Fails to Save the Universe. Colin Remas Brown/HBO Max hide caption

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Colin Remas Brown/HBO Max

Review

TV Reviews

'Stuart Fails to Save the Universe' is a fun and familiar 'Big Bang' spin-off

A 10-part HBO Max spin-off to The Big Bang Theory expands on that long-running sitcom by following a quartet of its characters. Every episode offers a new multiverse — and surprising cameos.

FA TV Review: Stuart Fails to Save the Universe

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Javier Bardem stars as the villain Max Cady in Apple TV's Cape Fear, which streams its finale Friday. He spoke with Morning Edition about his process for bringing the iconic character to life.

Javier Bardem stars as the villain Max Cady in Apple TV's Cape Fear, which streams its finale Friday. He spoke with Morning Edition about his process for bringing the iconic character to life. Apple TV hide caption

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Apple TV

Javier Bardem shares how he became villain Max Cady in Apple TV's 'Cape Fear'

 Javier Bardem discusses taking on the iconic role of Max Cady in Apple TV's Cape Fear, the joy of playing villains, and continuing to speak out for Palestinian rights.

Javier Bardem shares how he embodied villain Max Cady in Apple TV's 'Cape Fear'

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Emmy Rossum in Furious.

Emmy Rossum in Furious. Sarah Shatz/Disney hide caption

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Sarah Shatz/Disney

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Emmy Rossum tracks down a female serial killer in 'Furious'

The new Hulu show Furious is a twisty serial killer drama with a sense of humor, but does it hit its mark? Emmy Rossum stars as Alice, a low-level FBI agent on the hunt for a young woman (Lola Petticrew) who’s been targeting prominent men across New York City. Furious will keep you guessing as both women carve their own paths to justice. 

Furious

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Will Ferrell plays a washed-up golf pro attempting a come-back in The Hawk.

Will Ferrell plays a washed-up golf pro attempting a comeback in The Hawk. Colleen E. Hayes/Netflix hide caption

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Colleen E. Hayes/Netflix

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TV Reviews

Will Ferrell brings goofiness to the golf course in 'The Hawk'

Ferrell plays a zany former golf star who's trying to regain his mojo in a new Netflix series. While The Hawk has its flaws, it delivers satisfying silliness, amusing shenanigans and surprise cameos.

FA: TV Review, The Hawk

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Gugu Gumede plays Joyce Gomora in The Polygamist.

Gugu Gumede plays Joyce Gomora in The Polygamist. Mpumelelo Macu/Netflix © 2026 hide caption

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Mpumelelo Macu/Netflix © 2026

Africa

Netflix-viewers are binge-watching South African series 'The Polygamist.' Here's why

Why is a Zulu-language drama taking the world by storm? The Polygamist mixes sex and scandal with a sharp portrait of modern South Africa.

Netflix viewers globally are binge-watching South African series 'The Polygamist'

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Anya Taylor-Joy plays the title character in Lucky.

Anya Taylor-Joy plays the title character in Lucky. Apple TV hide caption

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Apple TV

Review

TV Reviews

'Lucky' is a crime series that starts mid-caper — and dares you to keep up

Based on Marissa Stapley's 2021 crime novel, Lucky is an aggressively entertaining series about a con woman who absconds with millions of dollars — then must evade the mob and the law.

FA TV Review: Lucky

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Will Ferrell in The Hawk.

Will Ferrell in The Hawk. Aaron Epstein/Netflix hide caption

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Aaron Epstein/Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Will Ferrell's wacky golf comedy 'The Hawk' isn't up to par

Will Ferrell stars as a past-his-prime golfer in the new Netflix series, The Hawk. If you loved watching him play self-absorbed athletes in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and Blades of Glory, you might be into this too. He reunited with some funny former collaborators like Molly Shannon, Luke Wilson, and Chris Parnell. The Frat Pack vibes are high, but does this old school sports comedy feel fresh or stuck in the past?

The Hawk

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Bill Maher on comedy, atheism and dining with Trump

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NPR's Newsmakers

Bill Maher on comedy, atheism and dining with Trump

Bill Maher says he’s “exactly the same person” he plays on TV. He’s been hosting comedy shows on TV for 33 years and just won the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.  NPR’s Steve Inskeep sat down with Maher at his Los Angeles home and asked him about his creative process, inviting Louis C.K. to honor him at the Kennedy Center Twain ceremony and what he thinks about President Trump since having dinner with him.

Bill Maher on comedy, atheism and dining with Trump

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Alice Halsey in Little House on the Prairie.

Alice Halsey in Little House on the Prairie. Netflix hide caption

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Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Little House on the Prairie

You may be familiar with the world of Little House on the Prairie, either through Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved books, or the 1970s TV adaptation. Now, Netflix is once again bringing the Ingalls family to life with a new series. It focuses on earlier in Laura's life in Kansas, where the promise of available land for the family comes at the expense of a local Osage population that's being pushed out. During this time, the Ingalls family must make friends in their local community and deal with the harsh realities of pioneer life.

Little House On The Prairie

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Taskmaster’s Alex Horne and Greg Davies

Greg Davies (left) and Alex Horne (right) of the British gameshow Taskmaster Taskmaster hide caption

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Taskmaster

Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

Taskmaster’s Alex Horne and Greg Davies

We’re talking all things Taskmaster! The British game show in which comedians compete against each other through a series of odd, sometimes very funny, tasks. The show’s creator, Alex Horne, and his co-host, Greg Davies, join us to chat about some of their favorite past tasks, why most of the contestants are comedians, and how they come up with tasks for the show.

Taskmaster’s Alex Horne and Gregg Davies

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Colin Farrell stars in Sugar.

Colin Farrell stars as private eye John Sugar in the Apple TV series Sugar. Apple TV hide caption

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Apple TV

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TV Reviews

Colin Farrell plays a P.I. with the strangest of secrets in 'Sugar' Season 2

The Apple TV series wraps noir inside science fiction. With subtlety and charm, Farrell plays an earnest alien just doing his best as a private eye in Los Angeles.

FA: TV Review: Sugar, Season 2

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Little House on the Prairie. (L to R) Alice Halsey as Laura Ingalls, Crosby Fitzgerald as Caroline Ingalls, Skywalker Hughes as Mary Ingalls in episode 101 of Little House on the Prairie. Cr. Eric Zachanowich/Netflix © 2026

Alice Halsey, Crosby Fitzgerald and Skywalker Hughes star in Little House on the Prairie on Netflix. Eric Zachanowich/Netflix hide caption

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Eric Zachanowich/Netflix

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TV Reviews

New 'Little House' remake will inspire you to rewatch the '70s TV series

Netflix's new Little House series features the same characters and setting as the original, but its reliance on hand-held cameras, in extreme close-up, calls too much attention to itself.

FA: TV Review: Little House on the Prairie

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Matthew Rhys was nominated for his role in Widow’s Bay.

Matthew Rhys was nominated for his role in Widow's Bay. Apple TV hide caption

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Apple TV

Pop Culture Happy Hour

We unpack the 2026 Emmy nominations

The 2026 Emmy nominations are here. We’re unpacking the record-breaking nominations for Hacks, plus a big day for Widow’s Bay, The Pitt, and The Bear. We’ll also talk about the snubs and make some early predictions of who will win. 

2026 Emmy Nominations

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In Alice and Steve, Jemaine Clement and Nicola Walker play long-time friends who turn on each other after he gets involved with her 26-year-old daughter.

In Alice and Steve, Jemaine Clement and Nicola Walker play long-time friends who turn on each other after he gets involved with her 26-year-old daughter. Lara Cornell/Disney+ hide caption

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Lara Cornell/Disney+

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TV Reviews

'Alice and Steve' might be a mess — but it's also too fun to stop watching

This British comedy on Hulu centers on two 50-something best friends who turn on each other after he gets involved with her 26-year-old daughter. While the premise is juicy, it's also a tad yucky.

FA: TV Review: Alice and Steve

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