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That's What She Said: The Rise and Fall of the 2000s' Best Bad Joke
Groan-worthy innuendos in the style of Michael Scott came and went—that's what she said—but they taught important lessons about puns and parodies along the way.
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The Girls Gut Check: Is It Ever the Right Moment for a Rent Serenade?
Four Atlantic staffers sound off on the third episode of the third season of Lena Dunham's HBO show.
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NBC SNL's Drake Episode: 5 Best Scenes
Drake showcases his comedy chops; Sasheer Zamata, SNL's new castmember, makes her debut.
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BET Being Mary Jane Is No Scandal—and That's a Good Thing
Comparing Gabrielle Union's new BET show to the political thriller misses what's remarkable about it: Its African-American protagonist is an everywoman, relatable to women of any race.
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HBO's Looking: Not 'the Ultimate Gay Show About All Gay People'
The series' executive producers discuss the challenge of creating a show that's both universally relatable and authentic to its writers' experiences.
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2014: The Year TV Starts Atoning for Its Lack of Diversity?
Saturday Night Live and Looking offer reasons to be tentatively optimistic.
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The Girls Season-Premiere Gut Check: Do Happy Endings Last?
Four Atlantic staffers sound off on the Season Three premiere of Lena Dunham's HBO show.
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How Masterpiece Stays Timeless
A new memoir by Rebecca Eaton, the executive producer of Downton Abbey and other Masterpiece classics, offers some insight into the series' enduring excellence.
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Can Cowboy Bebop's Creator Make More People Take Anime Seriously?
A new series from Shinichiro Watanabe could help bring Japan's animated TV shows, often dismissed as low-brow or kiddie entertainment, some well-deserved critical consideration.
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The Captain Kirk Problem: How Doctor Who Betrayed Matt Smith
The actor playing the 11th Doctor performed more than admirably for four years. But the show's writers let him down.
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How Fanzines Helped Put Doctor Who Fans in Charge of Doctor Who
Before there were message boards and Tumblr, fans discussed the show via DIY zines—which helped keep the series alive and housed debates that have directly influenced the show.
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NBC SNL's Jimmy Fallon Episode: 5 Best Scenes
The Barry Gibb Talk Show; Justin Timberlake as Jimmy Fallon; cameos by Paul McCartney, Madonna, Barry Gibb, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg; and more...
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Flickr / Lars Plougmann I Refuse to Feel Bad About Letting My Children Watch TV
Pop culture, even "low-brow" entertainment, paves the way for appreciating the classics, and it'll help my kids connect with people who aren't just like them.
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Whatever Happened to Kel From Kenan & Kel—as Explained by Kel
Former teen comedy star Kel Mitchell talks about what he's been up to since his Nickelodeon years.
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Homeland Season 3's Very Sad Happy Ending
Last night's emotionally difficult, morally questionable finale effectively rebooted the show.
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NBC SNL's John Goodman Episode: 5 Best Scenes
Black Santa; the South African sign language imposter; selfies with Obama; cameos by Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone; and more...
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The Best Television Episodes of 2013
Staff selections from a year of great TV
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ABC What's Actually Funny About Older Guy/Younger Bride Marriages
Pop culture usually makes fun of intergenerational romances. Modern Family acts like they're totally normal. But ABC's Trophy Wife finds humor in their complexity.
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SNL's Paul Rudd Episode: 5 Best Scenes
The Sound of Music, One Direction's #1 fan, cameos by Kristin Wiig, Will Ferrell, Fred Armisen, and Steve Carell...
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Finally, National-Security Storytelling That's Not Propaganda
Homeland's no fun to watch these days. But it does offer a corrective to the boosterish likes of Captain Phillips, Zero Dark Thirty, and Argo.
