Topic: Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture

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How 'Hatfields and McCoys' became cable's biggest-ever hit

The History Channel miniseries 'Hatfields and McCoys' is the most-watched non-sports show ever on cable. Yes, it's violent and vulgar, but it's also good, movie-style entertainment, critics say.
'Hatfields and McCoys': Is History Channel miniseries fact or fiction?

The family feud between the Hatfields and McCoys is brought to life in a new History Channel series. But history and folk legend blur as the show follows the lead of cable TV's more mature fare.
Mike Wallace: the legendary '60 Minutes' career that almost wasn't (+video)

Mike Wallace, who died this weekend, considered another path after covering the 1968 presidential campaign. But in the end, he set a high standard for serious long-form investigative journalism.
Obama's March Madness? Why he's taking British PM to hoops extravaganza.

British Prime Minister David Cameron is in the US, so why not hold the press conference at a March Madness basketball game? What do you think of Iran, Mr. Cameron ... and please pass the corn dogs.
Is bias-free news coverage coming back into vogue?

After years in which news outlets became associated with one political slant or another, there are some signs that a course correction is under way in the media. So far, the shift is a subtle one.
Academy Awards 2012: why Oscar winners are often head-scratchers

Academy Award winners aren't always the ones the viewing public expects – or wants. But the secretive Academy likes it that way. Don't forget, you're not in the Oscar club
Whitney Houston death: a moment of national mourning, shared on Twitter

Some 2.5 million tweets about the passing of Whitney Houston had filled the digisphere within an hour, making it the most-tweeted breaking-news event in Twitter's history.
Why some musicians are protesting this year’s Grammy Awards show

The Recording Academy has eliminated 31 categories of Grammy Awards, many of which are often won by minorities. A protest rally and alternative concert will be held on Sunday.
'Soul Train' icon Don Cornelius changed the beat of the nation

'Soul Train' creator, Don Cornelius, took the pulse of black culture and broadcast it into living rooms across the nation. Before Facebook and Twitter, he connected a generation of teens.
Lowe's stores face protests for pulling ads from 'All American Muslim'

Lowe’s Home Improvement stores pulled its ads from the TV show 'All American Muslim' when the obscure Florida Family Association objected to a positive portrayal of Muslims in the US. Protesters are expected to picket Lowe's stores around the country Saturday.
Vox News
President Obama on 'The Tonight Show': A good move?

President Obama will appear on 'The Tonight Show' Tuesday for the fourth time. The show will give the president a wider audience but might have limited benefits, experts say.
Unveiling of Pottermore and J.K. Rowling's secrets: worth the wait?

Saturday's launch of J.K. Rowling's Pottermore, the new website about all things Harry Potter, comes after an extended test drive. Some see crass commercialism. Others see 'amazing' world.
Does America really need 'X-Factor'? In two words, 'heck yes.'

'The X-Factor,' another singing reality competition, debuts Wednesday. At what point will the US public hit singing TV saturation? Not yet, suggest experts and critics.
'Oprah Winfrey Show' ends, but Oprah's legacy lives on

With the finale of ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ on Wednesday, critics are debating the real legacy of the woman who transformed the daily talk show from a tabloid sideshow into a national self-help platform.
Ashton Kutcher joins 'Two and a Half Men.' Will the show do better or worse?

Ashton Kutcher replaces Charlie Sheen, but it’s unlikely that he’ll play the same character. Several TV shows that have made key changes in the cast have done well – but not all.
Comcast-NBC Universal deal: Can company now crush its rivals?

The Comcast-NBC Universal merger is on a scale that even the experts don’t quite grasp, many observers say.
In 'Tron: Legacy,' Jeff Bridges gets top billing. But is he the movie's star?

'Tron: Legacy' is further evidence that Hollywood is catering to a new generation of moviegoers whose appetite for video games and reality TV has changed the very nature of stardom.
A tepid return for Conan O'Brien: Time to rethink late-night talk?

The first two episodes of the highly anticipated Conan O'Brien show on TBS have been called conventional. The late-night talk show genre is in trouble, media-watchers say.
Conan O'Brien returns -- to a changed late-night landscape

To the delight of Team Coco, Conan O'Brien returns to late-night TV after his ouster by Jay Leno. But the competition for young viewers has shifted with the rise of Comedy Central.
Vox News
Colbert-Stewart rally: Bigger than a tea party?

People who can't make it to Washington for the Jon Stewart-Stephen Colbert 'Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear' Oct. 30 are holding 'meet-ups.' By one measure, the rally might spawn more local events than the tea party movement has.
Vox News
Why Oprah Winfrey is sending Jon Stewart fans to his rally

Oprah Winfrey is paying for a Jon Stewart audience to attend his rally in Washington on Oct. 30. Is this more than a classic Oprah moment?
Soap operas: All washed up?

Derided for melodrama and outlandish plots, daytime soap operas have dwindled. But their influence and offspring are turning up in prime time.
Vox News
Katie Couric election series: A nod to Charles Kuralt or Facebook?

With ‘American Voices,’ Katie Couric is reminiscent of Charles Kuralt crisscrossing the nation decades ago. But the series also shows how far broadcast media have fallen behind social media.
Vox News
Parker/Spitzer struggles through good intentions and weird moments

CNN's debut of its latest prime-time news magazine show, with Eliot Spitzer and Kathleen Parker, was very earnest about trying to be serious and bipartisan. But it hit some jarring notes.
A character not listed in TV dramas: The city itself

As 'Law & Order: Los Angeles' ramps up, the role cities play in storytelling is seen in the tone, shaping of other characters, and cultural backdrop.