Category: media

“NPR will no longer distribute the member station-produced program World of Opera to about 60 stations across the country” after host Lisa Simeone became involved with the Occupy DC protest. Instead, the North Carolina station that produces the show will keep Simeone on and distribute the program itself.

“Joss Whedon has directed, adapted, cast and filmed an entire movie – an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing – in secret.” He shot the entire script over 12 days just after finishing Marvel’s big-budget feature The Avengers.

“As recently as 2008, only two comedies ranked among the top 10 shows at this point in a new television season. Two years earlier, the total was zero. But comedy has surged back this fall, elbowing past those other genres to reclaim supremacy among viewers. So far this season, sitcoms occupy seven of the top 10 spots.”

“The scarcity largely reflects societal and pop culture shifts over the past decades, but critics decry the conspicious absence of scripted family shows, especially in a seemingly boundless programming universe.”

“Proponents have argued that a combined union would be more powerful and remove jurisdictional overlaps. Opponents have contended that the new union should be for actors only but SAG voters have been backing pro-merger candidates overwhelmingly in recent elections.”

“The weekend’s Film Independent Forum began with a keynote Q&A in which the special guest speaker said that independent film doesn’t exist, and then slammed one of the forum’s chief sponsors. That’s what they get for inviting Werner Herzog.”

Lena Horne, Stevie Wonder, Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts – the history (and present) of “Sesame Street” thrives on celebrity guests interacting with the show’s fuzzy cast of characters.

“Queen’s University biologist Emma Ware is one of four winners of Dance Your PhD, a unique and lighthearted annual contest that asks researchers to convert their doctoral thesis into a dance video.”

“In just over a week, The Dark Knight Rises – a film featuring a fictional 1 percenter, [Bruce] Wayne, and his superhero alter ego, Batman – is scheduled to begin filming on Wall Street, only two blocks from Zuccotti Park, which the Occupy Wall Street protesters have been using as their home base for the last month.”

“According to Christopher Vogler the hero’s journey is populated by “archetypes”, basic functions that appear in every story. These recurring patterns of behaviour are symbolised by standard character types. The hero — or main character — passes through 12 stages as he goes out and achieves great deeds on behalf of the group, tribe or civilisation.”