American television

Offerman main

Nick Offerman crowns a winner of the Ultimate Popsicle Stick Throwdown

Arts

Actor Nick Offerman tapped the boundless creativity of America’s woodworkers when he created the Ultimate Popsicle Stick Throwdown. The winners are in!

Spy show The Americans on FX

In the TV spy show ‘The Americans,’ the CIA has to approve the scripts

Arts, Culture & Media

What should America take from Clint Eastwood’s ‘Halftime in America’ ad?

Arts, Culture & Media

Super Bowl 2012 set to be an epic sequel fit for Hollywood

Arts, Culture & Media

Superbowl XLVI: The Ultimate Sports Movie Sequel?

Sports

‘Mildred Pierce’ and ‘Mad Men’ Battle for Most Emmy Wins

The Emmy Awards are this Sunday night, and its winner might be the most hard to predict in years. Five of the drama and comedy series contenders are first-time nominees, as are many of the nominated actors –  including Timothy Olyphant, for “Justified,”  and Martha Plimpton, for “Raising Hope.” “Mildred Pierce”  leads the nominations, with twenty one total, […]

Ken Burns and Lynn Novick on ‘Prohibition’

By today’s standards, the idea of a constitutional amendment banning alcohol in the U.S. seems preposterous, oppressive, and just plain naïve.  But 92 years ago, when the National Prohibition Act passed, it was widely backed. Of course, Prohibition was eventually repealed, but not before it had far-reaching consequences on American gender relations, crime, popular culture, and […]

The World

Takeouts: Congress, sports

Global Politics

CONGRESS TAKEOUT: Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich sets the scene of Sen. Scott Brown’s swearing in, and the Massachusetts politician’s thoughts on bipartisanship. SPORTS TAKEOUT: Ibrahim Abdul-Matin joins us with his prediction of who will emerge dominant in Super Bowl XLIV ? the New Orleans Saints or the Indianapolis Colts.

The World

The Arizona Cardinals: From underdog to the Super Bowl

Sports

If you like to root for the underdog, you may not find a better sports story this year than the rise of the Arizona Cardinals. They’ve gone from the Bad News Bears to the Super Bowl. Greg Bishop of the New York Times goes behind the scenes.

The World

Holiday Books 2009

Arts, Culture & Media

We’ve got four holiday gift ideas for the readers on your list. Marco Werman speaks with our book critic, Christopher Merrill at the University of Iowa.