James Poniewozik, watches TV all day and gets paid for it. Dream job, right? James is the chief TV critic at the New York Times. He’s also the author of “Audience of One: Trump, Television, and the Fracturing of America.” On this episode, he explains how Rupert Murdoch brought a tabloid sensibility to cable news. Then we talk “Succession.” The Murdoch family ... Show More
Oct 12
Listen Now: My Mom’s Murder
Lauren Malloy was a baby when her mother, Lori, was murdered in East Providence, Rhode Island. For thirty years, no one told her. Everyone said Lori died of natural causes. Then a stranger sent Lauren a message — and the lie collapsed. Now Lauren is investigating her own mother’s ... Show More
5m 18s
Oct 1
Listen Now: Bram Stoker’s Dracula
For centuries, Dracula has evaded capture. Enter Mina Harker. Audible presents Dracula, a brand-new, full-cast adaptation of Bram Stoker's masterpiece starring Ella Purnell, Jonathan Bailey, Aimee Lou Wood, Louis Partridge, David Jonsson, and Maggie Gyllenhaal. When her fiancé va ... Show More
54m 41s
May 2023
Meet the media insider who makes Succession feel real
Succession — the HBO drama about a Murdoch-ish family of media moguls — feels authentic thanks, in part, to consultant Merissa Marr. Marr covered the Murdochs and other media titans for years at The Wall Street Journal, and she’s worked with the creative team behind Succession si ... Show More
32m 8s
Sep 2025
The Future of Late Night TV, Jimmy Kimmel, and The First Amendment
When’s the last time you stayed up to watch a late night TV monologue? Months? Years? Decades? I’m not sure, either. But I stayed up Tuesday night to watch Jimmy Kimmel’s return. James Poniewozik, who covers TV for the New York Times, just caught up with it the next day on YouTub ... Show More
26m 53s
Jun 2023
What Was 'Succession' Really About? And Is 'Ted Lasso' Over or Not?
This week, Today, Explained co-host Sean Rameswaram keeps our host chair warm while Sam is away. He's joined by Vulture TV critic Kathryn VanArendonk to figure out what kind of show Succession really was, whom it was for, and what to watch to fill the Succession-size hole in your ... Show More
34m 12s