Television

Muppet characters Zeerak, left, and Zari, right, appear in an Afghan version of "Sesame Street."

'Sesame Street' to Create a Show for Syrian Refugee Children

A $100 million MacArthur grant will fund the important project, which will feature characters and narratives developed specifically for its unique audience

A still from Emmett Otter's Jug-Band Christmas

This Cult Classic Christmas Special Is Quintessential Jim Henson

Although it features few of the usual Muppets, ‘Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas’ brings the holiday spirit to the whole family

John Legend

What Makes John Legend America's Most Versatile Artist

Songwriter, singer, actor, producer, virtual reality maven. John Legend is an entertainment all-star

Sesame Street & Julia

Why the Team Behind Sesame Street Created a Character With Autism

The bravest new face on television is a Muppet that doesn’t say much. But she speaks volumes about life on the spectrum

Ava DuVernay

Ava DuVernay's Visionary Filmmaking Is Reshaping Hollywood

Her eye for American history puts her in the vanguard. Her passion for justice makes her a hero

In the film, Whoopi Goldberg emphasizes that ignorance does not equate with evil, and that people are capable of broadening their outlooks when presented with diverse narratives.

'The Problem with Apu' Does More Than Pick Apart a 'Simpsons' Stereotype

This new documentary tackles Asian representation in media with humor and poise

A cameraman at the coronation of King George V.

Why Do We Call TV Watchers ‘Viewers’?

It all goes back to a quirky BBC subcommittee working in the 1930s to change the English language

JFK, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnston, First Lady Jaqueline Kennedy and others watching the 1961 flight of astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American in space.

A Year Before His Presidential Debate, JFK Foresaw How TV Would Change Politics

Television's first iconic president was remarkably prescient on the subject of TV

The Mysterious Murder Case That Inspired Margaret Atwood’s ‘Alias Grace’

At the center of the case was a beautiful young woman named Grace Marks. But was she really responsible for the crime?

A common thread to this huge collection of materials—time-worn press credentials, painted tennis shoes, photographs, mic flags, scripts—is that they represent decades in the making of the Spanish-language broadcasting network Telemundo.

How Spanish-Language Broadcasters Gave Voice to America's Hispanics

In a country where more than 37 million people speak Spanish, stations like Telemundo reach under-served communities

Jemison aboard the space shuttle 'Endeavour' in the Spacelab Japan science module.

This Groundbreaking Astronaut and Star Trek Fan Is Now Working on Interstellar Travel

Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman in space, wants us to look beyond Earth

A bust of the legless "bicycle girl" zombie executed by Rick Grimes in the Walking Dead pilot.

America's Undead Are Immortalized at the Smithsonian

The cast of "The Walking Dead" donates a set of perfectly macabre Halloween gifts

Researcher Christopher Clarke controls a TV with his coffee cup.

Use Your Hand (or Your Coffee Cup, or Your Cat) as a Remote Control

A new gesture recognition technology could allow users to turn almost any item into a remote for controlling televisions, tablets and more

Discussion

Feedback from our readers

Why This 1969 Royal Family Documentary Was Pulled Off Air

In total, the Queen Mother was a widow for 50 years of her life. During that time, she became known for two things: extravagance and an unpaid tab

Bullwinkle J. Moose. © Jay Ward Productions

How Bullwinkle Taught Kids Sophisticated Political Satire

Culture critic Beth Daniels argues the cartoon moose even allowed viewers to reckon with nuclear war

The Moon Landing Was the Television Event of the Decade

On June 16, 1969, Americans filled highways, streets and homes to witness the launch of a rocket from the Kennedy Space Center: the legendary Apollo 11

What is it about cheap eats, long hours, counters, and booths that so consistently captures the American imagination?

The Mystique of the American Diner, From Jack Kerouac to “Twin Peaks”

Freedom, fear and friendliness mingle in these emblematic eateries

Philo T. Farnsworth got his big idea while plowing a field. He was 14, by the way.

The Farmboy Who Invented Television

The inventor of television’s career presages many of the good and bad things about Silicon Valley

George R. R. Martin at the 2013 San Diego Comic Con International.

Texas University Invites Fans to Scour George R.R. Martin’s Archives for Plot Clues

The author's vast collection is stored in Texas A&M’s Cushing Library

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