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Predicting the Best Television of 1989

TV critic David Bianculli shares his picks of the upcoming season. He says some new mini-series and returning programs rise to the top of his list.

03:44
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Other segments from the episode on January 2, 1989

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, January 2, 1989: Interview with George Romero; Commentary on the Mexican American rock bands Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs and The Question Marks; Interview with Carol…
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27:17

A Horror Director Dials Back the Blood

George A. Romero's 1968 film, The Night of the Living Dead, is a classic of the horror genre. While his zombie flicks have become increasingly graphic over the years, his newest film, Monkey Shines, is more of a psychological thriller. Romero is careful to point out that no monkeys were harmed in the making of the movie.

Interview
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06:29

Mexican American Rock Bands Make Their Mark

Rock historian Ed Ward considers the influence of early Mexican American rock bands. Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs were a goofy novelty act; the Question Marks incorporated the sounds of traditional Mexican music into their songs.

Commentary

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08:01

25 Years Later, 'The Singing Detective' Still Shines.

The British musical private-eye drama, which first aired in 1986, starred Michael Gambon as a novelist hospitalized with a horrible skin condition who tries to write a Hollywood screenplay in his mind. David Bianculli explains why the miniseries is "TV's most polished, audacious masterpiece."

Commentary
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22:55

British Writer, Screenwriter and Director Dennis Potter.

British writer, screenwriter and director Dennis Potter. Potter's television creations, such as "Pennies From Heaven" and "The Singing Detective," have been some of the most innovative ones ever presented on British or American TV. Potter's now made his film directorial debut, with the new movie "Secret Friends."

Interview
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10:43

Film Director Jon Amiel

Amiel's new film is Tune In Tomorrow, starring Peter Falk and Barbara Hershey. It's an adaptation of Mario Vargas Llosa's novel Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter. Amiel also directed Dennis Potter's groundbreaking TV production, The Singing Detective.

Interview

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Daughter of Warhol star looks back on a bohemian childhood in the Chelsea Hotel

Alexandra Auder's mother, Viva, was one of Andy Warhol's muses. Growing up in Warhol's orbit meant Auder's childhood was an unusual one. For several years, Viva, Auder and Auder's younger half-sister, Gaby Hoffmann, lived in the Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan. It was was famous for having been home to Leonard Cohen, Dylan Thomas, Virgil Thomson, and Bob Dylan, among others.

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This fake 'Jury Duty' really put James Marsden's improv chops on trial

In the series Jury Duty, a solar contractor named Ronald Gladden has agreed to participate in what he believes is a documentary about the experience of being a juror--but what Ronald doesn't know is that the whole thing is fake.

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This Romanian film about immigration and vanishing jobs hits close to home

R.M.N. is based on an actual 2020 event in Ditrău, Romania, where 1,800 villagers voted to expel three Sri Lankans who worked at their local bakery.

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