Comedy is fun, but Colbert’s conception of joy stretches far beyond making people laugh.
TV
Posted inIdeas
What makes Stephen Colbert one of today’s best Catholic evangelists
As “The Late Show” comes to an end, Father James Martin writes that Stephen Colbert’s smarts, humor and experience of suffering make him one of the most effective public Catholics out there.
Posted inTelevision
In Netflix’s ‘Beef,’ we can’t stop watching unsympathetic jerks
The baseline rule of storytelling is that we are interested in what happens; sympathy may arise but is not required.
Posted inIdeas
Star Wars Day is a chance to practice curiosity
What if, instead of hunkering down in our own stories, we got curious about other people’s lives?
Posted inFaith in Focus
Watching the reality dating show ‘Love on the Spectrum’ when your child has autism
The show may not capture the entire autism spectrum, but the people who are on the show are more real than anyone else I’ve seen on reality TV.
Posted inTelevision
‘House of David’ is the next hit TV biblical drama
“House of David” brings classic streaming storytelling to a tale I thought I knew.
Posted inTelevision
‘How to Get to Heaven from Belfast’ can’t match the high-wire comedy of ‘Derry Girls’
“How to Get to Heaven From Belfast,” Lisa McGee’s new series for Netflix, is a wobbly, unsuccessful blend of comedy, mystery and would-be thriller.
Posted inTelevision
The ‘Stranger Things’ finale puts evil in its place
The final episode of ‘Stranger Things’ reminded me that evil is never one and the same with any human being.
Posted inTelevision
‘Pluribus’ asks big questions about human freedom. It’s must-think TV.
‘Pluribus’ asks: Would we be willing to give up the struggles of the human condition for life in a friction-free bubble of contentment?
Posted inInterviews
Interview: Kevin Costner wants you to see the Nativity story anew
“The stories of the Bible are fantastic,” said Kevin Costner in an interview ahead of a new Christmas special airing this week. “I had this chance to maybe talk about [these stories] in a mildly different way.”