When ‘Master of None’ Season 3 Isn’t Unbearably Slow, It Belongs to Naomi Ackie: TV Review

Caroline Framke Chief TV CriticThis show opens, like countless others you might’ve seen before, on a brightly lit living room set as a loud group of friends playfully argues amongst itself to uproarious laughter. Kevin (Eric Petersen) is the sloppy husband who loves sports and getting intro trouble; his wife Allison (Annie Murphy) is a hot stick in the mud who shrugs off his harebrained schemes with a tight smile.

Caroline Framke Chief TV Critic“I Am Jazz” has been renewed for Season 7 at TLC, Variety has learned exclusively.Starring trans activist Jazz Jennings, TLC’s reality series premiered in 2015 as a 14 year-old Jennings prepared to go to high school, and wrapped its sixth season in March 2020 with her graduation as valedictorian.

EXCLUSIVE: Imagine Documentaries has won an auction for the Thomas Healy book Soul City. The plan is to develop the book across multiple divisions at Imagine in scripted and unscripted formats. Soul City tells the revealing, forgotten story of the 1970s attempt to build a city dedicated to racial equality in the heart of “Klan Country,” and the impassioned mission of civil rights leader Floyd McKissick.

Stealing hearts! Sebastian Stan has been linked to plenty of famous women through the years — but he does his best to keep his love life on the down-low.

Caroline Framke Chief TV CriticThere aren’t too many surefire ideas out there these days, though “what if ‘The Secret Life of Pets’ didn’t have to be G-rated?” is about as straight down the middle a pitch as it gets. Still, “HouseBroken” finds a few ways to make itself stand out, especially with the help of several solid voiceover performances from actors who know how to make any character a standout.

Caroline Framke Chief TV CriticThe most shocking revelation of the “Friends” reunion might be that the actors — now six of the most famous in the world — never met until their first table read.

Mdou Moctar, the Tuareg guitarist inspired by the traditional melodies of rural Niger and the bellowing shreds of Eddie Van Halen, is the latest artist to perform on NPR's Tiny Desk (Home) series. The new episode comes a few days after Moctar shared his great new album Afrique Victime, and three of its songs — "Ya Habibti," "Tala Tannam," and "Afrique Victime" — get performed.

Netflix series Master Of None has debuted to a mixed reception in the first reviews.The new five-episode season focuses on the relationship between Denise (Lena Waithe) and partner Alicia (Naomi Ackie), with co-creator and star of the first two seasons Aziz Ansari only popping up on screen this time around as he directs and co-writes.It comes after sexual misconduct accusations were levelled at Ansari in 2018, which he has denied​, insisting that the sexual activity was ‘consensual’ – though he

Caroline Framke Chief TV CriticA compelling monologue — as in a monologue that compels you to truly listen without interruption or distraction — is one of the trickiest high-wire writing acts there is. Giving a monologue shape and depth requires skill and a fine-tuned ear for the way a character talks and thinks.

From its first episode, “Plan B,” which debuted on Netflix back in 2015, “Master of None” has always been an experiment in metatext. The series, from co-creators Aziz Ansari and Alan Young, puts a spin on their own experiences growing up as first-generation immigrants, struggling to make it into Hollywood and navigating through all kinds of anxious “Is this growing up?” experiences, from uncomfortable first dates to career setbacks.

The new season of Master of None drops on Netflix on May 23 and it may not be the comedy that you are used to seeing — and that’s a good thing.

Elaine Low Senior TV WriterAfter a four-year hiatus, Netflix’s “Master of None” is back with a third season marked by a tonal and narrative distance from its preceding seasons.Largely centered on Denise (Lena Waithe), Season 3, which is entitled “Master of None Presents: Moments in Love,” is a sort-of spiritual sequel to the beloved “Thanksgiving” episode in Season 2 that offered a glimpse into her character’s childhood and eventual coming out.

Fans of WWE had much to cheer this weekend as five championship bouts took place after the exciting WrestleMania 37. Wrestlemania Backlash saw WWE Universal Championship, WWE Championship,  Women’s SmackDown Championship, SmackDown Tag Team Championship and Women’s RAW Championship.

Caroline Framke Chief TV CriticAs I pressed play on the first episode of “Run the World,” I wasn’t intending to mainline the entire eight-episode season in one greedy gulp.

Caroline Framke Chief TV CriticIt takes a minute to adjust to the reality of “The Upshaws.” At first glance, the new Netflix comedy appears to look and sound like a multitude of other multi-cam sitcoms about families that crack corny jokes and give each other loving grief.

Caroline Framke Chief TV CriticSPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not watched the third and final season of “Shrill,” now streaming on Hulu.Halfway through its second season, “Shrill” beat its wayward characters to the punch by figuring itself out completely.Based on Lindy West’s memoir of the same name, the Hulu comedy spent much of tis first season fixated on a single cataclysmic event.

It was a lovely day to hike in Los Angeles for Adam Brody and Leighton Meester. The former teen show icons were spotted taking their darling daughter, Arlo Day Brody, away from the hustle and bustle of the city on May 6, looking like they were having a blast. Adam, ever the doting father, held his five-year-old daughter’s hand throughout the adventure.