Arts & Culture :: Television

Proud; empowered; parting - The Lavender Tube on FX's 'Pride,' AAPI representation, & Ellen's finale

Proud; empowered; parting - The Lavender Tube on FX's 'Pride,' AAPI representation, & Ellen's finale

  • by Victoria A. Brownworth
  • May 18, 2021

Must-watch TV: FX's six-part 'Pride' series brings new perspectives on LGBTQ history, with interviews and rare footage; Asian American shows and characters get a to-view list, and Ellen DeGeneres imminent departure from her chat show made news.

Televisionary: Nam June Paik retrospective at SF MOMA

Televisionary: Nam June Paik retrospective at SF MOMA

  • by Jim Provenzano
  • May 11, 2021

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's new retrospective of more than 200 works by celebrated multimedia artist Nam June Paik is not only absorbing and historic; it's also a lot of fun.

Decades of Pride: FX Docuseries showcases LGBTQ history

Decades of Pride: FX Docuseries showcases LGBTQ history

  • by Jim Provenzano
  • May 8, 2021

In six episodes made by six directors, FX's Pride Docuseries showcases six decades of stunning and deeply touching interviews and archival footage to visualize the more than half century of LGBTQ struggles and achievements.

Wins and Losses: The Lavender Tube on 'Pose,' Page, 'Mare,' 'Crip Camp' and more

Wins and Losses: The Lavender Tube on 'Pose,' Page, 'Mare,' 'Crip Camp' and more

  • by Victoria A. Brownworth
  • May 4, 2021

MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle eviscerates West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice's inept anti-trans remarks, 'Pose's third and final season, Mare of Easttown stars Kate Winslet, Elliot Page's Oprah interview, and 'Crip Camp's Oscar loss are covered in our TV column.

'The Normal Heart' online reading to benefit One Archives Foundation

'The Normal Heart' online reading to benefit One Archives Foundation

  • by Jim Provenzano
  • May 2, 2021

The late playwright and AIDS activist Larry Kramer's 'The Normal Heart' presented a scathing critique of complacency and concern in the early years of the AIDS pandemic. An online staged reading on May 8 will benefit The One Archives in Los Angeles.

Policing police: the Lavender Tube on crime shows, real and not-so

Policing police: the Lavender Tube on crime shows, real and not-so

  • by Victoria A. Brownworth
  • Apr 20, 2021

Various forms of police and detective procedurals are the top-ranked series on TV and streaming services. How does that align with what is happening out in the real world to Black and brown, LGBTQ and disabled people—the primary targets?

Andra Day in 'The United States v. Billie Holiday'

Andra Day in 'The United States v. Billie Holiday'

  • by Cornelius Washington
  • Apr 13, 2021

The queer, Black classic that everyone in the LGBTQ community deserves is here. 'The United States v. Billie Holiday,' as a film, is an indictment, instructional guide and spiritual love letter rolled into one.

Groove Tube: the B.A.R.'s five decades of TV turn-ons

Groove Tube: the B.A.R.'s five decades of TV turn-ons

  • by Victoria A. Brownworth
  • Apr 6, 2021

It is hard to narrow the discourse to just a handful of TV shows over so many years and hundreds of columns, but here are some of the LGBTQ stories that spurred controversy or altered the landscape.

The B.A.R.'s decades of stars

The B.A.R.'s decades of stars

  • by David-Elijah Nahmod
  • Mar 30, 2021

From the beginning, the Bay Area Reporter has covered celebrities, both Broadway and Hollywood stars. many have indeed sat down with us for a chat. There are many such examples in the B.A.R. archives.

The Lavender Tube on racist crimes, 'Talk' tensions, and a new 'Law & Order' Meloni series

The Lavender Tube on racist crimes, 'Talk' tensions, and a new 'Law & Order' Meloni series

  • by Victoria A. Brownworth
  • Mar 23, 2021

Our TV columnist discusses the news coverage of the wave of anti-Asian hate crimes, Sharon Osbourne's alleged racist statement on and off-set of 'The Talk,' and Chris Meloni's return to the 'Law & Order' franchise.

The Pretender: Fran Lebowitz' Netflix series excavates New York City

The Pretender: Fran Lebowitz' Netflix series excavates New York City

  • by Brian Bromberger
  • Mar 23, 2021

There's an unintended poignancy to 'Pretend It's A City,' the new limited-series documentary on Netflix, showcasing author, public speaker, and humorist Fran Lebowitz. Filmed in 2019, it portrays a vibrant Manhattan chock full of people.

John Holiday's night at the opera

John Holiday's night at the opera

  • by David-Elijah Nahmod
  • Mar 23, 2021

It appears that countertenor John Holiday can sing just about anything. From his TV splash on 'The Voice' to a Vivaldi concert, to the operatic "Summertime" from 'Porgy and Bess.'

Aretha Franklin: Genius - National Geographic series dramatizes the life of The Queen of Soul

Aretha Franklin: Genius - National Geographic series dramatizes the life of The Queen of Soul

  • by Cornelius Washington
  • Mar 16, 2021

Singer-songwriter Aretha Franklin's life and career is dramatized in National Geographic's five-part series, which also serves as a testament to Franklin's talent and determination amid decades of civil rights inroads for Black culture and women in music.

Space, grace, erased: The Lavender Tube on 'Pose,' 'For All Mankind' & trans erasure in news

Space, grace, erased: The Lavender Tube on 'Pose,' 'For All Mankind' & trans erasure in news

  • by Victoria A. Brownworth
  • Mar 9, 2021

The multi-award-winning 'Pose' will end after Season 3; 'For All Mankind' features a lesbian astronaut; 'Clarice' quotes Audre Lorde; news media's taken to task for under-reporting the murder of trans women.