Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

July 25, 2008 12:03:14 AM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Magic of 'This American Life' Returns to Small Screen

Posted May 4, 08 11:57 AM CDT in Arts & Living 

(Newser) – The stories on the small-screen version of “This American Life” start out small—a husband’s protest over the oppressive American trend of lawn-mowing, a young man living with spinal muscular atrophy—and become something universal, both dark and light, even a little magical, writes Heather Havrilesky on Salon.com. On the second season, which premieres tonight on Showtime, everyday snapshots of people’s lives become art.

Host Ira Glass is more confident and relaxed than in his awkward first season, even if his understated introductions border on too understated. And fan complaints that the radio show’s beauty couldn’t translate to the small screen have been successfully quashed (see: the transfixing sight of young kids learning to ride horses through graffiti-strewn parts of Philly).

Source Salon

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • 'LIFE' GOES ON

    Mar 18, 07 8:43 PM CDT
    Stevenson Swanson wonders how and weather Chicago Public Radio god Ira Glass can really do a television show and, even more daring, a show for the premium cable only network, Showtime. More »

Ira Glass, executive producer and host of public radio series "This American Life," smiles during an interview in his New York office.   (AP Photo/Tina Fineberg)
Ira Glass in a first-season episode of the Showtime television show "This American Life."   ((c) rhinny)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Chris Ware & John Kuramoto bring you this animation featured in season two of This American Life.   (SHOWTIME)

« Prev « Prev  |  Next » Next »
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (1 of 1)

Tags

television  • art  • radio  • biography  • Showtime  • Ira Glass  • This American Life


Loading...

Loading...

Today's Most Popular


Other Arts & Living Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »