In the End, the Joke's on Us

What will we still be talking about next decade? Britney, for one

(NEWSER) - The ‘00s were full of important contributions to culture, but which ones will we still be talking about in another decade? Here are some of New York ’s picks:

• TV: The Sopranos for inventing quality cable, American Idol for changing the music industry, and of course all things Oprah Winfrey.
• Books: The Da Vinci Code for singlehandedly sustaining the book industry, and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay for blazing the trail of combining geek lit with high lit.

HBO epic ends in confusing blackout

(NEWSER) - After carefully building the suspense as Tony and his family gathered at a diner for what might have been a last supper, the creators of the Sopranos ended the eight year saga into the dark side of the American family psyche without any resolution. More»

Or at least a movie, pleads Eric Holder

(NEWSER) - The nation's top lawyer has it out for David Simon. AG Eric Holder yesterday ordered the creator of The Wire to start working on another season of the HBO crime drama—and jokingly reminded him that "I have a lot of power." Holder issued his plea to Simon and Ed Burns while appearing alongside three Wire stars at a Justice Department conference focusing on protecting children from drug abuse and exploitation, Reuters reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Some things are certain: death, taxes, and Cinemax showing women with their shoes on having sex late at night. Soft-core porn is "in our DNA," an exec with the parent company of "Skinemax" tells the LA Times . "We're not running away from it." Neither are its premium-cable competitors, which are hardly relegating racier content to late night. Consider HBO's True Blood and Showtime's explicit Californication. More»

Creator doesn't see series, now shooting Season 4, lasting past Season 6

(NEWSER) - Season 4 of Mad Men is still shooting, but its creator already knows when the hit series will end, reports the Weekly Blend blog . It won't go past Season 6, Matthew Weiner said at an industry convention last week. That seems to be a sweet spot for 1-hour dramas, notes the Wall Street Journal —The Sopranos wrapped up after a half-dozen seasons, and Lost is in the process of doing likewise. More»