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"Wiseguy" is the Best Show Since "St. Elsewhere"

TV critic David Bianculli reviews the police procedural, now in its second season. He admires how the show takes its time with each storyline, exploring one over the course of several episodes -- and often featuring long-term guest stars.

03:09
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Other segments from the episode on July 7, 1988

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, December 19, 1988: Interview with Steve Schneider; Review of the compilation album "The Christmas Collection"; Interview with Roger Norrington; Review of the television…
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27:56

The History of a "Looney" Cartoon Studio

The Warner Bros. studio created several iconic cartoon characters for their shows Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, including Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. Writer Steve Schneider has published a book about their history and influence, called That's All Folks!

Interview
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09:33

Historical Interpretations of Classical Music

Conductor Roger Norrington seeks to recreate the sound of classical pieces -- particularly by Beethoven -- as they were originally performed. His orchestras plays period instruments; Norrington emphasizes the dynamics and tempos that were written in the scores -- markings often ignored by other conductors.

Interview

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Transcripts are created on a rush deadline, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of Fresh Air interviews and reviews are the audio recordings of each segment.

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07:42

Remembering Actor Paul Winfield

Winfield was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Sounder. He appeared in many television shows, and was a voice on The Simpsons. He died at the age of 62 from a heart attack.

Obituary
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16:39

Film and TV Actor Stanley Tucci.

Terry talks with character actor Stanley Tucci. In the new movie, "Undercover Blues," Tucci plays an hilariously incompetent, yet vicious mugger named Muerte. He's also appeared in the movies "Prelude to a Kiss," "Beethoven" and "Billy Bathgate." Tucci's well-known for his role as crime boss Ricky Penzola in the tv series, Wiseguy" and has also appeared on television in "Equal Justice," "Thirtysomething," and "The Equalizer."

Interview
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11:47

Television and Stage Actor Kevin Spacey

Spacey is best known for his role as Mel Proffitt in the TV series "Wiseguy." He's currently starring in a new American Playhouse film "Darrow," on the life of the famous lawyer Clarence Darrow, and plays the role of evangelist Jim Bakker in the NBC movie "Fall From Grace."

Interview

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50:27

What evolution reveals about eating, dieting and fat

DANIEL LIEBERMAN, author of the new book Fed Up: What Evolution Reveals about Food, Diet, Health and Eating Well. He’s a professor of biological Sciences at Harvard. And he's the founding chair of Harvard's Department of Human Evolutionary Biology. As part of his research, he tried a series of diets to see how his body reacted, including the Atkins diet and lesser known diets like the Blue Zone diet. (THIS INTERVIEW CONTINUES INTO THE SECOND HALF OF THE SHOW).

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