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      Netflix to Debut Italy’s First TV Show With a Majority Black Cast

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      The creators of “Zero,” including the co-writer Antonio Dikele Distefano, say they hope viewers enjoy it so much that the characters’ racial identity becomes irrelevant.ROME — While much of the world spent 2020 in lockdowns of varying severity, the 28-year-old Italian author Antonio Dikele Distefano had the busiest year of his life.Along with working on his sixth novel and interviewing Italians of different ethno-cultural backgrounds for a television program, he spent months on the set of “Zero,” a show inspired by one of his novels that premieres on Netflix on April 21.This is Dikele Distefano’s first time co-writing a television show. Until now, he has been best known for his books, gritty coming-of-age fiction, with classic themes of heartbreak, friendship and uncertainty about the future, which have become a publishing sensation in Italy. But the work of Dikele Distefano, whose parents migrated from Angola, also integrates his experiences of being a Black Italian.And “Zero,” which refers to the nickname of the lead character, is the first Italian television series to feature a predominantly Black cast.Center from left, Giuseppe Dave Seke, Daniela Scattolin and Dylan Magon shooting an episode of “Zero.”Francesco Berardinelli/NetflixVirginia Diop and Dave Seke, who plays Omar, the lead character in the show.Francesco Berardinelli/NetflixDikele Distefano says he hopes that fact will only briefly be a talking point. He likes to cite “Coming to America,” the 1988 Eddie Murphy comedy that made more than $288 million at the box office worldwide, as an inspiration. “The film is so entertaining that you don’t even think about” the fact that the cast is all Black, he said of that movie in a Zoom interview this week. “For me, that is a victory.”In his novels, Dikele Distefano takes a similar tack, throwing light on the lives of young people, the children of immigrants, who are not considered citizens even when they are born in Italy, speak the language and share the same cultural references. They can apply for Italian citizenship only when they turn 18.The desire to change society motivates much of his work, he said, including “the idea of, in the future, having a country where my nieces and nephews can say, ‘I feel Italian.’” So far, growing calls to change the law and grant citizenship to anyone born in Italy have not gotten far in Parliament.Dikele Distefano’s raw and emotionally open approach to his writing has struck a chord with readers of his novels. While his books are shaped by his background, they home in on universal emotional truths.“People often say that we need beautiful stories,” he said. “I’ve always been drawn to real stories. Truth appeals to me.”He added, “I wouldn’t be able to tell a story far from me, something that I haven’t lived or that doesn’t belong to me.”Dikele Distefano in the Barona district on the outskirts of Milan, where “Zero” was largely filmed. His raw and emotionally open approach to writing has struck a chord with readers of his novels.Alessandro Grassani for The New York TimesIt was Dikele Distefano’s “authentic voice” and “clear language” that caught the attention of Netflix, said Ilaria Castiglioni, the streaming service’s manager for Italian original series. She said that he was the first to bring to Netflix Italy the experiences of second-generation immigrants in Italy and that “we were drawn to how he narrated his experience so naturally.”“Zero” is the sixth made-in-Italy series for Netflix, after the crime drama “Suburra: Blood on Rome,” now in its third season; the teenage drama “Baby,” also in its third season; the historical fantasy “Luna Nera”; the supernatural drama “Curon,” and “Summertime,” whose protagonist is a woman of Italian and Nigerian descent.Castiglioni said Netflix had seen a need to better represent Italy’s changing society. “A very important theme for us is representation, to create empathy, so that as many people as possible find themselves reflected in what they see onscreen,” she said.But “Zero” is not overtly about the struggles and discriminations faced by Black Italians, she added.“We tried to tell a story that was universal,” while recognizing the greater difficulties that Black Italians have to deal with, she said. “Our objective is to create entertainment,” she added, “and if that entertainment creates a debate, it’s a plus, but we leave that aspect to our public.”“Zero” explores the metaphorical invisibility felt by many young people facing an uncertain future. In the figure of the main character, Omar (Giuseppe Dave Seke) an often-ignored pizza delivery guy, the metaphor is made literal: He can actually will himself to become invisible. Attempting to save his neighborhood from greedy property investors, the mild-mannered Omar becomes a community superhero, joining a group of other young people who have their own useful skill sets.Characters in the show, such as Sara (played by Scattolin) and Momo (Magon), have their own useful skill sets.Francesco Berardinelli/NetflixOmar (Dave Seke) can will himself to become invisible and becomes a community superhero.Francesco Berardinelli/NetflixAngelica Pesarini, a professor at NYU Florence who focuses on issues of race, gender, identity and citizenship in Italy, said, “The fact that the main character is a dark-skinned Black man — already I think it’s revolutionary in the Italian landscape.”Though racism is rife in their country, Italians are loath to admit it to themselves, Pesarini said.“Netflix is doing a series with an almost entirely Black cast and then on the national channels you have horrific instances of racism that wouldn’t be imaginable in the United States,” she noted.Among recent examples, an Italian actress used a racist slur during an interview on the national broadcaster in March. A few days later, a satirical program on the private broadcaster Mediaset aired an old parody of a lawmaker that also used the slur. In another skit, which aired this month, the same program was again accused of racism after the hosts made fun of Chinese people. On Wednesday, one of the hosts posted a video to apologize for that episode.Pesarini, the NYU Florence professor, said, “I was thinking of all the Black Italian kids watching these programs,” and “hearing the N-word referred to them.”“It was so violent for me as an adult, I can’t imagine the damage this does for someone growing up in this country as a nonwhite Italian,” added Pesarini, who is of Italian and East African heritage.Pesarini and other activists have started a campaign, #cambieRAI (a play on the national broadcaster’s name that translates as “you will change”). She said that they had sent a letter to RAI “explaining why we were shocked and fed up and frustrated” with how Black people were represented on television in Italy. So far, there has been no response, she added.The coronavirus set the production of “Zero” back an entire year. When Italy went into national lockdown in March 2020, the cast and Dikele Distefano decided to remain ensconced in a hotel in Rome, giving them an unexpected opportunity to bond, a chemistry that is manifest in the actors’ onscreen interactions.Dikele Distefano said he was motivated in part by “the idea of, in the future, having a country where my nieces and nephews can say, ‘I feel Italian.’”Alessandro Grassani for The New York Times“We became best friends, we still speak every day,” Dikele Distefano said. That said, the tension of working within the restraints imposed by the pandemic is something he hopes never to repeat. “I would like to work in a more relaxed way,” he said, laughing.“Zero” has a carefully selected soundtrack. Dikele Distefano’s first forays into writing came via his passion for music, he said, and in his teens, he rapped under the name “Nashy.” In 2016, he founded Esse Magazine, a digital publication about Italian music and urban culture. “Rap was a school for me, the possibility to express what I was feeling in four-four time,” he said. When he discovered books, he gave up rap, he added, but without the music, “I wouldn’t be writing.”Dikele Distefano worked on the script for “Zero” alongside the writers Carolina Cavalli, Lisandro Monaco, Massimo Vavassori and Stefano Voltaggio. The eight initial episodes end in a cliffhanger that seems to beg for a second season.But Castiglioni said that Netflix had made no decision about any continuation. “For now, we’re concentrated on this series,” she said. “Let’s see how it goes and then look to the future.” More

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      Jimmy Kimmel Heckles ‘Future Former Florida Congressman’ Matt Gaetz

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      Kimmel poked fun at Gaetz and his friend Joel Greenberg for making their Venmo transactions public: “One of those ‘salads’ cost more than $1,000 — I guess they added avocado.”Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous night’s highlights that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. We’re all stuck at home at the moment, so here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now.Public FinanceJimmy Kimmel poked fun at “future former Florida congressman” Matt Gaetz on Thursday night over the more than 150 public Venmo transactions that Gaetz and his friend Joel Greenberg made to dozens of young women.“Three payments for $500, $500, $250, labeled ‘ice cream’; five other payments labeled ‘salad,’” Kimmel noted. “One of those ‘salads’ cost more than $1,000 — I guess they added avocado.”“Two of the transactions were for ‘stuff’ and ‘other stuff.’ And let me just say this: It’s bad enough that Matt Gaetz is implicated in doing ‘stuff.’ But ‘other stuff’? That’s outrageous.” — JIMMY KIMMEL“And, of course, we know about all of this because stupid Joel Greenberg made his Venmo transactions public, as did Matt Gaetz. They didn’t check the privacy box. What’s the opposite of a criminal mastermind?” — JIMMY KIMMEL“Chances are pretty high that if you’ve broken the law, there’s evidence of it on your phone, especially since Gaetz was reportedly using Cash App and Venmo to make payments to his indicted buddy. Used to be when politicians broke the law, they stuffed an envelope full of $100 bills and met their contact in a parking garage. Now they just Venmo a buddy with an emoji of an envelope stuffed with cash.” — SETH MEYERS“I’d say along with getting your phone seized, being chased down a flight of stairs by a crowd of reporters and getting hustled into the back seat of a waiting car isn’t a sign that things are going great. That’s classic corrupt politician stuff. No one ever in that situation is in it for a good reason: ‘Sir, sir, can you tell us how you cured cancer?’ ‘I didn’t cure cancer; stop spreading lies about me. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to be rushed into this unmarked van.’” — SETH MEYERSThe Punchiest Punchlines (Northern Exposure Edition)“In Canada yesterday, a member of Parliament, which is Canada’s equivalent to our House of Representatives, accidentally exposed himself on an official government Zoom meeting. His camera was on, he didn’t know it, and everyone saw his Canadian bacon.” — JIMMY KIMMEL“This is the Canadian version of storming the Capitol.” — JIMMY KIMMEL“People alerted him right after they took a million screen shots.” — JIMMY FALLON“Before putting on pants, he was like, ‘It’s cold here today in Canada, isn’t it cold? Everyone’s talking about how cold it is.’” — JIMMY FALLON“He was completely nude. He was changing after a jog, and thought his camera was off. From now on you can call me that guy’s camera because I am turned on.” — JAMES CORDEN“The member of Parliament apologized and explained it was an innocent mistake — but also, if you want to see more, check out his OnlyFans page.” — JAMES CORDEN“Of course, he apologized — he’s Canadian. He would have apologized whether it happened or not.” — JIMMY KIMMEL“But can you imagine if this happened here? If Jerry Nadler started swinging his thing around on camera?” — JIMMY KIMMELThe Bits Worth Watching“The Daily Show” detailed what it’s like for Black families to have “the talk.”Also, Check This OutIn “Mare of Easttown,” Kate Winslet plays a Pennsylvania detective dealing with missing girls and mounting personal problems.Michele K. Short/HBOKate Winslet plays a small-town cop investigating the murders of several young women in HBO’s new mini-series, “Mare of Eassttown.” More

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      Stephen Colbert Applauds Biden’s ‘Endgame’ for Afghanistan’s ‘Infinity War’

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      Colbert pointed out that the conflict “has been going on so long, the first ‘Iron Man’ movie opens with Tony Stark in Afghanistan.”Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous night’s highlights that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. We’re all stuck at home at the moment, so here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now.Twenty Years LaterPresident Biden announced on Wednesday that American troops will leave Afghanistan by Sept. 11 after nearly 20 years of war.“When he was V.P., Joe was ‘the most senior dissenting voice against a surge in Afghanistan back in 2008 and 2009,’” Stephen Colbert said, quoting from a news report. “This war’s been going on so long, Biden’s been trying to get the troops out since he was just ‘regular’ old. Now he’s ‘Mountain Dew Baja Blast Extreme’ old.”“The cost: A tragic loss of human life and a duffel bag of your cash they called ‘ghost money.’ Because spending $2 trillion with no clear definition of victory is pretty spooky.” — STEPHEN COLBERT“Biden is getting criticism from people who say if America leaves Afghanistan then it will become a failed state, and that is a real danger. But on the other hand, America has been there for 20 years — is it supposed to stay there forever? Because if that is going to be the case, then I mean, America should at least make Afghanistan a U.S. state. And the good news with that is it would eliminate Afghanistan’s terrorism problem completely, because we all know that once terrorists are American, they’re not terrorists anymore — they are just frustrated citizens who are having a bad day.” — TREVOR NOAH“During his remarks, Biden announced that withdrawal would begin on May 1. When the troops get home, they’re gonna be like, ‘Why are all the bars closed?’” — JIMMY FALLON“Despite the fact that 2,400 service members gave their lives, the ongoing war in Afghanistan received not even a mention at the presidential debates. Oh, but how can you expect a ground war in Asia to compete with the urgent threat of windmill cancer?” — STEPHEN COLBERTThe Punchiest Punchlines (No Endgame Edition)“President Biden said today he will withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by September 11 during a speech in the White House Treaty Room, which is where former President George W. Bush announced the start of the war. In fact, all the decorations were still up.” — SETH MEYERS“The war in Afghanistan has been going on for almost 20 years. To put that another way, this war is too old to date Matt Gaetz.” — STEPHEN COLBERT“Twenty years is a long time. Those are 17th-century European numbers. That’s the kind of war you fight because the Spanish contessa rejected your proposal to unite the kingdoms and eloped with the Duke of Saxony.” — STEPHEN COLBERT“The war in Afghanistan may finally be over, and people, it’s about time. It’s been what, 19 years? No war should ever be old enough to serve in itself.” — TREVOR NOAH“It’s been going on so long, the first ‘Iron Man’ movie opens with Tony Stark in Afghanistan. This conflict’s older than the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s an ‘Infinity War’ with no ‘Endgame.’” — STEPHEN COLBERTThe Bits Worth WatchingSamantha Bee opened Wednesday’s “Full Frontal” by tracking anti-Asian racism throughout American history.What We’re Excited About on Thursday NightAnderson Cooper will appear on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” where he is likely to discuss his upcoming gig as guest host of “Jeopardy!”Also, Check This OutPhoto Illustration by Julia Panek; Photos via Getty ImagesCelebrities who gave product endorsements used to be accused of “selling out.” Now they’re hailed as savvy investors and giving the performances of their careers. More

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      Jimmy Fallon Pokes Fun at Johnson & Johnson’s Vaccine Pause

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      “That’s right, they’re recommending a pause. Then anyone who’s ever been dumped was like: ‘Oh, boy. We know what “pause” means,’” Fallon said.Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous night’s highlights that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. We’re all stuck at home at the moment, so here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now.What Are the Odds?Johnson & Johnson was the talk of late night on Tuesday after the F.D.A. advised a pause in using its Covid vaccine because six recipients developed blood clots within two weeks of vaccination.“That’s right, they’re recommending a pause. Then anyone who’s ever been dumped was like: ‘Oh, boy. We know what “pause” means,’” Jimmy Fallon joked.“But statistically speaking, six is not that significant, since nearly seven million people in the U.S. have received Johnson & Johnson shots so far. That’s less than one in a million. To put that in perspective, it’s slightly better odds than you have of getting to visit Willy Wonka’s Fantabulous Chocolate Factory, which, for the record, kills or maims four out of the five children who step foot inside.” — STEPHEN COLBERT“You realize that means you’re more likely to get struck by lightning 10 times, which, by the way, is the origin story of Marvel’s most useless superhero.” — TREVOR NOAH“That means the odds are less than one in a million. It’s .0000009 — that’s more zeros than in the Trump family.” — JIMMY KIMMEL“And don’t forget, yes, yes — you might have a 0.0001 percent chance of getting blood clots from this vaccine, but if you get coronavirus, you can get lung damage, heart damage, neurological damage, strokes, seizures, Guillain-Barré syndrome, immune disorders, erectile dysfunction and, get this, also blood clots.” — TREVOR NOAH“And today if you had a Johnson & Johnson appointment in New York, they gave out Pfizer instead. Yeah, it’s like going to a restaurant and hearing, ‘We’re out of Coke; is Dom Pérignon OK?’” — JIMMY FALLON“Yeah, it’s a really rare event. It’s like seeing a working self-checkout machine at CVS, that’s how rare.” — JIMMY FALLONThe Punchiest Punchlines (Johnson v. Johnson Edition)“Honestly, if you ask me, I think it’s impressive Johnson & Johnson even made a vaccine with such a low chance of blood clots. Pfizer and Moderna are drug companies; Johnson & Johnson makes baby shampoo — I’m surprised their [expletive] works at all.” — TREVOR NOAH“When reached for comment, Johnson said it was Johnson’s fault, but Johnson pointed the finger at Johnson.” — STEPHEN COLBERT“I blame the second Johnson. He never graduated high school.” — JIMMY KIMMEL“Damn it, Johnson & Johnson, you had one jab.” — JAMES CORDEN“Johnson & Johnson is owned by the same family who owns the New York Jets, so don’t think of this as a pause; think of it more like a 50-year rebuild.” — JIMMY FALLONThe Bits Worth WatchingTaylor Swift revealed the inspiration for her song “Hey Stephen” on Tuesday’s “Late Show.”What We’re Excited About on Wednesday NightThe comedian Margaret Cho will be on Wednesday’s “A Little Late With Lilly Singh.”Also, Check This OutNina Totenberg, Linda Wertheimer and Cokie Roberts in 1979.NPRLisa Napoli’s “Susan, Linda, Nina & Cokie” chronicles four journalists who helped to establish NPR in the 1970s. More

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      ‘Transformers’ and a Zombie Comedy: What ‘Invincible’ Is Made Of

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      The writer behind the Amazon Prime superhero show ‘Invincible’ shares the films, comic books and characters he drew on to create the new series.Comics-to-screen adaptations are tricky to pull off — and hard-core comic book fans can be exacting — but Robert Kirkman has now been the writer behind two of them.First, he masterminded the comic book “The Walking Dead,” then helped turn it into one of the most popular TV series of the 21st century. Now Kirkman is executive producer of “Invincible,” an animated Amazon Prime show based on a superhero he created with the illustrator Cory Walker. Loaded with top-shelf voice talent led by Steven Yeun as the title’s teenage superbeing (real name: Mark Grayson) and J.K. Simmons as his father, Omni-Man, the new series is irreverent and dramatic, funny and graphically violent, and never less than gleefully entertaining. The comic book was published from 2003 to 2018 by Skybound, an Image Comics imprint.In a video call from Los Angeles, Kirkman, 42, discussed some of what inspired him in his work on “Invincible.”Marvel ComicsAn interior page from “Amazing Fantasy” #15 (1962), by Stan Lee, writer, and Steve Ditko, artist.MarvelRight, Mark Grayson/Invincible (voiced by Steven Yeun), with his parents, Debbie Grayson (Sandra Oh), and Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons).Amazon Prime VideoNaturally, a superhero story is going to draw from one of the biggest publishers of the genre, but Kirkman zeroed in on a specific side of Marvel Comics. “Their big innovation in the ’60s was to treat the superhero characters as if they were human beings,” he said. “There were stories dealing with trouble at work and having to make rent. So ‘Invincible’ tries to dig deep on the family aspects and portray inhuman characters as deeply human.”“When superpowered characters go on dates they can have lunch in Rome or their favorite bistro in France. They’re not constrained by the same realities of time and distance as we are,” Kirkman said. If Mark is falling short as a boyfriend, he added, “it’s not because he forgot to text before he went out with the boys; it’s because he had to do a quick mission on Mars. We’re able to use the fantasy elements of a superhero world to heighten the everyday relatable drama.”The non-superheroic folks don’t get ignored, either. Invincible’s mother, Debbie (Sandra Oh), for example, has issues of her own. “Her main story line in the first season is a suspicion over her husband doing something that could be potentially very bad,” Kirkman said. “A wife suspicious of her husband is a very real thing that a lot of people deal with — a somewhat grounded conflict in this crazy superhero world.”DC Comics’ Silver AgeFrom “The Girl in Superman’s Past” (An Untold Tale of Superman) written by Bill Finger, penciled by Wayne Boring and inked by Stan Kaye. #129 (May,  1959).DCFrom left, Invincible, voiced by Steven Yeun, with Allen the Alien (Seth Rogen), in “Invincible.” Amazon Prime VideoKirkman is a fan of the lighter aspects of superhero stories, especially as they flourished at DC Comics in the 1950s through 1970s; he singles out Superman’s romance with the mermaid Lori Lemaris, and also mentioned his turning back time by flying around the Earth at super-speed in the Richard Donner film “Superman,” from 1978. “By embracing the sillier aspects of Silver Age comic books, we’re not telling silly stories — I don’t think anyone would ever say that ‘Invincible’ is silly,” Kirkman said. “But holding your breath and speaking telepathically while you fight around the orbit of the planet is goofy, a father and son playing catch by throwing a ball around the curvature of the Earth is ridiculous,” he continued, referring to events in his new show. “Playing those scenes straight shines a spotlight on how unique and how cool the world of superheroes can be.”‘The Transformers: The Movie’ (1986) by Nelson ShinSunbow ProductionsOmni-Man in a scene in Episode 1 in which the Guardians are killed.Amazon Prime VideoVisible behind Kirkman was a poster of this animated feature, which he saw when he was 8. The movie dispatches Optimus Prime, the heroic leader of the Autobots, early on, a storytelling decision that made a big impression on the future writer. “By giving the audience something they would tell you they absolutely don’t want, you can actually give them something that is really fulfilling and better than anything they could have imagined,” he said.“The Walking Dead” is famous for abruptly killing off fan favorites, and the first episode of “Invincible” ends in a startling massacre. “The stories that come after that are richer because of that loss,” Kirkman said.‘Dead Alive’ (1993) by Peter JacksonWingNut FilmsOmni-Man in the gore of the Guardians’ battle, a scene not unlike the shocking gore inspired by the movie “Dead Alive,” above.Amazon Prime VideoWith its crushed skulls and geysers of blood, “Invincible” does not shy from violence. Kirkman, however, claims that he gets queasy easily.“I’m not great at realistic gore, but I do enjoy the shockingness and startling aspect of when unrealistic gore happens,” he explained. Once again, a childhood experience proved formative.He was about 15 when his father came in with a VHS tape, saying, ‘I’m supposed to take this back to the video store, but this movie’s insane, you’ve got to watch it,’” Kirkman said fondly.It was this delirious low-budget zombie-comedy hybrid by the director who would later deliver the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and Kirkman was not disappointed. “The climax is, there’s a house full of zombies and a guy ties a lawn mower around his neck and runs around hacking people up,” he said.Rob Liefeld“New Mutants” #100 by the artist Rob Liefeld.MarvelMonster Girl, far left, in a soap-opera moment.Amazon Prime VideoKirkman picked Liefeld not because he was one of the founders of Image Comics (which published both the “Invincible” and “The Walking Dead” comic books) but for his storytelling chops. “If you look at how fast-paced ‘Invincible’ is, that is something Rob very much established in his work,” Kirkman said.He also enjoys Liefeld’s taste for plotting antics, singling out a big reveal in issue 100 of “The New Mutants,” from 1991, in which the villainous Stryfe takes off his helmet, revealing himself to be the gun-toting warrior Cable — or is he?“Seeing that kind of stuff and how it works in comics has led to some of those bigger cliffhangers and wackier soap-opera moments in ‘Invincible,’” Kirkman continued, mentioning Monster Girl, “who is trapped in a youthful body,” as an example. She turns into a big beast, but each time she transforms, she returns looking even younger, which presents complications — it’s hard to date when you’re a 20-something who looks 12.‘Savage Dragon’ by Erik Larsen“Savage Dragon” #103 cover, art by Erik Larsen.Image Comics“Invincible” #113 interior page, art by Ryan Ottley.Image ComicsKirkman praises this comic book as his favorite of all time, and a big reason is that the title character aged over the years — just like the “Invincible” books introduce a 17-year-old Mark Grayson who eventually grows older, marries, becomes a father. “That’s something that’s definitely pulled from Erik Larsen,” Kirkman said.While the series has just started, he and Yeun already have Mark’s future in mind. “In the very earliest recording sessions, Steven pulled me aside and said, “I’m trying to play him as very young and naïve because I know where the character goes and I want to be able to change my voice over time,’ ” Kirkman said. “I don’t know exactly how many seasons the show will run at this point, but the goal is to tell that complete story.” More

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      Late Night Gets Serious About Police Brutality

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      Trevor Noah and Stephen Colbert criticized officers’ use of force against Black men, citing two cases in which traffic stops turned violent.Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous night’s highlights that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. We’re all stuck at home at the moment, so here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now.A Lethal ErrorTrevor Noah and Stephen Colbert addressed police brutality against Black men on Monday night, with a focus on two recent high-profile cases. The first was the death of Daunte Wright, who was fatally shot during a traffic stop near Minneapolis on Sunday. The second was that of Caron Nazario, an Army lieutenant who was in uniform in December when two Virginia police officers ordered him to stop his car, pointed their weapons at him and doused him with pepper spray.“But if you’re surprised that a member of the military is having his rights abused, then you need to understand the police don’t give a [expletive],” Noah said. “They don’t care if you’re a member of the military; they don’t care if you’re a beloved member of the community; they don’t care if you’re recording them; [expletive], they don’t even care if they’re recording themselves. And the reason they don’t care is because they know they’re going to get away with it. And until that changes, they’re just going to keep not caring.”“What a strange way to say ‘Thank you for your service.’” — STEPHEN COLBERT“And how crazy is it that this driver — think about it — he knew to get to a gas station so that he would have decent lighting for the encounter. Imagine. Just think about that for a moment: Police brutality has forced everyday Black Americans to become lighting experts.” — TREVOR NOAH“I mean, at this point Black people should just start singing ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ when they get pulled over. Then maybe, just maybe, the cops will be like, ‘Well, I don’t want to pepper spray the anthem — what do I do?’” — TREVOR NOAHColbert and Noah expressed frustration with a police statement saying that the officer who shot and killed Wright had mistakenly confused her gun for her Taser.“It’s dangerous when a policeman can’t tell if you’re holding a gun. It’s insane when they can’t tell if they’re holding a gun.” — STEPHEN COLBERT“A man was killed at a traffic stop because the police officer mixed up their gun and their Taser? Is that even supposed to be a legitimate excuse? Like, we’re supposed to watch that and go, ‘Ah, OK. One time I used sugar instead of salt, so I can relate.’” — TREVOR NOAH“And by the way, don’t you find it amazing cops think everything is a gun except their own gun?” — TREVOR NOAH“And even if it was just a mistake, that’s not a mistake that you just forgive and walk away, especially since you know the people jumping to her defense for using a gun instead of a Taser — those are the same people they want their waiter fired for bringing them a regular Coke instead of Diet.” — TREVOR NOAHThe Punchiest Punchlines (Venmo Tuition Edition)“Congress returned after a two-week recess. ‘Not much, just hung out,’ said Matt Gaetz before anyone could talk.” — SETH MEYERS“Matt Gaetz, Florida congressman and fraternity brother who wants to show you something in his room, has been under fire since news broke of him being under investigation over possible sex trafficking. But like a Karen in a Bath & Body Works, he refuses to back down.” — TREVOR NOAH“According to a new report, Florida congressman Matt Gaetz used the cash transfer app Venmo to send an accused sex trafficker $900, who then paid three young women for, quote, ‘tuition and school,’ which is a pretty weak attempt to cover your tracks. That’s like leaving your wallet at a crime scene but wiping your fingerprints off it.” — SETH MEYERS“Let he who has never Venmo’d a prostitute cast the first stone.” — JIMMY KIMMEL“I mean, you think you know a guy, and then it turns out — yeah, you’re totally right. You do know him. You know him pretty well.” — TREVOR NOAH“The House Ethics Committee announced Friday it will launch an investigation into Republican congressman Matt Gaetz over allegations that he, quote, ‘may have engaged in sexual misconduct, and/or illicit drug use, shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use and/or accepted a bribe, improper gratuity or impermissible gift’ — or as Republicans call it, ‘running for re-election.’” — SETH MEYERSThe Bits Worth WatchingJohn Boehner, the former speaker of the House, played a speed-round of quick reactions to politicians like Mike Pence and Barack Obama on Monday’s “Late Show.”What We’re Excited About on Tuesday NightPhoebe Robinson will talk about her new Comedy Central series, “Doing the Most,” on Tuesday’s “Tonight Show.”Also, Check This OutTobias Menzies portrayed Prince Philip in the Netflix series “The Crown.”Des Willie/Netflix, via Associated PressThere have been numerous onscreen portrayals of the late Prince Philip, some more accurate than others. His biographer assesses the best-known attempts. More

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      What’s on TV This Week: ‘Our Towns’ and ‘Beethoven in Beijing’

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      A documentary on HBO looks at small towns across America. And PBS’s “Great Performances” revisits a pivotal 1973 classical music tour.Between network, cable and streaming, the modern television landscape is a vast one. Here are some of the shows, specials and movies coming to TV this week, April 12-18. Details and times are subject to change.MondayINDEPENDENT LENS: DOWN A DARK STAIRWELL (2021) 10 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). On Nov. 20, 2014, a New York City police officer, Peter Liang, shot and killed Akai Gurley, 28, who was unarmed. (Liang was convicted of manslaughter in 2016.) Gurley was Black; Liang is Chinese-American. The killing prompted a particularly complex debate over police accountability, which the filmmaker Ursula Liang (who is not related to Peter Liang) explores in this new documentary.STAR WARS: EPISODE III — REVENGE OF THE SITH (2005) 8:05 p.m. and 11:20 on TNT. The streaming series “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” one of the highest-profile new “Star Wars” projects, is supposed to start filming this month, but it’ll be a little while before it gets to Disney+. (There’s no light speed when multimillion-dollar TV shoots are involved.) The new series will reunite Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen, who starred together in this “Star Wars” prequel, which charts the final chapter of young Anakin Skywalker’s transformation into Darth Vader. In his review for The New York Times, A.O. Scott called it “by far the best film in the more recent trilogy.” How significant that praise is, though, is a matter of debate.TuesdayOUR TOWNS 9 p.m. on HBO. The journalists (and married couple) Deborah Fallows and James Fallows spent several years puttering through American skies in their small, single-engine Cirrus SR-22 plane, visiting small towns across the country. The resulting book, “Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey Into the Heart of America,” released in 2018, looks at the beauty of and the challenges faced by American towns. This documentary from the filmmakers Steven Ascher and Jeanne Jordan is based on the Fallows’s book; it looks at how small-town life is changing around the country.WednesdayCloris Leachman and Timothy Bottoms in “The Last Picture Show.”Columbia PicturesTHE LAST PICTURE SHOW (1971) 11:45 p.m. on TCM. Peter Bogdanovich’s big-screen adaptation of the 1966 Larry McMurtry novel “The Last Picture Show” is set in a small Texas town. The story follows a pair of high school seniors (Timothy Bottoms and Jeff Bridges) as they prepare for their post-graduation lives and navigate two very different romances (Cybill Shepherd plays a high-school girlfriend; Cloris Leachman plays the wife of the school’s basketball coach, who is having an affair with one of the boys). This year is the film’s 50th anniversary — but in many ways, it feels considerably older, as Bogdanovich produced it to feel like a product of Hollywood’s Golden Age. As Vincent Canby wrote in his review for The Times, the film is “a tribute to the kind of straightforward narrative filmmaking that flourished in the Hollywood of the 1930 and 1940s, when occasionally classic movies were made on the assembly lines, but it’s a tribute by a director who started out not in the cutting room, but at the Museum of Modern Art.”ThursdayFrances McDormand in “Fargo.”Michael Tackett/Gramercy PicturesFARGO (1996) 7:30 p.m. on Showtime. Frances McDormand did her best to avoid publicity for years after receiving her first Academy Award, which she won for her role as a pregnant police chief hunting down a pair of killers in this Coen brothers staple. That decision “gave me a mystery back to who I was,” she explained in a recent interview with The Times, “and then in the roles I performed, I could take an audience to a place where someone who sold watches or perfume and magazines couldn’t.” With McDormand up this year for her third best actress Academy Award (for her role in Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland”), this is a natural time to revisit “Fargo.”A QUIET PLACE (2018) 5:50 p.m. on FXM. After repeated delays in response to the pandemic, “A Quiet Place Part II” seems like it may actually be released next month. (The film had its world premiere event on March 8, 2020, and was slated to open shortly afterward — you know what happens next.) The original movie follows a couple (John Krasinski and Emily Blunt) who have to keep themselves and their children alive in a post-apocalyptic world that has been overtaken by monsters who can’t see, and who hunt using their ears. It’s a conveniently cinematic premise that Krasinski, who also directed, takes advantage of. “The full-on action sequences, staged with stalking tension in settings as diverse as a grain silo and a bathtub, are nervily potent,” Jeannette Catsoulis wrote in her review for The Times, even if the film as a whole is “neither intellectually deep nor even logically sound.”FridayA scene from “Great Performances: Beethoven in Beijing.”History Making ProductionsGREAT PERFORMANCES: BEETHOVEN IN BEIJING 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). When the Philadelphia Orchestra took the stage in Beijing in 1973, it became the first American symphony orchestra to perform in China since the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949. That tour is the subject of this documentary, which revisits the performances and looks at how they laid the groundwork for the eventual return of Western art to China. The film includes interviews with the composer Tan Dun, the pianist Lang Lang, and the conductor and pianist Yannick Nézet-Séguin.SaturdayCREED (2015) 5 p.m. on VH1. The director Ryan Coogler breathed new life into the “Rocky” franchise with this sort-of sequel, sort-of spinoff. The film stars Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed. Adonis is a child of Apollo Creed, the fictional onetime rival of Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), who takes Adonis under his extraordinarily toned wing.SundayTHE 56TH ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS 8 p.m. on CBS. This year’s Academy of Country Music Awards ceremony will be broadcast from three venues around Nashville: the Ryman Auditorium, the Grand Ole Opry House and the Bluebird Cafe. Keith Urban and Mickey Guyton will host, with a lineup of performers that includes Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris and Carrie Underwood. More

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      Last Call: ‘Shameless’ Showrunner Says Goodbye to the Gallaghers

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      John Wells discussed the impact of the pandemic and police protests on Sunday’s series finale.This interview includes spoilers for Sunday’s series finale of “Shameless.”Before he created “Shameless,” the long-running family drama that ended Sunday night on Showtime, John Wells was the showrunner of “ER” and later seasons of “The West Wing,” both on NBC.Though the shows are superficially dissimilar, Wells sees all of them as examinations of function — or dysfunction. “ER” is about how medicine works. “The West Wing” is about how government works. And “Shameless”?“That’s about how the system doesn’t really work for families living near the poverty line,” Wells said. “Man, talk about that being underrepresented on television! That is a huge portion of our society that we don’t tell nearly enough stories about.”Over 11 seasons, “Shameless” conveyed the outrageous and topical stories of the Gallaghers, a sprawling family with largely absent addict parents Frank and Monica (played by William H. Macy and Chloe Webb), leaving the daughter Fiona (Emmy Rossum) to raise her younger siblings Lip (Jeremy Allen White), Ian (Cameron Monaghan), Debbie (Emma Kenney), Carl (Ethan Cutkosky) and Liam (Christian Isaiah).Based on a British TV series, the Showtime version transferred the scruffy family to the South Side of Chicago and, among other things, thoroughly modernized the British concept of “kitchen-sink drama.” The Gallagher kitchen hosted such events as Monica slicing her wrists, Fiona having impromptu sex, Debbie giving birth, Frank removing Debbie’s necrotic toes and then-toddler Liam collapsing from a cocaine overdose.“Comedy can be brutal,” Wells said. “It can reach past our reluctance of being preached to.”“Shameless,” he added, is “a show about a family trying to survive and laughing their way through it.”Wells would have been happy to continue relating the Gallaghers’ misadventures — while addressing weighty topical issues like inequality, gentrification, addiction, mental illness and sexuality — for “another 20 years.” But Showtime gave the show a final season just before the coronavirus pandemic. Then three days before shooting began, in which the mostly grown-up Gallaghers finally disperse, production was shut down for months.During the unexpected time off, Wells rethought the season and decided to incorporate the pandemic, using Frank, who was long past his sell-by date for various medical reasons, as the poster boy for anti-maskers. In Sunday’s series finale, Frank died of Covid.“We weren’t trying to do a ‘Very Special Episode,’” Wells said. “Even in comedies that are satirical, there should be real consequences.”In a phone interview from Victoria, British Columbia, where he’s working on a new series for Netflix, Wells discussed the inspiration for Frank’s death, Fiona’s near-return and the legacy of “Shameless.” These are edited excerpts from the conversation.“Frank has so many possible comorbidities,” Wells said. “Covid is just the thing that finally pushed him over the edge.”Paul Sarkis/ShowtimeYou rewrote the entire season after the shutdown. Was Frank destined to die all along? How did you decide he would get Covid? There have been plenty of Covid-19 subplots on TV but I can’t think of another lead character who actually died from it.We didn’t want Frank to get off scot-free for all his lifestyle choices. We were always planning for him to pass away from something at the end. Originally, we were thinking he would take his own life in an overdose. What the hell — why not go out in a blaze of glory?Then I lost a close family member from Covid at Christmastime. That’s happening to lots of families. So I thought, “We should make a comment on that.” We tried to make a comment all season on the particular difficulties that the pandemic has presented in low-income communities, and still make it kind of funny. To have Frank die of something else in the midst of this pandemic, it would be a little too easy. Frank has so many possible comorbidities — Covid is just the thing that finally pushed him over the edge. There’s certainly some schadenfreude in this, Frank always thinking he can skate by everything and coming to a moment he couldn’t skate by.In his delirium, Frank mistakes a health care worker for Fiona, which is the first time that she has been mentioned since Emmy Rossum left the show two years ago. Why haven’t the Gallaghers talked about their sister? The house is in Fiona’s name, and she remains Liam’s legal guardian.We had written in various mentions of Fiona over the last two years, but Showtime asked us not to remind people of her absence. I think they were very concerned that Emmy’s absence would significantly hurt the viewership of the show.We very much wanted to try and bring back Fiona for the finale, but there was just no way to make it all work with the pandemic. I’m sure Emmy would have come back and done it, and it would have been nice to see her again. But she had some health concerns about returning, quarantining and trying to be safe. It’s hard to question anybody’s choices based on travel and safety.There was going to be a family discussion about who was going to take care of Frank. In the early ideas of the story, that was a perfect way to have Fiona return. We had some humorous versions of it, where they all got sick of Frank, put him in a box and sent him down to Florida. And then Fiona opened the box! Best laid plans.Did Showtime ever veto any other ideas or voice other concerns?It was kind of our inside joke: “You can do about anything, but you can’t steal a library book.” I think that was because [Showtime co-president of entertainment] Gary Levine didn’t want to encourage people to actually keep library books. [Laughs.] Showtime expressed concern about various things that then they ultimately supported, like Frank sending Carl to cancer camp. The idea was that every kid should be able to go to camp.In the early days, we had a lot of conversations about Frank choosing to sleep with Lip’s girlfriend Karen (Laura Slade Wiggins). Then we came up with the solution of how Frank would seek forgiveness, how Lip would urinate on Frank’s head and Frank would actually accept it, because he realized he deserved it. It was always about the balance of what’s been done and what we leave unpunished and unforgiven in the family, because the show is really just about how a family can pull itself through all different kinds of crisis.In its final season, “Shameless” sought to reflect the losses many families have experienced during the pandemic.Paul Sarkis/ShowtimeWas there ever a story that you wished you had contextualized more?Carl’s story line, becoming a cop. We could have used two more seasons to explore that. We had a lot of conversations with Showtime about how much we could say. It was a fine line, trying to ride an ongoing conversation in the country.How much did the Black Lives Matter protests and the ongoing national conversation about racial inequality influence what you had originally planned?Carl’s story line became far more topical. Not that these issues weren’t always there, but they became front and center after a number of horrific incidents of police brutality. What is proper policing? Is the purpose of the police to protect the well-off from the not-well-off? There are certainly many people who believe that. That’s an oversimplification, but we all need to understand what those fears of the police are, the lack of trust that exists in a lot of communities.We were also trying to address things about lack of housing. One thing I wish we had another year to explore was the eviction moratorium expiring, when we discover just how many people have lost their jobs and live with food insecurity. I’d love to be talking about pandemic checks, and what a huge difference affordable day care would make to Debbie and Tami (Kate Miner). We’d find the humor in these stories but these are life-and-death issues for families who live on the margin.Why do you think “Shameless” wasn’t part of a larger cultural conversation, particularly during awards seasons?I never want to complain about it, because I’ve been on the good side of that equation. But I would say that when you’re doing stories about people who are less fortunate, if you’re not providing easy answers, the shows tend to get overlooked a bit more. I don’t have any explanation for why “The Wire” was never the most decorated show in television history. We want to pretend that the country is egalitarian, that it’s a meritocracy, that everybody has the same opportunities, and it’s just not true. That’s hard for us to accept. It challenges our sense of who we are. What are our responsibilities to each other?There was some backlash. Critics did not latch onto the show at the beginning. Many people wanted to write off “Shameless” as a sex comedy. And that’s OK. We had a great, loyal audience for a long time. People would stop me on the street and tell me that Frank was like their dad. Kids would come to our Chicago set, and tell us about how they were thrown out of their homes for being gay, lesbian or trans. People would tell us how their big sister raised them, or how they reconnected with older siblings because of the show. We all search for community, and the Gallagher world was a community of kids who cared about each other.What would you want to see in a “Shameless” spinoff?I want to see the Alibi cop-bar story, and what happens with Carl and Arthur (Joshua Malina) as police officers. I love Kevin (Steve Howey) and Veronica (Shanola Hampton), and would love to see what happens to them. Lip was on the verge of actually figuring things out and succeeding. We have a massive legion of fans for Ian and Mickey (Noel Fisher), so seeing where their life goes. For many people, they represent different ideas of who gay men can be and how those relationships can be.We did what we set out to do. Hopefully people enjoyed it, saw some of their own hardships in it, or have a little more empathy for the tens of millions of people in America who live at the poverty level that the Gallaghers lived at in the show. Tip your waiter a little bit more. Leave some extra money for the maid when you stay at a hotel or motel. Be a little more understanding with the person who delivers your package. Try and walk in other people’s shoes.Having all these stories out there reminds people that the things that they might be ashamed of and feel need to be hidden, nah — we’ve got to talk about it. More