Eric Deggans

Tv and Media Critic for the Saint Petersburg Times

Eric Deggans appears in the following:

HBO's 'Black and Missing' offers an antidote to Missing White Woman Syndrome

Wednesday, November 24, 2021

The docuseries follows the work of the Black and Missing Foundation, which steps in to search for missing people of color when media and law enforcement fall short.

Comment

HBO revolutionized TV, but the next few years are tipped to be pivotal for its future

Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Journalist James Andrew Miller and NPR TV critic Eric Deggans talk about how HBO changed television and why the next few years are pivotal for the network's future.

Comment

A new book details the rise of Home Box Office since the channel debuted in 1972

Tuesday, November 23, 2021

James Andrew Miller's new book, Tinderbox, tells the history of HBO starting with its 1972 debut. HBO succeeded as a cable channel revolutionizing TV by airing programs most outlets wouldn't touch.

Comment

Morning television is ripe for drama — but 'The Morning Show' feels behind the times

Sunday, November 21, 2021

As the second season of the Apple TV+ show ends, TV critic Eric Deggans reflects on why The Morning Show feels so outdated.

Comment

New York Times doc on Janet Jackson's Super Bowl scandal leaves questions unanswered

Friday, November 19, 2021

A new documentary looks at the "wardrobe malfunction" during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show in a new light – but doesn't definitively answer some important questions.

Comment

Netflix reboots 'Cowboy Bebop' starring John Cho

Friday, November 19, 2021

Cowboy Bebop is a live-action version of a beloved anime series from the 1990s, featuring John Cho as futuristic hitman-turned-bounty hunter Spike Spiegel.

Comment

So you've watched 'Dopesick'. Here's what you can do to help ease the opioid crisis

Thursday, November 18, 2021

The Hulu series Dopesick depicts the start of the opioid addiction crisis in the U.S. As the crisis continues to grow, here's how you can help those affected in your community.

Comment

'The Shrink Next Door' amounts to less than the sum of its parts

Friday, November 12, 2021

The new Apple TV+ series feels far removed from the comedies Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd have become known for.

Comment

Is 'Dopesick' a true story? Experts and the show's creators sort fact from fiction

Monday, November 08, 2021

NPR addiction correspondent Brian Mann and TV critic Eric Deggans joined Dopesick author Beth Macy and showrunner Danny Strong to discuss the inspiration for the show and just how real it is.

Comment

Netflix and Chappelle won't be canceled over 'The Closer' — but that's not the point

Saturday, November 06, 2021

Pushing media companies to live up to their ideals about inclusion and equality is a long game, requiring constant scrutiny — a much different notion than so-called "cancel culture."

Comment

'Dexter: New Blood' struggles to find fresh meaning in an old story

Friday, November 05, 2021

Trying again — without a feel for where the show went wrong last time — doesn't lead to a better result.

Comment

Netflix's 'Colin in Black and White' shows a star athlete reaching toward Blackness

Friday, October 29, 2021

Ava DuVernay and Colin Kaepernick worked together on the series, a coming-of-age portrait of the athlete.

Comment

HBO's 'Insecure' soars by staying true to its revolutionary mission

Sunday, October 24, 2021

Insecure portrays Black joy and pain and struggle without the typical storytelling cliches. The final season of Issa Rae's show works as well as ever.

Comment

'Succession's' highly anticipated 3rd season is finally here, and it's great TV

Friday, October 15, 2021

Succession's pandemic-delayed third season kicks off Sunday — and TV critic Eric Deggans says it's well worth the wait.

Comment

Hulu's 'Dopesick' tells the chilling story of America's opioid crisis

Thursday, October 14, 2021

The new miniseries, adapted from journalist Beth Macy's critically acclaimed book, shows opioid addiction ravaging one rural Virginia town.

Comment

Coming to terms with James Bond's flawed past — as a fan and as a critic

Saturday, October 09, 2021

The new James Bond movie, No Time To Die, is out in theaters, ending Daniel Craig's run as 007. NPR critic Eric Deggans has long loved the franchise — yet its flawed legacy is hard to see past.

Comment

For Dave Chappelle, punchlines are dares. His new special, 'The Closer,' goes too far

Tuesday, October 05, 2021

In his new Netflix special, Dave Chappelle tries — and often fails — to justify button-pushing jokes about gay people, transgender people and feminists.

Comment

5 challenges 'Seinfeld' faces in connecting with viewers on Netflix

Saturday, October 02, 2021

All nine seasons of the classic sitcom Seinfeld debut on Netflix this week. But some aspects of the show might not work for modern audiences.

Comment

Apple TV+'s 'The Problem With Jon Stewart' Struggles To Find Its Comedic Voice

Thursday, September 30, 2021

The show's focus on important subjects makes for compelling viewing. But much from the first two episodes feels like a stitched-together pastiche of items from The Daily Show.

Comment

Jon Stewart Takes On Serious Problems With Humor In New Show

Thursday, September 30, 2021

Jon Stewart begins a new show which will examine a particular problem from many different sides. His biggest challenge may be transcending the long shadow cast by his turn as host of 'The Daily Show.'

Comment