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Back in April, we spoke with Lena Dunham, creator and star of the hit series Girls. Since our conversation, Girls has taken off in popularity, but not without its fair share of controversy: the show has been criticized for being too white, too privileged, and too sex driven. But still, the series has been widely lauded for its raw, humorous, and refreshing take on young women living in New York City. 

"Girls," written by and starring Lena Dunham, was initially the subject of overwhelming praise for telling the story of twenty-something New York females in a new way. But in the two weeks since the series premiered, "Girls" went from being praised to being the object of overwhelming vitriol. From the blogosphere to the New York Times, critics have asked: Why does this show, which takes place in Brooklyn, New York in 2012, have an entirely white cast? Russell Robinson is professor of law at the University of California, Berkeley and the author of a study on race, ethnicity and gender casting in Hollywood. Melissa Silverstein is the editor of Women and Hollywood and the artistic director of the Athena Film Festival.

The glossy world of "Sex and the City" may never have been real, but it seems further from the truth than ever before. Recent college graduates who once flocked to New York for jobs in finance, publishing and the arts are finding themselves making lattes and babysitting to make ends meet. Until now, these once-privileged young men and women were missing from TV. Filmmaker Lena Dunham has set out to change that with her new show, "Girls."

After a conversation with filmmaker Lena Dunham about her new HBO show "Girls", John Hockenberry asks for some advice: should he tell his 13-year-old daughters about "Girls"?

Season Two of "Boardwalk Empire" premieres this Sunday on HBO. The series, starring Steve Buscemi in a Prohibition-era Atlantic City, won eight Emmys this year -- most of them for costumes, visual effects and art direction. WNYC's Jillian Weinberger spoke with a member of the award-winning creative team.

The Emmy Awards are this Sunday night, and its winner might be the most hard to predict in years. Five of the drama and comedy series contenders are first-time nominees, as are many of the nominated actors — including Timothy Olyphant, for "Justified," and Martha Plimpton, for "Raising Hope." "Mildred Pierce" leads the nominations, with twenty one total, and “Mad Men” is close behind with nineteen. Who will bring home the most statues?

The eighth season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" premieres this Sunday on HBO. The show hinges on star Larry David’s inability — or refusal — to follow social cues. Most of the characters respond to David's antics with passive aggression. But there is one character who consistently faces Larry head on: Susie Greene. Known for her filthy mouth and tendency to scream at other characters, Susie is one of the long-running comedy series' most beloved characters.

The documentary "How to Die in Oregon" premieres tonight on HBO. The film follows a woman named Cody Curtis as she suffers from liver cancer and, ultimately, makes the decision to end her life. It’s a difficult subject. Yet critics have described this documentary as “uplifting” and even “life-affirming.” Peter Richardson is the director of "How to Die in Oregon." He and Stan Curtis, the husband of the woman portrayed in the film, talk about the process of making the film and why the story needed to be told.

Actor Ted Danson is having a phenomenal year on television. He has hit roles in three hot series: HBO's "Bored to Death" which he stars alongside Jason Schwartzman and Zach Galifianakis. He shows up every now and again on HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and shares the screen with Glenn Close in "Damages." But our beloved "Cheers" bartender is mostly fired up about his latest off-screen project, ocean conservationist. He has co-authored a book that looks at the state of the oceans and how we can save them. He says he loves the ocean and wants to make it easy for anyone to help.

About a year ago, Carrie Fisher (script doctor, memoirist, recovering Princess) took to Broadway a one-woman show called “Wishful Drinking” — an account of her struggles with alcoholism, failed romances, and brushes with death.  A filmed version of her stage show airs this weekend on HBO.

David Simon, creator of the HBO series The Wire and Treme, has written the foreward to the new Penguin Classics edition of Paths of Glory. He discusses the tension between the individual and the institutions they serve, and how that plays out in politics, war, and everyday life.

$500,000 with absolutely no-strings-attached. The dreamiest fellowship of them all. It's that time of year and the MacArthur Foundation has announced its list of fellows. We noticed among the list of 'geniuses' a few past Studio 360 guests. Last spring Kurt Andersen spoke to David Simon, the creator of The Wire and Treme on HBO and last summer we were treated to a live in-studio performance from the jazz pianist and composer Jason Moran. Way back in 2001, Kurt had a conversation with installation artist Jorge Pardo.

David Simon, creator of the HBO series The Wire and Treme, has written the foreward to the new Penguin Classics edition of Paths of Glory.  He discusses the tension between the individual and the institutions they serve and how that plays out in politics, war, and everyday life.

The streets of Greenpoint and other areas of Brooklyn have been taken over by the gangsters, prohibitionists and corrupt souls of HBO’s new show, “Boardwalk Empire”, which premieres Sunday.

A lot of the time they go unnoticed, or we simply fast forward through them like advertisements, another obstruction between us and our favorite TV show.  But sometimes, when they're done properly, they are a thing of beauty. They can provide provide skillfully disguised plot indications, and give you valuable character insights, all wrapped up in a stunning sensory parcel that sets the mood for the coming show.