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Boston Globe
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
In an era of infinite TV, how do you commit to watching a new show?
Costarring Tim Daly as McCord's husband Henry, a theology professor and former Marine aviator, 'Madam Secretary' is smart and suspenseful in its depiction of the complex geopolitical environment Elizabeth has to operate within. It's part pressure-cooker, part chess match, and the same can be said of the fierce office politics she has to cope with in the White House. Advertisement So why did I drag my feet when it came to watching 'Madam Secretary'? Was it because it aired on fusty old CBS? Had I internalized the idea that a show on a broadcast network would inevitably be too formulaic to hold my interest, that the real action and boundary-pushing immediacy was to be found on premium cable channels like HBO and Showtime or on streaming platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, and Apple TV+? I don't think that's it. Snobbery has never been an element of my viewing habits. It makes no sense when it comes to television, a medium with a vast and varied menu. Moreover, the broadcast networks have been at this a long time, and they know what they're doing, at least once in a while. Advertisement Consider the superb new version of ' Or ' What was more likely at play was my reluctance to commit to a multi-season series (and the broadcast networks tend to have more episodes per season than cable or streaming platforms do). As consumers in the attention economy and the demand side of the supply-and-demand equation in an era of infinite supply, that's a factor a lot of us have to consider these days — at least those of us who are compulsive completists. The universe of shows worth watching just keeps expanding. We're so constantly bombarded with new series that FOMO has become our common condition. I still find it hard to give up on a TV show. As with novels, I need to see how it ends, and whether it gets worse or better along the way. When I told my nephew that I had (by that point) 'hate-watched' about 60 hours of Showtime's ' I still have several more seasons of 'Madam Secretary' to watch. Will it fall off a cliff, quality-wise, as onetime faves like 'The Good Wife' and 'Suits' did after a few stellar seasons? Or will it continue to meet reward my high hopes and expectations all the way through, like 'Breaking Bad' did? Advertisement I guess I'll find out. In the words of the immortal Elaine May, 'The only safe thing is to take a chance.'' Also? When someone whose judgment you trust gives you advice, take it. 'Madam Secretary' is available for purchase on Prime Video and Apple TV+. Don Aucoin is the Globe's theater critic and an arts-critic-at-large. Don Aucoin can be reached at
Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
David Duchovny lists Malibu estate with train caboose as guest house for $12.5M
is saying goodbye to the Malibu estate he's called home for nearly two decades — and he's asking a whopping $12.5 million for it. The X-Files star has kept busy over the years, starring in hit shows, movies, launching a podcast, and writing several books, including his 2021 novel Truly Like Lightning. But one of his favorite passion projects, he says, wasn't onscreen — it was renovating an old train caboose on his Malibu property. 'It's one of the things I'm most proud of that I've ever developed in my life,' Duchovny told WSJ of the caboose, which includes a living and sleeping area, dining nook, kitchen, bathroom, and even a roof deck. 'It's just an amazing little spot to be in.' Duchovny, 64, is now putting the caboose — along with his three-bedroom main house — on the market after snapping up the property for $4.75 million in 2016. The one-acre estate is tucked in Malibu's coveted Point Dume neighborhood, just steps from the beach and surrounded by some of Hollywood's biggest names. The X-Files star has kept busy over the years, starring in hit shows , movies, launching a podcast, and writing several books, including his 2021 novel Truly Like Lightning; (seen in 2024) He originally rented the property from The X-Files creator Chris Carter when he needed a Los Angeles base. By 2016, he bought it for $4.75 million. He razed the existing house, and poured about $7 million into building the roughly 3,580-square-foot modern home. He shares the home with his girlfriend Monique Pendleberry, 31, and their dogs, Brick and Rookie. The open-concept main house seamlessly blends indoor and outdoor living, creating a breezy, relaxed vibe throughout the space. Outside, there's a sprawling wooden deck, a cozy lounge with built-in heaters, a sparkling lap pool, a sunken firepit, and an outdoor kitchen perfect for entertaining. You'll also find a Jacuzzi, a cold plunge, and an outdoor shower, making the backyard feel like a private spa retreat. Inside, custom built-in bookshelves showcase Duchovny's vast personal collection, while the sleek kitchen and bar area are outfitted with top-of-the-line appliances and stylish finishes. He razed the existing house, and poured about $7 million into building the roughly 3,580-square-foot modern home Though it's not beachfront, the home includes private deeded beach access. 'Spending lazy days at the beach and having this beautiful home to come back to a five-minute walk away, it was kind of like endless summer days,' Duchovny said to the outlet. . The actor, who raised his two kids in Malibu with ex-wife and Madam Secretary star Téa Leoni, said the area holds deep sentimental value. 'I wanted to have continuity for my kids,' he shared. 'This was the L.A. that they knew, and that's why I wanted to keep coming back to Malibu.' With his children now grown, Duchovny says it's time to move on. While he hasn't decided on his next move, he also owns an apartment in New York and a house in Costa Rica. 'I wanted to have continuity for my kids,' he shared, adding, 'This was the L.A. that they knew, and that's why I wanted to keep coming back to Malibu' 'Malibu has always been a magical place for me. I've been naturally drawn to it, and Point Dume, in particular, stands out as a true geographical marvel — a place unlike anywhere else,' Duchovny told People. But the Southern California town will always have a special place in his heart. 'Malibu has always been a magical place for me. I've been naturally drawn to it, and Point Dume, in particular, stands out as a true geographical marvel — a place unlike anywhere else,' Duchovny told People. 'Even though it's just 30 minutes from town, it feels like an entirely different world,' he added.
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Business Standard
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Raisina Chronicles: A public square for global dialogue and debate
In their editors' note to Raisina Chronicles: India's Global Public Square, S Jaishankar and Samir Saran write: 'The imperative of dialogue in polarised times is self-evident. And it has gained salience precisely because the promise of globalisation has been visibly broken.' The publication of the book celebrates the tenth anniversary of the Raisina Dialogue, an international conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics that has been convened in Delhi since 2016. This platform, which brings together heads of state, government officials, policymakers, diplomats and leaders of intergovernmental organisations, along with business leaders, media persons, experts from the development sector and members of civil society, is a collaboration between the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and the Government of India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Therefore, it is fitting that the volume is edited by Rajya Sabha member Mr Jaishankar, who has been India's External Affairs Minister since May 2019, and ORF President Mr Saran, who is the Curator of the Raisina Dialogue. The book is valuable for readers interested in international relations and public policy as fields of study and practice. The language used here seems accessible enough for seasoned and early-career professionals, as well as students. Moreover, it is a useful resource for people who watch television shows like Barbara Hall's Madam Secretary, David Guggenheim's Designated Survivor and Deborah Kahn's The Diplomat for the high-octane drama and are curious about how politicians and diplomats build alliances and resolve conflicts in real life. It is divided into seven sections: (1) Changing Realities: Shifts in the World Order; (2) Shared Visions: Unbreakable Bilateral Ties; (3) New Opportunities: European Future in the Indo-Pacific; (4) Guards of Honour: Forging a More Secure World; (5) Viral World: Outbreaks, Outliers and Out of Control; (6) Unblurred Vision: Development with a Difference; and (7) At the Helm of Power: India, Raisina and the New Way Forward. Each section features reflections by speakers from various countries who have participated in the Raisina Dialogue and have rich insights to offer about key priorities in specific geographies and across the world. Rosa Balfour (Director, Carnegie Europe) and Zakaria Al Shmaly (Research Analyst, Carnegie Europe) acknowledge the European Union's 'blind spots', particularly its limited engagement with the 'Global South', and the need to understand critiques of its migration and asylum policy that treats white Christian and brown Muslim refugees differently. Kwame Owino (CEO, Institute of Economic Affairs) and Jackline Kagume (constitution, law and economy programme head at the Institute of Economic Affairs, Kenya) point out that Sub-Saharan Africa is 'the least embedded in global economic affairs and commerce' and advocate for 'access to regional and global markets' to ensure prosperity for countries represented by the African Union. The book addresses subjects such as democracy, climate finance, maritime security, gender equality, soft power, vaccine equity, public-private partnerships, and terrorism. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, for instance, calls terrorism 'a cancer that needs to be faced through wide international cooperation'. With Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announcing his readiness for a neutral investigation into the Pahalgam terror attack, it remains to be seen how this international cooperation pans out, and whether it amounts to more than lip service. Mohammed Soliman (director, strategic technologies and cyber security program at the Middle East Institute, Washington, DC) compliments 'India's growing voice in world affairs' for making the Raisina Dialogue 'a critical pathway for conflicting parties to utilise'. He writes, 'Not many global capitals have the diplomatic pull to host Israel, Iran, the Palestinians, and the Arab states under one roof to debate the most contentious regional and global issues'. Amrita Narlikar (president and professor, German Institute for Global and Area Studies) points out that the Raisina Dialogue 'is more inclusive and more diverse' than the Munich Security Conference and the World Economic Forum. What makes it stand out is not only 'its location in a democratic nation in the Global South' but also the decision to 'enable the participation of the interested public' rather than having closed-door meetings. This congratulatory tone pervades the book. While it reinforces the significance and impact of the Raisina Dialogue for multiple stakeholders, there is hardly any reflection on challenges encountered over the last 10 years and areas of improvement that have been identified either by the organisers or the participants. Introspection and feedback are crucial for growth. The other contributors to the volume range from United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Rwandan President Paul Kagame to former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen J Harper, Former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director David Petraeus, and Mexican Minister of Economy Marcelo Ebrard. The absence of voices from India's own neighbourhood — Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Myanmar, Afghanistan, China, and the Maldives — is quite conspicuous. Since the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has failed to help members settle disputes, the Raisina Dialogue could serve as a forum to have some of those conversations.
The National
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
One Last Thing: May Calamawy on her biggest pet peeve and the motorcycle ride she can't remember
Egyptian-Palestinian actress May Calamawy needs no introduction. She has been acting since 2006, with roles in everything from Tobe Hooper's Djinn to Madam Secretary. But she probably came firmly on to the radar of television watching audiences for her role as the acerbic Dena Hassan on Ramy Youssef's award-winning series Ramy. Since then, she has entered a rarefied stratosphere of global entertainment, becoming the first Arab superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, playing Layla El-Faouly, aka Scarlet Scarab, in Moon Knight on Disney+ opposite seasoned actors Ethan Hawke and Oscar Issac. Her latest role is in a smaller film, The Actor, based on the novel Memory by Donald E Westlake about a man with amnesia. The film is distributed by Neon, the company behind this year's Oscar dominating Anora. We caught up with her and asked her to answer Luxury magazine's One Last Thing questionnaire. What is your favourite time of day and why? It's the beat before sunset when the sun is still shining but everything feels more still like the sun's excitement is chilling out and it's just being. What is your favourite restaurant anywhere in the world? Naguib Mahfouz in Khan El Khalili, Cairo. When was the first time you realised your parents were human? When I was 22 and my mum got sick. What do you want to be when you grow up? Content. Do you have any hidden talents? I can read minds. Your favourite book? I honestly don't know, and not because I read too much but because I don't read enough. I feel like I need to learn how to sit down and indulge in books again. What type of music can't you stand? Currently, metal. What puts you in a bad mood? The state of the world. What can you not live without? Myself. Dream dinner guests? My mom. Sitting on the sofa or out with friends? Sofa with friends. What smell takes you straight back to childhood? Cinnamon. What food takes you back to childhood? Weetabix, labneh and olive wraps and those ice creams with the gumball at the bottom. Which city do you love but would hate to live in? I'm keeping that one to myself. Can you play a musical instrument? Every once in a while I can play the piano. Have you ever been on a motorcycle? Yes, but can't remember when. Seems like a vague memory when I was a child. Dodgy. Any words to live by? 'Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world.' – Marilyn Monroe Biggest pet peeve? When things aren't returned to their place. Do you believe in aliens? Yezzir. What is your favourite Arabic word? Miskeena [editor's note: literally translates as 'needy' but is normally used to imply a mix of empathy and pity for someone.] The most niche thing you watch on YouTube? Obscure animals such as rain frogs or duprasi gerbils. How do you take your tea? White with a cheeky spoon of sugar. What makes you cry? Videos of abused animals learning to trust again. What do social algorithms think you're interested in? Kittens, dogs and pixie haircuts. TikTok or Instagram? Instagram, only because I haven't let myself download TikTok yet, but it would probably be TikTok if I did. What is it about you that would surprise people? I've been learning to horse ride for the last couple of years and love it! What was the last thing you did for the first time? Visit Cambodia.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rosie O'Donnell Moved to Ireland After Trump Election, Will Consider Returning When ‘It's Safe for All Citizens to Have Equal Rights in America'
Rosie O'Donnell has revealed that she has moved from the United States to Ireland, where she is applying for citizenship in the wake of President Trump's second term. 'When you know it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, that's when we will consider coming back,' O'Donnell said in a nine-minute video shared on TikTok. She said she is 'very grateful' to have found a new home in Ireland, adding that the 'people here are so loving, kind and welcoming.' More from Variety How 'Madam Secretary' Star Erich Bergen Became Hollywood's Hottest Virtual Events Producer Amy Schumer, Ben Platt, Rosie O'Donnell Call Out Studios for Donating to NRA-Backed Politicians (EXCLUSIVE) Rosie O'Donnell on Natasha Lyonne: 'One of the Smartest Women I Know' While O'Donnell made it obvious her relocation was due to the state of politics in the U.S., the Emmy winner never mentioned President Trump by name. She said of the current state of American politics, 'It has been heartbreaking to see what is happening over there politically and hard for me personally as well.' O'Donnell also cited her nerves around TikTok potentially 'going away' and the state of media outlets under the new's administration hostility toward them as reasons to leave the States. 'The mainstream media has been letting us all down in America, where the fourth estate is required to maintain a democracy,' she said. 'They haven't been doing their job.' She continued, 'I encourage everyone to stand up, to use their voice, to protest, to demand that we follow the constitution in our country, and not a king and not a man and we don't have cruelty as part of our governing style.' O'Donnell closed her message by encouraging her followers to not get wrapped up in the constant, and often chaotic, coverage of politics. 'Protect your sanity as much as you can, and try not to swim in the chaos, if possible,' O'Donnell said. 'But I know it's nearly impossible when you're there in the middle of it.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Oscars 2026: First Blind Predictions Including Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, 'Wicked: For Good' and More What's Coming to Disney+ in March 2025
