Emily Nussbaum
Emily Nussbaum, a staff writer at The New Yorker since 2011, became the magazine’s theatre critic in 2026. She won the Pulitzer Prize for criticism in 2016, for her television reviews. Nussbaum has written about Ryan Murphy; the legal battles behind “Love Is Blind”; Marielle Heller and her film “Nightbitch”; the difficult women of “Sex and the City”; and Fiona Apple, among other topics. She is the author of “I Like to Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV Revolution” and “Cue The Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV.”
In Tracy Letts’s “Bug,” Crazy Is Contagious
A Broadway revival arrives at a moment when paranoia plots are everywhere.
Catch Marc Shaiman If You Can
On the eve of his new book, “Never Mind the Happy,” the composer dishes on his career ups and downs—from touring with Bette Midler to getting caught in Twitter wars.
Keri Russell Isn’t Sure She’s an Actress
From the daily newsletter: what makes the “Felicity” star so mesmerizing.
Ben Folds’s Latest Thing
After quitting his gig with the Kennedy Center in protest, the Gen X indie rocker is turning his talents toward MAGA trolls and Charlie Brown.
Ready, Set, Libretto! Jesse Eisenberg Speed-Writes a Musical
The “Real Pain” director teamed up with the TV writer Meredith Scardino to compete in the 24 Hour Musicals, for charity. Their muse? A West Elm lamp.
The Forgotten Inventor of the Sitcom
Gertrude Berg’s “The Goldbergs” was a bold, beloved portrait of a Jewish family. Then the blacklist obliterated her legacy.
“Nightbitch” and the National Mood
From the daily newsletter: getting to know the director Marielle Heller. Plus: a timely triennial of Latino art; Donald Trump’s U.F.C. victory party; and can A.I. improve our conversations?
Marielle Heller Explores the Feral Side of Motherhood
With “Nightbitch”—in which Amy Adams turns into a dog—the director portrays parenting as a visceral transformation.
How “The Real World” Created Modern Reality TV
The rules governing everything from “Big Brother” to “The Real Housewives” started three decades ago, with a radical experiment on MTV.
Is “Love Is Blind” a Toxic Workplace?
Reality-TV contestants are barely paid, and the experience can feel like abuse. Former cast members of Netflix’s megahit are speaking out—and calling for solidarity.
Country Music’s Culture Wars and the Remaking of Nashville
Tennessee’s government has turned hard red, but a new set of outlaw songwriters is challenging Music City’s conservative ways—and ruling bro-country sound.
The Couple Behind TV’s Boldest Shows
After making “The Good Wife,” Robert and Michelle King went rogue, creating wildly experimental series that capture the vertigo of post-Trump America.
Fiona Apple’s Art of Radical Sensitivity
For years, the elusive singer-songwriter has been working, at home, on an album with a strikingly raw and percussive sound. But is she prepared to release it into the world?
Uncertain Attraction in “Work in Progress” and “Dare Me”
An indie comedy about a misfit looking for love, and a clear-eyed examination of a small town full of dangerously bored kids take new spins on established genres.
I Love Top Ten Lists
Here are more than ten shows that I happened to like and remember on the day that I wrote this list.
The Incendiary Aims of HBO’s “Watchmen”
Damon Lindelof’s update to Alan Moore’s graphic novel is a bombshell, reordering the fictional universe and writing buried racial trauma back into comic-book mythology.
The Search for Pizzazz at the Impeachment Reality Show
The Democrats keep on reciting facts, but is it wrong to fantasize that the way out is narrative?
Mixed Débuts on Apple TV+ in “The Morning Show” and “Dickinson”
Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell’s depiction of a #MeToo crisis is a pricey, glum misfire, while Emily Dickinson’s makeover is a sweet and original surprise.
“Evil,” “9-1-1,” and the Appeal of the Network Procedural
In the era of cable and streaming, there’s still life in old-school formats.