High school students who ride horses in the streets of Philadelphia. An Iraqi who takes to the streets of Savannah to talk to Americans about the war. The life story of people named John Smith. These are some of the stories that will unfold in second season of the TV version of This American Life when it premieres on Showtime Sunday night. more ›

The following post is from our advertiser, This American Life on Showtime.
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Ira Glass wasn’t so popular with Chicagoans in 2006, when he announced that he would be moving production of This American Life from Chicago to New York. Showtime had approached Glass and his production staff with a television deal, but the budget just couldn’t work without a New York transplant, so the deal was sealed. Glass has publicly addressed this issue, saying “I’ve always said that because I end up working, like, 70 or 80 hours over the course of a week, I could be on the space shuttle and it wouldn’t make a difference.” more ›

In Los Angeles, LAist most definitely celebrated Thanksgiving like no other. After all, one has to keep up all the energy to keep on walking the line at the Writers Strike and fighting the unfortunate return of the wildfires in Malibu, which single handedly destroyed over fifty homes within the first 24 hours. National outlets may be covering the fires, but CNN also found it is easier to buy a gun than fruit and... more ›

This week, Phillyist saw the waters of a landmark fountain run red for a Showtime marketing stunt, the Phils pull ahead, and some serious nostalgia. They also got a chance to review an awesome tribute album, reminded folks to see the King and appreciated their beautiful skyline. Chicagoist knows what it's like to like the Cubs. But naming your kid Wrigley Fields? At least they can breathe a little easier now that Grossman's out... more ›

Londonist are starting to think their city is getting just a little bit too expensive, when even Christian Slater can't afford to go out there. And there's no escaping, as local singer Lily Allen discovered when she was barred entry to the US. The British mapping agency caused further bad karma, by blocking a 3-D representation of London in Google Earth. But the smiles returned to Londonist's faces as they interviewed Baroness von Reichardt,... more ›

In the mid 90's we were television addicts. From soaps to sitcoms, we soaked up nearly everything the tube could offer. Our collection of VHS tapes at the time was chock full of good stuff. But in some cases it was the commercials that we loved most. One of our favorites featured Judy Tenuta drinking Diet Dr. Pepper while "working out" at the gym. The moment she proclaiming "You can't get a body like mine... more ›

When we saw Ira Glass at a "This American Life" taping a few weeks ago he bemoaned the fact that Showtime was doing so little to promote the television adaptation of the show they were working on. He said the network was only putting up money for a single billboard, so he hoped all of America would take time to drive past that billboard. Obviously Ira doesn't get online much, or he would've seen his face plastered over the top of just about every single website out there. more ›

Last month, the Midwest Independent Film Festival premiered the feature-length drama, . It was a very good -- but heavy -- drama done here in the city. more ›

A little while ago, we remember some ads seeking couples having issues with their sex lives. As Chicagoist sat breathless from the obviously satisfying relations we enjoy (do we REALLY need a partner?), we wondered how anyone could take their sex lives to national television to discuss their problems. more ›

Tonight's edition of the Midwest Independent Film Festival will be featuring the Chicago premiere of a few new short comedy films. more ›

Steppenwolf ensemble member Austin Pendleton is one of those guys that you seem to see in a ton of movies. He's been in things like , "Oz" on HBO, and so on. The guy gets around. more ›

Damn you, Ray Quintanilla. Thanks to your seemingly endless quest to bring “news” and “information” to the readers of the Chicago Tribune, you’ve gone and spoiled one of the best-kept secrets among Chicago’s movie geek populace. more ›

How’s this for excellent? Some dingbat walks into a South Side barbershop this morning around 8:30 and tries to stick up the joint with a handgun. Woe unto Thuggy McBadtiming, though, as the first chair is ocupado by an off-duty Chicago cop. While the not-so-smooth criminal is concerned with the back of the house, the police officer is able to retrieve his weapon, identify himself as a cop, and shoot the guy in the... more ›

Hate festivals, but want to see some of the bands anyway? A few of the bands playing Intonation Festival this weekend will also be playing at other venues around town. So click around and see if anything is of interest. First up, Four Tet will be doing an in-store at Reckless Records at 3161 N. Broadway on Friday at 5:30 pm. Free. The Go! Team will be at the Double Door on Friday night with... more ›

It’s become de rigeur (French for “something that hipsters do right before they mock everybody else for doing it”) to hook your iPod up during parties so you can impress/test-the-loyalty-of your friends with playlists like “Guaranteed Ass Shakers” or “Emo Songs That Are Totally Not Emo But Will Make That Girl Who Works At Pontiac Cafe Fall In Love With Me Nonetheless.” If this sounds like you then perhaps you’re ready to foist your talents on the world (or at least Lincoln Park) at The Tonic Room’s inclusively-but-clumsily-titled iPod/MP3 Night. more ›

Until yesterday, this year’s Oscar buzz resembled nothing more than a low, indistinguishable hum; the conventional wisdom was that no film--and few actors--had emerged as front-runners. But as Chicago starts to feel its first few bites of winter, one of its own is getting some long-overdue recognition. more ›

The 5th annual Chicago Outdoor Film Festival kicks off tomorrow evening in Grant Park. For the next seven weeks, some of the classic films of all time will be shown under the stars on a huge 50� x 34� screen. more ›