Mary McNamara is a culture columnist and critic for the Los Angeles Times. Previously she was assistant managing editor for arts and entertainment following a 12-year stint as television critic and senior culture editor. A Pulitzer Prize winner in 2015 and finalist for criticism in 2013 and 2014, she has won various awards for criticism and feature writing. She is the author of the Hollywood mysteries “Oscar Season” and “The Starlet.” She lives in La Crescenta with her husband, three children and two dogs.
Latest From This Author
Whether you’re figuring out where to start or where to catch up with your old favorites, here are Norman Lear’s 7 most essential TV shows and where to watch them.
Dec. 6, 2023
Television can turn the most malignant — or ridiculous — figure into a powerful force in American life. (Just ask Trump.) Let’s not make George Santos a star.
Dec. 5, 2023
Winning the box office, playing record-setting concert tours, rallying striking unions, shaking up TV: Women ruled pop culture in 2023.
Dec. 4, 2023
We’ve mapped out 27 of the best movie theaters in L.A., from the TCL Chinese and the New Beverly to the Alamo Drafthouse and which AMC reigns in Burbank.
Nov. 22, 2023
With war, climate crisis and political division as the backdrop, it’s hard to find gratitude this Thanksgiving. Here are 11 small things worth appreciating this year.
Nov. 22, 2023
By forcing the writers’ and actors’ strikes, the studios cost the California economy more than $5 billion and caused untold anguish. Those wounds won’t heal overnight.
Nov. 9, 2023
The ‘Friends’ actor, who died Saturday at 54, was a ninja of sarcasm — and his peerless blend of resilience and vulnerability made him a star we could all root for.
Oct. 29, 2023
We’ve been conditioned by film, TV and car commercials to believe the iconic highway is best experienced in a blur. And that myth has produced a deadly reality.
Oct. 26, 2023
Celebrities certainly are entitled to wade into the current crisis on Instagram and X. Whether it’s in any way productive is another matter.
Oct. 20, 2023
As the studios walk away from negotiations yet again — this time with the actors — they are going back to a losing playbook. And Hollywood stands to suffer.
Oct. 13, 2023