Category Archives: Books

Jun 02 2023
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Books, Television, Music, Pop Culture, Sports

The Entertainment Forecast

Friday, June 2 – Thursday, June 9

Ah-nold gets real, Shatner returns to space & dark Duggar Family secrets

The ‘Terminator’ star gets real in his new Netflix series.

FRIDAY, June 2
Searching for Soul Food
The term “soul food” means different things to different people in different places. Celebrity chef Alisha Reynolds travels the world to experience this time-honored ethnic cuisine and its various regional and international incarnations (Apple TV+)

Shooting Stars
Hoops fans will want to watch this original film, a dramatization of how LeBron James grew up to become a peerless basketball superstar (Peacock).

Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets
Limited docuseries (below) exposes the dark secrets of abuse behind America’s infamous TV family (remember their reality show, 19 Kids and Counting?) and the radical, cult-like church in the background (Prime Video).

NOW HEAR THIS

Air is this year’s movie for people who say they don’t like sports movies, a feel-good flick that feels like a mashup of vibes from Jerry McGuire and Moneyball. The soundtrack is etched with deep-dish ‘80s grooves from Dire Straits, Violent Femmes, Mike & The Mechanics, Bruce Springsteen, Run-D.M.C, Squeeze and more, all woven into director-actor Ben Affleck’s true-story tale of how a third-tier shoe company launched the business of superstar sports marketing by lacing up a deal with basketball phenom Michael Jordan.

SATURDAY, June 3
TLC Forever
Don’t go chasin’ waterfalls…. Instead, watch this two-hour documentary about the Atlanta-based female group (below) that led the way with their music, message and style in the 1990s, going on to sell more 85 million records (8 p.m., Lifetime and A&E).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Jessica Lange: An Adventurer’s Heart (University Press of Kentucky) is author Anthony Uzarowski’s new deep-dive biography of the award-winning actress, covering her early years in Minnesota, her carefully guarded private life, and her fruitful partnership with playwright/actor Sam Shepard, which became one of Hollywood’s most tumultuous secretive relationships.

Ever since Moneyball, we’ve been much more savvy about how much the information age has shaped pro sports. In Game of Edges (W.W. Norton), author Bruce Schoenfeld goes even deeper for a fascinating inside look at how data analysis, tech and commercial considerations continue to reform the landscape of baseball, soccer, football, basketball and even gaming. 

You know that filmmaking brothers Joel and Ethan Coen have made some classic films, including Raising Arizona, O Brother, Where Art Thou and The Big Lebowski. Find out in The Coen Brothers and American Roots Music (McFarland) just how important the musical soundtracks have always been to their cinematic work.

SUNDAY, June 3
The Lazarus Project
New drama series follows a recruit (Paapa Essiedu) in an organization that has harnessed the ability to turn back time whenever the world is on the precipice of extinction (9 p.m., TNT).

MONDAY, June 4
The Eric Andre Show
Season six of the cult-fave grownup sketch series begins, and its slate of upcoming guest stars is pretty impressive—Natasha Lyonne, Jon Hamm, Raven-Symone, Cypress Hill, Lil Yachty and many more (midnight, Adult Swim).

TUESDAY, June 5
Stars on Mars
Star Trek icon William Shatner hosts this space-y reality competition (below) in which “celebronauts”—including Lance Armstrong, Natasha Leggero, Marshawn Lynch and Rhonda Rousey—don spacesuits and embark on a mission to see who’s got the right stuff to colonize the Red Planet (8 p.m., Fox).

Cruel Summer
Season two of the hit anthology series follows intense teenage friendships in an idyllic Pacific Northwest waterfront community (9 p.m., Freeform).

WEDNESDAY, June 6
The Luckiest Guy in the World
New two-part “30 For 30” sports doc covers the life and times of basketball Hall of Famer Bill Walton, known as “The Big Redhead” (8 p.m., ESPN).

Destination: European Nights
Five-part docuseries follows CBS sports analyst Gillem Balague through months of travel across Europe covering the UEFA Champions League and catching the continent-wide buzz of the world’s most prestigious annual soccer tournament (Paramount+).

THURSDAY, June 8
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
It’ll be sunny tonight for fans of this acclaimed comedy series, which has become the longest-running live-action sitcom in TV history as it begins its landmark 16th season with stars Danny Devito, Charlie Day, Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenney (10 p.m., FX).

Arnold
Yes, that Arnold—the Terminator, the former gov of California, the muscle man who became a movie icon. New docuseries pulls back the curtain on the fascinating story of Arnold Schwarzenegger (Netflix).

Based on a True Story
Inspired by a real event, this dark-comedy thriller (above) set in L.A. follows a realtor, a plumber and a former tennis star whose lives unexpectedly collide in a true-crime caper. Starring Kaley Cuoco, Chris Messina and Tom Bateman (Peacock).

Hailey’s On It!
Auli’I Cravalho stars in this animated comedy-adventure about a teenager on a mission to complete her ambitious list of tasks to save with world. With supporting voices by Julie Bowen, Jo Koy and Al Yankovic (8 p.m., Disney Channel).

May 26 2023
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The Entertainment Forecast

Friday, May 26 – Thursday, June 1

Harlem gal pals plot to “Run the World.”

FRIDAY, May 26
Run the World
Three fiercely loyal best friends (Amber Stevens West, Andrea Bordeaux and Bresha Webb) in Harlem continue their plans for “world domination” for the new season of the acclaimed sitcom (9:30 p.m., Starz).

Influencer
A chilling tale of a social influencer who finds something truly scary when she goes off the grid on the other side of the world. With Riverdale’s Emily Tennant, below (Shudder).

SATURDAY, May 27
Sarah Silverman: Someone You Love
If you loved her in School of Rock, History of the World Part II or Crank Yankers, you’ll love this saucy stand-up comedy special from the Emmy-winning actress, writer, producer, podcaster and comedian, filmed at the Wilbur Theater in Boston (10:15 p.m., HBO).

SUNDAY, May 28
Silo’s Baking Competition
Home improvement queen Joanna Gaines hosts this new competition in which bakers from across the country come to the Texas site of the Magnolia network’s Silos Baking Company to try to impress their hostess (8 p.m., Magnolia).

Bama Rush
Docuseries uncovers the dark underside of Tik-Tok fueled “rushing” at the University of Alabama, following the trajectories of four young women who embark on the process of finding (and fitting into) a sorority (HBO Max).

Discover the dark side of the sorority pledging process in Bama Rush.

MONDAY, May 29
The Curious Case of Natalia Grace
Curious, indeed. Find out about the strange case of a young Ukrainian orphan adopted by an American couple who later suspected their “little girls” was actually an adult masquerading as a child—with a devious plan to harm them (9 p.m., ID).

Marriage
In this British series, a couple (played by Sean Bean and Nicola Walker) navigates continuing needs for love and companionship within their 30-year relationship (PBS Prime).

TUESDAY, May 30
The American Gladiators Documentary
Two-night event goes behind the scenes of the reality-competition TV series, which began in 1989 and became a pop-cultural phenomenon (ESPN).

BRING IT HOME

Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman star in A Good Person (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment) about two people who bridge the generation gap to discover friendship, forgiveness and hope after a tragedy.

WEDNESDAY, May 31
Drag Me to Dinner
This 10-episode send-up of reality competition, below, features 40 drag queens vying to see who can throw the best, most outlandish dinner party for judges including Neil Patrick Harris and Elijah Wood (Hulu).

Ghost Adventures
Ready to be scared? Come along with paranormal investigator Zak Bagans and his crew as they stir up more haunted histories (10 p.m., Discovery).

THURSDAY, June 1

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Horror fans will flip over Hammer Complete (McFarland), a compendium of the fabled British movie studio that launched in the 1930s, becoming an icon of horror in the 1970s and ‘80s with pulpy titles like The Curse of Frankenstein, Horror of Dracula and Prehistoric Women. But Hammer did more than blood-‘n’-guts flicks, as this lavishly detailed collection shows, along with all the films’ budgets, actors, directors, and more!

The Dead Files
Series returns as its NYPD homicide detective teams up with a medium to help solve paranormal-activity phenomena for homeowners across America (9 p.m. Travel Channel).

Eli Roth Presents: The Legion of Exorcists
The horror-movie maestro hosts this new series, examining tales of demonic possession and exorcists around the world who use their tools to address the situation (10 p.m., Travel Channel).

May 19 2023
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Books, DVDs, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

Friday, May 19 – Thursday, May 25

Church cover-ups, cross-cultural girl rock & something to ‘Cheer’ about

I’m diggin’ Donna Summer in Saturday’s new doc about the disco queen!

FRIDAY, May 19
The Secrets of Hillsong
Documentary explores the rise of the global megachurc, its precipitous fallout leading to the expulsion of its co-pastor husband-and-wife couple, and the patterns of cover-ups the organization used to protect itself (10 p.m., FX).

Spy Master
Six-part espionage drama stars Adina Sadeanu as secret agent for the KGB during the Cold War who makes a daring escape to the United States (HBO Max).

SATURDAY, May 20
Love to Love You, Donna Summer
An in-depth look at the life, career and music of the singer who helped define the so-called “disco era” with hits including “Last Dance,” “She Works Hard for the Money,” “Love to Love You Baby” and “On the Radio” (8 p.m., HBO Max).

Cheers to Cheers
Thirty years ago tonight, Cheers (above) went off the air. Watch a commemorative marathon of the final season’s episodes, all revolving around TV-dom’s most famous watering hole—and toast by hoisting a sudsy beverage of your choice (Pluto TV).

SUNDAY, May 21
Ghosts of Beirut
An international cast circulates through this new limited series about a true-life espionage saga, the two-decade manhunt for an elusive Lebanese terrorist (10 p.m., Showtime).

American Idol
Who’ll be the new champ? Tune in tonight for the superstar-packed three-hour live season finale, featuring a singing square-off between the three finalists (8 p.m., ABC).

MONDAY, May 22
Prehistoric Planet
The new season of the natural-history series uses groundbreaking research and high-tech visuals to take you deep into the past, to a time before time, when dinosaurs ruled the world (Apple TV+).

Fanny: The Right to Rock
Engrossing documentary about the first all-female rock band to release an LP with a major label—the Filipina-American sister act Fanny (above), which went on to make four more albums in five years during the 1970s (10 p.m., PBS).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Ever wanted to live on a boat? Or in a floating house? Indulge your fantasy with Making Waves (Thames & Hudson), author Portland Mitchell’s generously illustrated look at people who’ve pulled up their land stakes and now live “on the water.”

TUESDAY, May 23
Smartless: On the Road
New docuseries follows three actor friends (Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes) on their cross-country, coast to coast podcast tour (HBO Max).

Reality
Sydney Sweeney (below, from season two of The White Lotus) stars as in this dramatization of a real incident—as a former American intelligence agent, Reality Winner, sentenced to prison for releasing confidential information about Russian interference in the 2016 elections. (10 p.m., HBO)

BRING IT HOME

Creed III (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment) continues the Rocky spinoff franchise with the continuing saga of boxing champ Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan, who also directs) who faces off in the ring with an old friend (Jonathan Majors), now an ex-con with nothing to lose.

The fun-filled story of a teenager (Billy Batson) who finds out a magic word (Shazam!) turns him into a superhero (Zachary Levi) continues in Shazam! Fury of the Gods (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment), which includes commentary by director David F. Sandberg.

WEDNESDAY, May 24
Born Chinese
If you loved this year’s big Oscar winner, Everything Everywhere All the Time, then check out this genre-hopping worlds-collide action comedy about a high school teen who becomes engaged in a battle between mythological Chinese gods. It features three of Everything’s  stars, Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie Hsu (Disney+)

Platonic
New comedy series stars Seth Rogan and Rose Byrne (above) as two best friends approaching midlife who reconnect after a long rift (Apple TV+)

THURSDAY, May 25
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
The broadcast TV premiere of the hit martial-arts movie based on Marvel comics and starring Simu Lee as a modern San Francisco resident who taps into an ancient power (8 p.m., ABC).

May 12 2023
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Books, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

Friday, May 12 – Thursday, May 18

A chip off the ol’ Rocky block, stars sing Broadway’s praises & Natalie Portman has a (soccer) ball

Meet the fam of ‘Rocky’ star Sylvester Stallone in a new docuseries.

FRIDAY, May 12
City on Fire
Eight-episode original drama revolves the shooting of a NYU student in Central Park, creating an ever-deepening mystery about a series of citywide fires, the downtown music scene and a wealthy family imploding under the stress of a lifetime of dark secrets (Apple TV+).

Great Performances at 50
The iconic Public Television documentary-film series celebrates a birthday milestone with a revue of milestone Broadway shows and songs, hosted by Sutton Foster and featuring Jane Krakowski, Betty Buckley, Vanessa Williams and many more. It’s like going to the theater…without going to the theater! (9 p.m., PBS).

SATURDAY, May 13
Banded
Talented singing, songwriting and instrument-playing musicians compete in this new “build a band” competition hosted by Brandon Jenner and mentored by Grammy-winning artists and producers (9 p.m., AXS TV).

SUNDAY, May 14
Fear the Walking Dead
They’re still dead, they’re still walking, and they’re heading tonight into the eighth and final season of this installment of the hit post-apocalypse franchise. So, there’s still plenty to fear! With Lennie James, Kim Dickens, Karen David and Ruben Blades (9 p.m., AMC and AMC+).

The Cube
Three-time NBA champion Dwayne Wade hosts the new season of this high-octane competition series in which contestants confront physical and mental challenges while confined inside a moving glass box (9 p.m., TBS).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Cosplay, you may be aware, is when people dress up for conventions and other events in the “costumes” to “play” their favorite characters from comics and movies. Thurstan Redding’s explosively illustrates this pop-culture phenomenon in Kids of Cosplay (Thames and Hudson), with more than 70 surreal portraits of young people getting their cosplay on.

The Neighborhood
Dave (Max Greenfield) finally learns the truth about the long-ago disappearance of his father (guest star Kevin Pollack) (8 p.m., CBS).

MONDAY, May 15
Street Outlaws: Locals Only
It’s fast and it’s furious as cameras follow local race drivers across America in a bracket-style elimination to determine, well, who’s the fastest and the furious-est (8 p.m., Discovery).

TUESDAY, May 16
Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me
Documentary (below) delves into the life, death and secrets of Vickie Lynn Hogan, who became international famous as model turned actress Anna Nicole Smith (Netflix).

The Tower 2: Death Message
Season two of the streaming crime-drama series begins as London dig for clues into grisly murders, organized crime and other dark turns of events. Starring Gemma Whelan and Jimmy Akingbola (Britbox).

Angel City
Actor Natalie Portman founded the Angel City Football Club, an all-female soccer team in 2020, and now she’s one of the producers of this docuseries (above) about the players worked to build the franchise (9 p.m., HBO). 

WEDNESDAY, May 17
Conor McGregor
New documentary series goes inside the world of mixed martial arts champ Conor McGregor as he prepares for a return to the UFC octagon (Netflix).

The Family Stallone
It’s Rocky, with all the chips off the ol’ block-y! This new docuseries takes you inside the life of actor Sylvester Stallone and his family, including wife Jennifer Flavin and their three daughters (Paramount+).

THURSDAY, May 18
I Survived Bear Grylls
The TV survivalist joins with comedian Jordan Conley to host this new competition series featuring simulations of some of Gryllis’ most grueling and hair-raising endurance situations (9 p.m., TBS).

The Geography of Bliss
Rainn Wilson (from TV’s The Office) goes on a global trek in this new docuseries (above) to find the happiest places on the planet (Peacock).

Apr 21 2023
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Books, Movies, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

Friday, April 21 – Thursday, April 27

Ana de Armas goes ghost, James Cordon goes out with a bang & Carol Burnett gets an all-star birthday party

FRIDAY, April 21
Ghosted
Knives Out castmates Chris Evans (yes, he’s Captain America!) and Ana de Armas (she was Marilyn Monroe!) reunite for this rollicking romcom (above) about a guy who falls in love with a girl—and finds himself in a whirlwind international adventure to save the world after he finds out she’s really a secret agent (Apple TV+).

Dear Mama
Docuseries explores the linked lives and Black-activism legacies of iconic rapper Tupac Shakur and his mother, Afeni, a proto-feminist leader in the Black Panther party of the 1970s (10 p.m., FX).

SATURDAY, April 22
Chasing the Rains
Bridgerton’s Adjoa Andoh narrates this four-episode streaming series, timed to Earth Day, which takes viewers on a journey into one of Africa’s most majestic and rarely filmed areas, beyond the peaks of Mount Kenya where water is lifesblood (AMC+).

Otter Dynasty
It’s like Dynasty, only with otters. This real-life “family drama” series centers on a group of smooth-coated otters all battling for turf on the island of Singapore (9 p.m., Animal Planet). 

SUNDAY, April 23
Somebody Somewhere
Bridget Everette returns to season two of this Duplass Brothers comedy series, about a young Kansas woman struggling to find a fit in her hometown—and gradually finding a community of her own (10:30 p.m., HBO).

Amityville: An Origin Story
Learn the true story about America’s most infamously haunted house (above)—and about the heinous murders that launched its horrific reputation (MGM+).

MONDAY, April 24

Saturdays
New series (above) follows Danielle Jalade as a young teen on a quest to take her roller-skate crew, the We-B-Girls, to the top (9 p.m., Disney Channel).

TUESDAY, April 25
Supermarket Stakeout
New season of the on-location speed-shopping competition, in which host Alex Guarnaschelli gives contestants $$ to purchase the ingredients for what they’ll be making—by negotiating with customers in the store’s parking lot (9 p.m., Food Network).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Author Claire Dederer dives into a serious—and seriously timely—subject in Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma (Knopf), which examines the contradictory impulses when people whose art we might admire (like filmmakers Roman Polanski, Woody Allen, superstar Michael Jackson, and super-macho writer Ernest Hemingway) give in to darker impulses we deplore. It’s not an easy question, and it doesn’t offer easy answers, but it’s certainly a probing read from a writer who’s covered our culture in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Nation and other publications. 

If you were a country singer from Texas, what might your favorite foods be? In the new cookbook Ya’ll Eat Yet?(Dey Street), hitmaker Miranda Lambert takes us on a tour of the recipes that fed her when she was growing up in the Lone Star State, with a heartfelt look at the women whose kitchen expertise made lifelong impacts far beyond her tummy. 

In Pilgrims, Pickers and Honky Tonk Heroes (Backbeat Books), veteran Nashville journalist Tim Ghianni relates fascinating accounts of his work during a bygone era covering Nashville and its music-makers, making many of them his friends. It’s a one-of-a-kind, personalized journeyman’s glimpse into a world where Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Chet Atkins, Waylon Jennings, Charlie Daniels, Willie Nelson and Roy Clark all breathed the same rarefied Music City air, with richly detailed side trips about rock legend Jimi Hendrix (yes, also a Nashville resident at one time), the proto-country punk band Jason & the Scorchers, and much more. 

TUESDAY, April 25
Family Legacy
Does the musical apple fall far from the tree? Not in this new docuseries, which follows the children of famous musical artists and band members, including Van Halen, Melissa Etheridge, the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC (Paramount+).

The Light We Carry: Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey
Special presentation with the TV talk-show queen interviewing the former First Lady as she wraps up the tour for her 2022 book, The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times (Netflix).

WEDNESDAY, April 26

Saint X
New streaming series (above), told through multiple timelines, follows a woman’s mysterious death during a Caribbean vacation and her sister’s dangerous pursuit of the truth. Starring Alycia Debnam-Carey, Josh Bronzie and Betsy Brandt (Hulu).

Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter and Love
Bernadette Peters, Billy Porter, Jane Lynch, Katy Perry, Kristen Chenoweth and many others pay tribute with song and reflections to one of comedy’s leading ladies (above) on her 90th birthday in this two-hour special filmed live in Hollywood (8 p.m., NBC).

THURSDAY, Aprll 27
Love & Death
Based on a true story, this new series tells the tale of a pair of churchgoing couples enjoying their smalltown Texas life…until extramarital dilly-dallying causes someone to pick up an axe. Yikes! Starring Elizabeth Olsen, Jesse Plemons and Lily Rabe (HBO Max).

The Last Last Late Late Show
Primetime special celebrates the show’s final night (right) on the air just ahead of its farewell episode, as host James Cordon welcomes a parade of guest stars—including superstar Tom Cruise—to commemorate 8 years of Karpool Karaoke and other antics (10 p.m., CBS)

Apr 14 2023
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Books, DVDs, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

Friday, April 14 – Thursday, April 20

Jennifer Garner hunts for her husband, Betty Gilpin plays a streetwise nun & Kerri Russell stars as ‘The Diplomat’

Jennifer Garner searches for her missing husband in ‘The Last Thing He Told Me.’


FRIDAY, April 14
The Last Thing He Told Me
Jennifer Garner stars in this gripping new drama series based on the New York Times No. 1 bestselling novel, about a woman who must form an alliance with her teenage stepdaughter (Angourie Rice) in order to solve the mystery of her husband’s disappearance (Apple TV+).   

Jane
New kids-focused series, inspired by the life of pioneering zoologist Jane Goodall, stars Ava Louise Murchison as young environmentalist (also named Jane) on a quest to save endangered animals (Apple TV+).

SUNDAY, April 16
The Phantom of the Opera
It’s leaving Broadway after a run of more than 25 years. But now you can watch from your home with this performance of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical stage production filmed live at the Royal Albert Hall (BroadwayHD).

Ciao House
Chow down on some fine Italian cuisine in this new cooking competition in Tuscany, the epicenter of Italian life, hosted by Alex Guarnaschelli and Gabriele Bertaccini (9 p.m., Food Network and Discovery+).

MONDAY, April 17
The Weakest Link
Jane Lynch hosts the season three return of the quick-witted game show in which contestants must work together to bank prize money—and eliminate the “weakest” among them (8 p.m., NBC)

Live with Kelly and Mark
Actor Mark Consuelos comes aboard officially to join his wife, Kelly Ripa, after the departure of long-time co-host Ryan Seacrest from daytime’s longest-running talk show (7 a.m., ABC).

BRING IT HOME


Channing Tatum returns to the role he created over a decade ago in Magic Mike’s Last Dance (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment). He’s Mike Lane, a former male stripper now returning to the stage for a last hurrah with a new group of male exotic dancers. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, who also directed the original MM, and Salma Hayek hops aboard as a wealthy patron who can afford a $60,000 lap dance. Right!

If a bear toots cocaine in the forest, and there’s no one around to see it… This isn’t a riddle, it’s Cocaine Bear (Universal Home Entertainment), a rip-roaring comedy—yes, a comedy—based on a true story. With Keri Russell and Margo Martindale, and marking one of the final film appearances of Ray Liotta. If you’re up for some offbeat, snarling fun, it’s grrrrrrrr-eat!

Author Raymond Chandler’s iconic noir detective gets an update in Marlowe (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment), as the classic gumshoe gets a new star, Liam Neeson, and a new mission. With femme fatale support from Jessica Lange and Diane Kruger.

TUESDAY, April 18
Longest Third Date
Romantic sparks fly when a couple, Matt and Kahani, meet online. But when they fly on a wild whim to Costa Rica for date number three, they get stuck there as the world shuts down for the onset of COVID-19 in March 2020 (Netflix).

Deadliest Catch
Let’s go crabbin’! Tonight’s two-hour premiere kicks off a new season of this reality series about competing groups of net-casters hoping to cash in on Alaskan Crab (8 p.m., Discovery).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Which President played so most golf, he had a putting green installed at the White House? Which one ran a horseshoe league from the Oval Office? What really went down when Barack O’Bama played a pickup game of hoops with the North Carolina Tarheels…and later won the state by .3 percent of the vote? Find out in Power Players (Twelve) by former CNN reporter Chris Zilla, which offers an enlightening looks at U.S. presidents and their sports passions, from the spectator sidelines to the playing field. 

Most fans know the Three Stooges mostly by their “shorts,” the 190 short films they made for Columbia Pictures in the 1930s thru the ‘50s. Now A Tour de Farce: The Complete History of the Three Stooges on the Road, by Gary Lassin, is the first-ever compendium of the iconic trio’s five decades of taking their show on the road, with appearances in theaters and auditoriums, on military bases, at circuses and for hospital patients. With hundreds of never-before-published photos, tour documents and local reviews, it’s a delightfully detailed flashback to a “lost” chapter in the career of one of pop culture’s most enduring comedy teams.

WEDNESDAY, April 19
Niagara Falls  
Learn all about the world’s fastest-moving waterfall (and its second largest) and the wide variety of wildlife that call this geological wonder home. P.S., bring your own barrel! (8 p.m., PBS).

Let’s Make a Deal
Grammy nominee Jordan Sparks helps celebrate the U.S. military in tonight’s first in a run of prime-time special editions of the popular daytime game show hosted by Wayne Brady (9 p.m., CBS).

Pretty Stoned
New comedy series about, yes, attractive stoners who run afoul of a female drug lord (above). It’s got a mostly female cast, including Pretty Vee, Paris Berelc and Kandi Burruss-Tucker (8 p.m., MTV).

Betty Gilpin is a nun who fights ‘Mrs. Davis.’

THURSDAY, April 20
Mrs. Davis
Betty Gilpin (of GLOW) stars in new drama series as a streetwise nun who goes to battle with an all-powerful artificial intelligence known as “Mrs. Davis,” forcing the sister (and us) to re-examine the systems and institutions in which we put our faith (Peacock).

Keri Russell stars as a harried ambassador in ‘The Diplomat.’

The Diplomat
If you liked The West Wing and Homeland, you’ll love this new series (from the same creative team) starring Keri Russell as a U.S. foreign ambassador trying to hold her marriage together as her political world is threatening to fall apart (Netflix).

Apr 07 2023
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Books, DVDs, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

Friday, April 7 – Thursday, April 13

Dennis Quaid flies high, Katryn Hahn tries to keep it together & stars sing the Beach Boys

FRIDAY, April 7
On a Wing and a Prayer
Dennis Quaid (above) and Heather Graham star in this gripping drama based on a true story, about an airplane passenger who takes over the controls after the unexpected death of the pilot (Prime Video).


The New York Times Presents: The Legacy of J. Dilla
Documentary about the late James DeWitt Lancey, a Detroit kid who grew up to become a visionary rapper and music producer, working with such diverse artists as A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes and Erykah Badu (10 p.m., FX). 

Tiny Beautiful Things
Kathryn Hahn was terrific in Glass Onion, and in this new limited series (above), she stars as an advice columnist whose own life is falling apart. Based on the best-selling book series by Cheryl Strayed (Hulu).

On a Wing and a Prayer
Dennis Quaid and Heather Graham star in this gripping drama based on a true story, about an airplane passenger who takes over the controls after the unexpected death of the pilot in mid-flight (Prime Video).

SATURDAY, April 8
Pride: A Seven Deadly Sins Story
The popular anthology series continues with a story inspired by true events, about a successful bakery owner (Stephanie Mills) whose past secrets threaten everything she’s achieved. Executive produced by T.D. Jakes, it follows previous installments on Lust, Envy, Wrath and Greed (8 p.m., Lifetime).

The Portable Door
In this streaming sci-fi flick, an eager young man (Patrick Gibson) lands an internship at a mysterious London firm where the CEO (Christoph Waltz) wants to disrupt the ancient magical realm with a bit of modern-day corporate meddling (MGM+).

SUNDAY, April 9
Catching Lightning
He was a ferocious mixed martial arts fighter who played a role in one of the largest cash heists in history. How did that happen? Find out in this documentary about “Lightning” Lee Murray, and how he was convicted of masterminding a 2006 robbery of nearly $100 million in British bank notes (8 p.m., Showtime).

A Grammy Salute to the Beach Boys
New network television special honors the music and career of one of America’s most enduring vocal groups with performances of the Beach Boys’ classic hits by Beck, Brandi Carlile, John Legend, Hanson, Little Big Town and Weezer, alongside group members Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, David Marks and Bruce Johnson (8 p.m., CBS).

MONDAY, April 10
American Idol
Sure, they can sing. But can tonight’s finalists sing with a live band? That’s what we’ll find out as they try to impress the judges and pass to next week’s round (8 p.m., ABC).

The Neighborhood
In tonight’s milestone 100th episode of the hit sitcom series, Calvin (Cedric the Entertainer) shops for a birthday gift, while Gemma (Beth Behrs) works a connection to Jerry O’Connell get VIP tickets to the Emmy-winning daytime talk show The Talk as a prize for her school’s fundraiser (8 p.m., CBS).

TUESDAY, April 11
My Grandparents’ War
Explore the impact of war on the families of four international actors—Kit Harington, Kiera Knightly, Emeli Sande and Toby Jones (9 p.m., PBS).

Icons Unearthed
Geek alert! Tonight, insiders and experts reveal things you didn’t know about Marvel’s Avengers, including a detailed look at building the franchise’s intricate superhero world (9 p.m., Vice).

BRING IT HOME

Now available on Blu-ray and DVD, Living (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment) stars Bill Nighy in an acclaimed, Oscar-nominated leading performance as a British civil servant searching for new meaning in the limited life he believes he has remaining.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12
Single Drunk Female
Second season of the critically acclaimed comedy series begins tonight, starring Sofia Black-D-Elia, Ally Sheedy and Ian Gomez in the continuing tale of a woman trying to maintain her sobriety in a crazy world (Disney and Hulu). 

Best Food Ever
Take a tour of the “cheesiest” spots on America’s menu, from super cheesy cheeseburgers to a cheesy pizza pot pie (10 p.m., Cooking Channel).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Lying has become somewhat de rigueur, especially in politics. Author Alexandra Petri takes truth-stretching to hilariously inventive extremes in her US History: Important Documents (I Made Up) (WW Norton), a fun, free-wheeling intermingling of fact, fiction, the past and today’s pop culture. If only real history, that we had to study in school, was as entertaining as reading about Emily Dickenson on Family Feud, the Sesame Street gang storming the beaches on D-Day, or Walt Whitman going all Village People and extolling the merits of the YMCA.

THURSDAY, April 13
From Black
A young mother, paralyzed by guilt after the disappearance of her young child five years ago, is presented a bizarre offer to learn the truth and set things right. But how far is she willing to go? Starring Anna Camp, Jennifer Lafleur and John Ales (AMC+).

Celebrity Prank Wars
Hosts Kevin Hart and Nick Cannon are the joke-masters of ceremony for this hilarious series fanning the funny flames of escalating prank wars between celebs, and tonight it’s Taraji P. Henson vs. the singer-actor known as Fantasia (10 p.m., E).

Mar 31 2023
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Books, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

Friday, March 31 – Thursday, April 6

Sandler’s new ‘Murder Mystery,’ a return to ‘Schimagdoon!’ & Jim Belushi goes to pot

Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler reunite for another ‘Murder Mystery.’

FRIDAY, March 31
Murder Mystery 2
Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston return for more adventures as a clue-sniffing couple hoping trying start their own private-eye agency—and finding themselves in the middle of an international abduction when one of their friends goes missing (Netflix).

The Power
Toni Collette, John Leguizamo, Eddie Marsan and Auli’i Cravalho star in this new series a sci-fi thriller about what happens when teenage girls suddenly develop a superpower—to electrocute people at will. Yikes! (Prime Video)

Rye Lane
In this streaming movie, two 20-somethings (Vivian Oparah and David Jonsson) both reeling from bad break-ups connect on one eventual day in South London, where they help each other in dealing with their nightmare exes (Hulu).

SATURDAY, April 1
The Ten Commandments
It must be Easter! This 1956 classic, starring Charlton Heston (above) as Moses and Yul Brynner as Pharoah, gets trotted out this time every year. Spoiler alert: The Red Sea parts (7 p.m., ABC).

Very Scary People
Donnie Walhberg hosts the new season of this investigative true-crime series, which dives into diabolical acts and the twisted individuals who commit them (9 p.m., Investigation Discovery).

SUNDAY, April 2
Beat Bobby Flay
Natalie Morales, co-host of TV’s The Talk, heads to kitchen with Eddie Jackson, sending a pair of chefs on a mission to beat Bobby Flay in a whipped-up battle of Scotch eggs (9 p.m., Food Network).

CMT Music Awards
Live from Austin, Texas: Hitmakers Kane Brown and Kelsi Ballerini (left) host this annual event honoring country music videos and performers, including Laney Wilson, who leads with four nominations (8 p.m., CMT).

MONDAY, April 3
Race to Survive Alaska
Think you’ve got what it takes to endure the harsh extremes of our northernmost state? Well, you might think again when you watch this cherry-picked group of adventure racers and survival experts trying to endure more 100 miles of inhospitable terrain—equipped with only what they can carry—in this high-stakes competition for half a million dollars (11 p.m., USA Network).

TUESDAY, April 4
FBI
TV worlds from FBI, FBI: International and FBI: Most Wanted collide—and collaborate—in this crossover event, which features Dylan McDermott, Missy Peregrym and Luke Kleintank (8 p.m., CBS and Paramount+).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Sports fans will flip for Got Your Number (Hyperion Avenue), by ESPN’s Mike Greenburg and Paul Hembekides, a stats-saturated dive into 100 sports legends, creatively woven into a “countdown” of the numbers they became famous for wearing. So put on your favorite jersey and let the games begin!

WEDNESDAY, April 5
Schmigadoon!
The acclaimed, Emmy-winning musical comedy series starring Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong returns for a much-anticipated second season, with all-new songs, hilarious supporting roles by Martin Short, Kristin Chenoweth, Ariana Debose, Alan Cumming and more, and a bright new parade of special guests (Apple TV+).

Growing Belushi
New season continues the adventures of actor Jim Belushi (yes, the brother of the late John Belushi) as he works toward expanding his cannabis brand in Oregon (9 p.m., Discovery Channel).

Dave
New sitcom starring comedian and rapper Dave Burd, who stars as a comedian who discovers much about America on a country-crisscrossing tour—and also a bit about the pressures that fame can put on love and friendship (10 p.m., FX). 

Tricia Fukuhara, Marisa Davila, Cheyenne Wells and Ari Notartomaso star in a new ‘Grease’ spinoff.

THURSDAY, April 6
Grease: The Rise of the Pink Ladies
New streaming series (above) takes place in the mid-1950s, before the events of the movie Grease, and follows four female outcasts determined to have big fun on their own terms (Paramount+)

Slasher: Ripper
Will & Grace’s Eric McCormack stars in this fifth-season edition of the horror anthology series as a ruthless tycoon in the late 19 century while a bloodthirsty killer stalks the streets, looking to mete out justice to the rich and powerful (AMC+).

Mar 24 2023
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Books, DVDs, Music, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

March 24 – March 30

Looking for the next big country star, investigating space aliens & celebrating a ‘Young & Restless’ milestone

Reese Witherspoon & Kacey Musgraves are looking for new country stars in “My Kind of Country.”

FRIDAY, March 24
Up Here
Romcom musical series (from Steven Levenson, who wrote Dear Evan Hansen and tick, tick…BOOM!) stars Mae (Good Girls) Whitman and Carlos (Gaslit) Valdes as young couple reevaluating their relationship, along with their hopes, dreams, fears and fantasies (Hulu).

My Kind of Country
Talent-scout country artists Mickey Guyton, Jimmie Allen and Orville Peck hunt for the next big country star in this new unscripted competition series from executive-producer big shots Reese Witherspoon (a Nashville native!) and Grammy-winning country singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves (Apple TV+).

READ ALL ABOUT IT


Can you believe it’s been half a century since Pink Floyd’s iconic album first hit the charts? Now a lavish coffee-table book, Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon (Thames & Hudson) celebrates the musical milestone with rare and previously unseen photos of the British band on tour, documentation of tour dates, and a visual chronicle of the enigmatic artwork that would become the emblem for one of the most celebrated rock albums of all time.

SATURDAY, March 25
Unexplained: Caught on Camera
Experts attempt to explain unexplainable events, including twin brothers who swear they were abducted by visitors from another world, and an hunter who gets more than any eyeful when he sets up a camera in the Montana wilderness (9 a.m., Travel Channel).

SUNDAY, March 26
Great Expectations
My sixth-grade reading assignment lives on! This new adaptation stars Olivia Colman as Miss Havisham, plus a wide cast of others playing characters first presented on the page in Charles Dickens’ coming-of-age classic, which first appeared in 1860 as a serialized magazine story (Hulu).

Rabbit Hole
Nothing is what it seems to be in this new thriller streaming series, in which a master of corporate espionage (24‘s Kiefer Sutherland) is framed for murder by powerful forces with the ability to influence entire populations (Paramount+).

Searching for Mexico
And gee, I thought I already knew where it was… In this six-episode series, actress/producer/director Eva Longoria (right) retraces her cultural and culinary roots south of the border. Produced by Stanley Tucci (10 p.m., CNN).

Succession
The Emmy-winning drama-dark comedy series returns tonight to begin its fourth season, further exploring the power struggle between media magnate Logan Roy (Brian Cox) and his four grown children. Alexander Skarsgård returns as a tech visionary (9 p.m., HBO).

Yellowjackets
The hit drama—about a young soccer team that splinters into brutal clans of survivalists after an airplane crash—kicks off season two tonight. Hang on: It’s gonna be another wild ride!  (9 p.m., Showtime).

MONDAY, March 27
Like a Girl
New six-part streaming series profiles championship women in sports—females who turn the derogatory phrase “Like a girl” inside out, including swimmers, volleyball players, soccer stars and basketballers (Fuse).

The Young and the Restless 50th Anniversary Celebration
Has it really been half a century since this iconic daytime soap started stirring up the suds? Yep, and this primetime special commemorates the TV milestone with cast interviews, highlights and a deep dive into the show’s storylines of romance, feuds, rivalries, weddings and wardrobe (8 p.m., CBS).

TUESDAY, March 28
The Movement and The Madman
Find out about this little-remembered chapter of the 1960s, when President Richard Nixon and the antiwar movement came to a tense showdown (9 p.m., PBS).

FBI True
There are certainly a lot of “true crime” shows on TV. But this one is different, taking a gritty look at the real-life pressures faced by agents, in their own words, after events like the Waco standoff and a Manhattan bombing (Paramount+).

BRING IT HOME


A stylish remake of one of the classic anti-war films of all time from 1930, the Oscar-winning All Quiet on the Western Front depicts the horrors of World War I from the perspective of young German soldiers who endure the hellishness of battle (Capelight/Netflix). 

WEDNESDAY, March 29
The Big Door Prize
Chris O’Dowd stars in this new comedy series about a small town forever changed with the arrival of a mysterious machine that appears to reveal everyone’s true potential, causing people to re-evaluate their life choices (Apple TV+).

THURSDAY, March 30
Rapcaviar Presents
It’s kind of a weird name, but this new documentary series looks at some of today’s most provocative issues through hip-hop artists and newcomers exploring current events and other topics with their music (Hulu). 

Unstable
Rob Lowe stars in this new eight-episode series comedy as a biotech entrepreneur working to make the world a better place while trying to reconcile with his estranged son (Netflix).

Mar 10 2023
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Books, Music, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

March 10 – March 16

Miley takes a ‘Vacation,’ Ted Lasso returns & ‘Bachelor’ women spill the beans

Jason Sudeikis (right) returns to the award-winning series ‘Ted Lasso,’ with co-star Nick Mohammed (left).

FRIDAY, March 10
The New York Times Presents: Sin Eater
Hard-hitting documentary looks at the work (and crimes) of Hollywood’s most notorious dirty-tricks “fixer” and private investigator, Anthony Pellicano (10 p.m., FX).

Miley Cyrus—Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions)
Coinciding with this week’s release of her eighth album, this performance special features the former Disney star (right) showcasing her new music in the intimate setting of, yes, her backyard (1 p.m., Disney+).

SATURDAY, March 11
Blood & Money
Real stories about real people and real investigations of greed and murder, including the Menendez brothers and billionaire Robert Durst, plus notorious grifters and con artists, in this new series from Law & Order mega-producer Dick Wolf (Oxygen).

SUNDAY, March 12
Shock Docs: Alien Abduction
Learn about a 1975 incident that became an international media sensation, involving a logging crew in Arizona, a UFO, a flash of bright light…and the baffling disappearance of one of the loggers—almost like, well, he was taken away by space aliens! (9 p.m., Travel Channel).

MONDAY, March 13
Street Outlaws: The Fastest in America
Teams of racers from across America compete to win $250,000 in this gritty reality series. OK, as long as they stay off my street! (8 p.m., Discovery).

The Good Lawyer
Kennedy McMann from TV’s Nancy Drew series stars as an ambitious young attorney in this pilot-episode spinoff from the hit series The Good Doctor (10 p.m., ABC).

So many ‘Bachelor’ women, so many secrets to tell!

TUESDAY, March 14
The Bachelor: Women Tell All
Girls talk, as Elvis Costello reminded us, and in this episode, all this season’s “contestants” get together to spill the behind-the-scenes beans (8 p.m., ABC).

Ted Lasso
Season three of the hit, award-winning comedy series launches tonight, as transplanted soccer coach Ted Lasso (Jason Sudekis) wrestles with team dilemmas and personal issues back home. With Juno Temple, Nick Mohammed, Anthony Head, Brett Goldstein and Hannah Waddingham (Apple TV+).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

One of the most revered music-makers of the 20th century is told in Bill Janovitz’s Leon Russell: The Master of Space and Time’s Journey Through Rock & Roll History (Hachette), which chronicles the enigmatic, genre-spanning Rock and Roll Hall of Famer whose hits include “Tight Rope,” “Lady Blue” and “A Song for You.”

THURSDAY, March 16
Shadow and Bone
The young-adult fantasy continues, expanding its characters and its sci-fi mythology reach (Netflix).

Grown & Gospel
New docuseries follows the career paths of five childhood friends searching for a future in gospel music and navigating the murky business waters of Detroit (9 p.m., WeTV).

Queens Court
Actress Holly Robinson Peete and husband Rodney host this new series matchmaking rich and famous single Hollywood women with would-be suitors (Peacock).

NOW HEAR THIS

Some of today’s top country stars get rolling with The Rolling Stones in Stoned Cold Country (BMG), which shows the influence of the iconic British rockers on modern country music. Artists on the new CD include Brooks & Dunn, Ashley McBride, Maren Morris, Elle King, Eric Church and Laney Wilson, on tunes including “Honky Tonk Women,” “Dead Flowers,” “Tumbling Dice” and “Angie.”

Songs of Surrender (Island/Interscope) features 40 seminal songs of the Irish rockers U2. Re-recorded anew and ranging across the band’s entire catalog, the four-disc set includes “With or Without You,” “One,” “Beautiful Day,” “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” “Where the Streets Have No Name,” “Pride (in the Name of Love)” and many more.

FRIDAY, March 17
Power Book II: Ghost
Season three returns tonight, with new twists and turns as the characters deal with new complications in their relationships and their business. Starring Mary J. Blige, Michael Rainey Jr., Shane Johnson and Cliff Smith (8 p.m., Starz).

Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming with David Letterman
The former late-night host travels to Dublin in this new music documentary to hang out with the U2 musicians in their hometown, learn about their friendship of nearly 50 years—and join them for a concert performance unlike any they’ve done before (Disney+).

BRING IT HOME

Tom Hanks stars in the heart-tugging A Man Called Otto (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment), an adaptation of a Swedish film, as a crotchety senior citizen whose life takes a brighter turn with the arrival of some new neighbors. Just call him Forrest Grump.

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