Category Archives: Books

Sep 06 2024
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The Entertainment Forecast

Sept. 6 – Sept. 12

Inside TV’s most famous mob family, Mormon wife hotties & the new “Money Game” of college athetics

All times Eastern.

Go inside ‘The Sopranos’ and its creator, David Chase, Saturday on HBO.

FRIDAY, Sept. 6
The Boy and the Heron
The Oscar-winning animated film begins streaming tonight, about a young man who loses his mother in a hospital fire then meets a mysterious bird (Max).

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives
Controversial reality show—about a swingin’ bunch of Mormon hottie wives (below) and social media “influencers”—was making waves long before it headed to the airwaves. See what all the fuss was about tonight! (Hulu)

SATURDAY, Sept. 7
Held Hostage in My House
Formerly known as Blunt, this psychological thriller—about a single mom entrapped in her vacation home—stars Amy Smart, Matt Davis, Billy Zane and Ne-Yo. Can she discover who’s holding her hostage, and why? (8 p.m., Lifetime).

Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos
How did David Chase come to create one of the most culturally impactful TV shows of all time? This two-part doc delves into the man behind the media-sensation mobsters and the real stories that inspired the show (8 p.m., HBO).

SUNDAY, Sept. 8
Universal Basic Guys
Mark and Hank try to reconnect with their primal roots by purchasing a heat-seeking crossbow to hunt deer, kicking off a new season of the adult animated comedy (on Fox following the NFL double-header).

The Wonderland Massacre & The Secret History of Hollywood
Four-part docuseries delves into the twisted tale one of Hollywood’s most famous murder cases—a sordid story of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll from 1981 that inspired the movie Boogie Nights (MGM+).

MONDAY, Sept. 9
Name Me Lawand
A young man deaf since birth seeks a fresh start with his new family in the U.K. after a year in a refugee camp in this touching documentary about the power of friendship and community (10 p.m., PBS).

Flip Side
Jaleel (“Urkle”) White hosts this new game show with teams trying to guess how different groups of people have answered the same questions (syndicated, CBS).

TUESDAY, Sept. 10
The Chicken Sisters
Cluck cluck! New family drama (above) on Hallmark’s new streaming service is dipped in Southern charm with a saucy side of romance! With Lea Thompson, Wendie Malick and Schuyler Fisk (Hallmark+).

The Money Game
How is the NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) ruling—which allows college athletes to be paid for endorsements and advertising—revolutionizing sports? This doc focuses on Louisiana State University and the big-bucks players there who’ve become young millionaires (Prime Video).

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 11
John Legend: Live from the Artists Den
The award-winning R&B singer and songwriter performs at Manhattan’s historic Riverside Church, with powerful renditions of “All of Me,” “Glory” and more (10 p.m., AXIS).

THURSDAY, Sept. 12
The Taylor of Sin City
True-crime docuseries follows the tale of a gifted tailor who built a drug and fashion empire in Las Vegas with the help of the Mob and a South American cocaine kingpin (10 p.m., Sundance TV). 

The Old Man
Jeff Bridges returns to season two of the series about a former FBI agent, tonight setting off on an adventure to recover a kidnapped girl with a mysterious past. With John Lithgow, Amy Brenneman and Alia Shawkat (10 p.m., FX).

BRING IT HOME

Get ready for some outrageously funny stuff with this Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment), a one-man show recorded live onstage at the Hollywood Palladium in the early 1980s, when he was hot stuff in Hollywood with movies including The Toy, Silver Streak and Stir Crazy.

What’s the highest-grossing animated film of all time? It’s Inside Out 2, and now you can own it on DVD, Blu-ray and Ultra HD! This new home-entertainment release comes with multiple mini-features, including scenes that didn’t make the movie (which features voices by Amy Poelher, Maya Hawke, Ayo Edebiri and Tony Hale), and a making-of doc about creating the movie’s “new” emotions of Anxiety, Embarrassment, Envy and Ennui (Disney Home Entertainment).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

In the handsome Man Ray: Liberating Photography (Thames & Hudson), you’ll see the remarkable photos by the camera artist—including his groundbreaking, experimental and avant-garde work in the 1920s and ‘30s for Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Vanity Fair—who introduced new ways of thinking about the visual world.

It sounds like the stuff of sci-fi movies, but in Robin George Andrews’ How to Kill an Asteroid (W.W. Norton), you’ll find out how real-life scientists have been working on real-world solutions—like “deflection campaigns”—to defend against what could very possibly turn out to the Earth’s greatest threat from the cosmos. It’s engaging, eye-opening reading…and a reason to keep your eyes on the skies!

Louis Stettner (Thames & Hudson) chronicles the wide-ranging work of the New York-born master photographer, acclaimed for his portraits, streetscapes and hustle and bustle of life in the Big Apple and Paris. Learn how Stettner, who began roaming the streets as a preteen with a camera, became one of the most influential lensmen of the 20th century, finding the beauty and sensuality of everyday things and people. 

Aug 30 2024
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Books, DVDs, History, Photography, Pop Culture, Sports, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

Aug. 30 – Sept. 5

Kevin Hart’s ‘Fight Night,’ Glenn Close’s portal to hell & all about K-Pop!

Kevin Hart goes back to the ’70s in a true tale of an armed robbery…and Muhammad Ali!

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, Aug. 30
Crossing
Powerful and potent story of queer identity follows a retired European teacher and her young neighbor crossing the border into Turkey to search for her transgender niece. From Swedish director Levan Akin (Mubi).

K-Pop Idols
Looking to learn more about the musical phenomenon known as K-Pop? This New documentary series will take you inside the music and its top artists—like Jessi Ho (below). AppleTV+

The Deliverance
Based on a true story, a struggling single mother (Andra Day) is convinced her new home is a portal to hell in this spooky new horror-thriller from director Lee Daniels. Come for the exorcism, stay for Glenn Close and Monique (Netflix).

SATURDAY, Aug. 31
Head Over Heels
A shoe designer (Rebecca Dalton) gets a swell new job, but gets swept off her feet by the her company’s PR guru (Olivier Renaud) and warned she’ll need heels of steel to compete with her trailblazing icon (Alexandra Castillo) (8 p.m., Hallmark)

SUNDAY, Sept. 1
The Chosen
Tonight launches season four of the Biblical drama series, which presents the life of Jesus against the backdrop of Roman oppression (8 p.m.,The CW).

MONDAY, Sept. 2
The English Teacher
New comedy series stars Brian Jordan Alvarez as a high school teacher in Texas navigating friends, relationships, faculty snafus and wisecracking students (10 p.m, FX).

The Chicano Squad
Two-night documentary tells the first-hand story of the first all-Latino homicide unit (above) within the police department of Houston, Texas, dedicated to tackling the city’s soaring rate of unsolved homicides in the Latin community (9 p.m., A&E).

TUESDAY, Sept 3
Cody Gakpo
Soccer fans will get a kick (that’s a pun, get it?) from this doc about the Euro Cup superstar (Viaplay).

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 4
Slow Horses
Gary Oldman returns to season four of the espionage drama as the misanthropic leader of a dysfunctional team of British spies (Apple TV+).

Tell Me Lies
In season two, Lucy (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen (Jackson White) return to college, finding themselves in a new version of their old addictive dynamic, below (Hulu).

THURSDAY, Sept. 5
Fight Night
Follow the infamous story (based on a real incident) about an armed robbery on the night of Muhammad Ali’s historic 1970 comeback fight in Atlanta. The all-star cast includes Kevin Hart, Samuel L. Jackson, Taraji P. Henson, Terrence Howard and Don Cheadle (Peacock).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

What’s the future of photography look like? Class of 2024 showcases the work of 10 young students, offering engaging and adventurous looks at the world through the eyes of recent graduates of the esteemed Savannah College of Art & Design (W.W. Norton).

In America’s Deadliest Election (Hanover Square Press), CNN anchor Dana Bash recounts an extraordinary contested-election event—and it’s probably not one that comes readily to mind. It’s the 1872 Louisiana gubernatorial race that changed the course of America politics and tested the foundations of America democracy.

BRING IT HOME

The acclaimed TV series Call My Agent!, which you may have seen on Netflix, gets a dandy do-up in this roundup of the complete series. It’s all four seasons, with French actors playing themselves (plus some American guest stars for good measure) in a grande spoof of the entertainment biz. 

Aug 16 2024
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Books, DVDs, Movies, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

Aug. 16 – Aug. 22

Mark Wahlberg & Halle Berry dodge bullets, James Cameron goes deep, ‘Homicide: Life on the Streets’ comes to streaming, and a hunka hunka Elvis

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, Aug. 16
The Union
Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry (above) star in this fun action flick about a former spy pulled by his long-lost sweetheart back into the world of shootouts, high-speed car chases and narrow escapes. Do the romantic sparks fly? What do you think?! (Netflix)

Rupaul’s Drag Race Global All Stars
The award-winning reality series series returns tonight, with host RuPaul Charles leading his judges overseeing a slate of fan favorites competing for the title of “Queen of the Mothertrucking World” (Paramount+). 

SATURDAY, Aug. 17
Disaster Autopsy
If you loved the movie Twisters, you’ll dig this new docuseries exploring natural disasters and what causes them (10 p.m., National Geographic).

SUNDAY, Aug. 18
Oceanxplorers
In recognition of national Oceans Day, this ambitious six-part docuseries from director James Cameron takes audiences onboard a high-tech scientific research vessel to investigate the deepest and farthest frontiers of the world’s oceans, underneath the seas all over the globe (National Geographic).

Tim McGraw in Concert
The county hitmaker’s 2014 performance in downtown Houston (above) includes fan favorites including “Southern Girl,” “Truck Yeah” and “One of Those Nights” (2 p.m., AXS).

MONDAY, Aug. 19
Under the Vines
Tonight begins a new season about an Aussie socialite (Rebecca Gibney) and a former London lawyer (Charles Edwards) running a small vineyard in New Zealand, where the arrival of a mysterious stranger has caused a bit of a ruckus (Acorn TV)

Homicide: Life on the Streets
All seven seasons of the acclaimed NBC cop drama (above), which ran 1993-2000 on NBC (with a cast including Richard Belzer, Ned Beatty, Daniel Baldwin and Melissa Leo) makes their debut on the streaming service tonight  (Peacock).

TUESDAY, Aug. 20
Face to Face with Scott Peterson
Follow the notorious case of the murders of Peterson’s wife and unborn son in this three-part docuseries, with his first on-camera interviews in 20 years (Peacock).

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 21
Cursed Gold: A Shipwreck Scandal
The true story of a maverick scientist who recovered tons of gold from the bottom of the Atlantic, and how he became an infamous fugitive in the aftermath (8 p.m., National Geographic). 

Like a Girl
Sports docuseries spotlights female pro soccer stars, flag football champs and a collegiate basketball sensation (Fuse)

THURSDAY, Aug. 22
Reasonable Doubt
In season two, defense attorney Jax Stewart (Emayatzy Corinealdi) discovers that one of her closet friends claims to have killed her husband in self-defense. Can Jax get her off the hook? (Hulu).

Unbelievably Vegan with Chef Charity
Foodies will relish this new series, filmed at Nashville’s Germantown Pub, as chef Charity Morgan (above) tries to win over local carnivores (Max)

READ ALL ABOUT IT

What’s going on up there? Former Pentagon classified-info insider Luis Elizondo—who headed a program to investigate UFOs—now spills the beans (and raises some existential questions) about it in Imminent: Inside the Pentagon’s Hunt for UFOs (William Morrow). It’s a fascinating tell-all about the U.S. government’s longtime, shadowy involvement in investigations of “flying saucers” and little green men—and the lengths they take to keep what they found out a secret.

NOW HEAR THIS

It’s Elvis month, if you didn’t know—commemorating the anniversary of his demise in 1977—and RCA has opened the vault for Memphis, the first-ever comprehensive set of all the records Presley made in the Tennessee city that became his adopted hometown. Released on the 70th anniversary of his recordings there, this deluxe roundup includes a whopping 111 tracks of hits, new remixes and rarities, including “That’s All Right,” “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” “In the Ghetto,” “Suspicious Minds,” “Poke Salad Annie” and many more. It’s a musical feast for fans of the iconic entertainer often simply referred to as “the king.”

Jul 19 2024
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Books, Movies, Pop Culture

The Entertainment Forecast

July 19 – July 25

A new ‘Time Bandits,’ Harry Connick Jr. rocks & Morgan Freeman’s escape routes

All times Eastern.

Apple TV+’s ‘Time Bandits’ puts a next-gen spin on classic Monty Python humor.

FRIDAY, July 19
Find Me Falling
Hey, is that Harry Connick Jr. (below) in this new movie about an aging rock star taking a break…and discovering an old flame in an unlikely place? Why yes, it is! (Netflix).

Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer
For all you true-crime fans who can’t seem to get enough, this docuseries looks at the real-life Dr. Anne Burgess, whose profiling innovations changed history and stopped many a serial killer (Hulu)

SATURDAY, July 20
Dinner & a Movie
Movie hosts Jason Biggs and Jenny Mollen join Food Network chef Shirley Chung for appetizing munchies to accompany the film Crazy Rich Asians (10 p.m., TBS).

SUNDAY, July 21
Roots of Comedy with Jesus Trejo
Six rising comedians explore the diversity of the United States in their standup (10 p.m., PBS).

How It Really Happened with Jesse L. Martin
Series returns with a two-hour look at the 1996 bombings at the centennial Olympics in Atlanta, where security guard Richard Jewell was investigated after finding a suspicious backpack under a bench (9 p.m., CNN).

MONDAY, July 22
Candice Renoir
Season nine begins tonight of this import crime drama about a female detective—and frazzled mom (Cecile Bois)—cracking into crime in a French harbor town (Acorn TV).

History’s Greatest Escapes
Host Morgan Freeman (above) returns for season two and exploring daring real-life prison breaks, including Devil’s Island and a WWII death camp (9 p.m., History).

Dress My Tour
Actress/model Kate Upton (below) hosts as 11 aspiring fashion designers as they create stage outfits for some of musicdom’s biggest artists, including Toni Braxton and Paul Abdul (Hulu).

TUESDAY, July 23
Gods of Tennis
Court is in session (get it?) with this new docuseries revolving around the world-famous Wimbledon tournament and players (including Billie Jean King, Arthur Ashe, John McEnroe and Chris Everett) who changed the sport forever (Prime Video).

WEDNESDAY, July 24
Sea Change: The Gulf of Maine
Find out about a sea within the sea, a body of water that’s warming almost twice as fast as the global ocean elsewhere, and what it means for ocean life, and for us (9 p.m., PBS).

Time Bandits
Embark on a rollicking comedic journey through time and space with a group of ragtag thieves and their newest recruit, an 11-year-old history buff named Kevin. Inspired by the 1981 film by Monty Python alum Terry Gilliam, this one stars Taika Waititi, Lisa Kudrow and Jermaine Clement (Apple TV+).

THURSDAY, July 25
Beat Bobby Flay
Comedian Leslie Jones brings the nuttiness as chefs battle to beat host Bobby Flay at his own game (9 p.m., Food Channel).

BRING IT HOME

Go to the “dark side of the moon” with Have You Got It Yet? (Mercury Studios), a rock-doc DVD about 1970s psych-rock pioneers Pink Floyd and the life and genius of co-founder Syd Barrett. Did you know Pink Floyd was named after a pair of obscure blues musicians, Pink Anderson and Floyd Council?

Ryan Reynolds and Emily Blunt look like they’re having a ball in The Fall Guy (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment), a rollicking action-movie comedy spinoff from the 1970s TV series about a Hollywood stuntman who finds himself in some real-world slam-bang action. With loads of bonus content, including gags, alternate scenes and an inside look at the filming in Australia.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

How did some of history’s most lauded, successful civilizations and cultures fail, like the mighty Roman Empire, the Aztecs and ancient kingdoms of Mesopotamia and Byzantium? Author Paul Cooper, a historian and podcaster, takes an enlightening look in Fall of Civilizations (Hanover), with timely insights into how a once-mighty global empire can crumble into a hemispheric has-been.

Jun 14 2024
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The Entertainment Forecast

June 14 – June 20

Get to know Poison’s Bret Michaels, go house-hunting with Reese Witherspoon, & hold on to your car when you visit Las Vegas!

Find all about Bret Michaels of the band Poison in this week’s episode of ‘Biography.’

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, June 14
The Boys
The “boys” are back for season four of the satirical superhero series, dishing out more wallops of vigilante justice to so-called do-gooders doing bad things (Prime Video).

Mama June: Family Crisis
Who would have thought Honey Boo Boo would have such a lasting cultural impact? New episodes of the spinoff, about Boo Boo’s mother, spin around issues of declining health, college and legal woes, below (9 p.m., WE tv).

SATURDAY, June 15
Find My Country House
Leave the city life behind in this new series from Reese Witherspoon’s production company, in which couples search for their dreams of rural paradise, from high-tech farmhouses to seclued ranches and cute hideaway cottages (12 p.m., A&E).

Yoga Teacher Killer: The Kaitlin Armstrong Story
A love triangle turns deadly and leads to a manhunt in this real-life drama starring Caity Lotz, Kyle Schmid and Larissa Dias (8 p.m., Lifetime).

SUNDAY, June 16
Biography
Get a backstage pass into the lives and music of some of rock’s biggest superstars in this new series of specials kicked off tonight by Bret Michaels, and followed in coming weeks by Dee Snider, Alice Cooper, Sammy Hagar and more (9 p.m., A&E).

House of the Dragon
Season two begins of the Game of Thrones spinoff series (below), a prequel taking place 200 years earlier, starring Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy and Rhys Ifans (9 p.m., HBO).

Sin City Tow
If you park your car while you party in Las Vegas but lose track of time, Sin City Tow may take it away. This new reality series looks at the often hot-tempered towing scene in a city where people go to win big, but usually end up losing their shirts…or their cars! (9 p.m., Discovery).

MONDAY, June 17
My Life is Murder
Lucy Lawless returns for season four as the fearless Aussie investigator Alexa Crowe as she digs into eight new mysteries and a fresh batch of diabolical killers (Acorn TV).

The Great American Recipe
Home cooks from across the country showcase their culinary talents as they compete in this taste-tempting celebration of multiculturism (9 p.m., PBS).

Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown
How did the idealistic religious organization led by the infamous Jim Jones go horribly wrong, leaving almost a thousand followers dead in Guyana? This new doc looks at the story behind some of the most horrendous headlines of the 1970s (Hulu).

TUESDAY, June 18
Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution
Three-part docuseries puts the spotlight on disco music, its groovy beginnings and its top artists and icons—like Donna Summer, below— and how it became a major musical liberation movement in the 1970s representing female empowerment and LGBTQ+ identity (9 p.m., PBS).

Here to Climb
Follow pro climber Sasha DiGiulian (below) on her rise from child prodigy to champion sport climber, scaling the biggest, scariest walls on the planet—charting her own vertical course where pathways don’t exist (9 p.m., HBO).

Hope in the Water
Travel the globe in this documentary featuring Shailene Woodley and Martha Stewart as they explore creative solutions and breakthroughs that might be our future of sustainable “blue food” from the oceans (9 p.m., PBS).

WEDNESDAY, June 19
Triumph: Jesse Owens and the Berlin Olympics
Two-hour documentary showcases Owens’ historic triumph over Nazi Germany during the 1936 Berlin Olympics. LeBron James is one of the producers (8 p.m., History).

Dynamic Planet
Four-part series filmed over three years explores the effects of climate change on all seven continents and their inhabitants, and how science, nature, and Indigenous knowledge can prepare us for the future (8 p.m., PBS)

THURSDAY, June 20
Rear Window
Director Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 classic—about an apartment resident with a broken leg who helplessly witnesses what he thinks is a murder out his window—stars Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly…and Raymond Burr as a very bad guy (9 p.m., TCM).

Slave Play. Not a Movie
Provocative documentary takes viewers inside the buzzy Broadway play about race, sex and interracial relationships (9 p.m., HBO).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

When I was a kid, I was fascinated with volcanos—mountains that spewed rocks and fire. My interest was generated primarily by seeing them in the background of illustrations of dinosaurs. Adventures in Volcanoland (Hanover Square Press) is a deeper, far much more fascinating and fact-filled look at these monstrously magnificent mountains, with acclaimed geochemist Dr. Tasmin Mather as your guide to volcanos in history, the science of eruptions, and how volcanos drive our planet’s “constant cycles of ebb and flow, destruction and renewal.”

So you think you know Paris? Not the international Euro destination city, but the Hilton Hotel heiress who became a pop-culture marquee name? Find out all about the life and times of Paris Hilton in Paris: The Memoir (William Morrow), her autobio now in paperback. From rebellious teen to wilderness camps and sexual abuse, and becoming a queen of celebrity culture, I’m betting there’s a lot you didn’t know about Paris.

Sci-fi lovers will love The First Geeks (McFarland) and its spotlight on the lives and careers of writer Ray Bradbury, monster-mag man Forrest J. Ackerman and effects genius Ray Harryhausen, back from when they were comic-book nerds and buddies in the 1930s…and long before they were household names in filmdom. Ackerman became the editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland; Bradbury was an author highly sought by Hollywood for his novels and screenplays; and Harryhausen went on to become a pioneer of stop-motion animation.

BRING IT HOME

Jeffrey Wright was nominated for multiple awards, including an Oscar, for his starring role in American Fiction as an erudite Black man who confronts racist stereotypes head-on, with a pen instead of a sword. With Tracee Ellis Ross, Leslie Uggams, Issa Rae and Sterling K. Brown. Highly recommended!

Up your nose with a rubber hose! Relive all the heartwarming humor and hijinks of the beloved 1970s sitcom series Welcome Back, Kotter, starring Gabe Kaplan as a grownup graduate of a tough Brooklyn high school now returning to teach there and tame an unruly class of troublemakers, including a young John Travolta as Vinnie Barbarino. The handsome boxed set of DVDs includes all 95 episodes.

Jun 07 2024
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The Entertainment Forecast

June 7 – June 13

Kelly Clarkson’s a contender, Jake Gyllenhaal’s ‘Presumed Innocent,’ & the Brat Pack is back!

Will Kelly Clarkson reign for daytime show queen at this year’s Daytime Emmys?

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, June 7
Queenie
Dionne Brown stars in this new drama series as a young Jamaican British woman living in London, straddling two cultures and not feeling like she belongs in either. Based on a best-selling novel by Candice Carty-Williams (Hulu).

The Daytime Emmy Awards
It’ll be more than soap suds at tonight’s 51st annual awarding of honors to all kinds of programming—daytime dramas, talk shows, instructional programming, hosting, culinary and legal/courtroom programs—that air during daylight hours. But the show’s at night. Go figure (8 p.m., CBS). 

Hit Man
Confusion and comedy ensue when a straight-laced professor pretends to be a professional assassin (above). Starring Glen Powell and Adria Arjona, and directed by Richard Linklater (Netflix).

SATURDAY, June 8
Snowpiercer
The final season of the post-apocalyptic thriller series begins tonight, with Jennifer Connelly, Sean Bean and others returning to the remnants of humanity on a perpetually moving train across a frozen wasteland (9 p.m., AMC).  

SUNDAY, June 9
Gaslit By My Husband: The Morgan Metzer Story
Based on a true story, this lurid tale stars Jana Kramer and Austin Nichols as former childhood sweethearts whose marriage goes on the rocks when his circumstances take a suspicious turn (9 p.m., Lifetime).

MONDAY, June 10
Six Schizophrenic Brothers
An all-American family in Colorado is torn apart in this new docuseries when six of 12 siblings develop schizophrenia. It’s a heart-wrenching true story that made medical history (8 p.m., Discovery).

TUESDAY, June 11
How Music Got Free
Remember how you used to have to buy music? This docuseries shows how tech-driven disruption and file sharing created the means and the motive for a new generation of young people to participate in outright theft…and be celebrated for it (Paramount+).

Love Island
TV personality Ariana Madix from Vanderpump Rules hosts the new season of this hedonistic competition with sexy singles giving off pheromones on a tropical island oasis (Peacock).

Deadliest Catch
It ain’t exactly Spongebob stuff as the new season of the docuseries about risk-taking crab fisherman on the Bering Sea begins tonight (8 p.m., Discovery).

WEDNESDAY, June 12
Presumed Innocent
Jake Gyllenhaal stars in this eight-episode sexy thriller (above), a remake of the 1990 movie starring Harrison Ford about a legal-eagle attorney accused of killing his mistress. Remember, he’s presumed innocent… With Ruth Negga, Bill Camp, Peter Sarsgaard and Elizabeth Marvel (Apple TV+).

Can’t Cancel Pride
Ben Platt, Billy Porter, Melissa Etheridge and others join forces to recognize the impact of music and the contributions of LGBTQ+ organizations and artists in the entertainment community (Hulu).

THURSDAY, June 13
Alone
In tonight’s beginning of its new season, this high-stakes competition puts ten seasoned survivalists in the freezing northlands of Canada, equipped with only basic tools to face bone-chilling cold, ice all around and an assortment of predators, including bears, wolves and moose. At the end: A half a million dollars to the last person standing (9:30 p.m., History).

Brats
New documentary feature about the iconic, generation-defining “brat pack” movies of the 1980s was directed by Andrew McCarthy, who should know—he starred in many of them, including St. Elmo’s Fire, Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero and Weekend at Bernies (Hulu).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

How does Darth Vader keep his Death Star warm? With a space heater! Why do Wookies have so much hair? Fur protection! These and many, many more galactically funny ha-has can be found in Stars Wars Dad Jokes (Chronicle Books), a perfect Father’s Day gift for the pop who has everything…except a ready arsenal of so-bad-they’re good Stars Wars jokes! 

BRING IT HOME

Its a classic combo in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment) as the two former foes unite against a formidable threat to monsters as well as men. Starring Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry and Dan Stevens.

May 31 2024
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The Entertainment Forecast

May 31 – June 6

The woman behind the girls who just wanna have fun, what really happened to OJ’s wife & Disney reclaims Sunday nights

New documentary spotlights the life, career and cultural impact of Cyndi Lauper.

All times Eastern

FRIDAY, May 31
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s 80th Anniversary
Concert event honors the duo who wrote some of Broadway and Hollywood’s most memorable showtunes, such as “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” “Edelweiss” and “June is Bustin’ Out All Over,” from iconic musicals including Oklahoma!, State Fair, The King and I, Carousel and The Sound of Music (9 p.m., PBS).

Couples Therapy
The award-winning docuseries returns for another season of Dr. Orna Guralnik guiding couples through conflicts (streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime).

SATURDAY, June 1
The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson
The courtroom drama of O.J. Simpson murder charge became the crime of the century in 1995. This new doc pulls back the curtain on the victim, O.J.’s wife, and features interviews with more than 50 participants, including those who were closet to her. And it’s done in partnership with the Domestic Abuse Hotline (8 p.m., Lifetime) 

The Price is Right
In honor of Game Show Day (in case you didn’t know that was a thing!), you can watch the late, great Bob Barker hosting old episodes (1984-1985) of the classic daytime come-on-down competition (3 p.m., Buzzr).

SUNDAY, June 2

The Mayor of Kingston
In season three of the gritty crime thriller (above), Kingston “mayor” Mike McLusky (Jeremy Renner, returning after his debilitating snowblowing accident) faces an infiltrating Russian mob, a drug war and his own past as an inmate in the local prison (Paramount+)

Billy the Kid
Want shootouts and wild horse chases? Well, saddle up with the notorious young-looking outlaw (Tom Blythe) as he gets into more Old West trouble in season two (9 p.m., MGM+).

The Wonderful World of Disney
The show that was one a staple of Sunday night returns with Inside Out (above), the animated 2015 flick about childhood emotions voiced by Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Mindy Kaling and Lewis Black (8 p.m., ABC).

MONDAY, June 3
Erased: WW2’s Heroes of Color
Idris Elba narrates this four-part series about soldiers of color, shedding new light on the contributions of some 8 million individuals who fought valiantly for the Allied forces (8 p.m, NatGeo).

Gypsy Rose: Life After Lockup
New docuseries picks up on the post-prison life of the woman convicted of murder in Missouri for hiring a hitman to kill her mother, who had falsely claimed her daughter was suffering from a variety of illnesses—some of which the mom had induced (9 p.m., Lifetime).

TUESDAY, June 4
Clipped
Laurence Fishburn and Ed O’Neill star in this new series based on a true story—a notorious NBA owner’s racist remarks captured on a tape heard around the world…and the fallout that followed (Hulu).

Let the Canary Sing
Documentary explores the cultural impact of Cyndi Lauper and the long-lasting legacy of the “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” ‘80s singer (Paramount+).

WEDNESDAY, June 5
An Audience with Kylie
Global superstar Kylie Minouge performs her hits and invites special guests to join her onstage in this musical extravaganza at London’s legendary Royal Albert Hall (Hulu).

THURSDAY, June 6
Criminal Minds: Evolution
The hit franchise returns for a new season with Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook and Kirsten Vangsness leading the cast as the FBI profiles investigate a conspiracy with an unexpected complication (Paramount+)

Queer Planet
Actor Andrew Rannells narrates this playfully insightful documentary about nature’s hidden LGBTQ community and its spectrum of “unconventional” behaviors. It’s a Gay Pride parade marching across the animal kingdom! (Hulu).

BRING IT HOME

The story of the first Black regiment to fight for the North in the Civil War gets a new shine in the 4K Ultra HD new “steelbook” release of Glory (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment). Released theatrically in 1989, it stars Denzel Washington (who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar), Morgan Freeman, Matthew Broderick and Cary Elwes, and comes with commentary, behind-the-scenes documentaries and featurettes.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

If you think Washington is a mess now, wait until you read The Hidden History of the White House (Willliam Morrow). Author Cory Mead deep dives into the populist mob than ransacked the place (sound familiar?) after Andrew Jackson’s disastrous 1829 inauguration; how Woodrow Wilson’s wife became a “shadow” president; when Sir Winston Churchill came on a covert mission to huddle with FDR about how the Allies could win WWII…and many more dramatic events, power struggles, world-altering decisions and shocking scandals that all happened inside the walls of America’s most famous residence.

The 1977 WWII film A Bridge Too Far featured an all-star cast, some of the most intense battle scenes ever filmed and a level of gritty combat “authenticity” that has stood the test of time. In Making a Bridge Too Far (GoodKnight Books), author/filmmaker Simon Lewis transports readers back to the production of the film, shot on location in the Netherlands (where its events took place), with insights from many of the cast (which included Sean Connery, Anthony Hopkins, Robert Redford, Elliot Gould, Michael Caine and Lawrence Oliver) and immersive details and insights about making a war movie believable in an era decades before Saving Private Ryan and today’s slam-bang special effects.

If your eyes were glued to the coverage of the recent Met Gala, you’ll really dig Fashion Faux Parr (Phaidon), a collection of British fashion photographer Martin Parr’s eye-popping coverage of fashion for high-end magazines and behind the scenes at major fashion events. With some 250 color images, it’s a swirling look inside a world where looks reign supreme.

May 24 2024
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Books, DVDs, History, Movies, Pop Culture, Sports, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

May 24 – May 30

Lainey Wilson’s ‘Bell Bottom Country,’ JoLo hunts a robot & cowboy stars saddle up

All times Eastern.

ABC’s Robin Roberts spotlights Lainey Wilson in a new documentary special.

FRIDAY, May 24
Atlas
Jennifer Lopez goes on the hunt for a renegade robot in this futuristic sci-fi thriller with a timely theme about artificial intelligence (Netflix). 

Off Script with the Hollywood Reporter
Series features ensembles of actors from TV shows and films (including Abbott Elementary, Fargo, Saturday Night Live, Frasier) delving into issues affecting the entertainment industry and their livelihoods, filmed on location in Hollywood’s Georgian Hotel (AMC+).

SATURDAY, May 25
Gaga Chromatica Ball
Concert special features the 13-time Grammy nominated singer/songwriter and Oscar winner Lady Gaga performing at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium during her 2022 tour (8 p.m., HBO).

SUNDAY, May 26
The Dirty Dozen
Your afternoon matinee movie can be this 1967 all-star combat classic, with Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, former NFL great Jim Brown, Donald Sutherland and Telly Savalas as a motley crew of military misfits trained as commandos for a suicide mission ahead of the Allied landing at Normandy (2:15 p.m., TCM).

MONDAY, May 27
Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter
On the heels of Quiet on the Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV comes this new docuseries diving into the accusations of rape and sexual assault, and other controversies swirling around the ill-fated brothers after falling from the spotlight as pop stars (9 p.m., ID).

The Truth
Israeli courtroom drama opens the day after a controversial murder case is about to reach its final verdict…and an identical murder takes place (Acorn TV).

Memorial Day Western Marathon
Saddle up for a full day of Wild Western action with Hollywood honchos including John Wayne (Stagecoach), Burt Lancaster (The Rainmaker), Willie Nelson (Red Headed Stranger), Robert Mitchum (El Dorado), Kenny Rogers (The Gambler) and Gary Cooper (High Noon). Begins 8 a.m., HDNet). 

John Wayne and Robert Mitchum share the stage(coach) in ‘El Dorado.’

TUESDAY, May 28
Fiennes Return to the Wild
Dubbed the world’s greatest living explorer, Sir Randolph Fiennes and his cousin (actor Joseph Fiennes) embark on a colorful journey through Canada’s British Columbia, sharing adventure and strengthening their family bond (10 p.m. National Geographic).

WEDNESDAY, May 29
Lainey Wilson: Bell Bottom Country
How did a young woman from a rural farming town become one of the hottest singers in country music, a three-time CMA Entertainer of the Year and a Grammy winner? Find out in this primetime special produced by GMA’s Robin Roberts (Hulu).

THURSDAY, May 30
We Are Lady Parts
The season two adventures (above) of a Muslim female punk band in the UK, created, written and directed by Nida Manzoor and inspired by her own musical childhood (Peacock).

Die Hart II
Comedian Kevin Hart returns in this sequel, playing a fictional version of himself as he tries to firm up his legacy as the greatest action star of all time with a revolutionary new movie (Prime Video).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

In Life’s Too Short (Harper Collins), singer/songwriter Darius Rucker tells his life story through more than 20 songs (by artists as varied as Frank Sinatra and KISS) that made him and shaped his as he became the front man of Hootie the Blowfish and later, a hitmaking country music performer—and the first Black country artist to crack into the business in decades.

Get high with The Art of Climbing (WWNorton), a dazzling photographic collection of photographs by Simon Carter of the world’s greatest rock- and mountain-climbing spots, and the world-class climbers who risk life and limb to conquer them. You can see what’s it like to be a fearless daredevil from the comfort (and relative safety) of your armchair!

BRING IT HOME

Johnny Depp leads the cast of director John Waters’ Cry Baby (Kino Lorber), the 1990 cult classic now getting its first release as a newly restored 4K version. It’s a rockin’ tale about a rich beautiful “square (Amy Locane) who falls for an irresistible juvenile delinquent (Depp) in the 1950s. With new bonus features, like commentary and behind the scenes featurettes—including Traci Lords, who was then making her transition from porn to mainstream cinema.

May 17 2024
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The Entertainment Forecast

May 17 – May 23

Black Panthers, a big ‘Big Bang’ marathon & a bunch of bloomin’ British flowers

Watch “Big Bang Theory” episodes curated by one of the cast members!

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, May 17
Thelma the Unicorn
A pony who dreams of becoming a glamorous music star in magically transformed into a unicorn, where she finds that fame comes at a cost. From the directors of Napoleon Dynamite, with a cast voiced by Jon Heder, Zach Galifianakis, Will Forte and Brittany Howard (Netflix).

The Big Cigar
André Holland stars as Huey P. Newton in this new limited series (below) about the Black Panther leader’s escape from the FBI to Cuba with the assistance of a famed movie producer and a crazily elaborate plan that goes wrong in every possible way. And it’s all true…mostly! (Apple TV+)

SATURDAY, May 18
Big Bang Theory Marathon
Watch a slate of favorite episodes of the hit sitcom, selected by Kunal Nayyar, who plays Raj (8 p.m., TBS).

SUNDAY, May 19
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show
All you lovers of buds, stems and blossoms—check out the most prestigious flower show in the world with this 13-episode series featuring England’s top show gardens, horticultural experts and celebrity interviews (Britbox).

Ciao House
Chefs Alex Guarnaschelli and Gabe Bertaccini welcome a dozen up-and-coming culinary stars to southern Italy to prove their mastery of Mediterranean cuisine, divided into teams living in a 16th century villa (8 p.m., Food Network).

MONDAY, May 20
The Tuba Thieves
What does it mean to listen? This acclaimed documentary uses the theft of tubas from Los Angeles schools (which really happened) to explore a larger issue of “hearing” (10 p.m., PBS). 

Race to Survive: New Zealand
Contestant navigate 150 challenging miles of New Zealand’s harshest terrain by endurance racing, survival skills and sheer intuition…and the hopes of winning half a million dollars (11 p.m., USA).

TUESDAY, May 21
Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza
What started three decades ago as a farewell tour for the band Jane’s Addiction rose from the underground to become one of the largest festivals in the world. Find out how and why in this rockin’ documentary (Paramount+).

The Riot Report
Documentary explores 1967’s turbulent summer of racial unrest, and the commission created by then-President Lyndon Johnson to address it—and how a shockingly unvarnished report became a pivotal moment in history (9 p.m., PBS).

WEDNESDAY, May 22
Decoding the Universe
Documentary reveals how the decades have brought new discoveries about the cosmos—planets beyond our solar system, supermassive black holes, dark matter and thousands of previously unknown galaxies—and how the information is reshaping our views of what’s “out there”…and if it might all end as it began, with a “Big Bang” (9 p.m., PBS).

Trying
Season four of the critically acclaimed comedy series finds Nikki and Jason (Esther Smith and Rafe Spall) putting their parenting skills to the test when their teenage daughter (Scarlett Rayner) expresses her longing for a connection with her birth mother (Apple TV+).

THURSDAY, May 23
Evil
In its final season of the supernatural drama series, the trio of investigators encounter possessed pigs, demonic infestation, and evil relic, an embryonic antichrist and other nastiness—including the disbandment of their team (Paramount+).

Don’t Forget the Lyrics
So you think you remember how a song goes. Put your musical memory to the test with tonight’s kickoff for a new season of the generation-spanning competition hosted by Niecy Nash, above (9 p.m., Fox).

The 1% Club
Actor/comedian Patton Oswald hosts this new game show (below), based on a super-successful U.K. series, testing the intelligence of studio contestants playing for the night’s cash prize, as well as viewers watching at home (Prime Video).

BRING IT HOME

One of the most acclaimed films of 2013 sparkles anew in the new 4K restoration of American Hustle (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment), a rollicking con saga about a pair of scam artists (Amy Adams and Christian Bale), an ambitious FBI agent (Bradley Cooper), a sting operation involving a politician (Jeremy Renner) and a microwave-loving housewife (Jennifer Lawrence). Until, that is, it all comes crashing down on everyone. With deleted scenes and a making-of doc.

READ ALL ABOUT

The “voice” of many Doobie Brothers megahits, Michael McDonald, is profiled in What a Fool Believes (Dey Street), written with his good buddy and musical friend, actor Paul Reiser. It’s a compelling pull-back of the curtain to the skilled keyboardist, soulful singer and lifelong music man behind such songs as “It Keeps You Runnin’,” “You Belong to Me,” “Takin’ It to the Streets” and (of course) “What a Fool Believes.”

How has America changed since the events of 9-11? In Look at the USA: A Diary of War and Home (Thames & Hudson), photographer Peter van Agtmael chronicles the war in Iraq, its aftershocks that reached deep into the life “back home,” and the ways society changed politically and socially as it drifted toward nationalism and the election of Donald Trump.

How do you turn classic tales into a comic book? In the new third edition of Classics Illustrated: A Cultural History (McFarland), author William Bryan Jones shows how one pen led to another in the comic-book series that, from 1941 to 1969, made “illustrated editions” of Robin Hood, Sherlock Holmes, Rip Van Winkle, Jesus and Moses and thousands of others. With reproductions of covers as well as inside “panels,” it’s an encyclopedia of pulpy entertainment!

May 10 2024
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The Entertainment Forecast

May 10 – May 16

A ‘Partridge Family’ marathon, worlds collide for ‘Young Sheldon’ & Peyton Manning spotlights female hoopsters

Watch a marathon of ‘The Partridge Family’…and one of TV’s coolest moms!

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, May 10
The Chi
The sixth season’s second half of the hit series begins tonight unfolds tonight, with the continuing saga about life in a dangerous neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side (Paramount+ with Showtime).

The Iron Claw
Acclaimed feature film about pro wrestling’s famous (and famously ill-fated) Von Erich family stars a beefed-up Zach Efron (below), plus Jeremy Allen White (from The Bear), Maura Tierney and Lily James, who swaps her British accent for a Texas twang (Max).

SATURDAY, May 11
The Partridge Family Mother’s Day Marathon
C’mon, get happy! And celebrate TV’s greatest pop-star mom (Shirley Jones as Shirley Partridge) with 16 classic episodes of the iconic musical sitcom of yesteryear, with guest appearances by Johnny Cash, Farrah Fawcett, Dick Clark, Mark Hamill and Jacyln Smith! (1 p.m., AXS).

Full Court Press
College-bound basketball queen Caitlin Clark (below) is among the hot hoopsters featured in this series produced by Peyton Manning and profiling women’s b-ball superstars (1 p.m., ABC).

Nikki Glaser: Someday You’ll Die
The comedian/actress fearlessly digs into a wide range of topics in this special recorded in Seattle, Wash., including why she doesn’t want kids, the realities of getting older and her plans for her death (10 p.m., HBO). 

SUNDAY, May 12
Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire
It doesn’t have Brad Pitt and Tom Hanks (who starred in the 1994 movie version), but season two of the fan-favorite hit streaming series (about an ancient vampire recounting his life story to a journalist) begins tonight, with Jacob Anderson and Delainey Hayles (AMC+).

Time100: The World’s Most Interesting People
Coverage of last month’s live gala honoring Dua Lipa, Taraji P. Henson, NFL QB Patrick Mahomes, Kylie Minougue, Michael J. Fox and more industry-spanning individuals honored by the venerable weekly publication (10 p.m., ABC).

MONDAY, May 13
Summer Baking Championship
Jesse Palmer hosts as bakers from around the world heat up the kitchen to prove their talents in summer-travel themed challenges, from tropical fruit to beach vacations (8 p.m., Food).

After the Flood
British thriller series set in a small town hit by a devastating deluge, exposing secrets and putting fortunes and reputations at stake. Starring Peaky Blinders’ Sophie Russell (below, on BritBox).

TUESDAY, May 13
Pillowcase Murders
Three-night series sheds new light on the serial killer who preyed upon one of America’s most vulnerable populations—senior citizens in retirement communities (Paramount+).

WEDNESDAY, May 15
In the Kitchen with Harry Hamlin
Joined by his trained-chef niece Renee Guilbault, the actor welcomes celebrity guests (Ted Danson! Mary Steenburgen! Bobby Miynihan! Ed Begley Jr.!) to share favorite recipes, offer kitchen tips and set the table for some elegant Hollywood-worthy dinners (11 p.m., AMC+ and IFC).

Secrets in Your Data
Are you worried about how much info about you—name, address, phone number, workplace, family—is available online? This eye-opening doc reveals how easily our privacy is compromised and how we can better maintain it (9 p.m., PBS).

THURSDAY, May 16
Bridgerton
Season three of the hit Shondaland period drama dresses up new plotlines for Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan), Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and other characters with complicated lives in London’s high society (Netflix).

Young Sheldon
Worlds collide! Jim Parsons and Mayam Bialik reprise their roles from The Big Bang Theory on tonight’s finale about the young(er) life of brainiac Sheldon Cooper (above, 8 p.m., CBS).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Ol’ Scratch has been around for centuries, but now journalist Randall Sullivan takes a new look at the figure of the Devil, and how humankind has “used” the satanic figure to help embody crime, violence and otherwise inexplicable unpleasantries. Engrossing, fascinating and full of detail, The Devil’s Best Trick (Grove Atlantic) is an eye-opening descent in the historical, religious and cultural concepts that have been funneled into our dark fascination with the Big D.

Tom Selleck tells all in You Never Know (Dey Street), in which the iconic TV and movie star relates his entertaining, engaging story of growing up, coming to Hollywood, finding superstar success and making friends with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Carol Burnett. How did he put his career on the line for Magnum P.I.? Or walk away from a show that could have easily continued for years to come? It’s all here, and more!

The movie industry has often portrayed motherhood as scary, and sometimes crazy, from Mommy Dearest and Carrie to Rosemary’s Baby and Hereditary, and beyond. In Hollywood’s Monstrous Moms (McFarland), author Kassia Krone turns a keen academic eye to a wide range of real-world mental illness, their depiction in the movies across time, how serious psychological disorders and disabilities often became horrifying film stereotypes.

BRING IT HOME


The gigantic sandworms are back in Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment), director Denis Villeneuve’s spectacular looking follow-up to his epic sci-fi 2021 film, starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh and Rebecca Ferguson. And it’s loaded with bonus features, including how the cast learned to ride those massive sandworms!

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