Category Archives: Music

Mar 28 2025
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Books, DVDs, History, Movies, Music, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

What to watch and more March 28 – April 4

Daniel Craig’s ‘Queer’ turn, a ‘Simpsons’ TV milestone & a taboo-bustin’ Oprah special

FRIDAY, March 28
Queer
Daniel Craig (above) takes a big swing away from his movie run as macho superspy James Bond to star in this heartfelt movie about a gay American in Mexico City in the 1950s, where sparks fly when he makes an intimate connection with a former U.S. soldier (Max).

The Rule of Jenny Penn
Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow star in this creepy film about sinister goings-on in a retirement home (Shudder).

Mid-Century Modern
New comedy series from the creators of Will & Grace stars Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer and Nathan Lee Graham—and a parade of guest stars—in a romp (above) about three gay best friends who decide to spend their golden years in Palm Springs (Hulu).

SATURDAY, March 29
Wife Stalker
Keisha Knight Pullam stars in this new drama thriller about a woman whose husband leaves her for another female with a nefarious past (8 p.m., Lifetime).

SUNDAY, March 30
The Last Anniversary
Original mystery drama series (above)—set on a beautiful remote island shrouded in secrets—stars Teresa Palmer as a young woman drawn into a tangled generational web (AMC+).

The Simpsons
The longest-running primetime scripted show in TV history returns tonight for season 36 (yes, 36!) as Bart tries to become a celebrity DJ and Homer finally pushes Flanders too far (8 p.m., Fox)

Mobland
Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan (above) and Helen Mirren are among the cast of this new crime series—about power struggles within a global crime syndicate—from action-centric director Guy Richie (Paramount+).

MONDAY, March 31
Truelove
A group of old friends reunited at a funeral and make a drunken pact to see that each other dies with dignity. But such a “good” idea turns into a shocking reality in this series with an ensemble cast (Acorn TV).

An Oprah Winfrey Special: The Menopause Revolution
The Queen of daytime TV hosts this primetime event all about the inevitable event all women who live past “a certain age” will face, diving into the once-considered-taboo topic with a panel of experts and a live audience (10:01 p.m., ABC). 

TUESDAY, April 1
Audrey
A wild, snarky dark comedy about a mom who’ll do anything to achieve her dreams—even assuming the identity of her daughter when she falls into a coma. With Jackie Van Beek and Lindsay Taylor (checking streaming services for availability).

American Masters—Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story
Screen icon Liza Minnelli—the daughter of legendary actor Judy Garland and director Vincente Minnelli—is spotlighted in this documentary with a look into her dynamic life from childhood to Broadway and the silver screen, where she found Oscar-winning superstardom in Cabaret (9 p.m., PBS).

WEDNESDAY, April 2
Oklahoma City Bombing: One Day in America
Find out in this new series all about the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history, 30 years ago, which claimed 168 lives and changed America forever (8 p.m., National Geographic).

THURSDAY, April 3
Pulse
New medical drama—from Emmy-winning writer Carlton Cuse—stars Wilia Fitzgerald, Colin Woodell, Jack Bannon, Jessie T. Usher and Chelsea Muirhead (Netflix).

NOW HEAR THIS

Five of the top albums from one of the world’s most acclaimed bands are now available together on Fleetwood Mac 1975-1985 (Rhino), which includes the LPs Fleetwood Mac, Rumors, Tusk, Mirage and Tango in the Night, available as six LPs or five CDs. Relive hits like “Go Your Own Way,” “Dreams,” “Sara,” “Gypsy,” “Landslide,” “Say You Love Me” and “Rhiannon,” plus many more.

Forty years ago, Tina Turner exploded into the pop mainstream with her iconic breakthrough album Tiny Dancer. A new 5-CD set (from Parlophone) commemorates the milestone with a grand collection of remastered original tracks, plus B-sides, extended versions, rarities, previously unreleased cuts, two live in-concert discs and a Blu-ray of promo videos for “Let’s Stay Together,” “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” “Better Be Good to Me” and “Private Dancer.”

BRING IT HOME

A truly “modern” love story, Companion (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment) stars Sophie Thatcher, Lukas Gage and Jack Quaid in this horror tale of a super-serviant android built for companionship that goes murderously rogue.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Vitamin V: Video and the Moving Image (Phaidon) takes a highly visual look at how film and video have become integrated into modern art, with more than 850 examples from some 100 artists from around the world who use “contemporary technologies in unexpected and often revolutionary ways.” And an essay explains how it all got started in the 1960s.

How could two very different songs, separated by an ocean, recorded within weeks of each other, offer so much insight into America in the 1970s, the British empire, and almost everything associated with global culture? Peter Silverton‘s engrossing London Calling New York New York (Trouser Press), breaks it all down in a fascinating tale-of-two-cities treatise built on these two seminal works of music from The Clash and Frank Sinatra.

Mar 21 2025
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Books, DVDs, Movies, Music, Pop Culture, Sports, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

What to watch, and more, March 21 – March 27

Nicole Kidman goes Dutch, ‘Wicked’ streams & David Blaine pushes boundaries

Nicole Kidman stars in ‘Holland.’

FRIDAY, March 21
Sing Sing
Acclaimed film about a theatrical program for inmates at the New York prison stars Dominique Colman and Paul Raci (Max).

Wicked
Yes, Wicked! If you missed it in theaters, or just want to see it again (and again, and again), the spectacular-looking Hollywood treatment of the hit Broadway musical with the backstory of the Wizard of Oz witches, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, below, comes to streaming (Peacock). 

SATURDAY, March 22
Single Black Female 3: The Final Chapter
Original network movie stars Raven Goodwin, Porsha Williams and Kennedy Chanel in the tale of a woman wrongly convicted of murder, then exonerated, but discovering that freedom can come at a price (8 p.m., Lifetime).

SUNDAY, March 23
Do Not Attempt
Join magician and “endurance artist” David Blaine on a globe-trotting exploration of the boundaries between the real world and the realm of magic. But kids, don’t try this at home! (National Geographic).

Marie Antionette
In season two, the seeds of revolution begin to take root, threatening the foundations of France’s long-standing monarchy. With Emila Schüle and Louis Cunningham (10 p.m., PBS).

MONDAY, March 24
Home Court
Documentary about a Columbian American high school basketball prodigy who finds her life intensifying amid college recruitment, injury and triumph (streaming on Independent Lens, the PBS App and PBS Passport).

TUESDAY, March 25
The Cleaning Lady
Season four begins about the increasingly dangerous double life of a former surgeon now an undocumented immigrant in Las Vegas and evading the law as part of a criminal organization. Cleaning can be complicated (8 p.m., Fox).

Family Legacy
Meet more kids of famous music-makers—including the Go-Go’s, Slipknot, Lil John and Matchbox 20—in the new season of this half-hour cross-genre docuseries (Paramount+).

WEDNESDAY, March 26
Side Quest
Four-part anthology based on the Mythic Quest universe and starring Rob McElhenney looks at the game’s impact on players and makers with a blend of docu-reality and comedy (Apple TV+). 

The Studio
New comedy series, above, stars Seth Rogen (who also writes and directs) as a newly appointed Hollywood exec walking the line between success and failure. With Catherine O’Hara, Kathryn Hahn and Ike Barinholtz (AppleTV+).

THURSDAY, March 27
Paul American
Reality series go into the world of internet-sensation “content creators” Jake and Logan Paul and their burgeoning empire of followers, fight promotion, sports drinks, men’s products and gaming (Max).

Holland
Nicole Kidman, Matthew Macfadyen, Jude Hill and Gael Garcia Bernal star in this twisty tale of a teacher whose life is upended by suspicions, secrets and the realization that things—in picture-perfect Holland, Mich.—aren’t what they seem (Prime).

NOW HEAR THIS

Forty years ago, Tina Turner exploded into the pop mainstream with her iconic breakthrough album Tiny Dancer. A new 5-CD set (from Parlophone) commemorates the milestone with a grand collection of remastered original tracks, plus B-sides, extended versions, rarities, previously unreleased cuts, two live in-concert discs and a Blu-ray of promo videos for “Let’s Stay Together,” “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” “Better Be Good to Me” and “Private Dancer.”

Commemorating the 50th anniversary of its release, Paul McCartney’s chart-topping 1975 album Venus and Mars has been remastered from the original tapes to sound even better than before. It has all the tunes (including “Rock Show,” “Listen to What the Man Said” and the title track) plus other goodies, like a pair of posters and a bookmark sticker.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

How can we trust what our eyes see? It’s getting hard, in the age of artificially generated images online and in other media. In the fascinating The Synthetic Eye: Photography Transformed in the Age of A.I. (Thames & Hudson), author Fred Ritchin, a digital photography expert, investigates how artificial intelligence continues to transform our sense of what’s real, and its enormous ramifications for the future.

Get the inside scoop on one of America’s formative festivals for music, art, politics and freakshows, in Lollapalooza: The Uncensored Story of Alternative Rock’s Wildest Festival (St. Martins Press). It’s an oral history of the groundbreaking event as told by insiders and musicians who lived it during the ‘90s, including Pearl Jam, Jane’s Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, Tool, Smashing Pumpkins, Green Day and more.

Mar 14 2025
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DVDs, Movies, Music, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

What to watch (and more!) the week of March 14 – March 20

An Opry milestone, a ‘Ludwig’ who’s not Beethoven & Dennis Quaid puts on a “Happy Face”

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, March 14
Dope Thief
Brian Tyree Henry stars in the new eight-episode series about two longtime Philly delinquents who pose as DEA agents to rob a house, only to have their small-time grift become a life-or-death enterprise (Apple TV+).

SATURDAY, March 15
Taken at a Basketball Game
Can you guess what this new Lifetime movie’s about? If you guessed “A girl gets abducted at a basketball game,” you’re right! Starring D.B. Woodside and Claire Qute (8 p.m., Lifetime).

SUNDAY, March 16
Malawi Wildlife Rescue: Crocodile Capers
In tonight’s episode, the team calms restless primates at the rescue centre and says goodbye to a rescued crocodile (10 p.m., NatGeo Wild).

MONDAY, March 17
The Calling: A Medical School Journey
Documentary follows med students in the Bronx, capturing the experience of what it’s like to be an aspiring doctor in one of the nation’s most underserved communities (10 p.m., PBS).

A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read
Did she kill her cop boyfriend and dump his body on a cold Boston night in January? Investigators thought so. But her 2024 trial created a lasting swirl of questions over what really happened, including a defense argument that something even more nefarious was at play (9 p.m., ID).

TUESDAY, March 18
The Class
Dramatic six-part series, filmed over the course of the 2020-21 school year, follows a class of seniors and their teacher in Antioch, Calif., as they confront an unprecedented moment in modern time—the COVID-19 pandemic (check local listings, PBS). 

WEDNESDAY, March 19
Good American Family
It had to happen. Netflix’s wild-tale documentary about Nathalia Grace was so popular it spawned two follow-ups and has now inspired this TV drama series (above), about how an adopted orphan girl born with a rare form of dwarfism upended her adoptive family—just like the real story! It stars Ellen Pompeo, Mark Duplass and Imogene Reid (Hulu).

Opry 100
Country music’s most venerated institution celebrates a century of music and stars with this live three-hour TV special hosted by Blake Shelton and featuring Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, Carrie Underwood, Marty Stuart, Reba McEntire, Jelly Roll and many more of today’s Nashville stars (8 p.m., NBC).

THURSDAY, March 20
Ludwig
No, not Beethoven. This British brain twister is about a puzzle maker (David Mitchell) who takes on the identity of his disappeared brother, calling on his expertise in all things cryptic to get to the bottom of what happened (BritBox).

The Residence
New Shondaland drama about a (fictional) murder scandal involving the staff of the White House. Starring Uzo Abuda, Giancarlo Esposito, Ken Marino, Jason Lee, Molly Griggs and Bronson Pinchot (Netflix).

Happy Face
Dennis Quaid (above) and Annaleigh Ashford star in this new drama series based on the true story of a podcaster who discovers that her father was a prolific serial killer (Paramount+).

Farmer Wants a Wife
A third season of hunky hayseeds hankering for love and lifemates, this time hosted by Kimberly Williams-Paisley (9 p.m., Fox).

BRING IT HOME

Horror fans will howl with hairy delight at the latest take on The Wolf Man (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment), which stars Julia Garner and Christopher Abbott in a modern take on the classic tale from the re-makers of another classic, The Invisible Man. Bonus features includes a doc on the look of the new wolf man, as filmmakers set out to design a beast unlike any seen before.

Guess what’s turning 50? The outrageously entertaining “rock opera” Tommy, which became a cult classic—about “a deaf, dumb blind kid” who became a pinball wizard—after its theatrical release in 1975. The all-star cast includes The Who’s Roger Daltry, plus Jack Nicholson, Ann-Margaret, drummer Keith Moon, Elton John, Tina Turner and Oliver Reed. It’s a trip! (Shout! Studios)

Now fans of TV’s hit Emmy-winning series Shameless can own it all—134 episodes from 11 seasons and with a dynamic ensemble cast headed by William H. Macy, Jeremy Allen White and Cameron Monaghan—on Shameless: The Complete Series (Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment). And it’s “shameless” how many extras and bonus features you’ll get, too!

Feb 28 2025
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Books, DVDs, Movies, Music, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

Feb. 28 – March 6

Hollywood biggest night, a murderous gigolo & Kevin Hart goes to ‘toon town

Will Conclave, Wicked or The Substance take home the night’s big Oscars?

FRIDAY, Feb. 28
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Guy Fieri loads up on barbecue, turkey legs and brisket fries on a trip to Memphis before heading to New York and blueberry pierogies, meatballs and cheddar chicken (9 p.m., Food Network).

Why You Like It: Decoding Musical Tastes
Composer and musicologist Dr. Nolan Gasser explores the science and culture behind our musical preferences (check local listings, PBS).

SATURDAY, March 1
Killing the Competition
Melissa Joan Hart stars in this new network movie inspired by the real-life story of a mother who turns to kidnapping when her daughter is cut from her high school dance team (Lifetime).

Million Dollar Zombie Flips
House flippers fix up dilapidated homes in the Seattle area, turning them into mansions (11 a.m., A&E).

SUNDAY, March 2
The Oscars
Conan O’Brien hosts, and we’ll see who comes out on top among top contenders including Emelia Peréz, The Brutalist, Conclave, Anora, A Complete Unknown and Wicked. And Karla Sofia Gascòn has already made history as the first openly trans woman to be nominated for Best Actress. But can she win after her “mean tweets” on social media?  (7 p.m., ABC).

Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue
Eric McCormack, Lydia Wilson and Adam Long are among the cast in this thriller series about survivors of a plane crash in the Mexican jungle who later begin to die in strange and violent ways. Ten passports, nine bodies, one deadly secret. (9 p.m., MGM+).

MONDAY, March 3
Recipes for Love and Murder
In the new season of the culinary murder mystery (above), a massive fire engulfs the small town of Eden, and a fateful chain of events brings together the lead characters in a multiple homidide investigation that uncovers the town’s darkest secrets (Acorn TV).

Celtic City
Nine-part documentary series chronicles the Boston Celtics, the city’s winningest sports franchise, from its founding to its triumphant 2024 season (HBO Sports).

Sin City Gigolo: A Murder in Las Vegas
Docuseries (above) about the investigation of a former cast member of the TV reality show Gigolos, who was arrested for killing a young woman in his home in a bloody tangle of sex work, fame and the lure of “Sin City” (Paramount+).

TUESDAY, March 4
The Rare Breed
No, it’s not the English Foxhound. Rather, it’s this rugged 1966 Western starring James Stewart, Maureen O’Hara and Brian Keith—a rather unlikely combo of stars from It’s a Wonderful Life, The Parent Trap and TV’s Family Affair, in a tale that mixes bull breeding, greedy criminals and untamed Texas (8:45 p.m., TCM).

WEDNESDAY, March 5
The Amazing Race
On your mark, get set…go! Go to the couch, that is, to watch as the 37th race in the hit TV competition begins tonight with a group of 14 new teams (above) kicking off their global trek in Japan (9:30 p.m., CBS).

THURSDAY, March 6
Deli Boys
Comedy about a pair of Pakistani-American brothers who uncover the secret life of their late convenience-store magnate father (Hulu).

Lil Kev
Adult animated comedy was inspired by Kevin Hart’s childhood in Philadelphia, with voices by Hart, Wanda Sykes and Deon Cole (BET+).

NOW HEAR THIS

The iconic 1986 Bon Jovi album Slippery When Wet, which catapulted the group into the rock mainstream and sold more than 12 million copies, has been re-released on multiple formats—including one with heavy-duty vinyl encasing a blue liquid…which looks slippery ‘n’ wet indeed! Hear classic hits (“You Give Love a Bad Name,” “Wanted Dead or Alive,” “Lilvin’ on a Prayer”), plus newly added bonus features on the digital edition, including live tracks from the group’s 1987 tour.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

What do termite mounds, dolphins, rainbows, carnivals, the Roman poet Ovid, our sense of balance, caves and animal feces all have in common? They’re all in Phenomena: An Infographic Guide to Almost Everything (Thames & Hudson), an engrossing collection of charts, graphics and other “visualized” information. Dig in and prepare to be well-informed!

BRING IT HOME

When Santa (J.K. Simmons) is kidnapped from the North Pole, his beefy head of security (Dwayne Johnson) springs into action with the help of a wisecracking bounty hunter (Chris Evans) to bring him home and save Christmas. It’s merry mayhem in Red One (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment), with appearances by Lucy Liu, Bonnie Hunt and Nick Kroll.

Feb 21 2025
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Books, DVDs, History, Movies, Music, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

Feb. 21 – Feb. 27

A ‘Star Wars’ marathon, Tom Hanks the all-American & the king of Israel is in da ‘House’!

The ‘Saving Private Ryan’ star narrates a 10-part doc about the Americas.

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, Feb. 21
Surface
In season two of the psychological thriller, Gugu Mbatha-Raw returns to the starring role as a young London woman who’s lost her memory and trying to piece her life back together—and realizing she’s in the company of some very dangerous people (Apple TV+).

A Thousand Blows
The latest from the creator of Peaky Blinders, this new series (below) set in the brutal world of illegal boxing was inspired by true-life tales of survival in the criminal underbelly of 1880s Victorian London (Hulu).  

SATURDAY, Feb. 22
Abducted in the Everglades
Tori Spelling stars in this lurid TV movie as a mom searching for her daughter that goes missing on a spring break trip in Miami (8 p.m., Lifetime).

Star Wars Marathon
Strap in and make the jump to hyperspace with Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker (begins 1:45 p.m., TBS).

SUNDAY, Feb. 23
The Americas
Sprawling ten-part nature documentary series about our “supercontinent” of North and South America, narrated by Tom Hanks, was five years in the making—and you can see why! (NBC and BBC). 

Grosse Point Garden Society
Members of a suburban garden club find their lives interwoven by scandal, mischief and a scared secret. New series stars AnnaSopha Robb, Ben Rappapport and Nancy Travis (10 p.m., NBC).

MONDAY, Feb. 24
Beyond the Gates
New daytime drama is set in a leafy Maryland suburb, one of the most affluent Black counties in America (and just beyond the gates of the White House). Starring Michelle Visage, Clifton Davis and Daphne Duplaix (2 p.m., CBS).

Bike Vessel
After several heath crises, a 70-year-old man embarks on a transformative long-distance cycling trip with his son in this moving documentary (Independent Lens).

TUESDAY, Feb. 25
Forgotten Hero: Walter White and the NAACP
Meet the longtime leader of the NAACP and one of the most influential—but least known—figures in civil rights history (9 p.m., PBS).

Eyes on the Prize III: We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest 1977-2015
Six-part anthology illuminates the bold stories of people and communities who continue to work for equality and racial justice in the decades following the American civil rights movement (HBO).

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 26
Baltimore’s Bridge Collapse
Find out more about the 2024 disaster when a massive container ship plowed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, killing six highway workers. Are other bridges at risk of the same thing? (9 p.m., PBS).

THURSDAY, Feb. 27
The House of David
New series based on the biblical story of David (Michael Iskander) and how he eventually became the most celebrated and storied king of Israel (Prime Video).

The Case of Iwona Wieczorek
This gripping docuseries delves into one of the best-known disappearances in recent Polish history, about a 19-year-old high school graduate who vanished on the way home from a party (Viaplay).

READ ALL ABOUT

The British ‘rock scene comes alive in Dennis Morris: Music + Life (Thames & Hudson), a handsome retrospective of the lauded rock photographer’s exploration of music, race, culture and class, and his capture-the-moment lens work with Bob Marley, Oasis, The Sex Pistols, The Pretenders, LL Cool J, Oasis, Grace Jones, Patti Smith, Marianne Faithful and other British celebs.

Baseball season only lasts about half a year, but A Baseball Book of Days (McFarland) by Phil Coffin stretches out the saga of the game through an entire year—a chronically arranged compendium of trivia, facts, record-setting achievements, firsts, onlys and what-might-have-beens made to last from January thru December. It’s a grand slam of goodies for baseball fans of any stripe.

NOW HEAR THIS

Celebrated the 40th anniversary of David Lee Roth’s post-Van Halen debut as a solo act with The Warner Recordings 1985-1994 (Rhino), a splendid five-disc set with “Just a Gigilo,” “California Girls,” “Tobacco Road,” “Just Like Paradise” and much more music from Diamond Dave’s albums and EPs, including Crazy From the Heat, Eat ‘Em and Smile and Skyscraper.

BRING IT HOME

It brought home an armload of eight Oscars, and now you can see why all over again as Amadeus celebrates its 40th anniversary with a new 4K restoration. With star turns from F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulse (fresh outta Animal House!) as the young musical genius Wolfgang Mozart, and Jeffrey Jones (the principal from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off).

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Feb 07 2025
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Books, History, Music, Pop Culture, Sports, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

Feb. 7 – Feb. 13

Willie’s tailgate party, puppies in a bowl & Bridget Jones is back!

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, Feb. 7
The Critics Choice Awards
Conclave and Wicked lead the pack at this annual evening honoring the year’s top movies, acting and other achievements, as voted by people who cover film professionally. Chelsea Handler returns as host (7 p.m., E!)

We Live in Time
Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh star in this acclaimed movie about a couple trying to build the life they’ve always dreamed of, until a painful truth puts their love story to the test (Max).

SATURDAY, Feb. 8
I Will Survive: The Gloria Gaynor Story
Dramatized biopic (starring Joaquina Kalukango) about the rise to fame of America’s “Queen of Disco,” whose signature song “I Will Survive” became a timeless pop anthem of resilience, endurance and self-sufficiency (8 p.m., Lifetime).

65
This 2023 sci-fi adventure stars Adam Driver as an astronaut who finds—after a catastrophic crash—he’s actually stranded on Earth….65 million years ago! With Ariana Greenblatt (8 p.m., FX).

SUNDAY, Feb. 9
Puppy Bowl XXI
Are you Team Ruff or Team Fluff? Pick your side for this annual clash of cuddly cuties featuring rescue pups from around the world and spotlighting the good work of shelters that help animals find forever homes (2 p.m., Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS, truTV, Max and discovery+).

Concerts ‘Till Kickoff
Get ready for tonight’s “big game” with this daylong tailgate party, a marathon of live performances from Willie Nelson, Blackberry Smoke, ZZ Top, Toby Keith, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Zac Brown Band (9 a.m., AXS).

MONDAY, Feb. 10
Extracted
No, it’s not about a dental procedure, but rather a new competition in which  a dozen “untrained” contestants try to survive grueling and perilous conditions while their families keep watch…and refrain from hitting the “extract” button to have their loved one removed from their dire circumstances (8 p.m., Fox).

This Time Next Year
Adapted from a best-selling novel by Sophie Cousens, this romcom stars the author and Lucien Laviscount (from Emily in Paris) as two people born on the same day, in the same hospital, just one minute apart. What happens when they grow up? You’ll find out (Hulu).

TUESDAY, Feb. 11
Match Point
Mockumentary series stars former NFL players Vernon Davis and Omar Bolden as one-time Olympic tennis gold medalists who’re now hapless sports podcasters (Apple TV+ and Prime).  

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 12
Eric Clapton Unplugged…Over 30 Years Later
Ninety-minute special is an extended and remastered edition of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s live performance of “Layla,” “Tears in Heaven” and other hits originally recorded in 1992 for the MTV franchise (Paramount+).

THURSDAY, Feb. 13
Sly Lives!
Documentary about ‘70s supergroup Sly and the Family Stone features commentary by Chaka Kahn, Clive Davis, Nile Rogers, Andre 3000 and others (Hulu).

Mad About the Boy
Renee Zellweger returns in this new streamer to the role from Bridget Jones’ Diary that made her a movie romcom heroine, as Bridget is now alone once again (this time with two young children) and reenters the world of moms, kids and dating apps. Memorable movie costars Hugh Grant and Colin Firth also make appearances (Peacock).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Think there are too many rules, too much regulation, too much bureaucracy? Author Barry Lam, a professor of philosophy at the University of California, argues in the eye-opening Fewer Rules, Better People: The Case for Discretion (W.W. Norton) that a society awash in requirements and mandates makes us dumber, not smarter. Discretion and ethics play important roles in many of our everyday decisions and actions. Find out more about what can be good about that, and what the author says is not.

What’s that shiny surface? It might be a piece of art! In MirrorMirror: The Reflective Surface in Contemporary Art (Thames & Hudson), author Michael Petry shows how reflective surfaces—glass, shiny steel, vinyl, obsidian—are used all over the world in artworks that appeal to our senses, reflect our vanities and take us to places of joy, marvel and inspiration.

Jan 31 2025
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DVDs, Humor, Movies, Music, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

Jan. 31 – Feb. 6

Cruisin’ with Guy, Superbowl commercials & Amy Schumer’s baby bump

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, Jan. 31
Guy’s Ultimate Family Cruise
Guy Fiero takes his family to the Caribbean in this new special celebrating his son’s high school graduation, diving into all sorts of food and adventure along the way (9 p.m., Food Network).

Vietnam: The War That Changed America
Six-part series narrated by actor Ethan Hawke commemorates the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and the end of one of the most divisive military conflicts in American history (Apple TV+).

SATURDAY, Feb. 1
Can You Feel the Beat: The Lisa Lisa Story
Biopic (starring Jearnest Corchado) all about the Puerto Rican teen who became a hit-making Latina artist with hits including “Can You Feel the Beat,” “All Cried Out” and “Lost in Emotion.” (8 p.m, Lifetime).

New York Homicide
Can’t get enough of the real-world nitty gritty? Well, here’s another show for you as a retired detective digs into season three of some of the worst murders in Big Apple history (9 p.m., Oxygen).

SUNDAY, Feb. 2
The Grammy Awards
Queen B (that’s Beyonce, in case you’ve been living in a hole), brings her all-time record number of Grammy noms to 99 with her nods in 11 categories for this year. But will her “Cowboy Carter” win for Album of Year, a top-line category that has thus far eluded her? Tune in to tonight’s live ceremony, hosted by Trevor Noah, to find out! (8 p.m., CBS).

Very Scary Lovers
Donnie Wahlberg and Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg host this series examining some of the most diabolical, twisted and murderous relationships in modern history (10 p.m., ID).

MONDAY, Feb. 3
The Hunting Party
A small team of investigators track down and capture the country’s most dangerous killers in this new series (above) starring Melissa Roxburth and Nick Wechsler (10 p.m, NBC).

The Strike
How did a small hunger strike at California’s Pelican Bay Prison turn into a massive statewide protest? Find out in this probing documentary (Independent Lens and PBS apps).

TUESDAY, Feb. 4
Burden of Guilt
Docuseries follows a woman’s quest to solve the mystery of what really killed her four-month-old baby brother, 25 years ago (Paramount+).

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 5
Super Bowl Greatest Commercials
A lot of people watch the Super Bowl not for the football game, but for the big-budget TV spots in between. Tonight’s annual rundown, hosted by Nate Burleson and actress Daniela Ruah, features highlights from Super Bowls past (9 pm., ABC).

Wild Cards
More steam from the new season of this steamy drama about a hunky cop (Giacomo Bianniotti) and a sexy con woman (Vanessa Morgan), who find themselves deeper in lust…and trouble (8 p.m., The CW).

Kinda Pregnant
Amy Schumer is back on TV with this new movie comedy (above) as a woman who fakes a baby bump because she likes the attention it brings her…then meets the man of her dreams. With Jillian Bell, Will Forte and Damon Wayans (Netflix).

THURSDAY, Feb. 6
The Takedown: American Aryans
Four-part series takes viewers inside the cult-like world of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, an organized crime gang built on Nazism and extreme violence, from the late 2000s to the present (Max).

The Z-Suite
Lauren Graham from Gilmore Girls and Superstore’s Doug Garcia star in this new streaming series about an advertising maven and her right-hand man pushed into the irrelevant zone by a rising tide of Gen-Z employees on Madison Avenue (Tubi).

BRING IT HOME

Clint Eastwood directs the legal thriller Juror #2 (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment), in which a family man (Nicholas Hoult) finds himself in a serious moral dilemma while serving on the jury of a high-profile murder trial. With Toni Collette, J.K. Simmons and Keifer Sutherland.

What’s big and green and now on Blu-ray? It’s Wicked (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment), the lavish big-screen treatment of the hit Broadway musical about the backstory of The Wizard of Oz. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are forces of nature as the two young women who’ll grow up to become Oz’s iconic witches, and Jeff Goldblum is the whiz of a wiz. Loaded with bonus features, too!

Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenburg (who also wrote and directed) are superb in A Real Pain (Searchlight), a drama with heart and rich humanity about two mismatched cousins on a tour through Poland honor their beloved grandmother, a Holocaust survivor. Bonus features on the Blu-ray include a making-of documentary. See why the film won an award at Sundance and was nominated for four Golden Globes.

For some bona fide funny business, get The Wayans Brothers: The Complete Series (Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment), available now for the first time on DVD. It’s got all five seasons of the iconic sitcom that ran on the WB network in the late ‘90s, about a pair of Harlem brothers, their friends and family. You’ll howl along with real-life brothers Shawn and Marlon Wayans, plus others, including John Witherspoon, Mitch Mullany and Ja’Net Dubois. The show was unceremoniously canceled in 1999 and never got a proper finale. Boo!!!!

Dec 27 2024
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Humor, Movies, Music, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

Dec. 27 – Jan. 2

‘Pirates’ ahoy, funny videos, Nashville’s big bash & rockers ring in the new year!

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, Dec. 27
Your Fault
Based on the Culpable book trilogy by Mercedes Ron, this Spanish-language streaming flick stars Nicole Wallace and Gabriel Guevara in the continuing tale of young love and those trying to destroy it, including an ex-girlfriend seeking revenge (Prime Video).

The Greatest Home Videos: Holiday Edition
Year-end Christmas fun, cute pets and more holiday hijinks, hosted by Cedric the Entertainer, below (8 p.m., CBS).

SATURDAY, Dec. 28
Pirates of the Caribbean Marathon
Set sail with Johnny Depp and the rest of the high-seas scallywags for back-to-back airings of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and The Curse of the Black Pearl (3 p.m., TNT).

SUNDAY, Dec. 29
1923: A Yellowstone Origin Story
Watch Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren in a double feature of episodes of the Yellowstone spinoff-sequel (8 p.m., Paramount).

MONDAY, Dec. 30
Darby and Joan
Season two begins tonight of the Aussie drama about a retired detective (Bryan Brown) and widowed nurse (Gretchen Scacci) in Queensland (Acorn TV).

Who I Am Not
Documentary about a South Africa beauty queen dealing with the discovery that she’s nonbinary. It’s a heart-wrenching look at a fight for acceptance in a world that’s wired differently (10 p.m., PBS).

TUESDAY, Dec. 31
Nashville’s Big Bash
Host Keith Urban rings in the new year with Kane Brown, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Eric Church, Post Malone and other top stars in live performances from downtown Music City (8 p.m., CBS).

NYE Concert Marathon
Celebrate all day with some rocking concert performances from Fleetwood Mac, Queen, AC/DC (above), Bon Jovi, ZZ Top, Blondie, Journey, Willie Nelson and Sammy Hagar (8 a.m., TBS).

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 1
Luther: Never Too Much
Learn about the smooth soulful singer Luther Vandross, from his formative years in Harlem through his days on Sesame Street, before becoming the master of the love song (8 p.m., CNN).

THURSDAY, Jan. 2
Holiday Baking Championship
Tired of cooking after the holidays? Then sit back watch other people as they rise to the challenges of host Jesse Palmer (8 p.m., Food Network).

Lockerbie: A Search for the Truth
What caused Pan Am Flight 103 to explode over a Scottish town in 1988, killing 259 passengers and crew. Colin Firth and Catherine McCormick star in this dramatization of the search for answers, and the truth (Peacock).

Dec 06 2024
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The Entertainment Forecast

Dec. 6 – Dec. 12

Classic Christmas flicks, Simpsons football & Paris & Nicole go to the opera!

Reality TV stars Paris Hilton & Nicole Richie are back in a TV special.

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, Dec. 6
The Sticky
Inspired by real events, this six-part heist comedy series stars Margo Martindale as a maple syrup farmer who turns to crime when the going gets…well, gummy. With Chris Diamantopoulos and Jamie Lee Curtis (Prime Video).

Paris Has Fallen
When a terrorist group attacks a high-profile Paris event in this eight-episode series, investigators discover someone hellbent on widespread vengeance (Hulu).

SATURDAY, Dec. 7
Home Alone
Would Christmas be as Christmas-sy without this 1990 classic, which made little McCauley Caulkin into everyone’s favorite pint-sized holiday prankster? Methinks not. And stick around: It’s followed by its sequel, Home Alone 2 (3:25 p.m., Freeform).

Merry ‘80s Marathon
Time travel back to a decade of yore with this slate of classics, including National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (above), Ghostbusters and The Great Outdoors (AMC).

SUNDAY, Dec. 8
Miss Scarlet
Victorian England’s first female detective (Kate Phillips from Peaky Blinders) gets a new start for the show’s fifth season with a new “boss” in Scotland Yard (PBS Masterpiece Prime).

The Equalizer
In tonight’s holiday-themed episode, “Slay Ride” (above), McCall, Dante and Miles find themselves held hostage in a hospital that’s been taken over by a cartel (8:30 p.m., CBS).

MONDAY, Dec. 9
The Simpsons Funday Football
Monday Night Football transforms in this TV special—using state-of-the-art 3D animation—into the world of TV’s most successful primetime family as the Cincinnati Bengals take on the Dallas Cowboys (8 p.m., ESPN, Disney+ and ABC).

The Real Full Monty
Anthony Anderson rallies his male celebrity friends in this TV event to drop trou, “bare it all” and raise awareness for prostate, testicular and colorectal cancer (8 p.m., Fox).

TUESDAY, Dec. 10
Dr. Suess How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Another modern-day Christmas classic, this 2000 remake of the animated 1960s classic was directed by Ron Howard (yes, that Ron Howard) and featured Jim Carrey as the Grinch. Watch for Christine Baranski, Jeffrey Tambor, Molly Shannon…and Howard’s younger brother, Clint (8.30 p.m., Freeform).

Nature of the Crime
Get an inside look at the working of the criminal justice system in this documentary, which follows two men convicted of murder when they were teens, their attorneys and their family members as they prepare for upcoming parole interviews and reflect on their crimes and rehabilitation (HBO).

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 11
A Motown Christmas
Smokey Robinson and Halle Bailey (above) host this all-star musical event with Gladys Knight, Martha Reeves, Andra Day, Pentatonix, Jamie Foxx, the cast of MJ the Musical and more, singing holiday favorites. Dig it! (9 p.m., NBC).12.12

Too Many Christmases
How can a couple spend Christmas with both their families in an attempt to please everyone? You’ll find out in this merry holiday dramady starring Denzel Whitaker and Porscha Coleman (Bet+).

Paris & Nicole: The Encore
Two decades after making the scene with their reality-TV series, heiresses Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie return with a new TV special, this time trying to produce an operetta. Yes, you read that correctly (Peacock).

NOW HEAR THIS

Get in the happy holiday mood with Hartfelt Family Christmas, the new CD from the country trio Chapel Hart (and also available on vinyl). The Mississippi-based vocal group—sisters Danica and Devynn Hart, plus cousin Trea Swindle—certainly know about family, and their first Christmas CD stirs up sweet and soulful memories with Yule classics (including “Silver Bells,” “Blue Christmas,” “O Holy Night” and “O Come All Ye Faithful”), well-chosen covers (Alabama’s “Christmas in Dixie,” Ray Charles’ “Spirit of Christmas”) and all-star guests including Vince Gill, Darius Rucker, Gretchen Wilson and T. Graham Brown. It’s an all-star Christmas get-together with “hart” and harmony. https://www.chapelhart.com/shop

BRING IT HOME

If you grew up in the early ‘80s, you no doubt remember Rock ‘N’ Roll High School, a rip-roaring B-movie about a rockin’ revolt at a high school, starring P.J. Soles (the “bad girl” from Halloween) and Clint Howard (Ron’s little brother) and featuring the music of The Ramones, who sing the theme song. The 1979 flick has been newly remastered for is 45th anniversary with a locker full of special content, including commentary, interviews and making-of features (shoutfactory.com).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Paul McCartney has never rested on his Beatles laurels, as The McCartney Legacy Vol. 2 1974-1980 (Dey Street) shows how his post-Beatles adventures included the release of four solo albums, dabbling in music publishing, experimenting as a science fiction writer and filmmaker, recording in Nashville and smuggling cannabis past authority figures…with mixed success. This well-researched exploration of Mac’s exceptionally creative period is a snapshot of a rollicking life after being in the world’s most famous band—and some scars from the group’s breakup that would never be completely healed.

How did live music ever make it onto wax records, then magnetic tape and plastic, and finally into microscopic digital “codes”? It’s all spelled out in Into the Into the Groove: The Story of Sound From Tin Foil to Vinyl (Bloomsbury). Author and avid vinyl collector Jonathan Scott traces the history of recorded sound…including how, for many music lovers, it all came back around to vinyl! And believe it or not, it all started on paper!

Nov 22 2024
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Books, DVDs, Humor, Movies, Music, Photography, Pop Culture, Sports, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

Nov. 22 – Nov. 28

A Patsy Cline re-do, classic Beatles reissues, and a Jack Black Christmas flick!

The music of Patsy Cline gets funneled through a new generation of performers.

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, Nov. 22
Patsy Cline: Walkin’ After Midnight
Wynonna, Kristin Chenoweth, Kellie Pickler, Mickey Guyton, Grace Potter, Pat Benatar, actress Beverly D’Angelo and more pay homage to the late country music trailblazer (above) and her songs, including “Sweet Dreams,” “She’s Got You” and “Crazy” (9 p.m., PBS).

Jim Gaffigan: The Skinny
The Grammy-nominated comedian gives “the skinny” on appetite suppressants, raising teens and more in his first comedy special for the streaming platform (Hulu).

The Witches
What did early American women accused of witchcraft have to do with postpartum mental health? This new documentary films explores the connection with interviews from medical professionals, historians and contemporary females (Mubi).

SATURDAY, Nov. 23
Three Wiser Men and a Boy
Christmastime tale of brotherhood, a high school musical and a mom with a new boyfriend (8 p.m, Hallmark)

Die Hard
Is this 1998 Bruce Willis action flick (above) a “Christmas movie” or not? You’ve got another chance to see for yourself tonight, yippie kia yi yay! With Alan Rickman as a deliciously bad bad guy (8 p.m., TNT).

SUNDAY, Nov. 24
Expedition Files
Host Josh Gates travels through history searching for new evidence and answers to unexplained mysteries (9 p.m., Discovery).

Dear Santa: The Series
Meet the real-life “Santas” in the five episodes of this new holiday series about the people who actually answer kids’ letters to Santa Claus (ABC).

A Very Merry MeTV
Get in the Thanksgiving mood with a day of Turkey Day-themed episodes of Happy Days, The Beverly Hillbillies, Gilligan’s Island (below), The Love Boat and more (starts 11 a.m., MeTV).

MONDAY, Nov. 25
Get Millie Black
A Jamaica-born Scotland Yard detective (Tamara Lawrence) digs into missing-person cases in this new series from the UK (9 p.m., HBO).

Tsunami: Race Against Time
Four-part series uses first-person testimony and never-seen-before footage to re-examine the catastrophic 2004 Indian Ocean event that took over a quarter-million lives (9 p.m., NatGeo).

Dear Santa
Jack Black stars in this new Christmas comedy (above) as “Satan,” a trickster who shows up to create holiday havoc when a young boy (Robert Timothy Smith) sends his wish list to the North Pole…but with a crucial spelling error. The movie’s from the Farrelly Brothers, of Dumb and Dumber, There’s Something About Mary and Shallow Hal, so get ready for some major yuks (Paramount+).

TUESDAY, Nov. 26
It’s in the Game: Madden NFL
New series tells the story of one of the most popular and successful videogames of all time, its rise to greatness and its enduring pace in pop culture (Prime).

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 27
Countdown to Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Wendi McLeodon-Covey hosts this sneak peek at the floats, balloons and bands that will be on display tomorrow in downtown New York City (8 p.m., NBC).

The Untold Story of Mary Poppins
This special edition of 20/20 comes at the 60th anniversary of the Disney classic starring Julie Andrews as England’s most famous magical nanny and Dick Van Dyke as a merry-chap chimneysweep (9 p.m., ABC).

THURSDAY, Nov. 28
Sweethearts
Two college freshmen (Nico Hiraga and Kiernan Shipka) make a pact to break up with their high school sweethearts over the Thanksgiving break…but things take more crazy turns that a wild turkey (Max).

The Day Before Christmas
When two parents accidentally swap their kids’ backpacks and their phones, it leads to a chaotic, heartwarming holiday mix-up…and some unexpected romance (BET+).

Blue Bloods: Celebrating a Family Legacy
ET’s Nischelle Turner hosts this hour-long special includes series highlights and interviews with the stars and guests on the popular series, including a rare look inside the show’s recurring dinner scene, above (9 p.m., CBS).

NOW HEAR THIS

Christmas comes early for Beatles fans with this gollywhopper of a boxed set—all seven of the band’s albums compiled for U.S. release during the early days of Beatlemania, remastered anew into new analog mono, just as the originals. (As fans know, the U.S. albums were slightly different from the original British releases, sometimes with different artwork and tracks not always on their U.K. predecessors.) With The Beatles: 1964 U.S. Albums in Mono (Capitol), you’ll get Meet the Beatles, The Beatles’ Second Album, A Hard Day’s Night, Something New, The Beatles’ Story, Beatles ’65 and The Early Beatles, plus new artwork inserts, sleeve graphics and essays by Beatles historian Brian Spizer.

And if your tastes are for something a little more Southern, check out the groovy gravy of the Allman Brothers’ Final Concert 10-28-14 (Peach Records), the iconic Southern Rock ensemble’s “end of the road” concert event, staged at New York City’s Beacon Theater in 2014. It’s 30 songs drawn from six Allman Brothers albums, orchestrated by the band’s most recent lineup led by Warren Haynes.

11.20

BRING IT HOME

If you missed it back in 2016 at the theatres, now can snag this collector’s re-release edition of Hush (Shout! Factory) starring scream queen Kate Siegel as a deaf-mute writer fighting a serial killer who invades her solitary life in the woods. It’s a fan-favorite slasher flick that was remade—twice—in India!

Movie fans will freak out with Alfred Hitchcock: The Iconic Film Collection (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment), a superb remastered 4K collection of six of the acclaimed director’s groundbreaking classics, including Rear Window, To Catch a Thief, North by Northwest, Psycho, Vertigo and The Birds. Plus, a cool collectible book!

DC Comics’ fan-favorite vigilante crime-fighting group returns in Watchmen Chapter II (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment), the latest movie installment of their animated adventures, featuring a cast of voices led by Matthew Rhys, Titus Weliver and Katee Sackhoff.

Once upon a time, back in the early ‘70s, John Lennon and Yoko Ono “took over” America’s most popular daytime talk show. Find out all about it Daytime Revolution (Kino Larber), the new documentary about the superstar Beatle and his wife “hosted” The Mike Douglas Show for a full week, filling the studio (and the airwaves) with controversial guests (Black Panther Bobby Seale, political activist Ralph Nader, edgy comedian George Carlin) and rockiin’ the house with some not-ready-for-daytime music.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Calling the Shots: A Queer History of Photography (Thames & Hudson) is an eye-opening look at nearly two centuries of LGBTQ+ imagery and subjects illustrating homosexual and pansexual representation in the arts, on the streets and in the world at large. Hey! There’s Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, David Bowie, activist Angela Davis, rocker Patti Smith, Judy Garland, singer Dusty Springfield, Queen’s Freddie Mercury, Billie Holiday and Truman Capote! 

Are you “addicted” to shopping? Author Emily Mester takes on consumerism in American Bulk (W.W. Norton), a series of thought-provoking essays about excess and how it shapes our character, our sense of self and our connections to others. It’s a first-person narrative about our endless cycle of wanting, buying, consuming—and often discarding—all sorts of things and how it can still somehow leave us feeling empty inside. 

Find out about the making of the fan-favorite sitcom Parks & Recreation by Jim O’Heir (who played Jerry Gergich), who gives a firsthand account of working alongside the top-notch cast in Welcome to Pawnee (William Morrow) and how it became a beloved pop-cultural fan favorite. Includes 60 color pics, plus interviews with Chris Pratt, Rob Lowe, Retta and the show’s co-creators.

It’s almost like being there in Midnight Moment (Phaedon), a unique photographic chronicle of watching artwork unfold in Times Square up on the gigantic electronic billboards. Learn how it’s done and see the work of more than a hundred artists who’ve been featured on one of New York City’s most iconic displays.

Magic, sleight of hand and carefully crafted and controlled illusions have been around since almost the beginning of time, so they’ve certainly made many appearances (and disappearances!) on film. In Magic and Illusion in the Movies (McFarland), author George Higham provides a thorough history of the technology, special effects, diversion and trickery (in projects as wide as early horror flicks, The Wizard of Oz, Scooby-Doo cartoons, The Sting and Spider-Man) that have been created to fool our eyes.

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