Category Archives: Photography

Oct 31 2025
Leave a comment
Books, DVDs, Movies, Music, Photography, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

What to watch, and more! Oct. 31 – Nov. 6

A ‘Halloween’ marathon, the return of Robin Hood & how Harry Chapin’s ‘Cat’s in the Cradle‘ touched just about everyone

FRIDAY, Oct. 31
Halloween on Halloween
Happy Halloween! How better to celebrate than with this marathon of Halloween movies, starting with the original and continuing through its five sequels! (Begins 6:30, AMC).

The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Marathon
Tune in for a full day (well, 17 hours) of spook-tacular stuff in this 11th annual event featuring the characters from TV’s longest running comedy series—and a parade of alien invasions, horror film parodies and frights bigger than Homer’s donut cravings (starts 7 a.m., FXX).

SATURDAY, Nov. 1
Oktoberfest: Beer and Blood
In 1900s Munich, an ambitious brewer uses brutal tactics to build a beer hall that will dominate the city’s lucrative Oktoberfest event (Netflix).

SUNDAY, Nov. 2
Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking
Actors James and Oliver Phelps (who played Fred and George Weasley) return for season two of the six-episode competition built around the enduring fantasy franchise, with appearances by other cast members sharing their memories about working on the films (8p.m., Food Network).

Robin Hood
Welcome to Sherwood! The new reimagined 10-episode series—based on the classic tale of the roguish outlaw hero who stole from the rich and gave to the poor—stars Jack Patten, Lauren McQueen, Sean Bean and Connie Nielsen (MGM+). 

MONDAY, Nov. 3
Malice
Jack Whitehall and David Duchovny star in this new twisty psychological revenge thriller about an extended family vacation in Greece that takes a very wrong turn (Prime Video).

Life After
Film investigates assisted dying when death seems like the only option (10 p.m., PBS)

Crutch
This new comedy series set in the world of CBS’ The Neighborhood stars Tracy Morgan as a Harlem shop owner whose life gets tossed a curve ball when his son and daughter move back home (Paramount+).

TUESDAY, Nov. 4
All’s Fair
Watch the first three episodes of this new series (above) about a team of female divorce attorneys who leave their male-dominated firm to open their own powerhouse practice. Starring Kim Kardashian, Naomi Watts, Niecy Nash-Betts, Sarah Paulson and Glenn Close (Hulu).

Cat’s in the Cradle is a fine music doc about Harry Chapin’s heart-wrenching ode to parenthood and how it impacted an entire generation of music makers who heard it, including Pat Benatar, Billy Joel and Dee Snider of Twisted Sister (check streaming services).

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 5
Operation Space Station
Celebrate the 25th anniversary of the continuous human presence in space with this doc all about the International Space Station—an object the size of a football field orbiting the Earth at 17,000 mpg—and the technology and people power that made it possible (9 p.m., PBS).

Finding Joy
An unlucky-in-love New York fashion designer (Shannon Thornton) finds her romantic life is change with some Colorado holiday magic (Prime Video).

THURSDAY, Nov. 6
Wicked: One Wonderful Night
Ahead of the much-anticipated theatrical part two of the smash film musical on Nov. 21, you can gear up with this two-hour special featuring stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, joined by their costars and other guests as they perform songs from the first movie…and throw in some bewitching surprises (8 p.m., NBC).

All Her Fault
Sarah Snook stars in this new drama (above) about a mom who experiences every parent’s worst nightmare in a play-date mix-up with her son. The ensemble cast features Jake Lacy, Dakota Fanning and Michael Peña (Peacock).

NOW HEAR THIS

It’s beginning to look—and sound—a lot like Christmas! Especially with the Classic Holiday Singles Box Set (Universal Music), which corrals 28 holiday tunes from classic crooners (Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Brenda Lee, Elvis and The Beach Boys, to cite a handful) on 14 color vinyl 7” 45s. Settle in for some spins of this retro Yule treat!

Vroom! The Cars celebrate the 40th anniversary of one of their biggest, quadruple-platinum albums with Heartbeat City (Deluxe Edition), a 4-CD/1 LP set that contains hits like “Magic,” “Drive,” “YouMight Think” and “Hello Again,” plus rare cuts and a complete 1984 concert. As The Cars themselves once told us in song, “Let’s go!” (Rhino).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

How much do you know about the Japanese animation form known as anime? Well, you’ll know a lot more after reading Ultimate Anime: 100 Essential Films and Series (Thames & Hudson). Author Joe O’Connell breaks down the format with wide-ranging explorations on its creators, genres and cultural influence, in this visually rich spotlight.

Rock fans, you’ll dig The Royal We (Akashic Books), the memoir from Roddy Bottum—who co-founded the bands Faith No More and Imperial Teens—about his early career in the freewheeling punk scene of San Francisco to his mainstream breakthrough as an outwardly queer man in a homophobic hard rock scene. Plus, his intersections with Courtney Love and Robert Plant, and opening for Metallica. 

In The Far Edges of the Known World (W.W. Norton), author Owen Rees takes us down a time tunnel, centuries ago, to when dwellers all over the ancient world thought the edges of their cultures marked the harsh boundaries between civilization and a realm of monsters, heathens and myths. It’s a fascinating journey across the globe—and a chance to get to know the people who actually called the distant hinterlands home.

You’ll be humming “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and a lot of other tunes too, when you read The Music of Baseball (McFarland), author George Boziwick’s spritely look at how the soundtrack of “America’s Pastime” has evolved throughout a century of wars, social upheaval, racial integration and a move to the west Coast.

Dig into the history behind some of Hollywood’s most iconic horror and sci-fi classics in Creature Feature Creators (McFarland), author Tom Weaver’s wide-ranging spotlight on filmmakers, actors, special-effects artists and other who worked on all sorts of scary movies from the 1940s through the ‘70s. 

Read—or read again—the only full story of the Beatles, as told and written by the Beatles, in this splendid 25th anniversary edition of The Beatles Anthology, which traces the lives of the lads from Liverpool through childhood through their superstar career paths. And it’s loaded with rare pics, handwritten notes, set lists and more. It’s a Beatles bonanza! (Chronicle Books).

Paul McCartney himself (and a bunch of his friends!) tell how they became one of the world’s most successful bands in Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run (Liveright, W.W. Norton). It’s a first-person record of the record-setting group, their treks across America and their success across the decades, with insights from Linda McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, producer George Martin and many more—like supermodel Twiggy, actor Dustin Hoffman and Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde.

BRING IT HOME

The critically hailed East of Wall (Sony Pictures Classic) is now available on DVD. It’s about a young, rebellious horse trader (Tabitha Zimiga) in South Dakota struggling after the death of her husband with grief and financial insecurity, all while caring for a group of wayward teens on her broken-down Badlands ranch.

Oct 17 2025
Leave a comment
Books, DVDs, History, Movies, Music, Photography, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

What to watch, and more! Oct. 17 – Oct. 23

A new ‘Sheriff’ comes to town, country music hits ‘The Road’ and Charlie Brown re-discovers the Great Pumpkin!

Morena Baccarin stars in ‘Sheriff Country.’

FRIDAY, Oct. 17
Mr. Scorsese
Documentary explores the life, career and movie masterpieces of the acclaimed filmmaker, whose decade-spanning works include Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Cape Fear and The Last Temptation of Christ (Apple TV+).

Sheriff Country
Fire Country spinoff stars Morena Baccarin as a straight-shootin’ sheriff in California balancing crime fighting, competition for her job and motherhood (9 p.m., CBS).

SATURDAY, Oct. 18
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
It’s time again for the timeless adventure as Charlie Brown preps for a party, Snoopy sets his sights on the Red Baron and Linus awaits a pumpkin patch miracle (Apple TV+).

Anything But Gray|
New Southern-fried series follows designer Gray Benko as she transforms homes in Charleston, S.C., to bring out their character through color, whimsy and imaginative touches (1 p.m., Magnolia Network).

SUNDAY, Oct. 19
The Road
New singing competition is hosted by country stars Keith Urban, Blake Shelton and Gretchen Wilson (9 p.m., CBS).

Hal & Carter
Lili Reinhart, Betty Gilpin and Mark Ruffalo star in this drama about siblings whose closeness is both a blessing and a curse of co-dependence (Mubi).

MONDAY, Oct. 20
Ratified
Explore the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) through Virginia’s pivotal ratification battle led by Black women and a multi-racial, multi-generational coalition, which enshrined gender equality in America nearly a century after it was proposed (10 p.m., PBS).

Summertide
Drama about a marine biologist (Frank Rautenbach) who loses his wife to tragedy and moves with his rebellious teens back to his childhood home to begin again. But can the calm coastal waters hide the painful secrets roiling just beneath their surface? (Acorn TV).

TUESDAY, Oct. 21
Armed Only With a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud
Documentary about the first American journalist to die while reporting on the war in Ukraine, and how the Arkansas native covered some of the world’s most dangerous conflicts (9 p.m., HBO).

The Rise of RFK Jr.
Learn about the dramatic and controversial rise of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and how this son of a storied dynasty broke with the Democratic party and his family, stoked conspiracy theories and is now reshaping government and public health as the U.S. secretary of health (10 p.m., PBS).

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 22
Riot Women
Joana Scanlan, Rosalie Craig and Tamsin Greig star in this episodic drama about menopausal British women who form a punk band to enter a talent contest, but then find out they have a lot more to shout about than they imagined (BritBox).

Lazarus
Sam Clafin and Bill Nighy star in this new series about a man who becomes entangled in the mysteries surrounding the deaths of two family members (Prime).

THURSDAY, Oct. 23
Nobody Wants This
Season two begins of the romcom about a gentile podcaster (Kristen Bell) who falls in love with a Jewish rabbi (Adam Brody) (Netflix).

The Red King
New series about a police sergeant (Anjli Mohindra) reassigned to an isolated island with an eerie past, strange rituals and unexplained deaths (AMC+).

NOW HEAR THIS

You know her as lead singer of The Pretenders. Now Chrissy Hyde is singing a new tune, and she’s got a bunch of musical friends with her. On Duets Special (Rhino), her fourth album under her own name, she’s harmonizing with k.d. lang, Blondie’s Deborah Harry, Julian Lennon, Lucinda Williams, Rufus Wainwright and more in 13 stripped-down arrangements with minimal instrumentation on tunes like “(You’re My) Soul and Inspiration,” “It’s Only Love,” “Always on my Mind” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”

How kool is this? Re-live all the smooth funky groovery of Kool & The Gang on the new reissue of the band’s Greatest Hits (Umusic), available on limited-edition vinyl as well as CD. You’ll get “Jungle Boogie,” “Hollywood Swinging,” “Ladies Night,” “Too Hot,” “Celebration,” “Get Down On It” and more!

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Find out all sorts of inventive do-ers in Lives of the Great Makers (Thames & Hudson), with 40 biographies of people like furniture magnate Thomas Chippendale, painters and glass artists, goldsmiths, sculptors, designers and many more men and women who’ve made our world a better place through the craftiness of their hands. It’s a testament to the creativity and artistry all around us.

How do Bob Dylan’s song lyrics reveal his story? If the answer, my friend, isn’t “Blowin’ in the Wind,” you may find it in Bob Dylan: Things Have Changed (Melville House). Read as former Village Voice reporter Ron Rosenbaum takes an intriguing dive into the life of the enigmatic, shape-shifting Nobel-Prize-winning music-maker via the words of his songs, tracing his trajectory from hippie folkster to Greenwich Village cultural revolutionary, countrified crooner and proselytizing Christian.

In Wild Ocean, acclaimed wildlife photogs Peter and Beverly Pickford highlight the eye-popping, pristine beauties of our planet’s seas, inhabitants and coastal areas, at a time when overfishing, pollution and global warming have plunged their futures into question. (Thames & Hudson)

Named Vogue Living‘s Designer of the Year in 2024 and recognized by Architectural Digest (Germany) as one of the world’s true design influencers, author Fiona Lynch is renowned for her mastery of mood. Her bold style and intuitive ideas are on full display in Material Wonder (Thames & Hudson), a stunningly illustrated book in which she explores new materials and techniques for her brand of “spirited minimalism” to make spaces look like…well, like they should be in a book!

Curb Your Enthusiasm fans will love No Lessons Learned (Black Dog & Leventhal), with first-person interviews from cast members (Larry David, Cheryl Hines, Jeff Garlin, Richard Lewis and many more), directors, producers and others (guests like Jerry Seinfeld, Richard Kind and Ben Stiller) who helped make it a huge hit on its HBO run, all the way back to 2000.  Plus it’s packed with plot outlines, scripts, sketches, quotes and gads of never-before-seen behind-the-scenes pics.

Can you name the Black family who founded one of the country’s most durable construction dynasties?  You’ll find the answer in The Black Family Who Built America (Black Privilege Publishing), about Moses McKissak, a former slave who became an exceptional craftsman and launched a family business now its fifth generation.  It’s written by Cheryl MicKissack, a fifth-generation descendant of Moses who now leads the company.

Perfect bedtime reading the Halloween season, The Screen Chills Companion (McFarland) by Chris Fellner is a treasure trove for fans of scary movies during Hollywood’s “second wave” of horror in the 1940s, when monsters (Frankenstein, the Invisible Man, Dracula, the Wolf Man and more) were spawning all sorts of movie sequels.

BRING IT HOME

Re-bask in the opulence and intrigue of a bygone New York in The Guilded Age: The Complete Third Season (Warner Bros. Discovery), with all eight episodes of the HBO period drama starring Carrie Coon, Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Nathan Lane and Andrea Martin.

If you’re of an, ahem, certain age, you might remember Shari Lewis, the Peabody Award-winning ventriloquist, puppeteer and TV show host. Shari and Lamb Chop (kinolarber.com) tells her wide-ranging story—and how she created a puppet, Lamb Chop, for TV’s Captain Kangaroo in the mid-1950s, then parlayed that into success as a well-known children’s-TV icon through the decades to come.

Tom Cruise is back, baby, in Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning (Paramount), starring again as special agent Ethan Hunt in all kinds of perilous spy stuff, including escaping from a sunken submarine and hanging outside a biplane. Oh yeah, and trying to save the world! All in a day’s work!

Oct 10 2025
Leave a comment
Books, DVDs, History, Movies, Music, Photography, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

What to watch and more, Oct. 10- 16

Why we love John Candy, the horrors of John Wayne Gacy & a whole night of ‘NCIS’

FRIDAY, Oct. 10
John Candy: I Like Me
Heartfelt documentary tribute to the legendary and much-loved Canadian comedy icon, with stories and memories from Candy’s family, friends, collaborators and admirers—including Tom Hanks, whose son, Colin, directed (Prime Video).

Vicious
Dakota Fanning stars as a young woman who receives a mysterious gift from a late-night visitor, drawing her into a waking nightmare (Paramount+).

The Woman in Cabin 10
While on a luxury yacht for a travel assignment, a journalist (Kiera Knightly) witnesses a passenger thrown overboard, only to be told it didn’t happen. With Guy Pearce and Hannah Waddington (Netflix).

SATURDAY, Oct. 11
Monster in the Family: The Stacy Kananen Story
Based on a true story, this drama follows a young woman (Elisha Cuthbert) who finds herself entangled in a web of buried bodies and manipulation (8 p.m., Lifetime).

SUNDAY, Oct. 12
Matlock
In tonight’s “sneak peek” of season two, Kathy Bates returns to the TV role of lawyer Madeline Matlock (above) for the revived series that gender-flipped the 1980s original, which starred Andy Griffith (8:30 p.m., CBS).

The Chair Company
New comedy series debut about a man who finds himself investigating a far-reaching conspiracy after witnessing an embarrassing incident at work. Starring Tim Robinson, Lake Bell and Sophia Lillis (10 p.m., HBO Max).

MONDAY, Oct. 13
DMV
New workplace comedy starring Harriet Dyer and Tim Meadows, about a crew of lovable misfits (above) tackling bureaucracy, bad attitudes and busted printers—with minimum wage and maximum sarcasm (8:30 p.m., CBS).

Solar Opposites
Sixth and final season of the animated series about space aliens trying to live on a budget. Dan Stevens and Thomas Middleditch provide voices (Hulu).

TUESDAY, Oct. 14
NCIS Night
It’s all NCIS, all night, with season premieres of the flagship drama’s 23rd season, plus spinoffs NCIS: Origins and NCIS: Sydney (begins 8 p.m., CBS).

Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore
An intimate look at the life of the actress, the first deaf performer to win an Academy Award, as she shares her story in her native America Sign Language (9. p.m., PBS).

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 15
From Rails to Trails
Documentary narrated by actor Edward Norton about the movement, which began 60 years ago, to convert abandoned railroad trackways to public trails for cycling and walking (check local listings, PBS).

Murdaugh: Death in the Family
Series based on the real-life family drama of Maggie and Alex Murdaugh and the murder of the fourth-generation scion of a local legal dynasty. Starring Jason Clarke and Patricia Arquette (Hulu).

THURSDAY, Oct. 16
Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy
Limited series (above) dramatizes the evils of the notorious Gacy, who was convicted of kidnapping and murdering 33 young men in the 1970s. Starring Michael Chernus (from Severance), Gabriel Luna (The Last of Us) and James Dale Badge (1923) (Peacock).

NOW HEAR THIS

The political New York City activism of John Lennon and wife Yoko One is celebrated in Power to the People (Capitol/UME), a 12-disc boxed set with more than 100 tracks, a new remix of Lennon’s only full-length concert appearances after the Beatles, outtakes, home recordings, jam sessions and much more. Son Sean Lennon produced the project.

Get a big dose of downhome Texas Blues with The Last Real Texas Blues Album (Antone’s Records), part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the iconic Austin nightclub Antone’s. Fittingly, the album is filled with artists who’ve performed there, including The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Jimmie Vaughn, Charlie Sexton, Lil’ Ed Wilson and McKinley James, performing classics like “You’ll Lose a Good Thing,” “The Sky is Crying,” “Flip, Flop and Fly” and “Going Down.” Put it on, turn it up, and dig it.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Fans of the British supergroup led by brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher will dig Oasis: Trying to Find a Way Out of Nowhere (Thames & Hudson), a photo-packed visual chronicle by acclaimed rock photog Jill Furmanovsky—who was given unparalleled access to countless worldwide performances, recording sessions and offstage moments, beginning in the band’s early ‘90s heyday.  With written commentary and insights by Noel about the wild ride of being in one of the top-selling groups of all time. 

Wanna look like a million bucks? Author Natalie Hammond tells (and shows) you how in Style Codes: Cher (Abrams), a guide to looking your best based on the singing star’s own “reinvention” to become an icon of class, glamor, success sand style. From gowns to jackets, boots, bell bottoms and hairstyles, you’ll find out what worked for Cher, and how to find inspiration for your own assets.

Look! Up in the sky! No, it’s not superman, but rather Aviary: The Bird in Contemporary Photography (Thames & Hudson), a stunning look at how more than 50 modern photographers artistically “captured” winged splendor, illustrating not only the eye-popping spectrum of color and “design” in the aerial world, but also the ways it’s always inspired us down here on the ground.

How do borders define our world? In Atlas of Borders (Thames & Hudson), geopolitical experts Delphine Papin and Bruno Tertrais reflect on the world through the lens of the seen and unseen things that split it up and separate it. Filled with maps and infographics, it’s a fascinating crash course in the ways, and the whys, the Earth has been subdivided and sliced up, leading to walls, migrations and wars.

As foodies know, there’s something special about good ol’ Southern cookin’. Author and food historian Michael J. Twitty’s Recipes From the American South (Phaidon) is a lip-smackin’ guide to more than 260 yummies of all sorts from our country’s Southland, from bread and biscuits, stews, sauces, sweets to main courses like chicken and dumplings, red-eye gravy and mint julips.

Do you believe in magic? Well, you might, after reading podcaster Pam Grossman’s Magic Maker (Penguin Random House), about how magic and spiritualism have been long associated with creativity—and how you can make the most of those same “supernatural” vibes. It’s trippy and cool and a combination of guidebook and history of spells, magic and witchery, and how they’ve been channeled for centuries to fuel creative arts of all kinds.

What’s in a word? In Unabridged: The Thrill of (and Threat to) the Modern Dictionary (Grove Atlantic), author Stefan Fatsis dives into the exotic world of America’s most famous publisher of dictionaries, Merriam-Webster, at a time when words are changing in many ways, including how we create, define, use and consume language. It’s a vibrant, colorful history of dictionaries and the company that made them household items, how spoken language makes winds its way into our lexicon, and who decides what those words mean. Word up!

Michael Jackson insiders reveal the high-stakes battle to revive the superstar’s reputation and sales mojo in the mid-‘90s after tabloids had started calling him “Wacko Jacko” and his personal life was widely known for its eccentricities. You’ve Got Michael (Trouser Press) avoids the controversies but goes right for the nuts ‘n’ bolts of keeping an outsized supersized career alive, as told by author Dan Beck, the Epic Records exec who worked for five years with the troubled superstar.

It’s been a while for most of us, likely, since we unfolded a paper map and used it for navigation. But such orienteering tools used to be the language essential to exploring and getting around—and they often had to be redrawn and rejiggered, as civilization advanced the geography morphed. The Library of Lost Maps (Bloomsbury) by geographer James Cheshire offers a scholarly tour, across the 19th and 20th centuries, of how maps remind us of our past…and provide gateways to the future for an ever-changing world in progress.

Dig into The Maya Myths: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes and Ancestors (Thames & Hudson), in which author Mallory E. Matsumoto presents a richly detailed look at the legends, beliefs and culture that over previous centuries built a thriving, complex society in what is now Mexico and Central America—before mysteriously collapsing and vanishing.

A spinoff of the popular TikTok series, F*cked Up Fairy Tales (W.W. Norton) by Liz Gotauco offers “grown-up” tellings of classic folktales from around the world, with gritty details that the “Disney-fied versions” conveniently omitted—of homicidal royals, cursed commoners, carnal couplings and all manner of beasts…and beastly behavior. For anyone who likes their mythology refreshingly bawdy, dig in!

Don’t ever tell anybody they’re “irreplaceable,” especially after you read Mary Roach’s Replaceable You (W.W. Norton), a sprightly exploration of the human body. You’ll better understand the many ways science and technology have risen to the challenges of altering (or outright replacing) our skin, our hair, our organs, our breasts and bones and teeth and just about everything else. (W.W. Norton)

BRING IT HOME

Ready for a good scare? Weapons, one of the year’s best supernatural horror flicks, depicts an unsettling scenario about a town in a panic when all the children from a classroom mysteriously disappear—all, that is, except one. Starring Josh Brolin and Julia Garner. Bonus features take you inside the making of the flick (Warner Bros. Discovery).

Joaquin Phoenix, Austin Butler, Emma Stone and Pedro Pascal star in director Ari Aster’s Eddington (A24), a dark comedy set in a small town during the COVID-19 pandemic where disagreements cause political and social turmoil.

Sep 12 2025
Leave a comment
Books, DVDs, History, Movies, Music, Photography, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

What to watch, and more! Sept. 12 – 18

A new morning for ‘The Morning Show,’ honoring TV’s top performers & meet the real ‘Top Guns’

Reese Witherspoon & Jennifer Aniston return to ‘The Morning Show.’

FRIDAY, Sept. 12
Lost in the Jungle
True story about a deadly plane crash that stranded four young siblings deep in the Columbia rain forest, sparking a dramatic rescue mission in a race against time (9 p.m., National Geographic).

Vampirina: Teenage Vampire
New series about a tween bloodsucker (Mykal-Michelle Harris) who leaves the safety of Transylvania to attend an arts boarding school and cultivate her passion for music (8 p.m., Disney Channel). 

SATURDAY, Sept. 13
A Husband to Die For
The horrifying story of a pregnant woman who is savagely attacked in her home and left for dead, only to discover it was all orchestrated by her very own husband. Starring Keana Lyn Bastidas and Marilu Henner (Lifetime).

Grace for the World
Live performances from Pharrell Williams, Jennifer Hudson, Andrea Bocelli, John Legend, Jelly Roll and more will air from St. Peter’s Square, marking the first time such a musical televised event has ever occurred from the heart of Vatican City (streaming on Disney+, Hulu and ABC News Live) 

SUNDAY, Sept. 14
The Ride With Norman Reedus
Climb aboard for season seven with motorcycle enthusiast and Walking Dead star Norman Reedus on more epic road trips around the world (AMC and AMC+).

The Emmy Awards
Comedian Nate Bargatze hosts tonight’s 77th annual presentation honoring the year’s top TV shows and talent (8 p.m., CBS).

MONDAY, Sept. 15
Celebrity Weakest Link
Jane Lynch returns as host of the cutthroat game show with stars from TV, sports and standup comedy (8 p.m., Fox). 

Antiques Roadshow
The durable docuseries continues its 29th season with all-new “vintage” episodes, looking back at memorable objects from 15 years ago and accessing what they’re worth today (8 p.m., PBS).

TUESDAY, Sept. 16

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City
Season six begins with a supersized crossover episode as the girls prepare to charter the boat and crew of Below Deck Down Under for a glamorous cruise (8 p.m., Bravo).

Top Guns: The Next Generation
There’s no Tom Cruise, but this new six-part series does take you inside the U.S. Navy’s elite aviation program to meet the student pilots and go inside their rigorous  training program (8 p.m., National Geographic).

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 17
Academy of Country Music Honors
Carly Pearce hosts this celebration of country superstars, including Clint Black, Tim McGraw, K.T. Oslin, Mary Chapin Carpenter (8 p.m., Fox).

Electric Bloom
New music-themed comedy mockumentary series about the young women (above) who make up the “world’s biggest band” (Disney +).

The Morning Show
Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston return to lead the star-stuffed cast for season four of the award-winning drama about goings-on (AI, love triangles, coverups, cutthroat competition, corporate meddling and ghosts of the past) at a NYC TV network in a highly polarized America (Apple TV+).

THURSDAY, Sept. 18
Sounds of Summer
Feel-good true story about Swedish pop sensation Gyllene Tilder, one of the most successful bands in Sweden ever, led by Pat Gessle, who would go on to co-found the group Roxette (Viaplay).

Black Rabbit
A rising-star restaurateur (Jude Law) is forced into New York’s criminal underworld in this limited thriller series when his chaotic brother (Jason Bateman) returns to town with loan sharks on his trail (Netflix).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Since the beginning of time, humans have wondered what it would be like to fly above the earth, like birds. The new 25th anniversary edition of Earth from Above, by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, combines original images with new photography and contemporary insights from environmental experts to show worldwide, bird’s-eye-view splendors of our planet while gauging our progress as caretakes over the past three decades.

Here, kitty kitty. Feline fanciers will love City Cats of Instanbul (Thames & Hudson), a photographic journey by photographer Marcel Heijnen into the lives of the felines that live on the streets of Turkey’s largest metropolis, one of civilization’s oldest outposts.

Take an eye-popping tour of some prize-winning buildings in Assemble: Building Collective (Thames & Hudson), a look at some 40 major works from a design group that’s been called the future of architecture for its emphasis on community-based, collaborative projects in Great Britain, rural Japan and France.

You’ve no doubt hear about “making a deal with the Devil.” Devil’s Contract (Melville House) by Ed Simon takes a deep dive into the history of the Faustian bargain—from ancient times to bluesman Robert Johnson, into modern day—illustrating how sacrificing our principles in pursuit of power can invite all kinds of social ills. It’s a fascinating plunge into the many twists of the enduring mythology of selling our souls.   

NOW HEAR THIS

Celebrate the 40th anniversary of Phil Collins’ hit 1985 album No Jacket Required (Atlantic) with this newly remastered 4-LP box set. In addition to the hits repressed on 180-gram hi-fidelity vinyl (“Sussido,” “One More Night,” “Don’t Lose My Number,” “Only You Know and I Know”), there are additional live tracks, including demos and a recording from Collin’s appearance at Live Aid.

Version 1.0.0

Get a taste of down-home Texas Blues with The Last Real Texas Blues Album (Antone’s Records), honoring the 50th anniversary of the iconic Austin nightclub Antone’s. Fittingly, the album is filled with artists who’ve performed there, including The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Jimmie Vaughn, Charlie Sexton, Lil’ Ed Wilson and McKinley James, performing classics like “You’ll Lose a Good Thing,” “The Sky is Crying,” “Flip, Flop and Fly” and “Going Down.” Put it on, turn it up, and dig it.

Sep 05 2025
Leave a comment
Books, DVDs, Movies, Music, Photography, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

What to watch, and more, Sept. 5 – Sept. 11!

More ‘Murders,’ weather detectives, celebrity sex tapes and Charlie Sheen tells all!

Selena Gomez, Martin Short & Steve Martin return for more murder-mystery shenanigans in the new season of ‘Only Murders in the Building.’

FRIDAY, Sept. 5
Highest 2 Lowest
Denzel Washington stars in director Spike Lee’s neo-noir crime drama as a New York titan music mogul who finds himself in a life-or-death dilemma. With Jeffrey Wright, ASAP Rocky and Ice Spice (Apple TV+)

Dish It Out
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey’s daughter, Tilly, steps out from her famous dad’s impressive shadow her own cooking show (Prime).

SATURDAY, Sept. 6
The Girl Who Vanished
Lily and her parents are shocked when Emily, abducted when she was just a child, is found and returned to the family. But as strange events begin to unfold, they begin to question whether the past is truly behind them (8 p.m., Lifetime).

SUNDAY, Sept. 7
MTV Video Music Awards
What were the best music videos of the year? Find out in tonight’s three-hour simulcast, hosted by LL Cool J, of the iconic “Moon Man” trophy fest—and see what big award will be going to Mariah Carey (8 p.m., CBS, and streaming on Paramount+).

Task
Mark Ruffalo stars in this new series an FBI agent heading a task force to put an end to a string of violent robberies (9 p.m., HBO).

MONDAY, Sept. 8
Weather Hunters
Emmy-winning weatherman Al Roker is joined by Sheryl Lee Ralph, Holly Robinson Peete and LeVar Burton as voices in this new animated series about a “weather detective” and her family (PBS Kids).

Celebrity Sex Tapes
Want some juicy tabloid-y dirt? This provocative new docuseries looks at the most infamous, career-altering celebrity “leaks” of our time, including those from Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee (above), Kim Kardashian, Colin Farrell and more (9 p.m., A&E).

TUESDAY, Sept. 9
Only Murders in the Building
Season five starts tonight of the dramedy starring Martin Short, Steve Martin and Selena Gomez as amateur sleuths and flatmates now discovering a dangerous web of secrets connecting billionaires, old-school mobsters and more (Hulu).

Becoming Thurgood: America’s Social Architect
Learn about the iconic lawyer and civil rights leader who became the first Black justice on the U.S. Supreme Court (10 p.m., PBS).

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10
Downtown Abbey Celebrates the Grand Finale
Cast members celebrate the show’s final chapter (above) and look ahead to the feature film about the phenomenally successful series, in theaters Sept. 12 (9 p.m., NBC).

Charlie Sheen
The actor revisits his journey through fame and addiction with unflinching honesty (and some epic stories) in this new original documentary ((Netflix).

THURSDAY, Sept. 11
Tyler Perry’s Zatima
This Sistas spinoff follows the characters Fatima (Crystal Renee Hayslett )and Zac (Devale Ellis)  as they prepare for parenthood while navigating deep emotional scars and explosive entanglements (BET+).

NOW HEAR THIS

Groove again to one cool cat with On the Road to Findout: Greatest Hits (A&M/UMe), the first-ever collection of music spanning the entire career of Cat Stevens/Yusuf. You’ll hear “Peace Train,” “Wild World,” “Morning Has Broken,” “Moonshadow,” “Old Schoolyard” and dozens of other tracks from albums ranging from 1967 to 2023, plus a 24-page booklet with reflections from Stevens.

War, the genre-defying ‘70s band, is celebrated in The CD Collection: 1971-1975 (Rhino), a roundup of five essential albums by the California-based soul band: War, All Day Music, The World is a Ghetto, Deliver the Word and Why Can’t We Be Friends. Groove again to the tunes, including “The Cisco Kid,” “Slippin’ Into Darkness” and “Gyspy Man.”

BRING IT HOME

Find out why the third season of HBO’s hit high-society satire broke viewership records by reliving all the drama, surprises and fan-favorite characters in The White Lotus: The Complete Third Season (Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment), set in Thailand with a cast including Carrie Coon, Leslie Bibb, Walton Goggins, Michelle Monaghan, Parker Posey, Patrick Schwarzenegger—and a gollywhopper of an appearance by Sam Rockwell.

Get your retro groove with Spenser: For Hire: The Complete Series (Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment), marking the 40th anniversary of the 1980s ABC-TV drama starring hunky Robert Urich as a Boston P.I. looking into a new murder each episode. This new set marks the first time all three seasons—65 episodes—of the show have corralled into one collection.

The dinos roar again in Jurassic World: Rebirth (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment), the latest entry in the franchise that began back in 1993. Featuring an all-new set of characters, this one stars Scarlett Johannson, Mahershala Ali and Rupert Friend coming across some mutated, mega-nasty CHI dino beasties on a tropical island—and planning to swipe some embryos for a “buyer” back home. Extras include a doc about making the movie, plus deleted scenes, an alternate opening and more.

Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp and Anna Chlumsky star in Bride Hard (Magenta Light Studios), a rollicking comedy about a wedding’s party that turns the tables on a mercenary group with designs on taking the guests hostage.

One of the year’s best horror flicks, Clown in a Cornfield, is now available in a 4K Steelbook edition. Katie Douglas, Aaron Abrams, Will Sasso and Kevin Durand star in the terrifying tale of a small community menaced by, yes, a clown in a cornfield, who comes to cleanse the town of its burdens, one victim at a time.

How did Brenda Lee go from being a teeny teenage singing sensation—Little Miss Dynamite—to later become a global icon, the first woman to enter both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame? You can find out in Brenda Lee: Rockin’ Around (Mercury Studios, TH Entertainment and Nashville PBS), which covers her life and career, and her interactions with The Beatles, Patsy Cline and Elvis. Rock on, Brenda!

READ ALL ABOUT IT

In Grime (City Lights), author Thea Matthews uses poetry to create an unflinching coming-of-age portrait of the glamour and the grit of San Francisco’s notorious “tenderloin district” and the squalor of its poverty and addiction. It’s a story of dirt and detritus, but also of survival, triumph and resiliency in the face of overwhelming odds.

Get an early jump on the Christmas spirit with the newly revised edition of Norman Rockwell’s Christmas (originally released in 1977), which pairs more than 80 pieces of timeless artwork from the archive of the iconic painter with a variety of Christmas poems, stories and carols…plus a “vintage” Christmas dinner recipe from 1896! (Abrams)

Aug 29 2025
Leave a comment
Books, Movies, Music, Photography, Pop Culture, Sports, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

What to watch, and more! Aug. 29 – Sept. 4

A Flintstones milestone, another Mormon cult & the new NCIS spinoff!

FRIDAY, Aug. 29
Vice is Broke
Doc about the meteoric rise and catastrophic fall of Vice, which started as a scrappy alt-punk ‘zine and become a media empire, before its bankruptcy as a sleazy exemplar of disaster capitalism (Mubi).

The Twin
Haunted by the tragic loss of his son, a man (Logan Donovan) struggles with grief and a strained relationship with his wife, has troubling visions of himself and becomes aware of supernatural forces that threaten to consume him (Shudder).

SATURDAY, Aug. 30
Dinner & A Movie
Hosts Jason Biggs and Jenny Mollen welcome Superman star Skyler Gisondo for a screening of Man of Steel (8 p.m., TBS).

Summer Under the Stars
As TCM’s annual movie-fest month draws to a close, settle in for a dozen films starring Kirk Douglas, including Paths of Glory (above), Ace in the Hole, Lust for Life and Detective Story (starts 6 a.m.)

SUNDAY, Aug. 31
The Flintstones: 65 Years and Still Rock’n!
All-day marathon celebrating the 65th anniversary of the classic ‘toon, with more than two dozen back-to-back episodes plus two full-length movies, A Man Called Flintstone and The Flintstones Meet the Jetsons (begins 6 a.m., MeTV Toons). 

Let the Devil In
Four-episode documentary about a decades-old tragedy in New Jersey that some people insist was Satan taking possession of a vulnerable teenage boy—but others insist more earthly demons were to blame (MGM+). 

MONDAY, Sept. 1
Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence
Four-part docuseries about a couple of Mormon women influencers whose microcosm of control, manipulation and brutality led to devastating emotional and physical child abuse (9 p.m., ID).

The Runarounds
New drama series (above) about a group of Southern high schoolers who form a rock band, learning about love, life and lifelong friendship along the way (Prime Video).

TUESDAY, Sept. 2
Bobby’s Triple Threat
A trio of top-notch chefs hand-picked by Bobby Flay take on highly skilled competitors in cooking rounds with surprise featured ingredients for a chance to win $25,000 (8 p.m., Food Network).

True South
The crew travels to Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and South Carolina to shine the spotlight on cooks, eaters and everyday heroes (8 p.m., SEC Network).

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 3
Mountain Men
New season of the reality series intros viewers to more individuals and couples with the modern-day pioneer spirt and a yen for wild-n-wooly wilderness living (8 p.m., History).

The Last Wright: Building the Final Home Design of America’s Greatest Architect
Designers take on the ambitious challenge of building a home in Ohio based on the last set of plans created by legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright before his death in 1959 (8 p.m., Magnolia Network).

THURSDAY, Sept. 4
NCIS: Tony & Ziva
New spinoff of the franchise featuring former series regulars (played by Michael Weatherly, above, and Cote de Pablo) as their reprise their special-agent characters, now on the run with their daughter in search an unconventional happily ever after (Paramount+).

The Paper
A mockumentary (like the Emmy Award-winning series The Office) about a historic Midwestern newspaper and the publisher trying to revive it. Starring Domhnall Gleeson, Sabrina Impacciatore and The Office’s Oscar Nuñez (Peacock).

NOW HEAR THIS

Everybody on the dance floor—once more! The 40th anniversary white vinyl re-release of Dancing in the Street (Parlophone) rekindles the magic of the 1995 superstar collaboration of David Bowie and Mick Jagger on the Motown classic, originally done as a cheeky video for part of the global humanitarian Live Aid project to combat global hunger. And the newly mastered groovery has never sounded groovier.

Hey! Ho! Let’s go! And go get these newly remastered first four albums of the ultimate NYC punk rockers in 1-2-3-4: The Ramones Atmos Collection (Rhino). It’s a revved-up, head-banging 50-track set with “Blitzkrieg Bop,” “Beat on the Brat,” “Judy is a Punk,” “Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue,” “Sheena is a Punk Rocker,” “I Wanna Be Sedated,” “Do You Wanna Dance?” and other ’70s punk-rock mainstays.

Relive the musical magic of The King’s reign in Los Angeles in Sunset Boulevard (RCA/Legacy), a window into the hitmaking work of Elvis Presley in the City of Angels during the ‘70s. It’s nearly 90 tracks of rarities, rehearsal cuts, never-heard-before mixes and other goodies on five CDs, with hits including “Burning Love,” “Always on My Mind,” “Separate Ways,” “T-R-O-U-B-L-E” and “Promised Land.”

READ ALL ABOUT IT

First published in 1985, In the American West was a landmark photography project from photographer Richard Avedon. Out of print for more than a decade, it’s now re-released as a 40th anniversary edition by Abrams, filled with over 100 striking portraits of “ordinary” people who were living, working and visually representing what will always be known as America’s frontier. It’s an art gallery at your fingertips.

In The Shape of Nature (Abrams), photographer David Maitland explores the many structures, shapes, geometric patterns and recurring symmetries in the natural world, with analysis into their biological origins and significance, from plankton to frogs, fish scales and snake skin, and far beyond. You’ll never look at the world—or a flower, or a tree leaf— the same way after you’ve absorbed the extraordinary imagery and insights.

Young readers can learn all about the biggest-selling musical act in South Korea history in BTS: A Little Golden Book Biography, by Jan Ann and illustrated by Hyesung Park. It’s about the global-hit “boy band” that formed in 2010 and began showing the world what they could do, defying adolescent stereotypes and setting positive examples for other young people. It’s intended for ages 4-8, but parents and grandparents will dig it, too! They’re the top of K-pop!

Tagged , , , , , , , ,
Aug 15 2025
Leave a comment
DVDs, Humor, Movies, Photography, Pop Culture, Sports, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

What to Watch, and more! Aug. 15 – 21

John Cena kicks bad-guy butt, Sheryl Crow stands up to cancer & virgins compete for some lovin’!

FRIDAY, Aug. 15
The Rainmaker
Two friends at different law firms and find themselves on opposite sides of a weighty case in this new legal series starring Milo Callaghan, Lana Parrilla and John Slattery (8 p.m., USA Network).

Stand Up to Cancer Special
Sheryl Crow hosts this all-star benefit concert from Nashville, with appearances from Dolly Parton, Jelly Roll, Jonas Brothers and many other stars, some in pretaped segments (7 p.m., ABC, NBC and CBS).

SATURDAY, Aug. 16
I’ll Never Let You Go
Inspired by real stories, this torrid tale stars Meagan Good as a successful art gallery owner whose life takes a dark turn after an affair with a charismatic Italian artist (8 p.m., Lifetime).

The Great American Baking Show: Celebrity Summer
Celeb bakers including Jesse Tyler Ferguson, June Diane Raphel and Andrew Rannells are about for this single-episode special of the popular food competition held under a big tent (Roku Channel).

SUNDAY, Aug. 17
Women Wearing Shoulder Pads
Quirky new stop-motion quarter-hour Spanish-language comedy series (with English subtitles) about a wealthy Spanish woman navigating life, business and love—and fighting guinea pigs in a bullfighting ring. OK! (Adult Swim).

Sister Act
Whoopi Goldberg stars in this 1992 comedy as a nightclub singer taking refuge from the mob in a church—and transforming the singers into a soulful chorus. With Harvey Keitel and Kathy Najimy (8:30 p.m., ABC).

MONDAY, Aug. 18
Lego Masters Jr.
Kelly Osborne hosts this spinoff featuring kid builders paired with celebs for challenging building-block projects (8 p.m., Fox).

Are You My First?
Former NFL player Colton Underwood and former Bachelor contestant Kaitlyn Bristowe host this new reality-dating experiment with a group of—ahem—virgins, brought to a tropical paradise to explore…in every way (Hulu).

TUESDAY, Aug. 19
Songs & Stories with Kelly Clarkson
The Grammy-winning pop singer, daytime TV host and American Idol winner spreads the musical goodness around with this four-part primetime special featuring the Jonas Brothers, Teddy Swims and Lizzo (10 p.m. NBC).

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 20
The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox
Grace Van Patten (above) stars in this based-on-a-true-story episodic saga of Knox, wrongly convicted for the tragic murder of her roommate, and her 16-year struggle to set herself free (Hulu).

Inside the Worlds of Epic Universe
Joe Manganiello hosts this one-hour special exploring the new Universal theme park in Orlando, with five immersive “worlds” built around movies including the Harry Potter franchise, Super Nintendo and How to Train Your Dragon. Guest appearances by Bowen Yang, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vin Diesel and more (9 p.m., NBC).

THURSDAY, Aug. 21
Churchy
Season two of the workplace comedy stars Kevin Fredericks as a pastor who, after being passed over for leadership at his father’s mega-church, moves to Lubbock, Texas, to build his own ministry from the ground up (BET+).  

Peacemaker
Vigilante superhero Chris Smith (John Cena) struggles in season two to reconcile his past with a newfound sense of purpose—which involves continuing to kick self-righteous evil-doers in the butt (9 p.m., Max)

NOW HEAR THIS

The band Van Halen marks the 30th anniversary of their 1995 album Balance with a new expanded edition full of songs and surprises. It’s got all the tunes from the original LP, plus some rarities and other goodies, including videos and live versions of the hits “Jump,” “You Really Got Me,” “L.A. Woman” and “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love.” (Rhino).

And if you need to dust the rust off your “Rebel Yell,” here’s a trio of newly remastered anniversary colored vinyl editions of classic Billy Idol albums—Charmed Life, Whiplash Smile and Don’t Stop—with hits including “Cradle of Love,” “Mony Mony” and “Dancin’ With Myself.” As Idol himself sings, it’s “more, more, more, more, more!”

BRING IT HOME

Revel in retro cinematic badassery with Blaxploitation Classics Vol. 2 (Shout! Factory), a 12-disc collection of six genre touchstones including Foxy Brown, Friday Foster, Cotton Comes to Harlem and Slaughter. You’ll see Jim Brown, Pam Grier, Fred Williamson, Yaphet Kotto, Red Foxx, Eartha Kitt, Jim Backus, Ed McMahon and more! And it’s loaded with bonus features!

Jul 04 2025
Leave a comment
Books, DVDs, Movies, Music, Photography, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

What to watch, and more, July 4 – 11

‘Jaws’ at 50, a lotta fireworks & families go back to the 1800s!

Learn all about the movie that created the concept of summer blockbusters back in ’75.

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, July 4
A Capitol Fourth
Celebrate our nation’s 249th birthday with this annual tradition, live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, with fireworks along the Potomac and musical performances from multiple genres of music (8 p.m., PBS).

Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks
In addition to a lot of kaboomy razzle-dazzle up in the sky, there’ll also be ground-level performances from Eric Church, the Jonas Brothers, Lenny Kravitz, Keke Palmer and Trisha Yearwood (8 p.m., NBC). 

SATURDAY, July 5
The Summer Hikaru Died
Anime thriller based on an award-winning manga novel about a young man in a rural Japanese village who discovers his best friend has been “replaced” with a replicant (Netflix).

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Show
All this month, you can watch material from the groundbreaking talk show, spanning the 1960s into the early ’90s, with 50 episodes (never before seen after their original airings) featuring classic Carson bits, sketches, guests and musical acts. It’s a time capsule of retro TV, when Johnny ruled late night (MeTV).

SUNDAY, July 6
Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom
Yep, that Wild Kingdom, the great-grandaddy of wildlife TV series hosted by Marlin Perkins for more than two decades beginning in 1963, returns in reruns (7 a.m., MeTV).

The Princess Bride
Always worth a rewatch, this 1987 classic from director Rob Reiner has an all-star cast (Billy Crystal! Robin Wright! Chris Sarandon! Andre the Giant!) in a whimsical, swashbuckling bedtime-story tale of a princess, a giant and “true love” (9:03 p.m., ABC).

MONDAY, July 7
Such Brave Girls
A young woman, her sister and their mother flee their cramped, crumbling home for a shot at love and adoration in this six-episode comedy series. With Kate Sadler, Lizzie Davidson and Louise Brealey (Hulu).

Bachelor in Paradise
Returning cast members from across the franchise hit the beach in Costa Rica for season 10 or the hit reality-show matchmaking competition (8 p.m., ABC).

TUESDAY, July 8
Renaissance: The Blood and the Beauty
How the greatest works of art in western civilization sprung from one of the most turbulent periods in history (9 p.m., PBS).

Born to be Viral: The Real Lives of Kid Influencers
Six-episode docuseries follows the first generation of kids to be raised in the media spotlight, with their lives streamed to millions—and some of them becoming millionaires in the process (Hulu)

WEDNESDAY, July 9
South Park
The acclaimed animated grownup comedy from Trey Parker and Matt Stone (above) begins season 27 tonight. So they must be doing something right, right? (Comedy Central).

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
The gang of chronic underachievers stoops even lower in season 17 in their cravings for money and societal privileges. With Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, Katilin Olson and Danny Devito (FXX and Hulu).

THURSDAY, July 10
Brick
A couple becomes trapped in their apartment behind an impenetrable, futuristic wall that has materialized overnight, enclosing their entire building. Can everyone band together to find a way out, solve the mystery, and survive? (Netflix). 

Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story
Go inside the making and behind-the-scenes shark drama of the movie that launched the era of summer blockbusters back in ’75—and made just about everyone afraid of going in the water (National Geographic).

Back to the Frontier
Chip and Joanna Gaines challenge three families in this new adventure/reality series to reimagine their lives as 1880s homesteaders, forgoing present-day comforts for old-fashioned life on the frontier (Magnolia Network and Max).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Everyone’s a photographer now, with cameras built into phones. But decades ago, when photography was a marvelous new thing, there were all sorts of innovations and experimentation to be found—and all sorts of new “high tech” trickery even danger. Anika Burgess’ fascinating Flashes of Brilliance (W.W. Norton) examines the long arc of photographic advancement, from early cameras attached to ballons, to X-rays, photography deep under the sea, on the moon and deep into the cosmos. It’s an engrossing combination of science, history, art and wild eccentricities about the human desire to document our existence in our world, and beyond.

Find out what it’s really like—and I mean really, really like—to be a stand-up comedian in Doing Time (Jawbone Press), author JT Habersaat’s refreshingly candid and gloriously uncensored look at the artistry and hard work that go into making people laugh. With reflections and recollections, and more than a few hard-earned battle scars, from Patton Oswalt, Bobcat Goldthwait, The Kids in the Hall, Dana Gould and dozens of others who share their anecdotes and stories.

Remember the promotional-tie-in toys you used to get with food at McDonalds, KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and other fast-food places? Author Jonathan Alexandrotos for sure does, in Free With Every Kids Meal (McFarland), he digs deep to examine the past and present, the cultural impact, and the full-throttle fun of all sorts of “happy meals.”

BRING IT HOME

Vampires attack the South in Sinners (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment), a tale of two brothers (both played by Michael B. Jordan) who return home after World War II only to face an even greater (and graver) threat than the Klan. Hailee Steinfeld also stars in this horror show gloriously a-swirl with undertones about music, culture, history and race. Loaded with extras and bonus features, including making-of docs, interviews and a closer look at the movie soundtrack.

NOW HEAR THIS

Get deep into the retro grooves of The Legends of Surf Guitar, recorded live in California, with musicians from the ‘70s and ‘80s surf-music revival recreating such classics as “Wipe Out,” “Pipeline,” the Peter Gunn theme and “Baby Elephant Walk.” And some special guest stars take the stage, too!  Surf’s up! (Oglio Records).

Tagged , , , , , , ,
May 30 2025
Leave a comment
Books, DVDs, Movies, Photography, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

What to watch, and more! May 30 – June 5

All about Bono, a ‘Duck Dynasty’ reunion, a killer clown and golfing with Owen Wilson

Lindsay Lohan doubles up in ‘The Parent Trap,’ one of the flicks in Freeform’s Month of Disney programming.

FRIDAY, May 30
Bono: Stories of Surrender
Documentary about the U2 frontman as he pulls back the curtain on his new one-man show, based on his memoir Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, and his journey as a father, son, activist, husband and rock superstar (Apple TV+).

Mama June: Family Crisis
This season in the Honey Boo-Boo spinoff, June fights for custody of a child, searches for a new home and tries to keep a healthier lifestyle (8 p.m., We TV).

SATURDAY, May 31
Mountainhead
Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman and Ramy Youssef star in this drama (above) about a group of billionaire friends who get “high” against the backdrop of a roiling international crisis (HBO).

Antichrist
Director Lars von Trier’s intensely controversial 2009 flick stars Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg as grieving parents who run into unimaginable terror and violence perpetuated by nature (Mubi).

SUNDAY, June 1
Duck Dynasty: The Revival
Get reacquainted with the Robertsons as they balance family and the future of their Louisiana business (9 p.m., A&E).

30 Days of Disney
Yep, it’s Disney flicks for the whole month, with everything from The Lion King and The Parent Trap to Up, WALL-E, Beauty and the Beast, Bambi and dozens more (begins 7 a.m., Freeform).

MONDAY, June 2
Relative Secrets
Jayne Seymour hosts this new unscripted series unearths American families’ genetic connections to their United Kingdom heritage with evidence often full of colorful characters, heroes, villains and rouges (10 p.m., BBC America and Acorn TV).

The Quiz with Balls
Jay Pharoah returns as host of this fast-paced competition pitting brains against balls….literally (9 p.m., Fox).

TUESDAY, June 3
Caught in the Act: Double Life
Grammy-nominated singer and reality-TV star Tamar Braxton hosts this new series helping guide men and women suspicious of the hidden lives of their loved ones (9 p.m., MTV).

Love Island USA
Singles mix, mingle, mash and more in season seven of the romantic competition series staged on a lush tropical Pacific Island, with commentary by comedian Iain Stirling (9 p.m., Peacock).

Fatal Destination
Actress Jessica Biel hosts this new docuseries examining real-life mysteries and sinister secrets lurking in some of the world’s most beautiful places—sunlit beaches, idyllic mountains and hustle-bustle tourist destinations (Max).

WEDNESDAY, June 4
Stick
Owen Wilson stars in this new comedy series (above) as an over-the-hill ex-pro golfer who discovers a teenage golf prodigy. With Mark Maron, Mariana Treviño, Judy Greer and Timothy Olyphant (Apple TV+).

Rabil’s Place
The co-founder and president of the Premiere Lacrosse League, Paul Rabil, explores the sport’s origins, icons and rise to prominence in this new docuseries (ESPN+).

THURSDAY, June 5
The Killer Clown: Murder on the Doorstep
True-crime series about murder of a Florida woman who was brutally murdered on her front porch by someone dressed as a clown—and the three-decade hunt for the killer (10 p.m., SundanceTV).

Ginny and Georgia
In season three of the acclaimed comedy-drama series about two female besties, we learn what happens after the end of season two, as Georgia (Brienne Howery) was arrested for murder during her wedding! (Netflix)

BRING IT HOME

What do film editors do, and why is their work so important? The Cinema Within explores the process of how films are put together—from sometimes hundreds of individual “shots”—after all the “shooting” is over. With examples from dozens of movies across cinema history and insights from a film historian, an Oscar-winning film editor, a group of scientists…and a group of people in Turkey who’ve never seen a movie before! And when editing is done well, viewers don’t even think about all the hours that went into it. A must-watch for movie buffs!

Get all the yuks from all the episodes of the hit sitcom from the ’90s, now celebrating its 30th anniversary with The Drew Carey Show: The Complete Series. This roundup of all nine seasons also includes a special feature, “Life Inside the Cubicle,” going inside the making of the fan-favorite show about work, bosses, coworkers office shenanigans.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

How much do you know about the “cradle of civilization” and its deep roots in the arts? (Hint: It’s a lot more than Lawrence of Arabia and Zero Dark Thirty.) Artists of the Middle East 1900 to Now is a handsome, lavishly illustrated coffee-table tome exploring centuries of creativity in that part of the world. Author Saeb Eigner, an Arab and Middle East art and culture specialist, shares his extensive knowledge of the stylistic, literary and linguistic histories with biographies of nearly 100 culturally significant artists who made lasting imprints on the world, and establishes a through-line from their times to the global issues of today. (Thames & Hudson)

Critical essays, lecture transcripts and other texts give engrossing context to almost 400 19th century photographs in Black Chronicles (Thames & Hudson)depicting the long, storied history of Blacks and non-whites from around the world who settled in, or were brought into Victorian England, in history’s long shadow of European slavery. Actor Henry Louis Gates Jr. writes the foreword for author Renee Mussai’s chronicle.

May 23 2025
Leave a comment
Books, DVDs, Movies, Music, Photography, Pop Culture, Television, Travel

The Entertainment Forecast

What to watch, and more! May 23 – May 29

Pee-Wee tells all, Kevin Costner cowboys up & a Bob Dylan musical

FRIDAY, May 23
Pee-Wee as Himself
Comedian Pee-Wee Herman narrates this doc (above) about his life, career and the creation of his iconic pop-culture alter ago (Max).

Girl From the North Country
A community in Duluth, Minn., comes together in the Great Depression—to the tune of a lot of Bob Dylan songs—in this filmed Great Performance of the Broadway musical (8 p.m., PBS).  

Fountain of Youth
John Krasinski and Natalie Portman star as estranged siblings who reunite to search for the mythological stream on an epic adventure that they’re hoping will lead to immortality (Apple TV+). 

SATURDAY, May 24
Liberian Movie Marathon
Watch three of the fantasy-adventure made-for-TV movies starring Noah Wylie as the “Librarian” who protects a secret collection of rare artifacts, in today’s back-to back running of Quest for the Spear, Return to King Soloman’s Mines and Curse of the Judas Chalice (starts 1 p.m., TNT).

SUNDAY, May 25
Thunderbirds
For the first time ever, cameras take you inside the cockpit with the U.S. Air Force’s legendary flight squadron to witness the training, danger and sacrifice it takes to be part of one of America’s most revered aerial demonstration teams (Netflix).

MONDAY, May 26
The American Music Awards
Superstar Jennifer Hudson hosts the fan-voted awards show live from Las Vegas celebrating a cross-genre span of hits and artists, with Post Malone, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan and Shaboozey leading the nominations (CBS).

Sheri Papini: Caught in the Lie
Docuseries about the woman who mysteriously “returned” after her 2016 alleged abduction sparked a media firestorm and a federal investigation—and the questions that still swirl around the incident nearly a decade later (9 p.m., ID).

TUESDAY, May 27
America’s Got Talent
The megahit TV talent competition kicks off its milestone 20th season tonight, hosted by Terry Crews with former Spice Girl Mel B returning to the judges’ table alongside Simon Cowell, Howie Mandell and Sofia Vergara (8 p.m., NBC). 

Kevin Costner’s The West
The Yellowstone star cowboys up to host this look (above) at the sweeping and sometimes complicated history of the American West (8 p.m., History).

Destination X
Jeffrey Dean Morgan hosts this new game show as contestants embark on the road trip of a lifetime on a blacked-out bus, not knowing where they’re going, turning Europe into an enormous “game board” (NBC).

WEDNESDAY, May 28
The Grocery List Show
Host Emily Strong, a former Top Chef contender, visits international grocery stores across America to show how cuisine can forge cultural connections (PBS).

Adults
New comedy series about a group of 20-somethings in New York, where they find out nothing about the “grown-up” world they’ve entered is simple. Starring Malik Elassal, Lucy Freyer and Jack Innaren (Hulu).

THURSDAY, May 29
The Better Sister
Jessica Biel, Elizabeth Banks and Corey Stoll star in this eight-episode series (above) about a murder—and some terrible things that drive sisters apart and ultimately bring them back together (Prime Video).

And Just Like That…
Season three continues the post-Sex and the City relationship and adventures of Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Seema, starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis and Sarita Choudhury (9 p.m., Max)

NOW HEAR  THIS

Celebrate the 25th anniversary of Don Henley’s Inside Job (Rhino.com), the fourth solo album by the former Eagle, now newly remastered and available in double-LP, CD and digital versions. Originally released in 2000, it followed Henley’s 1984’s blockbuster Building the Perfect Beast with his return to the musical spotlight after an 11-year absence. Tracks include “Everything is Different Now,” “For My Wedding,” “Goodbye to a River” and “The Genie.”  

READ ALL ABOUT IT

How do you “sell” the outdoors?  The Outdoor Archive (Thames & Hudson) is a handsome hard-bound collection spanning a century of ad and catalogue graphics and photography, all intended to make going outside appealing to consumers. Design experts offer insights, like what makes those tent ads so inviting? What photo effects represent action? What colors suggest adventure? And you’ll dig the reproductions of pages from retro catalogues, like a 1927 L.L Bean.

BRING IT HOME

Robert De Niro stars—in two roles!—in The Alto Knights, a biographical drama now on DVD and Blu-ray, about two organized crime bosses, Frank Costello and Vito Genovese, vying for control of New York. Once the best of friends, they’re now on a collision course that will reshape the Mafia, and America, forever (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment).

What’s so scary about a woman in the yard? Watch The Woman in the Yard (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment), the bone-chilling new horror flick from Blumhouse (The Black Phone, M3Gan, The Invisible Man) and you’ll find out—as a veiled in black, otherworldly woman suddenly appears outside a farmhouse, sending a grieving mother and her childing into a real-life nightmare. Starring Danielle Deadwyler and Okwui Okpokwasili.

Al Pacino is a blind retired military colonel. Chris O’Connell is the prep-school student who takes a part-time job as his companion and assistant. And they’re both in Scent of a Woman (Shout! Factory), a new 4K disc of the 1992 drama—about their wild weekend—that won three Golden Globes. With new bonus features, including an interview with director Martin Brest.

← Older posts