Category Archives: Pop Culture

May 10 2024
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Books, DVDs, Movies, Pop Culture, Sports, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

May 10 – May 16

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

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

All times Eastern.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

READ ALL ABOUT IT

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

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

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

BRING IT HOME


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

Apr 26 2024
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DVDs, Movies, Pop Culture, TV

The Entertainment Forecast

April 26 – May 2

Beyonce shakes up country music, the Bon Jovi story & how Walt Disney built an American empire

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, April 26
Call Me Country: Beyonce and Nashville’s Renaissance
New doc (above) about the first Black woman to ever top Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, and how her trailblazing success became the latest explosion in America’s culture wars (Max).

Broken Horses
Documentary follows New York Times reporters as they examine the systemic issues, questionable practices and urgent calls for change that have come to light in the sport of horse racing (10 p.m., FX).

Art Happens Here
Author, actor and former Monty Python funnyman John Lithgow joins students and teachers at four different California locations to discuss his passion for arts education (10 p.m., PBS).

Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story
Four-part, all-access docuseries chronicles four decades of the iconic working-class New Jersey-based rock band that gave the world hits including “You Give Love a Bad Name,” “Livin’ on a Prayer” and “Wanted Dead or Alive” (Hulu).

SATURDAY, April 27
My Husband Hired a Hitman
When a greedy husband seeks an assassin to get rid of his wife and get her money, she will stop at nothing to fight back and seek revenge. And you thought your relationship was a bit rocky! (Tubi).

SUNDAY, April 28
How It Really Happened
Host Jesse L. Martin investigates the most famous shipwreck of all time—the 1912 sinking of the Titanic—and how a more recent underwater voyage to its ruins turned into another tragedy (9 p.m., CNN).

How Disney Built America
Explore the history of Walt Disney, his groundbreaking movies and his iconic theme-park empire in this six-part docuseries (10 p.m., History).

MONDAY, April 29
Honeymoonish
Romantic comedy from Kuwait about a series of comical misunderstandings, surprises, mistaken identities and second chances as a couple embarks on their honeymoon (Netflix).

TUESDAY, April 30
The Veil
Elizabeth Moss stars in this new twisty international drama about a woman with a secret, and another on a mission to reveal it before thousands of lives are lost (Hulu).

The Green Veil
In this new drama/thriller/sci fi series (above) set in the 1950s, John Leguizamo stars as an immigrant pursuing the American dream, and Aram Rappaport plays a government agent tasked with unraveling a secret mission. Find out how their lives intersect (streaming on The Network).

WEDNESDAY, May 1
Dance Moms: The Reunion
Original “Moms” come together (below) to look back on the show that created a worldwide pop culture buzz 2011-2019 (8 p.m., Lifetime).

Behind the Music
New installments of the musical documentary series put the spotlight on country singer Trace Adkins, Eddie Van Halen’s son, Wolfgang, and Bell Biv DeVoe, an original member of New Edition who later went on to even more solo stardom (Paramount+).

Shardlake
Tudor murder mystery (below) set in 16th century English monastery stars Sean Bean, Arthur Hughes and Anthony Boyle. What are those monks hiding? (Hulu)

THURSDAY, May 2
The Tattooist of Auschwitz
Harvey Keitel stars in this new drama series as a Holocaust survivor who was made to ink identification numbers onto fellow prisoners’ arms. Decades later, he faces his dark past when he shares his story with the world. And there’s a song by Barbra Streisand! (Peacock).

The Contestant
Find out the true story of a Japanese reality TV contestant left naked in a room for more than a year, tasked with filling out magazine coupons to win his food, clothing and other amenities—eventually finding television fame and winning one million yen  (Hulu).

Chivalry
Steve Coogan and Sarah Solemari star in this workplace comedy (below) set in Hollywood, as an acclaimed female director steps in to save a wayward production helmed by a seasoned male producer (The Network).

BRING IT HOME

The latest Marvel adventure Madame Web is the origin story of a New York paramedic (Dakota Johnson) who may have clairvoyant abilities, joining forces with three young women destined for powerful futures. With Sydney Sweeney, Mike Epps and Emma Roberts (Sony Home Entertainment).

Geography class might teach you there’s more, but for movie fans, there are three Oceans—Oceans Eleven, Oceans Twelve and Oceans Thirteen. Now you can own all three in Oceans Trilogy collection (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment), with all the stars (George Clooney! Brad Pitt! Matt Damon! Andy Garcia! Elliot Gould! Julia Roberts!) and a heist-worthy load of bonus features.

Apr 19 2024
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Books, DVDs, Movies, Pop Culture, TV

The Entertainment Forecast

April 19 – April 25

A new ‘Spiderwick,’ Sly & Arnold face off & a docuseries about a couple of dope brothers

All sorts of creative people get the spotlight in ‘The Express Way with Dule Hill’ on PBS.

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, April 19
The Spiderwick Chronicles
Christian Slater, Joy Bryant and Jack Dylan Grazer star in this fantasy flick (above) about two teen boys and their sister who discover that magic (and magical creatures) are real when they move with their mom into their ancestral home. Based on a popular sci-fi series of YA books, it was previously made in to a theatrical movie in 2008 with Freddie Highmore, Seth Rogen and Martin Short (Roku).

The Never Ever Meets
New relationship series takes online dating into the real world by “introducing” couples who’ve been “seeing each other” virtually, but never met in person, putting them in a house together for three weeks. Can their love survive?  (8 p.m., Own).

SATURDAY, April 20
High Hopes
All the stoners will dig the “4.20” premiere date of this new reality series (above) about a pair of Belarus-born brothers with “high hopes” of taking their California cannabis business to the next level (Hulu).

Predator v Prey
It’s like a very high-tech version of the old Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, with a forensic look at the world’s most formidable apex predators (below), including lions, cheetahs and crocodiles and what makes them so good at what they do (8 p.m., BBC America).

SUNDAY, April 21
Secrets of the Octopus
Actor Paul Rudd narrates this new installment of the Emmy-winning “Secrets Of…” franchise, about one of the most unique creatures on the planet—the octopus, with three hearts, blue blood and the ability to squeeze through spaces the size of their eyeball (NatGeo, streaming tomorrow on Hulu and Disney+).

The Jinx—Part II
Documentary series continues the convoluted tale of the late real estate heir and convicted murderer Robert Durst, who became a suspect after the disappearance of his first wife, the murder of his longtime friend and the killing of his neighbor (10 p.m., HBO).

MONDAY, April 22
Poisoned Ground: The Tragedy of Love Canal
The true story of one of the nation’s most notorious environmental disasters and the women who fought the chemical industry and the government…and won! (9 p.m., PBS).

The Proof is Out There: Military Mysteries
Two combat veterans delve into weird and unexplainable things happening from World War I into present day (10 p.m., History).

Independent Lens:  One with the Whale
Find out why hunting whales is a matter of life or death for residents of a coastal Alaska community through the experience of a teen who becomes the youngest in his village to harpoon a whale, only for his family to face a barrage of online critics who fail to understand the importance of the hunt to the community (PBS You Tube channel).

TUESDAY, April 23
TMZ Presents Arnold & Sly
Hollywood’s two icon muscle men—Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone—sit down together for a first-time TV discussion of their once-fierce rivalry that turned into an equally fierce friendship (8 p.m., Fox).

The Express Way with Dulè Hill
The actor from TV’s rebooted The Wonder Years and Psyche embarks on a cross-country road trip in this new four-part series, exploring local visionaries, activists, changemakers and pioneers who are using their creative talents to bring change to their communities (9 p.m., PBS).

WEDNESDAY, April 24
A Brief History of the Future
Is the future bleak, or bright? This documentary, which weaves together history, science and other factors from an array of thinkers, developers and storytellers, leans toward the latter (9 p.m., PBS).

THURSDAY, April 25
My Mane Problem
Celebrity stylist Dr. Boogie gives advice to people on very personal “hair journeys” by examining their scalps and addressing what’s going on inside their heads. And who wouldn’t want to take advice from an expert named Dr. Boogie? (ALLBLK).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Now available in paperback, Greg Melville’s engrossing Over My Dead Body (Abrams) is a fascinating dive into cemeteries, our traditions of commemorating and memorializing death, and how “final resting places” have shaped the work of poets, architecture and pop culture.

If you’re “of the age” to remember songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker’s “Mr. Bojangles,” you’ll enjoy Mr. Bojangles Dance (McFarland). Author Ryan B. Case traces the life of the song through the overlapping trajectories of the “down and out” man in a New Orleans jail cell who inspired it, former President Richard M. Nixon—who was moved to tears by it—and Sammy Davis Jr., who turned it into a pop hit. It’s a wide-ranging ride through the turbulent Sixties and Seventies, all sung to the tune of “Mr. Bojangles.”

BRING IT HOME

Jason Statham stars in the action-packed The Beekeeper (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment), about a man—yes, a beekeeper—whose violent past as part of a clandestine organization past puts him on a brutal path of vengeance. Watch out for his stinger! With Josh Hutcherson, Jeremy Irons, Phylicia Rashad and Minnie Driver.

The new remastered 4K re-release of director Martin Scorsese’s classic double-cross gangster tale The Departed (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment) comes loaded with extras, including deleted scenes, a making-of doc and the true story on which it’s based. The all-star cast includes Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Mark Wahlberg.

Apr 12 2024
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Books, Movies, Music, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

April 12 – April 18

Michael Douglas flies a kite, a new Dora explores, Billy Joel marks a milestone and Conan O’Brien’s gotta go

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, April 12
Franklin
Michael Douglas stars as the founding father (above) who famously flew a kite in a thunderstorm, signed the Constitution and became America’s first postmaster general, among many other achievements, in this new limited series about the guy on our $100 bill (Apple+). 

Dora
You probably know her as Dora the Explorer, but now she’s just plain Dora in this new 26-episode animated series about the bilingual adventurer and her monkey friend, Boots (Paramount+).

The Greatest Hits
The transportative power of music is the theme to this fantasy flick in which a young woman (Lucy Boynton) discovers that songs can allow her to time-travel back to a former romantic relationship (Hulu).

SUNDAY, April 14
The 100th: Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden—The Greatest Arena Run of All Time”
The title says it all: The “Piano Man” makes his record-breaking 100th consecutive performance at New York City’s iconic venue, part of his record-breaking string of sold-out appearances there (9 p.m., CBS).

The Sympathizer
Hoa Xuande, Sandra Oh and Robert Downey Jr. (who plays multiple roles) star in this limited series about a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy during the final days of the Vietnam war, and his new life as a refugee in Los Angeles—where he learns that his dangerous spying days are not over (9 p.m., HBO).

MONDAY, April 15
Music Mayhem
New original series cuts through the stardust to get to the bitter feuds, tragic endings, weird collaborations, musical romances and more dishy side trips into the land of rock and roll, with spotlights on the Beatles, David Bowie, Ozzy Osborne, the Rolling Stones and many other performers (8 p.m., AXS).

TUESDAY, April 16
Control + Alt Desire
Docuseries follows the year-long investigation of shocking killings that rocked a quiet Florida town, and a 29-year-old man accused of murdering his family execution-style for the love of a cam girl (Paramount+).

WEDNESDAY, April 17
Under the Bridge
New series based on true-crime tale about the abduction about a 14-year-old girl who went to join friends at a party and never came home. Starring Riley Keough, Lily Gladstone and Vritka Gupta (Hulu).

THURSDAY, April 18
Conan O’Brien Must Go
The Emmy-winning former late-night talk show host spent several years sitting behind a desk. Now he’s up and moving around as the host of this new travel series (above), in which he treks the world to connect with listeners to his popular podcast (Max).

Orlando Bloom: To the Edge
Three-part limited adventure series follows the actor on his journey of self-discovery as he pushes his limits physically and mentally through fear-defying extreme sports, including wingsuiting, free diving and rock climbing (Peacock).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

In Music and Mind (Viking), renowned opera superstar Renee Fleming curates a collection of essays by other famous music makers and thinkers (Ann Patchett, Yo-Yo Ma, Ben Folds) to present a thorough—and thoroughly entertaining—treatise on the power of music manifest in ways both mental and physical. Bravo!


Star Trek’s George Takei’s My Lost Freedom (Random House) brings his childhood story—of incarceration with his family, along with thousands of other U.S. citizens of Japanese ancestry, in California internment camps during World War II—to vivid life for young readers. It’s a pointed, timely reminder of hysteria masquerading as “national security,” and the fragility of democracy in our “land of the free.”

Apr 05 2024
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The Entertainment Forecast

April 5 – April 11

Kelsea gives trophies, Julianne Moore schemes & darkness creeps across America

All times Eastern.

Kelsea Ballerini hosts the CMT Music Awards.

FRIDAY, April 5
Scoop
Gillian Anderson and Rufus Sewell lead the cast of the dramatized inside story of the explosive BBC television interview with Britain’s Prince Andrew, in which he disastrously tried to defend and distance himself from the Jeffery Epstein sex-trafficking scandal (Netflix).

Mary & George
Julianne Moore and Nicholas Galitzine star in this new psychodrama limited series (below) based on the scandalous true story of a treacherous mother and son who schemed, seduced and killed to conquer the 17th century Court of England…and the bed of King James I (9 p.m., Starz).

On the Case with Paula Zahn
New season, new cases, including murder mysteries two teen girls in Alabama, a popular DJ’s wife in Atlanta and a U.S. Navy recruit in Florida, plus a love triangle gone very bad (10 p.m., ID).

SATURDAY, April 6
Two For One
New series features 12 nights of double features curated by celebrated Hollywood filmmakers, including Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, Olivia Wilde and Paul Thomas Anderson, and hosted by TCM’s own Ben Mankiewicz (8 p.m., TCM).

CMT Music Awards
Kelsea Ballerini hosts the ceremony—and is among the top nominees—live from Austin, Texas, with accolades for the top-voted videos and artists in country music (8 p.m., CBS)

SUNDAY, April 7
Collector’s Call
Host Lisa Whelchel returns for season two, spotlighting collectors and their collections celebrating “Weird Al” Yankovic, Star Wars, Pearl Jam, Bozo the Clown, and more pop-culture icons (6:30 p.m., MeTV).

MONDAY, April 8
My Parkinsons
Three individuals navigate their lives with the neurodegenerative disease (10 p.m., PBS).

The First 1,000
Primetime special takes a look inside the TV-verse of NCIS, celebrating the milestone of 1,000 episodes of the wide-ranging worldwide hit franchise (9 p.m., CBS). 

Eclipse Across America
In ancient times, people thought the daytime darkening of a total solar eclipse meant the world was ending. But they didn’t have TV platforms to team up and tell them what was going on, like in this live telecast of the event hosted by David Muir with coverage spanning 10 cities across North America (2 p.m., ABC, National Graphic Channel, Nat Geo Wild, Disney+ and Hulu).

26.2 to Life
Documentary about incarcerated men at San Quentin Prison training for a 26.2 marathon. Ready to run, indeed! (9 p.m., ESPN).

TUESDAY, April 9
Brandy Heville & The Cult of Fast Fashion
Documentary uncovers the toxic culture of the clothing brand popular with young girls, and the global ramifications of mass-produced, Instagram-fueled clothing known as “fast fashion” (9 p.m., HBO).

Mud Madness
Get down and dirty with this series (above) that follows the off-road subculture of extreme Big-Tire mud racing and its passionate fans (9 p.m., Discovery).

WEDNESDAY, April 10
The Challenge: All Stars
Former contestants and winners reunite in South Africa for the latest installment of the reality-show competition spinoff of The Real World and Road Rules (Paramount +).

Tryouts
Seven-episode series looks at intense competitions for spots as lifeguards, cheerleading, Monster Truck drivers, women’s fast-pitch softball and dancers (ESPN+).

THURSDAY, April 11
Patti Stanger: The Matchmaker
The relationship guru (the CEO of Millionaire’s Club International) helps looking-for-love people find romance, with the help of The Bachelor’s Nick Vaill (8 p.m., The CW).

Lovers & Liars
New dating competition is built around 24 women and three men on a tropical island and a chance to win $100,000—if the guys can tell the 12 “real” contestant lovers from the “liars” who’ve been “planted” there to deceive them and bring home the big bucks (9 p.m., The CW).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Meet some eye-popping “body artists” and marvel at photos of their masterpieces in Tattoo You (Phaedon), a highly visual collection of contemporary groundbreaking tattoo lovers and doers. With almost 700 photos, it’s an ink-tastitic journey into how an ancient artform continues to evolve at the intersection of art, culture, fashion and self-expression. 

Do you take pics of your cute kitties and adorable doggies? Well, why? In Why We Photograph Animals (Thames & Hudson), naturalist author Huw Lewis-Jones digs into the reasons that our “wildlife” friends are favorite camera fodder…and what our animal pics say about us. Highly recommended for pet lovers of all kinds.

BRING IT HOME

Kathryn Newston and Cole Sprouse star in the wickedly dark comedy Lisa Frankenstein (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment), about a misunderstood high school girl and her crush…who happens to be a handsome corpse. It’s a wink-wink tribute to the teen-slasher movies of the ‘80s with a Gothic movie-monster twist.

Mar 29 2024
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The Entertainment Forecast

March 29 – April 4

All about a “wild and crazy guy,” Ewan McGregor holes up in a hotel & how Julius Caesar became a legendary tyrant

Find out about the wide-ranging career of Steve Martin in the documentary two-parter ‘Steve!’

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, March 29
Spermworld
Go into the unregulated realm of baby making with this investigative documentary about sperm donors and hopeful parents (10 p.m., FX).

The Beautiful Game
Inspiring tale of a homeless football team advances to compete at the global street soccer championship games in Rome (below). With Bill Nighy and Michael Ward (Netflix).

Steve!
Two-part documentary about comedian actor Steve Martin, chronicling his upbringing, his years of “wild and crazy guy” standup and the esteemed acting icon he’s become today (Apple TV+). 

SATURDAY, March 30
Beyond the Aggressives
New documentary series catches up with the subjects of the original late-90s, early 2000 series about “Aggressives” or “AGs,” a term for Black queer, sexually dominant women (Paramount+)

SUNDAY, March 31

A Gentleman in Moscow
Ewan McGregor and Mary Elizabeth Winstead (above) star in this eight-episode drama about a Russian count in the aftermath of his country’s revolution who finds himself exiled to a room in an opulent hotel and threatened with death if he ever steps foot outside again (9 p.m., Paramount+).

Parish
Crime thriller stars The Mandalorian’s Giancarlo Esposito as a New Orleans businessman drawn back into his former life in organized crime after the murder of his son. With Skeet Ulrich and Bradley Whitford (below left), who digs into his role as a covert crime lord (10 p.m., AMC).

MONDAY, April 1
Vanderpump Villa
Docudrama series follows Lisa Vanderpump and her staff as they live, work and play on an exclusive French estate (Hulu).

IHeart Radio Awards
Justin Timberlake, Green Day, TLC, Jelly Roll, Laney Wilson and many more will perform at this live event honoring the year’s top music-makers—plus a special tribute performance to this year’s Icon Award recipient, Cher (8 p.m., Fox).

TUESDAY, April 2
The Weakest Link
New season of the competition series hosted by Jane Lynch starts tonight, in which contestants must work together to build a “chain” by answering trivia questions (9 p.m., NBC).

Julius Caesar: The Making of a Dictator
Hail, Caesar! That’s the title of one of my favorite Coen Brothers films, but this new documentary series explores how the nearly-five-centuries old Roman democracy was destroyed and dismantled in less than two decades and turned into a dictatorship—and how Caesar became one of history’s most notorious tyrants (9 p.m., PBS).

Underdog
Documentary about Doug Butler, an aging Vermont dairy farmer with an offbeat passion: dog mushing (Amazon, Apple TV and other streaming platforms).

WEDNESDAY, April 3
A Brief History of the Future
What will tomorrow and beyond look like? This optimistic documentary hosted by “futurist” Ari Wallach offers a fresh, hopeful projection of what we might expect in the decades to come if we can overcome the existential threats we see today (9 p.m., PBS).

Loot
SNL veteran Maya Rudolph (below) stars in (and produces) this snappy workplace comedy about a recent divorcee recovering from her former marriage to a tech billionaire (Apple TV+).

Star Trek: Discovery
Blast off for the final season of the hit series iconic sci-fi spinoff starring Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp and Mary Wiseman, as the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery once again heads across the universe for one more intergalactic adventure (Paramount+).

THURSDAY, April 4
Ripley
Andrew Scott plays Tom Ripley, based on the bestselling novel series by Patricia Highsmith, about a grifter who finds himself in an international swirl of deceit, fraud and murder (Netflix).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Tired of staying in the same ol’ hotels? Secret Stays (Aussouline) by former Conde Nast Traveler editor Melinda Stevens, transports armchair adventurers to some of the most unique, mostly unknown hotels around the world, from secluded abbeys to ancient manors and larger-than-life mansions. Lavishly illustrated. 

What did people do before written history? Stefanos Geroulanos’ The Invention of Prehistory (WW Norton) shows how the endless quest to know our humanity was shaped—and often misshaped—by all sorts of theories and notions of barbarians, Neanderthals, Amazon women and utopian paradises…and often became the ideological foundations for repressive regimes that considered people as less than human.

 

Mar 22 2024
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The Entertainment Forecast

March 22 – March 28

A day of Hobbits, all about TV “sluts” and & Holy Moses!

Hobbits, trolls, ogres and dragons—all in the Hobbit Trilogy!

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, March 22
The Fox
A farm laborer in Austria finds an orphaned fox cub amidst the carnage of World War II and adopts it in this heartwarming tale based on a true story (Prime & Apple TV).

Shirley
Regina King stars (below) as America’s first Black congresswoman and political icon Shirley Chislom in her trailblazing run for president in 1972 (Netflix).  

SATURDAY, March 23
The Hobbit Trilogy
Middle Earth-ers, unite—for all three Hobbit movies (An Unexpected Journey, The Desolation of Smaug, and The Battle of the Five Armies), based on author J.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic fantasy novels (begins 7 a.m., TNT).

SUNDAY, March 24
In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon
This docu-bio examines the life and music of the famed singer-songwriter (below) from his Simon & Garfunkel days to his massive concert in Central Park and the recording of his latest album (MGM+).

MONDAY, March 25
Greener Pastures
Independent Lens documentary follows the lives of four Midwestern families over five years as they deal with climate change, the pandemic and the rise of megafarms that have led to economic uncertainty and isolation (10 p.m., PBS).

Lethally Blonde
Using your physical beauty and sexuality to climb the ladder of success can lead to some dangerous—and deadly—outcomes, as shown in this true-crime series hosted by Holly Madison, who knows a thing or two about it as the former girlfriend of Playboy magnate Hugh Hefner (10 p.m., ID).

TUESDAY, March 26
The Invisible Shield
Four-part documentary series examines the “hidden” public health infrastructure that makes modern life possible, protecting us from the constant threat of death and disease through a massive, inter-connected network of largely unsung heroes—physicians, nurses, scientists, engineers, reformers and government officials all working to make our lives more livable (10 p.m., PBS).

Godzilla Movie Marathon
He’s the king of the monsters, for sure, and today you can watch two of his contemporary big-screen movies, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and Godzilla vs. Kong. Didja know: Godzilla’s been a movie star since 1954? The original Godzilla rubber suit weighed well over 200 pounds? And his name is a mashup of words for “gorilla” and “whale”? Now you do! 

The Truth vs. Alex Jones
Grieving Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting parents face the blustery conspiracy theorist  in four years of landmark defamation trials (9 p.m., HBO).

WEDNESDAY, March 27
AI Revolution
Is artificial intelligence taking over the world? Meet some of the scientists at the forefront of this new frontier as they explore the promise, perils and possible future of the unprecedented technology taking the world by storm (9 p.m., PBS).

Testament: The Story of Moses
From outcast and murderer to prophet and liberator of the Hebrew people, this three-part series (below) explores the life, redemption and legacy of one of most iconic VIPs of the Bible (Netflix).

THURSDAY, March 28
The Baxters
New faith-based family drama series stars Roma Downey and Ted McGinley as a couple with five adult children, all working through the challenges of life (Prime Video).

We Were the Lucky Ones
In this limited series based on the bestselling novel, a Jewish family separated at the start of WWII is determined to survive and reunite (Hulu).

BRING IT HOME

The newly restored Paint Your Wagon (Kino Larber) is a classic Western musical comedy from 1969, starring Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood. It features the song “They Call the Wind Maria,” and a musical appearance by a very young group that would come to be known as The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Fun fact: Marvin drank alcohol every day of the shoot and was often drunk on the set—and it showed. Co-star Jean Seaburg said Marvin’s singing voice was “like rain gurgling down a rusty pipe.”

READ ALL ABOUT IT

A supplement to the previous volume spanning TV’s earlier years, the new Encyclopedia of Television Shows (McFarland) by Vincent Terrace covers 2017-2022 and lists more than a thousand programs released on broadcast, cable TV and streaming services, along with cast, airdates, plots and other details. If you’ve ever wondered about all those dramas and sitcoms you never had time to check out—like America’s Most Musical Family, Living Biblically or Moonbase 8—this is your book!

Wanna go on a road trip back in time? A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages (wwnorton) by Anthony Bale is a road map to a nearly forgotten time—long before airplanes and automobiles—when explorers traipsed across forests and deserts and sailed the ocean in search of riches, lands to conquer, or adventure. What was that like? Now you can know!

In “Sluts” on the Small Screen (McFarland), author Libbie Searcy spotlights television’s fascination with “promiscuous women” in TV shows including Frazier, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Golden Girls, Grey’s Anatomy and more, showing the variety of ways sexually voracious characters are portrayed—and the roles they play in furthering our fascination with empowerment, entertainment and exploitation.   

 

Mar 15 2024
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Books, DVDs, Movies, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

March 15 – March 21

All times Eastern.

Kristen Wiig resorts to comedy, Lindsay Lohan gets her ‘Wish’ & all about a porn star, hush money and a president

Kristen Wiig stars in Palm Royale.

FRIDAY, March 15
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
Calling all Swifties! The mega-hit theatrical treatment of Taylor Swift’s record-setting tour had fans literally dancing in the aisles. Now you can watch it at home—and experience songs that weren’t included in the theater! (Disney+)

Manhunt
Tobias Menzie (from The Crown, Game of Thrones and Outlander) stars in this new conspiracy thriller series about the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln and the hunt for his killer, John Wilkes Booth (Apple TV+).

Irish Wish
Lindsay Lohan (yep, that Lindsay Lohan, from Mean Girls and The Love Bug) stars in this romcom (above) about a bridesmaid who travels Ireland and makes a wish for her own true love after a painful breakup. And guess what happens? With Jane Seymour and Ayesha Curry (Netflix).

SATURDAY, March 16
Friday Night Sext Scandal
This lurid telemovie was inspired by real stories of teenage boys “hunting” for nude pics of female classmates (8 p.m., Lifetime).

SUNDAY, March 17
Nolly on Masterpiece
Helena Bonham Carter stars in this new series as a real-life soap opera actress of the 1960s and ‘70s, Noele Gordon, whose firing at the height of her career created fan outrage and front-page news (9 p.m., PBS).

Quiet on the Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV
Two-night docuseries reveals the insidious environment of children’s TV programming in the late 1990s, where allegations of cover-up, abuse, sexism and inappropriate conduct with underage stars swirled around shows including All That, Zoey 101 and The Amanda Show (9 p.m., ID).

MONDAY, March 18
Stormy
Documentary about the former porn actress and stripper (above) brought into the public spotlight when she was paid hush money to cover up her dalliances with then-president Donald Trump (Peacock).

Photographer
In this highly visual new series, award-winning filmmakers chronicle the impressive work of nine different photographers covering everything from fashion to warfare (National Geographic).

TUESDAY, March 19
The Valley
Vanderpump Rules spinoff follows a group of close-couple friends as they relocate from West Hollywood to San Fernando Valley while navigating bustling businesses, rocky relationships and feisty friendships (9 p.m., Bravo).

WEDNESDAY, March 20
Top Chef
The kitchen is open for season 21, heating up the culinary scenes of Milwaukee and Madison, Wisc., with a new batch of rising-star chefs competing for the coveted title (9 p.m., Bravo).

Palm Royale
New all-star comedy series, set in the tony high-society circles of Palm Beach, stars Kristen Wiig, Laura Dern and Allison Janney, along with Ricky Martin, Mindy Cohn, Julia Duffy and Leslie Bibb (Apple TV+).

THURSDAY, March 21
Road House
Remake of the ‘80s classic about an ex-UFC fighter named Dalton (Jake Gyllenhaal) who takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys nightclub (below). Rest in peace, Patrick Swayze (Prime).

The Long Shadow
After a woman is murdered in England, local police struggle to catch her killer while a desperate mother makes a difficult decision to keep her family financially afloat in this new British series based on a real-life case (Sundance Now and AMC+).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Rock fans will flip for Zip It Up! The Best of Trouser Press Magazine 1974-1984 (Trouser Press), a new 440-page collection of the iconic rock ‘zine’s coverage of seminal classic rock, glam rock, prog rock, art rock and reggae music and its makers of the time, including Todd Rundgren, R.E.M., Peter Tosh, T. Rex, New York Dolls, the Go-Gos and hundreds of others. Dig it, dig it, dig it!

BRING IT HOME

One of the year’s top movie romcoms is Anyone But You (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment), about a couple (Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell) who have to pretend—after a disastrous first date—they’re still lovey dovey to not ruin a destination wedding in Australia. It’s sexy fun, and you can now own it on Blu-ray.

Mar 08 2024
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DVDs, Movies, Pop Culture, Television, TV

The Entertainment Forecast

Friday, March 8 – Thursday, March 14

Hollywood’s biggest night, Millie Bobbie Brown & the dragon, and real American cowboys

All times Eastern.

Host Jimmie Kimmel pre-tapes an Oscars segment with “Weird Barbie” (Kate McKinnon).

FRIDAY, March 8
Damsel
Millie Bobby Brown stars in this grim fairy tale action-adventure as a young woman who agrees to marry a handsome prince, only to find that the royal family has “chosen” her as a sacrifice. What will she do when she’s thrown into a cave with a terrifying fire-breathing dragon? (Netflix)

Watch out for those dragons, Millie!

First Time Female Director
Comedy flick about a young writer (Chelsea Peretti, who also wrote and directed) struggling to corral the eclectic cast and misguided production of a Southern-style play. With Megan Mullally, Amy Poehler, Andy Richter and Max Greenfield (Roku Channel).

SATURDAY, March 9
Hunting Housewives
When four gal friends head out for a much-needed retreat away from their husbands and kids, they find themselves stranded in the wilds after a plane crash—and running from stalkers who consider them prey. With Denise Richards and Nene Leakes (9 p.m., Lifetime). 

SUNDAY, March 10
The Academy Awards
What films, actors and others will take home a golden statue, Hollywood’s most prestigious movie award? Tune in tonight for the 96th annual bestowal of the Oscars, hosted again by late-night personality Jimmy Kimmel (7 p.m., ABC).

MONDAY, March 11
The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys
Docuseries looks at the high-stakes word of farming and ranching in rural Missouri, where the McBee family is on the brink of becoming a billion-dollar business (Peacock).

TUESDAY, March 12
Password
New season of the iconic game show begins tonight with hosts Keke Palmer and Jimmy Fallon and a slew of upcoming celebrity players, including Lauren Graham, Johnny Knoxville, Howie Mandell, Meghan Trainor and Wiz Khalifa (10 p.m., NBC).

Wildcard Kitchen
New culinary competition combines poker and kitchen expertise. Interesting! Hosted by Eric Adjepong (9 p.m., Food Network).

The Boat
New streaming series stars Daisy Haggard and Paterson Joseph (above) as friends who stumble upon a shipwrecked boat full of cocaine—and attract the attention of some dangerous people who want it back (Amazon Freevee).

WEDNESDAY, March 13
The Amazing Race
Meet the new 13 teams who’ll compete on the hit series’ 36th race around the world (9:30 p.m., CBS).

Little Wing
Brian Cox and Kelly Reilly star in this adaptation of a New Yorker magazine article, a heartwarming coming-of-age story about a teenage girl, a broken family and a bird (Paramount+).  

THURSDAY, March 14
Apples Never Fall
Family life can be complicated indeed, especially on TV—as this new series (starring Sam Neill, Annette Bening, Jake Lacy and Alison Brie) shows. Based on the book by Laine Moriarty (Peacock).

The Girls on the Bus
Melissa Benoist, Carla Gugino, Natasha Benham and Christina Elmore star in this new drama series (above) about four female journalists in the traveling press corps covering the campaign trail to the White House (Max).

BRING IT HOME

The Color Purple (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment) is a bold and rousing remake—produced by Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg and Quincy Jones—of the 1985 classic featuring an all-new, all-star cast (Taraji P.Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins and Halle Bailey) and pull-out-the-stops musical numbers from the later Broadway play. Extras include documentaries and making-of features.

Time to get wet again with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment), as Aquaman (Jason Momoa) teams with his brother, the King of Atlantis (Patrick Wilson), to defeat an old, malevolent underwater foe. With Dolph Lundgren, Amber Heard, Randall Park, Martin Short…and Nicole Kidman as the Queen of Atlantis.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

What kind of music goes with outer space? In The Music of Space (McFarland), author Chris Carberry takes a wide-ranging look at the music and the composers who’ve helped create, define and fine-tune the “sounds” of space in movies and TV, from The Day the Earth Stood still to Star Wars and beyond And what’s that sound coming from the International Space Station? Is that a guitar? Yes!

Feb 23 2024
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Movies, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

Feb. 23 – Feb. 29

‘Priscilla’ streams, George Jones gets the all-star treatment & Timothy Chalamet is young Willy Wonka

All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, Feb. 23
Priscilla
Director Sofia Coppola’s acclaimed fem-centric drama based on Elvis Presley’s former wife and her life with the King comes to streaming today. Starring Callee Spaeny as the child who became a bride, and Jacob Eldori as Elvis (Max).

The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy
Animated sci-fi comedy sitcom follows a group of deep-space docs battling illegal time loops and cosmic STIs as they try to keep their personal lives from falling apart under the zero-gravity stress. It’s like a far-far far out ER, with voices by Keke Palmer, Maya Rudolph, Stephanie Hsu, Natasha Lyonne and Kieran Culkin (Prime).

SATURDAY, Feb. 24
George Jones: Still Playin’ Possum
The late, great county icon (above) is celebrated on the 10th anniversary of his death in a special concert by Travis Tritt, Tanya Tucker, Brad Paisley, Jelly Roll, Wynonna and others, and their renditions of “Golden Ring,” “She Thinks I Still Care,” “Whose Gonna Fill Their Shoes,” “The Race is On” and many other George Jones hits (9 p.m., PBS).

Sense and Sensibility
Part of the network’s Jane Austen “Loveuary” programming, this original movie takes a page or two from the late romance novelist with its tale of sisters torn between lovers when they move into a modest cottage in the British countryside (8 p.m., Hallmark).

SUNDAY, Feb. 25
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live
How many ways can those dead people walk??? This newest spinoff of the franchise stars Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira as two fan-favorite characters from the show, lovebirds who find themselves in yet another war with—you guessed it—the walking dead (AMC).

Vegas: The Story of Sin City
Cruise deep into the history of the iconic place that became the HQ for Elvis and the Rat Pack, sprouting from the desert like an oasis of vice and spicy, spectacular diversion from the seeds of visionary developers and infamous mobsters (10 p.m., CNN).

MONDAY, Feb. 26
The Voice
Limber up the vocal chords for season 25 of the hit singing competition, which kicks off tonight with host Carson Daly and returning judges Reba McEntire, Chance the Rapper, John Legend, joined by first-timers Dan + Shay (8 p.m., NBC).

TUESDAY, Feb. 27
As We Speak: Rap Music on Trial
Documentary follows rap artist Kemba as he explores the growing “weaponization” of rap lyrics by law enforcement and how they been used as evidence in criminal trials for decades (Paramount+).

Shōgun
Global event series (above), a new adaptation of the bestselling novel by James Clavell, is set in Japan in the year 1600 at the dawn of a century-defining war and features an acclaimed Japanese cast (Hulu).

God Save Texas
Trilogy of documentary films by Richard Linklater and other Texas filmmakers spotlight some of hot topics in one of the most controversial states in the country—a superprison in Huntsville, where one quarter of the town’s population is incarcerated; the downside of Houston’s oil boom; and a town on the border with Mexico where immigration issues really hit home (Max).

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 28
Code 8 Part II
(Below). An ex-con janitor’s attempts at staying out of trouble run aground when he helps a young teen escape from corrupt police officers. Maybe his telekinetic powers can help! With Robbie Amell and Stephen Amell, who created and starred in the 2016 short scifi film on which the new series is based (Netflix).

Iwájú
New highly visual animated saga about a young Nigerian girl in the future who learns the dangers hidden in her world and that of her best friend (Disney+).

THURSDAY, Feb. 29
Elsbeth
Terry Preston (from The Good Wife, True Blood, The Good Fight and Claws) returns in this new drama series (below) as an unconventional attorney who helps the NYPD corner criminals (10 p.m., CBS).

Me, Hereafter
New true-crime docudrama innovatively takes you inside gripping murder investigations, as if they were voiced “from beyond” from the deceased victims (Hulu).

BRING IT HOME

Enter the wonderful world of Wonka (Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment), the delightful, candy-coated musical story of how a young chocolate maker (Timothee Chalamet) became the confectionary impresario we all know as Willie Wonka. The supporting cast includes Keegan-Michael Key, Sally Hawkins and Olivia Colman. 

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