Category Archives: Television

Sep 29 2023
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Books, DVDs, Movies, Music, Pop Culture, Television, TV

The Entertainment Forecast

September 29 – October 5

Emma is ‘Cruella,’ Brits rock, ‘Family Guy’ turns 22 & Milla fights monsters!

Emma Stone stars in Cruella on Disney+.

FRIDAY, Sept. 29
Gen V
What happens at a college especially for young adults who want to become superheroes? Find out in this zingy new series (below) connected to The Boys and starring Jensen Ackles, Patrick Schwarznegger and Lizzie Broadway (Prime).

The New York Times Presents: How to Fix a Pageant
Investigative docuseries digs into the Miss USA and Miss Universe organizations, a recent scandal, and how the “beauty pageants” are struggling to remain successful, relevant and significant in the modern world (10 p.m., FX). 

Brits Rock!
Cool! This block of programming celebrates the music and legacies three iconic British rock artists: The Beatles, Adele and David Bowie (All Arts TV).

Reptile
Benicio del Toro, Justin Timberlake (above) and Alicia Siverstone star in this new network original movie about the brutal murder of a young real estate executive and a hardened detective who attempts to uncover the truth in a case where nothing is as it seems (Netflix).

Flora and Son
Eve Hewson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt star in this original drama about a mom, her rebellious teenage son (Orén Kinlan) and how the transformative power of music brings them together in newfound harmony (AppleTV+).

SATURDAY, Sept. 30
Hot Dish with Franco
World-class chef Franco Noriega puts his Peruvian and Italian roots down in the kitchen for some hot-stuff, flavorful dishes in this new culinary series (12 p.m., Food Network).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

It’s never too early to think about Christmas! The Christmas Book (Phaidon) is a treasure trove of the traditions, lore, rituals and spirituality of “the most wonderful time of the year” with photographs, paintings and other pop-cultural artifacts. Santa, Scrooge, snow, nutcrackers, silent nights, nativity scenes—it’s all here, and more!

Fans of ‘80s rock will groove to Police Diaries (Rocket88), drummer Stewart Copeland’s firsthand account of the early days of The Police, the British trio that took over the charts with “Every Breath You Take,” “Roxanne,” “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic” and many more hits. Packed with photos from Copeland’s deep personal archive, “it’s a big, noisy book about one heckuva ride.”

We know the ocean is big, it’s deep and it’s the stuff of folklore and legend. But Helen Czerski’s The Blue Machine: How the Ocean Works (WW Norton) reminds us how the vast sea is a massive aquatic engine, constantly churning with energy, life and raw materials. Read it and marvel anew—and raise your awareness of how this ancient, gravity-defying feature of the Earth’s topography, now faces new, modern environmental threats.

Take an armchair trip to some of the world’s most scenic getaways in The Alps (Phaidon), with hundreds of photos of winter-playground places in France, Switzerland, Italy, AAustria and Germany. Here, you don’t have to be a celebrity—or a wealthy international traveler—to enjoy the views.

SUNDAY, Oct. 1
Family Guy
Seth McFarlane’s classic animated sitcom for grownups returns for season 22 tonight. Meg’s having a baby, Peter takes flight and Stewie gets his rock-star on! (9:30 p.m., Fox).

Jack Osborne’s Night of Terror
Ozzy’s son launches another season of spine-tingling paranormal investigations (below), kicking off with a trip to a haunted hotel in Santa Paula, Calif., accompanied by his mom, Sharon (10 p.m., Travel Channel).

MONDAY, Oct. 2
Spin’s 100 Greatest Rock Stars Since That Was a Thing
You wanna rock? Then tune in for this new docuseries, spotlighting all the greats—Elvis, Kurt Cobain, Jimmy Page, David Bowie, Grace Slick, and many more, with commentary from Dee Snider, Stewart Copeland, Carnie Wilson and other musical icons. Rock on! (8 p.m., AXS).

The Partridge Family
C’mon, get happy! All 96 episodes of the classic ‘70s TV musical sitcom series (below), about a peppy “family band” of rock musicians (led by Shirley Jones and David Cassidy), return to TV beginning today as part of the network’s new “Retro Binge,” which also includes The Monkees (9 p.m., AXS).

TUESDAY, Oct. 3
The Found
Shanola Hampton—she played Veronica Fisher in Shameless—now stars in this new weekly series as a foster care professional searching for a missing 14-year-old, but the case becomes much more complicated than she first imagined (10 p.m., NBC). 

Cruella
Emma Stone plays a young villainess-in-making (who’d grow up to be Cruella Deville of 101 Dalmatians) in this feisty, fab-fashion live-action 2021 remake of the Disney classic (7:50 p.m., Freeform).

BRING IT HOME

Get ready for Halloween with some of the greatest ghouls of all time: Universal Classic Monsters (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment), the new eight-disc set of restored, 4K versions of The Invisible Man, The Mummy, Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Phantom of the Opera and The Creature From the Black Lagoon. Plus, an accompanying book is filled with rare pix, and trivia.

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 4
Monster Hunter
Not many people saw it when it was released theatrically in the early days of the COVID pandemic. Not you can watch it twice, back to back, as model-turned-sci-fi-actress Milla Jovovich kicks some serious monster butt in a futuristic, apocalyptic world, all based on a popular video game (7:20 p.m., FXM).

Quantum Leap
Season two of the sequel series to the 1989-93 TV drama stars Raymond Lee as a physicist who discovers many wrongs to right after his “unauthorized” leap into the past. Plus, he has a sweetie (Caitlin Bassett) he left behind (9 p.m., NBC).

THURSDAY, Oct. 5
Our Flag Means Death
Season two of the high-seas pirate comedy sets sail tonight, with filmmaker/actor Taika Waititi in the lead role of this swashbuckling tongue-in-cheek tale loosely based on real-life 18th century would-be buccaneer Stede Bonnet (Max).

Accused: Guilty of Innocent
What happens when someone is formally charged with a crime and sent to the courtroom? New season of the true-crime series picks up tonight with more inside stories of people facing the wheels of justice for serious crimes they are alleged to have committed. But did they?  (10 p.m., A&E).

Sep 22 2023
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Books, Movies, Pop Culture, Television, TV

The Entertainment Forecst

Friday, Sept. 22 – Thursday, Sept. 28

Benedict Cumberbatch sees a future in gambling, a new book of fun Beatles facts & a visit to John Wick’s favorite hotel

Benedict Cumberbatch stars in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (Wednesday).

FRIDAY, Sept. 22
The Continental: From the World of John Wick
Much-anticipated “prequel” series to the action-packed John Wick movie series (below) drops on streaming tonight, with a three-part series about the characters and the origin of the safe-space hotel for the underworld. No Keanu, sorry. But hey, there’s Mel Gibson (Peacock).

Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court
Four-part series tells the history of America’s highest level of the judiciary system, tracing its history from the turbulent 1950s into the controversial present (8 p.m., Showtime).

SATURDAY, Sept. 23
Stolen Baby: The Murder of Heidi Broussand
A baby was stolen, a murder was committed, and a woman named Helen Broussand was killed. So, what else you need to know about this ripped-from-the-headlines tale of a friendship gone bad (way bad) starring Emily Osment and Anna Hopkins? (8 p.m., Lifetime).

SUNDAY, Sept. 24
Disappeared
Tonight’s episode of the true-crime series focuses on a woman who, in 2019, headed home to Chicago after visiting Iowa to care for her ailing mother—and was never heard from again. As her friends search for her, the case becomes even more mysterious. (10 p.m., ID).

MONDAY, Sept. 25
Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test
Do you laugh at the fun and games of American Ninja Warrior, giggle at the naughty-bits contrivance of Naked and Afraid, or scoff at the tedious blue-collar tasks of Tough as Nails? Then you’re ready for this new reality competition (above), in which some sorta-famous people (Savannah Chrisley, Brian Austin Greene, Jack Osborne, Tara Reid, JoJo Siwa, to name a handful) put themselves through some of the world’s most rigorous training exercises (9 p.m., Fox)

The Irrational
Jessie L. Martin (he was Det. Green on Law & Order) stars in this new series as a behavioral science professor called in to investigate the murder of a fashion influencer, leading to a maze of government, law enforcement and corporate misdeeds (10 p.m., NBC). 

TUESDAY, Sept. 26
Savior Complex
Three-part docuseries unfolds the controversial story of Renee Bach, a young American missionary who felt called by God to set up a charity for malnourished children in Uganda—and later faced allegations that she, with no medical qualifications, was treating the children herself. It’s a parable about “white saviorism” and the questionable ethics of foreign aid work done in the name of religious ideals. (9 p.m., HBO).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

There has been a lot written about the Fab Four, but in Wait! What? The Beatles Couldn’t Read Music? (Norton Young Readers) author Dan Gutman offers a Yellow Submarine full of unusual and surprising facts you probably didn’t know about the lads from Liverpool—like John Lennon’s nickname of “Stinker” (because he farted so much), and how Ringo’s grandma thought he was possessed! It’s hip, humorous and geared for kids. 

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 27
Welcome to Fairhope
New docuseries goes small—into small-town America—following a multi-generational group of friends and neighbors in the community of Fairhope, Ala., where everyone knows everybody else…and usually knows their business, too (Hulu).

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
Director Wes Anderson puts his whimsical, quirky touches on this beloved story by Roald Dahl about a rich man who learns he can “see” without using his eyes, then sets out to master the skill to cheat at gambling. With Ralph Fiennes, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dev Patel and Ben Kingsley (Netflix).

Snake Oil
Can contestants tell the difference between “real” products and fake ones? Host David Spade challenges them to sort out the real stuff from the snake oil, guided by the opinions and expertise of celebs, athletes and other famous folk (Brad Paisley and Will Arnett, above)? (9 p.m., Fox).

THURSDAY, Sept. 28
The Kardashians
Can we ever get enough of them? (Answer: Yes, we can.). But for those who are remain fascinated by the cosmetic-surgery train wreck of this reality-show family, well, here you go. Season four starts tonight (Hulu).

Lego Masters
Will Arnett (him again!) returns to host season four of the competition series, in which Lego architects will face a new battery of challenges, including constructing an explosive volcano and a kitty-cat palace (9 p.m., Fox).

Sep 15 2023
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Books, Movies, Photography, Pop Culture, Sports, Television, TV

The Entertainment Forecast

Friday, Sept. 15 – Thursday, Sept. 21

Married life takes a murderous turn, Batman wings it all day, and Kim Kardashian’s ‘Horror Story’

Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Jenna Coleman in ‘Wilderness’

FRIDAY, Sept. 15
El Conde
Well, here’s something you don’t see every day: A dark comedy set in Chile about a fascist ruler who happens to be vampire and decides the undead life isn’t for him. Think What We Do in the Shadows with a South American twist (Netflix).

Wilderness
A cross-country dream trip turns into a domestic dilemma in this British TV-series thriller as a young wife (Jenna Coleman) stews over the infidelity of her unfaithful husband (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) as marital bliss turns into fury and revenge, with an opening song by Taylor Swift (Prime).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Game geeks, get ready! The first videogame was created about 70 years ago, but now that “novelty” has become a worldwide phenomenon. Game Changers (Phaidon) is the definitive illustrated compendium of some 300 of pop culture’s most influential and iconic games, consoles and more.

Screen Style (Lawrence King) by film fashionista media consultant Marnie Fogg lets you eyeball some of the most colorful, iconic and wowza wardrobe items from iconic TV shows and movies, including Bridgerton, Empire, Downtown Abbey, The Deuce, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Euphoria, Schitt’s Creek, The Crown and much more. And it’s packed with hundreds of full-color pics, helping exoplain how clothes “make” the man (and the woman!) by establishing time and place and character traits, and setting the tone in subtle, distinctive and absolutely integral ways.

Lovers of language (and how it sometimes gets mauled) will love Damp Squids and Card Sharks (Hardie Grant) by Robert Anwood. This lively little volume is a treat for anyone who appreciates mangled phrases, mixed metaphors, mispelling mishaps and other interesting mis-uses and outright abuses of English. 

SATURDAY, Sept. 16
WOW-Women of Wresting
Pull up your ringside seat for season two of this series about the fabulous female grapplers who it duke it out on the mat…if that’s your jam (syndicated).

Batman
Take wing with the Cape Crusader (above) and a full day of movies, include director Christopher Nolan’s acclaimed trilogy with Christian Bale (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises), plus Justice League and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (begins 10 a.m., TNT).

SUNDAY, Sept. 17
Psycho: The Lost Tapes of Ed Gein
True-crime fans will flip over this new docuseries, about the serial killer and grave robber whose twisted mind and heinous acts of real-life horror inspired the movies Psycho, The Silence of the Lambs and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (MGM+).

The Gold
Hugh Bonneville and Dominic Cooper lead the cast of this new drama (below), based on a true 1983 story about how a group of men inadvertently stumbled across some $34 million in gold bullion during a London robbery (Paramount+).

MONDAY, Sept. 18
Neighbors
New season of the Australian drama series begins tonight, following the lives, loves and challenges of residents on the fictional Ramsay Street in a suburb of Melbourne (Freevee).

The Academy of Country Music Honors
This annual all-star fete, which was held in August at Nashville’s historic auditorium, will salute country hitmakers including Chris Stapleton, Clint Black, K.T. Oslin, Tim McGraw and Mary Chapin Carpenter (8 p.m., Fox).

Superpowers
Sean Penn directed this documentary about Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky and the country’s ongoing fight for its freedom against Russia (Paramount+).

NOW HEAR THIS

Ready for some hard-charging, guitar-slinging retro rockbilly? Brian Setzer’s new The Devil Always Collects (Surfgod Records) is a hip-cat trip to rockville with a new collection of tunes from the former Stray Cats frontman—including a blisteringly groovy take on the old Del Reeves country truckin’ anthem, “Girl on the Billboard.”

TUESDAY, Sept. 19
Celebrity Name That Tune
How well do the stars know music? Find out as more famous folks come aboard for season three and try to win big bugs for their charities. Randy Fox and Jane Krakowski return as hosts (8 p.m., Fox).

The Mask
See the 1994 superhero comedy which began Jim Carrey’s trajectory as a gonzo breakout star, established Cameron Diaz as a leading lady, and made swing music hip again. And oh, yeah, it made more moolah (at the time) than any other film ever based on a comic book (10 p.m., TruTV).

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 20

American Horror Story: Delicate
Kim Kardashian, Emma Roberts and Cara Delevingne are among the cast for the latest installment of the award-winning anthology horror series, which will feature episodes about witches, a traveling freak show, a haunted hotel and the apocalypse itself. It’s scary good! (10 p.m., FX).

The Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal
On March 2, 2023, Alex Murdaugh was found guilty of the murder of his wife, Maggie, and son Paul. The world watched with bated breath as a verdict was announced. The people of South Carolina’s Lowcountry had been waiting the better part of two years to understand what happened the night of June 7, 2021. Now you can find out more in season two of the documentary delving into that fateful night (Netflix).  

THURSDAY, Sept. 21
Bill Murray Moviefest
He’s done some semi-serious stuff, but Murray will always be known for making us laugh. Settle in tonight for a back-to-back mini-fest of his funniest films, including Caddyshack, Scrooged, Meatballs and Stripes (5 p.m., Pluto).

The Prank Panel In the season finale, the practical-joker pranksters (Johnny Knoxville, Eric Andre and Gabourey Sidibe) help pull off an elaborate practical joke involving a new bride and an allergic reaction (9 p.m., ABC).

Sep 01 2023
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Books, DVDs, Movies, Pop Culture, Sports, Television, TV

The Entertainment Forecast

Friday, Sept. 1 – Thursday, Sept. 7

‘The Little Mermaid,’ love in the Smoky Mountains & a sordid scouting scandal

Disney’s live-action ‘Little Mermaid’ comes ashore for streaming this week.

FRIDAY, Sept. 1
The Wheel of Time
Season two begins tonight, about a farm boy who may destroy the world and a group of sorceresses fighting his power and madness (below). With Rosamund Pike (Prime Video).

Power Book IV: Force
The hit franchise returns tonight, as Tommy Egan (Joseph Sikora) charts new territory, capitalizes on his competitors’ weaknesses and makes a play at becoming Chicago’s top drug dealer (8 p.m., Starz).

SATURDAY, Sept. 2
Unforgotten
No, it’s not the Clint Eastwood Western, which was Unforgiven—but rather season five of the British crime series in which London detectives solve a new variety of cold-case disappearances and murder (9 p.m., PBS)

SUNDAY, Sept. 3
Love in the Great Smoky Mountains
Arielle Kebbell and Zach Roerig (above) star as a pair of former sweethearts who rediscover romance while working together on a project in the nation’s most-visited national park (8 p.m., Hallmark).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

You’ll get the “feels” with Motherhood (Tate Publishing), a heartwarming collection of visual representations of motherhood as depicted by artists over the centuries.

A host of vocalist all-stars tell what it’s like to do what they do in The Singers Talk (Permuted Press), featuring more than 70 revealing, wide-ranging interviews, including Tony Bennett, Emmylou Harris, Lionel Richie, Bruce Springsteen, Dionne Warwick, Rod Stewart, Willie Nelson, Stevie Nicks, Ozzie Osborne and many more!

Fans of everything royal will delight at Queen Elizabeth II: A Photographic Portrait (Thames & Hudson), a splendid collection (and reflection) on the royal highness and her 70 years on the throne, from her first official baby portrait to her Platinum Jubilee last year. More than 200 images, from acclaimed photographers, trace her life and reign, with essays by bestselling historian and author Philip Ziegler.

MONDAY, Sept. 4
Secrets of Penthouse
Four-episode series tells the true story of the rise and fall of Bob Guccione, who made millions as the founder of Penthouse magazine, which challenged Playboy for the girlie-mag market—and pushed the envelope of adult publishing further than it had ever been before (9 p.m., A&E)

Ancient Empires
Three-night event explores the legacies of Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and Cleopatra (8 p.m., History).

While We Watched
Strong-stuff documentary offers an unfiltered looks at NDTV, once the bastion of information within India’s TV networks, now spiraling downward in waves of fake news, financial setbacks, creeping nationalism and extremist attacks on truth. It’s a snapshot of a world in crisis, told through the microcosm of one television network that stands as a representative of modern journalism (10 p.m., PBS). 

TUESDAY, Sept. 5

BRING IT HOME

Worlds collide in the acclaimed Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment), in which multiple versions of the character intersect in a dazzling spectacle of animated adventure. With Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez, Jake Johnson, Jason Schwartzman, Issa Rae, Karan Soni, Daniel Kaluuya, Mahershala Ali and Oscar Isaac.

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City
The reality series returns for a new season (below) with frigid family dynamics, red hot international travel and a shocking betrayal that none of the women saw coming (9 p.m., Bravo).

One Shot: Overtime Elite
Six-part sports documentary series follows the new generation of NBA top draft-pick rookies, led by Amen and Ausar Thompson, Jakhi Howard, Rob Dillingham and Eli Ellis (Prime).

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 6
Scouts Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America
How did the Scouts try to cover up one of history’s most horrific sexual abuse scandals? Find out in this documentary, which talks to whistleblowers, survivors and former BSA employees (Netflix).

The Little Mermaid
Disney’s recent live-action re-imagining of its “under the sea” music-filled classic comes today to streaming, with Halle Bailey as Ariel, Javier Bardem as King Triton and Melissa McCarthy as the evil Ursula (Disney+).

THURSDAY, Sept. 7
The Dead Files
Season three of the spooky reality series finds psychic medium Cindy Kaza and homicide detective Steve DiSchiavia teaming up again for more investigations of the paranormal (10 p.m., Travel).

Virgin River
Alexandra Breckinridge (above) returns as midwife “Mel” Monroe for season five of the romantic drama series as the characters face a shocking breakup, a wrenching court trial and a wildfire that threatens their northern California town (Netflix). 

Aug 18 2023
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Movies, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

Friday, Aug. 18 – Thursday Aug. 24

King Arthur consults with Merlin in the new series ‘The Winter King,’ Sunday on MGM+.

FRIDAY, Aug. 18
Snoopy Presents: One of a Kind Marcie
The introverted, studious, bespectacled little girl from Peanuts gets her own TV special, as Marcie becomes a golf caddy, gets nominated for class president and finds new ways to help her friends (Apple TV+).

Harlen Cobin’s Shelter
A YA cast headlines this thriller about a young man who discovers unimaginable secrets in his quiet little community after the disappearance of one of his schoolmates (Prime).

SATURDAY, Aug. 19
How She Caught a Killer
Sarah Drew (she was Dr. April Kepner on TV’s Grey’s Anatomy) produces and also stars in this “ripped from the headlines” movie (above) as an undercover cop trying to end a string of kidnapped and murdered sex workers (8 p.m., Lifetime).

Stand Up to Cancer
Multi-network fundraising special features a host of all-stars—including Elizabeth Banks, Jessica Biel, Tony Hale, Ken Jeong, Eric Stonestreet and Justin Timberlake—plus comedic skits and musical performances from years past (8 p.m., ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and multiple streaming platforms).

Swamp Monsters
Slip on your wading boots and slither in to his day-long marathon about monsters from the murk, including Cryptid: The Swamp Beast and episodes of MonsterQuest (www.storytelevision.com/wheretowatch/)

SUNDAY, Aug. 20
The Winter King
New 10-episode series, based on novels by author Bernard Cornwell, offers revisionist takes on well-known Arthurian legends in a brutal land of warring factions and tribes as the outcast Arthur Pendragon evolves from legendary warrior to king (MGM+).

761st Tank Battalion: The Original Black Panthers
Morgan Freeman narrates this doc about the heroic first Black U.S. Army tank unit to serve in combat during World War II, where they became crucial in the Allied fight against Nazi Germany (8 p.m. History Channel).

MONDAY, Aug. 21
Secrets of Prince Andrew
British journalists and insiders give insights into this true story behind the now-disgraced royal after the infamous TV interview in which he disastrously tried to defend himself against allegations that he had sex with an underage girl (8 p.m., A&E).

Dark Marvels
Tonight’s episode, “Sinister Spy Weapons,” delves into the dark art of spycraft, from the “frankenkitty” to the umbrella gun, revealing the deadliest espionage weapons ever deployed to gather information and assassinate enemies (9 p.m., History).

TUESDAY, Aug. 22
Bobby’s Triple Threat
The kitchen is ready for a new season as more elite chefs compete for $25,000 under the watchful eyes of Food Network icon Bobby Flay (9 p.m., Food Network).

Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
It’s a rebroadcast, but tune in to see Melissa Joan Hart, Titus Burgess and Lacey Chabert spin the big wheel for charity (8 p.m., ABC).

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 23
Star Wars: Ahsoka
Star Wars fans, rejoice! This new live-action addition to the far-flung franchise stars Rosario Dawson (below) in the role of a former Jedi Knight as she investigates a threat to the galaxy. With Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Dana Tennant (Disney+).

BS High
Documentary explores the incident that developed after a football game between two prep schools, IGP and Bishop Sycamore High, which resulted in nearly 60 injuries on the field, a media circus about one of the school’s legitimacy and a probe into the cut-throat world of youth athletics (9 p.m., HBO).

THURSDAY, Aug. 24
Toya & Reginae
Curious about the lives of the ex-wife and daughter of rap star Lil Wayne? Me neither, but this new reality show will let you tag along for the ups and downs of the Atlanta-based rap duo (9 p.m., WE tv). 

Twisted Marriage Therapist
In this tense psychological drama, the latest in the streaming platform’s “Twisted” series, a couple seeks counseling to save their marriage, but the husband soon realizes that therapist is obsessed with his wife and will do anything to get her (Tubi).

Aug 11 2023
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Books, DVDs, Movies, Television, TV

The Entertainment Forecast

Aug. 11 – Aug. 17

A double dose of Elvis, a search for barbecue & telemarketer whistle blowers

FRIDAY, Aug. 11
Men In Kilts: A Road Trip with Sam and Graham
Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish hit the road again (above) for a second season of adventures, this time exploring the Down Under world of New Zealand (9:30 p.m., Starz).

Red, White and Royal Blue
In this new feature film, the son of the U.S. president and a British prince find themselves in the middle of a tabloid frenzy, out of which a deeper relationship develops. With Uma Thurman and Clifton Collins Jr. (Peacock).

NOW HEAR THIS

Celebrate the milestone 50th anniversary of Elvis Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite with a deluxe reissue of the groundbreaking 1973 event and album, loaded with bonus content—three discs of remastered and enhanced material, including a dress rehearsal, plus a 28-page booklet and the first-ever Blu-ray release of the original broadcast. Groove to such Elvis classics “Burning Love,” “My Way,” “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” “Suspicious Minds” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” and a hunka-hunka lot more!

SATURDAY, Aug. 12
Hip Hop Treasures
Have you any hip hop treasures? You might, and LL Cool J and Ice T can let you know when they come to your door. They’re hosting this new series in which they track down down conic memorabilia from the musical era of hip hop, now celebrating the format’s 50th anniversary (10 p.m., A&E).

Kings of Barbecue
Black-ish star Anthony Anderson and comedian Cedric the Entertainer (above) travel across the country and fire up the grill in search of their one of their favorite foods, and the people who make it, in this new docuseries (9 p.m., A&E).

SUNDAY, Aug. 13
Telemarketers
Docuseries about two amateur sleuths in the early 2000s who set out to expose a crooked industry from within. It’s a madcap, sometimes witty odyssey stretching over 20 years into the dark side of American capitalism and the misuse of consumer trust (10 p.m., HBO).

Billions
The award-winning hit series (above), exploring a group of suit-and-tie money moguls embroiled in an escalating war driven by power, money and greed, returns for its seventh and final season, with Damian Lewis, Paul Giamatti, Corey Stoll and Maggie Siff (8 p.m., Showtime).

MONDAY, Aug. 14
Solar Opposites
Season four begins of the animated chaotic comedy series (below) about a group of space aliens who can’t decide if Earth is awesome, or awful. Voices by Dan Stevens, Thomas Middleditch, Mary Mack and Sean Giambrone (Hulu).

TUESDAY, Aug. 15
Re-Inventing Elvis: The ’68 Comeback
Documentary examines the dramatic creation of the groundbreaking hour-long TV event that triggered the comeback of Elvis Presley (Paramount+).

The Love Experiment
New dating-game twist features a relationship expert guiding three young women through a literal “hall” of eligible men, and coaching them on how to make the best choices (10 p.m., MTV).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Go deep into football’s past in Gridiron Legacy by Gregg Ficery (Gramarye Media/The Story Plant), which traces the sport’s origins all the way back to its muddy roots in the late 1800s. It’s a treasure trove of forgotten sports history and pics, long before the Super Bowl and millionaire superstar athletes were a thing.

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 16
Grown-ish
Oh, more college drama! Dean Miller recruits Aaron (Trevor Jackson) to convince Andre (Marcus Shribner) and the rest of their fraternity to cultivate a relationship with a problematic alum (10 p.m., Freeform).

THURSDAY, Aug. 17
The Wonder Years
The family embarks on a road trip to Austin College, the makes a stop at Disneyworld, where Bill (Dulè Hill) meets up with some old bandmates and reflects on his life choices (9:30 p.m., ABC).

Tracy Morgan: Takin’ It Too Far
The former SNL star goes on stage for this stand-up comedy special from the Wilbur Theater in Boston, where he takes on a variety of topics, including the 2014 car crash that left him with several broken bones and a brain injury (Max).

Aug 04 2023
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Books, DVDs, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

Friday, Aug. 4 – Thursday, Aug. 10

Sigourney’s ‘Lost Flowers,’ a Boy in the Walls, Lovers Who Kill and Musical Stars Find their Superfans

FRIDAY, Aug. 4
The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart
Sigourney Weaver (above) stars in this film adaptation of Holly Ringland’s internationally best-selling book, about a woman who learns troubling, decades-deep secrets about her family after a wrenching tragedy (Prime).

Women on Death Row
They are the rarest of criminals—women who have been found guilty of murder and sentenced to die. Each episode of this new series follows a harrowing trial and its proceedings that ultimately set the wheels turning for capital punishment—and shows how some of these women are facing their fates (9 p.m., A&E).

SATURDAY, Aug. 5
A Boy in the Walls
A family in rural Connecticut discover there’s someone secretly living in their home in this thriller (above) starring Ryan Michelle Bathe, Luke Camilleri and Cassandra Sawtell (8 p.m., Lifetime).

Great Chocolate Showdown
Ten top bakers complete tonight by building chocolate Tic-Tac-Toe boards and a diorama. And mom always told you not to play with your food! (8 p.m., The CW).

Debbie Reynolds and Frank Sinatra in ‘The Tender Trap.’

SUNDAY, Aug. 6
Celebrating Debbie Reynolds
Celebrate the singer, dancer and actress whose career spanned nearly 70 years—and who was the mom of Star Wars’ Carrie Fisher—in this daylong collection of some of her top movies, including The Affairs of Dobie Gillis, Bundle of Joy, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Singing in the Rain, The Tender Trap and The Gazebo (Turner Classic Movies).

MONDAY, Aug. 7
Meet Marry Murder
Actress Helen Hunt returns as narrator for season two of this true-crime series about spouses who kill their partners. Yikes! (10 p.m., Lifetime).

BRING IT HOME

More fast cars, more spectacular crashes, more revenge, more crowd-pleasing, turbo-charged destruction. That’s Fast X (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment), the latest full-throttle epic in the successful franchise, with a sprawling ensemble cast that includes Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, John Cena, Brie Larson and Helen Mirren. Vrooom, y’all!

TUESDAY, Aug. 8
Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the New York Jets
What’s it like to knock heads with a pro team on the football field. This documentary takes you inside the Jets’ training camp in Florida, where coach Robert Saleh puts newcomers and returning superstars (Aaron Rogers! C.J. Mosley) through their grueling paces (10 p.m., Max).

Only Murders in the Building
New season of the comedy whodunnit (above) starring Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez as three residents of an apartment complex where the mysteries—and murders—just keep piling up (Hulu).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Experts on all things Oz-ian can dig up the bricks in the Yellow Brick Road in The Characters of Oz (McFarland), a fascinating collection of academic essays on the characters and themes of L. Frank Baum classic that became a landmark movie. Two of my favorite parts of the book were a deeps analysis of the Winged Monkeys, and a new way of looking at the Cowardly Lion!

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 9
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
How many colons can I used in this blurb: Maybe two or three: Maybe more. Tune in tonight to kick off the final season of the Emmy-nominated series based on the High School Musical movie franchise, about a group of high schoolers puttin’ on one last, blowout show (Disney+).

Superfan
Unscripted series—call it reality TV if you’d like—about six music-superstar acts (Kelsea Ballerini, Gloria Estefan, Little Big Town (above) , LL Cool J, Pitbull and Shania Twain—and their biggest fans (8 p.m., CBS).

THURSDAY, Aug. 10
Painkiller
Matthew Broderick (above), Taylor Kitsch and Uzo Aduba lead the cast in this new fictionalized series about America’s opioid crisis, its perpetrators and its victims, and a system of accountability that repeated failed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans. Hello, Emmy nominations (Netflix).

Rap Sh!t
Season two begins tonight of the Issa Rae-produced drama about a pair of high school friends (Aida Osman and KaMillion, above) who form a rap group but are challenged to conform to the demands of the music industry (Max).

Jul 28 2023
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Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

Friday, July 28 – Thursday, Aug. 3

Beanie Babies, Naked & Afraid Castaways, Streaming ‘Guardians’ & a ‘Jersey Shore’ Vacay

Find out how the Beanie Baby craze became a thing in ‘The Beanie Bubble.’

FRIDAY, July 28
The Beanie Bubble
Zach Galifianakis, Elizabeth Banks and Sarah Snook star in this original film about a not-so-distant time in the 1990s past when the world started treating little stuffed animals as adorable pets—and then highly valued collectible investments (Apple TV+).

Heels
Season two begins tonight for the series about a Georgia family of small-town wrestlers. With Stephen Arnell and Alexander Ludwig (10 p.m., Starz). 

This Fool
Half-hour comedy series set in South Central Los Angeles returns for season two tonight, with roommates Julio (Chris Estrada) and Luis (Frankie Quinones) embarking on new careers and new love lives (Hulu).

SUNDAY, July 30
Dark Winds
Season two begins tonight, with a largely Native American cast in a new tale of cops stalking a killer in the high desert of Navajo Country (9 p.m., AMC)

Naked and Afraid Castaways
And now yet another way to shed your clothes, shed a few pounds, and scrounge and scrape for survival. This new spinoff of the N&A franchise puts contestants on a tropical island strewn with wreckage and debris, including a shipwreck, abandoned military vehicles and a crashed plane. Can they find what they need, and fashion the rest, to endure 21 days? (8 p.m., Discovery Channel). 

MONDAY, July 31
Breeders
Emmy winner Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard return to kick off the fourth and final season of the dramady about parents and their growing kids—a concept based loosely on Freeman’s own experiences (10 p.m., FX). 

American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes
Documentary series follows the comeback of pro wrestler Cody Rhodes as he chases the WWE championship title his superstar father, Dusty Rhodes, never attained (Peacock).

Here’s Lucy!
Before the was a TV comedy queen and a television groundbreaker, Lucille Ball was a rising starlet in a slew of Hollywood movies. Watch an all-day marathon of some of her best, including Room Service (1938), Too Many Girls (1940), Without Love (1945), Easy to Wed (1946) and more, including the feature-length “road” comedy The Long, Long Trailer (1954), co-starring her real-life husband Desi Arnez (6 a.m., TBS). 

Lucy and Desi star in the 1954 movie comedy ‘The Long, Long Trailer.’

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 2
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
Tonight, Pat Sajak and Vanna White host as Paul Scheer, Luenell and Mary Lynn Raskub spin the wheel in hopes of winning a cool $1 million for their charities of choice (8 p.m., ABC).  

Big Brother
Ever get the feeling that someone is watching you? Well, maybe you’re a contestant on tonight’s kickoff for the 25th season of the voyeuristic competition, in which a new group of “houseguests” are observed, and eavesdropped on, to see who can hang in the longest (9 p.m., CBS).

Physical
Tonight begins season three of the critically hailed streaming dramady series, starring Rose Byrne as a 1980s aerobics instructor now fighting to outrun her competitors—and keep her personal life on a smooth pace (Apple TV+).

The ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ blast off for the latest adventure, coming to streaming.

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3
The hit movie (released theatrically in May) comes to streaming, starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista and others in the cosmic band of misfits off on new adventures—this time with a heartrending backstory about Rocket the Racoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper). (Disney+).

THURSDAY, Aug. 3
Jersey Shore Family Vacation
Who isn’t ready for a little vacay? Original Jersey Shores cast member Sammi “Sweetheart” reunites with her former housemates in Philadelphia, where—among other “Shore” shenanigans—Deena makes a trip to the local Margaretville one for the record books! (8 p.m., MTV).

Jul 14 2023
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Books, Movies, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

Friday, July 14 – Thursday, July 20

YA drama, DC backstories, a new ‘Bird Box’ & Clint Eastwood’s apes*%t movie classic

FRIDAY, July 14
The Summer I Turned Pretty
Season three of the series based on author Jenny Han’s angsty beach-tales novel trilogy launches tonight (above), with more YA coming-of-age drama and romance in the fictional seaside town of Cousin’s Beach (Prime Video).

Goliath
Three-part sports doc examines the life and career and long-lasting impact of basketball great Wilt Chamberlain, using artificial intelligence to recreate the late NBA superstar’s narrating voice. Creepy? Maybe, but you make the call! (On Paramount+ and Showtime’s streaming subscriber platforms)

Bird Box Barcelona
The frightening world of Bird Box—the 2018 Sandra Bullock sci-fi drama about a world in which some malevolent force drives people to mass suicide if they get a glimpse of it—returns (above) with a new cast and a Spanish spin (Netflix).

SATURDAY, July 15
Every Which Way But Loose
Get up early—or set your DVR—to see this light-footed 1978 apes*#t romcom romp, the highest-grossing movie of Clint Eastwood’s acting career, in which he plays a trucker turned boxer traveling in California with an orangutan named Clyde. With Sandra Locke, who made six films with Eastwood (and had a longterm relationship with him as well). Bill McKinney, who played the notorious “mountain man” in Deliverance, also appears. Worth checking out for some retro kicks! (7:45 a.m., TCM).

SUNDAY, July 16
The Prank Panel
“Pranxsperts” Johnny Knoxville, Eric Andre and Gabourey Sidibe help facilitate a granny’s participation in a sexy video. Va-va-voom! (8 p.m., ABC)

Zoe Bakes
Pastry chef and author Zoe Francois (above) makes her favorite recipes from easy main dishes to deserts (1 p.m., Magnolia).

MONDAY, July 17
A House Made of Splinters
This Sundance Award-winning documentary examines the consequences of the war in Ukraine on its youngest citizens, the children caught in the crossfire (check local listings, PBS).

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Rock fans will relish Backstage & Beyond Vol. 1, the new decades-spanning collection of writing and reporting by award-winning musical journalist Jim Sullivan on his lively encounters with Jerry Lee Lewis, Tina Turner, Neil Young, David Bowie, John Fogerty, the J. Geils Band, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper and many other legendary music-makers.

TUESDAY, July 18
Southern Storytellers
New three-episode series follows storytellers and “creators” whose books, songs, poems, plays and films all reflect on their regional roots. Included are country singer-songwriters Lyle Lovett and Jason Isbell and actor Billy Bob Thornton (9 p.m., PBS).

Justified: City Primeval
A U.S. Marshal (Timothy Oliphant) crosses paths with a sociopathic desperado called the Oklahoma Wildman (Boyd Holbrook) in this new spinoff series from the FX hit crime drama (10 p.m., FX).

WEDNESDAY, July 19
I Wanna Rock
Hey, all you metalheads! This totally rad three-part docuseries looks at the head-banging ‘80s, providing the untold stories of success (and failure) in the ere of leather pants, Spandex and massive hair through interviews with bands and artists who lived it (Paramount+).

CMA Fest
If you didn’t make it to Nashville for the real deal in June, here’s the next-best thing: A TV special hosted by country stars Dierks Bentley, Elle King and Lainey Wilson, featuring performance highlights from the music-festival event by dozens of artists (8 p.m., ABC).

The Deepest Breath
Take a big gulp of air and head under the waves in this jaw-dropping documentary (above) about divers who plunge into the one of the most dangerous sports in the world: freediving, holding their breath for extended underwater excursions (Netflix). 

THURSDAY, July 20
Superpowered: The DC Story
Rosario Dawson hosts this limited series examining the durable comic-book company, its origins, superheroes and many TV and movie spinoffs (Max).

Don’t Kill the Babysitter
Nail-biter about a Venezuelan woman (Valentia Andrade, above) hired as an au pair for an American couple, whose “overprotection” their young daughter makes the new nanny suspect—quite correctly—that something more sinister is going on (8 p.m., LMH)

Jul 07 2023
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Books, DVDs, Movies, Pop Culture, Television

The Entertainment Forecast

Fri., July 7 – Thurs., July 13

In-law outlaws, burly barnbuilders, ghosts on camera & Miss America’s scandalous secrets!

“The Outlaws” are really in-laws, and they’re coming to Netflix!

FRIDAY, JULY 7
The Out-laws
Andy Divine, Nina Dubrev, Ellen Barkin and Pierce Brosnan star in this comedy about a to-be-married bank executive who suspects his in-laws are criminals (Netflix).

Salute to Summer
Nick Jonas headlines this live performance special from the Universal Citywalk, produced in partnership with the U.S. Army. Saaaaa-lute, indeed! (Peacock).

SATURDAY, July 8
Barnwood Builders
In the new season of this home-build reality series, host Mark Bowie and his team of West Virginia crafters (above) salvage more antique barns and cabins, repurposing the wood to create awesome new homes (9 p.m., Magnolia).

SUNDAY, July 9
Paranormal: Caught on Camera
Have you ever seen a ghost? Well, this series offers the next best scary thing as it begins a new season of videos purporting to capture unexplainable paranormal phenomena—apparitions, bedroom monsters, shape-shifting extraterrestrials, Bigfoot sightings, weird lights in the sky, and more things that go bump in the night (9 p.m., Travel Channel)

Running Wild with Bear Grylls
New season of the outdoor adventure series finds celebs (including Russell Brand, Bradley Cooper, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rita Ora and Troy Kotsur) push past their comfort zones to find out if they’ve got the right stuff to hang in the elements with the resourceful survivalist (9 p.m., National Geographic).

BRING IT HOME

Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen reunite in Book Club: The Next Chapter (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment) for a frisky “girls’ trip” to Italy. With Andy Garcia, Craig T. Nelson and Don Johnson. Bonus features includes interviews with the cast.  

MONDAY, July 10
BBQ Brawl
Ten-episode competition features pitmasters from across America vying for the title of “Master of ‘Cue” with the help of coaches Bobby Flay, Anne Burrell and Sunny Anderson (9 p.m., Food Network).

Secrets of Miss America
Here she is—and she’s swimming in scandal! Find out all about America’s oldest “beauty pageant,” the shocks and controversies at its core, and the organization’s struggle to remain relevant in today’s more-enlightened world (10 p.m., A&E).

Miracle Workers: End Times
It’s a miracle. Well, maybe not exactly. But it is the newest installment of the caustically witty series in which the same actors (Daniel Radcliffe, Steve Buscemi, Geraldine Viswanathan and Karan Soni) return each season, but as all-new characters in brand-new scenarios. This time it’s a dystopian future overrun with radioactive mutants, killer robots and a tyrannical homeowner’s association with outrageous fees (10 p.m., TBS).

NOW HEAR THIS

The Grateful Dead perform in Des Moines, Iowa at the State Fairgrounds in May 1973.

Heads up, Deadheads! The newly released Here Comes Sunshine: 1973 (Rhino) is a whopping 17-disc set includes five complete concerts recorded live during the Grateful Dead’s heyday, including one marathon that clocks in at five hours and features Butch Trucks and Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers band sitting in. Jam on!  

TUESDAY, July 11
The Ashley Madison Party
Unscripted docuseries follows the rise, fall and resurgence of the dating website targeted to marriage cheats and adultery (Hulu).

Iconic America: Our Symbols and Stories
In eight episodes beginning tonight, host David Rubinstein explores America’s history through an examination of iconic symbols, including the American Bald Eagle, the Statue of Liberty, the Hollywood sign, Fenway Park, cowboys and the Golden Gate Bridge (10 p.m., PBS). 

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Impress your friends with all the “movie meals” in Scrounging: A Cookbook (A24 Books), a collection of late-night, last-ditch, throw-together recipes inspired by more than 50 films, including The Breakfast Club, Home Alone, The Martian, Kramer vs. Kramer, Napoleon Dynamite and many more.

Readers of a certain age will certainly remember the late 1960s TV series Laugh In, revolutionary at the time by putting a spicy hippie-counterculture spin on the old-fashioned television variety format. Read all about the man who started it all, producer George Schlatter, in his autobiography Still Laughing: The George Schlatter Story (Rare Bird Books). The behind-the-scenes tale traces his coming-of-age in Hollywood and his idea for a brand new comedy that would ride the ‘60s crest of political upheaval, the Vietnam War, the drug culture and other timely—often controversial—topical events.

WEDNESDAY, July 12
The Afterparty
Tonight begins season two of the whodunnit mystery comedy series, with Tiffany Haddish (below), Sam Richardson and Zoe Chao reprising their roles alongside newcomers including Ken Jeong, Elizabeth Perkins, Zach Woods and Paul Walther Hauser (Apple TV+).

Celebrating Harry Belafonte
Several evenings of special programming begins tonight honoring the late singer, who died in April. Belafonte was the first Black actor to become a Hollywood leading man, a pop hitmaker and social-activist crusader. It all begins with two of his films from the 1950s, Carmen Jones and The World, The Flesh and the Devil (8 p.m., TCM).

Quarterback
Peyton Manning produced this series, which gives unprecedented access to NFL QBs Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins and Marcus Mariota during games and off (Netflix).

THURSDAY, July 13
Full Circle
An investigation into a botched kidnapping uncovers long-held secrets in present-day New York City in this new streaming series starring Zazie Beetz, Claire Danes, Jim Gaffigan, Timothy Oliphant and Dennis Quaid (Max).

Project Greenlight
Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani are producers of this new docuseries, a reinvention of the HBO series of the same name that pulls back the curtain on the filmmaking process as it follows female director Meko Winbush making her first feature film, Gray Matter (Max). 

The Jewel Thief
Watch this unbelievable true-story account of a criminal mastermind, Gerald Blanchard, who leads detectives on a cat-and-mouse game across the globe while he commits increasingly elaborate heists in a quest for fame and notoriety (Hulu).

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