Sam Smith during the Writing’s On The Wall video shoot in Rome (Photo by: Carsten Windhorst / FRPAP.com / Provided by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Columbia Pictures)
The latest in the series of Spectre vlogs has arrived and it spotlights the new Bond theme song, “Writing’s On The Wall,” by singer/songwriter Sam Smith. The new video features interviews with Smith as well as Spectre director Sam Mendes, and producer Barbara Broccoli. In the new vlog, Smith says he was told they were looking for the greatest love song and he talks about how he initially became involved in this Bond film.
Spectre opens in theaters on November 6, 2015.
The Plot:
A cryptic message from the past sends James Bond (Daniel Craig) on a rogue mission to Mexico City and eventually Rome, where he meets Lucia Sciarra (Monica Bellucci), the beautiful and forbidden widow of an infamous criminal. Bond infiltrates a secret meeting and uncovers the existence of the sinister organization known as SPECTRE.
Meanwhile back in London, Max Denbigh (Andrew Scott), the new head of the Centre for National Security, questions Bond’s actions and challenges the relevance of MI6, led by M (Ralph Fiennes). Bond covertly enlists Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) and Q (Ben Whishaw) to help him seek out Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux), the daughter of his old nemesis Mr White (Jesper Christensen), who may hold the clue to untangling the web of SPECTRE. As the daughter of an assassin, she understands Bond in a way most others cannot.
As Bond ventures towards the heart of SPECTRE, he learns of a chilling connection between himself and the enemy he seeks, played by Christoph Waltz.
Jesse Plemons as Ed and Kirsten Dunst as Peggy in ‘Fargo’ (Photo by Chris Large / FX)
FX’s Fargo season two’s second episode was an extended one at 90 minutes and much slower paced than the season’s premiere. But that doesn’t mean it was any less engaging than the season opener as episode two, titled “Before the Law,” simply took its time with each character now that the basics have been supplied in episode one. Fargo viewers learned a little about each of the main characters in the first episode, but it was episode two that really established the personal relationships between key players. We learned Ed will do anything for Peggy because of how much he loves her and the Gerhardt boys are divided on the issue of the leadership of the family business. “Before the Law,” which aired on October 19, 2015, also set up upcoming episodes by having pivotal players – including Hank Larsson and the Kansas City gang – interact for the first time.
Recap of “Before the Law:”
Joe Bulo (Brad Garrett) and his Kansas City goons arrive at the Gerhardt house for a face-to-face meeting.
Get well wishes pour in for Otto (Michael Hogan) from assorted associates, as Floyd Gerhardt (Jean Smart) counts money and prepares payouts. Floyd assembles her boys, but Dodd (Jeffrey Donovan) is slightly delayed because he’s busy torturing someone in the barn. Oops, the kidnapped dude has actually died after having his ears cut off. Dodd leaves him there and the dog makes a snack out of his ears, resting in a bucket. Gross.
Dodd and Bear (Angus Sampson) pass the Kansas City mobsters on their way in to see their mother. She tells her boys the KC mob wants to buy out the Gerhardt operation. Floyd says the KC group believes there isn’t any room for family businesses anymore, but they’ll buy the Gerhardts and let them keep running it. The only change is they’ll report to the KC people. Dodd thinks he’s boss now that his dad had a stroke because his mom can’t – she’s a woman! Bear thinks it should be their mom, but Dodd insists he’s in charge. Floyd also tells them she’s worried about Rye (Kieran Culkin) who no one has seen in a day.
After clearing the room, Floyd sits Dodd down and tells him how things go in the upcoming weeks will decide the future of their family. Their empire is bigger than any son or daughter, and it’s not his time to run things. But, she promises after the crisis is over she’ll hand the operation over to him. With that, she sends Dodd out to find Rye.
As the KC goons drive away, Joe is sitting in the backseat discussing the meeting. He doesn’t think they’ll surrender their territory. The way to go is to cut a deal with the sons because the mom won’t scare easily. The first Gerhardt to come on board will be the lucky one. The rest…not so much.
Hank Larsson (Ted Danson) sits at his desk pondering the shoe from the tree. He then drives out to visit his daughter and granddaughter where he finds out one of the Waffle Hut victims was a judge. In comes Lou (Patrick Wilson) wondering if the fact she was a judge changes things. Hank says they have to figure out if it was a wrong place at the wrong time thing or if it was all about her.
Ed Blomquist (Jesse Plemons) sits outside his garage looking through Rye’s wallet. His damaged car is still parked inside, and Peggy (Kirsten Dunst) comes out and warns him he’ll be late for work. She has a bruise by her eye but needs to go to work. Ed’s worried about cleaning the car, the floors, and anything else that might be evidence of Rye’s death (remember, they stored his body in the freezer) so he decides to skip work.
Back at the Gerhardt house, no one has located Rye and Dodd needs him so they can stand against his mom.
A Rock County United bus pulls up in front of Bud’s Meats and Peggy goes in to tell Ed’s boss that he’s sick – probably from bad clams.
At the beauty shop, the talk is all about the Waffle Hut murders. Peggy’s female boss tries to convince her she needs to go to that seminar while eyeing her rear end, but Peggy’s not sure anymore. And, somebody took a case of toilet paper.
The KC goons pop into the typewriter shop which isn’t really open, which is okay because they’re not really customers. Mike Milligan (Bokeem Woodbine) asks for Rye Gerhardt and the shop owner stumbles over his answer. Mike wants to know where he is, but he won’t give it up. After a bit of typewriter torture though he’s willing to talk. He tells them he sent Rye off to talk to the judge. “Talk to her? That’s what you said?” asks Mike. They leave without telling him she’s dead.
Ed considers how best to clean up his car. The hood cleaning comes first, followed by a vacuuming of the floor, with bleaching the floor the next step. It’s a bloody mess as he scrubs the floor on his hands and knees. He looks in on Rye resting in peace, sort of, in the freezer. Next, he stands in front of a fire stripped down to his underwear and burns the evidence and his clothes. The camera pans down to a belt buckle amid the flames.
Betsy Solverson (Cristin Milioti) sits in the hospital undergoing dialysis and afterward the family – including Molly – head home. Betsy jokes they feel special riding in the squad car. They pull up to the Waffle Hut which is closed, but Lou says he’s there because something doesn’t add up. Molly and her mom build a snowman in the parking lot while Lou goes inside to have a look around. He pauses at the bloody table where the judge died and sees the bug spray, which clearly doesn’t belong on the table. He collects it as evidence while outside Molly looks for sticks for the snowman and finds a deflated mylar balloon that has a rip in it. (So is that the spaceship from episode one? A ripped mylar balloon that was lit up by Peggy’s headlights?) Then Betsy spots something else in the snow. It’s Rye’s gun. Lou rushes over and tells Molly her mom is doing her dad’s job again. They stand up as the KC mob drive by slowly.
Ted Danson as Hank Larsson, Todd Mann as Wayne Kitchen, Bokeem Woodbine as Mike Milligan, Brad Mann as Gale Kitchen in ‘Fargo’ (Photo by Chris Large / FX)
Hank stops the KC gang’s car. Mike jokes that Rock County is like the town in the Flintstones, but because the driver won’t roll down his window, Hank tells them all to get out. They finally do, but they’re still acting weird. He wants their IDs and Mike hands his over. Then the two other goons slowly do the same. The other two are the Kitchen brothers, and they want to know what this is all about. They’re just passing through town and were disappointed to find the Waffle Hut closed. Hank asks them about their shoe size. Mike’s a 10, and the boys are 11s. Mike wants to leave unless a law has been broken, and Hank allows them to go because he has their names. “This has been a minor miracle. With the state of the world today and the level of conflict and misunderstanding that two men could stand on a lonely road in winter and talk calmly and rationally while all around them people are losing their mind,” says Mike before getting back in the back seat and leaving the scene.
Ed pulls up in his truck down the street from Bud’s Meats which is just closing up for the night. The street is nearly deserted and Ed watches as Peggy gets a ride from her boss. Ed moves his truck directly in front of Bud’s and wouldn’t you know it but he’s got Rye’s body under a tarp in back. He drags him into the store, quickly locking the door behind them.
Peggy lets her boss into her house to use the toilet, not knowing Ed is out. Her boss can’t find a towel in the bathroom, but she does spot all of the toilet paper in cabinets under the sink. Peggy’s looking for Ed and peeks in the garage which is now clean, with only the windshield broken. Her boss wants to know what happened and Peggy makes up a story about Ed hitting a tree. Peggy gets caught in a lie because of the bruise on her face and calls her a bad girl…maybe she likes breaking the rules. Peggy ushers her out before her boss can put any more moves on her.
Lou sits outside the Waffle Hut and Hank pulls up. It’s now night and he tells his father-in-law Betsy found the murder weapon in the bushes. Hank couldn’t find anything about the KC guys, and Lou says there’s just something about the scene he can’t get out of his head; it’s the cook’s expression that’s stuck in his head. He then relays a story about being on a boat in his younger years when one of his fellow sailors was shot through the face after lighting up a cigar. Hank tells his own war story and then talks about how they went six years without a murder after WWII but not these days. “Sometimes I wonder if you boys didn’t bring that war home with you,” says Hank.
Ed is chopping up Rye at the butcher shop, making ground round out of him. Lou’s cruising the streets and spots Ed’s truck and the lights on in the butcher shop. Lou approaches the shop where Ed is hard at work, Ryes’s arms still visible on the table. As he chops off Rye’s fingers, Lou knocks on the door. Ed goes to answer it, taking time to take off his apron. Lou says he’s on a double shift too and asks Ed if he heard about the Waffle Hut. The killer’s still at large. Lou wants to pick up some bacon if possible because Molly loves it for breakfast, lean if he’s got it, 1/3 of a pound. Ed prepares it as they chitchat about Peggy and work. Then a coin rolls under a cabinet and Ed spots one of Rye’s fingers on the floor. He blocks it from Lou’s sight as the phone rings. It’s Peggy, and Lou finally leaves while Ed’s on the phone.
What’s that? As Ed gets back to work grinding the rest of Rye, a voice-over describes aliens watching over earth and a light from a spaceship seems to pass over the butcher shop.
Review of Fargo Season Two Episode Two:
Seriously now, what is up with the aliens? Will we eventually see little green men walking the streets of Fargo? The first part of the episode teased that the mylar balloon could have possibly been mistaken for an alien spaceship by a very high Rye, but that doesn’t explain the lights or the voice-over at the episode’s end. That was series creator/writer Noah Hawley’s way of telling those of us who assumed the balloon was the answer that we were dead wrong.
“Before the Law” did an excellent job of making Ed, played by Jesse Plemons, into one of season two’s most intriguing characters. He’ll go to any length necessary to protect his wife, obviously, so how will he react when he learns her boss (or was she simply a coworker?) has the hots for Peggy? Lou, played by Patrick Wilson, also displayed more layers than in the first episode and it’ll be heartbreaking to watch as his wife’s health further disintegrates.
Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling star in ‘The Big Short’ (Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures)
The big-name dramatic film The Big Short has unveiled a theatrical poster featuring a cast list but not headshots of its A-list stars, unlike most movie posters. Directed by Adam McKay (Step Brothers), The Big Short stars Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, and Brad Pitt. The film’s based on a true story and adapted from Michael Lewis’ book by McKay and Charles Randolph.
Paramount Pictures and Regency Entertainment are releasing The Big Short in theaters during awards season, kicking off its theatrical run in limited release on December 11, 2015 and expanding in wide release on December 23rd.
The Plot:
When four outsiders saw what the big banks, media and government refused to, the global collapse of the economy, they had an idea: The Big Short. Their bold investment leads them into the dark underbelly of modern banking where they must question everyone and everything.
This year’s CMA Awards will feature performances by Country superstars Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, and Blake Shelton as just announced by the Country Music Association. Sam Hunt is also confirmed to perform and Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley are once again set to host the show, dubbed Country Music’s Biggest Night, on November 4, 2015. ABC will air it live from Nashville on the East Coast beginning at 8pm.
Previously announced performers include hosts Paisley and Underwood as well as Kelsea Ballerini, Miranda Lambert, Maddie & Tae, Kacey Musgraves. Eric Church will also be joining Hank Williams Jr to perform, Thomas Rhett will team up with Fall Out Boy, and Keith Urban will take the stage with John Mellencamp.
Jason Aldean is nominated this year in the Album of the Year category for Old Boots, New Dirt. Luke Bryan earned nominations in the CMA Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year categories. The Voice coach Blake Shelton picked up nods in the Musical Event of the Year and Male Vocalist categories while Sam Hunt will be competing in the New Artist of the Year, Single of the Year, and Song of the Year categories.
Downton Abbey fans will have one final chance to visit with the estate’s upstairs and downstairs residents when season six premieres on January 3, 2016. PBS’ winter and spring 2016 primetime lineup also includes the premiere of the Civil War drama Mercy Street starring Josh Radnor and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. The network’s released their full schedule of shows airing from January 2016 through May 2016 along with premiere dates, air times, and plots.
“As Downton Abbey on MASTERPIECE premieres its highly anticipated final season, we bid a fond farewell to the fan favorite and also look forward to a powerhouse of drama throughout the entire season – including our new original American drama MERCY STREET, MASTERPIECE mysteries Sherlock and Grantchester, and the fifth season of CALL THE MIDWIFE,” said Beth Hoppe, PBS Chief Programming Executive and General Manager, General Audience Programming. “Beyond the season’s strong drama lineup, our schedule showcases PBS’ commitment to a diverse programming slate, highlighted by Stanley Nelson’s THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION from INDEPENDENT LENS, Ken Burns’s new epic film JACKIE ROBINSON and Henry Louis Gates, Jr.’s BLACK AMERICA SINCE MLK: AND STILL I RISE, as well as captivating new and returning specials across science and nature, biography, history, genealogy and the arts.”
JANUARY ON PBS:
GREAT PERFORMANCES “From Vienna: The New Year’s Celebration 2016” – The Vienna Philharmonic under the baton of Mariss Jansons performs favorite Strauss Family waltzes at the opulent Musikverein accompanied by the Vienna City Ballet. Stage and screen legend Julie Andrews returns as host, touring the picturesque city. – Friday, January 1, 2:30-4:00 p.m. and 7:30-9:00 p.m. ET
MASTERPIECE “Downton Abbey, The Final Season” – The top PBS drama of all time approaches its climactic chapter. The year is 1925. Momentous changes threaten the great house, and its owners and its servants, while past scandals loom. The beloved ensemble is back for the farewell season, closing the book on a television legend. – Sundays, January 3 – February 21, 9:00 p.m. ET; series finale March 6, 9:00 p.m. ET
ANTIQUES ROADSHOW – On Monday, January 4, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW turns 20! PBS’ most-watched ongoing series celebrates 20 seasons with a new look, new hidden treasures and more appraisals than ever. Tune in to discover finds from Spokane, Washington; Tucson, Arizona; Little Rock, Arkansas; Charleston, South Carolina; Cleveland, Ohio; and Omaha, Nebraska. – Mondays, beginning January 4, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET
INDEPENDENT LENS “Chuck Norris vs. Communism” – The power of cinema ignited a revolution in 1980s Romania, as an intrepid VHS bootlegger and a brave translator brought Western movies to audiences behind the Iron Curtain. – Monday, January 4, 10:00-11:00 p.m. ET
FINDING YOUR ROOTS – The third season continues its exploration of America’s family tree to reveal how our diverse racial, religious and ethnic backgrounds challenge many of our long-held national myths. Hosted and written by Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr., this new season features 28 new guests, including Julianne Moore, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Senator John McCain, Norman Lear, Shonda Rhimes and others. – Tuesdays, January 5-March 8, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET
FRONTLINE “Obama, Netanyahu and the Bomb” (w.t.) – In a two-hour investigation, FRONTLINE traces the increasingly contentious relationship between America and Israel and their bitter clash over Iran’s nuclear program. – Tuesday, January 5, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET
INDEPENDENT LENS “Autism in Love” – Follow four adults on the autism spectrum as they open up about their personal lives and navigate dating and romantic relationships. Eye-opening, first-person portrayals show that love can find a way. – Monday, January 11, 10:00 p.m.-11:30 p.m. ET
“The Mine Wars” on AMERICAN EXPERIENCE – Go inside the coal miners’ bitter battle for dignity at the dawn of the 20th century. The struggle over the material that fueled America led to the largest armed insurrection since the Civil War and turned parts of West Virginia into a bloody war zone. – Tuesday, January 12, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET
NATURE “Natural Born Hustlers” – Visit with the planet’s greatest animal hustlers. Meet the shape shifters, mimics, masters of disguise and illusion, cheats and sneaks in the animal world. From double-crossing cuttlefish to shady squirrels, bearded lady lions and criminal monkeys, this series reveals the modus operandi of remarkable animals going to elaborate lengths to claw their way to the top. – Wednesdays, January 13-27, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET
“Staying Alive” (1/13) – Every day, animals must outwit predators, find or catch food, and then raise the next generation. Would they lie, cheat or steal from one another to survive? Of course they would.
“The Hunger Hustle” (1/20) – Animals the world over have adapted their bodies or behavior in extreme ways to create a tantalizing trap. It’s all the result of millions of years of artful adaptation – all in the name of luring in the next meal.
“Sex, Lies & Dirty Tricks” (1/27) – From artful illusions to blatant cheats, some males will do whatever it takes to trick the competition and beguile the girl. Size, style, and skill are all used to best advantage – or faked, if necessary.
“Bonnie & Clyde” on AMERICAN EXPERIENCE – Discover the true story of the most famous outlaw couple in U.S. history. Though their exploits were romanticized, the Barrow gang was believed responsible for at least 13 murders, including two policemen, as well as numerous robberies and kidnappings. – Tuesday, January 19, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET
WILLIE NELSON: GERSHWIN PRIZE – Rosanne Cash, Edie Brickell, Paul Simon, Alison Krauss, Raul Malo, Neil Young and more pay tribute to singer and songwriter Willie Nelson, the 2015 recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Nelson’s lyrics give voice to America’s heartland and his music pushes genre boundaries. – Friday, January 15, 9:00-10:30 p.m. ET
MERCY STREET – Follow a diverse cast of characters – doctors, nurses, contraband laborers and Southern loyalists – who intersect in the chaotic world of Union-occupied Alexandria, Virginia, and the Mansion House Hospital in the early years of the Civil War. Starring Josh Radnor, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Gary Cole, Peter Gerety and Norbert Leo Butz. – Sundays, January 17-February 21, 10:00-11:00 p.m. ET; rpt. Thursdays, January 21-February 25, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET
GREAT PERFORMANCES AT THE MET “Il Trovatore” – Verdi’s classic opera stars Anna Netrebko in her Met role debut as Leonora. Dmitri Hvorostovsky sings Count di Luna, with Yonghoon Lee as lead character Manrico, Štefan Kocán as Ferrando and Dolora Zajick as the gypsy Azucena. – Friday, January 22, 9:00p.m.-12:00 a.m. ET
INDEPENDENT LENS “No Más Bebés (No More Babies)” – Follow the case of Mexican-American women who claim they were coercively sterilized at a Los Angeles hospital in the late 1960s and 1970s. Meet the mothers, their young Chicana lawyers and the whistle-blowing doctors who exposed the shocking practice. – Monday, January 25, 10:00-11:00 pm ET
MIKE NICHOLS: AMERICAN MASTERS – Meet one of America’s late, great directors (The Graduate, Angels in America), who discusses his life and 50-year artistic career, from the comedy duo Nichols and May to his final film, Charlie Wilson’s War. The program includes new interviews with Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks and more. – Friday, January 29, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET
FEBRUARY ON PBS:
INDEPENDENT LENS “In Football We Trust” – Learn the story behind the Polynesian pipeline to the NFL through the lives of high-school players in Utah, as they enter the high-stakes world of college recruiting and the promise of pro sports while struggling with gang violence and poverty. – Monday, February 1, 10:00 p.m.-11:30 p.m. ET
“Murder of a President” on AMERICAN EXPERIENCE – Explore James Garfield’s unprecedented rise to power, his shooting by a madman and its bizarre and tragic aftermath. Based on the best-seller Destiny of the Republic, the story follows the life of one of the most extraordinary men ever elected president. – Tuesday, February 2, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET
NOVA “Iceman Reborn” (w.t.) – Murdered more than 5,000 years ago, Otzi the Iceman is the oldest human mummy on Earth. Now, newly discovered evidence sheds light not only on this mysterious ancient man, but on the dawn of civilization in Europe. – Wednesday, February 3, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET
INDEPENDENT LENS “A Ballerina’s Tale” – Explore the rise of Misty Copeland, who made history as the first African-American female principal dancer with the prestigious American Ballet Theater. Get an intimate look at this groundbreaking dancer during a crucial period in her life. – Monday, February 8, 10:00 p.m.-11:30 p.m. ET
NOVA “Robots are Coming” (w.t.) – Machines with human-like capabilities have long been the stuff of science fiction. Until now. Meet the world’s most advance humanoid robots as they leave the lab, battle real-world challenges and endeavor to become part of our everyday lives. – Wednesday, February 10, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET
INDEPENDENT LENS “(T)ERROR” – Watch a covert terrorism sting unfold as a longtime counterterrorism informant takes on what he swears is his last job for the FBI and invites filmmakers to follow efforts to befriend a suspected jihadist, without informing his superiors. – Monday, February 15, 10:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m. ET
NOVA “Memory” (w.t.) – Discover how researchers on the cutting edge of mind-control can implant, change and even erase memories. On this thought-provoking journey into the mind, NOVA investigates the mysterious nature of how we remember. – Wednesday, February 17, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET
AMERICAN MASTERS “Carole King: Natural Woman” (w.t.) – Delve into the hit singer-songwriter’s life and career from 1960s in New York to the music mecca of 70s LA to the present. King joins collaborators and family in new interviews, while rare home movies, performances and photos complete the tapestry. – Friday, February 19, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET
THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION: INDEPENDENT LENS – Revisit the turbulent 1960s, when a revolutionary culture emerged with the Black Panther Party at its vanguard. Stanley Nelson tells the vibrant story of a pivotal movement that feels timely all over again. – Tuesday, February 23, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET
AMERICAN MASTERS “Janis: Little Girl Blue” – Observe Janis Joplin’s life through intimate letters and rare footage in the first in-depth celebration of the iconic rock singer. Director Amy Berg presents a portrait of a complicated, driven, often beleaguered artist. Chan Marshall narrates. – Friday, February 26, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET
INDEPENDENT LENS “Wilhelmina’s War” – A Southern grandmother struggles to help her family through a life marked by HIV, but may be unable to save those she loves. AIDS is a grim reality and a leading cause of death for black women in the rural south. – Monday, February 29, 10:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m. ET
MARCH ON PBS:
AMERICAN MASTERS “Loretta Lynn: Still a Mountain Girl” – Explore the country legend’s hard-fought road to stardom. From her Appalachian roots to the Oscar-winning biopic of her life, Coal Miner’s Daughter, Lynn struggled to balance family and her music career and is still going strong after nearly 60 years. – Friday, March 4, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET
MASTERPIECE “Mr. Selfridge, Season 4” – Jeremy Piven returns for a fourth and final season as the flamboyant American entrepreneur who founded London’s famous Selfridge’s department store. The acclaimed cast includes Katherine Kelly, Amanda Abbington and Tom Goodman-Hill. – Sundays, March/April, dates TBA
FRONTLINE “Once Upon a Crime” (w.t.) – The two-hour extraordinary story of two New York City detectives who are convicted of the sensational murder of a businessman – and their decades-long fight to clear their names. – Tuesday, March 29, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET
APRIL ON PBS:
CALL THE MIDWIFE, Season 5 – It’s 1961 and Poplar is beginning to feel the winds of social change, along with improvements in housing, sanitation and healthcare. In new episodes, the midwives and nuns of Nonnatus House encounter complex and challenging cases, from an outbreak of typhoid to the increase in lung cancer, a pregnant teenager and a mother who vanishes. All are shaken when, several months apart, two babies are born with severe deformities. As they struggle to understand why, they must find ways to deal with the resulting medical and emotional fallout. – Sundays, April 3-May 22, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET
JACKIE ROBINSON – Ken Burns examines the life and times of Jack Roosevelt Robinson, who in 1947 lifted a nation and an entire race on his shoulders when he crossed baseball’s color line. Burns reveals fascinating stories about the legend’s life after baseball. – Monday-Tuesday, April 11-12, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET
BLACK AMERICA SINCE MLK: AND STILL I RISE – Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the last 50 years of African-American history, from the victories of the Civil Rights Movement to the first black president, asking profound questions about the state of black America – and the nation as a whole. – Monday-Tuesday, April 18-19, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET
THE NATIONAL PARKS: AMERICA’S BEST IDEA (Encore) – The six-part documentary directed by Ken Burns and co-produced with his longtime colleague Dayton Duncan is the story of an idea as uniquely American as the Declaration of Independence and just as radical: that the most special places in the nation should be preserved, not for royalty or the rich, but for everyone. The series originally aired in September 2013. – Monday-Saturday, April 25-30, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET
MASTERPIECE “Grantchester, Season 2” – The whiskey-drinking and jazz-loving vicar Sidney Chambers (James Norton) returns alongside his friend and veteran cop Inspector Geordie Keating (Robson Green) for a second season of crime solving in the small country parish of Grantchester. – Sundays, April/May, dates TBA
MAY ON PBS:
INDEPENDENT LENS “Peace Officer” – Dub Lawrence is a crusading former sheriff whose investigations highlight the increasingly militarized state of American police. He established Utah’s first SWAT team, only to see that same unit kill his son-in-law in a controversial standoff. – Monday, May 9, 9:00-10:30 p.m. ET
INDEPENDENT LENS “The Armor of Light” – Two Christians – an Evangelical anti-abortion activist and an African-American mother whose son was murdered – find common ground in the fight against a rising tide of gun violence. – Tuesday, May 10, 9:00-10:30 p.m. ET
GENEALOGY ROADSHOW – A diverse cast of participants takes an emotional journey that uses history and science to uncover fascinating family stories, histories and mysteries from Boston, Providence, Miami, Houston, Los Angeles and one city TBD. Each individual’s past reveals a piece of America’s rich cultural tapestry. – Tuesdays, beginning May 17, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET
THE NINE MONTHS THAT MADE YOU (w.t.) – This is the thrilling story of how we were all made, from the moment of conception to the moment of birth 280 days later. The film takes viewers through the gestation process, perhaps the most exquisite biological choreography in all nature. – Wednesdays, May 18-June 1, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET
AMERICAN MASTERS “The Highwaymen: Friends Till the End” (w.t.) – Discover the story behind the pioneering outlaw country music super group that featured Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson, told through vintage performances and new interviews about life on the road and in the studio. – Friday, May 27, 9:00 p.m. ET
NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT – Co-hosts Gary Sinise and Joe Mantegna lead the 27th broadcast of this night of remembrance honoring the service and sacrifice of American soldiers, their families, and all those who have given their lives. The NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT airs live from the U.S. Capitol to an audience of hundreds of thousands, millions at home, and American troops around the world. – Sunday, May 29, 2016, 8:00-9:30 pm ET; 9:30-11:00 p.m. ET
Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders star in ‘Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie’ (Photo Credit: Fox Searchlight Pictures and BBC Films)
It’s really happening… Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders are reprising their roles as Patsy and Edina in Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie. Filming is now underway on the Fox Searchlight Pictures and BBC Films project, with Saunders penning the script and Mandie Fletcher (Blackadder, Absolutely Fabulous) directing.
Filming will take place in France and the U.K., and fans of Ab Fab can expect to see the film in theaters in 2016.
Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie also stars Julia Sawalha as Saffy, Jane Horrocks as Bubble, and June Whitfield as Mother. Saunders, Steve Milne, Christian Eisenbeiss, Christine Langan, Nichola Martin, Dawn French, and Maureen Vincent are executive producing.
“I am thrilled and excited to finally start filming. We are all taking our medication and hoping for the best,” stated Saunders.
“We’re so happy to join Jennifer, Joanna and the Absolutely Fabulous team on their latest and greatest adventures!” said Claudia Lewis, Fox Searchlight Pictures President of Production.
The Plot:
Appropriate for their big screen debut, Edina and Patsy are still oozing glitz and glamour, living the high life they are accustomed to; shopping, drinking and clubbing their way around London’s trendiest hotspots. Blamed for a major incident at an uber fashionable launch party, they become entangled in a media storm and are relentlessly pursued by the paparazzi. Fleeing penniless to the glamorous playground of the super-rich, the French Riviera, they hatch a plan to make their escape permanent and live the high life forever more!
In true Ab Fab style, the cast will be joined by a host of A-list stars from the acting, music and fashion worlds.
You can bet there were people tuning into Monday Night Football on October 19, 2015 who normally wouldn’t be into watching the NFL, just to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens‘ full trailer. Disney and Lucasfilm announced the trailer’s premiere a day in advance, building up the anticipation for what Star Wars fans hoped would be a trailer full of clues about new characters as well as the return of familiar faces including Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher. Star Wars fans weren’t disappointed as the new full-length trailer provided clips with new characters played by Daisy Ridley and John Boyega as well as a glimpse of Han Solo, Princess Leia, R2D2, and Chewbacca.
Directed by J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Force Awakens also features Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Mark Hamill, Peter Mayhew and Max Von Sydow.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens in theaters on December 18, 2015.
William Moseley, Creator Mark Schwahn and Elizabeth Hurley (Photo by: Kevin Plunkett / E! Entertainment)
E! will be bringing back The Royals for a second season starting on November 15, 2015 at 10pm ET/PT, as just announced by the network. E!’s original scripted series stars Elizabeth Hurley, William Moseley, and Alexandra Park as the hard-partying fictional British Royal family.
Season two will also feature Tom Austen, Oliver Milburn, Jake Maskall, Lydia Rose Bewley, Andrew Bicknell, Victoria Ekanoye, Poppy Corby-Tuech, Simon Thomas, and Scott Maslen. And Dame Joan Collins is confirmed to reprise her role as Grand Duchess of Oxford for four episodes of the second season.
Mark Schwahn writes, directs and executive produces the dramatic series, with Brian Robbins and Joe Davola also involved as executive producers.
The Plot:
The second season picks up eight weeks after the tragic murder of King Simon (Vincent Regan) by an unknown assailant. Cyrus, Simon’s arrogant brother, has taken the throne after deeming the Prince and Princess illegitimate, with the help of the Queen to fabricate the paternity results.
While Cyrus is convinced the Queen is on his side, her majesty has her own agenda in mind: change the succession of the Royal Family and make the power shift to the Queen if anything should happen to yet another King. Meanwhile, Liam vows to bring his father’s murderer to justice and teams up with an unlikely ally to do so, the duplicitous bodyguard Jasper who had been relieved from his duties after sleeping with both the Princess and the Queen, and had once been considered a prime suspect in the King’s attack that led to his death.
However, the two young men, who are both working to mend their respective broken hearts, have bonded over their mutual concern for the Princess’ well-being and seek to bring a common enemy to justice.
While King Cyrus struggles to win over a country of people who despise him due to his inability to relate and general disdain for common society, Eleanor sinks further into despair as she searches to have a real connection with anyone despite her seemingly fairytale life as a princess. Her bodyguard blackmailed her and slept with her mother, her brother is locked in a vengeful tunnel vision, her mother just revealed her father isn’t who she thought, the new King hates her, and the only person who ever believed in her was murdered with the last words he spoke to her being of his disappointment.
Now, Eleanor finds solace in excessive amounts of booze, drugs and random sex, while still trying to navigate through the murky waters of real romance. Not since Marie Antoinette has there been so much anarchy in the monarchy.
Diane Ackerman’s The Zookeeper’s Wife has been adapted for the screen by Angela Workman (War Bride) and filming is now underway in the Czech Republic on the feature film. Jessica Chastain is starring in the drama based on Antonina Zabinski’s diaries and directed by Niki Caro (North Country, Whale Rider).
Focus Features is set to release The Zookeeper’s Wife domestically while Universal Pictures International will distribute the film in the U.K., France, Germany, Scandinavia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe.
The Plot:
The Zookeeper’s Wife dramatizes a real-life story of heroism. The time is 1939. The place is Poland, homeland of Antonina Żabiński (Chastain) and her husband, Dr. Jan Żabiński (Johan Heldenbergh). The Warsaw Zoo flourishes under Jan’s stewardship and Antonina’s care. When their country is invaded by the Nazis, Jan and Antonina are forced to report to the Reich’s newly appointed chief zoologist, Lutz Heck (Daniel Brühl). The Żabińskis covertly begin working with the Resistance – and put into action plans to save the lives of hundreds from what has become the Warsaw Ghetto, with Antonina putting herself and her children at great risk.
The cast also includes Michael McElhatton, Iddo Goldberg, Goran Kostic, Shira Haas, and Efrat Dor.
Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier in ‘The Walking Dead’ Season 6, Episode 2 (Photo Credit: Gene Page / AMC)
“You keep choosing this life, you will die,” says Morgan (Lennie James) to one of the killers who mark themselves with W’s on their foreheads and call themselves Wolves. “We didn’t choose,” replies the Wolf as he quickly leaves the compound but not before taking a discarded handgun in the second episode of season six of AMC’s horror/drama series The Walking Dead.
The massive group of hungry walkers that Rick (Andrew Lincoln), Glenn (Steven Yeun), Daryl (Norman Reedus), Michonne (Danai Gurira), and the others were leading away from the town of Alexandria have turned towards it after hearing a loud horn continuously blaring at the end of the last episode. Episode two titled “Just Survive Somehow” begins by focusing on Enid’s (Katelyn Nacon) past, on how she lost her parents to a group of walkers, found a way to survive in the woods on her own avoiding hungry zombies, and fed on small living things (including a turtle) for weeks before coming across Alexandria. During that time Enid kept making the letters JSS on car windows and in the dirt almost obsessively.
Flash forward to Alexandria with the residents going about their normal business making dinner, patrolling, going for walks, etc, when Carol (Melissa McBride) sees her neighbor getting bludgeoned to death by one of the Wolves. It seems a group of the Wolves have invaded Alexandria with the intent to murder, steal, and take hostages. Carol doesn’t hesitate; she quickly grabs a knife and heads to Rick and Carl’s house to check on them and tell Carl (Chandler Riggs) what’s happening. Carl locks himself inside with his baby sister and swears to protect her.
Meanwhile, Morgan has made it back to Alexandria just in time to get involved in the fight and takes on one of the bigger killers. Just as the Wolf seems to be getting the better of Morgan in the fight, a cloaked figure quickly comes up from behind and stabs the Wolf to death with a huge knife. Morgan, both surprised and annoyed because he believes he could have won the fight without killing the hulking man, is surprised once again when the masked figure turns out to be Carol who’s in disguise and has put a bloody W on her forehead so the Wolves will believe she’s one of them. Carol tells Morgan they need to get to the armory and load up with guns before the Wolves find it. The Wolves don’t have guns, just knives, machetes, and axes.
Back at Rick’s, Carl is just about to shoot a shadow near the front door when he sees it’s Enid. He tells her to get in and be quiet. She tries to tell him she only came to say goodbye to which Carl tells her to sit down and keep an eye on the front door and to let him know if she sees anyone. Enid does as she is told. As Carl and Enid sit with their backs to each other watching the two main entrances to the house, Carl says, “And don’t tell me goodbye,” to which Enid replies, “All right, I won’t.”
During the killing strike at Alexandria, Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Deanna (Tovah Feldshuh) were outside the walls going over new areas for farming and growing crops. They come running back but Deanna knows she doesn’t know how to fight and admits to Maggie she’ll just be someone else who needs to be saved. Maggie turns to her son, Spencer (Austin Nichols), who just a few minutes before almost got bit by a walker while trying to get the walker out of a crashed truck and off the truck’s stuck horn (eureka! that’s why the horn went off when Rick and the others were trying to lead the massive group of walkers away from the town) and tells him to keep Deanna safe. Spencer puts Deanna in the very same truck which is now quiet thanks to Morgan coming along, killing a walker, and turning off the horn.
Meanwhile, at Jessie’s (Alexandra Breckenridge) home a Wolf breaks in and manages to wrestle Jesse’s gun away from her. But when the Wolf goes to get it, Jesse attacks her with a pair of scissors, screaming and stabbing her over and over again while her whinny, useless older son watches in shock.
Carol finally reaches the armory after discarding four more Wolves, gets loaded handguns, and gives them to Morgan, Maggie, and Father Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) to use. She hurries off to take out more Wolves and Maggie does the same. Gabriel looks down at the gun in his hand and says to Morgan, who just saved him moments ago from a wolf, “I’m not very good with guns,” to which Morgan replies, “Neither am I,” as he hands the handgun Carol gave him to Gabriel and walks off.
Lance Tafelski as Horseshoe Mustache Wolf and Lennie James as Morgan Jones in ‘The Walking Dead’ (Photo Credit: Gene Page / AMC)
Morgan comes across a group of Wolves led by one of the men he beat up with his mighty staff. He tells him to leave and that his friends have guns and the Wolves don’t. Morgan takes down four of the Wolves with his staff and tells the leader he has seconds before they open fire. Believing the bluff, the lead Wolf runs off with a few of his comrades and leaves Alexandria but not before he picks up a discarded handgun and looks back at Morgan and smiles.
Morgan, checking out a house that looks to be empty, gets tackled by a Wolf who was left behind. As the two fight, the Wolf realizes Morgan doesn’t have it in him to kill. Fight, yes, but kill, no, which he says to Morgan. Feeling as though he can’t lose, the Wolf gets a second wind and tries again to kill Morgan who finally puts him down but not before saying he’s sorry.
The episode ends with Carol and Morgan checking on the wounded and dead and with Carl realizing Enid is gone and has left him a note which reads, “Just Survive Somehow.”
Brutal, shocking, and full of violence, The Walking Dead season six’s second episode titled “Just Survive Somehow” ups the action and violence with the citizens of Alexandria being attacked and murdered by the vicious people known as the Wolves. It’s this episode where once again Melissa McBride shines as Carol, the tough, no nonsense, do whatever is necessary to survive, member of Rick’s group who is mostly responsible for stopping the Wolves from killing everyone in Alexandria. She makes Charlize Theron in the film Mad Max: Fury Road seem like a pushover the way she cons the residents into believing she’s just a simple ex-housewife and good cook and then comes out wielding knives and firing guns killing most of the invading Wolves. The fact this actress has been denied an Emmy nomination is truly criminal.
Lennie James also delivers a stand-out performance as Morgan, the experienced fighter with his staff who’s completely willing to take on the invaders but is still hesitant to take a human life, especially once the opponent is down and beaten. It’s obvious Morgan is now the moral compass of Rick’s group and that’s concerning because usually the characters who become the voice of reason, aka Dale and Hershel, don’t make it. One difference in Morgan’s situation is that he is armed and trained to fight where the other moral compasses of the group were not.
The special effects, sets, and action scenes are all first-rate and the pacing and direction of the episode is both tense and suspenseful. This is perhaps one of the most thrilling episodes in the run of the series.
With a massive herd of hungry walkers headed to Alexandria and only Rick and his small band of friends between them and the already shocked and overwhelmed town, here’s looking forward to another terrifying and possibly gory episode next Sunday night.
