'Motive' a mystery: ABC rolls out a new take on procedural drama
Louis Ferreira and Kristin Lehman star in "Motive"
All that is needed for the old to look new again is a change of perspective.
The Office, on NBC
Past and present employees of Dunder Mifflin gather together to attend a wedding months after the premiere of the documentary in this series finale. The gathering provides an opportunity for some to bury the hatchet.
Electrifying: Music's biggest stars get the party started at The 2013 Billboard Music Awards
Justin Bieber at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards
Everybody loves a party, and no party is complete without music. So, a party celebrating the best, most popular music on the airwaves is bound to be a good time.
American Idol, on Fox
It's all down to the final performances as the two singers left in the competition take the stage in Part 1 of a two-part season finale. Former winner Phillip Phillips also performs, as does pop songstress Carly Rae Jepsen.
Q: I was watching "Dinosaurs" on DVD the other day and I noticed the Jim Henson logo pop up. I thought he only did puppets?
TV and film great Jim Henson is certainly best known for his puppetry work, but in fact that's what "Dinosaurs" was -- partly, at least.
The characters on the early-'90s show, structured very much as a traditional family sitcom but with dinosaurs instead of people, were a combination of puppets, robots and actors in costumes.
New Girl, on Fox
With Cece's wedding day on the horizon, Jess and Nick make a decision about their relationship in this season finale. A shocking announcement could derail Schmidt's plans to sabotage the wedding.
Castle, on ABC
Beckett rethinks her career path and her relationship with Castle after an interview with a federal law-enforcement agency in this season finale. Also, the team investigates the death of a young woman.
Q: I was watching an old Miss Marple show and saw that it was directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. The name sounded familiar to me (it is certainly a memorable one). What else has he done?
What you saw was an unlikely bit of resume-building by an already-famous director.
The problem for Nicolas Winding Refn was that, in 2007 when he directed "Miss Marple: Nemesis" for PBS and Britain's ITV, he was still only really famous in his native Denmark. His debut film, 1996's gritty drug-crime thriller "Pusher," had already produced two sequels, while his only English-language attempt, 2003's "Fear X," was a flop.
New Releases for the week of May 12 - 18
Cloud Atlas
Explore the ways in which the actions of an individual can have an impact on the lives of others. Six interrelated stories -- from past, present and future -- are depicted, beginning with the diary of an ocean voyage across the Pacific in 1849 and ending in a post-apocalyptic world set more than 300 years in the future.
Directors: Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski. Stars: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Susan Sarandon, Hugh Grant. 2012. 172 min. Drama.
3, 2, 1 ... Frankie Go Boom
For most of his life, Frank Bartlett has been tortured and humiliated by his manipulative brother, Bruce, an amateur filmmaker who is constantly posting embarrassing videos of Frank online. After a particularly horrific video of Frank goes viral, he withdraws from society until his newly sober brother brings him back into civilization.
Director: Jordan Roberts. Stars: Charlie Hunnam, Chris O'Dowd, Ron Perlman, Lizzy Caplan, Chris Noth. 2012. 89 min. Comedy.
A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III
Charles Swan III is a highly successful graphic designer and modern-day Casanova whose life is about to take a turn for the worse. When his girlfriend leaves, Charles' life quickly descends into despair and he starts to suffer from nightmares of lovers passed. With the help of his best friend and manager, Charles struggles to turn his life around.
Director: Roman Coppola. Stars: Charlie Sheen, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Patricia Arquette. 2012. 86 min. Comedy.
Face 2 Face
Struggling with depression, addiction and lack of human interaction, director Katherine Brooks embarks on a cross-country journey to figure out how, with thousands of Facebook friends, someone can feel so alone. After posting a vow to visit with the first 50 people who respond, Brooks hits the road to meet with complete strangers and rekindle relationships with long-lost acquaintances.
Director: Katherine Brooks. Stars: Katherine Brooks. 2013. 100 min. Documentary.
Back to 1942
In 1942, severe drought has caused a province-wide famine in Henan, China, and millions of people are dying of starvation. Master Fan, a wealthy landlord, decides to flee his home after his village is burned to the ground and his son is killed in a fight with bandits. Meanwhile, a correspondent for "Time" magazine arrives in Henan to investigate the famine and learns that government corruption is exacerbating the situation.
Director: Xiaogang Feng. Stars: Adrien Brody, Tim Robbins, Daoming Chen. 2012. 145 min. Drama.
Never say never: New Spike show ignores all the warnings
(from left): Teddy Wilson and Norm Sousa host "Never Ever Do This at Home"
Never say never: Warnings abound. Everywhere we look, labels on everyday products scream "don't do this" and "never do that." And it isn't just labels -- we all know better than to stick metal in the microwave oven, thanks to our parents.