Pandemic relief: Discovery series helps struggling restaurants
Nelly guest stars in "Restaurant Recovery"
There's no question that the COVID-19 pandemic hit the food industry hard, with $240 billion in sales and nearly 2.5 million jobs lost in 2020. While it may be a long climb to recovery, diners are eager to return, and that's good news for restaurateurs. In the meantime, how do you ride out a crisis in an industry with already low profit margins?
'Anything For Love': Meat Loaf launches new reality competition series
Meat Loaf launches "I'd Do Anything For Love … But I Won't Do That"
The Simpsons, on Fox
Lisa develops an imaginary friend who instills some confidence in her in a new episode of this hit animated sitcom's 32nd season. Meanwhile, Homer gets a vehicle that boasts some major torque. Benedict Cumberbatch lends his voice as a guest star.
New Releases for the week of April 18 - 24
Crisis
In the midst of the opioid crisis, a drug trafficking ring organizes a multi-cartel smuggling operation, unaware that their organization has been infiltrated by an undercover DEA agent (Hammer). Meanwhile, an architect (Lilly) recovering from an oxycodone addiction engages in a desperate search for her son, whose disappearance has links to narcotic activity. Elsewhere, a university professor (Oldman) faces an uphill battle when he attempts to blow the whistle on his research employer, a powerful pharmaceutical company that plans to introduce a new "non-addictive" painkiller.
Director: Nicholas Jarecki. Stars: Gary Oldman, Armie Hammer, Evangeline Lilly, Greg Kinnear, Michelle Rodriguez, Luke Evans, Lily-Rose Depp, Indira Varma, Kid Cudi, Martin Donovan, Veronica Ferres. 2021. 118 mins. Drama.
Body Brokers
Convinced to enter a rehab program in California by a mysterious man named Wood (Williams), junkies Utah (Kilmer) and Opal (Englert) leave the streets of rural Ohio and head to Los Angeles. Utah is optimistic about his sobriety progress, feeling especially good about his sessions with the treatment center's shrink (Leo), until he discovers the center is actually a front for a fraud operation that recruits addicts through other addicts. Mentored by Wood and his business partner, Vin (Grillo), Utah must decide what he wants more: to make big money or to overcome addiction.
Director: John Swab. Stars: Jack Kilmer, Micheal Kenneth Williams, Jessica Rothe, Alice Englert, Peter Greene, Frank Grillo, Melissa Leo, Thomas Dekker. 2021. 111 mins. Crime.
The Violent Heart
Twenty-four-year-old Daniel (Adepo) wants to leave everything and join the marines, but a troubled history, which includes trauma from witnessing his sister's murder 15 years ago and time spent in a juvenile detention center, make entry into the forces difficult. Then there's Cassie (Van Patten), a bright and bold 18-year-old high school senior ready to embrace adulthood. When Cassie and Daniel meet, they fall in love, but their relationship is tested by factors stemming from their differences that threaten to tear the two apart.
Director: Kerem Sanga. Stars: Grace Van Patten, Jovan Adepo, Mary J. Blige, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Lukas Haas, Jahi Di'Allo Winston, Markus Silbiger, Cress Williams. 2020. 107 mins. Drama.
The Karate Kid, on AMC
AMC presents back-to-back '80s classics with a special broadcast of this original film trilogy. Ralph Macchio stars as Daniel, a teenager who is tormented by bullies before he makes the decision to learn karate from a martial arts master (Pat Morita).
Q: Why did they cancel "NCIS: New Orleans"? It's every bit as good as the original.
It seems that CBS disagrees with you, because every indication says it was the network's decision to cancel the spinoff of the long-running procedural hit.
The news came at the same time as a few other schedule announcements, including an unrelated cancellation (the sitcom "Mom"), but more notably, the unveiling of a new "NCIS" spinoff — this one set in Hawaii.
Shark Tank, on ABC
Kevin O'Leary, Daymond John, Robert Herjavec, Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner and Mark Cuban are some of the world's most successful investors. This hit series gives everyday inventors and budding businesspeople the opportunity to work with them.
Hell's Kitchen, on Fox
Chef Gordon Ramsey puts a reunion together for the final three in this new episode. Later, he takes the finalists to his secrets Las Vegas spots and at the last stop on the itinerary they are each assigned the task of cooking one last five-course meal.
Under pressure: Kate Winslet is prime time's latest troubled detective
Kate Winslet and Guy Pearce in "Mare of Easttown"
Needless to say, television sleuths have evolved over the years. Gone are the days when hard-nosed investigators doggedly pursued criminals and wrapped up cases week after week. Today's TV detectives are often portrayed as complex and vulnerable, and an acclaimed actor is set to bring one such character to life this spring.
Chicago Med, on NBC
The doctors and nurses at Chicago's leading trauma center struggle to balance their personal and professional lives as they treat patients in this Emmy-winning drama from Dick Wolf. The ensemble cast includes Yaya DaCosta, Nick Gehlfuss and Oliver Platt.
