Dr. Chris Pet Vet, on CBS
When a daschund develops a dangerous obsession with newborn calves, Dr. Chris heads to the farm to investigate in a new episode of "Dr. Chris Pet Vet," airing Saturday, Oct. 26, on CBS. Meanwhile, an aging dog is rushed to the pet hospital when his owner suspects he may be having a stroke.
Underrated and under the radar: CBS's 'Person of Interest' is a covert winner
Jim Caviezel and Michael Emerson star in "Person of Interest"
In the TV industry, buzzworthy shows often get exposure for all the wrong reasons. From backstabbing reality TV to egomaniacal comedy stars, sometimes ratings are all about the hype.
Dracula, on NBC
Jonathan Rhys Meyers stars as the iconic vampire in this new adaptation of the classic story. Posing as an American entrepreneur in Victorian London, the mysterious Dracula becomes infatuated with a woman who reminds him of his dead wife.
New Releases for the week of October 27 - November 2
Monsters University
Find out how everyone's favorite monsters became friends and legendary scarers in this Disney prequel. Mike (Billy Crystal) and Sulley (John Goodman) meet years before the events of "Monsters Inc." (2001) when they are assigned the same room at Monsters University. When their intense rivalry gets them both kicked out of their program, they team up for the Scare Games in hopes of proving themselves and being accepted back into their program. Mike and Sulley must learn to believe in each other -- and themselves -- if they're ever going to realize their dreams of becoming professional scarers.
Director: Dan Scanlon. Stars: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Helen Mirren, Aubrey Plaza, Dave Foley, Charlie Day, Nathan Fillion. 2013. 104 min. Animated.
R.I.P.D.
After stealing a chest full of gold with his partner Bobby Hayes (Kevin Bacon), Boston Police Department Det. Nick Walker (Ryan Reynolds) has a very guilty conscience. Hayes is not impressed when Walker informs him of his plans to return the money, and when a warehouse raid turns into a fire fight, Hayes turns his gun on Walker. The deceased Walker is surprised to discover that his crime-fighting days do not end when his life does -- once dead, he is recruited to the Rest In Peace Department (R.I.P.D.), where he tracks down "Deados," spirits refusing to cross over, with his new partner, Roy Pulsipher (Jeff Bridges). When it becomes apparent that the gold Walker stole before he died is tied to a mystical device, the new duo must hunt down Hayes, who has a secret of his own.
Director: Robert Schwentke. Stars: Jeff Bridges, Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Bacon, Mary-Louise Parker, Stephanie Szostak, James Hong, Marissa Miller. 2013. 96 min. Action.
Free Samples
Jillian (Jess Weixler) is a Stanford law school dropout looking for direction. When Jillian finds herself stuck working in an ice cream truck on the streets of Los Angeles on her college boyfriend's birthday, she begins to realize that life can't be held back or slowed down. Her day in the ice cream truck will change her perspective and shape the rest of her life.
Director: Jay Gammill. Stars: Jess Weixler, Jesse Eisenberg, Jason Ritter, Halley Feiffer, Tippi Hedren, Keir O'Donnell, Jocelin Donahue, Whitney Able. 2012. 80 min. Comedy.
Q: I loved the BBC "Wallander" series, and I understand they were based on a book series. Who was the author, and is he still writing them?
Author Henning Mankell told a "Guardian" journalist in July that "I shall not miss Wallander."
That, of course, is his brusque way of saying that he's done with the detective who made him famous.
Mankell has written 10 novels featuring the bleak Swedish detective, with the most recent, 2009's "The Troubled Man," being the last. (He also penned a shorter Wallander story in 2004, called "The Grave," which has yet to be translated into English.)
Parks and Recreation, on NBC
When a minor scandal gets blown out of proportion, Leslie (Amy Poehler) tries to smooth things over in this new episode. Tatiana Maslany guest stars as Tom's (Aziz Ansari) new love interest, while Ben (Adam Scott) advises Ron (Nick Offerman) to prepare his will.
Q: Reese Witherspoon's resume includes a movie called "Twilight" -- does it have anything to do with the vampire franchise?
It does not, and if anyone were still looking for this mostly forgotten 1998 thriller, it could get confusing.
Though it boasts an incredibly strong cast, among which the very young Witherspoon must have felt intimidated, "Twilight" got fairly poor reviews at the time, and was never a hit.
Roger Ebert praised the late-career performance of star Paul Newman, but followed it up by saying, "it's sad to see all that assurance used in the service of a plot so worn and mechanical."
The Middle, on ABC
Celebrate a milestone with Frankie Heck (Patricia Heaton) and her dysfunctional-but-lovable family with the 100th episode of this hit comedy. Along with her husband, Mike (Neil Flynn), Frankie raises her brood with a mixture of wit and exasperation.
American Hoggers, on A&E
When Tom proposes a competition between the men and women to see who can catch the most hogs, Krystal has one condition in this season premiere. Meanwhile, Robert pursues a hog into the river, leaving Katie to tackle her own hog.
Q: Any chance the HBO movie "Behind the Candelabra" will come to DVD?
I'd say there's a 100-per-cent chance, because it already has.
Perhaps hoping to capitalize on any resulting buzz, HBO Films released its star- (and rhinestone-) studded Liberace biopic "Behind the Candelabra" on video just a few days before the Emmy Awards a few weeks ago.