Panic 9-1-1, on A&E
Emergency dispatchers can mean the difference between life and death as they try to help desperate people in harrowing situations in this season premiere. Featuring audio from actual 9-1-1 calls, this series recreates thrilling real-life crimes and emergencies.
The end is nigh: Walter White returns in 'Breaking Bad'
Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston star in "Breaking Bad"
Prime-time TV shows are often cookie-cutter variations of the same old stuff, from cop dramas to ensemble sitcoms and back-stabbing reality TV series. However, once in a blue moon, a series comes along that breaks not just the mold, but smashes the whole cookie jar.
Q: There's an actress in "American Horror Story" named Taissa Farmiga who looks a lot like Vera Farmiga. Are they mother and daughter?
Actually they're sisters, though with a pretty significant age difference.
You aren't the first to come to the wrong conclusion, either. "When I was growing up, people would always confuse me for Vera's daughter," Taissa told "Teen Vogue" magazine.
Taissa is the youngest of seven siblings, and 21 years younger than her more famous sister. It was Vera who provided her first big break.
Masterchef, on Fox
In this very special edition, previously eliminated contestants are given the opportunity to cook their way back into the game by preparing as many perfectly cooked fried eggs as possible.
Barter Kings, on A&E
Entrepreneurs Steve McHugh and Antonio Palazzola return to show off their serious negotiating skills in this season premiere. No cash is exchanged as they use their knowledge of the current market to trade lower value items for higher ones.
The Bachelorette, on ABC
Desiree's quest to find romance comes to a close as she makes her final choice in this special two-hour season finale. Then, Chris Harrison hosts a Season 9 wrap-up special featuring the men who were eliminated along the way.
Q: People are talking about a movie called "Into the Woods", with Johnny Depp, Meryl Streep, Chris Pine and Emily Blunt. Is that a real project?
It is, and it's taking Johnny Depp -- an actor who's been accused of playing it safe lately -- out of his comfort zone a little. Though only a little.
After appearing in yet another costume-heavy summer tent pole with "The Lone Ranger" (though it didn't quite deliver how the studio hoped it would), critics have been questioning Depp's unadventurous role choices lately. (A recent headline on the influential website The Daily Beast asked "Is his career doomed?")
Big Brother, on CBS
Another week of drama kicks off as the newest Head of Household takes possession of the HoH room and decides who will be up for elimination in this new episode. This season, viewers hold even more power as they are asked to cast votes for the game's best player.
Late Laughs for the week of August 4 - August 10, 2013
Jimmy Kimmel Live!: Jimmy Kimmel
One of the world's leading scientists said he believes the human species was probably created when pigs mated with chimps. So it turns out that men really ARE pigs. There is scientific evidence.
Conan: Conan O'Brien
New Releases for the week of August 4 - 10
Mud
While trying to salvage a boat stuck high in a tree, two teenage boys – Ellis and Neckbone, who live in the Arkansas delta – meet a fugitive from the area who was sent to prison for killing the man who impregnated his girlfriend. In exchange for his pistol, the two teens agree to help the convict evade bounty hunters and reunite him with the love of his life.
Director: Jeff Nichols. Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland, Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Paulson. 2012. 130 min. Drama.
On the Road
Young and disenfranchised writer Sal Paradise sets out on a road trip across the country with his carefree and adventurous friend, Dean Moriarty, and his girlfriend, Marylou, where they meet a variety of people who each have great impact on their journey.
Director: Walter Salles. Stars: Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Amy Adams, Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst. 2012. 124 min. Drama.
The Place Beyond the Pines
When he learns he has a son, motorcycle stuntman Luke Glanton quits his job as a traveling motorcycle act for state fairs to stay close to provide for his child. Finding only part-time work, Luke turns to robbing banks as a way to get more money, a decision that leads him right into the path of a rookie cop trying to prove himself in a department run by a corrupt detective.
Director: Derek Cianfrance. Stars: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Craig Van Hook, Eva Mendes, Ray Liotta, Rose Byrne. 2012. 140 min. Drama.
Magic Magic
A young woman vacationing in South America travels to a remote part of Chile with her cousin, her boyfriend and their friends and begins to suffer from insomnia. Her friends ignore her claims while her mental state deteriorates and she begins to lose her grip on reality.
Director: Sebastián Silva. Stars: Juno Temple, Michael Cera, Emily Browning. 2013. 97 min. Thriller.
Oblivion
After the earth was ravaged by a war between humans and a race of alien invaders, the few remaining survivors colonized one of Saturn's moons, which they power using energy harvested from Earth. Sixty years following the planet's near destruction, Jack Harper is stationed on Earth to extract resources when he stumbles upon a secret that leads him to question his mission.
Director: Joseph Kosinski. Stars: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko. 2013. 124 min. Action.