New releases for the week of March 17 - 23
Mary Poppins Returns
The world's most famous magical nanny returns to help the Banks family once again. Now all grown up, Michael Banks (Whishaw) has three kids of his own, but with his wife deceased, his sister Jane (Mortimer) helps him raise his three children. When he falls behind on loan payments, the bank threatens to repossess the family home, and the stress of the situation leads Michael to overlook how his children are feeling, just as his own father once did to him and Jane. When a blustery day brings back Mary Poppins (Blunt), the nanny who looked after him and Jane when they were children, the family finds themselves swept up in magical moments.
Director: Rob Marshall. Stars: Emily Blunt, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Lin-Manuel Miranda. 2018. 130 min. Fantasy.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
After teenager Miles Morales is bitten by a radioactive spider, he finds himself developing spider-like abilities. He stumbles across a particle accelerator funded by the villainous Kingpin, and after a major battle, he witnesses the death of Spider-Man. Miles takes the superhero's mantle upon himself and learns that the accelerator pulled other spider-heroes from different universes into his own. Despite his inexperience, Miles teams up with the other heroes to stop the destructive experiments of a mad scientist and help them find a way home before they become Kingpin's next victims.
Directors: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman. Stars: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry. 2018. 117 min. Animation.
Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us
Pokémon trainer Ash Ketchum finds a bold new adventure when he arrives in Fula City for its annual festival. With the villainous Team Rocket also in town, albeit for more nefarious reasons, it's up to Ash, a group of locals and their Pokémon to save not only the festival, but the city itself.
Director: Tetsuo Yajima. Stars: Sarah Natochenny, Michele Knotz, James Carter Cathcart. 2018. 97 min. Animation.
Late Laughs for the week of March 17 - 23, 2019
The other day, a woman gave birth to a baby boy on a JetBlue flight. It was stressful, but now JetBlue can finally say they had an early arrival.
A new study found that women who have more children actually age more slowly. While women who have no children couldn't take part in the study 'cause they were busy having the time of their lives.
First sign of spring: Food Network's seasonal baking competition is back
Host Clinton Kelly with the "Spring Baking Championship" contestants
First sign of spring: Food Network's seasonal baking competition is back
Host Clinton Kelly with the "Spring Baking Championship" contestants
Liar, liar: 'Pretty Little Liars' spinoff premieres on Freeform
Eli Brown, Janel Parrish, Sasha Pieterse, Sydney Park and Sofia Carson star in "Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists"
God Friended Me, on CBS
Miles (Brandon Micheal Hall) helps others in need as a mysterious God account directs him to people through social media in this new episode. All the while, he and his friend Cara (Violett Beane) try to uncover the truth about the account.
The Pioneer Woman, on Food Network
Cookbook author Ree Drummond invites viewers into her kitchen as she makes frontier food with a twist in this new episode. She prepares seriously delicious short ribs with collards in her multicooker, and punches up the flavor of Caesar salad.
The power of community: Slice-of-life ensemble drama 'The Village' premieres on NBC
Frankie Faison stars in "The Village"
This Is Not Happening, on Comedy Central
Host Roy Wood Jr. welcomes comedy icon Tommy Chong, who shares a story about how his house was raided by the DEA in this new episode. Also, Tone Bell talks about stealing fake money from his teacher, and Steve Lemme recounts how a fan pulled him over.
Q: I'm just catching up with "Star Trek: Discovery" and am wondering: Is Rainn Wilson's character a reference to something from one of the old shows? He feels, I don't know, significant somehow.
You have a good eye for character development. In a show, indeed a long series of shows, that often features a creep-of-the-week type of disposable villain, Harcourt Fenton Mudd (Harry, for short) is indeed different.
The fact that he's being played by a known actor -- former "The Office" star Rainn Wilson -- is a giveaway, but for fans of the original '60s "Star Trek" series, the name alone does it. Harry Mudd was a recurring, fan-favorite character in the original show.