Staying alive: Five seasons in, 'Modern Family' keeps on trucking
The cast of "Modern Family"
Sitcom fans rejoice: the format isn't dead yet. Bearing in mind that it's a genre that goes back 75 years (yes, way back to radio), it's a miracle that anyone is still able to bring something new and fresh to the table. Is it any great surprise that so many attempts at the half-hour comedies flop within the first season?
New Releases for the week of November 10 - November 16
Man of Steel
As a young boy, Clark Kent learned that he possessed extraordinary powers inherited from ancestors from another planet. Now, as a young man, Clark must confront his extraterrestrial heritage and discover where he came from if he hopes to save mankind from annihilation when members of his own race invade planet Earth.
Director: Zack Snyder. Stars: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane, Russell Crowe. 2013. 143 min. Action.
Prince Avalanche
During the summer of 1988, Alvin and Lance abandon their city lives to spend the summer painting traffic lines down the center of a country highway that was destroyed by wildfire. Alvin and Lance find themselves at odds with each other and the women they left back home, but as they settle into their new jobs surrounded by a remarkable landscape, the two men start to develop an unlikely bond.
Director: David Gordon Green. Stars: Paul Rudd, Emile Hirsch, Lance LeGault, Lynn Shelton. 2013. 94 min. Comedy.
Turbo
When a freak accident leaves him with the power of super speed, Turbo, an everyday garden snail, sets off on an extraordinary journey to achieve his seemingly impossible dream of competing in the world's fastest race, the Indianapolis 500. With the help of his friends, Turbo sets out to prove that despite his size, he can dream big.
Director: David Soren. Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Maya Rudolph, Samuel L. Jackson, Snoop Dogg, Bill Hader, Ken Jeong. 2013. 96 min. Animated.
Frances Ha
A woman with no apartment lives in New York City, where she apprentices for a dance company even though she isn't a dancer. She has a best friend, Sophie, but they don't speak. Frances is desperately trying to sort out her ambitions and wants much more than she already has, but as the reality of her dreams dwindle, Frances continues to live her life with inexplicable joy.
Director: Noah Baumbach. Stars: Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner, Adam Driver, Michael Esper. 2012. 86 min. Comedy.
Ambushed
A Los Angeles agent closes in on an international cocaine-smuggling operation run by a criminal mastermind. When a fellow agent goes undercover with the drug dealers and finds herself in deeper than she can handle, Agent Maxwell must fight ruthless killers and corrupt officials to save the undercover agent and bring the criminals to justice.
Director: Giorgio Serafini. Stars: Dolph Lundgren, Vinnie Jones, Randy Couture, Gianni Capaldi, Carly Pope. 2013. 96 min. Action.
Thicker Than Water, on Bravo USA
Ben and Jewel Tankard invite viewers into their lavish life in this new reality TV series. Ben gets protective when his daughter, Cyrene, gets asked to the prom, and Brooklyn looks for a little support when her marathon conflicts with the family's schedule.
Late Laughs for the week of November 10 - 16, 2013
The Late Show: David Letterman
How many of you are only here because you had some trouble signing up for Obamacare, and instead you got tickets to this show?
Over the weekend I got on the computer and I tried to sign up for Obamacare. I had no trouble whatsoever. I signed right up for Obamacare and ordered six months of Mexican Viagra. Working for me!
Burning rubber: Robert Irvine gets behind the wheel
Robert Irvine hosts "Restaurant Express"
Beep beep! Pull over! The Restaurant Express is coming through!
Miss Universe Pageant, on NBC
Some of the most beautiful women in the world gather at Crocus City Hall, Moscow, to vie for the coveted crown at this year's pageant. The highly anticipated pageant traditionally features swimsuit, evening gown and interview competitions among the contestants.
Recaps for the week of November 4 - 8
Kirsten Storms stars in "General Hospital"
The Bold and the Beautiful
Bill's anger at Katie causes him to lose his focus while climbing a mountain in Aspen and he has a near-death experience. Meanwhile, Katie gets an earful from Donna about her treatment of Bill, and later gets called out by Liam on her performance at Spencer Publications. After his close call, Bill has an epiphany about his life and family, and he makes his revised plans for the future known upon his return. Stunned at Bill's declaration, Katie seeks Brooke for verification. Wyatt and Charlie panic when the Hope for the Future Diamond goes missing. As Rick and Caroline plan their upcoming wedding, Carter goes to see Rick for a favor. Maya is overjoyed when Carter and Rick get her job back as the Hope for the Future spokesmodel, but Caroline is less than thrilled.
Days of Our Lives
Jennifer suffers emotional turmoil believing that Daniel slept with Theresa, while JJ deals with a guilty conscience about the lie. After Victor tries unsuccessfully to persuade Brady to call off his wedding to Kristen, he turns to Marlena to help bring Kristen down for good. Meanwhile, Kristen arms herself with a gun to make sure no one ruins her wedding to Brady this time. Later, a stunning reveal stops the ceremony in its tracks and soon chaos rains down on those in attendance. Lucas listens in as Kate plots against Jordan. Nicole talks to Eric about what he thinks she did to him, and later Daniel offers to help her get to the truth about what really happened to the priest that night. Gabi receives exciting news from a modeling agency, but is devastated when Cameron tells her he's leaving town.
General Hospital
After an unexpected run-in, Duke makes a shocking discovery that could leave lives hanging in the balance. Sonny prepares to make his next move, but someone is one step ahead of him. Later, Sonny attempts to listen to reason when he discovers a significant betrayal. Meanwhile, Luke and Tracy have a meaningful conversation about their future once they return home. Scott and Lucy celebrate, but their happiness may have come at too high a price. Kiki desires to help, but her efforts may lead to more trouble than they're worth. Franco reveals some stunning information to Carly when she makes an important discovery. Later, Franco finds himself put on the spot at the gallery opening. A surprising revelation after a major outburst causes fear and paranoia among some of the citizens of Port Charles.
The Young and the Restless
Billy tells Victoria he will not rest until he finds the person that ran down his little girl. With plastic found from the headlight of the car, Alex and Kevin narrow down the possibilities of the SUV that hit Delia. Meanwhile, Chelsea meets with Dylan to sign their divorce papers and officially end their short-lived marriage. Chelsea returns to find the police at Adam's wanting to take a look at his black SUV. When Adam agrees, the police conclude that his vehicle looks fine. Jack bumps into Hilary and urges her to stay in town to earn the forgiveness of those she hurt. Determined to save the Baldwins from Carmine's murder, Paul runs into a snag when he discovers crime scene photos missing from the evidence bag. Victor and Nikki begin to worry about Nick as Sharon grows ever closer to him. Victor tells Jill she has no say in what happens when she objects to his plans for Newman-Chancellor.
James Spader does it again: NBC's 'The Blacklist' emerges as hit of the season
James Spader stars in "The Blacklist"
Prime-time television has always been a cutthroat business, but the advent of services such as Netflix and the popularity of cable dramas from HBO, AMC and Showtime have made things even tougher for broadcast networks. Every once in a while, though, a new drama grabs viewers and brings them back to the traditional TV fold.
Hawaii Five-0, on CBS
Det. Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin) finds himself on diaper duty when Mary (Taryn Manning) gets sick and he has to look after her baby while working on a case in this new episode. Daryl Hannah makes a special guest appearance as realtor Cheri Tranton.
Q: I love Sarah Michelle Gellar in "The Crazy Ones," but does that mean her other show, "Ringer," was canceled?
Despite a strong fan following, "Ringer" was canceled by CW shortly after its first-season finale in April 2012.
The decision also came despite the natural fit between star Sarah Michelle Gellar and the network -- she's still best remembered as the titular character of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," one of the first hits on CW's predecessor network, WB.