The Frame

Writer/director John Ridley (far right, with actor Timothy Hutton) talks about his edgy new TV series, “American Crime"; We crash a viewing party for the breakout TV hit, “Empire"; Musician and attorney Joe Escalante on the fallout from the “Blurred Lines” verdict.

A jury ruled that Robin Thicke (pictured) and Pharrell Williams violated the copyright to Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give It Up"; an assistant director on the film "Midnight Rider" was found guilty of charges relating to the death of a camera assistant; producer David Shore revived a TV project created a dozen years ago by Vince Gilligan, before his "Breaking Bad" success.

"Midnight Rider" director Randall Miller was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to charges resulting from the death of a crew member on the set; Clint Eastwood talks about "American Sniper" (pictured) becoming the biggest-grossing film released in 2014; actress Gillian Jacobs has added director to her resumé with a documentary about computer pioneer Grace Hopper.

A fan laments that legendary radio DJ Art Laboe (pictured) can't be heard in L.A., at least for now; Robert Christgau, the Dean of American Rock Critics, has a memoir covering his 40-plus years on the music beat; Claire Keane is a third-generation artist who left a cushy job to write and illustrate children's books.

The trial for the lawsuit brought by Marvin Gaye's children against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams is nearing an end; how "Dead Man Walking" was transformed from a movie to an opera (pictured); comedian Wayne Federman rounds up his hilarious friends to host a film festival where they chose the lineup; comic book writer Scott Snyder put his anxieties into his version of "Batman."

Ed Piskor’s "Hip Hop Family Tree” (pictured) takes a look at the music's history in a comic book series; young comedians test their chops in roast battles; the Writer's Guild examines the lack of racial and gender diversity among TV writers.

Late night host Conan O'Brien tells us about his trip to Cuba and his thoughts on the late night TV shuffle; Vulture.com's Margaret Lyons recommends some TV shows that have an air of optimism; comic book writer Ed Brubaker goes from Captain America and Batman to a Hollywood noir graphic novel.

Will Smith's "Focus" (pictured) did middling business in its opening weekend, so where does this leave his career?; filmmaker Ed Burns on the highs and lows of his career since bursting on the scene with "The Brothers McMullen" in 1995; Valiant Entertainment has a simple goal: make comic books like they used to be made.

Leonard Nimoy (pictured) died today. We discuss his artistic journey as an actor, writer and photographer; the copyright trial pitting Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams and T.I. against Marvin Gaye's children is underway; Will Forte is "The Last Man on Earth," a new Fox comedy.

Singer-songwriter Gabriel Kahane (pictured) wrote "The Ambassador," a song cycle inspired by architectural landmarks around L.A.; Yann Demange's new film is set amidst the violent Northern Ireland conflict known as The Troubles; a new study concludes that watching even just one film can change minds about a topic as charged as politics.

Liz Feldman talks about her series that stars Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini and walks a fine line between comedy and tragedy.

The novelist and comic book creator co-wrote the novel with Terry Pratchett, but they couldn't get a production going before Pratchett's death in 2015. The current Amazon series fulfills their dream.

The actress stars as a harsh talk show host in the new movie written by Mindy Kaling.

Craig Mazin talks about his HBO miniseries that challenges our knowledge of the 1986 nuclear meltdown in Russia; record labels are in for a windfall, but how much will artists see?; "Godzilla" lives to romp and stomp again.

Her book is the basis for the Hulu series that stars Aidy Bryant as a young woman who defies being defined by her weight; a stringent abortion law in Louisiana could threaten TV and film production there; veteran pop music critic recounts Elton John's 1970 U.S. debut.

Randall Park and Ali Wong had been talking about making a romantic comedy for years and it's finally come to pass; with William Morris/Endeavor going public, the talent agency's finances are under scrutiny.

The former Texas Congressman's run for the U.S. Senate is documented in an HBO documentary that provides insight into his current presidential campaign; a recap of the Cannes Film Festival; "Echo in the Canyon" owes a lot to "California Dreamin'."

John Horn and Los Angeles Times film writer Jen Yamato are your guides to the Summer movie season. Guests include Kumail Nanjiani ("Stuber"), Olivia Wilde (director of "Booksmart") and Emma Thompson ("Late Night"). With the Elton John biopic coming up ("Rocketman"), we'll hear from the pop music critic who covered Elton's 1970 U.S. debut in L.A. And John reports from the trade floor at CinemaCon where vendors pitch the food and drinks they're trying to get into concession stands.

Why Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson made a 12-hour version of the final aria of Mozart's beloved "The Marriage of Figaro"; Harvey Weinstein and his former studio's board members reach a tentative $44 million settlement with the women who've accused him of sexual misconduct; and art writer Jori Finkel on what inspires artists.

The most lucrative season for studios and cineplexes is usually filled with action films and sequels, but scary movies are making big inroads; a new study indicates that LGTBQ representation in movies improved in 2018; the guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela in their element.

The actress went behind the camera for the teen girl comedy, which marks her directing debut; an Amazon TV series and a movie starring Kristen Wiig have canceled plans to shoot in Georgia because of the state's new abortion law; singer, songwriter and guitarist Steve Gunn.

The TV series co-creators, Sarah Schneider and Chris Kelly, talk about their offbeat family comedy; can the video app TikTok take over music streaming?; recreating 1969 in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."