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.

Playwright Heidi Schreck and actress Maria Dizzia on how the nation’s most treasured document connects with violence against women; can the best picture win for "Parasite" be attributed to the Motion Picture Academy's diversification efforts?

Conversations with Oscar nominees and stories about how the most loved films of the year came to be; interviews with actors Renee Zellwegger, Cynthia Erivo, and Adam Driver and filmmakers Greta Gerwig, Taika Waititi and Bong-Joon Ho among others.

The actress, who stars in the film, talks about her personal connection to the story about mental illness with director Jeff Baena; how much has the Motion Picture Academy membership actually changed?; the L.A. post-punk band, French Vanilla.

The singer-songwriter wrote and recorded the album, "The Gospel of Water," after being diagnosed with cancer; Jeff Kanew talks about directing Kirk Douglas in the actor's one-man stage show; a campaign for the DGA to improve its parental leave policy.

The filmmaker's first feature has won her a prize from the Directors Guild and a nomination for the Independent Spirit Awards; The Lucas Museum has acquired a prominent collection of ephemera related to African American film history.

South Korean director Bong Joon-ho talks about his surprise hit, which has six Oscar nominations, including for Best Picture; Disney takes full control of Hulu; "JoJo Rabbit" costume designer Mayes Rubio.

The former Police frontman is front and center in a musical that's set in his hometown; Hollywood's awards season is nearing its conclusion; WWI through the ears of the Oscar-nominated sound team behind “1917.”

"The Good Place" has been one of the few broadcast network breakout hits in recent years. With the series ending tonight, we revisit our interviews with series creator Michael Schur, writer Jen Statsky, and cast member D’Arcy Carden.

The writer/director has an Academy Award nomination for her adaptation of the Louisa May Alcott classic; photographer Thomas Kiefer turns border detritus into art.

The veteran animator talks about collaborating with the NBA legend on their Academy Award-winning short animated film; Carlos Lopez Estrada's "Summertime" is a collaboration with 25 spoken word poets; the Oscar-nominated production design for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”

The film festival presented the premiere of "Hillary," a four-part series coming to Hulu in March; filmmaker Gotham Chopra talks about his 2015 documentary, “Kobe Bryant’s Muse.”