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.

New Zealand filmmaker Taiki Waititi went from HBO's "Flight of the Concords" to the next "Thor" but along the way he made the sweet indie comedy "Hunt for The Wilderpeople;" Musician Mike Hadreas aka Perfume Genius opens up about being bullied and embracing his queer identity; Big name musicians take on Youtube and the DMCA

A.D. Miles says "The Tonight Show" will take its audience wherever — on the air or online; the copyright infringement suit against Robert Plant and Jimmy Page over "Stairway to Heaven" goes to the jury; Stephen Lieberman is one of the leading production designers on the electronic music circuit.

Ayad Akhtar discusses his Pulitzer Prize-winning play, "Disgraced," and how he explores issues of Muslim identity in post-9/11 America; Reggae icon Burning Spear and his wife and manager Sonia Rodney prepare for his final appearance in California.

Chilean musician Alex Anwandter has branched out to filmmaking to extend his message of tolerance for the LGBT community; Long Beach Opera makes another foray into experimentation with a work stripped from the headlines; Ticketmaster customers who were part of a class action suit are learning how they will benefit.

As CEO of The Jim Henson Company, she's focused on new technologies and improving the gender, racial and ethnic diversity of the people behind the characters.

Comedian, podcaster and actor Chris Gethard has a talk show on the Fusion cable network after years on public access TV. He also hosts the podcast, "Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People." He sits down with The Frame for an in-depth conversation about failure, success, depression and comedy.

Shanghai Disney is the company's $5.5 billion entrance into mainland China with a resort that includes hotels and shopping areas in addition to the 123-acre park; "Tickled" is a documentary about the odd world of competitive endurance tickling.

Derek DelGaudio uses "magic, moments of wonder and mystery" in his hit stage show, “In & Of Itself"; the opera “Anatomy Theater" explores the nature of evil on a visceral level; a new initiative from the Berklee College of Music seeks to resolve compensation issues between musicians, streaming services and record labels.

Director Thomas Kail and production designer David Korins helped bring the Broadway hit “Hamilton” to life, but in 2016 they also collaborated on the production of “Grease: Live!” — the TV event for Fox; New York Magazine theater critic Jesse Green says diversity was the big winner at this year's Tony awards.

Musician Joe Henry produced what turned out to be the final album by the New Orleans legend, who died last Fall; will a crackdown by New York's attorney general help rein in the re-sale market for concert and stage tickets?; Muhammad Ali even sang about being "The Greatest."

Artist Rafa Esparza uses traditional handmade adobe bricks in his installations and to bond with his father; Led Zeppelin goes to trial for "Stairway to Heaven" copyright case; meet MØ, a Danish pop singer with the most-played song on Spotify.

Director James Wan took a detour with "Furious 7," but he's back to the horror genre in "The Conjuring 2"; "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" begins previews in London; Pulitzer Prize winner Caroline Shaw is one of the featured composers at the Ojai Music Festival.