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.

If you think musicians are getting shorted by streaming services, songwriters fare even worse; Google introduces Daydream, its virtual reality headset that works with Android phones; the new light rail stop at Santa Monica's Bergamot Station has some worried about the art center's future.

"Outlander" creator Ronald D. Moore and costume designer Terry Dresbach share secrets from their married life and work collaboration; an inside look at creating the music for the ABC comedy, "The Middle"; how diverse are the broadcast networks' new shows?

Filmmaker Lee Daniels and actors Geena Davis and Peter Jacobson tell The Frame's John Horn what it's like to be part of the dog-and-pony show that are the broadcast TV Upfronts. Director Jay Roach makes political theater into an HBO movie with LBJ's story in "All the Way." Songwriter Guy Clark remembered.

Paul Buckmaster's long music career began with David Bowie in the 1960s and includes arranging for Elton John, Miles Davis, Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood; The Mexican female punk band 'Las Hijas de Violencia' combats street harassment with performance art; NBC and Fox kick of day one of the TV Upfronts.

'The Lobster' filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos reveals what lies behind his dark satire about love, society and relationships; The SFMOMA reopens with a new wing and new art but something is still missing; Broadcast TV networks cancel shows and rearrange line-ups ahead of next week's Upfront presentations to ad buyers.

The "Downton Abbey" creator has moved on to write the book for the Broadway musical, "School of Rock," and an interactive online novel, "Belgravia" but there may be a 'Downton' movie in the works; Donald Drumpf will begin fundraising in L.A, but does he have any Hollywood support?; singer-songwriter Andy Shauf makes a concept album, "The Party."

Comedian Ali Wong tackles everything from bodily functions, to specific sex acts, to the woes of feminism all while nearly 8 months pregnant in her Netflix special, 'Baby Cobra'; There’s a new music scene taking over south Los Angeles and it’s not hip-hop; Amazon mounts a challenge to YouTube.

Filmmaker Rodrigo Garcia and actor Ewan McGregor team up for a fresh take on a centuries-old story from the Bible; Chadwick Boseman follows roles as Jackie Robinson and James Brown with a new hero — Black Panther; Ticketmaster class action lawsuit plaintiffs won't get rich; YACHT's sex tape prank ends in a backlash.

Actors Alan Mandell and Barry McGovern continue their deep connection to Samuel Beckett at the Kirk Douglas Theatre; Paula Fairfield uses unusual sources (animal sex!) for the dragon sounds in the fantasy series; the Cannes Film Festival kicks off this week with the usual glitz and glamour.

Louie Anderson drew on his own mom for his role as Zach Galifianakis' mother, Christine Baskets, and John Roberts did the same to voice Linda Belcher; a report from the NewFronts: YouTube wants to replace your TV.

"Captain America: Civil War" directors Joe and Anthony Russo went from directing TV sitcoms to the massive Marvel movie machine; how Beyoncé and Radiohead are changing the music marketing game; Millennials are forcing film schools to make MFA programs more responsive to their needs.

Tyler is a comedian, actress, talk show and podcast host, a voice on the animated series “Archer,” and she's about to direct her first film; David O. Russell and other prominent directors talk about the important job of script supervisor.