The Frame

Eleanor Coppola writes and directs her first feature film 'Paris Can Wait.' She opens up about her marriage with Francis, her daughter Sophia, and her lifelong struggle to find artistic fulfillment. An LA actor takes his Trump impersonation into the land of improv. A star-studded cast in NY engages in "documentary theater" with a reading of the play “All the President’s Men?”

Yes, there is too much TV content these days, but the field is winnowing; Graham Nash says he's found a new life at the ripe young age of 75; Diane Rodriguez's play, "The Sweetheart Deal," looks at labor politics and personal sacrifice in California, circa 1970.

Actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead has coveted a part in FX's "Fargo," and she finally got her wish in the current third season; Summer will bring the usual slate of remakes and sequels, but there are also some promising original films on the horizon.

Now that ABC is resurrecting "American Idol," we discuss why the network would do such a thing; how will TV networks prove that they're still the best place for advertisers to spend their ad money?; playwright Dan O'Brien tells us how he created a play out of his family’s history of betrayal, isolation and secrets.

A new documentary aims to give proper credit to storyboard artist Harold Michelson and his researcher wife, Lillian; John Oliver once again goes after the FCC over net neutrality debate; San Miguel Perez recorded his debut album in L.A. with help from Colin Hay of Men at Work.

“The Lost City of Z,” writer/director James Gray talks about how he approached adapting the source book for the screen; Facebook announced it’s shutting down its in-house virtual reality studio; “The Circle” director James Ponsoldt about his film and his own social media habits.

Does the Netflix series, “13 Reasons Why,” glorify teen suicide? How can the streaming service better warn audiences about sensitive topics?; Why Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House in L.A. was built for theater but didn't stage a play until now; Brett Berns makes "Bang! The Bert Berns Story," a documentary tracking his father's legendary career in the music business.

Debra Winger co-stars in the new movie "The Lovers" with Tracy Letts. It's the kind of character-driven film that Hollywood movie studios might have made in the 1980's when Winger was racking up Oscar nominations. She reflects on the changing business and her place in it. Hulu made news today at the Newfronts with streaming deals for "This is Us" and "Atlanta" and their live TV bundle.

Justin Simien reflects on how the 2016 election factored into the TV version of "Dear White People"; a tentative deal has been reached between the Writers Guild of America and TV/film producers, averting a strike; bass saxophonist Colin Stetson on the intricate method for recording his latest album and the physical demands of his sound.

In the new documentary "Risk," Oscar-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras grapples with unexpected contradictions about Julian Assange and Wikileaks. And as talks between the WGA and AMPTP come close to an end, the creators of two new TV shows, "Dear White People" and "Downward Dog," weigh in on what a strike could mean.

On Today's Show:

The co-star and Emmy nominee says she isn't daunted by challenges being faced by the cast; ever seen James Corden and friends performing a musical on the streets outside CBS on Fairfax? That's the work of Emmy-nominated choreographer Chloe Arnold.

The Emmy-nominated director of "Atlanta" talks about his collaborations with Donald Glover, his love of the Coen brothers and how the show set out to accurately portray life in urban Georgia; in the documentary, "What Haunts Us," Paige Goldberg Tolmach examines multiple suicides at her prep school alma mater; director Jesse Peretz and actor Chris O'Dowd talk about their movie, "Juliet, Naked."

Sarah Paulson has a lead actress Emmy nomination for "American Horror Story: Cult" — the seventh season of the anthology series; Bing Liu's videos of his skateboarding pals turned into the intimate documentary, "Minding the Gap."

Wayne Kramer, guitarist and leader of the Detroit rock band MC5, discusses his new memoir, "The Hard Stuff: Dope, Crime, the MC5, and My Life of Impossibilities"; Amazon is in the running to buy Landmark Theatres.

The iconic singer has died at the age of 76. We hear from her longtime bass player, Chuck Rainey; why has a documentary about her landmark 1972 performance at a Baptist church in Los Angeles never been released?; Daphne Brooks, a professor of African American Studies and Theater Studies at Yale University on the transcendent power of Aretha's voice.

The new Hulu series unites themes and worlds that will be familiar to King's loyal fans; in a new episode of Song Exploder, singer-songwriter Neko Case dissects her song, "Last Lion of Albion"; why is TV's new "Batwoman" raising such a ruckus?

The Emmy-nominated actor talks about his role as the rapper Paper Boi on Donald Glover's offbeat series; film critic Justin Chang on the "flawed but vital milestone" that is "Crazy Rich Asians"; a look back at a landmark movie with an all-Asian cast: "The Joy Luck Club."

The actress, writer and musician has an Emmy nomination for directing an episode of "Portlandia"; John David Washington and the man he portrays, Ron Stallworth, in "BlacKkKlansman"; singer-songwriter Sam Buck contrasts '90s pop country with personal anecdotes of queer identity.

Desiree Akhavan talks about directing and co-writing the teen coming-of-age film, "The Miseducation of Cameron Post"; Spotify cuts a deal with Samsung, the biggest smartphone maker in the world; a new wave of protest songs by Radney Foster and Gaby Moreno.

The singer revisits work from his 50 years of writing and recording music; the semi-annual TV critics press tour has ended, so what's in store for viewers this Fall?; a new campaign calls for Hollywood to place a priority on telling stories about and by transgender people.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced some surprising changes to the Oscar broadcast today, including a new category for 'popular film'; Sarah Silverman talks about her Emmy-nominated Hulu series, "I Love You, America."