The Frame

Benj Pasek and Justin Paul are on a roll: they wrote song lyrics for "La La Land" and the music and lyrics for the Broadway hit, "Dear Evan Hansen"; more than 3,500 companies are debuting their futuristic products at the annual, massive technology trade show.

Actor and documentary filmmaker Fisher Stevens jumped at the chance to make a documentary about the iconic showbiz mother-and-daughter, Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher; Sorting through the Jan/Feb TV premieres and comebacks to watch for in 2017 with TV critic Whitney Friedlander.

"Hidden Figures" writer Allison Schroeder (who was just nominated for a Writer's Guild award) tells us why she was the right person to co-write the film “Hidden Figures”; In the film “A Monster Calls,” director J.A. Bayona talks about how families might view his dark and personal coming-of-age story; Elliott Smith’s landmark 1997 album, “Either/Or,” gets a 20th anniversary re-issue.

Clay Tarver is a writer and co-executive producer for HBO’s “Silicon Valley," but he recently reunited with his bandmates in the group Chavez to record their first new music in 20 years; there may be a more diverse roster of actor and actress nominees for the Academy Awards this year, but that doesn’t mean #OscarsSoWhite is a thing of the past, says April Reign, the writer and activist who coined the hashtag.

It's our last Frame episode of 2016! From Beyonce's "Lemonade" to Chance The Rapper's "Coloring Book," we look back at the year in music with MTV Executive Editor Alex Pappademas; Also, we revisit one of our favorite musician interviews of the year, soul singer/songwriter Aloe Blacc, who describes himself as an "artivist," someone who blends art with activism.

The singing voice of Debbie Reynolds echoes throughout the show today as we honor the actress who died yesterday; Los Angeles Times culture writer Carolina Miranda picks some of 2016's most impactful moments in culture; playwright Jon Robin Baitz challenged himself in 2016 to write a play responding to Donald Trump's candidacy and get it up before the election. He did that. Now what?

For our wrap up of the best in TV, Margaret Lyons of the New York Times talks with us about the most overrated, underrated and heavily debated shows of 2016; Among the most lauded performances on TV this year was Sarah Paulson as Marcia Clark in the FX mini-series "The People v. O.J. Simpson." Paulson discusses how Clark had been scrutinized by the media and much of America during the trial.

Carrie Fisher imbued the role of Princess Leia with an assertiveness that set the tone for the future Star Wars heroines; Fisher was also the columnist of "Advice from the Dark Side" which ran in The Guardian; New York Times co-chief film critic Manohla Dargis joins John Horn to talk about some of the top film stories of the year.

The popular British singer-songwriter died from heart failure at the age of 53; Kristen Anderson-Lopez is working on a stage musical version of "Frozen," but for now she has another show on Broadway, "In Transit."

David Oyelowo is extremely selective about the roles he chooses to play, and also the kinds of parts he wants to avoid; the Presidential Inauguration Committee has gotten more nays than ayes from singers and bands.

Writer Lena Waithe and director Melina Matsoukas talk about their provocative film about a tragic incident involving a black couple and a white policeman; five years later, what has Hollywood learned from the Sony hack?

L.A.'s Marachi Arcoiris bills itself as the first LGBTQ group that plays traditional Mexican music; what should we make of the Golden Globes?; the Huntington Museum turns 100 with a centennial exhibition.

After her longtime stint in Sonic Youth, followed by a two-person band called Body/Head, the singer and bassist has her first solo album, "No Home Record"; writer Nell Scovell mends fences (sort of) with David Letterman; Mati Diop's Senegalese film, "Atlantics," is on the shortlist for best international feature film at the Academy Awards.

Greta Gerwig shares her passion for "Little Women"; one TV journalist surveys how Jewish women are portrayed on TV; Jonathan Pryce dons the robes of Pope Francis for "The Two Popes"; a photographer turns objects confiscated from detainees at the border into art; The Black List turns 15; the ambitious filming of "1917".

The actress not only stars in the movie about the downfall of Roger Ailes at Fox News, she is also credited as a producer; assistants in Hollywood want better pay and treatment; "Not at the Dinner Table" is a release valve for uncomfortable holiday gatherings.

Director Sam Mendes and cinematographer Roger Deakins collaborated to film the movie in a single, continuous shot; will "Cats" snuggle up to moviegoers?; songwriter Kathryn Bostic is on the shortlist of nominees for the Academy Awards best original song.

Jonathan Pryce talks about playing the reluctant Pope Francis and screenwriter Anthony McCarten talks about mixing fact and fiction; top screenplays in The Black List.

The director willed her way onto the project to tell the 1868 Louisa May Alcott story in a new way; a photographer turns items confiscated at the U.S.-Mexico border into subjects for an exhibition.

Abby McEnany stars in and co-created the series, which tells the tragi-comic story of a gender non-conforming woman struggling with her lot in life. She and executive producer Lilly Wachowski talk about the series; Kyle Buchanan, who writes The Carpetbagger blog for The New York Times, on awards season in Hollywood.

Charlize Theron produces and stars in "Bombshell"; Lilly Wachowski and Abby McEnany find comedy and connection on their series "Work In Progress"; Matthew Bourne brings "Swan Lake" back to LA; Jad Abumrad argues that Dolly Parton is the great unifier in our fractured country with his new podcast.

The podcast from Radiolab host Jad Abumrad explores the amazing career of "The Backwoods Barbie"; Netflix is accused of breaching awards etiquette and journalism ethics in its courting of Critics Choice Association members; the Australian band Good Morning has a surprising following in the U.S.

Choreographer Matthew Bourne, who shocked the dance world with his staging of the classic ballet, brings the production back to L.A.; why are insurance companies willing to offer policies that protect behavior of figures like Harvey Weinstein?; the podcast, “Prince the Story of 1999,” takes us inside the making of the landmark album.